We live in dangerous times where Christians are targets for attack because of our faith. Carrying a weapon either concealed or open carry is going to be a personal choice each of us must make but I'd like to offer up some options and ideas based on my personal expierence.
I'm not going to cover handgun choices in this post, this is really just urging Christians to not be victims, to prepare for the worse and offer some suggestions.
First, know your state laws about carrying weapons. I live in North Idaho a free state where I can choose to open carry (meaning a gun on my hip) or concealed carry with a state issued license. Idaho is a must issue state meaning if I pass the background check the state must issue me the a license to carry a fire arm in a concealed manner. Some states mostly blue states are much tougher or near impossible to get a concealed carry permit.
Do your research, and follow your state laws. If that means your a sitting duck that can't protect yourself then move, I can't give you any other advice. Make sure you are about to carry a firearm legally and get training. My company has 1 or 2 classes a month on carrying a weapon and it includes live fire and tactical choices. Most people leave the class having fired about 500 rounds, this is real training and I urge you to get some.
Second buy a handgun you will carry EVERY DAY, choosing a hand gun that your uncle Marty made you pick out but is to big for you or your scared of will only lead you to not carry it. Any gun is better than no gun, get educated, go to a gun range where you can try various weapons and pick one you feel comfortable with.
Personal choice is fine, I'm totally agnostic on handgun caliber. Like I said any gun is better than no gun....that being said the meaner the handgun, the bigger and faster the bullet, the faster you can eliminate a threat.
Everyday I carry a Glock 10mm with 4 extended magazines carrying 17 rounds with full power loads the 10mm is a bit much for some it's usually a round carried to kill grizzly bears in an emergency. I also carry a back up revolver (a 357 magnum S&W) why a back up gun 4th? Because semi auto handguns jam and in that instant it's easier to drop it and grab a revolver that is guaranteed to not jam and have 6 back up shots.
Inside my truck I carry a "truck gun" this is a gun that is easy to carry inside a vehicle but is a rifle caliber weapon so I have more punch in a really bad situation.
A truck gun is usually shorter or uses a folding stock to allow for easy stowage and retreival. Above is my standard truck gun an M92 Krinkov with a silencer. Note the folding stock, this allows me to store it between my seats. The silencer is there to protect the hearing of others around me if I need to deploy it and to help mask where my fire is comming from if I'm engaging a threat that hasn't detected me.
Third comfortable carrying, if you aren't comfortable when you have your handgun you won't carry it. This is where woman have an edge, their purse is great for easy and comfortable carrying but men aren't so lucky.
You will probably try 3 or 4 holsters before you find the magic fit that just feels great on your body. Just do a search online for concealed carry holsters you will find everything from kydex (plastic form fit) to good ole leather holsters. Styles range from back and front belt carry to shoulder harness rigs. It will boil down to what fits you best and won't get in your way. I use a custom leather shoulder rig with my 10mm on one side and the 357 and 4 extra magazines for the 10mm on the other side.
Above is an example of a shoulder harness for dual semi auto hand guns. The other idea for men is a shoulder bag or messenger bag. Which more and more guys are choosing and allows for other items like emergency medical supplies to be carried as well my favorite is the Maxpedition series.
These are fantastic and allow for plenty of room to carry everything you need for a day out and they give you some stealth as it looks like a pretty standard shoulder bag.
So this all seems a bit daunting....yes it does but it's worth it to many. I run a personal security company and need to be ready if a bad guy comes looking for me. For me it's a necessity but for you it will most likely be a choice. If you make the choice do it right, follow the laws, and get trained.
The payoff is that someday you might be the difference in a bad situation either your own or someone else's. You might have the ability to make the choice to refuse to be a victim. We live in a society that more and more wants us to wait for a government official to tell us what to do, and will punish you if you do the right thing. You can't be afraid to step up and do what's right though, you don't need anyone's permission to do what's right.
I'm not going to cover handgun choices in this post, this is really just urging Christians to not be victims, to prepare for the worse and offer some suggestions.
First, know your state laws about carrying weapons. I live in North Idaho a free state where I can choose to open carry (meaning a gun on my hip) or concealed carry with a state issued license. Idaho is a must issue state meaning if I pass the background check the state must issue me the a license to carry a fire arm in a concealed manner. Some states mostly blue states are much tougher or near impossible to get a concealed carry permit.
Do your research, and follow your state laws. If that means your a sitting duck that can't protect yourself then move, I can't give you any other advice. Make sure you are about to carry a firearm legally and get training. My company has 1 or 2 classes a month on carrying a weapon and it includes live fire and tactical choices. Most people leave the class having fired about 500 rounds, this is real training and I urge you to get some.
Second buy a handgun you will carry EVERY DAY, choosing a hand gun that your uncle Marty made you pick out but is to big for you or your scared of will only lead you to not carry it. Any gun is better than no gun, get educated, go to a gun range where you can try various weapons and pick one you feel comfortable with.
Personal choice is fine, I'm totally agnostic on handgun caliber. Like I said any gun is better than no gun....that being said the meaner the handgun, the bigger and faster the bullet, the faster you can eliminate a threat.
Everyday I carry a Glock 10mm with 4 extended magazines carrying 17 rounds with full power loads the 10mm is a bit much for some it's usually a round carried to kill grizzly bears in an emergency. I also carry a back up revolver (a 357 magnum S&W) why a back up gun 4th? Because semi auto handguns jam and in that instant it's easier to drop it and grab a revolver that is guaranteed to not jam and have 6 back up shots.
Inside my truck I carry a "truck gun" this is a gun that is easy to carry inside a vehicle but is a rifle caliber weapon so I have more punch in a really bad situation.
A truck gun is usually shorter or uses a folding stock to allow for easy stowage and retreival. Above is my standard truck gun an M92 Krinkov with a silencer. Note the folding stock, this allows me to store it between my seats. The silencer is there to protect the hearing of others around me if I need to deploy it and to help mask where my fire is comming from if I'm engaging a threat that hasn't detected me.
Third comfortable carrying, if you aren't comfortable when you have your handgun you won't carry it. This is where woman have an edge, their purse is great for easy and comfortable carrying but men aren't so lucky.
You will probably try 3 or 4 holsters before you find the magic fit that just feels great on your body. Just do a search online for concealed carry holsters you will find everything from kydex (plastic form fit) to good ole leather holsters. Styles range from back and front belt carry to shoulder harness rigs. It will boil down to what fits you best and won't get in your way. I use a custom leather shoulder rig with my 10mm on one side and the 357 and 4 extra magazines for the 10mm on the other side.
Above is an example of a shoulder harness for dual semi auto hand guns. The other idea for men is a shoulder bag or messenger bag. Which more and more guys are choosing and allows for other items like emergency medical supplies to be carried as well my favorite is the Maxpedition series.
These are fantastic and allow for plenty of room to carry everything you need for a day out and they give you some stealth as it looks like a pretty standard shoulder bag.
So this all seems a bit daunting....yes it does but it's worth it to many. I run a personal security company and need to be ready if a bad guy comes looking for me. For me it's a necessity but for you it will most likely be a choice. If you make the choice do it right, follow the laws, and get trained.
The payoff is that someday you might be the difference in a bad situation either your own or someone else's. You might have the ability to make the choice to refuse to be a victim. We live in a society that more and more wants us to wait for a government official to tell us what to do, and will punish you if you do the right thing. You can't be afraid to step up and do what's right though, you don't need anyone's permission to do what's right.
