On
13skills.com, they call this skill
Concealed Weapons Permit, but for me it's more about the ability to carry a weapon comfortably and discretely. The permit is one of the steps, but it is not the destination. Not this time. You see, I already had a permit when I lived in Texas, but I never actually carried. I never learned how. This time will be different.
Spadalach's Concealed CarryStep 1: Determine what firearm and holster combination is the sweet spot for me, especially in summer clothingand
Step 2: Buy handgunDo I go for power or do I go for concealability? I spent way too much time thinking about this, but in the end I went for the Catholic
both/and position. (Or if you prefer, Deion Sanders'
version.) On the power side, I went for a Glock 30. .45 ACP pretty much defines the power end of the concealed carry handgun spectrum, right? (If you're "comfortably and discretely" packing a .454 Casull or better, please let me know how...) But back to the Glock 30 -- it's a solid round. The gun's not too big (I hope). Yet it's got a decent capacity. 10+1 rounds (pictured). 9 if I need to go small. Or 13 (less discreet). Or
more! (Maybe the extended mag goes in another pocket).
If I was wise I would have waited to get the right holster and see if that Glock 30 would be the every day carry (EDC) gun of my dreams. The real me, on the other hand, started conjuring up all the scenarios when only a pocket gun would suffice. What if I need to wear a tucked in polo and khakis? What if it's the day after Thanksgiving, and the one pair of 5.11's I bought 2 inches too big (for IWB carry) is in the wash? So at the gunshow this weekend I picked up a Smith & Wesson 642. This is a .38 special J-frame snub-nose revolver, capable of handling the over-pressure "plus P" loads. There are other brands, but Smith had lots of support. There is one tougher cartridge in this frame, but they say that in this short a barrel, a .357 magum just gives you more flash and a more painful recoil, but no more productive velocity. I am very satisfied with this revolver as my bare-minumum EDC. It has a lot to recommend it over a .380 or .32 semi, both in stopping power and reliability. I've also got
Crimson Trace laser sights on order.
Step 3: Buy holsterI haven't settled on a holster for the Glock 30, but I am leaning toward a
Crossbreed inside the wasteband setup. For the .38, I have ordered a
Robert Mika pocket holster which I am really looking forward to. Within a couple hours of placing the holster order, I had a voicemail from Bob Mika telling me he'd recieved the order, when I should expect it, and giving his personal assurance that there's no other holster like it on the market. I'll be my own judge of course, but that's a good start to the relationship. I'll post pictures when I receive it.
Step 4: Arrend mandatory trainingIn person concealed carry classes in my neck of the woods are booked up until March. Luckily for me in Virginia you can satisfy the mandatory training requirement for a concealed carry permit with an online class and test. Done and done. I have had in-person training with a live-fire component when I got my previous CHL in Texas, but I will never-the-less be seeking out further defensive pistol training to sharpen my skills.
Step 5: Apply for permitDone and received. Whereas Texas required fingerprints, passport photos, and notarized forms all mailed off to the state, in Virginia it is a much smoother process handled at your local county courthouse. No fingerprints (county-discretion), no photos, and the county clerk taking the application is the notary. I received the permit within a few weeks, but I think there's even a provision in the law where a non-response becomes a de facto permit. I still love Texas, but there are ways in which Virginia is a free-er state.
Step 6: Carry 10 timesI've carried once so far, with the .38 in a zipper coat pocket. I was pretty self-conscious at first, but that did wear off. I probably won't carry again until I get my holster though.
