More and more people are doing concealed carry firearms these days. There is increased violence in our culture. And, at least some people realized the cops just don’t get there on time. Which means they are on their own until the coppers do get there.

When I was a young police officer, there were very few smaller pistols suitable for concealed carry. These days there are too many smaller pistols to even count. Many of the major firearms companies produce high quality pistols. There is the Sig Sauer P-365, Springfield Armory Hellcat, Beretta APX A1 and several Glock variations. These are all high quality firearms in what is more commonly called the “Micro” category. They are usually 1” wide with a 3” or shorter barrel. They are not for long distance shooting, just for “up close and personal”, for self-defense. Most of them can carry between 10 to 15 rounds which is amazing.

To top it all off, the Personal Defense ammo available is very cool. Personal Defense ammo is higher quality than “range ammo”. It is usually hollow point for expansion and effectiveness. Of course this higher quality ammo means more reliability and higher cost.

You will not see this in the local news, but there are quite a few instances of people using their CCW firearms in public in the United States in their defense or the defense of others. The media is mostly antigun, so they do not show this stuff on the news.

Carrying a concealed firearm is a big responsibility. However, if you feel up to it, I really recommend doing it for your safety. Nothing beats good situational awareness and avoiding bad situations if possible though. But, if your back is to the wall, then at least you are prepared.

Speaking of prepared. If you do decide to do a concealed carry of a pistol on a daily basis, please do yourself a favor and practice with the gun! Just don’t go out, buy a small pistol and then toss it into the nightstand in your bedroom. You have to work with the weapon to get a feel for it and become competent with it. That goes especially for semi-auto pistols.

Doug