Concealed Carry: Knowing the Responsibilities and Consequences – Part One

In a world buzzing with current events and debates, one issue has firmly planted itself in the heart of discussions across the United States – gun violence and the Second Amendment. However, this blog series isn’t here to dive into the political quagmire or sway opinions; instead, let’s explore the often-overlooked aspects of concealed carry – the responsibilities and consequences that accompany the decision to bear arms in public.

With a 35-year career in law enforcement under my belt, I’ve witnessed the intricate dance between lawful and unlawful weapon ownership, possession, and use. The grim reality, irrespective of where you stand on the issue, is that there are consequences for those involved. So, let’s shift the conversation from rights to responsibilities and delve into the concealed carry world.

The Surge in Concealed Carry

So, what I would like to discuss is not about rights; others can debate that issue until even the dead horse being beaten decides it’s enough and walks away. No, what I want to talk about are responsibilities and consequences. Responsibilities and consequences for what you ask? Well, today, let’s talk about the responsibilities and consequences of concealed carry and what that means. This will be part one of a three-part series, as there is much to cover.

In the last two or three years, concealed carry of firearms has seen unprecedented growth in the United States. Rising crime, particularly violent crime, has increased fear and anxiety in all communities, and this has inspired people from all walks of life and all corners of society to jump on the Dirty Harry bandwagon and ask, “Do you feel lucky, punk? Well, do you?” They are buying their perfect gun(s), big and small, and in true John Wick fashion, concealing them along with 100 rounds of ammunition everywhere on their body. They are getting a new spring in their step after completing that coveted basic CCW certification course. With their trusty gun in their waistband and permits in hand, they are strolling confidently down crime-ridden streets across America; perhaps they are on their way to that dreaded shopping mall, that scary “Stop and Rob” convenience store on the corner for lottery tickets, or perhaps just perhaps, to celebrate at that local drinking hole called “Shooters,” where you can always get in one more round.

They earned their CCW permit, trained hard, gave it 100% for two days, and can hit a static target from 15 yards. Thus, they are ready to face what the world has to throw at them! But let’s not get too carried away here. Humor aside, the decision to be armed necessitates thorough training and readiness to use the weapon intelligently and effectively. A mere certification does not a responsible concealed carrier make. As a Marine Recon buddy of mine likes to say, he has one hard and fast rule when it comes to training for the fight, “no goofy shit.” Carrying a concealed weapon is a serious decision that demands serious commitment and responsibility from serious people. So, with that in mind, let’s talk honestly.  

Anyone who decides as an intelligent and well-informed person to arm themselves and commits to protecting themselves and their loved ones must understand it is just not enough to be armed; you must be trained and ready to put that weapon to use intelligently, accurately, and effectively. Again, carrying a gun is a serious decision for serious people. It has more responsibilities and consequences than most people realize or are prepared for. Learning this now can save you a catastrophic life lesson later, so I hope you take something good from the read.

Carrying a concealed weapon requires sharp intellect, uncompromising commitment to situational awareness, sound decision-making, and an absolute commitment to not only training but continuously pushing yourself to the limits of training. Did I mention training? I worked in undercover operations for several years, and just like with my tactical assignments, the two biggest concerns in any operation were the bad guys and the good guys. Yes, you read that right, the good guys!  

The Threat Recognition Issue:

So what does this mean? When you carry concealed, the operative word there is concealed. Hence, nobody knows you have a weapon, and most likely, nobody knows who you are or your intent when you produce your weapon. Therein lies the problem: you also do not know who else has a weapon, who they are, or what their intent is if they produce a weapon. Therefore, the chances of friendly fire increase exponentially.  

In my experience, one of the biggest concerns for undercover officers is when uniformed or even other plain-clothed officers arrive, particularly if they are not known to each other. Having a badge on your belt is likely to be missed by responding officers, as one of the physiological responses to stress is tunnel vision. They will most likely see only the threat, e.g., the weapon, but not the badge.  

That is why many plainclothes officers wear badges on chains around their necks so that the badge is center mass, where officers are trained to shoot. The thought, or at least the hope, is that when the officer gets a sight picture, they will see the badge. Unfortunately, this is not foolproof and is still a significant risk. This issue is why, in undercover operations and tactical operations, participants must attend the briefing; it helps cut down on some misidentification issues if everyone sees everyone involved beforehand whenever possible. But in the civilian world, that is not possible or even realistic.  

Now, let’s take a civilian with a CCW permit. It is paper and not commonly recognized as a symbol of police authority, and it will most definitely draw little attention in a stressful, chaotic situation. This dramatically increases the chances of an officer mistaking you as an armed threat. Now, that seems extremely simple and common sense. 

If you are not situationally aware, not making sound decisions, and are not able to break your tunnel vision, as well as auditory exclusion, you might not be able to follow commands if given by responding officers. You may point your weapon in a manner where another armed citizen or officer sees you as a threat and feels they must shoot you. This concern should dictate your decision to even draw your weapon and engage someone unless your life is in immediate or imminent danger. 

If you decide you must draw your weapon, you must be well-trained enough to not only hit your target who, unlike a paper target on a static range, will likely be moving and engaging you as well. In this case, remember it’s not about a pretty target; it’s about good, effective hits that cause multiple wound channels to increase organ damage and blood loss.  

So, you need to learn to recognize when you should engage and when you should not engage. One way is to honestly consider if you are trained well enough to engage effectively. There have been many studies conducted on the accuracy and the hit ratio of police officers engaging suspects during gunfights. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the numbers are not historically that comforting, and these people train, at least most do. So, if people who train regularly have lower than optimal hit ratios under stressful conditions, where do civilian CCW permit holders fall? 

When they do train, are they training for marksmanship in a static range, as I have unfortunately seen all too often on social media when people film their training? Outside of some very talented former military and law enforcement instructors, I rarely see civilians training in solid combat pistol tactics where they must draw, move off the X, and hit their targets, all under stress while seeking/moving to cover, scanning for threats, working through failure drills, etc. I have seen many people post videos of them “training” where they are slow to draw, never move off the X, focus only on firing those one or two perfect shots with 3-4 second intervals between shots, and looking at their holsters as they fail to keep their weapon up and on the threat until they have scanned for additional threats. They re-holster immediately, and they stop if they have a malfunction.  

I remember Clint Smith, a great trainer from Thunder Ranch, used to say, “Know how to fix your gear in a fight because if the space shuttle can turn into a pop bottle rocket, your gear can fail.” I know it was not PC then and is not PC now, but it is absolutely true. What is also true is that it’s equally important to learn how to fight while moving and from different positions; again, gunfights do not occur in a static environment; they occur in fluid, rapidly changing, extremely unpredictable environments. Training on the basics is vital; those basics should lead you here, and this is where you should be if you are even contemplating carrying a weapon in a public place.  

Of course, this is simply my opinion; this is where intellect and situational awareness come into play. You must be able to recognize what’s going on in front of you and all around you. You need to be able to weigh many factors and make sound decisions; otherwise, it could be catastrophic for you, someone you love, or someone I love. It’s that important!

In part two, we will address other considerations and factors that impact responsibilities and consequences. If you found this part one valuable, I invite you to read part two. Until then, stay safe, commit to training, and be smart!