Carrying a weapon is a practice as old as mankind itself - from rocks to pointy sticks to swords to firearms - with accepted practices varying widely throughout time and across cultures. Today, the practice that probably comes to mind first is that of carrying a handgun, either openly or concealed. That only makes sense, as this practice only continues to grow as more and more people recognize that they are responsible for their own safety and that of their loved ones.
According to a
study published last year by Dr. John Lott, the number of concealed handgun permits in the US had by that point surpassed 17.25 million, representing a 273% increase since 2007. This is a number that has continued to grow throughout the decades and shows no signs of slowing down. CCW permits have grown from 2.7 million in 1999 to 4.6 million in 2007, nearly doubling to 8 million in 2011, 11.1 million in 2014, to the 17.25 million that the study found by summer 2018. Put another way, 7.14% of American adults have been licensed to carry a firearm.
These numbers do not even include all of the people who lawfully carry a concealed weapon in one of the 16 states that have passed permit-less "Constitutional Carry" or any of those who choose not to conceal in the 32 permissive open carry states.
In this multi-part series on
The GunLink Blog, we will explore a number of factors of interest for those who are new to concealed (or open) carry as well as for those who are interested in getting started or just curious about it. We will cover topics including selecting the right firearm and other gear, to situational awareness and the concealed carry mindset, to ammunition selection.
Before we delve into all of that, if you are starting from scratch, check out the
Firearms 101 thread for some bare-bones basics about what firearms are, how they work, commonly used acronyms, and more. Also, be sure to learn, understand, and always follow the
Four Laws of Gun Safety.
If you have any questions, comments, tips, tricks, or topic suggestions, along the way, do not hesitate to join the discussion and ask them in the forum threads or
GunLink Blog comments section.
Concealed Carry Basics Part 1: Choosing the Right Firearm - In the first installment, we address a number of factors to consider when choosing a firearm to carry. This not a "which gun to buy" article but, rather, an overview of how to make sure that you find one that will work well for you.