Concealed Carry Corner: The Toughest Carry Situations

Welcome back to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we took a look at some of the considerations you should look at when thinking about changing carry guns. If you happened to miss that article, be sure to click the link here to check it out. This week, I want to take a look at some of the harder situations that can occur when you're carrying a concealed handgun. Some of these happen during the holiday season, so looking at it before the holidays hit is the perfect time to have you think about what you'll do. Let's take a closer look at some of the toughest carry situations.

Carrying With Family Around

For some of you, having a family dinner means catching up with extended family and showing off your latest gun purchases, but for most of us, the holidays can be a tricky time when it comes to carrying concealed. We all have people in our families with differing political stances and guns can be a hot-button issue that gets people worked up real quickly. Some people don't prefer to be around anyone who carries a gun in secret. I cannot tell you how many people I know have talked about carrying a concealed handgun and, as a result, have been asked to leave the dinner. There are certainly people who don't want any firearms inside their home and you'll have to make a decision to either carry concealed or leave your gun at home or in your vehicle.

Most of my seasoned carriers know the point of carrying a handgun concealed is the actual concealed part, where no one knows you're carrying. Out of all the situations, this one has the potential to go south the fastest since family members can become extremely hot-tempered quickly from things like this. I will typically just avoid family gatherings with people who have such a harsh opinion of my job, but I know that's not always possible for some of you. I won't tell you outright to carry anyway when going to someone's house who doesn't believe in firearms, but I certainly know what I would do. Regardless, it's important to think ahead of time before arriving on the day and trying to decide quickly in the moment. Come up with a plan in advance and prepare rather than making an impulse decision.

Going Out With Friends

For my younger readers, navigating the idea of going out with friends and finding yourself at the bar can be one of the trickiest situations when carrying a concealed handgun. Do you carry and risk going to a bar area where you're not allowed to conceal a firearm? Do you leave the firearm at home and go out when your chances of a self-defense situation are higher? Do you just stay home and avoid the situation entirely? These are all very realistic options with variations in between. Of course, you can carry to start and if you go to the bar, there's an option to leave your carry gun in your car, but then you risk it getting stolen if the vehicle is broken into.

Every choice has a downside and you have to be ready to make a choice on the fly or have a plan ahead of time so you don't find yourself in a situation you don't want to be in. There have been plenty of times when I have left my group and gone home early because I didn't want to go out to the bar, but everyone is different and some may struggle to make that choice. Personally, I don't believe alcohol and firearms mix and even if you don't drink while carrying, you'll still be around others who are consuming alcohol, which is just as bad because you can't predict their actions. Again, I’m not telling you a definitive way to proceed, but it's always best to be cautious rather than find yourself in a potentially sticky situation ethically and legally.

Going Around Gun Free Zones

For some of you, this may be a very rare instance when you have to briefly stop at the post office or pick up your child from school, while others could deal with this on a daily basis. Gun free zones are a tricky obstacle to deal with, but for some, they are a daily obstacle you'll need to figure out if you want to stay armed as well as compliant. Personally, I avoid putting myself in these places and if I have to go, I’ll usually ask my spouse to run in or do what I can online.

For those of you who work at a gun free zone, I have heard plenty of people talking off property and having a handgun in their vehicle so they have something close by, but that's not always an option. Gun free zones have become a constant obstacle that can be a daily part of your life, depending on where you work or your daily errands. I know some of you carry and take the risks while others avoid it entirely, so no matter what your plan is with these areas, it's always best to think ahead of time before finding yourself outside, making a choice and looking suspicious.

Overall Thoughts

Not all situations are easy, cut-and-dry decisions and can become fairly complex. There's no easy, definitive answer for these situations, but my best advice for you is to think about them ahead of time and stick with your plan. The last thing you want to do is find yourself frozen with a group of people deciding what you need to do at that very moment. Impulse decisions are how we make bad choices that end up creating potentially lasting problems.

What would you guys do in situations like these? Let me know in the comments below. If you have questions about carrying concealed or firearms in general, feel free to shoot me a message on Instagram @fridgeoperator. Stay safe out there and we will see you next week for another edition of Concealed Carry Corner.

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