Concealed Carry Corner: Top Stereotypes, Part 2

Welcome back to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we did our first part of this two-part series about the top stereotypes in the gun community. The first part of this series explains the thought process and fun behind looking at the different groups of concealed carriers. If you happened to miss last week's article, be sure to check it out before continuing with this week's article with the link here. This week, we continue looking at the interest subgroups of the concealed carry community. Let's continue our look at the top stereotypes.

The MilSurp Guy

One of the most passionate groups of people in the community has to be the military surplus guys. They are some of the most knowledgeable people who can tell you every spec on old school bolt actions, or Eastern European pistols. They are a walking encyclopedia when it comes to service weapons. Often rocking old school M81 camouflage pants and a crisp leather jacket, they are often carrying the old CZ82 pistols with the traditional leather holster. If they are a bit older, they may have snagged an old Makarov chambered in 9x18 that came into the country a few years ago as surplus.

Throughout my travels around the country, I've seen a number of carry guns from mil surplus guys ranging from CMP 1911s to Makarovs, CZ 82s and 75s or even some police trade in Walther PPs, which is one of the coolest ones in my opinion. There are plenty of other options, but it's usually something the mainstream gun guy has no idea about. Most are underpowered, but still, they are interesting options that not everyone has seen before. Be warned, though, they can sometimes be extremely long-winded, talking about surplus guns, so if they pull you into the technical specs of their surplus handgun, try not to glaze over or completely lose interest because they can drone on for quite a while about their gun. Regardless, they are typically extremely passionate about their handguns and can be fun to see out in the wild.

The CZ Guy

Arguably, some of the most snobby and pretentious people around. These “hip” urbanites lumber around with their nonfat foam lattes, carrying their P01, Shadow 2 Carry or sometimes even an SP-01 Tactical if they are feeling spicy. They often talk about low bore axis, great ergonomic controls with a touch of sophistication mixed in for good measure. Most of the CZ guys I have met are often all about customizing their guns to make them 1 of 1 compared to other carry guns. There seems to be a lot in the community who send their guns off to Cajun Gunworks or Impact Machine to get slide cuts,  optics cuts and trigger work to make it a fantastic competition gun, but these often have too light of triggers to confidently carry for most.

A few of these guys who carry their CZs are excellent shooters, though, and I’ve met a couple of people who carry a Shadow 2 Compact like a 1911 cocked and locked who are extremely good with their carry guns. Don’t write these people off because some of them are truly great shooters, while others are the ones we don't enjoy a ton. It's a mixed bag and it's important not to judge a book by its cover. Everyone has their choices and preferences and it's important not to downplay certain people for their preferences even though it can be ridiculous. Give these guys a break because they love firearms at the end of the day, even though they may not be all of our favorite guns, CZ guys absolutely adore them and that's alright in my book.

The Financially Conscious Guy

There are some out there that will never pay more than $500 for a handgun simply out of principle. When it comes to certain carriers, they simply do not see the point of carrying more than a $500 pistol if you ever have to use it in self-defense. I cannot tell you how many people in my gun journey hold this belief that you shouldn't carry an expensive handgun because they fear it will be taken away if they use it in a self-defense situation. Some go even further by going and buying police trade-in Glock 22s or Glock 19s to protect themselves if they are even forced to draw their firearm out of self-defense.

I completely understand this thought process, but I do not share it. I carry what I am proficient with and shoot well, regardless of price. I don't put a monetary limit on my carry gun, just “in case” you ever need to use it and it gets taken for evidence. Some of you who believe in this are again exceptionally good shooters but carry cheap guns out of the fear they will be taken away and left to rust in an evidence locker. If a firearm is used to save your life and protect you, I don't believe in capping it with a monetary value. It's better to find what you can shoot the best and what is most comfortable for you, whether that's a $400 Glock 19 or a $4,000 1911. When your life depends on a firearm, you should have exactly what you need to protect yourself, but I think this is a less-than-popular way to approach carrying guns.

The Cowboy

One of my personal favorite subgroups out west is the ranch hands or cowboys who carry some sort of Smith & Wesson or Ruger wheelgun most times. If you visit rural Wyoming, Utah, or Montana, you'll oftentimes see old timers carrying a full-size wheel gun or a 1911 in a leather holster set up. Oftentimes, these guys aren't concerned with concealing their handguns so no one sees, but don't mind people seeing what they are carrying. In some parts of rural America, people will not only encourage open carry but will want to talk about what type of pistol they chose and why.

It's not necessarily concealed, but they are proud of their firearms and have zero issue talking about what they are carrying and why. If you ever see one of these old timers, it's always interesting to stop them and have a quick chat. I will stop them for a brief talk about what they are carrying and how they started carrying that particular gun. If they are a bit more modern, they are sometimes carrying a Glock 20 in a Galco holster, but usually it's some sort of larger caliber handgun, since wildlife is oftentimes more dangerous than other residents.

Overall Thoughts

This list should show the vast differences of opinion we have when it comes to carrying a concealed handgun. The point of these talks is to show that despite a wide variety of differences in the community, we all start at the baseline of carrying a concealed firearm. We may all be a part of a subgroup or identify with one group over another, but we all share the same end goal. What group would you guys put yourself into? 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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