Beginner Concealed Carry


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home | Beginner Concealed Carry

Welcome to the Beginner Concealed Carry portal. If you're new to carrying concealed or are picking it up after a break, this is where to begin. Remember, the only stupid question is the one you don't ask.

Good luck with your research and
please STAY SAFE!

Take care,

Tim Schmidt
USCCA Founder

RECOMMENDED REVIEWS:
1. The Decision to Carry
2. Avoid Deadly Mental Failures
3. Gun Fit
2. Fundamentals of Handgun Shooting
3. Is Dry Fire Safe?

Armed Senior Citizen: Defensive Handgun Training For the Non-Martial Artist
Bruce N. Eimer, Ph.D.

There is a famous old saying that brought up to date goes something like this: "God made man and woman, but Colonel Sam Colt made them equal." In other words, a violent world without the legal individual ownership of firearms simply favors the physically big and strong over the physically small and . . . keep reading

Sighting Fundamentals
Marty Hayes, J.D.

For the past century or so, how we instructors taught use of sights for defensive handgunning was fairly consistent. We taught the student to line up the top of the front sight with the top of the rear sight and keep an equal amount of light on each side of the front sight. This is referred to as a post and notch sight picture . . . keep reading

Are Tactical Reloads a Waste of Time?
Heath Gunns

Do you have an abundance of available time to train? Is your supply of ammunition endless or available monies for classes unlimited? I suspect that you are not much different than I am. I have family commitments, work commitments and financial constraints that all limit my ability to train and shoot. I try to make every . . . keep reading

Toy Gun Control
Marko Kloos

When you fire a gun at something, interesting things happen. Paper targets sprout holes, cans and bowling pins fall over, water jugs explode or leak, and watermelons make a very picturesque mess. All of those fun events can be triggered by the index finger of the person holding the gun, and a range . . . keep reading

Practicing the Skills You Can't Practice
Uli Gebhard

OK, so here you are, the instructor's signature on your certificate is not quite dry yet and your mind is full with lightning-fast presentations from the holster and firing bursts into your target. Then a question kicks in: how do you practice and maintain your new skills? . . . keep reading

Survivor Makes a Difference
K.L. Jamison, ESQ.

The author, Suzanna Gratia-Hupp, survived a massacre and went on to do something about it. This book continues her fight against future massacres. Her book is essential reading for the gun community on several levels. The author was with her parents in Luby's Cafeteria that day in October, 1991 when . . . keep reading

Revolvers Don't Jam…and other firearms myths
Caleb Giddings

If you've been around the shooting sports and self defense community for any length of time, you've probably heard at least one person say that you should get a revolver for self defense because "revolvers don't jam." While it's true in the technical sense that revolvers . . . keep reading

Sig Sauer Academy: Beats a Sharp Stick
George Harris

Over the last year of political and economic change in the U.S., the population of the country has given more than a fleeting glance at firearms, and their own ability to defend themselves. Business at the Sig Sauer Academy has skyrocketed to record levels in the Responsible Citizen arena to the point of keeping the place open . . . keep reading

Drill of the Month: SHOOTING DOTS
John Benner of Tactical Defense Institute

The longer I am in the business of teaching firearms and tactics, the more I realize how important the basic fundamentals of both are. The older I become, the clearer it is that other things such as eyesight and physical impairment of one sort or another hamper our ability to be fast and accurate. This is different for . . . keep reading

The Ordinary Guy: Home Safe Home
Mark Walters

This past Sunday night after returning from the Armed American Radio Studios, I had a very bizarre incident that I would like to tell you about. We talk about these things as concealed carry permit holders on a regular basis and we stress them to you on the radio show almost every week with some of the greatest firearms . . . keep reading

Shout it Out!
Nick Selby

I've drawn my Sig 229 and pointed it at the man who is now raising his weapon toward me. While I move left and fire at his center mass, I shout, "Gun! Gun! Get down! Show me your hands! Nobody move!" He's down and not moving, and as I try to calm down and control my breathing, I loudly say, "Someone call 911, I've been attacked! . . . keep reading

Stepping Lightly Around Spousal Concerns
Norm MacDonald

It was almost five years ago that, after reading an article in the local paper about the Second Amendment, I looked at my wife and said, "I am planning to own at least three guns before the government takes away my right to do so." Of course, she was a bit taken aback by the statement, but after some discussion she seemed . . . keep reading

Short Fingers and Fat Butts: Handgun Fit for Defensive Shooting
Tom Givens

Firearms Instructors out there, have you noticed how many shooters these days have fat butts? I'm sorry--I meant their pistols have fat butts. The proliferation of pistols with high capacity, double column magazines has created problems for many shooters, who have handguns that simply do not fit their hands. This makes proper . . . keep reading

Hit Them Hard: Understanding the Performance of Your Carry Ammunition
John Ervin

In the final analysis, no piece of equipment, ammo or otherwise, will win a conflict on its own. It is up to you to make the choices that you feel will best stack the odds in your favor, should a deadly force encounter befall you. Primary among them would be selecting the ammunition that provides the best balance of . . . keep reading

The Ordinary Guy: The Love of My Life
Mark Walters

This is the story of newlyweds Nikki and Ben Goeser. Those of you who listen to me on Armed American Radio have heard this story direct from Nikki Goeser herself. It is disturbing, brutal and very difficult to write. Nikki met Ben Goeser in June of 2007 at a friend's karaoke party . . . keep reading

Did Anybody Drop this Pistol? The Essentials of Holster Safety
Kathy Jackson

Although there was a lot of vigorous debate about the specifics, there was also a surprising degree of consensus about safe holster design. Most participants agreed that a safe holster performs several crucial functions, while an unsafe holster either fails to perform one of these functions or does so in a way that encourages the user to violate safe gunhandling procedures . . . keep reading

Sig Sauer Academy: Concealed Carry in Inclement Conditions
George Harris

For many of those reading this column, carrying concealed is an everyday occurrence. In order to maintain consistency, a carry location for the gun has been selected along with the location for spare ammunition. Proficiency is kept at the desired level through the regular practice of drawing, holstering, handling, reloading . . . keep reading

BEHIND THE LINE: Teaching Gun Safety
Marty Hayes J.D.

Before the first shot is fired in any training course, gun safety must be addressed. But gun safety is somewhat of a nebulous concept, and it has been my experience that many people speak reverently about the need to practice gun safety, but those spoken words seem to be forgotten once the guns enter the hands of otherwise well-intentioned . . . keep reading

Ballistic Basics: Weighty Matters
Dennis Cantrell

Your body's weight is easy to determine, right? Simply step onto a scale and read the number displayed. And most of the time this works just fine. However, suppose you could transport yourself to the top of Mount Everest (29,035 feet high) and repeat the measurement. You'd find that your 180-pound body now weighs a mere 179.75 pounds, a quarter of a pound less . . . keep reading

Carrying a Backup Gun: Do You or Don't You?
Duane A. Daiker

Everyone should carry a backup gun, affectionately referred to as a BUG. When it comes to lifesaving equipment, there is a commonly heard phrase: "Two is one, and one is none." Mechanical devices tend to fail at the worst possible times. If your life is important enough to carry one gun . . . keep reading

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