Getting trained and licensed to carry a concealed weapon doesn't mean that you need to start carrying a firearm every time you leave your home. Before you decide to venture out of your house with a firearm discreetly concealed on your body, you should be able to complete a series of important tasks. These things are generally emphasized during your concealed carry classes, but you'll want to continue to practice them until you feel 100 percent confident. This is much in the same manner as you might be able to parallel park during a driving lesson, but it's still a good idea to practice this skill afterward. Here are some things that you should be able to do before you start to carry your firearm.
Draw It Discreetly
If you're facing a threat, you want to keep your eyes locked on it. Looking down and fumbling to draw your concealed weapon is a bad idea. The situation can quickly get deadly when a threat sees that you have a weapon in your hand, so you need to be able to draw the sidearm slowly and smoothly so as to not arouse suspicion. Regardless of where you wish to mount your holster, you should be able to draw your weapon and keep it out of sight until you need to use.
Wear The Weapon Without Printing
Don't forget that the second "C" in "CCW" stands for "concealed," which means that you need to carry your weapon in a manner that it won't be detected. It's called "printing" when someone can see that you have a weapon on your person, and this is bad news. You should never carry your concealed weapon until you can do so without printing. This may mean that you need to buy some new clothing — for example, a longer coat that will reach over a pistol in a holster held against your lower back.
Control It Without Looking
It's also important to be able to control your weapon without looking at it. This means that you should be able to switch off the safety with a quick flick of your thumb, rather than look at the gun to find the safety. If you own multiple weapons, it's important to be intimately familiar with each of them to the point that you can set the safety to the fire position, release the magazine, and perform other functions all without having to look down at the gun.
