So now with a full carry...

joesurfer said:

So anyone else have this 'carry anxiety' or am I just being paranoid?

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You'll get over it.

Keep carrying.

It happens. The more you carry the more comfortable you will become with it.

After a while, you'll almost forget you have it.

Start by consistently wearing it at home, and keep yourself from fidgeting with it.

kev74 said:

keep yourself from fidgeting with it.

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Bingo!

It's there.
It's loaded.
It's safe.
Leave it alone.

Don't be anxious about "printing," either. Most people will not see what they aren't looking for.

joesurfer said:

Not a bad idea; I work from home and its just me and the mrs. so could do that .

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You should definitely do this. All day every day until it becomes second nature. My personal opinion is that you should Never forget that it’s there , but it should become as comfortable as putting on your belt or wearing your pocket knife.

It’s always appropriate, I’d rather have on me and not need it, than need it and not have it on me.

As others have said, carry it around the house all day, everyday. The only way to get used to it is to wear it. Eventually you’ll forget it’s even there.

S&W Fan said:

It happens. The more you carry the more comfortable you will become with it.

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Eventually you'll feel uncomfortable without it.

joesurfer said:

I know I should carry more, maybe going out with my wife for dinner or other times when it feels appropriate.

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Just how dangerous is she bro?

It's like when you get a new haircut and think everyone is looking at you... But they're not!

Why did you get the CCW if you weren't going to exercise that Right?

Wear it, enjoy it... For heaven's sake, it's better to have it and never need it, than need it and not have it! Isn't that the point? Have it and hopefully you'll never ever need it!

Good Luck!

Parzival said:

It’s always appropriate, I’d rather have on me and not need it, than need it and not have it on me.

As others have said, carry it around the house all day, everyday. The only way to get used to it is to wear it. Eventually you’ll forget it’s even there.

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I carry my EDC every day, from when I first get dressed until I go to bed at night. I only leave it locked up if I cannot carry it somewhere that is prohibited (courthouses, etc.). And if I don't have it on me, I definitely feel naked.

As an aside, I recently had to leave it home for just such an occasion, and I went to fill up my gas tank at the local station beforehand. And wouldn't you know it, for the first time I DIDN'T have it on me while refueling in as long as I can remember, I was hit up by a somewhat aggressive panhandler for money. He thankfully backed off when I gave him the look and told him no, - that I wasn't going to give him any money.

Down here in SC due to the fair weather, panhandlers are everywhere, - every traffic light, every gas station, every day. When I'm pumping gas, I try to keep my head on a swivel; - one hand on the nozzle handle, and the other on my EDC. I was pissed at myself when this occurred!

The more you carry, - the more comfortable you will get carrying. And once you feel naked without it on you, you will have gotten where you need to be.

Carrying don't mean squat if you are not proficient. Train.

There's a big difference between paranoid and prepared. Look it up.

There's no "wrong place" for CC. Watch the news for 5 minutes for clarification.

"Carry anxiety" as you aptly put it is normal when you first start out, I'm sure we all felt that way at one point. However it will quickly fade and eventually you'll stop thinking about it at all. Putting on your carry gun we be just another part of getting dressed, of no more import than putting on a pair of socks.
I'm at the point where I feel ourtof sorts when I DON'T have a gun of some sort on me. Almost like I forgot my wallet or something like that.
I mostly carry in a shoulder rig and while I am constantly aware in the back of my mind of its presence the sensation of the gun pressing against me has become more akin to a reassuring pat on the back.
Having a method of carry that is relatively comfortable will aid in this transition, as you become more accustomed to it you may find that you are perfectly comfortable with a larger/heavier gun as well bur for now the important thing is to simply have a gun of any kind on your person.

Carry all day, every day. If you consciously find yourself thinking "I should carry today because I'm going somewhere that I may need to be carrying", then that's probably someplace you should avoid going to in the first place, carrying or not. Make sense?

The more you carry your thought process will change to the point where you will get uncomfortable without it.

Carry doing real boring mundane tasks like walking your dog around the block, walking to the mailbox, working from home, running out to get a coffee etc. You will quickly get comfortable with it and realize no one is looking at you.

A pistol doesn't do anyone any good if it's not on your person readily accessible.

Remember good guys don't get to pick and choose when criminals decide to do what they do. It's often when you are most vulnerable or least suspecting.

A few bits of advice,
Get a good functioning holster
Get a good strong supportive belt
Train and practice
Carry everywhere you can
Be alert, watch what others are doing and look for behavior that doesn't fit.

Another thing, I made this mistake as well. My first gun was a Walther pps (subcompact 9mm) because I didn't know any better and my first thought was well if I plan to carry i want the smallest easiet gun to conceal.

Mistake.

Small guns are harder to shoot, less enjoyable to shoot and harder to manipulate. Sure they have their role and niche but many new owners make this mistake.

My advice to anyone who asks me is get a "G19" size gun or similar for your first carry gun. They are very easy to conceal and no one will notice you have it. It's all in your head. They are much more capable, pleasant to shoot and useable. The experience is much better and having that confidence means something too.

Once you get comfortable carrying a G19 size gun then in summer you can carry the small subcompact on really hot days or in more non permissive environments

joesurfer said:

That's for sure; the LCP is all over the place when shooting it and I'll be looking for something bigger that shoots better. I don't have a large frame so need to see how it will feel hooked on my belt. The LCP fits in my pocket so very concealable and unnoticeable.

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I get it. I don't have a big frame either. In winter I can conceal a full size pistol under a "non baggy" hoody or flannel shirt all day every day no problem. The slightly thicker material really obscures and hides the outline of the grip.

I most often carry my G19. It's the best mix of concealment and practical usefulness.

I never pocket carry. I don't like it, I don't feel it is secure and I want a dedicated confident holster guarding the trigger.

Get a good belt like a blue alpha EDC and a good iwb kydex and you are good to go. Much more stable and secure and reassuring. You will be more confident.

Carrying everywhere means to the shitter too. Figure out how you are going to deal with it then. I don't like leaving my pistol dangling in the holster on a loose belt. So if nature calls I will place my pistol in the bottom of my skivvies as I take care of business. Close at hand if needed and not to be forgotten when leaving. I have read some stories of LEO's leaving their duty pistol behind after taking a dump at a diner or restaurant.

MothMan said:

Carrying everywhere means to the shitter too. Figure out how you are going to deal with it then. I don't like leaving my pistol dangling in the holster on a loose belt. So if nature calls I will place my pistol in the bottom of my skivvies as I take care of business. Close at hand if needed and not to be forgotten when leaving. I have read some stories of LEO's leaving their duty pistol behind after taking a dump at a diner or restaurant.

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Lol I do the same ,remove holster and place on top of underwear inside pants so it's impossible to be left behind and it's still under your positive control and no one in the next stall will be able to see or notice.

Phone, keys, wallet, gun...

Drinkthekoolaid said:

I never pocket carry. I don't like it, I don't feel it is secure and I want a dedicated confident holster guarding the trigger.

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Is nice to see all the personal experience for the newbie...

But YOU will need to practice, you will need to carry, you will need to learn to draw from concealment, you will need to learn shooting skills, you will need to find a holster you fit well with, YOU, YOU, YOU...

It's not just about carrying, it's about WHY you are carrying! Is it just to be a braggart? Big boy...? Or are YOU prepared to use it, should your life, or the lives of lived ones depend upon it? It is a tool, nothing more, that can effectuate deadly force in order to end a threat to life! It requires some forethought, some preparation... For example as well, heaven forbid you actually use it for the fore mentioned scenario, are you versed in the aftermath and what to expect? What to do? How to act? Etc? Again, it's not just about carrying...

It's not to say, that it isn't JUST about carrying, lol.

Reminds me of some early exposure in my Martial Arts training when I was a youngin'... And I ran across some verse explaining how a mind progresses thru training and learns certain things. Like how in the beginning a student learns that a Punch is JUST a punch... But as they become more advanced, the same student learns that a Punch is NOT just a punch... And when this student comes to master their art, they can understand how a Punch is just a punch!!! It's an art... And I'm not talking about Sport Martial Arts here!

Same goes for Firearms! It is what it is, until it isn't, and then it is!

Good Luck!

Drinkthekoolaid said:

Another thing, I made this mistake as well. My first gun was a Walther pps (subcompact 9mm) because I didn't know any better and my first thought was well if I plan to carry i want the smallest easiet gun to conceal.

Mistake.

Small guns are harder to shoot, less enjoyable to shoot and harder to manipulate. Sure they have their role and niche but many new owners make this mistake.

My advice to anyone who asks me is get a "G19" size gun or similar for your first carry gun. They are very easy to conceal and no one will notice you have it. It's all in your head. They are much more capable, pleasant to shoot and useable. The experience is much better and having that confidence means something too.

Once you get comfortable carrying a G19 size gun then in summer you can carry the small subcompact on really hot days or in more non permissive environments

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This!

Drinkthekoolaid said:

I get it. I don't have a big frame either. In winter I can conceal a full size pistol under a "non baggy" hoody or flannel shirt all day every day no problem. The slightly thicker material really obscures and hides the outline of the grip.

I most often carry my G19. It's the best mix of concealment and practical usefulness.

I never pocket carry. I don't like it, I don't feel it is secure and I want a dedicated confident holster guarding the trigger.

Get a good belt like a blue alpha EDC and a good iwb kydex and you are good to go. Much more stable and secure and reassuring. You will be more confident.

Click to expand...

Since I seldom wear shirts untucked, I carry in a front jeans pocket most of the time. The baggier the pants, the better. My go to pants are Levi's 550 loose fit jeans. If I am driving long distance I tend to carry using Triple K shoulder harnesses.

As for pocket carrying, I mostly carry a Shield .45, 7+1, but always inside a Desantis E1 pocket holster with nothing else ever in that pocket, along with two (2) spare mags in a separate pouch on me. I have also taken to having a second Shield mounted in a magnetic mount against my vehicle's center console with two spare mags on the same mag mount.

YMMV.

I carried around my house and doing chores for a week. When the gun never fell out or showed I was happy and now carry pretty much everywhere except work.