For the Concealed Carry Newbie. . .

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Judging from the industry stats I've seen lately, the concealable handgun market is chugging right along. (The sporting rifle and shotgun market are a bit flabby and the AR craze is cooling off, at least temporarily, if you care to know.) I'm not sure what's driving this surging interest in concealed-carry guns but suspect it's the spate of pro-gun court rulings that have been issued as well as the growing realization that citizens are primarily responsible for their own well-being. Whatever the reason, we've got a lot of first-time “concealed carriers” entering the gun market. That's a good thing, just on general principles.

It's been 30 years since I first acquired my carry permit, and guns are a big part of my personal and professional life. But I can still remember when I was a newbie. In those days, there weren't a lot of how-to guides that explained how to use a self-defense handgun: you had to read a schwad of magazine articles (still a good idea) or enroll in a defensive handgun class (also still a good idea).

For today's concealed-carry newbie, however, things are a lot easier. Besides having more options in guns, ammo, holsters and accessories than ever before, we've got excellent one-volume guides to concealed carry such as Defensive Handgun Skills by Dave Fessenden. Fessenden, a certified NRA Firearms Instructor, has cleared away all the clutter about concealed-carry handgun techniques and distilled a lifetime of experience into only 128 pages. He's given us what I think is the best how-to guide to carrying and deploying defensive revolvers and semi-autos — he doesn't overwhelm you with technical jargon or complex technical issues. For the concealed-carry beginner, it's a no-sweat introduction to the carry gun — and at only $11.55, it's about half the price of a large delivered pizza, even a crummy one. Check it out here.
And keep shootin'!