[DParker]

Picked up my first CCW permit Friday morning and have carried nonstop since then. Has been real interesting.

First, I'm in CA and there are such few ccw holders, nobody expects it or is looking for it. There appears to be NO postings anywhere forbidding it, unlike many of you in "shall issue" states where it is more common. That makes it much simpler.

Started with a Desantis Nemesis pocket holster the first day. With dress slacks it didn't print like a gun, but there was clearly a big square lump in my pants. Not real comfortable. Next couple of days used my Desantis Stealth as an OWB by reversing the belt clip. This seemed to work better with dress slacks. Concealed just fine under a loose sweater. Today I'm wearing jeans and I moved the clip back and am wearing it IWB just fine. IWB seems much better with jeans than thin dress slacks. My hip is a little sore and I am very glad I have the lightweight PM9. I can't imagine you guys that pack 1911s. I do like the fact that the Stealth has a clip pouch so I am able to have 14 rounds available for a very small 9 mm with single stack clip.

Did the obligatory Walmart ammo run first day. Skipped the nachos due to low-carbing. :gah: Have been to Home Depot, Lowes, several resturants...no big deal.

Work has been great...nobody knows except a couple of other Realtors in our office that are also getting CCWs. At least 4 that I know of already have permits though they don't always carry. That makes probably 7-8 in our office that I know of (out of ~100) and there may be more since it's not something one generally discusses. No problem with company policy, our sales manager has had a CCW for years and occasionally packs. Had multiple client appointments and contacts each day including the weekend. Nobody seemed to notice anything.

Church on Sunday felt very strange. I was very glad we went back to choir robes a few weeks back, it felt very "safe" wearing a robe. When I didn't have my robe on, it felt like "everyone" was looking at my lumpy sweater. Was just my paranoia. Nobody had a clue.

Feels great to be legal. Feels great to be prepared. Feels great to be armed. :danceban:

 

[madmike]

Glad you've been able to achieve this! :yup:

Your description of what it's like the first few times out sounds like mine. By in large, a "non-event." And that's how it should be.

Congrats, and keep carrying!

mm

 

[CopperKnight]

Congrats

on getting to carry in CA. I have an uncle there that does CCW as well. Have to jump through hoops like a circus tiger as I understand it. The longer you carry, the easier it gets. After a while you start to feel naked when you don't carry.
Do check into the legal locations to carry. Claiming ignorance doesn't usually cut it with an officer.

Good luck. Love the avatar.

 

[Gelicious]

Outstanding! I too have just got my ccw. I got mine in the mail the same day you did. I have carried only when Not at work. I carried through a few stores and like you did the walmart run. It does take some getting used to for the hip to start to feel ok, but i have changed the belt i carry it on and things are getting better. Welcome to the family. Safe Shooting.

Ohh P.S are you carrying cocked and locked? If so how do you feel about that.

 

[Redneck Repairs]

congrats sounds like your off to a fine start , and i officaly approve of your little kahr too oO( only mad dogs and englishmen buy Rohrbaughs LOL )

 

[DParker]

Ohh P.S are you carrying cocked and locked? If so how do you feel about that.

My first inclination was to carry with no round in the chamber. However, the more I have read and researched, I no longer think that is smart or safe. I can't count on having use of both hands in an emergency and may not have the time to manually rack the slide. Plus, per the manual, Kahr recommends chambering the first round by using the slide lock instead of racking by hand. By hand seems to not be as reliable.

I have fired almost 400 rounds through this little Kahr and I am convinced that the DAO trigger and the internal design of this gun makes it worthy to carry with one in the tube assuming a decent holster with trigger guard.

So, from the outset I have carried it with 6+1 loaded and ready with 7 more in the extra (longer) clip at front of holster.

 

[Wayne]

Gratz, it does get easier as time go by. Been carrying for about 10 years (but having to change this past year the way that I carry).

When I first started to carry I did so with an ankle holster (which, ironicly, I'm back to) and found that it worked better on the Outside of my strong hand leg (not inside on weak side leg).

Before I got used to it, every now and then as I was walking too close to something you would hear a "thunk" as it hit on what I was passing .

Wayne

 

[Gelicious]

My first inclination was to carry with no round in the chamber. However, the more I have read and researched, I no longer think that is smart or safe. I can't count on having use of both hands in an emergency and may not have the time to manually rack the slide. Plus, per the manual, Kahr recommends chambering the first round by using the slide lock instead of racking by hand. By hand seems to not be as reliable.

I have fired almost 400 rounds through this little Kahr and I am convinced that the DAO trigger and the internal design of this gun makes it worthy to carry with one in the tube assuming a decent holster with trigger guard.

So, from the outset I have carried it with 6+1 loaded and ready with 7 more in the extra (longer) clip at front of holster.

I carry my xd. and the first day i carried i diddnt carry with a round the chamber because i was still nervous i think but after fooling around with it cocked and unloaded i have come to see that thouse two safties are perfect and the chance of it firing is almost slim and none unless i pull the trigger

 

[P95Carry]

Delighted you were able to get your CCW - sounds as tho early days are quickly becoming daily norm :smilez:

 

[Rock and Glock]

Congratulations on the license, and the successfull first few days!

 

[PatrioticRick]

Good Job on the Wally World trip, that was a must do.:congrats:

 

[Bud White]

Congrats on the ccw good deal on first few days out .
eventually after you carry awhile you might decide to go to a bigger guna nd then you will realize hey i could ahve packed this thing all along.

Some days a 1911 gets heavy but always rember if it runs out of ammo its a lot easyer to pistol whip someone with steel than polymer

 

[calireserve]

Congrats on your CCW in Cali!!!! Once you get more comfortable you will realize that 99.99% of all people will be oblivious to you carrying. I have a Beretta 92 which is a very large gun. I have carried it a few times and no one gave me a second look.

 

[srfl]

Excellent DP....after a while, donning your CCW will be a natural as donning a piece of clothing.

 

[Rugerman]

First days

My first few days carrying felt very strange. I felt like everyone that looked at me knew I was carrying. I had taken a good training course so I knew very well that I do not want to have to pull my gun out and why I do not want to pull it out. The part to understand is that if you look around at the way society is these days nobody pays attention to anything anymore, we have become a society that doesn't talk to eachother face to face anymore. It is either on a cell phone or texting or email. Everyone is too busy to pay attention to how ones clothes might bulge a bit on their right hip.

My wife was not real keen on the idea of me carrying a gun so I did not tell her when I was carrying. She didn't even know until she gave me a hug and a kiss on that first day. I figured if she didn't notice I was doing pretty good. If someone out there knows how I can get my wife over the fear of guns and get her to the range let me know. She is a smart woman and carries pepper spray with her whenever she leaves the house but I would love to get her a little 9 and a CCW too. My 17 year old daughter can't wait to go to the range with me.

 

[DParker]

My wife was not real keen on the idea of me carrying a gun so I did not tell her when I was carrying. She didn't even know until she gave me a hug and a kiss on that first day. I figured if she didn't notice I was doing pretty good. If someone out there knows how I can get my wife over the fear of guns and get her to the range let me know. She is a smart woman and carries pepper spray with her whenever she leaves the house but I would love to get her a little 9 and a CCW too. My 17 year old daughter can't wait to go to the range with me.

I had to kinda beg my wife to go through the process with me. She is not anti-gun at all, she just didn't think it was practical and doubted she would ever need it. I sincerely expressed my concern for her having car trouble and being stranded in an isolated situation, plus this was something we could do "together". That always pushes her buttons. :biggrin2:

However, after she went shooting with me at the range and then later attended the class and range qualification, she has now been talking about what carry options she is considering. She just needed some exposure. She is now very proud of her CCW permit...I even had to caution her to stop whipping it out and showing people. (the permit that is)

 

[Spoon]

She is a smart woman and carries pepper spray with her whenever she leaves the house but I would love to get her a little 9 and a CCW too. My 17 year old daughter can't wait to go to the range with me.

Congrats on the Permit!

I fortuanately have a gun freindly home where my wife and all of our kids, the older ones anyway (the 4 year old has a few months yet ) are knowlegable of weapons and all have recieved lots of saftey as well as practical instruction on everything I own. We used to make a day of it at least once of month. The kids loved going to the range.

The wife is getting her CCW as well. Being from the Louisiana and surrounded by hunting most of her life she wasn't moved too much when I showed her my handgun when we first began dating almost 15 years ago. She was more interested in when she could fire it.

Good luck on having your wife warm up to your handgun. Just get her in the car one Saturday, grab a bite to eat, then drive up in front of the range and say "Come on in for a second, I want to show you something."

Spoon

 

[Spectre]

Welcome to the club! I used to "occasionally" carry, but after two completely random violent crimes in Minneapolis happened, I now carry everywhere I can legally. I don't feel "right" without my XD with me now.