Over 10 years carrying, this is what I have learned

TL;DR: There's a lot of shit people think matters but it doesn't. If you can't hit the broad side of the barn with the gun you currently carry but you can with something in your safe, then carry that. People care more about their phone and not what is on your hip.​What I learned from shooting .45, .40, and 9mm.Two are very expensive and one is very cheap. The cheaper it is to shoot the more you will shoot. The more you shoot the better you will be at shooting.What I learned from open carrying. Nobody pays attention to you. Everyone is immersed into their phones. Even if they aren't most people still don't notice it. And if you dress a certain way they just think you're a cop.Based on that experience... If I'm wearing a belt I'm carrying a full size pistol. Again, nobody notices. Full size pistol is what I like shooting the most. Nobody noticed the huge gun on my hip before so they can't be bothered to notice a little bulge near my dick.Grip doesn't matter. Grip the gun like a motherfucker and slap that trigger. If you think your puny little index finger is going to throw a shot and over power your hands and forearms, you need training.Speaking of Training... You can't learn hardly anything from YouTube. Take some classes and read some books. When you get your tax return back, don't buy a new gun buy training. Nothing can replace 1 on 1 instruction that you receive from a trainer. Some trainers allow payment installments, like layaway, give them $50 a month and in a few months you'll have your self a class scheduled.Speaking of buying guns. Buying guns is nice and shooting them is even better. But sometimes it is best to only carry one type of gun and primarily only shoot that same gun. This will help build muscle memory and help your body learn index points based on carrying the same gun. AND it will save you money on buying new guns and you can use that money toward ammo and training.The person that buys one gun and trains regularly with that one gun will be infinitely more proficient with that gun in a gun fight than the person who "rotates" various 1911's, wheelguns, and polymer wonders.Carry the gun you like best. Don't carry the gun that is "best for concealment". Which ever gun you shoot the most at the range is the one you're the most familiar with and that is what you should carry. Obviously, I'm not talking about .22 pistols or any obscure pistols that are just fun range toys. What I mean is if you find yourself shooting your Glock 17 at the range most of the time and you carry a Glock 26 then you should just carry the Glock 17.Weight matters. This is almost never talked about in the gun world but weight matters a lot. When I first started carrying I carried a Glock 23 which by most standards is fairly light. When I got a Glock 17 I realized not only could I carry a bigger gun but more ammo and it still weighed less than the Glock 23. And I could shoot the Glock 17 better.More on weight. I'm a big fan of pocket .380's. The LCP and LCP Max are pretty much the only pocket pistols I have found that I can easily carry in gym shorts. Sure the G42 may be better. But I don't care. I can put all my shots in the 8 ring at 20 yards with the LCP Max. Most people I see at the range can't put all their shots in the 8 ring at 8 yards.Some people don't think psychology plays into guns and carrying guns but I do. If you're confident in your gun then you're going to be more likely to carry. Shoot what makes you feel good and carry what makes you feel good. I go to the range regularly and people will have their Springfield XDs single stack .45 pistol that they can't hit the broad side of a barn and they say with a smile on their face, "Oh this is my up close and personal gun it doesn't have to be accurate because blah blah blah." But after that they'll pull out their 1911 and smoke the speed rack like they're Jerry Miculek. And when I ask them why they don't just carry the 1911 they always say, "Well its just my range toy and I don't want it to get scratched up."Carry what makes you feel good and carry what you shoot well. Don't get hung up on the cosmetics of the gun. It doesn't matter what holster you use or the conditions that you carry every gun that you carry will get scratched or show signs of holster wear. But actually shooting the gun will show signs of wear faster. So unless you just like looking at your factory new Kimber and never shooting it, carry the gun that you shoot the best.It is easier to go from a big gun to a small gun but not from a small gun to a big gun. Yes small guns are easier to conceal but remember, nobody cares or pays any attention to your waste line. Bigger guns are easier to shoot and you'll feel much more confident shooting something like a Sig P320 than an LCP. So start out with the Sig and later on get the LCP.Gear doesn't really matter. All you need is a great belt and a decent holster. I've had a vedder leather belt for about 5 years now and I'll never wear anything else. I've tried everything from belts at walmart to $100 nylon belts. There is no substitute for a high quality leather belt.Speaking of decent holsters. One size fits all and uncle mikes holsters are like an old beat up Chrysler. You say, I just need it to get me from point A to point B. Don't get the Chrysler, get a Toyota and you'll never look back. There are plenty of quality and semi-quality holster companies out there that make holsters that are much better for not much more money. Save yourself the headache and get a decent holster.​TL;DR: There's a lot of shit people think matters but it doesn't. If you can't hit the broad side of the barn with the gun you currently carry but you can with something in your safe, then carry that. People care more about their phone and not what is on your hip.​Edit: To clarify and not to confuse people I open carried for the first year I carried a gun and haven't open carried since. The long and short of it is, where I'm from you can own a pistol at 18 and you can open carry at 18 and the sheriff wouldn't issue me a permit at the time. A year later the law changed and the sheriff issued me a permit at 19. And since 19 I have been carrying concealed. via /r/CCW https://ift.tt/1rqkfuX