This came up on the Concealed Carry podcast (I just recently added it to my feed). It’s an important question. Is the traditional wisdom still valid? So, what have I changed my mind about in terms of self-defense?

  1. I no longer carry two spare magazines. This is probably the biggest switch-out. After listening to a multitude of experts who have examined hundreds to thousands of self-defense situations, the evidence clearly shows that the situation will mostly be resolved with whatever bullets you have in your gun. The only reason I carry a spare is in case of malfunction.
  2. I don’t leave my gun in my truck. I don’t have a safe, and I’ve seen too many incidents where bad guys get guns because they were not properly secured in the vehicles (the guns, not the bad guys). Does this mean there are days I can’t carry? Unfortunately yes. Particularly since I can’t carry into the day job (not just breaking policy, but it’s a felony).
  3. Anonymity is a wonderful thing. Part of the reason I switched from my Aztek (which I loved) to my Xterra (which I also love) is that the Xterra is far more anonymous. Moreover, I don’t put any stickers or decals on my vehicle other than those that are required. If I’m out in public, I generally don’t wear anything that would scream “he’s got a gun!” Other CCWer’s would most likely know the signs, but not the general public.

I’m still evaluating the “how much lumens is enough” debate. I recently upgraded my EDC light to a 750 lumen model, which is maybe more light than I actually need. It’s hard to shake the “need all teh lumenz!”