Self-Defense

What To Expect in a Gun Safety Class

Whether you are at a firearm range or in the comfort of your own home, firearm safety is a MUST. If you are a novice, a firearm safety class is essential before you even pick up a gun. For seasoned professionals, continued firearm safety education is beneficial.

Gun Safety Classes

Fear of the unknown is an easy excuse for delaying participation in a gun safety class. However, if you plan to own or use a firearm a gun safety class is crucial. As with any other type of training, there are ways to make your experience more comfortable. For example, you can bring a friend. Find someone who is concerned about firearm safety, as well, and invite them to go with you. You can also speak to someone who has taken a gun safety class. They can let you know about their experience and put your mind at ease. Lastly, do your research. Online articles, reviews, and customer experiences can help prepare you for your own firearm safety course.

An Educational Foundation

Most gun safety classes will create a foundation for learning with training via a handbook, presentations, and an instructor. Even if you know nothing about firearms, you will by the time you finish a firearm safety course. You will learn everything from the parts of a gun to gun safety to state laws in your area. For example, if you participate in a training courses at MN Firearms, chances are your instructor will inform you of Minnesota gun laws and regulations. Of course, it is your duty as a gun-wielding citizen to stay up-to-date on changing firearm regulation but this will provide a sturdy foundation for you.

Hands-On Training

An essential part of a gun safety class is the opportunity to actually handle a firearm in a safe, regulated environment. Most courses begin by identifying the parts of a firearm and move on to disassembling and re-assembling a weapon. This allows course-takers to see the inner-workings of a firearm and understand how to put one back together after cleaning and maintenance.

Instructors will then move on to proper form while holding a weapon. Difference stances for various situations will be discussed. Proper form will be practiced in both a group and individual setting, which will allow for practice and corrections.

Oftentimes, instructors will also discuss various types of holsters. Each kind offers unique advantages for various body types, carrying situations, and firearm structure. Basic knowledge about selecting a holster for your specific weapon will be covered in order to provide class-takers with the knowledge they need to purchase an adequate holster.

Firearm Discharge Test

This is perhaps the most daunting concept of a gun safety course: the shooting exam. In order to display your knowledge of course details, each participant is required to perform a test by shooting targets from certain distances with a particular type of weapon. The requirements for testing may vary by state, but the concept is the same–to prove that you can safely arm yourself and discharge a weapon accurately when faced with a target.

Online Gun Safety Classes

Despite the requirements of a gun safety course, online options are also available. Although they allow individuals to study and educate themselves at home, a live fire test is still required. An Online Minnesota Multi-State Permit to Carry Class is offered for a fee, and the live range test fee can be paid in the class fee or at the chosen range. Online courses offer the same knowledge of an in-person exam while being private and self-paced.

DNR Hunter Safety Course

For individuals and youth who are interested in hunting game, a DNR Hunter Safety Course is a great option for firearm education and is required for the purchase of a hunting license. This course is comprised of 12 hours of classroom training and a field experience with seven different scenario training opportunities. Individuals aged 11 or older can take this course, with the license becoming valid at age 12.

Instructor Training

If you are an individual who is experienced and comfortable with firearms, instructor training is also an option. Featuring a 6-hour class with topics on home defense, legal firearm requirements, shooting fundamentals and firearm safety, and a live fire test, the instructor training course results in a firearms instructor certification. This certification allows you to teach firearm courses in the state of Minnesota. Obtaining a firearm instructor certificate is a great tool to make money and teach others about gun safety, as well.

Concealed Carry Clothing That Work

Concealed Carry Clothing

Concealed Carry Clothing

It is one thing to have the right to bear arms in our communities, but it is also important that lawful Americans are able to carry concealed weapons (CCW). All states are different with some requiring you to have a license to carry at all and other not. Most if not all states that allow concealed carried guns do require a special license to hide you gun while in public. Let’s face it, we carry concealed for mostly one reason, to be polite to others. This is where concealed carry clothing comes into play. You do not want to have anything that is bulky or awkwardly hanging from the body. That kind of defeats the purpose of concealing your weapon. You want concealed carry clothing that will hide your gun from others but also has quick, easy access in case you ever have to draw.

Whether you are carrying a smaller handgun being used for personal defense, or general security of personal protection, being able to have easy access to it is essential. There are many choices in clothing that can help conceal the vested holster, side holsters, and even ankle holsters. Of course, the type of concealment clothing that is worn will be based on the climate conditions in your area. Out of place clothing will be a dead giveaway that something is being hidden, even with the best of intentions.

In this lens, we will go over some good concealed carry clothing that can be used in the summer, winter and women since they have more options than men.

Please let us know what you use for your concealed carry below in the comment area.

CCW Shirts, Pants and Jackets For Men – Finding what concealed carry clothing works for you

Concealed Carry Shirt

Special made dress shirts, pants, and jackets make great concealed carry clothing for hiding firearms and magazines, depending upon the size and weight of both. The main issues of bulkiness and shifting with regular movement can often be compensated if they are placed appropriately under regular clothing. A new niche clothing line known as ‘covert’ or “conceal carry” has made protecting yourself and family a more fashionable (and comfortable) one. This includes light weight vests and jackets that are more casual wear, the bulky combat wear, shirts with hidden Velcro slats that allow access to the hidden holster below, and small holster that are the width of a full wallet.

Let’s go over some tactical clothing made just for concealing firearms.

Winter Concealed Carry Clothing

Go big and bulky with your WInter CCW

Concealed Carry Coat

Carrying your CCW in the winter is a lot easier for most people. Most people already have a coat, jacket or sweatshirt on. Bulky clothing make it easy to conceal. For winter or heavier outerwear, concealment jackets that resemble flight work jackets have several hidden Velcro pockets that provide the perfect parking places for your firearm and ammunition. While on the subject of Velcro, men and women can get pants that have a breakaway pocket carry feature that will securely holster their gun as well as Velcro attachments for knives, pepper spray, etc. With each pair of pants sold, instructions on proper attaching and positioning of your concealed weapons are included.

Women Concealed Carry Clothing

Women CCW holsters and purses

ccw purse

Women, on the other hand, have a slightly more difficult time with practical concealment of their firearms. Because women’s builds are primarily shapelier than the stockiness of men, it can “advertise” the fact that she has something a bit more involved than a hairbrush. The more fitted and sheer/light weight clothing didn’t help matters. Until recently, women had been stuck with either wearing unisex style clothing or adaptive men’s holsters to uncomfortably hide the fact they were packing. Today, there are compression “underwear” that lies flat against the body truly concealing the shape of their guns and magazines. The compression shorts is a back holster under short that can be worn under any type of clothing including dresses and shorts, lying high and flat against the lower back and above the buttocks for comforts and easy access. The front sling of the thunderwear sits low below the belly while still providing coverage for even low waist pants and shorts. Made from cotton for comfort and surgical elastic for durability, they are designed to last. A tank top with a side holster sewn in near the underarm can also conceal a small gun comfortably and completely.

Concealed Carry Holsters for Women – Options for the ladies

For women who feel more complete or others that may need to carry some additional items with them but don’t want to be bothered with a bag or brief case, a jogger’s conceal pouch can fit the bill to hold your gun as well as other things you need to carry on your body. Here are some ideas.

Women are also known for having “pocket cleavage” that can conceal smaller items of defense such as pepper spray or small guns. They can be attached to either the front or sides of the bra making access very easy. Another concealing device would be the belly bands or under wraps. They are made from the same materials and the undergarment ones and being thin, they can be placed high, under the breast or lower on the body to hide not only the gun and small magazine but other valuables such as credit cards and money. Men have an under wrap that has shoulder straps and a side holster for their piece. So here are some of the best carry conceal options for women.

In Closing

Safety and security is always a concern but one doesn’t want to advertise the fact that have a concealed weapon or look as if they are agents on the prowl. Being well prepared while being practical can be achieved with the right concealed carry clothing.

Don’t forget to tell us what you use to for concealment and how you like it below.