You Bought Your Concealed Carry Pistol – Now What? [Ultimate Guide]

We’ve all been there. Unless you were issued your first firearm. 

You finally get your concealed carry gun and wonder, “Well, what do I do now?” 

So, what do you do when you get your concealed carry gun? 

Now that you’ve got the ‘owning one’ task out of the way, now you have to focus on finding the right ammo, going to the gun range, training, and attaching a light or optic. 

I’m going to lay it out on the line for you so you can get to what’s important.

 

Finding The Right Self-Defense Ammo

I’m going to assume you already know what caliber of ammo you need. If you don’t, it’s right on the slide or the side of the barrel. 

Now that we got that out of the way. 

There are far too many different types of ammo on the market. You have internal and external hollow point, soft point, paintball rounds, and the list goes on. 

I’ve carried different carry ammo types over the years (FMJ before I knew anything), and I’ve tested them as well. No, not on a live target. So far, these have been the best rounds that I’ve found. 

Speer Gold Dot 

Speer Gold Dot is the ammunition used by Law Enforcement all over the world and three-letter agencies in the United States. Of course, this means the Gold Dot has had extensive testing done. 

It has a consistent spread, designed to go through thick clothing, and always went bang when I pulled the trigger. 

G9 External Hollow Points

Remember when I mentioned external hollow points? Well here we are. Many inexperienced shooters like to believe that EHPs are a gimmick, but the wound cavity that is created by these rounds are anything but. 

I don’t have a ballistics gel to show you, but Garand Thumb did a video on the G9 ammo where he did test it on a head. And it was pink mist. 

You’ll Need Training Ammo To Go With It

I’m sure this isn’t news to you, but you’re going to need some ammo to use while training. As a rule of thumb, you use the same grain weight as your carry ammo. 

So if you’re packing 124g 9mm when you’re out and about, then you should train with 124g ammo. 

Why, you ask? Simulation. 

You train how you fight. If you train with 115g but carry 124g 9mm, you’re gonna get a surprise. 

As for ammo brands I’d recommend:

Federal American Eagle 

I’ve never had a stroke of bad luck when running Federal Ammo. It’s clean, I don’t have to break out the nylon brushes after running 1000 rounds through, and their primers and brass are great. 

Goes bang every time. 

Magtech   

A little dirtier than Federal American Eagle, but still reliable and consistent. For the price, I usually find myself going with Magtech since they cost less per round. 

Finding The Correct Holster

Finding the correct holster, in my opinion, is one of the hardest things to nail down when getting into carrying. You change attachments, you change the gun around, and with that requires a new holster. And the good ones are pricey. 

If you want to keep the price down, I would say to choose a light before you buy your holster. Yes, you need a light. Positive identification. 

Since most holsters use the light for retention, changing it can cause fitment issues. 

As for my recommendations, here are two. 

T-Rex Arms Sidecar 

Say what you want about Lucas, but the dude is innovative. And his Sidecar design is genius. It’s the most modular holster on the market, and those who like to tinker with their EDC will love 

The Sidecar has attachments for tourniquets, handcuffs, and can be removed to carry the firearm only.

Tier 1 Concealed Agis Elite 

The Agis Elite from Tier 1 Concealed is another holster that offers a firearm only configuration, which is especially useful if you want to decrease the amount of weight in the front of your belt. 

It’s a favorite of many. 

Both holsters contour to your body. Which helps with concealment. 

Training (Most Important) 

Owning a firearm and going to the range once a month doesn’t make you proficient with your firearm. 

Most ranges work with training groups and hold courses for carrying. Don’t worry, it’s a ton of fun and you get to meet other shooters in your community. 

Some of those same shooting groups offer medic courses. Not enough to make you a certified EMT, but enough for you to keep someone alive until the EMTs get there. 

If you want to be of good use, take a course or two. You never know who it could be that needs it one day. 

Train. I would recommend reading Jeff Cooper’s Principles of Personal Defense as well. 

Conclusion

If you take anything from this article, I want it to be the importance of training. All of this other stuff is meaningless if you can’t be effective. Don’t be that person, go get some training and meet other shooters in your community. 

Be good and take care.