1.  Better to have and not need, than need and not have.
2.  If you are going to carry, do so every day, no matter what, or #1 will come back to bite you in the rear.  Murphy's law.
3.  Get something you are comfortable with and become proficient with it.
4.  A concealed firearm is only one part of an effective CCW system.
5.  A good holster and sturdy belt make all the difference.  Don't be cheap with either.
6.  Train, train, train, and train some more.
7.  Learn how to retain your weapon in a struggle.
8.  Be mentally ready to take someone's life if it means saving your own or that of someone you love.
9.  If you ever have to shoot someone (and I hope it never happens to you) keep your mouth shut, don't say anything, be quiet, and shut your mouth.  Then retain good legal counsel.

Good luck.

It is just the same as carrying an AED and a fire extinguisher with you at all times.  Just good practice to get into as they may save your life.

CCW Insurance folks.  If you are not carrying over worry of financial ruin, there are plenty of affordable (~$150/yr +) plans out there.

This article is a good basic intro: http://www.gunsandammo.com/2014/02/12/choose-concealed-carry-insurance/

And the fine folks at the NRA have CCW plans too.

Living in the peoples republic of Illinois, I understand where the OP is coming from. I've signed up for my 16 hours of required training and have had my CCW since last spring when it looked like CC was finally coming to IL. Even so, I'm not sure how often I'll really carry. I live in a low crime area. I've got a 10 minute commute to work. I cannot carry at work and will not risk my well paying job in case I forget and accidentally bring it in, or in case someone discovers that I have a CCW in my vehicle on company property. Parking lots have "safe harbor", but here's the FAQ from IllinoisCarry.com


Again, not worth it for me to carry to and from work. See Section 65 for the long list of places that remain GFZ's. That does not include many of the businesses that have or will be posting signs. I expect that I will not carry 90% of the time that I'm out of the house. Where I really have an interest in carrying, is walking the dogs with my wife in the forest preserves and state parks. We're much more likely to run into trouble there, then anywhere else we frequent. I plan to carry where I can, but I fully expect that will not be as often as I would like.

CCW is new to IL and we're not entirely comfortable with it yet. You guys that have grown up with it and have been doing it a long time need to cut us some slack and provide support and encouragement until we get a few years under our belt.

i hate bandwagon threads, with stupid questions. cause i always fall for the bait.

if you think your right to live is worth it, then i guess it is. a gun is an option, for a perosn to have the most effective means of self defense. thats it. your call

For one thing, people are much more likely to die as a result of a motor vehicle collision than at the hands of an armed assailant, so by your logic, we shouldn't drive if we value our right to live?

Second, a handgun isn't the most effective means of self defense.  A rifle or shotgun is better at just about everything, is it not?

Almost 9 years ago I was involved in the second attempted carjacking of my life. Both happened in small, "safe" towns.


It's your life to live, do it as you see fit. I don’t want my last thoughts to be "Sure wish I had carried today."  Especially if I'm with someone I care about.

I like having the ability to, and when I'm able to I usually do (mostly as a way to keep justifying bringing home new J frames). That said, I usually don't sweat it if I have to wear clothing that's not permissive for carrying, if I'm working out, or in other situations where having a pistol isn't ideal.

I kinda look at it like this in terms of importance for saving my life:
1. Eating healthy/Exercising
2. Driving a safe enough car, and generally not being an asshole with it (not as good at this one )
3. Getting a job that doesn't force me to live in a shithole, nor be in a point where I could reasonably expect my odds of a conflict to go way up (stop n rob clerk, liquor store operator, crack dealer, etc)
4. Having enough children that when I kill my liver there's enough spare parts for a transplant
5. Carrying a roscoe.

I carry a gun because hey, I like guns. I don't feel unsafe when I can't, nor do I expect ever to have to use it. A situation in which I'm killed as the result of anything I could stop by carrying is astronomically low, but who the fuck gets to tell me I can't do something that's not harming others if I want to?