Just when I think I’ve run out of the misinformation one can find on the internet and hear at the range or gun store, I find more. That’s not to say that everything you read or hear is suspect, just that there are a lot of odd things being passed off as fact. Many of these things take on a life of their own and grow with the telling until they become myths. Others are open to interpretation, and what is a myth to one person might be entirely logical to another. Sort of like the one man’s trash is another man’s treasure effect. But in general, some things should not be passed on to new gun owners as universal truths because they can cause more harm than benefit. Here are some more of them.

Concealed Carry Myths Series

I Don’t Need to Carry Everywhere I Go

Years ago, when seatbelts were relatively new and the government was trying to get people to wear them, there were television ads that pointed out that you should wear your seatbelt even for short trips. The ads supported this by pointing out that most accidents occurred within 20 miles of people’s homes, so seatbelts were important even for short errands. 

The same holds for always carrying your gun. Criminals don’t follow any set rules for where and when they decide to act. Admittedly, I write this from the perspective of someone who doesn’t take the trash out without a gun on me, but that doesn’t make it any less true. Try putting the statement “citizen attacked in their yard” into a search engine and see what comes up. Results I got included articles about a man being assaulted while mowing the lawn, a woman robbed and carjacked in her backyard, an armed citizen defending herself in her front yard, and a man attacked in his yard by his neighbor’s dogs. There is no reason not to carry your gun everywhere you legally can. If it’s too uncomfortable to carry everywhere, then you need a new holster.

You Can Get Your Gun Rights Restored After Losing Them

At the state level, the short answer is that it varies wildly from state to state. You do not lose your right to own a gun in Washington, DC, Maine, and Vermont due to criminal convictions. In most Democrat-run states, like California, New Jersey, and Oregon, you only lose them while you are incarcerated, and they are restored upon release. Of course, states like that severely limit your gun rights to start with, even without a conviction. In other states, they are restored after you are no longer on parole or court supervision. In four states (Iowa, Virginia, Kentucky, and Mississippi), it takes an order from the governor to restore your gun rights. In many cases, a lot depends on the type of felony you are convicted of. Violent felonies carry more punitive consequences than non-violent felonies.

It is a different situation under federal law. The Gun Control Act of 1968 prohibits anyone with a federal felony conviction from owning or otherwise possessing a firearm. Period. A court cannot restore your rights; instead, you must file a request for the restoration of your rights with our helpful friends at the ATF. If the ATF denies your request, you can take it to a U.S. District Court. Unfortunately, since 1982, Congress has refused funding for the ATF to adjudicate restoration applications, so you are unlikely ever to receive an answer from the ATF. And unless you have an official rejection, you cannot take it to court, so it is a Catch-22. The bottom line is you are unlikely to ever get your gun rights restored at the federal level.

Concealed Carry Guns Need a Manual Safety

No, they really don’t. Granted, some guns like a single-action 1911 or a Hi-Power aren’t particularly safe to carry cocked without the safety on. The triggers are light, and it would be easy to discharge the gun accidentally. But DA/SA, DAO, and striker-fired guns are actually pretty safe to carry without using the manual safety even if they have one. DAO and DA/SA guns have a fairly stiff trigger pull when in DA mode, anywhere from 8 to 10 pounds. This makes it reasonably difficult to accidentally depress the trigger. Striker-fired guns have several internal safeties that protect them, and most have a trigger safety that helps prevent the trigger from being accidentally depressed.

But the real safety feature is the operator. Anyone who even touches a gun must follow the 4 Rules of Gun Safety. Anyone carrying a gun should also be using a quality holster that protects the trigger and must be mindful when they put their gun in the holster to ensure nothing is getting hung up in the trigger guard. The payoff in not having/using a manual safety is not having to remember to disengage it should you have to use a gun to defend yourself. Unless you are well practiced in drawing and disengaging the safety under stress, the time spent fumbling with it, or worse, forgetting to disengage it, could make a lot of difference. 

Either way, safety or no safety, it is a matter of preference and training.

I Shoot Well Enough for Self-Defense

I hear and see this in gun forums all the time. My first thought is, ‘What does that even mean?’ To me, shooting well enough for self-defense means that I will be able to rapidly draw, get a good sight picture, and fire an effective shot under extreme stress in a variety of less-than-optimal conditions before the other guy can injure or kill me. But what some people who say this seem to mean is that they can hit a man-sized target at 10 yards almost every time while standing on a range. Hardly the same thing.

If that’s the standard you want to set for yourself, then that’s fine. Good luck. But if you are telling a new shooter this is an adequate level of skill, then you are doing them a great disservice. The reality is that there is no such thing as too much practice and training. Training should include shooting in bad weather, in low light, while moving, while in an awkward position, and while having only one hand available, including your offhand. You should practice your draw while standing, sitting, and even lying down. Being able to shoot well enough for self-defense is an ongoing journey, not a destination.

I Can’t Carry Because I Have to Tuck My Shirt In

This can be a frustrating situation, especially for someone new to concealed carry, but it falls under the category of a myth. It’s true that tucking your shirt in means that an inside-the-waistband holster will not work very well because you must tuck your shirt into your belt. However, there are a variety of methods for carrying. A pocket holster with a micro-compact handgun is an option that will work under most circumstances. If you don’t want to go that route, you can consider an ankle holster, although there are some limitations with them, such as the size of the gun and concerns about it coming loose if you must walk around a lot.

I’ve worn a shoulder holster under a button-down shirt before. You have to consider how quickly you can get your hand in to draw your gun if need be. The 5.11 clothing company makes covert carry shirts that fasten with snaps and have fake buttons sewn on to look like a regular shirt to make it faster to access a gun in a shoulder holster. You can also use a belly band if you like them or a holster shirt like the one offered by 5.11. It provides better support for your gun than a belly band, and you don’t have to worry about fitting it or having it come loose when you move. The reality is that there are clothes available to make it possible to carry concealed in almost anything but a pair of swim trunks. Do your homework and help folks new to concealed carry, not be discouraged, and find a system that works for them.

Bug-Out Bags Are for Doomsday Preppers and Worriers

I have to shake my head when I read a comment from someone on a gun forum talking about things they do to be well-prepared, and some other person answers with a comment about their tin foil hat being too tight, suggesting that they are a prepper fanatic. Nothing could be further from the truth. Bug-out bags and get-home bags are just good common sense.

A well-stocked bug-out bag gives you the critical essentials in a grab-and-go bag in the event you have to evacuate your home or place of employment. When I worked in Washington, DC, our office was between the White House, the congressional office building, and the World Bank. We would have several alerts every year for suspicious packages and terrorist alerts. Once, we even had an evacuation order. I had a bag in my office with items like boots to change into, first aid supplies, a knife, water, and high-energy food, among other things. I even had a gas mask since one could never tell what might happen in D.C.

I also have get-home bags in my vehicles. They have items like the bag I had in my office so that if I have to abandon my vehicle or if I am stranded somewhere, I have enough gear and supplies to improve my chances of survival. There are so many possible emergencies that it is foolish not to be prepared. Storms, earthquakes, train wrecks, social unrest and riots, terrorist attacks, and fires all have the potential to completely disrupt everyday life. There are numerous good articles on what to keep in your bug-out and get-home bags. A self-reliant lifestyle is more than just carrying a gun. Bring new gun owners into the fold and teach them about being prepared for any crisis.

Conclusion

Some misinformation becomes so widespread that it morphs into what I call mythinformation. Misinformation that is so ingrained into social media, gun forums, and casual conversation at rages and gun shops that it takes on a life of its own. At best, this kind of dross wastes people’s time and money; at worst, it could be a lot more serious. When you hear something new, do a little homework and verify it before acting on it or passing it on to anyone else.