I just purchased a small handgun that, once I know how to use it, I plan to concealed carry (ruger lcp max). I just picked up the gun, and have confirmed with my county that it’s registered. In order to conceal carry my state requires a course, and I’ve got a guy’s number who can provide that. Other than that, I think I’ll need the following:
-Holster (I’d like to get a pocket holster and one that can go around the waist under clothing)
-Ear and eye protection for the range
-Ammo
-Some kind of gun safe/locker (I travel frequently, so I’ve been looking at options that could fit in a chekced bag at the airport)
Do you all have any suggestions on where to get these items or any particular models you recommend? Or am I missing something else important?
Thanks in advance, I’m going to do all this research myself, but I’m aware that I don’t know anything about guns and am looking to not make any dumb mistakes/purchases. Thanks!
Edit: checked bag not carry on lol
I pocket carry an LCP Max
I use a Vedder Pocket Locker. I tried no other holsters (other than the one it came with, which is soft and not safe to carry in), so I can’t really compare. It meets my needs.
I just use cheap safety glasses with a good rating. Doesn’t hurt to be extra careful, but no need to spend a ton of money here.
Regular earplugs work and cost like 50 cents, but if you plan on going shooting with friends getting a pair of electronic ear protection can be nice. They let you carry on a conversation while shooting. Walker’s Razers aren’t bad if you can get them for around $30.
Get a few boxes of hollow points for carrying and the rest FMJ for the range. You can watch /r/gundeals and ammoseek for deals. This looks like a pretty solid deal for range ammo, although I don’t know anything about the seller. Looks like they’re out of Federal HST which is my go-to, but have a few other options for hollow points. I’m currently carrying Hornady Critical Defense because it’s what I could get at the time, and it cycles fine in my LCP Max. You’ll want to shoot through a few mags of your carry ammo to make sure it cycles in your gun and get used to it, since it’s usually loaded hotter than range ammo. Ideally you have enough extra that you can shoot through your carry mag every time you go to the range.
I’d recommend eventually getting the 12-round magazine for the extra grip and capacity.
Can’t give much advice on lockers or flying. I know there’s a big difference between satisfying legal requirements for being locked away, and being locked away such that it’s difficult or impossible to steal the gun. The former can be covered by a $50 lock box from Costco or wherever. The latter seems to have pretty heavy diminishing returns.
