The advancement in concealed carry technique and equipment in even the last decade is considerable. Little wonder. Since the late eighties our nation went from not a single shall-issue state to, by the 2000s, a majority of shall-issue, to today, where over half the nation requires no permit at all, as red states are into that whole outdated notion of thinking the Constitution actually means what it says. Imagine. There are a few blue super-majority states that still deny the law-abiding their rights and empower their criminal population, but they loose ground every day to the masses that continue to remove head from a##.
So, as of this writing, there are far north of 20 million issued carry permits nation-wide. Mind you, over half of the states no longer require a carry permit at all, yet we still have 20 million issued permits. Therefore, the demand is there to drive innovation in concealed carry. Ironically, despite so many carry permit holders, the community of people heavily into this craft is still rather small. The vast majority of people with a carry permit are not at all enthusiasts, but they have a permit and probably carry once in a while, when they feel a compelling need to do so that is out of the norm. The true practitioners that train and regularly practice are a small percentage of this permit-holding total, as is no surprise, even though we want to boost that number and ever increase the capability of concealed carriers as a whole.
However, even though the vast majority of permit holders are not enthusiasts, they do provide a consumer base for the innovations that the enthusiasts lead. Firearm innovation, optic innovation, and holster innovation has been dramatic in recent years. Due to these advances, I am of the rather strong opinion that concealment no longer demands the compromise we once imagined it did. The compromise I refer to is the long-held tradition that a concealment gun had to be small, as full-size guns were not very concealable, and a concealed gun would also never be as efficient in presentation as a full-size gun carried in an open belt holster. Such notions are going away.
Now, don’t get me wrong, the majority of people who carry concealed do, indeed, carry compact guns, as full-frame handguns are simply more difficult to conceal under clothing. However, modern holster options have made it much more feasible to carry larger guns. The second obvious advancement, of course, is that many small guns are now quite capable, significantly closing the gap in capability with full-size guns. With such advancements, the necessary compromise dwindles.
The other aspect of compromise that has truly decreased is draw speed of the concealed gun. it has always been acknowledged as objective fact that drawing an openly worn gun is simply faster than drawing the same gun, from the same location, if a concealment garment is covering it. The growth in appendix carry popularity has greatly altered this long-held tradition. A well-practiced draw from the appendix position, from concealment, does not give away much to even a draw from an open competition holster.
So, if carrying a modern, compact pistol, such as the new crop of micro 9mms that have double-stack capacity, in an appendix holster that facilitates a shockingly fast draw for those who have put in the time and effort, how much compromise are we dealing with? Is a full-size 1911 or 2011 competition gun, worn open on the hip, truly much more capable for the shooting problems that are most commonly faced in defensive scenarios? While a performance gap may still be perceptible, it is not terribly important for the shooting required in defensive encounters, if the shooter is well trained and practiced. The gap is even less for those dedicated concealed carriers that do, indeed, carry full-size or compact full frame guns.
Yet, with the enhancement of concealed carry capability, we gain an advantage that is undeniable. The true power of a defensive pistol is in the fact that you can carry it without anyone around you knowing that you are armed. I would take a small pistol, completely concealed, over a full-size wonder blaster that is worn open, any day, any time. With today’s concealment technology, concealing a larger pistol is easier than ever, so we are usually not stuck with only something small anyway. Having a significantly capable gun on body, and having it completely concealed, yet being able to draw it into action at substantial speed, is the new normal in concealed carry and it has offered incredible capability to those willing to train and practice.
Concealment is not a compromise, it is an absolute advantage.
Live fire practice is essential. To buy the ammo that I use for training at the best possible price, go to:
https://www.ammoman.com/9mm-blazer-brass-124-grain-fmj-5201-1000
Reflex Handgun 
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