We see it on the news every day. Violent crime rates are up, police departments are stretched thin, and innocent people are being victimized.

It’s no wonder more and more people are choosing to concealed carry.

Many people ask why concealed carry is important and what our motivation is for arming ourselves on a daily basis. Well, carrying a concealed weapon means taking your safety into your own hands. And it’s more important now than ever to have the ability to defend yourself.

While everyone has their own personal reasons for choosing to carry, here are some of the top reasons why we, and millions of other Americans, choose to conceal carry.

To Protect Yourself and the People Around You

We don’t have to tell you the world is a dangerous place.

Every year, around 240 million calls are made to 911. And, according to the FBI, the violent crime rate has increased significantly over the past few years with no sign of slowing down.

In fact, murders in U.S. cities increased by 44% between 2019-2021, according to a Council on Criminal Justice study. And as of this writing, over 430 mass shootings have taken place in 2022 so far.

Let that sink in for a moment.

How does concealed carry fit into all of this? Well, approximately one-third of American gun owners have used a firearm to defend themselves or their property at some point. That’s about 1.67 million incidents in which a gun is used in a defensive encounter every year. That’s a lot.

And it’s not only you that you could be protecting. According to a study conducted by the ALERRT Center at Texas State University, in 464 active attacks that took place between 2000-2021, 73 were stopped by bystanders, 32% of which were a “good guy with a gun.”

And if you have a family, we don’t have to tell you how important it is to have the means to protect them. This is perhaps one of the most important benefits of concealed carry there is.

And that’s why we carry.

Because ‘When Seconds Count…’

There’s an old saying that goes, “when seconds count, the police are minutes away.” And it’s true. While a violent encounter can escalate in a matter of seconds, it takes police anywhere from three to 13 minutes to respond depending on the location. By then, it could be too late.

In fact, police response times have actually increased in most places over the past few years due to department staffing shortages and an increase in violent crime, according to the National Rifle Association.

The bottom line is that no matter how quickly they respond, the police can only get there so fast. Even if the response time was reduced by half, by the time police arrive, there’s a good chance the damage will have already been done.

“During violent crimes, the victim’s survival often depends on how long it takes for the first armed responder to be at the scene—the police, obviously, can’t be everywhere all of the time. If the victim herself is armed, then the waiting time is zero. If the wait is a matter of minutes, the criminals have minutes to kill or severely injure victims,” Dave Kopel writes for the NRA.

At the end of the day, your safety is your responsibility. That’s why we, and millions of fellow Americans, choose to take our safety into our own hands by consistently concealed carrying.

Because Concealed Carry Deters Crime

If you knew someone was armed, you’d probably think twice before trying to attack or rob them. And if you believe criminals feel differently, think again.

It only takes a bad guy about 7 seconds to size you up and decide whether they think you’d be an easy target. And, according to a U.S. Department of Justice study, 56% of criminals say they would not attack someone they knew was armed.

This certainly poses a great argument for open carry, but what about concealed carry?

Well, even if a criminal doesn’t know for sure that you have a gun, but there’s a chance you do, they’re still less likely to target you. That means that areas where concealed carry is more common, i.e., places with fewer regulations, also have less crime.

The same DOJ study reported that criminals in states where more civilians own guns worried more about their potential victims being armed. And 39% of those surveyed said they had personally chosen not to victimize someone because they thought they might have a firearm.

And, while there are potentially other factors at play, the top three states with the best public safety rankings are also constitutional carry states. The numbers speak for themselves.

To Protect Our Second Amendment Rights

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

While regulations are different in every state, as a law-abiding United States citizen, you have the right to own a firearm and defend yourself with it. And concealed carry is one of the best ways to exercise that right.

When you obtain a concealed carry permit, you become part of the statistics. While that may sound a little intimidating, the reality is that the more people who exercise the right to bear arms, the louder our collective voice becomes.

When law-abiding citizens legally purchase firearms, acquire CCW permits, and exercise their freedoms responsibly, it reinforces the argument for Second Amendment rights and provides the data that lobbyists and officials need to preserve and further laws protecting the rights of gun owners.

That’s just one of the many reasons why you should carry a gun and apply for a concealed carry permit, even if you live in a state where one is not required.

So, what are you waiting for?

Concealed Carry Facts

• There were over 21.52 million concealed carry permit holders in the U.S. in 2021, a 48% increase since 2016 and a 10.5% increase since 2020.
• Over 81.4 million Americans over the age of 18 own a firearm.
• Just over 56% of all U.S. gun owners say they carry a handgun for self-defense at least sometimes, and 35% say they carry one often.
• Around 20.7 million gun owners (26.3%) report concealed carrying in public.
• Currently, 25 states require a CCW permit to conceal a handgun, 24 allow constitutional carry (permitless carry), and one state – North Dakotah – allows constitutional carry for residents only.
• There are currently 41 “shall-issue” states requiring the government to issue a CCW permit to any applicant who meets the basic requirements to obtain one.
• Concealed carry permit holders are around 7.5 times less likely to commit a violent crime than the average person and over 10 times less likely to commit a non-violent crime.
• Women make up 42.2% of all gun owners, while 57.8% are men. Around 34.3% of gun owners are white, 25.4% are Black, 28.3% are Hispanic, and 19.4% are Asian.

Summary

The choice to carry concealed is an incredibly personal one. Some do so to protect themselves and the people they care about, while others are working to preserve Second Amendment rights. More often than not, the reason is both.

No matter why concealed carry is important to you, exercising this right not only helps preserve it for future generations but could save your life in the event of a defensive encounter.

If you’re looking for belts or holsters, we recommend visiting our  page if you are looking for holsters that are custom-made for your weapon of choice. For all of our belt and holster options and for more information to help you choose the carry system that works best for you, visit our CYTAC Holsters website.