Welcome back to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we took a look at how bag guns are losing their popularity and why that's the case. If you happened to miss that article, be sure to click the link here to check that article. This week, I think it's important to look at some of the common traps I see people fall into that can actually make them less motivated to carry a concealed firearm. The Fun of Customizing and Building Your Setup One of the most entertaining and fun parts of picking up a new carry gun is the research and testing before making the big purchase. After the initial purchase, it's all about accessories and holsters to see what works best for you. Most people find a balance of weight and additional accessories, but there are certainly cases where people keep buying more and more to carry, which certainly can be enjoyable but not practical in the slightest. When you do research into a weapon-mounted light or new laser, you shoot it and it works fantastic that can certainly be motivation to keep adding. Whether it's new internals, a new trigger or even a completely new slide with porting and lightened internal springs. Sure, the trigger may be half the weight with an incredible feel, but all this customization comes at a price. In the gun community, we have a way of making everything one-off and unique to us. We like to build out our carry guns to make them the best shooting versions they can possibly be. It's wired into our DNA if you've been around the block for a while. While I will admit customizing a gun to perfection is incredibly rewarding and fun, it can also be an issue when it comes to carrying that handgun and it may not be the best idea to do for a concealed carry gun. Customizing a gun to be the best possible version is a fantastic way to make a range gun that is much better, but it can certainly have consequences for reliability and can also land you in hot water legally for more than one reason. The Main Issue If you're carrying on-body medical gear, multiple knives, spare magazines and a PDW in your bag, IT IS TOO MUCH. From a practical sense, all those added extras start to quickly add up into a much heavier loadout than just having a simple carry gun and pocket knife. I cannot tell you how many people I’ve seen over the years who just keep adding more and more until they ultimately get tired of the extra weight and leave everything at home, gun and all. That is the worst-case scenario: you invest the money into your carry gun to take your personal security into your own hands and leave the gun at home, defeating the entire purpose of spending the money and going through everything in the first place. So this is when the old phrase “less is more” really starts to become true. Carrying fewer accessories and gear in order to consistently carry without becoming fatigued or uncomfortable is the best way to go until it becomes second nature. Building things slowly over time and trying various accessories out allows you to keep your carry gun relatively the same weight and not drastically different. When it comes to customization, you have to think about everything being drop-safe with the trigger as well as legality if you ever have to use it in a self-defense situation. I try to keep internals in their stock configuration for that exact reason. There's no definitive correct answer here and it's really a personal judgment call, but I always go on the side of caution and keep everything internal stock from the factory. Being RealisticWhen it comes to customization, your ideas can sometimes be better theoretically than they actually are in reality. Most gun guys love making their guns better and enjoy tinkering, but carry guns should be left alone for the most part. I have said this in a number of ways over the last couple of months, but it's important to be realistic and realize the gun's role versus something like a flat shooting range handgun. I always tell people to pick one full-size range gun to customize to your heart's content, but your everyday carry guns should be small changes that improve your carrying or shooting experience without adding everything aftermarket and hoping it's reliable. The important takeaway is the fact that it's ok to customize and have accessories on your carry gun, but it's important to be realistic rather than throwing everything and the kitchen sink at the gun. Overall Thoughts Trying to figure out what you want in terms of accessories is one of the most fun aspects of getting a carry gun. Most guns have a huge aftermarket support and it's easy to make your carry gun exactly how you want it. What often happens, though, is some people get so caught up in customizing their carry guns that they lose sight of what it's for and why less is more in most cases.I always say if you want to fully trick a handgun out, a full-size range gun is the best option while keeping your carry gun modifications to a reasonable amount. Let me know what you think are reasonable upgrades to a carry gun without affecting its reliability in the comments below. If you have questions about carrying concealed or firearms in general, feel free to shoot me a message on Instagram @fridgeoperator. Stay safe out there and we will see you next week for another edition of Concealed Carry Corner.TFB’s Concealed Carry Corner is brought to you by GLOCK