For many gun enthusiasts, having a well-maintained pistol with an HE-509 sight sitting on the slide is essential for home defense, target shooting, or even competition. One of the best reasons for concealed carry is having the means to protect yourself in public places without a local citizen spotting your weapon and calling the police about a terrorist with a gun walking around.

There are several means of carrying a firearm in public away from prying eyes, but understanding what style works for you means understanding all the available types and techniques on the market today. These three examples of concealed carry styles are the most popular and should help start you on your way.

Inside The Waistband or IWB Holster

One of the most practical and popular methods of carrying a concealed pistol is using an IWB holster. Whether you wear the holster on the hip, behind the back, or even on the non-dominant side of your hip for cross-draw deployment, an IWB holster provides multiple concealed carry methods wrapped up into a single holster.

IWB holsters effectively hide most of the pistol and keep the gun close to your body. These concealed carry holsters also help you avoid the difficulties you may experience when attempting to deploy the firearm from a pocket holster, or worse, an ankle holster.

Although an IWB holster answers many of the challenges of concealed carry, there are a few drawbacks you’ll want to consider before rushing out to purchase one. Any holster worn inside the belt, pressing against your hip for hours at a time, may prove uncomfortable for you.

Remember, the holster must be wide enough to accommodate and secure the pistol and might require pants with a larger waistband to make it work comfortably. If you’re all about maintaining the perfect fit of stylish clothing and a baggy pair of pants won’t do, you may want to consider this following concealed carry style.

Outside the Waistband or OWB

While concealed carry in a holster outside the waistband manages many of the same options as an IWB and is a lot more comfortable, there may be times when your pistol is not as concealed as you think it is. To make concealed carry with a gun housed in an outside-waistband holster work, you’ll need to cloak it with a shirt worn untucked, a vest or jacket, or a windbreaker or light jacket.

One drawback with this style of carrying is if you’re trying to maintain an inconspicuous look, wearing even a light coat in the summertime heat will draw the gaze of everyone around you straight to your hip.

Although an OWB holster is probably one of the most comfortable methods of carrying your protection around, it also requires you to always focus your situational awareness on things going on around you.

Depending on the attire you choose for the day, an outside-waistband holster often creates a bulge on your hip easily spotted by the practiced eye. Also, when pulling that bag of coffee off the top shelf, remember as your arms go up, so does the hemline of your shirt or jacket, potentially exposing the muzzle of your handgun. However, if you discover a way to resolve these few challenges, an OWB holster is probably one of the most comfortable concealed carry methods.

Shoulder Holster

A shoulder holster might be the exact concealed carry method if you like the super-cool television movie style of holstering your gun beneath an armpit. Cool look aside, for those who aren’t comfortable with an inside or outside waistband holster, you may want to consider a shoulder holster. There are a few challenges you’ll need to overcome, though.

Remember that a shoulder holster, regardless of whether it’s a single- or double-gun affair, is sandwiched between your shirt or blouse and the jacket or coat you’ll need to wear, regardless of how hot it is outside. Although concealment works when your jacket is buttoned, or your windbreaker zipped up, one errant breeze will be all it takes to peel back the bottom of an unbuttoned coat or blazer to expose what you’re carrying.

Even if you manage to overcome the clothing challenges of a shoulder holster concealed carry, there is still one other hurdle to consider. Effective holstering and deployment typically require the pistol’s grip pointing ahead to allow cross-draw deployment. Using a shoulder holster for concealed carry means the business end of your firearm is pointing behind you. It also means during deployment, the barrel of the gun arcs horizontally away from you as you attempt to sight your target, which can potentially harm those beside you during an accidental discharge.

The Most Concealed Isn’t Always the Best

There are, however, a few styles of concealed carry that hide your gun entirely from sight, but freeing your handgun from its hiding place, results in awkward situations that can end up putting you in a potentially life-threatening condition.

As you may or may not know, both IWB and OWB concealed carry methods are fairly gender-agnostic, meaning they’re suited for either male or female concealed-carry enthusiasts. However, a few styles cater more specifically to women than men, such as the thigh or bra holster. The thigh holster is a highly comfortable and more effective method of concealed carry simply because a dress or skirt always does a far better job at the total concealed carry of a firearm than a pair of pants.

Most thigh holsters are lightweight and secure to the thigh with either Velcro or stretch elastic, making them highly comfortable with the handgun nestled beneath the protection of a few yards of fabric. Unfortunately, regardless of how comfortable the thigh holster is or how well it conceals your firearm, there are a few noticeable detractions for wearing one.

When trouble starts, you may be required to flash a little more skin than you’d like to deploy your handgun. The complication even worsens when wearing a pair of pants and using a thigh holster to conceal your firearm. Remember, the intent is to hide your gun properly but deploy it quickly and with as few complications as possible, so consider how you intend to carry your pistol and how easy you want deployment and re-holstering to be before making your final choice.

Making modifications and upgrades to your AR-15 can be fun and exciting. Whether you are doing it to increase your ability during competitions or just because you think an upgrade looks cool, it can be difficult discerning which ones are worth the effort. Some upgrades are more complicated than others. Sometimes, you do not have the time and energy needed to complete an upgrade or modification. Some upgrades like changing your AR barrel can add a lot of value to your build but requires a few special tools and a little more work. This article will show you some of the easiest upgrades that you can make. Check out these 5 easy AR-15 upgrades anyone can make without stressing out. Choose only one or choose to do them all; either way, you are sure to be pleased.

Enlarged Trigger Guards

Ensuring the trigger does not accidentally go off is one of the most important responsibilities any gunowner has. An enlarged trigger guard can give you the confidence needed to continue practicing and competing with your AR-15. Furthermore, an enlarged trigger guard can assist in protecting the trigger and the rest of the gun from unneeded exposure to dust and debris. This can keep your weapon functional for years to come; who does not want that? By spending an extra $20 or so on the trigger guard, you are really saving yourself time, energy, and money later down the road.

Magazine Releases

Another important thing to keep in mind when upgrading your AR-15 is how your magazine release works. Is it ambidextrous? Is it extended? Either or both options can be beneficial and make your sharpshooting experience better and more accurate. Some magazine releases are microscopic, making reloading a chore. If you are in competition mode or if you are in a place of needing to protect yourself, time is of the essence, so you do not have time to fool with a small magazine release that you cannot find. Having a larger magazine release can make the reloading process faster and smoother. The icing on the cake is that you can choose your own style of magazine release with assorted colors and designs. The options are endless.

Backup Sights

When seeking a backup sight, you want to keep in mind what your intended use is. There are different sights for different things, so letting your dealer know what you are going to be using the backup sight for so they can help determine the best one for your needs. Backup front sights serve you in the event your red dot or regular scope fails. If you prefer not to have an extra item cluttering the top of your rifle, you may opt for a backup rear sight. These can fold down and be out of sight, out of mind. You only must worry about pulling them out in the event your original sight fails. Trust us, you will not regret having a backup sight; if you need it and you, have it, you will be set to continue shooting. If you need it and you did not do this simple upgrade, you will regret it and have a struggle on your hands. Backup sights can range in price from as cheap as $38 to as expensive as $180. It all depends on what you are looking for and what you like.

Ambidextrous Safety Selectors

Safety, safety, safety. You cannot work with firearms and not be aware of safety. Safety is key in protecting those around you while also having the ability to protect them from dangerous adversaries in the event of an emergency. To do this with as much ease as possible without hindering your ability to use your firearm if needed, things like ambidextrous safety selectors are on the market. If you are left-handed, an ambidextrous safety selector will make it easier for you. If you are right-handed, it gives you more options to smoothly disengage quickly and easily on either side.

This can come in handy in situations where you need the most time management. These selectors can range anywhere from $12 to $100, depending on the style and design you choose. Why make an upgrade to your AR that you do not love? Look for a selector that feels good to your fingers and feels natural. The more you like it, the safer you will be and the quicker you will be able to disengage.

Stocks

Finally, you cannot talk about AR-15 upgrades without considering the stock. Stock mods can help you better absorb the recoil from your weapon and increase your comfort and precision. They have extendable stocks for competitors to adjust the weapon to rest differently against you depending on your situation. They also make stocks that are ambidextrous in the event you need the weapon for self-defense and need to be able to immediately use the weapon after picking it up. No matter your needs, there is a stock for you.

Do you want your stock to blend to your person? You can choose a short stock or one that collapses. Whatever your needs, there will be a stock to fulfill them. You may want to talk with your local gun dealer about your intended use and even test out some stocks in store. This will give you a feel for what is available before purchasing a stock willy nilly. The price range for these is wide, ranging from $40 up to $400. It all depends on what you want, what you need, and what you feel comfortable with. The choices are endless!

Conclusion

There you have it; 5 easy upgrades you can make to your ar-15. Some may have a larger price than others, but each upgrade will increase the ease with which you use your firearm. Increase your stability, speed, and reliability by making upgrades that suit your needs. Talk with other marksmen to see what works for them, test different things out, and decide what changes will increase your precision on and off the range. Take your time, do your research, and you will be building the best weapon for you and your needs in no time.