This article, authored by Harold Hutchison is republished under the Creative Commons “CC BY-NC-ND” license with permission from The Daily Caller News Foundation.
There is a reason why it is worth it to pay the money for a proper concealed carry course, and a clip that is circulating on social media is a classic exhibit.
The short clip was posted on X Monday, where it asked whether one should have their thumb on the back of the slide in certain self-defense situations – acknowledging that it means your gun is likely to jam.
Tactical genius or a dangerous compromise?
Pressing your thumb against the slide ensures a contact shot goes off, but jamming your own weapon mid-fight might not be the smartest play when your life is on the line.
— Gun Lovers Club (@GunloverClub1) August 17, 2026
The full video was taken from a YouTube video posted in May by Armed Defender Research that is more akin to a takedown of the idea – so what you saw on X was actually taken out of context.
We’ve seen earlier how important proper technique is with firearms – demonstrated by Second Amendment Foundation Director of Legal Research and Education Konstadinos Moros with a 1903 Colt “Pocket Hammerless” pistol. He eventually learned that his pistol was failing to eject the casing because his thumb was on the slide.
Don’t get me wrong, social media and the internet are great ways to learn about firearms (at least on the academic side), locate manuals for firearms and to connect with other gun owners who can point you in the right direction. In addition, a lot of the videos on there can be quite helpful in showing the techniques.
However, there’s no substitute for a good firearms safety class taught in person by an instructor. You’re able to ask questions and also be shown how to adjust your techniques to operate a firearm safely and effectively.
We’ve said it before, and this bears repeating: exercising your Second Amendment rights is important, but just as exercising your right to vote is important, you need to be an educated gun owner. So, when you are saving your money for a good firearm and ammo, you may also want to include the appropriate funds for a good firearms course as well.
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