I shared a cigar with a car parts store owner last night. Great guy. Great cigar (Liga Privada T52 Double Corona). He quizzed me about my Wilson Combat Commander carry gun with a newbie’s fascination. “I have a permit,” he said, surprising me. “But I don’t carry.” Why go to all that bother and leave home without it? He squirmed a bit, puffed on his stogie looking in the distance and demurred. This morning, over on Diana Hufstedler’s Facebook page . . .
the comely competitive shooter reposted the above photo with this comment: “My friends don’t usually believe I carry until I show them…. A lot of people get a CC permit and then don’t do anything with it. Anyone have an idea why that is?”
I can think of a few reasons why people jump through all the carry permit hoops and hassle then don’t schlep a gat: fear, discomfort and denial. But I’ve never heard it straight from the disarmed horse’s mouth. Little help?
I had a CPL in Washington state for a few years. Had a G17 at the time but never got around to buying a carry pistol. I was motivated by supporting the 2A rather than self defense.
About 10 years later I got a CPL in Oregon, and immediately started carrying my G23. I had finally gotten motivated about self defense, and have been carrying ever since.
The G17 isn’t a carry gun??
Many can’t seem to imagine carrying a full size.
I do all the time, personally–I switch to a compact (i.e., G-19 size, not G-26 which is a subcompact) when driving a car with bucket seats.
I carry a full size 1911 .45cal. I will not carry anything else. A little discomfort at first but you get use to it easily.
While non-use of a permit is occasionally gun-size-related (nothing on-hand small enough to carry), many folks I know who have permits but don’t carry are informal collectors/traders who just picked up a permit so they could buy from dealers without a background check (legal in this state, not in all states). They also use it as a “semi-certified good guy” (clean background check) card when buying guns privately from non-dealers (“Look, I have a permit; I’m not a scumbag!).
Depends on body shape. Some can make it work, some can’t.
This post uses body shape as an example and that’s my main reason… I have a pretty standard “pot” belly and a very flat back side (Which makes it hard enough to keep your pants up) and then you add the weight of the gun and holster (IWB) and before you know it, you’re busting a jailhouse sag that any gang banger would be proud of.
I’d carry more if I wasn’t so afraid of my pants ending up at my ankles, just from walking. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.
Suspenders, not only functional, fashionable.
I am another member of the got gut- no butt team. My family moved to Indiana from Japan- Navy thing, when my wife retired. I now wear bracers/suspenders everywhere, even with shorts. A loose polo or hawaiian shirt covers all. I carry a full size 1911 everywhere it is legal to. Cowboy up guys. Dress around the gun if you must, but get the job done.
Carried a full-size 92FS for years. Just have to be a bit more conscientious of how you carry.
That said, now that I carry a Shield9 or P238 (it varies depending on what I’m wearing), I can’t see myself carrying a full-sized rig concealed in the future.
Tauras p111 malinium pro 9 mm. Easy to carry
I dunno… I’ve CC’d my G17 a bunch. It’s not what I always carry, but it goes out with me whenever feasible. And sometimes, its’ not even the only gun on me…
As it shouldn’t be the only gun on you.,
I have several pistols. I consider them ALL carry guns! The CZ-70 .32 Auto is a nice little pocket rocket for more discreet carry. But I carry my Para-Ordinance Hi-Cap 15 1911 style with the 5 inch barrel as often as all of my pistols combined. I personally loathe composite framed sub compacts. Anything larger than .380 becomes unmanageable in a rapid fire situation, unless you are toting some weight with that heat.
I have a CPL in Washington state too. My work prevents me from carrying, no weapons on property. That would include the parking lot. Also in WA if you have a CPL there is no 5 day waiting period for a pistol purchase.
I parked across the street. When ask why I said” company policy”. Where I work had that policy until concealed carry was passed in Illinois.
I have a Utah permit but live in Maryland and often work in DC. The constitution ends at my property line.
I’ve got permits to carry in 40 states, but I’m temporarily stationed in California. Whenever I cross that magical field of dreams line into Arizona I magically put on my pistol, transformed from a felon into a law abiding citizen.
The Potomac is a magical “anti-2nd amendment” barrier….
I am in the exact same locale/situation. but for some reason when i hit the VA line there is my carry piece… i just havent figured out how it happens
Laziness, guns aren’t always comfortable to carry, and some people will not even try to carry in business wear or look for more comfortable options past that 20 dollar holster they tried a few times.
PMR 30 , 19.5 ounces fully loaded with 30 ball busting 22 magnum 40 grainers and a Dead Eye Luke holster . No reason not to carry this full size pistol .
except rimfire ammunition is not known to be nearly as reliable as centerfire ammo
.22 mag, especially the self defense loadings from Hornady and the like, are not nearly as unreliable as .22LR. Most rimfire are unreliable because of their low cost, not the mechanism of how they fire.
Thanks WedelJ for the back up . I’ve been around guns for 48 years and up until about ten years ago I would have made the same comment as Travis , but not today . If you’re willing to pay 60 cents a round and up for real premium 22 WMR ammo as I am , you have no worries any more with rim fire . I would even trust the 22 LR HV premium stuff if I had to . This is a misconception based on outdated facts . I do usually carry a sub 45 holstered to my belt for close quarters encounters but my PMR would be my go to and the one I practice my stress draw with . I keep it CC appendix and never feel it’s even there . I am just so accurate with this pistol .
The only premium 22 magnum (Actually the only 22 magnum) I’ve found recently was Speer gold dot, and I had 6 failures in a hundred rounds, that’s too high for me.
The perp gets hit with the bullets and you get hit with the cases. I hope you wear glasses (with poly carb lenses).
PMR30. What a gat.
Before I can comment on yours I would have to know what a gat is . Please help clarify . Thanks .
You sound like an optician . Yes , polycarbonate with transitions , Crizal Avance AR coating , and a TD 2 scratch coating in a drill mount Silhouette frame . I also have Varilux Comfort DRX lenses to correct my hyperopia and presbyopia and a small amount of vertical imbalance prism to line everything up just right .
My PMR shoots very accurately and reliably . I haven’t experienced any brass in the face and as long as I don’t hold it like a school girl , it feeds and ejects ammo like a center fire .
The novelty wears off and people just don’t want to go through the hastle of carrying everywhere they go.
I went through this phase, but got over it when my buddy got shot at coming through his front door unarmed one night.
I have friends I’ve urged to FGS carry, even if only on their own property and when visiting me. I’ve even found them holsters. They are adamantly pro-2A and own plenty of guns.
But they wear sweatpants or shorts any time they’re relaxing, and can’t carry when they are working, so it never happens.
FGS carry?
“For G-d’s sake” I imagine.
The solution to this problem is to not wear sweat pants or athletic shorts if you’re not in the act of working out or in bed sick.
I’d refer them to pistolwear. I have a pt one that does wonders for simply rolling around in athletic shorts.
http://www.pistolwear.com/
Fanny packs go great with sweatpants.
I have a micro .380 that I can, and do, routinely carry wearing basketball shorts and a tank top. If one is serious about it, they can carry wearing almost anything. I once read an article that mentioned a TUG; The Underwear Gun. I like to make sure that, if absolutely necessary, I can carry a firearm (albeit not really concealed) wearing only my underwear. There are plenty of options out there regardless of your clothing choices.
I dont know. I got into the habit of always carrying from the beginning. Prompted by my wife who told me back then “why even have it if youbare not going to have it with you”. And that was while we were on the couch and my edc was locked away.
I carried for 18 years or so without a permit. the only time I don’t is if there are metal detectors or pat downs.
Same here. I’m not asking Pappy Gov’t if I can carry my gun. I either avoid places where I can’t carry or circumvent their security in some manner. I used to work at the ports which is controlled by DHS now. I brought my gun in everyday for a year and they never found it. One word…magnets.
Same here. If I have to use it in self defense, not having a government permission slip will be the least of my worries. I had one officer spot it when out and about. He asked if I had my permit, I said no, then he proceeded to give me pointers on how to better conceal it. That was the one time an officer truly surprised me by his reaction to my carrying.
Got our guns Valentines Day 2013. Application for CCW was pending. That night, we went out for dinner. As we walked from the car to the restaurant, I looked at my wife and said “I’m packing”. She smiled and said “Me too”.
I suspect it is a combination of convenience, habit, how dangerous you perceive the area that you move around in every day, finding the right holster, weather and other factors like those.
“… how dangerous you perceive the area that you move around in every day …”
I think this is a serious factor for some. They don’t carry when they go to “nice” areas and then strap on when they go to “bad neighborhoods”.
An excellent discussion on such perceptions and how they don’t match up with reality:
http://ballisticradio.com/2014/02/17/podcast-ballistic-radio-episode-49-february-16-2014/
I think there are two primary reasons. First, in many states you cannot carry a firearm during bow season unless you have a carry permit. The other reason is that many shooters treat as a trophy.
Having a concealed carry license seems to radically speed up the firearm purchasing process as well. Thus I imagine some people have a license basically just for that reason.
In Pennsylvania one may not carry (transport) a defined “firearm” (handgun/SBR/SBS) in any vehicle without a license unless going to or from a small list of places (home, gun store, range, etc.). So just to drive over to your buddy Joe’s house to show him your new pistol you technically need a license/permit (unless you can meet an exception, such as it being a “place of assembly” to go to the range).
I know there are some folks in PA who primarily hold a carry license to have expanded vehicle transport options.
I took 3 people with me to the classes when I was permitted . I carried often before my permit , it’s open carry legal in West Virginia , but I went conceal carry when other states finally started coming around and also wanted to send a message to DC with the numbers game . Out of the 3 people I took with me only 1 carries on a daily basis . My wife does not because she rarely goes anywhere without me and I’m usually armed with 2 pistols , 1 heavy artillery 45 caliber for close quarters defense and my favorite belly carry PMR 30 . She is a very good shooter up to a 9 mm and confident handling a firearm so I think she would carry if it wasn’t for the reason I just described and the fact that she works a government job where a firearm isn’t permitted .
“… I think she would carry if it wasn’t for the … fact that she works a government job where a firearm isn’t permitted .”
This has to be a pretty huge consideration for many licensees — especially if their employer forbids storing their firearm in their car while at work. If you cannot even transport it to work, much less carry it at work, why even bother? Couple this effect with the fact that many people will stop for errands on the way home from work (might as well make your drive count) and you end up with a lot of licensees who are not generally armed in public.
True to the point . I have told her to carry anyway and just tell no one , If confronted , just refuse , and drive home , and we would get our attorney to work it out if need be . Her job actually puts her safety at risk in my opinion and I would carry anyway . I wouldn’t consent to a search if approached . That’s just me ,
I carry every day G19 or Kahr CW9, in Oklahoma where I live and Texas where I work no company or property owner can prevent you from storing your gun in your car as long as you are parked in an area set aside for parking i.e. a parking lot. They can with proper signage prevent you from carrying inside but not in the parking lot, the only exception in Oklahoma is on public school property K-12. I can have it in my car as long as I don’t leave it un attended in other words I can take the kids to school I just can’t leave the car while the gun is in it.
That is my biggest reason for not carrying. Can’t carry at work, and can’t store in car either. Then by the time i get home, I’m usually not going back out, or an the kids to at the school, can’t carry there either. So at best i carry on my weekend
Always keep one locked up in your car (glove box, trunk, etc). If you don’t tell anyone about it, you won’t have an issue. Otherwise, they’ll need a warrant and probable cause to find it.
My father was a LEO for 30 years, carried at all times throughout his whole career, but after retirement doesn’t carry nearly as much, I think it’s complacency and laziness, on the job he found it a necessity, now he treats it like a burden on comfort and such. When I ask him he says it’s because whenever he goes out he’s with me and I always carry so he feels safe lol. Still I don’t get it myself… Far too many people have the permit and don’t carry which is foolish.
Carry every day, part of job. Off job, carry every day as well as everywhere. Yes there are places where a firearm is banned~My permit is for a concealed Weapon, so I have options apart from guns.
Because even though I have a permit my employer expects me to disarm as a matter of policy.
The only upside, however slightly the up may be, is they do provide armed security and a controlled entrance with a magnetometer.
That sucks, I love my job, under their weapons policy it basically says they follow state laws.
Initially I got my CCW because my wife and I traveled extensively in the western US and I wanted to be as legal as possible carrying across state lines. We traveled in a 5th wheel trailer (which was our home) and, without being a lawyer, the laws from state to state were/are fuzzy at best.
That was many years ago. I now carry in all legal situations and feel uncomfortable without carrying. Once I discovered a good holster and method it just because second nature, but my original intent didn’t included actually carrying.
Good example for Constitutional Carry.
Lifestyle……because of where I currently live, and my choice to rely on public transport (where CC is banned), I have no way to move around the city while carrying. On top of that, even if I changed how I commute, my job bans weapons. (read as PERIOD. HARDSTOP)
I got the license because in theory, state preemption on even stupider local laws comes with it.
SSDD
Sounds like you’re in Chicago. FYI your FOID “overrides” the city handgun laws. I hope you keep calling Springfield, looks like changes to the CCW act do not require a super-majority (it’s why Madigan is not letting ANY gun legislation go up for a vote right now). Put enough pressure on the state legislative and even Mike can’t keep it from coming up for a vote. Believe it or not the majority of the state legislate is more pro gun than anti (CCW has passed before, only to be squashed by super-majority rules for state preemption)
Don’t expect any substantive changes to the Illinois Concealed Carry statute for the foreseeable future.
I think a lot of people get the permit, carry for a little while and then stop for two reasons. One they find it uncomfortable to carry. Two they don’t run into any situations where they needed the gun. So they stop carrying it. The gun becomes a range toy. Thing is its better to have it and not need it than to someday need it and not have it.
Can’t carry at work, so…
*shrug*
Same for me, but any other time I am armed.
Bingo
Complacency and ergonomics. It’s easy to just go about your daily life as you always have, and it’s a pain in the ass to have to switch your wardrobe around for CCW. I am tall and in shape. I like to wear tighter fitting clothes. I have had to switch t-shirt size and pants size to carry effectively. My tailored work wardrobe; forget about it! This is why I welcome all efforts to normalize open carry. It would be much easier for me to just carry a paddle holster OWB.
Get a different “tailor”?
The law abider filters the world through the lens of our democratic culture and tries to frame a criminals action to a circumstance. The crossroad is squaring evil with what they are taught and whether they can react. Add the responsibility of carry, not leaving a weapon behind, then fear of actually using one. Its the reality of no longer being passive, actual carrying the tool and the possibility of using one, gives one pause.
I know several people who simply got the permit because it makes the purchase process easier. In Minnesota for a handgun purchase you either need the carry permit, or you need a permit to purchase. The latter is good for one year and has no cost associated. If you make a good deal of purchases or are constantly trading up, then it is worth the cost of training plus the permit cost to get your carry permit, which in Minnesota is good for 5 years.
Came here to say this – it’s the same in NC.
A few years back the Mecklenburg County (NC) sheriff’s website recommended getting a permit even if you weren’t going to carry to make it easier to get to and from the range. That is, you wouldn’t have to lock your guns up in the trunk of your car (if you had one)…
The last time I looked, our current sheriff isn’t so helpful.
Of course, our permits (concealed carry and pistol purchase permits) were obtained at the same office/desk where sex offenders had to go to register. I guess that tells a lot about what high esteem we’re held….
Should Mrs. Smith be worried that a sex offender might realize she doesn’t have a gun yet and if he hurries….. easy-peasy.
For me, other than the obvious answer of gun free zones, my big one is whether I can safely conceal it. Case in point, this afternoon, I’m thinking about taking my girlfriend’s son to the trampoline park. I trust my theis holster to do its job, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to put it to the test in the middle of a group of kids.
My CCL is preemptive. While I don’t believe that I need to carry given the town I live in (only 1 homicide so far this year in a diverse, near Washington DC suburb of 150,000), I don’t trust that I would be able to get a CCL later on, should circumstances change. In the meantime, I keep my skills up my local range.
A bird in hand, so the speak, for the time I won’t be able to get two in the bush.
Forgot to mention, DC and Maryland, where I often go, don’t reciprocate my CCL, so I can’t carry there.
When I lived in a slave state one needed a permit simply to own a pistol.
I had no desire at the time to carry but I needed a permit to buy a pistol to join a pistol league.
Eventually I figured the permit is to carry so I started to carry.
I suspect permits in a lot of slave states are like that. People need a permit just to own/shoot a pistol and carrying may be the last thing on their minds so permit does not always equate to carry.
Yup. That’s why I got the permit. Also, I work in NY and on weekend am driving all over the tri-state area. I always carry when going to the range with cool hardware.
It has nothing to do with comfort and everything to do with the fact that I spend most of my time in places that don’t allow it. Work(no guns allowed) then school(no guns allowed) this is probably an issue a lot of people face. I keep a pocket gun in my glove box, but it still doesn’t work out well with the places I have to go.
Because my primary reason for getting a concealed permit was not for actually carrying concealed, but because in North Carolina it allows me to bypass NICS checks and the hassle of having to acquire a new pistol buying permit every time I impulse buy a new handgun for my collection. Other than that I only usually carry when I have a gun for a specific purpose, like a snake gun while tromping in a swamp, etc… I would probably carry more except for how often I have children climbing all over me.
This is the one I hear the most.
I have friends that I shoot with regularly that don’t carry. They have permits, which is no big deal to acquire in most of PA; in fact it is a good idea in case you want to stop off somewhere between the range and home, but they simply do not see perceive any threatening situation in their daily life. I hope they never do encounter a threat. As for me, my travels take me through more sketchy areas and I’d rather have it and hopefully never need it.
It’s the obesity epidemic. No one told me I would need to shop for “big&tall” carry solutions. Should have done the diet and exercise first.
It’s quite simple. Now that they have a permit or own a firearm they “feel” safe and that’s good enough….just like these short sighted politicians making laws that make them “feel” safer.
On a side not , I have traveled from my home in WV to Penn. a few times and I drive hundreds of miles out of my way to avoid Maryland . I could lock my guns in a strong box that is tethered to my truck if I wanted too , but I won’t because I don’t even trust this would satisfy those dumb wads . I will not spend one dime of my money in Maryland .
Verboten in Kalifornistan. I’m hoping that changes soon. Not really sure that I’d pay to play with the crazy shenanigans here. Or that I can move next year to a less gun-averse environment. Working on base means carrying is also a no-no.
Wanted to add: I seriously doubt that will change based off of recent discussion and public oppression–I mean opinion.
Unfortunately as a teacher if I carry to work and get caught I go to Federal “Pound Me In The A$$” prison.
Outside of work I usually carry, but I admit there are times I don’t when I go trail running and enjoy other outdoor activities.
Read your state laws very carefully before you go with that, they may override the federal law. Most override it due to the “1,000 feet” rule. You probably will end up losing your job, but you may only be looking at a no jail time misdemeanor. This is NOT legal advice.
It’s a class 6 felony in my state, VA 🙂
Well if it’s a state law you’re worried about you don’t have to worry about going to a federal prison. Small comfort, I know.
Good points Binder(and dr elusive). I don’t live in Chiraq but am nearby. It’s a pain not to break the law. I am always armed with “something”…
“Anyone have an idea why that is?”
Yes, carrying a firearm can be a pain in the ass & Statistically we’re never going to need it in our lifetimes.
“Why go to all that bother”
Why not? The option exists now. Whereas if you “don’t” go to that bother, it’s not an option usually.
I off body carried my 1911 in the Summer, as the shoulder holster didn’t wash.
A recent purchase of a Sig P938 has me feeling naked without it. I have to clean it for pocket lint weekly,
but this fine firing firearm is with me all the time…
Really liking that P938 series, good set up, decent price and the fact it uses 9mm is a major plus. Armorer buddy of mine swapped the stock hammer spring for a Galloway Precision one, such a sweet little shooter. As far as the pocket lint issue, have you thought about getting a Remora IWB/pocket holster? Won’t necessarily negate the need for maintenance, but might make it a bit less frequent.
Because :
Carrying a gun sucks-to pull it off you’ll need a revamped wardrobe, gunbelt, and holster .Unless its a pocket gun, then it sucks equally as hard to shoot it for practice.
Spouse/family hates guns. Even if you’re OK to carry , the wife/husband and extended family thereof may not be. Not everyone shows themselves to be anti gun initially-and even if you manage the epic task to change your spouse’s mind, you are unlikely to change their relatives.
Office/ frequent destinations are legal gun free zones.CCW permits are an administrative tool only if one works in a courthouse, military base, federal building, school , university, etc. Ditto if one is a member of a national activity club. Say you play national sports. It’s unlikely the sanctioning body will permit the members to pack guns on the sponsored tour bus.
Because , lastly, your life isn’t a freaking war zone. I hate to pour cold water over the Red Dawn fantasies some folks have in the gun community, but the deadliest threat to our lives in western American society isn’t death by gunfire in some Heat-style street gun battle.
The sour cream in the fridge and the car keys on the nightstand are bigger threats to our health and safety then any firearm.
A person with a regularly used gym membership and no gun has a better understanding of actual risks to their life then a fat , out of shape dude with a G17 and two 33 round mags in his man-purse.
“Because , lastly, your life isn’t a freaking war zone. I hate to pour cold water over the Red Dawn fantasies some folks have in the gun community, but the deadliest threat to our lives in western American society isn’t death by gunfire in some Heat-style street gun battle.”
^ This.
Hate to break it to a LOT of you guys, but society does (currently) do a (relatively) decent job of keeping (most) of us safe. It also helps that I am a younger male and practice situational awareness all of the time. I don’t look like an easy target.
I would carry a lot more frequently if my home or work was in a high risk area.
I would also carry a lot more frequently if I had that LCR I keep drooling over…
Do it; I love my LCR. & carry it far more often than I do my FNX. (Bought the LCR as a jogging/Backup gun. It fast became my “primary carry” — IF I’m carrying, it’s most likely the LCR.
@Chris, I agree completely!. I used to carry my .357 LCR over my favorite 1911a1 as my primary, shortly after I purchased it. The only two things I didn’t like were a lack of hammer and I couldn’t find any holster other than a molded one to use. Now, I’ve given that one to my wife for a purse gun and purchased a S&W Featherweight J-frame with a low profile hammer. Not only can I get better range if necessary using the hammer but I can also use a very secure SERPA holster as well. 🙂
The bubble world we inhabit is safe and pedestrian…. you know, right up until it isnt. My normal world was normal for years right up until the night my wife and I were leaving the supermarket around 9 at night and a guy started making a b line right at us while trying to get a gun out of his stadium coat, I saw him coming and beat him to the draw. And just like that your night goes from average to craptastic.
That brings me to another point, why join a Gym when you don’t use it? If anything, when I pay for monthly membership, it forces me to exercise almost everyday. Similar mentality with CC permit.
The idea that a person might need a gun someday is hardly a “Red Dawn fantasy.”
+1 to ST here. I do sometimes carry, but more often than not, I don’t. I originally got my CWL for other reasons.
“Because , lastly, your life isn’t a freaking war zone. I hate to pour cold water over the Red Dawn fantasies some folks have in the gun community, but the deadliest threat to our lives in western American society isn’t death by gunfire in some Heat-style street gun battle.”
I beg to differ. My entire life I have lived in “very nice” areas, both rural and suburban. I have made wise choices. I have religiously avoided “stupid places, stupid things, stupid times”. And yet by the age of 23 I had already faced three attacks where I was legally justified to use deadly force. (The only reason my attackers are not pushing up daisies is because I wasn’t armed.) And did I mention that a young girl wandered onto my property and a man found her, overpowered her, sexually assaulted her, and then kidnapped her? If I had happened upon that poor girl’s attacker, I would have been legally justified to use deadly force on him as well.
So, in spite of a conscious effort to be “safe” in every possible regard, trouble found me four times before the age of 23. Anyone who thinks our society is “safe” is delusional.
Oh, and how about “radical Islam”? They have declared war on us. They killed more than 3,000 people and destroyed several billion dollars worth of property on September 11th, 2001. They have attacked military facilities in the United States multiple times and killed about two dozen people. They attempted to kill several hundred people this year in Garland, Texas. They beheaded a woman at a business in Oklahoma this year. (That attacker would have killed more had the business owner not shot him.) They detonated bombs at the Boston Marathon. Of course the religious “leaders” of radical Islam have ordered their followers to kill as many unbelievers — that is you and me — as they can. Given these facts, I believe any able-bodied adult who goes into public unarmed is downright foolish.
@uncommon_sense And I, at 41, having lived in mostly nice places, and a couple ghettos, have never run into a rough situation where I would even come close to needing it. And as for “radical islam”, I am entirely unconcerned about it. For me it’s a non-issue and I think any public concern is mostly due to media manipulation and fear-mongering.
For the original question – I have a permit and don’t carry due to a majority of what ST said. It’s a hassle. Also, I spend a lot of time in CA. Experience tells me I am relatively safe. Will I feel like an idiot if I survive a bad situation where I would have been better off with a weapon? Of course. But I think there is a balance between being prepared for every possible situation and quality of life. There is always something more you could do to be safer, but in my judgement I have found my balance point.
So why did I get a permit? Mostly for political reasons. I believe it is my right to carry and wanted to through my hat in the ring. I also like that it simplifies the buying process.
Couldn’t have said it better. As an example The westgate kenya mall slaughter by muslim terrorists could easily happen here. I always carry something, but When my wife drags me out shopping for Christmas I always carry an upgraded kit.
You seem to be forgetting that risk assessment has TWO term: odds of occurrence and consequence of occurrence.
The odds of needed a firearm for self defense are, indeed (and thankfully) low. The consequences of needing one and not having it are high.
While living in low-risk areas…VERY low risk areas, I have been party to DGU’s. It happens. Don’t full yourself to think that just because the ODDS of something happening are low that somehow means you are “safe” or even “safer.’
This kind of thinking belies a GROSS misunderstanding of statistical analysis…but admittedly a common one. (For example, ‘rates’ don’t always take true ‘base rate’ into account and therefore the Base Rate Fallacy is a very common misapplication of ‘crime rate’ and similar statistics).
Case in point: just yesterday, we had the story from Maine with several comments regarding risk in ‘out of the way places.’
I got my permit a little over 2 years ago. At first I was just really unsure. I had been a firearm owner for 3 years before I got my CDWL and had only owned the gun I was going to carry for a couple of months. I basically forced myself to carry in a really inconspicuous way (holstered Kahr pm9 in cargo pocket = invisible) until I was comfortable, and then expanded my options from there.
Having a small gun mitigates a lot of the discomfort issue for me.
For me the problem with everyday carry is the large number of places I need to go that prohibit firearms. As a law-abiding citizen I make an effort to understand and obey laws. So, I don’t bring a gun places where it is prohibited by law – post office, college campus, etc. Which means if I carry, the gun spends a lot of time in my parked car where it won’t help me defend myself. Living in a low-crime area means that when I carry, I am more likely to inadvertently get caught with a gun in a prohibited place, then I am to get caught in a situation where I wished I had a gun. So, the risk of being victimized by the authorities outweighs the risk of being a victim of criminal attack – at least in my personal calculus. Is it BS? – yea, is it unconstitutional? – hell yea! Call me a sheep, but I have a family that depends on my income (and hopefully appreciates having me around ). Maybe if I was single I could afford to take risks based on principles. That said, I do carry when my schedule allows.
I can think of a couple of things that center on the reality of carrying vs the idea of carrying:
1. While waiting on my CHL, I spent a lot of time at the range practicing, i read everything i could find, tried different ammo etc. Then I got my CHL in the mail and I didn’t carry for a good 2 months. What stopped me was the reality of strapping on a gun and feeling capable of actually USING it if needed and carrying it safely the rest of the time. So i spent a couple of months taking some defense oriented classes where we worked on drawing, awareness, moving targets, shooting while moving and all the practical stuff that just taking a CHL class and shooting silhouettes at the range don’t prepare you for. In the end I felt much more comfortable and confident strapping on a gun and living with it. I’d imagine some people never get past that mental hurdle.
2. Getting a good setup that works for YOU is a pain in the butt. I’ve got holsters, made wardrobe changes, switched weapons, and finally have found a rig that conceals well, is comfortable (most of the time) and generally doesn’t intrude on my life too much. It took time, money and a willingness to keep trying to get there.
Just my 2 cents, but so much of the CHL stuff focuses on legal issues and stopping power and all that crap and not nearly so much on the practical side of actually carrying.
I’m thrilled open carry is coming to TX. I don’t really plan to OC, but it’s a huge quality of life change for concealed carriers. No concerns about printing or showing on accident. I may try an outside waistband holster now, just because if it doesn’t conceal perfectly, I won’t have to worry about it.
Both of your points are excellent.
(1) needs to be carefully considered by everyone that carries, and I like the way you worded it…”the reality of carry vs the idea of carry.” When reality sets in, it is time for true reflection.
(2) Yep; for some (most?) at least, it takes a bunch of experimentation to arrive at what works. I think I have six holsters now for my EDC.
Problem here is two-fold (but they are related):
(a) Some folks get the idea “I want to carry x” and buy that gun then try to force-feed it into ‘comfortable carry.’ No matter how much you love a gun for whatever reasons, if it ain’t working for you, it’s time to punt and try again.
(b) Ditto with the holster (and belt). I admit to getting a little aggravated when people post, in an absolutist statement, “Just get x…best holster made.”
That may be true for some; won’t be true for everyone.
Bottom line…carrying a firearm is not for the lazy. It takes time (introspection on the implications of carrying a gun, testing gear) and money (investment in rig options).
I think this forms the disconnect for more than a few folks new to the idea of carrying EVERY SINGLE DAY.
CCW is not a problem if you have the correct gear. Kahr CW9 in FoxX Trapp holster. Single clip IWB, easy on easy off without removing the pistol from the holster. For deep cover a CW380 in a wallet holster and pants with a button back pocket for when I’m active. I highly recommend any single clip Kydex IWB over any other for two reasons. One getting it on and off without putting a hole in the car floorboards. Two, they are legal in IDPA so you can practice live draws and movement.
Happens frequently in Pennsylvania. Many get their permit simply so that they may legally transport firearm and ammo together in the car. Transporting a loaded weapon, or ammo and firearm together in a vehicle constitutes concealed carry in PA.
Many of them never event get a holster and carry.
The work issue for me as well as my after hours are spent in school (going to night school) and both federal or state government buildings in WA state (going to and fro as an intern to a lawyer). All of whom are no carry locations. Then in my free time, I spend more of it at home near my home which based on some threat assessment stuff is a low probability for crime compared to where the school is and where both work and the internship is and where I cant carry. Therefore, carrying unless I am going on a vacation isn’t first in my head while packing my bags or getting dressed for work. I use mine to help ease my purchase abilities (though that may change if the anti folks get thier heads full of steam again like they did with 594), now for the most part. Also reading the law as its written my CCW in WA protects me for carrying my buck knife in my pocket from legal harassment if something happens. When things shift again, I would consider carrying more in real life, but real life has a number of red tape restrictions which could lead to me losing a job, my rights, and/or my life by overzealous antis in the city.
CPL in WA does NOT cover knives. It is, literally, a concealed pistol license, and that is ALL it covers. Also, if those state government buildings are court houses, they are required to have gun checks so that you can carry up to the checkpoint, inform them that you have a gun and need to check it, then check it back out as you leave.
Can’t carry at work, and I drive a company vehicle.
You need these for your gats, RF.
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRwcMfXZpka2RTQvqyq5_dWZAKoQPi7xFsHBjEIfF-4P8MHfReD
It’s very easy to get a LTCF (License to Carry Firearms) here in Pennsylvania as there is no training requirement and it’s a ‘shall issue’ State, but the main reason I don’t carry every day is primarily because I work in New Jersey and am pretty sure I would be taken out by a drone strike if I crossed the border into NJ on route 78!
Plus, as Kevin mentioned above, the ease of transporting is a popular reason for having one.
Other times, it’s often just comfort. I’m a big guy and carrying can be uncomfortable depending on the clothing. I’m actually considering picking up a Sig P238 and pocket carrying so that I at least have something on me.
At least you have to cross state lines to get that feeling! I get it crossing from red counties in California to the blue ones-coughcoughLosCr*pgelescough. And per CA laws, all the goodies are locked up well out of reach. I’d carry if it didn’t cost me more than a car payment to get through the process, and I’d likely be denied by the local PD for not having an emergent reason to carry.
If you’re looking at the P238, check out the P938 as well. Better SD ammo options-especially after watching the 9mm Ammo Quest series. Either way, good shooters.
2nd the p938 suggestion. Best pocket pistol out there IMO.
Same as Maryland . As long as the laws are as they are now . I will not enter Maryland , New Jersey , New York , California or Mass . They can just keep raising the taxes on the sheepople who won’t leave .
I carry everyday everywhere, have since the first day seven years ago when I got my permit. Was reluctant at first (thought everyone could see it) but after the fear of printing or exposure was eased from my mind, everyday. First EDC gun was a Taurus 609, now, full size M&P nine in a CB STD. In fact had my Taurus in a pocket holster at both of my kids weddings, no one knew the better. Although some of their friends knew I had a permit but couldn’t figure out if I had it with me.
I carry when cutting the grass or yard work and it goes in my holster just as I pocket my keys and wallet in the morning. Just as I would feel naked without my seat belt I would feel the same without my EDC gun.
I think a lot of people dont think about all the concealed carry options available to them. I ride public transport and my work prohibits firearms inside the warehouse. But what may or may not be a glock 19 tucked away in a hidden pocket of my backpack is up to the imagination.
I think and the comments here seem to bare me out . A lot of people recently , since about 2010 , got their permits to simply send a message . If you try to take away my rights I will not comply .’ I did it because I can ‘ . This is still the American way . It seems to work out that most people actually do have practical common sense . If you try to take away something that we innately know is not hurting us , we will defy , if you attempt to take away something that we know actually is hurting us ( cigarettes ) we may comply . Human reasoning is at play .
Because people are dumb and don’t think properly. Example:
Joe Schmo: Hey man, check out my new 1911!
Joe Schmo’s friend: Nice, what are you gonna use it for? Target or home defense?
Joe: I’m gonna conceal carry it, but I don’t have a CCW yet. I’m gonna go fill out the paperwork now.
***
Joe: Hey I got my CCW and carried my 1911 today.
Joe’s friend: How did that go?
Joe: This gun is really big and heavy. I’m not gonna carry a gun anymore.
Joe’s friend: Maybe you should have got a smaller, lighter CCW gun?
Joe: WHAT! NO! Anything not a .45 couldn’t stop a raging mouse, let alone a 9 foot tall bad guy asking for my wallet.
The lesson here is it’s better to have a mouse gun with you then a “elephant gun” you leave at home. People are dumb and think they need a $1000 1911 for everything concealed carry. They think wrong.
I received my CHL permit this past spring. I have yet to carry for the following reasons:
1. After going through it, I realized that the permitting process does not adequately train a person to use a CCW in a life or death situation. Just owning a pistol that can be CC doesn’t make one qualified to CC. Until I got involved in pistol shooting competitions this summer, I had no experience at shooting from a holster. Most ranges that I’ve been to do not allow shooting from a holster. Makes it hard to practice self-defense. I’m still working on developing skills and plan to take more training classes.
2. Because of the lack of adequate training, I’m more concerned about improper use of a CCW than I am in having to defend my life. I don’t want to make a mistake that would ruin the rest of my life. Yes, I realize that a CCW might save my life as well. It is an issue of risk management and right now, the risk seem higher with carrying than not carrying.
3. Potential liability. See #2. Just defending a lawsuit is something to be avoided.
4. Work environment. I work at a university. Even if it were legal to CC on campus (it’s not at the present time), if fellow faculty at my university were to know that I carried (yes, it is CC and they aren’t supposed to know, but perceptions are shared even if not true), I would be viewed as damaged goods by a significant percentage of the faculty.
5. CHL has made me even more law-abiding than I was before. I have come to realize just how much trouble I can get in if I carry somewhere I’m not supposed to. I’m still working on learning the laws in my state better so I feel comfortable with my decisions on where to carry. I do not believe in the “if they can’t see it, they won’t know” philosophy when it comes to CC. If I can’t do it legally, I won’t do it. I’ve even quit shooting my BB gun in the backyard because I found out a city ordinance prohibits it.
6. My spouse is a gun supporter but isn’t yet comfortable with me carrying one everywhere.
7. I fully expect to CC sometime in the future when I feel properly prepared and the new state law goes into effect allowing me to carry at work. In the meantime, I will continue to study and train until I feel confident in my abilities to defend myself in an environment where instincts define your actions.
“… A lot of people get a CC permit and then don’t do anything with it. Anyone have an idea why that is?”
That’s a question for the local Chief of Police who said in an interview that he has wide discretion since it says right in the Constitution that he can regulate firearms.
I’m an ardent 2nd Amendment supporter, Endowment member of the NRA, Life member of SAF, Rifle Instructor and have had my carry permit for about 10 years. I rarely carry. Why? Let’s look at my life:
Weekdays:
+ Go to work at a defense contractor — can’t carry by company policy, subject to search and metal detector
+ Travel for work – airplanes are a pain in the butt, 75% of my travel is international, so that’s a no go
+ Go to kids’ school – no-go zone
+ Go to the gym – I could, but I’d go broke with all the corrosion protection
+ Go to kids’ soccer/baseball/other activity – most are in the “entertainment complex” component of the MI state pistol free zones
Weekends:
+ Work in the yard — same problem as the gym…sweaty and rough labor
+ Go to church – MI state pistol free zones
+ Go to kids’ soccer/baseball/other activity – “entertainment complex” state pistol free zones
+ Go to a bar – MI state pistol free zones
+ Go to the range/competition — FINALLY…I can carry…except that interferes with my competition rig
I paid so damn much money and jumped through so many hoops to get my ccw I carry everywhere. I resent the lost minutes of not carrying in the post office. I have to do it all again in less than a year so I am already fuming. PRC.
Not allowed to carry at work due to the no concealed carry on a military installation thing. Other than that any time I’m off base I’m armed.
In my experience as both a retired police officer and a very long time pistol instructor, people of the gun fall into one of two groups:
1. Those based on experience or their own perception know absolutely that something horrible may actually happen to them or right in front of them; or
2. People who understand that there are bad things occurring in the real world but chances are, nothing will ever happen to them.
The first group, of course, are living in reality. The second group are still living in the guise of naitivity that we all grew up with, that is, ” it will always happen to someone else, never to me because I am immortal”.
The truth of course, comes to most of us early on. A bad car accident, the loss of a child, or maybe a house fire and unfortunately for some, a rape, a violent attack or robbery or even a home invasion or burglary.
In other words, those who accept reality are separate from those who haven’t yet experienced reality.
Thank you! I always seem to manage to find at least one rational comment in a sea of irrational ones on this blog. All I hear is BS about how I “probably” won’t need my gun. And I “probably” won’t need a second gun. Or I’ll “probably” won’t need a second mag. That I should worry about my diet and exercise than carry a gun, as if I can’t do both. Blah, blah. If you have a permit: Carry! Stop rationalizing your decisions not to and start for the benefits of yourself, your family and your community.
I guess I would fall in the second group based on your over generalization. I mean if I looked at all the available stats at all levels of government on law and crime. It would tell me that crime has been going lower than it was when I was a kid in the 80s and a young man in the 90s. I also know that using risk assessment tools and concepts that an event can happen anytime to anyone. Raise your hand if you think that ND happens to anyone but you because X (whatever your favorite excuse is), the actual assessment is that it happens to anyone and that is based on the stats. Even the most highly trained and professional gun owners have had an ND. We do things to less it but not eliminate the risk. The same is true in crime prevention and crime awareness. Hell, I had my beater of a car broken into while at the local police station one afternoon during normal M-F working hours with police coming and going. They got my stero, my favorite coffee cup and a bottle of candy in a pill bottle from a joke shop my wife got me which was sitting in the change holder. I did everything to lessen the risk but it still happened that my car was busted into and my radio was stolen. Does that mean the risk wasn’t there? No it was always there, but I worked on good faith assessment that the risk was reduced to an acceptable condition with all the safe guards emplaced ( parked in the open near a door away from the bushes and under the view of a camera). It still happened and by your reasoning then I should have never been there and totally taken everything with me. That isn’t practical and logical. The same is true of conceal carry. The risk assessment on carry should take all the risks involved in and rack them and stack them and make a judgement call.
You can carry all day long and not a single thing can happen. It will be unicorns and Swedish Volleyball babes holding big pitchers of beer. You could carry the next day and not draw fast enough to keep from being carjacked or having your home broken into or you being mugged on the street leaving a restaurant or theater. It’s assessment of risks and assessment of those risks happening to you. That is what and where you should carry. If you go into sketchy neighborhoods and are the opposite of the majority culture there then carry would be smart, if you live and work and play in neighborhoods that culturally align with your values 90% of the time the carry 24/7/365 may not be beneficial nor warrant the other risks of conceal carry.
Again that isn’t to say there isn’t risk it could happen. It’s assignment of that risk level in its appropriate place in the order of life based on external queues and your own feeling about your surroundings.
Using Charles reasoning, I can cancel my car (no accidents yet) and homeowners insurance(no fires or storm damage), get rid of my fire extinguishers (same as homeowners insurance)and toss all of my first aid supplies away also (no accidents away from immediate medical aid)
This is sort of an exercise in how many different ways can you describe an ostrich burying his head in the sand
Bud,
Your poor logical reasoning on the subject is so sad. You failed to recognize what I was describing and how it can apply to real life. Lets start with your extremes:
Canceling your car insurance because you haven’t had an accident. You can do that because risk appears to be low since you haven’t had an accident yet. But anyone who has a car insurance policy also knows it covers things such as theft and acts of god via storms. So you can take the risk that your car could be stolen and you have nothing to help pay or offset that replacement cost if it is stolen or even damaged when a tree falls on it or even a rock is thrown off an overpass by some punk kids. So if you apply Risk Management principles the hazards of not carrying the insurance outweigh the pros of not paying for it.
Home Owner’s insurance. Applies the same way and even more so since you have kids? Your kids damage the neighbor’s home while on your property, well then you are out of your pocket the total amount and not some deductible. Ditto if you have pets and they harm or injure someone. Guess what happens if a tree on your side of the property line falls on your neighbor’s car and you aren’t carrying that insurance? You have to pay for it base on some of the liability laws since there was a reasonable expectation that you should have known the tree was a hazard. Again the list goes and goes. Again the application of risk management says the hazards of not having outweighs the rewards of not paying it.
Fire Extinguishers. That really is a toss up. Since most of the homes that I have lived in the past decade have been plumbed for sprinklers because city and county building codes have mandated them. So there the risk rewards in my case have cheaper to pay for the maintenance costs annually for a contractor to come out and do the sprinkler maintenance and upkeep versus the expense of monthly extinguisher inspections around my home and the costs of going down the street to the hardware store or security store and paying a couple hundred dollars for new ones to replace the expired ones. Then paying the high fees of haz waste disposal at my local dump because my city treats them as haz waste. In your case it might be completely reversed. Your home isn’t plumbed for sprinkler systems (and why not? That done right can actually lower your home owner’s insurance) so all the costs associated with the maintenance and upkeep of fire extinguishers might be worth it. At the same time you could do further risk management and acknowledge that you don’t smoke in bed, you don’t have space heaters near burnables and you do other fire prevention tactics as are taught by the local fire departments (and oh by the way fires in the last decade have been down almost 20% and a quarter of that decrease was in residential homes). So based on that you could take the hazard to get rid of your extinguishers and bet on the day you don’t need it and rather run the rewards that the costs of maintenance would be balanced out by the costs of having a fire crew show up and replacement of any damaged items by the fire.
Ditto for first aid kits. You can have them, lock them away and never think about them. Then pay the costs of having old and expired equipment so that when you need it its worthless to you. You could do the monthly checks on it and pay the costs of replacement. Or you could accurately adjust for the risks of what is within your capabilities and possibilities of occurring and only purchase/maintain what is needed to treat some issues. By this poor example you have given and based on your earlier statement, then you need everything from an X-ray Machine to various drug regimes because you may stumble getting out of bed after hearing scratching at your door some night and break a leg. So if you start the first aid right then and there with x-raying it and taking pain pills before you begin to wrap a cast around it will help more than just calling an ambulance for a trip to the hospital to do the same thing. That isn’t Risk Management, that isn’t thinking logically, that isn’t a rational approach to life either. That is just pure hypochondriac and fear disease there.
The same is true of conceal carry in my mind. Risk Assessment and Security Mindset can help you think about carrying and think about the risks vs rewards of carrying. You were a cop and you view everything via the threat matrix of everyone is a crook waiting to be caught. Not that there are friendly individuals out there and there are crooks and that the friendlies outweigh the crooks. Nope in your mindset, the same one you probably teach all students at your pistol instruction course. That they need to be afraid of everyone and anyone who even meets the stereotypes of what a crook looks like. Look around your own town, you know which neighborhoods are zones unsafe no matter what time of day it is, you know that walking in groups on the main streets is safer than cutting through alleys, you know that some neighborhoods are unsafe after hours or around midnight. That is the security mindset. The risk management and assessment mindset says, that going to a public building the law says I can’t carry even if I am a retired police officer so I will be polite and not carry. Even though there are no police or security forces around because the risk of something happening is outweighed by the risks of being arrested for violations of the law and the further consequences of that law violation. The same is in other applications, the risk of going out for a gallon of milk and eggs and bread on a Sunday morning when the neighborhood is moving and grooving vs the risk of being mugged and that the crime rate statistics say that crime is at a low or negligible level. That all says to me at least that not carrying is better than being harassed by some gun phobia nutter because my conceal carry rig doesn’t fit or that my weapon falls out and I don’t realize it.
Just because you are afraid of life, doesn’t mean the rest of us have to be and live by your arbitrary rules of what a “real” CCW owner is.
Well, statistically speaking it will always happen to somebody else. For many people its an acceptable risk most of the time. A heard immunity of sorts exists as well.
Too many gun free zones.
I am new to gun ownership (about 8 months now) and I have my CCL in the state of Pennsylvania. I live in Philadelphia, work at a college in a high crime area (which prohibits firearms on campus), and I have a sub-compact firearm that I can carry IWB after investing in a very good holster. So far I have not carried everyday for the following reasons:
1) As LarryLarry said I want to be very comfortable carrying before I do. I go to the range regularly but it would help to get some tactical training as well. Nothing major, just more awareness and comfort drawing, etc.
2) I am a big dude so comfort is an issue. However, my friend turned me on to the StealthGear IWB holsters and I think they are great. I have worn them and they are very comfortable. Still, having a wardrobe that can accommodate the gun and holster is a concern. I can’t imagine buying even bigger clothes so that I can carry a gun. Mind you I will if I have to. The initial investment can be a bit expensive though.
3) As I said, I work at a college and firearms aren’t permitted. It’s not a private institution so I know there is discussion on the table about whether or no public universities are allowed to prohibit firearms. As it stands now firearms are prohibited so I abide by the rules. I know this doesn’t answer why I don’t carry outside of work but I’m getting to that with my next two points.
4) I am researching insurance plans that cover those involved in a shooting. There’s a lot to consider there. The reality is that I can be within my rights to defend myself but that won’t protect me from criminal prosecution or civil lawsuits (I’ve seen this occur in recent years). I know that may seem like I’m overthinking a bit but I’m one of those people who like to be as informed and prepared as possible. I’m not naïve to think despite my permit everything will be all good. The long term consequences must be weighed, at least for me.
5) Finally, and I promise you all I’m not trying to start a race discussion or race bait or anything like that, but I am a black male. Piggybacking off of my naïve comment, I’m also not going to lie to myself into thinking that I may not be perceived as more of a threat if I happen to be spotted with a firearm, no matter how well I conceal it. I am afraid of those prejudices and perceptions and yes, I am afraid of the police as well, now more than ever. Again, I know how inflammatory this statement can be but I’m not trying to go there. I’m merely stating that I have to reasonably understand that there are additional circumstances I must consider before I am comfortable carrying concealed.
I welcome anyone’s comments in response to this.
If you have a DVR , find and record a weekly show called ‘ Stop The Threat ‘ and google Hank Strange videos on YouTube , he test all the coolest new guns and is pretty informative , watch his PMR and CMR videos , then watch some of the comparisons between the 22 WMR and 5 7 and 9 mm .
I live in CT. I’m in sales. I cross MA, NY state lines all the time.
I’m in NYC a few times a week. ‘Nuff said.
I don’t carry often. Why? Because I’m a homebody and almost all of my time away from home is at work, where I can’t have a gun (not even in my car). Even if I could keep it in my car, it would be a waste of time to put it on, drive 15 minutes, take it off, then repeat on the way home.
It’s harder to conceal if you have a slight frame.
If it’s hard to conceal, a person is less likely to carry.
It can take a lot of time and effort and even expense to get set up with a concealable gun.
It took me 2 or 3 months to choose a gun and then a while to find the right holster. All of this effort can deter someone. But maybe that is good, if you are that lazy then maybe you shouldn’t be carrying anyway.
IMO the biggest hurdle to EDC is comfort. I carry 9 out of 10 days but the days I don’t carry it always seems that I have certain work restrictive clothes (more dress than casual).
Had my permit since Illinois was forced to issue me one, and I carry once or twice a month and that’s about it. My wife isn’t thrilled with the idea of me carrying, (has no issues with guns otherwise) and I am around the 4 year old all the time. Also My job bans carrying, and lots of retail places around here have “no guns” signs so for me at least its more trouble than i feel like going through. I Will keep my license current though and may carry more as the kid gets older.
I actually DO carry all the time. The problem is that it’s a mousegun. I reckon that any gun is better than no gun, as they say, and I carry it because it works, even in cheap lightweight knit $5 shorts from Walmart.
What’s probably a more accurate and telling question is “why do people get a permit and not carry a larger (as in something bigger than a mousegun) gun” instead? And I would suspect that most of us would correctly answer that it’s too uncomfortable, and it’s too uncomfortable because most of us are too damn fat to wear a gun on their belt. Certainly, I’m guilty of this. Hope always springs eternal, but it’s a heck of a lot easier to carry a proper sidearm when you’re skinny.
Tom
1) Mainly the “better to have and not need it……” mentality.
2) The coolness factor. Something to brag about if the topic comes up.
My daughter who lives in Tennessee had never shot a gun in her life and she got her concealed carry permit last year. I asked her why and she said “to protect my constitutional right”. She shot a gun the first time the night before the CCP class. The next day, she shot the Ruger Mark III well enough to get her permit. I doubt she will ever carry but she will keep her permit (same with her husband).
NEVER carry, or “oftentimes don’t bother with it”?
Why go to the trouble of getting the permit if you aren’t going to carry everyday? Might as well ask why we have an enumerated second amendment right if we aren’t fighting tyranny – the answer is because one day you might need it.
I am of smaller stature. What I thought would be small (SR9C) prints like crazy, much as I would otherwise carry it. What is in fact small (TCP) disappears in a pocket holster, which makes use rather difficult if I ever needed it. I really would have to buy all new pants if I were to carry IWB. As a result I carry the TCP occasionally when I am concerned about a potential situation. That happens to be if I need to stay late at work after dark and, I hate to say it, if I have to fire someone. At my workplace the policy is strictly speaking no weapons, but fortunately is a private company in a carry-friendly state, so no-one goes looking. All the prohibitions against carrying at work really should be dropped, especially for those who work in the HR office or are managers who have to fire people. For those of us who don’t carry cash as part of the job, this is the most dangerous moment. One of these days I may get a decent IWB holster for the TCP, as it is really small, and I don’t have a problem with accuracy within 10 yards or recoil using it. It fits great in either the jacket or pants wallet pocket, but it’s a bit difficult to get out from those pockets, even in a pocket holster.
Try Dead Eye Luke , google it . Tell him your firearm you will be using and if he has one you’ll have yours in a couple weeks . He’s made me several for different pistols and I’m very pleased . Highly recommended .
Got my CWL 8 days after I turned 21 in Florida. Take it everywhere unless forbidden by law.
18-21 I had it securely encased in my vehicle.
Times I carry:
1. If I am driving more that twenty miles.
2. If I am going to an unfamiliar part of town or other location.
3. If I am going to be out till late in the evening or early morning.
4. if i am meeting a stranger. (craig’slist sell or buy)
Reason for having a permit:
All of the above and easier gun purchases.
Put me on a timer up against anyone , hands to our sides and hit start button . You have to draw your weapon and fire on a 5 inch moving target at 20 feet as many shots as possible in 10 seconds . Try it . I use a rolling wooden target of my own design that would probably give me a little handicap advantage but I would defy anyone beating me with anything more powerful than a 9 mm , and I will be impressed if you could do it at all with a 40 caliber or larger . I have tried until I gave up . It’s an on going challenge I have with some of my boys . I’m using my PMR . I believe this is the best test I have come up with for real life encounters at this distance because you will probably be exchanging fire . Closer than 20 feet I practice shooting from the hip while moving backwards and to the side 4 – 5 shot burst and then raising my firearm to two hand position with head shots .
I think one of the main reasons most people don’t carry is because they do not practice , for numerous reasons . It’s that coupled with the fact that they oversize their firearm and can’t shoot it accurately or comfortably carry a 2 pound gun .
Most ranges where I am don’t permit holster drawing. So practice even drawing from the holster, aiming and putting a round down range is impossible. One of my favorite ranges even kicked a guy out who was doing draw from the bench (gun down on the bench, hands at the side and on a tap of a shoulder to grab and out 5 rounds in under a minute in the black at 10 yards. They kicked him out because of too many missed rounds that damaged the range equipment. More than a few have rules about tacti-cool attitudes and practice vs safe practice. So go do we balance that?
I don’t really have an answer for you Charles , you are apparently in the same boat as a lot of other citizens .
I have been fortunate to have grown up and lived nearly my entire life in gun friendly places . In WV , citizens have had open carry freedom for some time and I have owned my own range for almost 30 years now . I am truly blessed that I can practice many forms of shooting unencumbered . I guess if I was you I would call different places and see what their policies are , join groups that have private ranges or make some friends that own their own property , but I would not carry however if I was unsure of my ability to put lead on the intended target (s) under stress environments . You could always dry fire train and they make laser targets you can practice right in your own home . You do not want to ever be put in a situation where you kill an innocent bystander because you are not as proficient as you could be because of lack of training or where you hesitate to fire your weapon because of a lack of skill and practice . Practice and shot placement are #1 and #2 .
Mark,
It is hard for us city dwellers at times to find a range or even find open space anymore without traveling forever to find open space. That said. I have been working on just being able to put rounds on target and develop the muscle memory to pull up, get sight alignment and pull the trigger to hit the black any place with my preferred conceal carry weapon. I also know there are ranges out there that will teach defense carry and conceal carry as well as regular just target shooting skills. Yet, they all want (again due to harassment from the government and the 4th estate) what amounts to my paycheck for monthly membership fees. That aint easy to validate to the significant other when bills are to be paid for the more important things like food, shelter and clothing. So I do the best I can in the circumstances I am in.
Charles-practice draw with snap-caps. So nobody gets butt-hurt at the range…
You buy insurance hoping not to need it, but you have it anyway. I carry gun, and first aid as insurance.
I don’t carry at work because it’s a prohibited zone (until the campus carry law goes into effect next year). The rest of the time, if I leave the house, I do. I don’t always carry around the house though, mostly because when I get home from work, the guns are upstairs.
Illinois has over two dozen “prohibited areas.” It’s honestly hard to get through a day without passing through one or two. And if you happen to work in one of those areas (as I do), it’s kind of a non-starter.
But I can and do carry when the (rare) opportunity arises. And the real value of Illinois’ Concealed Carry law is the possibility of vehicle carry. I can keep a loaded gun + holster in my car and can strap it on whenever I feel the need.
I got my CCW permit for several reasons. My gun club requires that or a purchase permit as a background check. State preemption for CCW permit holders makes purchasing and transporting simpler. If I feel the need to carry, I already have a permit. The more of us who have permits and stay out of trouble, the better our statistics look.
I don’t carry because the threat level I face doesn’t outweigh the inconveniences associated with carrying. It’s a calculated risk. Lugging 2 or 3 pounds of gun, holster and spare ammunition is the least of it. I would have to plan my life around prohibited places. If concealment were to fail, I would have to deal with frightened sheeple. Of course, If my threat level increases, I will have to reconsider.
I had a CCW from AZ when I lived in IL, so technically I had a permit but didn’t carry. Once I moved to FL, I got a CCW as soon as possible and have carried everywhere it was practical & legal since. Now I live in AZ and I open carry or conceal, whatever is more appropriate. You just need a way to secure it in your vehicle when you will be someplace you can’t carry. I had a holster maker even point out to me that the places you can’t carry a gun doesn’t keep you from wearing a holster, so you don’t even need a holster that comes off easily, just needs to be comfortable enough to wear.
I have my CPL in Washington, but typically when I go out, I’m going to work or and there’s always a chance of stopping by a bar on the way home, neither permit firearms. When I do choose to carry, I forgo drinking and turning up at work. I also commute nearly everywhere by bike, which seems to put a damper on various carry options. So I find that carrying for me tends to be highly related to driving (where I have locking options if I do want to drop by a bar for A beer). When I eventually move farther out from the city, I’m expecting more necessity, less hinderance, and a lot more driving.
Huggy anti friends make for odd interactions.
I’m basically in BDub’s boat.
I would add for a lefty it is harder to find conceal gear than for my right handed friends. Between so called “easy” reversible rigs (damned you blackhawk) to spending a month worth of wages for custom rig. My only other option is something that is awkward and uncomfortable to carry in 90% of my wardrobe choices (the other 10% it’s obvious that I am carrying ). So that is another reason why carry is hard and I am unwilling to think about it all the time. Therefore it’s easier to not think about carry conceal since the ability is complicated by the lack of equipment.
I’m also a southpaw ( handguns only ).. I found an abundance of options.
It’s just another ordinary day in Illinois. You drop off your youngest child at the day care center (1), then take your other child to school (2). You stop at the Courthouse (3) to pay your property taxes, drop by the Post Office (4) to mail a letter, then visit your sick Aunt at the hospital (5). You stop for lunch at the local bar & grill (6) and then take a relaxing walk through the local park (7). After picking up your kids, you take them to a playground (8). After dinner you decide to attend a basketball game at the local junior college (9).
If you were carrying a firearm today, you committed a Class B Misdemeanor. Nine (9) times!
But what if it’s summer, the kids are out of school and you have the day off? Oh, what fun you can have! You could go to the library (10), a zoo (11), an amusement park (12) or maybe visit a museum (13). Maybe you want to pay a visit to Grandma at the nursing home (14). Later on you could catch a minor league ball game (15). Perhaps you have relatives visiting and you go to pick them up at the airport (16). If you don’t have kids then you can do something really adult like head to the riverboat for some gambling (17).
That’s right. Eight more places where you can’t take your gun. And I didn’t even mention places we rarely enter, such as jails and nuclear facilities.
And somebody who writes for a gun blog has the nerve to ask why I don’t carry every day.
That Sucks !
I probably fall on the “have CPL but don’t carry” side of things; I do carry sometimes, but not very often. My reason is, essentially, comfort. I am working on it, but in the past when I’ve carried, the weight of the gun pulls my pants down too much for me to be comfortable going about my daily business. I have been trying things out to see if I can improve that situation, but, unless I can get set up in such a fashion that it is not a near-constant irritant, then I cannot afford the daily distraction, relative to the rarity of an event. I actually got the CPL (and one for the neighboring state) more for travel purposes; when I head to the larger, higher crime rated cities, I prefer to have the option to carry.
As for risk, in my office we definitely have some level of herd immunity; two of the 4 of us regularly concealed carry; I do very rarely and the last doesn’t yet have a suitable gun (or permit).
Suspenders, not only functional, fashionable.
Have you tried an Amish work belt? They hold up a standard sized pistol very well.
I have a permit, rarely carry. Why? Not fear, nor denial. I work in an area where we cannot legally carry. I head from work to my home, where I don’t need to carry. My 3 large(okay one large, one medium, and one that looks like a puppy permanently) pit bulls give me a warning before someone gets to my door(or window). Then there’s a bitter man with a gun in the front room who takes the safety of others very seriously. When I leave my home I drive to too many places that don’t allow firearms. Not having the firearm makes me more alert. Keeps me more paranoid that way.
I do however carry when camping. Despite my awesome negotiation skills, I have yet to convince a bear not to attack.
TravisP I have just a few questions for you if you will afford me the courtesy , sir .
Were those 40 grain Gold Dots ? Were they kept dry ? Were you firing them from a newer ( second generation ) PMR ? and lastly , please don’t take offense , legitimate question … did you make sure you didn’t limp wrist the PMR ? I have found that you definitely have to push your shots with this pistol for proper blowback operation . You wouldn’t think you would need to on any 22 but the WMR is an altogether different beast . If you limp wrist a PMR you WILL get failure to eject problems , but this is good pistol training , it is never wise to fire a auto loader with a weak grip . The reason I bring it up is this . I do have the 2nd gen PMR . I did have failures in the beginning at the rate you describe . I do use the Gold Dot 40 grain ammo alternated with Win super x FMJ and I shoot this gun very regularly . I have run at least 7 tanks of ammo or maybe 300 rounds this past year and have had ONE failure to feed issue , damaged case at the top of the mag , most likely when I loaded it too much , It really prefers no more than 28 , and NO bad ammo . Maybe I’m just lucky but generally , not so . Anyway , appreciate the comment and God bless .
I have a Washington CCP, been through defensive carry classes, have two carry pistols, but don’t carry unless I’m back country hiking. It’s an insurance policy and the hassles and responsibilities of carrying daily outweigh the benefits for me personally.
Here in New York state a permit is required for possesion.
I just got my cc for California. (Long process) I carry now in public, always around my property, kimber raptor 2 .45acp. I couldn’t imagine carrying anything not fullsize.
Because not everyone lives and works in a place where it could be conceivably needed. My small affluent out-of-the-way town has basically zero crime. If I go to the city or hiking or camping, then I might make use of my permit depending on what I’m doing and where. Otherwise, carrying is more trouble than it’s worth. If I lived in the city, I might carry everyday. I base my decision on a common-sense understanding of my community, not paranoia. Lots of gun people spend their whole lives prepping for something that is never, ever going to happen. It’s like spending hours each week making arrangements for what you will do when you win the lottery.
I got my carry permit primarily as a political statement – another person who can carry legally. The only time I carry is when I’m transporting cased guns to & from the range.
In Minnesota, the cost of the five year permit is the same as the cost of five one-year permit to purchase cards too.
I have a CC permit in Ma. I don’t carry because I don’t trust the 12 people theyd pull to support self defense. I also don’t want to be the next white guy wanted dead by every flippin idiot out there. I just don’t trust my fellow Americans anymore. Sad but true
I’m a target shooter in Illinois who is carefully considering concealed carry. Here’s a situation that happened Sunday that riled me up. I own a 150X50 lot in the city. Over the past couple months, a neighbor three doors down has taken up the habit of walking thru my property, to get from the alley to the street. We noticed him out the window a couple of times, then I caught him doing it in person on Sunday. I ordered him off my property, but he decided to stand there and smart-mouth me. This infuriated me, and I wanted to kick his a$$. But I didn’t, because I didn’t want to catch a felony conviction for battery, and then have my FOID yanked and lose my rifles and shooting rights. So I kept yelling at him for two minutes until he left (and his dog left a big dump.) Now I don’t know whether or not the law permits me to use physical force to kick this guy off my lawn, but I figure either way the application of the law is very capricious, and I could very well catch a felony. Studying for concealed carry has actually made me very timid with respect to the use of force, and afraid of running afoul of the law. My gf says I did the right thing by not harming him, and maybe she’s right because the guy _did_ eventually leave. But I feel helpless and humiliated. What do you folks think?
Chill out and call the PO-leece…and I refer you to Curtis In Illinois( yeah nerve)-watch your Azz gp.
I carry everywhere I am legally allowed to carry with my Indiana permit. No point in going through the hassle and cost if you’re not going to exercise that right. My EDC is a DW 15-2 .357 mag with a 2″ barrel and Hogue grips. I have learned to dress around the gun.
NC resident. Carry all the time, home carry. Did IDPA and IPSSC.
READ Wiki about Lubys shooting, looked up Suzanna Hupp and watched her talk at Texas state committee.
Going from a small gun to full size, spare mag. IWB, dress shirt always, worn out as I’m short and fat.
At a range the other day, at 25 yards, quickly drew and fired 7 rounds. Hit 6 times. . . 1 center of mass. No good. Never gave thought to laser til the 6th round.
Will use laser to intimidate opponent. At 10 yards you can be 3 feet off and they still see laser, hopefully they think it’s aimed at their head.
Chances of me getting in gunfight less than winning the lottery. But I have kids, et al.
I think ST brought up a good point way up earlier in the comments… the sour cream in the fridge is more dangerous for most of us. If you have kids et al, you should keep carrying, but more importantly, you should stop being (as you said) fat.
(PS: I’m not exactly one to talk.)
I got a CWP back in 1998, but not so I could carry a concealed weapon. Back then in Idaho, there really wasn’t much reason. I got it because I had been stopped by an Idaho Fish and Game cop and questioned because my .44 mag in my shoulder holster was under my net safety vest while out deer hunting. He could have technically arrested me for illegal concealment – but let me go with a warning. I went and applied the next day. I didn’t bother carrying until I moved out of state and got a CCW here. I haven’t gone a day without since then.
It took me a long time to get my permit. No good reason to have waited so long. I typically carry. I hate it when I’m out and chose to not carry that day. I can’t take it in work, so I leave it at home if I know I’m going straight to & from work. Other than that, I basically never leave home without it. There seems to be a a few shootings every week here in Toledo lately. There was one across the street from my work a few days ago, and it’s not close to a bad area. I tell myself constantly “always carry your weapon, knucklehead”.
For me, I originally got the CHL because I wanted a “Double Naught Spy” license. I didn’t carry often, but I had no real reason. Then one day I found that “appendix carry” was comfortable enough and just got in the habit. As a MOG (Man Of Girth) I have enough Dunlop that I can successfully conceal carry a Taurus Judge with 6″ barrel! I doubt I could draw it successfully, but the concealed bit was no problem!
I feel that it is every responsible persons duty to carry a gun. Consider this. Do you have any loved ones in your life that want you to come home at the end of the day? Do you have any dependents that rely on you for their livelihood? Is it more important to be tried rather than buried? If you can answer yes to any of these questions then you are obliged to meet any threat you may face with at least equal force…
Do you regularly wear hard plate body armor too?
How sure are you that you don’t have a rooftop sniper gunning for you in the near future?
OK, these are silly questions, but my point is: there is a balance with these things. To frame it as you do leads one to go to extremes. You said it yourself: you’re obliged. Obliged to survive an assassination attempt by highly trained weirdos that picked your name out of the phone book. I hear they’ve been watching where you go for lunch, so they can poison your salad. Better brown bag it. And no matter what extreme you prepare for, there is still the ever-so-slight possibility of you not making it. But if you were just a little more prepared…
So anyway, I disagree that I am obliged. I’ll do my best within reason, and I’ll be the one to determine what’s reasonable for me and my situation. Please don’t think in anyway that I think your choice is wrong – I definitely don’t. I just take issue with your line of reasoning that I’m obligated. That way lies madness.
Well, I am lucky. My employer allows me to carry. I carry everyday because I can’t predict the future. Good area, bad area. Doesn’t matter crime happens everywhere. No need to take a chance.
People overestimate the hastle of carrying a gun. That is why only a small percentage of license holders carry on a regular basis even in Second Amendment friendly locations. The popularity of subcompact and pocket pistols among those who understand the need to carry most of the time is driven by the same misconception. It overcomes the psychological aversion to being physically burdened with a gun. If I didn’t play golf I probably wouldn”t have a pocket pistol. Carrying a compact or full sized pistol is not as burdensome as you might think. Since moving to Wisconsin I am back to carrying a 1911 or Browning Hi Power and I hardly notice it. Try carrying something big for a week or two and I bet your experience will be the same.
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Being from Illinois, conceal carry is a real pain if you are fully obeying the law. It seems that just about everywhere I go I cannot carry inside. That requires me to leave my handgun in the car which I hate to do. Thus, I mainly carry the gun when I travel after fully checking each states carry conceal laws. So most of the time I leave the gun at home and just become extra aware of my surroundings.
I see the threat as less than the hassle. I have a compact .40 and subcompact singlestack 9, but with my wardrobe and corporate firearms policy it just doesn’t add up. I really like to wear sweats in my house, am always rolling around with the kids and have a quick open safe (I know, not much good if my door gets kicked in. My company used to be silent on the subject and I’d carry on occation, but we got bought out by a big multinational with all their lawyers and insurance requirements. I don’t lock my car so I’m not going to leave it in there all day.
So basically my answer is, “Meh”.
I spent 30 years working on a various DoD and IC reservations. No guns for me. When I got my permit in the early 2000s do you know what I did? When I came home I unlocked the safe and strapped on. If you are really committed to carrying you carry when and where you can. You are the archetype of the permit holder who looks on it as a trophy which is your right.
Carry everyday I can. I fly and work on a ship…………. talk about no gun zones!
Carry everyday I can. I fly and work on a ship…………. talk about no gun zones!
Sorry for the double-tap it’s a .380……. 😉
I’m licensed from Washington,Oregon, and Utah. I carry a 4 inch Springfield in a Galco high ride fletch. It’s Incredibly comfortable, A bit spendy at $100.00, but as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. I also had a custom belt made at a leather working outfit in Spokane for $40.00, the custom belt/holster together makes carrying concealed a service size pistol very comfortable.
I think many License holders got licensed as a way of shoring up their support for gun rights, Not necessarily because they intended to carry..
My dad and I take classes together to bond. My dad enjoys shooting, but only has an old bolt action. I invited him to take the CCW class with me, and he actually got his permit 3 weeks earlier than I did, even though we live in AZ and don’t need a CCW, nor did he intend to CCW even with the permit. In his case, he only got the permit because it was something fun to do with his oldest son.
Charles
I hope having the realization that you are wrong violently demonstrated to you never happens
Took the course but haven’t yet applied for the permit. Mainly because I work on a military base and wouldn’t be able to carry most of the time anyway.
Though, I probably would if they ever allow us (DoD civilians) to.
I barely carry because when I’m at home I’m known to sport about in my boxers or sweatpants. A sedentary suburbanite mostly so it’s a car commute to work on the interstate to a privately owned business that has a no firearm rule. When I’m sneaking out to go out, it’s likely to a bar or a strip club, drinking while carrying is a bad social recipe and strip clubs frisk you before entry so at either my gun is left in the glovebox. My gym is a planet-fitness type..suburban..so I drive and park virtually at the entrance. Only place I find I can truly carry when I consider what my circle of movement is, is to my LGS, the movies or the restaurant me and the lady-friends sometime frequent. Have had little to no reason or motivation to go strolling about the city streets and alleys after dark, tho once upon a time I did with no ill effect..just living a different life in a different place at a slower pace these days.
Maybe if I had a more exciting and diversified and more active social life and movement I’d have a different manner, but as it stands, I barely carry.
Even then, I’m averse to carrying more and more these days, simply because I frankly dont trust law enforcement, if they ‘made me’, I think I’d have a flirtation with my life being changed for the negative. They are not polite about their contempt for the civilian scum.. I’ve seen too much and dont trust them..sorry! And I say that out loud here knowing how gun culture tends to express deference and reverence to LE. I genuinely do not fear a robbery or a car jacking more than I do a sour encounter with a cop regarding the gun in my possession. When I do carry, I no longer carry a IWB ‘fighting pistol’ like a G19, it’s a pocket or deep conceal like a P938 or PPS, because I want it utterly out of sight.
For me, I’ve made the choice some time ago with regards myself and conceal carry. I carry (the few times and limited places I seem to) to defend my life, not to save my car or wallet. Not that my plan is to fold like a cheap shirt butI told myself I wont kill a man over a fully insured car or a wallet with cards that I’ll not be obligated to pay charges on I did not authorize and I generally dont carry more than $60 cash on me (except for strip club visits.. just being honest, I’m a single guy and go to strip clubs once or twice a month..yup amoral heathen that I am.)
A firearm is always readily accessible to me at home, generally within arms reach but I live where so far the worst that happens are early morning bickering squirrel noises in the back yard and bird poop on my car everytime the morning after I wash it.
Well in CT a Pistol Permit is one of the many permits you can acquire to purchase firearms and ammunition in the state and require only marginally greater effort and expense to get over the other permits so there is that.
There is also I believe there is a stigma of sorts that many first time gun owners/permit holders face once they get their permit. Like carrying a gun is a fringe or illegal activity, especially in a place like CT.
I was of a similar mind, I’m going to get my permit so I can buy guns and not carry I used to say. Part of that was not knowing anyone who carried other than my father occasionally. Part of it was being brand new to a handgun of my own and wanting to get comfortable with it. Part of it was overcoming the mental hurtle that is putting a loaded gun into your pants; I think many face that. Part of it was lack of familiarization with the law; where I can carry, how, when to use the gun, etc (CT splits firearms related statutes between 3 or 4 sections of our general statutes). Then I got my permit and it took all of 3 minutes to realize I’m gonna use the hell out of this thing. I think many people fall into this or a similar situation and never pass one of those phases and get stuck.
I think 90% of permit holders do not carry 50% of the time. There are several reasons the main being not enough of the right kind of training or failure to follow up with practice. You can’t shoot at paper targets for an hour and think you are practicing, maybe for the Olympics but not to survive a gunfight which is usually less than 10 feet in distance and is over in less than 5 seconds. You also can’t expect to survive a gunfight or assault if you don’t keep a round in the chamber as the first notice you are in a fight may be two guys jumping on you. How do you rack your slide then? The fact is most people are just not comfortable enough with what then will do if attacked and how they will handle the aftermath that they may buy a gun, get the permit, then check that off the list. To really get comfortable, most people need 20-40 house of training and need active practice at least every two months. Would you drive your car at the mall once a year on Christmas Eve if your took a 4 hour course?
You really have to adopt a new way of life if you are going to carry. It sounds good, but to some it is too much trouble. New wardrobe,belt, habits, etc. Next is they don’t want friends and family to think that they are a “nut”. That’s right, they don’t mind arguing the issue but to actually carry they are afraid they will be looked upon as a nut.
Lastly, there is the thinking that they will carry their gun when they expect trouble or are going into a bad part of town. I wish I could see into the future like that.
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