new to concealed carry, thoughts and ramblings

C

Coyote WT

New member
When I became, or rather regained, my interest in firearms my wife and I got our WA state CPL. The reasoning was to facilitate the future purchase of fire arms, particularly handguns, because we're both very focused on instant gratification. Why wait 5 days when we can take it home now? Honestly, neither of us have a job a life style or a residential need that would immediately lend itself to the likelihood of needing to carry for defense. Yes, I know that we live in a dangerous world where anything can happen any time and any where. Yes I am a firm believer that it is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. I just don't spend a large part of my energy expecting bad stuff to happen.

Lately, however, I am finding myself increasingly more fascinated by carrying. I have not carried in public because I feel I lack the training and skill required to use my pistol if I needed to and because my current pistols (Ruger P95 and S&W .38 M&P revolver) are a little large for effective concealment. I am addressing the former by enrolling in some of the SD and HD courses offered locally and the latter by researching smaller hand guns.

I understand why a lot of us choose to carry. I also understand why some of us do not carry. I know that it is my right to carry and I greatly appreciate everything that has gone in to securing and maintaining that right.

So here's the "forum" part of this process. I'll think of it as group therapy to help me process my thoughts on this topic.

If one does not have a job, life style or location that puts their life in jeopardy, does the right to carry (and all of the associated responsibilities attached to that right) out weigh the need (or lack thereof) to carry? What are some of the things you have had to consider before you made the decision to carry especially if it is not unlikely to need to defend yourself?
 
Here's my thoughts:

I carry, every single day, because Evil does not make appointments and I refuse to become another statistic. I hope and pray I never have use my weapon to defend myself, but if the situation ever arises, then I'll be able to defend myself a little better.
 
Coyote WT said:
Lately, however, I am finding myself increasingly more fascinated by carrying. I have not carried in public because I feel I lack the training and skill required to use my pistol if I needed to and because my current pistols (Ruger P95 and S&W .38 M&P revolver) are a little large for effective concealment. I am addressing the former by enrolling in some of the SD and HD courses offered locally and the latter by researching smaller hand guns.
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Clearly, you're already addressing these issues. Good for you for getting training!

If you'll dig around, though, you may find that neither of those pistols are too large for carry. I don't know which S&W you've got, and it may be too large. If I were a betting man, though, I'd bet that there are at least a couple of guys on this board that regularly carry a P95. There have been a couple of threads lately in which people asked about the feasability of carrying a 1911. There are a number of TFL denizens who do regularly conceal full-sized 1911s.

OTOH, if you just want a smaller gun, more power to you! :D

Coyote WT said:
If one does not have a job, life style or location that puts their life in jeopardy, does the right to carry (and all of the associated responsibilities attached to that right) out weigh the need (or lack thereof) to carry? What are some of the things you have had to consider before you made the decision to carry especially if it is not unlikely to need to defend yourself?
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This may sound like a smart-aleck remark, but it's not intended to be. However, for those that carry, the right or need to carry must outweigh the risks and responsibilities. Otherwise, they wouldn't carry. You will have to make that assessment for yourself.

The things I considered in making the decision:
1) My job. Among other things, I prosecute traffic tickets, foreclose on liens owned by my city, and do criminal nuisance abatement (pronouced: "shut down drug houses").
2) I have a wife and daughter.
3) I live in a decent area. I do not work in one. I work near a couple of homeless camps.
4) As Glockfan35 points out, "Evil does not make appointments." I work closely with our local police. I like them a lot. They're a fine bunch of folks. But if Evil shows up on my doorstep, they will likely be several minutes away. A BG can do a lot of damage in 3 minutes.
 
I decided to start carrying when I realized that there are people out there who would kill me for the $20 in my wallet. I carry a snub-nose .44SPL and ammo is extremely hard to find. So I haven't had much practice with it and am aware of my limitations as far as accuracy is concerned. It's important to know your limitations.

It doesn't really hurt anything or anyone to have a gun on my hip. And as long as it remains concealed, all is well.
 
Coyote WT said:
If one does not have a job, life style or location that puts their life in jeopardy,
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That describes a single person who lives in a protective bubble on an island that is not served by any mode of transportation.

There is nowhere in the United States where you can say with certainty that you WILL NOT be mugged. Location may affect the degree of probability, but it is never zero.
 
Statistically, it's unlikely I'll ever be in a SD situation... but I've found carrying medium-small guns to be easy and non-problematic. I just feel better when I'm carrying. I'm totally comfortable with it. It puts my mind at ease to a greater degree than when I'm not carrying. So I enjoy it. Simple for me.
 
I would imagine the students killed at Virginia Tech a while back thought it was very unlikely they'd ever need to carry either (not that they even had the option). The lesson that I've taken away from all of these incidents is that, however well-intentioned the police are, no matter how well funded, they arrive after the fact. It would be small comfort to me if they did a great job investigating my murder or that of my family. We live in a murder-free zone... which is just as effective @ stopping crime as a gun-free zone. Realistically, the odds are that since I live in a low-population area, I won't need a gun for defense. Then again, I'm sitting not 2 miles from where all those students were killed. The corpman who died did so while trying to stop the gunman without a gun of is own, despite being trained to use one. I wish he'd've had the chance.
 
heart felt thanks for your comments

I really appreciate everyone's well thought out and well presented opinions on this topic. It's good to know one with little experience can ask what may seem like no brainer questions and be treated with the respect you have displayed here. Now if I could get the other forums I use to grow up.
 
There is nowhere in the United States where you can say with certainty that you WILL NOT be mugged
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Um, my place, no one will mug you when you are at my place. You are safe at my place. You can belive WITH CERTAINTY you will never be mugged at my place.

I been a lot of places, never been mugged once. Never had anyone tell me give the money or your life.... I must be lucky....
 
I made the decision to carry before I could get a CC permit. I know that nobody can tell me when something bad will happen and terrible things happen in good places as well as bad ones. It's not a huge inconvenience for me to carry a pistol and because of the WA laws it's pretty easy to carry 95% of the time.

Knowing the state laws on CC helps, because you never have to wonder if what you're doing is legal. There's a few helpful things to know about CC in Washington that I didn't know until I did a bit more in depth research. If you need to pick up or drop off a child at school you can carry, but not into the actual school building. If you're in a park and see a sign that says no firearms, the sign is preempted by state law and is incorrect. You may carry in a park. You may carry in a bank as well, unless the bank has a no firearms policy or asks you not to.

As far as smaller guns go, I used to carry smaller guns and now I carry larger guns. My reasons for this are the laws in Washington allow open carry, so printing or your shirt blowing open in the wind and showing your gun won't get you arrested or fined. I also find larger guns easier to shoot and handle.
 
The closest I got to danger (not including the time in the way back I approached a police officer with my hands in my jacket pocket when the pulled me out of line at the bus station in Lousianna which, by the way, is a BAD idea) was when some drugged out dude got kicked off of Trimet bus in Portland OR and thought he wanted to jump me. I was terrified to say the least, scrawny kid with no practical experience in defending myself. I started carrying a big heavy walking stick down town from that point on. I guess I see everyone's point in being prepared at all times and in all places.

I'm starting to feel better about my plan to carry. I'm also ok with carrying the heavier guns once I get the proper training and gear.
 
If one does not have a job, life style or location that puts their life in jeopardy, does the right to carry (and all of the associated responsibilities attached to that right) out weigh the need (or lack thereof) to carry? What are some of the things you have had to consider before you made the decision to carry especially if it is not unlikely to need to defend yourself?
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I do not have a job, lifestyle, or...well, ok, maybe a location that puts me in a bit more "interesting" area than some. I'm sitting about 4 miles north of Mexico right now, in SE Arizona.

But if I only carried on days when I expected trouble, then I'd never carry. If I expected trouble when I left home in the morning, I'd stay home.

I don't carry because I expect trouble; I carry because I know that bad things can happen to folks who don't expect it. Think about it. Did any particular murder victim expect to be killed that day when they woke up that morning? Probably not.

For me, carrying a sidearm has become such a habit that I really don't think much of it. I feel naked without the weight on my belt, and the gun is just "there" if I need it.

Not much else to it.

Daryl
 
I just turned 46. I've been legally carrying a gun daily without fail since leaving Cali in 2005 and haven't needed it. During my years in Cali I needed one a total of three times and had to rely on a knife instead. Fortunately it worked out but a gun would have been better.

Two out of the three times it was in defense of another...the worst involving four complete lunatics trying to kill some guy (and two of them armed with hammers), the other defense-of-others case was against dogs. The one time I had to defend myself it was against a solo mugger with a wrench, and a knife was adequate. The fact that I'm 6'4" no doubt helped.

Defense of others is somewhat controversial around here. Some say don't do it. I'm not wired to follow that advice. If you're the same way, the advice I *will* give you is, do NOT get angry, use the minimum amount of force needed to solve the problem, stop when the violence stops and don't be the one to start it. In that worst case against the four crazies I pushed them off and then defended the victim who collapsed behind me. I had no legal hassles stemming from this, other than testifying as a witness. The other key issue is, use verbal challenges to find out what's going on, and let the bad guys self-identify by either attacking you or threatening you with deadly force before you apply any deadly force of your own.

In a fourth case where I didn't reach for a weapon, a store manager was struggling with a shoplifter when the shoplifter's partner started to sneak up on the manager from behind. I calmly told the second guy that I wasn't going to let it to two on one, and that alone defused the situation. That one too could have gone ugly.

If you ARE wired such that you'll bail somebody else out of trouble, your odds of needing a gun one day more or less skyrocket. If you are walking down the street with 50 other people on it, your odds of fending off an attack just multiplied by 50. Follow? If that's at all where your head is at, and I would argue that as long as you don't have an anger management problem it damn well should be as a functional citizen of this Republic, then you'd be insane not to pack.

Whatever you do, understand the rules of deadly force in your state and understand that once an attack stops or is deterred, you're not a cop. Let 'em run if that's what happens!
 
If one does not have a job, life style or location that puts their life in jeopardy, does the right to carry (and all of the associated responsibilities attached to that right) out weigh the need (or lack thereof) to carry? What are some of the things you have had to consider before you made the decision to carry especially if it is not unlikely to need to defend yourself?
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I doubt that I'll ever have to pull my CCW in defense of myself and I carry virtually daily. With that said why do I carry?

Because it's my right and I chose to exercise that right. Secondly, no one is responsible for my well being except me. The police are not legally bound to protect anyone and I chose to be able to protect myself.
 
When I first started carrying a gun in 1988, I was paranoid about “printing” and always careful to be sure my gun was covered. When the wind blew my shirt or jacket open I was quick to get it closed again.

I’ve quit doing that. Now, when I’m walking through a parking lot and my shirt blows back, revealing my gun, I let it go. If people are close by, I’ll cover the gun, but normally it’s not worth the trouble. People are far too wrapped up in their own lives to spend their time examining you.

I’m strongly opposed to any method of carrying a gun that requires two hands to access the gun. If you can’t easily brush your cover garment aside and grab the gun, you’re asking for trouble. If you’re attacked from close range (very likely) you may not have both hands available. You may be fighting your attacker off with one hand and unable to get your gun out with the other hand. If you put a little thought into it, you can dress around the gun. Or guns.

“Printing” is a non-issue. No one’s looking for guns. No one will notice any bulges under your clothes. Don’t let the fear that you’ll be “made” keep you from carrying a major-caliber handgun. If you want to carry a .380, do so, but only as a backup to your main gun.

Long ago, I made it my policy to carry a gun at all times. You don’t know when you might be attacked. You don’t get to make that decision. Your attacker will pick the time and place and you have pretty close to zero control over any of that.
You need to be ready all the time and that means being alert and armed all the time.

Four points:
1. Unless you’re a supermodel or on fire, you’re effectively invisible.
2. In the entire history of gunfighting, there has never been a case where one of the shooters wished he had a smaller gun that held fewer rounds of less powerful ammo.
3. In the entire history of gunfighting, there has never been a case where one of the shooters ran out of ammo and was happy he didn’t have a reload or a back-up gun.
4. In the entire history of gunfighting, there has never been a case where one of the shooters was happy he wasn’t shooting because his gun was at home in the safe.
 
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Thank you again

I am wired as a defender. I have an obiligation to myself, to my family (and are not all men and women are my brothers and sisters?) and to the God and Goddess I serve to stand in defense of those who can not.

Time to train. Time to make that decision to be prepared when it falls to me to be the one who could have done something.
 
I primarily choose to have a permit to carry / so I don't have to deal with the waiting time frame / if or when I buy another gun...

Having the knowledge and training to carry is another thing ...and I do / thru local classes, some military training - and by repeating my defensive handgun skills classes once in a while / and weekly tactical shooting at my local range ( drawing from a conceal holster / double taps / triple taps ...and pushing myself on my timing a little ). I'm glad to see - you are looking at training...

I'm in the seattle area too ...in the suburbs ...safe part of town / I'm 60 yrs old now / I'm home by 6PM 90% of the time / police response in my area to an emergency is swift ( under 3 min probably ) .... I don't carry often / but I did on Sat / because I was going into a neighborhood to pick up an item I'd purchased on the internet ...just in case.... No kids at home / so there is a gun in my sock drawer ....and I keep one in my desk because some of the neighbor's business tenants make me a little nervous. That gun goes to and from my desk / to the car - and back to the office ...

but I fall into the 1 : in a gazillion chance of ever needing a weapon ...and I respect the guys that choose to carry daily ...but I just don't think there is a need. I'm also bothered about how much it will cost me to defend a righteous shooting ...if or when I kill an attacker...( and I don't want to risk a few Million dollars in assets ....that I've worked hard for / just because the meat head, I kill, all of a sudden in death ...becomes the long lost family member they loved ...and they smell money).

Its a line we all have to deal with .....so I choose to have the training and skill ...to do it well .../ but most of the time, I don't carry ...
 
I also think in general - you should carry the gun you shoot the best ....not the smallest, or caliber specific, etc ...( what fits your hands / and what you shoot the best ) .....

For me that's a full sized 1911, 5" gun --- usually in a .45 acp / but I have 1911's in 9mm that I'm very comfortable with too ... / .....and I practice with them at least once a week / usually more often ( because I like shooting ) ...
 
No matter how unlikely the 'Need' to defend oneself from life threatening, or serious injury incident, might seem, I carry soely for that unknown, unexpected, unlikely situation. Too many bad stories in the news not to in my opinion.
 
My situation of employment dictates that I DON'T carry most of the time.

However, much (not all) of the time that I can, I do, because it's not difficult and I occasionally wind up in places where I just can't predict who might be there.......
 
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