The first day out the door with a CCW

A

Ale GOlem

New member
With permit papers in the works and research being done on my first handgun my mind has turned to the topic of concealed carry. I was raised by two anti-gun parents and was never really given a option to learn to shoot or carry. I wasn't even allowed my first super soaker until I was 14. :p Though now that I'm doing the legwork to get all my gear in order I keep waffling on whether or not to get my concealed carry permit, or if I even want one. There's something to be said about a feeling of security and empowerment however 20+ years of gun control parenting isn't being shaken so easily. This brings me to my question, why do you fine people carry concealed, or don't carry if you have specific reasons not to? Also what was it like your first day strapped?
 
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Same church, different pew

Same situation as far as upbringing, although I did "find" my dad's Jennings 9mm POS when I was about 14 or so and rather than do what most youngsters would do, I field stripped it to see how it worked:). Recoil spring was broken (big surprise there) so was of no use or danger. Not too long after that he got rid of it, to this day, I'm not sure if it was because it had been disturbed or not.

Anyways, I got my CCW a few months ago after getting into shooting with my FiL and after my first purchase of my first handgun of my own.

My reasoning was as follows, not in any particular order of importance: self protection, defense of family, ease of transport, and just because I could:)

First day strapped I did the "Walmart Shuffle" with my Bersa 45 in an el cheapo nylon IWB. Was a bit nervous at first, felt like I could feel everyone looking at me, felt like I was printing like crazy and would be arrested at any moment:eek:. After about 10 minutes, that passed, I realized no one had any idea that I was carrying and could care less about whatever I was doing:)

Never worried about it since:)
 
Hi Ale,
I waffled there for a while, wasn't sure what the wife would think, ect. As the headline news stories get worse all it took was a comment on permit to carry and she said you should get it.

My advice ... Take the training and get the permit. You can decide then if and when you want to carry but at least at that time you have a choice. Even if you just want the gun for home protection, I found the training valuable from a legal perspective.

To your question, carrying is just a matter of being prepared. That could be anything from terrorist attack to hodlum attack to animal attack. It's that your almost certain to never need your gun but that one time it happens you do, you'll sure be sorry if you don't have it with. I don't carry all the time, it's based on the risks in the day and what the situation permits. For instance, can't carry at work and that accounts for 80% of my time away from home. Ironically the workplace is probably the most dangerous point of my day. Thousand workers in a company, what's the chance of 1 being a nut case? Probably pretty good. :eek:
 
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Here's my suggestion: Get ahold of a decent handgun... Rent at a range if you have to... Shoot a couple of hundred rounds... If you like it, if you dig it, if it feels groovy... Then I say you're a natural warrior.

(Whether one "believes in it" or not, this is due to our past-lives influences... Yes... Reincarnation... But if you're not ready to hear that, it's OK...).

If you don't like it, if you don't dig it, if it doesn't feel groovy... Then you're not a natural warrior and you might as well forget the whole deal. (Unlikely since at age 20 you seem to have a natural inclination towards guns, eh?).

Enough waffling... If you find you really like handguns and they make you feel good, carrying will feel natural and normal and you will thrive on it.
 
I wasn't even allowed my first super soaker until I was 14.
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Wow, in my gangsta neighborhood growing up you'd better be packing at least a super soaker 2000 or you'd get got.:eek::D

OT: My first day carrying was a rush. I felt like everyone knew I had a gun and that the cops would be called any minute. Truth was, no one had any idea and nothing happened. As I carried more and more, it got to where I feel naked without my guns.

Also, I feel your pain about anti gunners... I used to be one. The day I got robbed at gunpoint for the 3rd time is when I changed my mind about firearms. I decided I needed a way to protect myself and my family should the 4th robbery occur. Hence my signature, I will NOT be a victim again!
 
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Wether youchose to carry or not is your desion. I will say though that if you chose to carry you should be ready to kill someone without hesitation should the need arise. That said, DO NOT BUY A CHEAP GUN. Go to a gun shop where you can try several different gun befor you buy one. I personaly prefer revolvers, but get what you feel the most comfortable with and then learn the gun inside and out. Know what to do if anything fails, this is more critical with semi-autos. Then practice shooting it, ALOT.
 
I am not sure you need to be a "natural warrior" to get or want a concealed carry license.

A license to carry concealed gives you the option of carrying a firearm for protection almost anywhere you want to (read your state laws - they should be part of any CCW class you take). It doesn't require you to carry, but it gives you the option whenever you feel you should. If you are like most people, you will soon start to realize that risk is often unpredictable, and you will morph into carrying full time. If you don't, fine, you still have the option of carrying when you feel you should.

In many states, it also allows you to bypass waiting periods on handgun purchases.

Why do I carry? I have my own business, and I am subject to being asked to come in at irregular times. Many years ago, I realized that I could become a victim of someone posing as a client, or by arriving at an odd hour and surprising a burglar. Those aren't the only risks in life, but they are the ones that caused me to make the decision to pursue a CWP and carry regularly.

What do I carry? I switched from a revolver to a Glock 26 a few years ago, because I liked the balance between capacity and concealability. Lots of choices available, though - pick the one that suits YOU!

What does it feel like? A little extra pressure inside my belt on one side. Some people talk about empowerment and such, but I pray every morning that today is not the day that I have to use it to survive. So far those prayers have been answered. If on some horrible day they are not, I will still know that I did the right thing by going home to my family alive rather than becoming a statistic and a memory.

Your choices belong to you, my friend. Be thoughtful in order to be wise.
 
you should be ready to kill someone without hesitation
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Correction: you should be ready to use your weapon to defend yourself and/or your family.

Yeah, death of the offender might be the end result, but you don't necessarily want to start off with that mentality.
 
+1 what StressFire said.

Reason to carry? If you go boating, camping, road trip, whatever, do you bring equipment with you? Jack stand to change a tire? Life preserver on the water? First Aid kit? Fire extiguisher? Do a risk assessment and ask yourself if its possible, even remotely possible that you might encounter a situation where you need to protect yourself.

In the middle of an ocean if your boat catches on fire you'll need an extinguisher. You hope it never happens, but if it does you are prepared.

You don't have to carry all the time - depending on where you are and what you are doing. But if you live in a country that allows you to legally carry, why not get the permit? Its a shame we have to get a permit (should not need it) but until the laws change, with a permit you are legal and its your option to carry or not. Without the permit, you cannot legally conceal carry (check your laws in your home state)

In Virginia, without a CCW I cannot keep a loaded gun in my glove box, within easy reach. With concealed carry permit, I can do so legally.
 
I get a lot of customers either buying a general target gun... or buying a gun to keep in the house... often times they ask me about the CCW permit.

I always tell them it is a good idea just to have it anyways... even if you don't really plan on CCWing. It makes taking it to the range easier... and in case of an emergency or off chance you might want the gun on you when leaving your house.. you have it.

There have been lots of natural disasters lately... Hurricanes, Tornadoes... I live in PA where there has been a ton of flooding going on. I always recommend FOR getting it... because for how cheap it is... it's a good thing to have just in case.
 
ccw is nice to have, even if you just leave it locked in the car most of the time. have you ever had to park somewhere late at night, and thought, man this is a sketchy place? wouldn't it be nice to reach in your glove box and strap on a little extra protection?
 
Hopefully I'll never be forced to use any weapon against any human being, and honestly in the area I live I'd be more likely to have to put a deer out of its misery on the side of the road or fend off a rogue house dog than any malicious offender. For the foreseeable future I'll be in this area but that won't always be the case and the need may rise or fall dependent on where life takes me.

I guess "empowerment" was an incorrect word to use, I'd say preparedness is more akin to my reasoning. That and, as Stressfire stated, ease of transport as well as the want to exercise the 2nd amendment simply because the government says I can. I'm not sure but it's possible I may need one simply to transport a handgun to the range and, silly as the laws are written, from whatever gun store I purchase it out of.

I'd really like to get my hands on a Chiappa Rhino or some S&W revolvers in .357 and .44 as well as some 9mm semi autos to test out. This will require a ferry ride to VT as there are no handguns for rent in NY, that I've found, due to the permit requirements.

I know this is a wildly subjective question but what are your personal carry guns?
 
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My first time carrying was a few days ago. I just got my permit and gun(s). Feel pretty comfortable with it when just walking around or whatever, where I have trouble is when I have to bend over slightly for something. I'm 6'5" so that happens fairly often. I know that when I bend over, it prints, and my shirt catches on it, so I have to pull my shirt back down. I had an especially awkward moment when I needed to sign something on a table with a bunch of people behind me. Kind of awkward to bend with your knees in that situation!

Just have to keep telling yourself no one is paying attention..

My carry gun is a Ruger SR9c in a Remora holster.
 
I this is a wildly subjective question but what are your personal carry guns?
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I alternate between a Bersa Thunder 45 and Kel-tec .380.

The .380 is on the chopping block though, I just can't get a good feel for it due to its size in my hand. 45 fits my giant monkey paws perfectly and is pretty easy to conceal - even with an el cheapo nylon holster.
 
You must do the walMart Walk,,,

It's kind of a rite of passage,,,
I felt like I had the words "Packing a Pistol" tattooed on my forehead.

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That goes away after a short while.

Aarond
 

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Hello ScotchMan,,,

The obligatory Wally World Walk,,,

The first time you go out with your new carry permit,,,
You must go to Wal Mart and do the prescribed walk around the store.

It's a ritual that has gained popularity in recent years.

Aarond
 
Advice by most is grow a brain if you don't have one already a mature up. The responsibility is so great but in every day life, there is little thought other than just trying to keep your weapon concealed. And for God's sake, please don't leave your weapon in a public bathroom after you're done!

Also, we carriers are pretty much going to use a weapon as we believe-ituations where we believe deadly force is justified and immediately necessary. If that ever happens, it is an ugly scene. Most don't die of gun shots but they all suffer to differing extents. Watching someone bleed out and/or anyone taking their last breath is unsettling as well. We may justify it one way or another but being a thinking/feeling human, it is something you probably don't want with you for the rest of your life. "Better him than me", "he was coming through the door with a knife", "they were spray painting my wall", "he was robbing me at gun point but I was able to retrieve by ccw and fire first" will be running through your head but at least, it will be running through your alive head.
 
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