Who Knows You're Carrying?

The only people I don't want to know that I have a gun are the ones that would take it away--that I can't shoot.

I don't tell people except for others that I know do or might carry. I feel it is part of tactics and planning to know if this or that buddy is carrying.

If TSHTF and they are expecting you to cover their flank, or vis versa, and your gun is "sick" today you will be in a world of hurt.

Also if they think you have your 1911 or Glock and all you have is your P 32 could have similar problem.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by sigarms229:

In comparison, my wife rarely knows I'm carrying. She regularly sees me undressing after we've been out and occasionally spots my gun and is like "you were carrying tonight?". Heck, this woman didn't even notice I was carrying at our wedding last year until the last dance of the night. The whole wedding party on my side carried all day long. Nobody but us knew.
[/quote]
If I get married again I plan to be armed. I think I know enough non-sheeple's that all of the groom's men will be armed :)

I had thought, the last time I got married, about having my friends in Confederate Grey with Saber's [many of my now ex-wife's brothers were active or discharged military so I figured they could be the North--he he :D].

My best man was all for the idea, my bride on the other hand...lets just say she didn't think much of the idea :rolleyes:
 
If you regularly hang out with a group where you know others carry, they should know that you carry too. There are several retired cops in my motorcycle club, and they all carry. If a situation deteriorates, I'd want them to know in advance where the other guns are.

My worst nightmare is a legal CCW permit holder being taken for a bad guy just because he's holding a weapon.
 
There's a reason they're called concealed weapons. How and what I carry are my business, but...

I see some cowboy now and then show off their CC piece, and regard that as quite stupid. A CC piece should only show itself in an emergency where it needs to be used. Otherwise, some folks get upset,some get false feelings of security. Meither panic nor illusions add to safety.

Years ago,Wife's youngest sister(then 17) came down by bus on a visit. We took her to the bus station in Baltimore and waited until
she could board the bus home. I had been a CO for about 2-3 years at the time,and we sat with our backs against a wall waiting, and I cased out the area.

After a brief perusal, I mentioned to my wife that the ugly guy in an old Army jacket was an ex-con and the last time I had seen him he was eating razor blades and screaming he wanted to die. She got upset and said something like," What if he comes over here and starts something". I replied that I would shoot him until he desisted.

She said," I didn't know you brought a gun along".

I replied," That's why they're called concealed weapons"...
 
I have told my family and a few very close friends, most of which also carry.

With regards to the question about entering another's home without notifying them, I see no problem with doing just that. I have been in a few people's houses that are fairly anti-gun and of course they never knew it.

My general rule of thumb is to not tell someone unless they tip their hat as to being pro-gun. That situation provides the opportunity for me to recruit another CCW citizen.

CMOS

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NRA? Good. Now joing the GOA!
 
I keep my carrying confidential except to immediate family, a few longtime friends, and the local gunshop where my license allows me to purchase guns without waiting for NICS to respond.

As far as entering someone else's home while carrying, I just don't have a problem with it, considering that my civil liberties are valid everywhere. I know of a concealed handgun instructor who meticulously disarms himself before entering the premises of a friend, even of a friend who carries. He does so as a courtesy. But my own choice is to do otherwise.

[This message has been edited by jimmy (edited May 17, 2000).]
 
Don't show,Don't tell ;) My wife will usually know along with my son should something happen to me. Other then that I abide by my first two statements :)

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We preserve our freedoms by using four boxes: soap,ballot,jury, and cartridge.
Anonymous
 
My wife usually knows. We have no children yet, so I don't have to worry about the, "Watch out, badman, my daddy's got a gun!" problem. I have a few friends that know that I have the permit (a few have also gotten theirs) but it always surprises them when I pull my gun to illustrate a topic. I guess I'm concealing it well.

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Frontsight!
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"Put a rifle in the hands of a Subject, and he immediately becomes a Citizen." -- Jeff Cooper
 
I think its really important to let your wife know. Otherwise you will end up like me and your wife will yank up your cover shirt to see if your butt looks nice in the new shorts your trying on, although I slammed my arm to the side of my gun in an effort to hide it (kept my hands away from it) mirrors all over the place didn't help me either. That was an interesting day.
 
I let people know that I have a concealed carry permit all the time. I want them to have an image of an upstanding, responsible young professional (attorney) when they think of people carrying firearms.

I don't tell anyone except my family and best friend, though, when or what I'm carrying. Those people I trust implicitly.
 
I carry in the office and I have told my office manager (I'm the owner so it's my rules :) ) mainly due to the makeup of the current neighborhood. But the general theme throughout this thread still applies "Don't show / Don't tell" but as always there are exceptions. So while I carry everywhere, those who know are minimal.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by jimmy:
I know of a concealed handgun instructor who meticulously disarms himself before entering the premises of a friend, even of a friend who carries.[/quote]

This is a touchy issue. Depending on local law, the local geography, and how you got there, the handgun will often (usually? always?) be more safe and more legal on your person and under your direct physical control than, say, locked in the trunk of your car -- or someone else's car -- or a minivan with no trunk -- where all the neighbors just saw you stash it -- you get my drift...

Don't ask, don't tell, don't show. Safer for all concerned, better defensive tactics, more reliably legal.
 
I generally don't tell anyone even my family. As a matter of fact when I get a new holster or want to try a new type of concealment I will go visit my folks and see if they even notice.
 
While a newcomer to concealed carry, here are my thoughts:

I want as few people as possible to know that I galavant about the countryside armed. I don't want to draw unwanted attention to myself by advertising the fact that I'm licensed. My wife-to-be knows I'm licensed, along with the four members of my immediate family, all of whom are pro-gun and whom I trust completely. I don't make a point to tell them when I carry, I've only told them that I'm licensed.

As far as carrying into someone's house goes, I refer you to my above statement on drawing unwanted attention. Perhaps it is impolite not to notify your host or disarm, but I will accept that fact. As a wise man once said, "it is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it."

As an aside, I have relatives who like a hug when we part ways. Doing that while packing presents a problem. I carry IWB, so perhaps I'll try to ensure that their arms are outside of mine when we hug. I know it is a detail, but details are important. So, does anyone out there have any ideas for us loveable, armed TFL'ers whom people like to hug?

Country

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What is popular is not always right.
What is right is not always popular.

[This message has been edited by Country Boy (edited May 17, 2000).]
 
Well my shooting buddies EXPECT me to be armed. It's already hot here in Texas, so concealment is something I have to really work on. No jackets or loose hanging open shirts. Too apparent there is something up. I was at my smith's home Saturday night dropping off a gun for some work. One of the better instructors in this country was there giving a carbine instructors class. I was invited to participate in the night shoot. (See? They KNEW I would have the AR with me. :) )

As we got ready to head to the range, I mentioned... "Well I guess I don't really need to be "concealed" around here" and re-tucked my shirt to expose the .45. "Well Bubba, I was gettin a little concerned about you not being armed." was the comment from the hostest. :D Thats why they call it concealed carry. :)

Not knowing who is and who is not armed is part of the beauty of CCW. Other than my shooting friends, no one ever knows. Not my workmates, not my date, no one. They all know me well enough to know I will be watching and keeping trouble away from us. If the merde DOES hit the fan, they know to get to cover. If I run into someone who SHOULD know, unspoken signals are all that are required. My friends understand what concealed really means.

OF course... this DOES bring up some interesting discussions in the dating department... But THATS another topic of discussion. ;)

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Bubba
IDPA# A04739
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It is long been a principal of ours that one is no more armed because he has possession of a firearm than he is a musician because he owns a piano. There is no point in having a gun if you are not capable of using it skillfully. - Jeff Cooper
 
I don't tell anyone that I carry any more. Right after I got my permit I told a few of my shooting buddies, but now choose to keep it to myself. This is for the reasons stated by the majority of the previous posters.

Right after I got my carry permit I was out to eat with my family (my parents, brother, and our wives and kids). My brother and I were sitting off to one end and I slid my permit across the table for him to see. He looks at it for a good minute, then says "So you could be carrying right now if you wanted too?" I said "Yep, if I wanted too!" I was new to carrying so I felt like everyone was aware that I was packing, but even my own brother did not know I was carrying.

As several others have noted, my wife will sometimes see me taking out my concealed carry sidearm after an evening out and say "You were carrying tonight?" Used to she would ask why. She never does now. What I did was tell her everytime I heard of a shooting, mugging, rape, etc and tell her that is why I carry, to protect her, the kids and me in case some wacko like that crosses our path. --plinker2--
 
My wife (who also carries), several family members and two friends, who also carry. I am as descreet as possible, and have never "been made."

I am a very firm believer in gaining that second or two of surprise over the bad guy.
 
My family and close friends all know that I CAN carry, but they never know WHEN I'm carrying.

As for the question of whether or not to tell someone before entering their home, the choice has been made for me. In SC, the law specifically states that a permit holder must ask permission before entering a residence.
 
Tell no one, only my wife and a few very close friends (the type I would trust my life to) know that I have a permit. But none of them know when I'm packing or not.

Recently (last Thanksgiving) I was going through my wallet to get a phone number for my sister and she noticed my NRA membership card - she didn't know I was a member, me being a long-hair and seeing as how we don't see alot of each other anymore, she was curious. We discussed the whole thing for a while and at the end of the conversation she knew I had a CPL.

Guess what. At Thanksgiving dinner that night she blurts out of the clear blue sky: "Gabe is an NRA member and is licensed to carry a gun!". Now, some of my family is anti and some are pro. One of my more outspoken (follow the crowd) anti step-sisters proceeded to toe the anti party line and attacked me...right there in front of my Grandmother (who I see once a year if that). It was something :P.

Moral of the story: tell no one. The issue is too complex for most anti-people to be confronted with it so blatantly and in such short order.


- gabe
 
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