Why conceal carry?

P

papa_spaceflight

Inactive
I am here just looking for what people have to say.
I haven't been shooting for very long, but one thing that originally got me interested was the opportunity for concealed carry.
What is it that made you decide to concealed carry? Do you live in a bad neighborhood? Does your job take you to dangerous areas? Is it simply a statement and you exercising your 2nd amendment rights?
I just thought it would be interesting to hear what people have to say. Maybe it will help me and other make the decision for ourselves.
 
For me, it was mostly a matter of it not making sense to NOT carry.

I really didn't get into shooting for self-defense, but it seemed like a common-sense progression.

By the time concealed carry became legal where I live, I already had a reasonable level of skill with a handgun, already knew the deadly force laws for my state, already had a handgun suitable for concealed carry and met all the qualifications.

The class sounded interesting and the fees were not a financial burden. I would have actually had to try come up with reasons NOT to get my permit and I wasn't really inclined to put forth much effort in that direction.
 
My state didn't get CC till 2004, It had a lot of poison pills in it, at one point in time media could actually get record on who had them and they started publishing them in the papers.

at least one incident involving a CC carrier appears to have been instigated by the listing.. they was attacked ambush style and killed shortly after their name was in the paper.

Anyway I got my License 08 after some improvements in the law.

As to why? No particular reason, no one's stalking me, no one's tried to kill me, I've been in some scrapes but obviously nothing that required a gun, Im still here.

I've lived in some less then desirable areas but to be honest for the most part even "bad neighborhoods" aren't all bad, It's usually localized crime.. Last place I lived had nightly police activity 2 blocks over, but it was always 2 blocks over, my street was pretty quiet.

I guess it all started after I bought my first holster, It was a Fobus, It was a good deal at the time and I thought what the hell, I tried it on and was like :D
That's basicly all there was to it, I just like it.
I figured with the improvements in the law why not get my license and take it with me everywhere?

I did not get it out of fear of any particular threat.. but after you carry for a while you start to feel naked when you don't have it, It becomes comforting that you at least have options.

Don't misunderstand that last statement, carrying a gun is not a talisman to ward off evil, it does not make you invincible it does not mean you'll be victorious in an attack nor does it mean you should act any different.

Never do anything while carrying that you wouldn't if you were unarmed.
If anything you have to be even more Chill then usual because every encounter is a potentially deadly encounter now.

I do carry for self defense, But I suppose it's equally split with exercising a right.. although a right that's taxed here In Ohio.
We have unlicensed open carry but can't carry in a car without a CHL so :rolleyes:

So anyway I suspect I'll probably never have need of it, But it's comforting to know it's there if I do.
One bit of advice I'll give if you're new to carrying.

Carry like it's a religion, Some only carry when they are going to a "bad area" or when they think there might be a problem, or danger.
I don't have a crystal ball so I carry when ever I get dressed, make it part of your attire.

If you knew when there was going to be trouble you'd be a fool not to just avoid it in the first place.. Or if you can't avoid it bring something bigger then a handgun :p
 
I have been a material witness for the federal government in two fairly high-profile white collar crime cases involving defrauding the government -- one of them very high dollar as well as high profile. In one of them I received direct and credible death threats. It wasn't difficult to decide I needed to carry after that.
 
There are lots of trite and cutsie soundbite answers for that one;
"I carry a gun because I can't carry a cop"
"I carry a gun because Chuck Norris won't fit in a holster."
"The Second Amendment is my carry permit."
The last one is technically correct...but I digress. Mostly firearms are carried concealed for the simple reason of defense of self and others, "other" generally being read as family and friends. It is simply the most effective self defense tool available, and easiest to use by most people - I can't knife fight like a SEAL, and I have witnessed felons shrugs off Taser, pepper spray and pepper ball - the last is REALLY useless. If I want to show "bravado" or such, I'll get a Mossberg Shockwave and get a long holster for it. :) If I am carrying to "make a point", well, this being the Southwest I'd get a nice Western style belt and rig and carry either a fancy Colt Single Action Army clone or a nice engraved reproduction black powder revolver. That would make "the statement" just fine and stay in character for the location. ;)
I believe in my right to defend myself and my family and I chose to use the best tool currently available to do the job that will not negatively impact my quality of life with its bulk and discomfort. i.e., my BREN 805 Carbine might be a far more effective fight-ending tool than my CZ SP-01 Phantom, (AND it's completely legal to carry concealed in Arizona),...but it would be VERY difficult to do practically anything in the civilian world carrying an 8 pound folding stock rifle under a trench coat or such. The handgun doesn't impact my quality of life at all. Does that answer the question efficiently and effectively? :)
 
I should also add that in 15 years of working in the prison system I know what type of individuals live and breathe among us. And I know that 96% of ALL inmates will be released. To go back to a cutsie soundbite;
"I carry a gun because I have looked into the face of pure Evil...and Evil gets out on parole next Tuesday."
 
I've always had guns in the house, but didn't really consider concealed carry until ~2007 or 2008. In 2003, my wife and I were blessed with a daughter. I thought about her safety much more than I'd ever thought about my own. In 2007, I opened my own law firm and found myself dealing with more criminals than I ever had before, … and walking to my car downtown at night quite a bit more. Between having a daughter that needed me alive & having to hoof it at night to my car, I decided that carrying a pistol was a good idea. Then I got a job that involved suing crack dealers …
 
JoeSixpack said:
My state didn't get CC till 2004, It had a lot of poison pills in it, at one point in time media could actually get record on who had them and they started publishing them in the papers.

at least one incident involving a CC carrier appears to have been instigated by the listing.. they was attacked ambush style and killed shortly after their name was in the paper.
Click to expand...

What exactly is newsworthy about carry permits?
 
Texas passed concealed carry in 1995 and open carry went into effect 1/1/2016. For 34 years, I was a soldier. When I retired, I realized that my mission had changed from protecting the Constitution to protecting myself and those for whom I am responsible. I have chosen an auto-loading handgun as the best tool for that job; S&W M&P Mod 2.0, 9mm, 5 inch barrel. I am comfortable with this handgun, I can use it efficiently and accurately, I carry it consistently, I practice with it, and I train with it.

From 2013 to 2016, I carried concealed except when on my own property, as prescribed in Texas law. After 1/1/2016, I carry primarily openly, concealing as the situation dictates.

As with most things in life, it comes down to which risks we are willing to manage and which benefits matter most to us.
 
Would you believe that even in Texas, Open Carrying my Barrett .50 cal is too heavy and tends to make people very skittish, and requires double hearing protection, which makes conversation difficult.

That's why :)
Plus I'm too old to win a fist fight with a young thug, and too young to die
 
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Spats so eloquently stated his reason for concealed carry
Then I got a job that involved suing crack dealers …
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I think we have a winner! ^^^^^

Spats, do you need to borrow my Barrett?
 
I believe in what the NRA preaches: "The only defense against a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun." It's easy to get stat's on gun crimes but impossible to get stat's on how many crimes were prevented by the mere presence of, or suspicion of a good guy with a gun. Concealed carry creates doubt in a bad guy's mind. The more prevalent CC the better & thus more effective.

...and as already been mentioned it's a mad, mad, mad, mad, world these days.
 
What exactly is newsworthy about carry permits?
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Not much, but that's not what it's about.
It's about being anti-gun and in a position to take revenge on gun owners.
But it's funny - the journalists and editors don't like it when it's their names and addresses that get publicized.
 
g.willikers said:
Not much, but that's not what it's about.
It's about being anti-gun and in a position to take revenge on gun owners.
But it's funny - the journalists and editors don't like it when it's their names and addresses that get publicized.
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I was always under the impression that news stories not only had to be true but also newsworthy. Running a story like joe blow's hemorrhoid problem is an example of a story that may be true but isn't generally considered to be newsworthy. It may have been a journalistic standard of long ago and not a legal one.
 
In recent years the only journalistic standards are so abysmally low that William Randolph Hearst wouldn't even recognize them as standards. It's no longer about reporting news, it's now about advancing a narrative. The only thing "newsworthy" about a list of names (and addresses) of concealed carry permit holders is that it allows the [alleged] journalists to stigmatize and harass the people with carry permits. And that was the entire reason for doing it.
 
ATN082268 said:
What exactly is newsworthy about carry permits?
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Nothing really, Just liberal antigun media and predictions of blood in the streets, They claimed it as a public service to list CHL holders info.

That was just 1 nasty bit in the law, The legislature actually had to pass 2/3's to override governor Bob Taft's veto, He's long gone now.
Other nasty things was the gun had to be in plain sight while in a car, we had no state preemption so depending on where you was in Ohio you'd still be arrested for concealed weapons.. several of the big cities fought and fought and fought even after preemption was law, Cleveland's mayor told the police chief to arrest anyone carrying regardless of the law.

The Ohio legislature moves like molasses in the winter, They're also somewhat predatory.
They have often passed legislation as a way of fire breaking momentum of things going thru the courts or appear to have a high chance of passing on a ballet initiative.
If something looks like it's going to become law that the don't like they pass a weaker crippled version to take the wind out of the sails.
Like It appears you're gonna get a foot they chop you off at 4 inches before you can get it done.

It took a lot of work to get any type of CC law passed, there was open carry marches and demonstrations, There was a couple of lawsuits filed that had a good chance of winning.. and since Ohio had no CC law on the books a state loss would have likely opened the door to unlicensed CC.

And you better believe if a licensed carry system scared them unlicensed carry made them ruin their pants.

So we got a CC law in 04, But it was a mess of a bill and even now it's still not perfect, and at this point I just hope the constitutional carry momentum continues, when about half the country has passed such a law we'll probably follow suit.. we lag so bad behind most states.

That's not to say we don't have supporters in the legislature though.
But the anti gunners are so stupid, I remember watching them debate and try to add amendments to the bill that legalized carry on liquor license premises (restaurant/bar).
One of them put forth an amendment that would require CC'ers to announce their presence and carry status upon entering an establishment..

You can't make this stuff up.

g.willikers said:
Not much, but that's not what it's about.
It's about being anti-gun and in a position to take revenge on gun owners.
But it's funny - the journalists and editors don't like it when it's their names and addresses that get publicized.
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You hit the nail on the head on that one. :D
 
I don't carry often, usually just to malls and theaters or other large public gatherings. The probability of ever having to use it is exceedingly small for my area and lifestyle, but so is the probability of my house catching fire yet I have house insurance, and I have not had a car accident in over 20 years yet I have car insurance. There are evil people among us and carrying a pistol is cheap insurance. In fact guns are better than insurance, as insurance only compensates you after you are harmed while a gun can actually prevent you from being harmed.

Carrying also entails taking on a considerable responsibility that if not respected can cause harm, so don't take it lightly. Know your guns, know your laws, and think hard before ever drawing.

TomNJVA
 
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Carrying also entails taking on a considerable responsibility that if not respected can cause harm, so don't take it lightly. Know your guns, know your laws, and think hard before ever drawing.
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+1
 
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