A question for those who open carry

[k0ua]

As a point of clarification, are you saying that you've needed and drawn your weapon outside your position as a LEO? Did you also fire it at the threat, hit and kill or take down the threat?

My philosophy is "don't start no sh*t, ain't going to be no sh*t". I'm not in fear for my life when I go to the store or the post office. We have plenty of crazies in my town who are either nuts or on drugs or both. I walk down the street aware, but not fearful even though I don't have a weapon on me. My wife locks the front door the first thing when she comes into the house. I don't, because I think the chances of being robbed in my home are statistically insignificant to even worry about. My wife has a couple of softball bats strategically placed in the house, along with a couple of guns because she fears being robbed or worse. The defensive items will likely never be used for that purpose, but she feels better knowing they are there.

It's a glass half full or half empty situation. You either feel the world is a fearful and dangerous place, or you don't. I know that bad things happen to good people on occasion and if you look for the bad, you will likely find it. I was in the fire service for 25 years and I know we can have a different outlook from LE. It makes sense to me, just given the type of job we do. I don't know if the job influences the mindset, or the mindset influences which path we pursue. It would be an interesting PhD thesis for some psych major.

I did not have to fire the handgun.

Well, it is just that I have seen those bad things happen to those good people. And I know it could happen to me. Of course the odds are low. The odds of having a fire in your kitchen are pretty low too unless you are an idiot. But I have an extinguisher there too, and one in the shop too. Yeah I lock the doors, and try to always maintain a situational awareness.

I know the world is both simultaneously a dangerous and fearful place, with wolves in it and at the same time I know the chances are low that any one individual sheep will be taken by the wolves. You can't go through life worrying about when and if the wolves will ever come to your door. (One came to mine already, so I guess my chances for another one are slimmer?).

So be prepared and don't worry is my method. Or you can use your method and not be prepared and not worry. The choice is up to the individual. It don't make me no nevermind. Please tell your wife that I think she is a very wise lady.

I will tell you this much, when it happens, it happens quick, and it is "unbelievable". There are people on this earth that would like nothing more than to kill you personally right this minute. And they would enjoy watching you die. And then they would brag about it to their friends. Yes those people are very few and far between. The vast majority of people are very good. Some are just so so, but a few are really bad. As for your sh*t philosophy, it will work up to a point. In other words if you avoid trouble all of your life, you will have a lot less trouble. But come the day, no matter how much you don't want it, trouble will find you. And nothing short of being prepared will save you. If that day ever comes, I hope your wife saves you..

 

[Raspy]

I hear this a lot and it would be an interesting study to find out if it's true or not. I think that it's a feel-good fallacy put forth by the NRA.

I'm thinking that a kid with a gun, knocking over the local C-store, gives little thought to a posted sign at the door and even less thought about how many other guns might be inside. Surely he knows the cashier likely has one, right? They are thinking only of the cash in the till and not the consequences.

I agree. The idea is out there, but it's hard to conclude that it really means much to a potential offender. I certainly don't agree with the notion that schools get chosen as targets because there are no guns there. That gets mentioned a lot, but there are obviously much bigger psychological reasons.

Like you, I don't run my life based on fear and imagining the worst case scenario. Hunkered down at home behind locked doors and closed drapes, ready to pull the gun out anytime I hear something, is a terrible way to exist. Still, some caution and general awareness makes sense.

It's not always some bad "guy". A few years ago one neighbor had a mountain lion run into the house chasing his dog. Next door there was a bear in the yard and two others have had them in their houses rummaging around for food. Yelling at the bears, would probably be enough, but the lion, not so much. I don't want to test that theory unless I can back it up with something more powerful.

 

[Firemanbuck82]

There are people on this earth that would like nothing more than to kill you personally right this minute. And they would enjoy watching you die. And then they would brag about it to their friends. Yes those people are very few and far between. The vast majority of people are very good. Some are just so so, but a few are really bad. As for your sh*t philosophy, it will work up to a point. In other words if you avoid trouble all of your life, you will have a lot less trouble. But come the day, no matter how much you don't want it, trouble will find you. And nothing short of being prepared will save you. If that day ever comes, I hope your wife saves you..

Yes, my sh*t philosophy...nice.

There are people on this earth who want to kill someone...not me personally because they don't know me...just someone who looks like me. Likely, if that day comes for me, it will happen suddenly and from behind and I will have absolutely no opportunity to do anything, prepared or not.

I've just finished a number of trips to the ME in the past year (Saudi, Kuwait and Qatar). I'm sure there were people who saw me who had thoughts of killing me, not for who I am, but for what I represent (to them). Yet I had no problems whatsoever. I also travel in Africa using local bus and matatu transport and I have yet to be hassled. I know the general areas where Al Shabab and Boko Haram operate and I avoid them because I know that I would be an easy target. My wife and I travel frequently throughout Mexico as well using a rental car to get from place to place. We've never had a problem, but then again we aren't flashy and don't present a threat to local cartels. It's amazing what a low profile and a disarming good humor can help you avoid.

I'm saying, there's being prepared, and then there's being overly prepared for an event that will never likely happen to you. I live in a place where the likelihood of a 9.0M earthquake is fairly high and I'm prepared for that. We also have volcanoes which erupt. My EQ preparedness kit covers that as well. I'm inland from the coast although near Puget Sound, but I'm at elevation 200 feet, so a tsunami is a low probability. K0ua, you live close-ish to the New Madrid fault zone which was the location of 3, 8.0+M earthquakes in the early 1800s. Earthquakes which changed the course of the Mississippi River. How prepared are you for such an event occurring again? (OK, I fell into that one - you probably have a bunker).

Having something bad happen to you in the past, makes no difference and has no effect on the possibility of something bad happening to you in the future - it's all statistics and probability.

And you're right, my wife will likely be there to protect me since she's 10 years younger, more fit and could kick my *****. The good news is that I can hold my own as well.

 

[Thall303]

People that don't want a firearm in the home shouldn't have one as is their right!

Nor should they question those that do!

The police cannot protect you or your family in your home!

That is your responsibility!!

 

[atsah]

I keep several loaded shotguns in my house mainly due to the drug epidemic that is becoming a pretty serious problem in this country. I carry a loaded 40 cal all of the time.

I depend on myself to get out of whatever trouble comes my way. You would be hard pressed to find a house in the state of Maine without a firearm at the ready.

This state like many others have mostly good hard working people but it only takes one drug addicted lunatic to take your life for a $50 fix.

If someone gets lucky enough to get by or kill my German Shepherd there problems have just begun.

 

[two_bit_score]

I have CCW license but rarely carry. I don't think open carry is the way to go if you are interested in true self defense. Open carry guys likely just want to appear to be bad asses and the bad guy can pretty easily disarm them from the rear if needed. Also if a bad guy sees you have a gun (open carry) then you will be targeted first in a shooting. Concealed carry parties have at least a little bit of a surprise mode to work with when confronted especially in group settings. When I carry it is always concealed.

I think of the open carry guys as 'decoys'. They draw the fire first.


TBS

 

[two_bit_score]

From what I understand it was delayed when Steve Scalise was shot. It is still there, but may not have any action this season

H.R.38 - 115th Congress (217-218): Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 217 | Congress.gov | Library of Congress

John Cornyn introduced a reciprocal act several years ago. Way before the shooting where Scalise was shot.


TBS

 

[Dan Hunter]

My singular use of open carry is that as I leave the ranch and return home I often stop for fuel/food and like the fact that I'll not be arrested simply because I forgot to remove the firearm on my belt as I got out of the truck. Other than going to my job (where strangely I train young officers in a profession of arms but am emasculated at the gate with a "no firearms" policy), I pretty much always carry concealed if not on the ranch. Generally, I prefer to be perceived as another old guy that's no threat.

 

[dragoneggs]

I have a CCW and frequently carry. On a gun forum a while back this issue was discussed and a guy posted that he had cards to give to businesses that restricted carrying of guns. I posted, asking him where he got them, and he sent me a stack of them. I don't know whether he made them up or bought them. Anyway, I doubt that they would cause a store to change their policies, or that passing them out would even reach the policy makers, but here is a scan and copy of the card he sent - front and back. I have not any occasion to use them. When I go to the post office or a school or government building or airport I put the gun in a safe I bolted under the rear seat in my F150.

I like it. I am also interested in your mount under the rear seat of you're F150. While I use the center console and the rear seat is not easily accessible, still would like to know your method.

 

[comancheflight]

I think of the open carry guys as 'decoys'. They draw the fire first.


TBS

Now that's funny....and true