Does Carrying 'Too Much Stuff' Make You More Guilty?

[Thunder71]

I see photos of some people's every day carry gear and to me it can be a bit much...

2 guns, 2 knives, Leatherman, 4+ magazines, etc...

At some point I would think this would make you appear to be a little overboard or perhaps looking for 'action'. I can understand carrying to protect yourself/loved ones, but my oh my, how can this even be comfortable!?

Thoughts?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[paaiyan]

The amount of stuff I carry borders on uncomfortable already. M&P .40c, spare mag, knife, Fox 5.3, keys, phone, wallet...

[SpencerB]

2 guns= primary and back up. 2 knives= primary and backup. Leatherman because it has everything! and 4 mags= 2 mags per gun. I don't see that as excessive I see that as prepared. Plus having an extra gun if you get into some crap you can pass one off to your spouse/dad/trustworthy friend.

[Thunder71]

We're talking every day carry for a normal citizen... I'd rather have back up running shoes and underwear myself if I 'need' that much to be prepared. :D

I carry:

PM9 or XDM in Silent Thunder
Phone
Keys
Wallet
Kershaw OSO Sweet

[Keech]

Since I am no longer in the service and no longer a police officer, I carry 1 handgun and 1 spare mag, a cell phone and a pocket knife. I'm comfortable with that decision. To each, their own.... whatever makes them happy.

[Thunder71]

I'm really not questioning people's choices, but in your opinion - would you think a responding officer (or an attorney/jury) might find your decision to carry that much gear a little excessive?

[NY27]

Times are changing. Threats are changing. When I first got on the job and bought my first off-duty gun (S&W M60), the seller said,"You're not gonna need more than 5 shots kid." This is still true for some situations. But as time went by, I saw more and more bad stuff happen on and off the job. I still carried either my 60 or 640 off-duty with a speed loader or dump pouch. Probably after 9/11 is when I started carrying my Glocks off-duty. Then a spare mag was added to the off-duty carry set up.

I'm in a slightly different situation, being a police officer, I would intervene where many would call 911. I seldom carry a BUG off-duty. I ALWAYS carry one on-duty. But my normal off-duty set up is one of my many Glocks with one spare mag (sometimes 2), a spyderco stretch, and a Surefire E2e. I don't think that is too much even for non-LEO. I will carry the same way when I retire. Sometimes my friends will break my shoes about carrying a flashlight. I consider it something that EVERYONE should have on them whether they have a weapon or not.

[claude clay]

a primary and a secondary---you have two hands and life comes at you from all directions. carry what you are competent with. and what you perceive your need to be.
among the retired, a single j-frame is tops on the list. followed by one of the many baby 380's.
would that i could OC my SSA Colt 45. for the first 5 shots its as fast as my 1911. not so much after that

[Cruel Hand Luke]

Does it make you look "more guilty"? Why do you "look guilty" to begin with?

If the shoot is a good shoot (here that would be if a reasonable person were in reasonable fear of immediate grave bodily injury or death) then what you carry is of no consequence. Only when the details are a bit more murky does any of that stuff come into play. Were you somewhere you should not have been? Did you shoot someone you knew? Did this stem from an argument instead of a robbery or assault? Was there a history of problems between you and the victim? Were drugs involved?

Largely if you avoid the "3 stupids" (hanging with stupid people ,going stupid places and doing stupid things) then none of this is ever even an issue. As long as what you were carrying on your person is legal where you are then it should not be an issue.

[SIXTO]

To directly answer the original question, Yes, I do think to much can come back to bite you. I'm not one to give attorneys anymore ammunition to discredit or distract from the original elements of the case. Remember, not only will you have a criminal trial, but more than likely a civil one as well. You do not want to lose in the court of public opinion... lose there, and you will have more than an uphill battle winning in the real court room. I think one needs to be reasonable and realistic about their needs in carrying a weapon. Do you really need that 5" 1911 with eight mags OC'd on your belt with a G27 in your pocket and a boot knife in each boot and your wife covering you with the shotgun in the truck to go pick up a gallon of milk? No. What does that look like to an outsider?
Now I know many will chatter on about their rights and how they don't care how outsiders will see that, but I contend you better care. Who do you think will be on the jury that decides your fate or financial future?

[Thunder71]

I agree SIXTO...

Lots of 'should, could, would'... I'm talking court, not personal choice or justification... If their attorney brings up to the jury that you had 2 guns, 4 magazines, 3 knives, etc... on you at the time, it could be very easy for them to make it look as though you were looking for trouble that night. More so than one firearm and a pocket knife.

[SIXTO]

Lets take it one step further. Lots of people say that carrying a less lethal option should be mandatory with the gun. I say hogwash. What happens when you shoot somebody and the ambulance chasers gnawing away at you about why didn't you simply hose down his client with pepper spray, that certainly would have done the trick...

[Thunder71]

Again, I agree... one or the other, not both for this guy. My wife will not carry a gun, she has no interest - for her she's OK with pepper spray, her decision. But I will not carry it along with a gun.

[azchevy]

If you live in a liberal state with prosecutors more interested in perps rights than victims rights, then yes.

[Thunder71]

If you live in a liberal state with prosecutors more interested in perps rights than victims rights, then yes.

Guess I'll raise my hand at that one... we have a duty to retreat and no real castle doctrine, need I say more?