"Just going to the store" carry

First let me say that I include myself in this observation. It's 8 PM and you need a pint of ice cream. You're already wound down from the day so you pop the little carry caliber in your pocket and jump in the car. But with the street lights already on, you may be heading to highest level of SD requirement/exposure of the day. The parking lot of the local convenience store, at night, is a classic place for trouble. Probably more so than walking the parking lot at work. And yet many of us are less prepared than we were 12 hours before, ordering a biscuit for breakfast. In truth, I'm far enough out in the sticks that the store is already closed at that hour but you get my drift. I wonder why we do that?

While I can't think of a legitimate reason, I can say I am guilty of this same thing. I took my dogs out for a walk around midnight with only a kel tec vs the G22 and 2 blades I had earlier in the day.

I don't get "your drift". Not sure what your point is. Still sounds to me like situational awareness tells me that a lousy pint of ice cream is not worth my drive to a store at night.

Biscuits for breakfast and late night ice cream... your biggest threat may not be anything a gun can help.

But to your point (that I do get), convenience does sometimes trump preparedness, I suppose. I don't do any pocket carrying, so I tend to take a compact over a sub-compact anyway, but you do make a good point.

Wow kel, ain't we cranky this morning? Just rainy Saturday morning musings. Sorry for being obtuse.

When I get home from work and change guns, I don't worry about it. Of course the gun I carry at work is a 7 shoot .45. The gun I carry the rest of the time is a 15 shoot 9mm.

I rarely stop at a convenience store for other than gas, and even more rarely at night. But if I armed "for the ocassion" I'd have an AK slung over my shoulder.

Your situational awareness depends on your environment.

You are not defending against a hypothetical convenience store. You are defending against the one you are going to. In this case, substitute "convenience store" with market, mall, restaurant, or any other place you frequent.

You know the clientele, passersby, level of danger that exists at each place and at each time of day. Arm accordingly.

In my case, I'm getting ready to get some breakfast provisions right now. I'm not arming because the threat probability is as close to zero as is possibly imaginable.

My carry gun never changes no matter the occasion. The new XDs is that versatile

Thrashdog, I like your thinking

I dropped my bug pocket carry 380 a while ago. If I go armed (always and everywhere I can) its my G23 with spare mag.

Same gun, same position, same holster. Like my signature says, put it on getting out of bed with my pants and take it off when I get back in bed.

1) We have to live our lives. I try to keep my head on a swivel, but we're human, and we cannot be "on" 100% of the time.

2) I carry the same caliber all the time - .38. I don't have a "little carry" (but some people would call my j-frame a "lttle carry." So be it.) But even if I did, e.g., a .380 - I wouldn't sweat it.

3) I try not to worry about the little things. I spent the first 40-some years of may life not carrying and I survived just fine.

I am guilty of that type of thinking. I always carry where legally allowed to do so; generally even when I am home for the day I am pocket carrying. It is way easier to just go to the store with the gun I am already carrying, than to pop on my Glock 19 in an IWB holster for a 5 minute trip to the grocery store.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PEF

1) We have to live our lives. I try to keep my head on a swivel, but we're human, and we cannot be "on" 100% of the time.

2) I carry the same caliber all the time - .38. I don't have a "little carry" (but some people would call my j-frame a "lttle carry." So be it.) But even if I did, e.g., a .380 - I wouldn't sweat it.

3) I try not to worry about the little things. I spent the first 40-some years of may life not carrying and I survived just fine.

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Blasphemy!

I don't have a "just going to the store carry" gun. If I am out of bed then my Sig P220 in on me. I just don't see a lot of reason for downsizing. If its necessary to carry then it will be my normal EDC.

But you do bring up an interesting point about the tendency to think some things are mundane and don't require the same amount of awareness. It's something we should all work to avoid.