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Do you carry ALL the time?

11K views 80 replies 66 participants last post by  Joey 
#1 ·
I come from a small town (Mayberry like) where violence really isn't ever seen, in fact in my lifetime I can't recall a single incident of random violence. At any rate, do you carry EVERY chance you can or just when going into larger cities or where the risk is slightly higher?

By the way, thank you to everyone answering my noobie questions...WI just getting CCW means I need to pick the brains of all of youwith more experience carrying.
 
#29 ·
#30 ·
You are such a newbie, that you spelled newbie wrong. :)

Yeah, carry all the time except when sleeping, showering, and swimming.

Consider it a habit you want to make, like carrying your cell phone - (remember up until a few years ago we didn't have cell phones so it had to become a habit)

Also, on the 'small town, no violence' thing, I get the impression that the bad guys are now looking for 'soft targets' and that's a small town. Not every use of a HandGun (HG) is for people. Small towns have rabid dogs, and dog packs, you know.

In fact, if you can, get your significant other to carry and train together at the range and learn some teamwork. That's MORE than twice as effective as one person carrying. You can cover an support each other that way.
 
#31 ·
:starwars:You only need to read this story, see link to know the answer to your question. It's about the 3 teen agers running loose on their Bonnie & Clyde spree. Where were they yesterday, where will they be today or tomorrow? Are you ready to meet them?

Always be ready![/QUOTE]

I argree completely. My niece was recently murdered in her own home. Would it have been different if she carried?:starwars:
 
#33 ·
Are you gonna wreck your car today? Will you get a flat tire today? Will you hit a whitetail on the road today? Will you trip on the sidewalk and break your ankle? How about tomorrow? Maybe next week? Or does that stuff not happen in your town?

Although it hasnt happened to you...in your town, it can at anytime. You will rarely ever be prepared for the above unfortuante incidents and you will most likely never EXPECT a situation to occur when you need an SD firearm.

I just read a very interesting article on "warrior mindset". It related the samurai warriors of feudal Japan to modern day police officers (LE magazine). The lesson IMO translates to citizen CCW carriers, as well. The samurai regardless of day, time, or place carried their short sword and long sword with them, or within arms reach even when sleeping and bathing.

Carrying an SD firearm is not a hammer or screwdriver, you go get when you need it. It is something you have with you at all times in case you need it. It is a mindset and a way of life. Period.

If you get complacent about when you carry, you may very well get complacent while you carry.

Given the choice of guns and holsters available their is no reason to not have one at all times it is legally able, and do so comfortably.
 
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#34 ·
My homeowner's friend (shotgun) is never out of arm's reach until I leave the house, then I switch to my EDC and BUG. An 8mm rifle stays loaded behind the seat of my pickup, along with 5 spare stripper clips. But then, I believe you can't be too well armed when you're disabled.
 
#35 ·
I am only carrying if I a dressed!

Well not exactly. If I am checking out the bump in the night I will not get dressed, but I will pick up the light and Sig from the night stand.
 
#36 ·
My problem is that I live in a CCW state......PA, however I work in a MD which doesn't recognize my permit......further more I work on a Federal post.....APG, so the only time I can carry is when I stay in my own state or one that recognizes my CCW. Therefore I carry when I can, but can't all of the time.
 
#37 ·
I carry at all times. Only times I dont is if Im riding my bike to somewhere I cant carry (ie school). It really annoys my wife for some reason (who normally has no problem with guns as she grew up around them). I keep trying to tell here that if I dont carry all the time then whats the point of carrying at all? Her mother agrees with me but cant convince her so I just ignore it.
 
#38 ·
If you check the averages of population, as to crime, in small towns and large cities you might be very surprised.

BGs are out there and if not living in your area then they can drive in.

Many BGs see small towns as a easy target but they are not that easy, neighbors tend to know each other, and many are volunteers in fire department with radios in their truck that are linked to Sheriff office dispatch.

This gives a good number of eyes on the road that know their area very well who are willing to call in and report.

A bank robbery in our area of the only bank in town and the robber was followed by a volunteer fireman who gave Sheriff office info as to vehicle and route so Deputies could get him before he was 5 miles from bank.

As times get harder look for city BGs to show up, therefore carry everyday and train and be willing.
 
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#40 ·
HotGuns said it best, there isn't a time I don't carry while out of bed.

You see and hear what makes the news, we see and hear everything else. It may not be the same everywhere, but around here......it seems that only 20% makes the news. And that isn't the worst 20%.
 
#41 ·
I grew up in a small town. There were more really disturbing crimes there than in the city where I currently live. People go weird in small towns. On the other hand, my area seems to be a magnet for really creepy serial killers, the most recent being John Mohammed and Lee Boyd Malvo (DC Snipers). I came face to face with John MOhammed at the gym back in the days when I wasn't armed but wished I was.

Needless to say, I am always armed when I leave the house, and sometimes I carry in the house too.
 
#43 ·
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natimage, I'm always carrying (largely concealed) when it's legal & permitted. I live in Saint Paul & work in Minneapolis.

While I do carry to & from work, I am not allowed to carry on premises & keep my firearm secured in a car safe during the work day. If I visit a business that has a sign prohibiting firearms, I'll generally ignore it as the violation is only a ticketable offense if I'm discovered & refuse a request to leave. I also carry full-time when I'm in my home or on my property, because you never know when trouble will come your way.

By the way, thieves & badguys know about towns like yours & are likely planning to visit any day now! Be safe!
 
#48 ·
By the way, thieves & badguys know about towns like yours & are likely planning to visit any day now! Be safe!
You know this, or you think this may be true? Also, the guy above who posted that BGs can drive to your neighborhood may be technically correct, but not statistically valid. Statistically, criminals and violent assailants ply their trade near where they live. Violent assailants don't NORMALLY seek out upscale neighborhoods. They look and act out-of-place, and they aren't interested in trying to fence a Mercedes-Benz SL500, jewelry, or a Rolex.

Let me be the odd one out - as usual. I personally don't carry everywhere. I travel for work, and simply cannot take a firearm everywhere I go. A gun is not like a spare tire, seatbelt, or fire extinguisher, so let's leave those hackneyed analogies out of it. A spare tire cannot you get you charged with a felony for improper use. Depending on your demographics, you're far more likely to need a defibrillator at home than a gun. Yet most posters here will simply hope to get to a hospital on time if they need one. That's like hoping a cop with a gun shows up when you need one.

Caveats: Violent assaults can happen anywhere. I support concealed carry. Crimes can and do happen regularly, and they can happen anywhere, so save your breath on that score.

You will note that many people here (like me) may not be able to carry at work, so their claims they carry "all the time" are rather inaccurate because they use the words "except when...."

I live in a state with some really silly concealed carry laws that force people to constantly fiddle about with their firearms in order to stay legal. There have been far more incidents of people in my state being killed or injured by improper use of a firearm than needing one for legal self-defense.

One glaring exception happened this month when two dirtbags forced their way into a guy's home during his well-known, high-stakes Monday-night poker game, and tried to rob the players at gunpoint. One assailant was shot with the homeowner's pistol and died on the front lawn, and the other is nursing his gunshot wounds in jail. Good use of a firearm if you ask me.

Again, it's up to you. Please note that posters here will obviously be biased toward full-time carry. I am not, and I am OK with my decision. I don't want to be the guy who has a ccw, spare magazines, a BUG, and a rifle behind the seat of the car/truck. I do carry when I travel in states that recognize my permit, and I carry when I am out kayaking, riding my motorcycle, or even just shopping with my wife. I leave it at home when going to states and countries that don't recognize my permit, and usually don't bother with it if I am going to the mailbox, or out in our private backyard.

I am sure this post will illicit the predictable anecdotal stories and crime cliche's, but that's my risk management decision at this point in my life.
 
#45 ·
Armed almost all the time

I am armed all the time when I am not at work. I am not allowed to carry at work or even have a firearm inside the vehicle. When I am not at work, I carry pretty much everywhere...even at home. At bed time, I have one of those nifty crossbreed bedside holsters next to me. A firarm is always at arms reach...except when I am at work.
 
#47 ·
There is no "safe haven" when bad things can't happen. Both times I've been held up have been in very public areas in broad daylight. Once outside a 7-11 (I'd parked on the side and the kid was waiting when I returned), and once in a parking lot at the grocery (I had the pleasure of pointing out that dirt bag in court-- he served 7 years for multiple counts, and I recently received the letter notifying me of his imminent release. I refrained from going to meet him his first day out--I still harbor a grudge for having a gun stuck in my face). The second incident was what made me get my permit. I carry EVERYWHERE except places I can be arrested, and in Florida, that's not too many places. Next dirt bag loses.
 
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#50 ·
I am always carrying unless I'm sleeping, showering, consuming alchohol or at a place that bans concealed weapons.

I carry an LCP or an LC9 in my right front pocket. I have only been carrying for almost 2 years but I have just accepted the fact that I give up my right pocket at all times for my pistol. You learn to live with and around your gun. I feel naked without it. I always carry where and when I can and no one is the wiser.

I live in Omaha, a good Midwestern city with a metro area population of about 1 million. Most violent crime in the city is located in two areas. I try to avoid those areas as best as possible, not wanting to look for trouble. But sometimes trouble comes to find you...

And that is why I choose to basically give up a right pocket and be able to better defend myself.

Not much of a sacrifice if you ask me.
 
#57 ·
I don't carry all of the time. Even though the office building I work in is not properly posted and it's not against company policy, I don't carry at work. The reasons are quite simple for me. I'm petite and concealing during warm seasons really isn't that easy. The second reason is I don't want to alarm my colleagues. It's not in the company policy that I can carry at work, and it's not in the policy that I CAN'T. I want it to stay that way in case I do feel the need to one day. There are times when I am required to travel out of state and those are the days that I want to be able to carry 100% of the time.

However, I do keep my EDC locked in my vehicle with a holster handy so I can arm myself before my next destination. There are some days when it's just not feasible to do that though. This is why I always carry other options with me. I have my pepper spray in a convenient place in my purse and my cell phone. The only thing I feel like I am lacking is self defense training and a quick pocket knife. I also don't walk out of the building alone, especially if it's dark outside.
 
#58 ·
I carry at least two 9mm's every day, 24/7. One in the pocket, the other either IWB or in a fanny pack which is usually at the gym. I have a Glock or XD on the toilet seat while I shower, and at least one service caliber weapon on my night stand while I sleep. Too many encounters of the worst kind to list here, but I carry everywhere I can legally do so. Its a lifestyle change to be sure, but one I have become comfortable. I avoid places that I cannot legally carry like the plague. Being unarmed is like walking out into the day not wearing clothes.....not cool.
 
#60 ·
You can conceal that gun with the right holster wardobe and a good belt. Research and try those things first.
 
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