Defensive Carry banner

Is It Wise To Carry At Home?

13K views 98 replies 74 participants last post by  Hotbrass 
#1 ·
I haven't been carrying for all that long so I was only carrying at home after work. I would come in, kiss the little lady. Walk in to the bedroom and then strap on a gun. I wouldn't tell my wife I was carrying because if she didn't notice it was pretty clear to me that a stranger from a distance probably wouldn't be able to tell either. So, I guess it was more for practice I think. But now that I have a few months under my belt I began asking myself, "I understand the need for carrying out in town, but here at home?"
Life where I live is pretty mundane and homey. I began to ask myself if there was a real threat of a home invasion here? Should I continue wearing a gun now that I'm more sure of myself and carrying concealed?
I believe in being prepared, and having some punk break in my door like you see in those silly TV commercials for electronic monitoring. In a situation like that it makes sense to carry at home. But let's face it, that's TV!
I could argue that it's better to be prepared then sorry. But wouldn't that be more paranoid than a given situation warrants?
I mean, there haven't been any break-ins in our neighborhood. The crime rate is pretty low actually. And there is the law of probability. The more times you use a hammer the more likely you'll mash your finger. And with a loaded gun the results could be very traumatic!
I guess my question is, where is the line in the sand?
 
See less See more
#5 ·
I don't carry at home , but there is a loaded gun within easy reach in every room .
That being said , I still feel like I should carry at home sometimes just because you never know .
 
#6 ·
Crime is low where I live too. 3 houses up from me had its back door kicked in while everyone was home around 3am, the BG could have met his maker when the owner almost put .44 mag hollow points through his skull.
Crime is like a car accident you could say. Happens EVERYWHERE at ANY TIME with or with out warnings. I carry open at home mostly concealed when I go out, been doing the OC a little more latley,but thats for another thread. Point is, a crime can happen anywhere at anytime.

As for the hammer and gun thing you are talking about, WHY would that happen? I keep mine in the holster all day except for going to sleep when it moves to the nightstand next to the cell and streamlight,wake up shower back in the holster and back on my pants. At work it gets locked up at the shop or in my glove box in the car IN the shop. ONLY time it gets unloaded and the round is removed from the chamber is at the range or for its weekly clean and lube. There is no "line in the sand" when it comes to carrying IMO, only line in the sand is when is lethal force required. You are suseptable to crime 24/7, you are protecting you and yours 24/7. This is only my .02

-Steve
 
#7 ·
IMHO, it's unwise not to...... :hand5:
 
#14 ·
I live in a rural area about half way between Douglas AZ and Nogales AZ. Two major drugways go close to my house. Hwy 82/Hwy 90. The BP are catching Undocumented travelers 15 plus, several times a week in this area.

An abandon stolen pickup truck was found less then ¼ mile from my house filled to the brim with marijuana, over 1000 lbs worth.

LEO response time unless I get very very very lucky is over 35 minutes, Per the SO, depending on the time of day and what other actives are happening. It could take longer.

On moonless nights my dogs go nuts barking toward the 600 Ft wide strip of unkempt mesquite and brush between me and the highway, it belongs to the state.

Within the last two years several smugglers have been apprehended by the BP carrying AK’s in the surrounding mountains.

A couple times a month we see the BP helicopter in the our area helping capture the the illegals

The government has posted numerous signs in the off road (Government maintained gravel roads) areas warning drivers to keep their windows rolled up and their vehicle doors locked because of smugglers and illegals.

If you have any questions on why I carry 24/7 please feel free to ask.
 
#9 ·
I like to carry at home mainly because if someone knocks on my door, I dont have to go get my gun first. I'm not answering the door without it ( if I look out and dont know the person ).
I live on a highway and people occasionally break down or have accidents and come to my door.
I'm of the mindset that anything can happen at anytime, anywhere, even at home.
 
#12 ·
I always carry at home, most of the time I have my S&W M&P 340 J frame in my pocket. I live in a very low crime area as well and my wife makes fun of me for carrying at home. Usually I just point out the most recent home invasion head line in the local news and tell her that's why I carry. Sure, most of the home invasions are happening in areas that are 30 or 40 miles away, but you never know when some punk is going to go for a joy ride to pick out some new hunting grounds. Also, the small community 10 miles away has had a lot of break in's in the last month or so, I didn't pass the opportunity up to show my wife that in the news paper either!!
 
#13 ·
I agree with Varob. This is a decision that only you can make for yourself. Since when I'm home, I'm dressed in scrub pants and a t shirt, carrying at home is difficult. However, I have guns near me at all times. Do I think that there's a huge chance of a home invasion? No, but then a friend of mine did have one, and almost died. Since I have related the story several times, I won't go into details again. But if it could happen to him, it could happen to me. So a gun is within reach, and I don't answer the door without a gun in my hand.
 
#16 ·
Is It Wise To Carry At Home?
Not only is it wise......it would be the thing to do! Here is where you'll get the most practice for the real world or Wal Mart...or wherever you may roam. I figure at home is THE best place to carry, and the best thing would be if you never had to leave home.
 
#18 ·
Due to my severe lack of prescient abilities, if I am awake, I have it on me.
When asleep, it is within inches.
If I knew when/where the BGs want to play, I wouldn't need to carry.
Carry on!
 
#19 ·
As I would expect, most members here will tell you to carry every waking moment. That includes at home, while at work, and everywhere in between.

My take on it is no one can be condition yellow all the time and it is necessary to relax once and a while. At home is the perfect place to do it. If someone feels the need to carry at home, I would recommend they move somewhere safer and get some BIG dogs!

It takes only a 10 seconds to open a safe and access all the "toys"

I am cautious and prepared, but I try not to live in fear...
 
#20 ·
The thing is, the only reason to carry a gun is to save your LIFE.

There are lots of things less important than your life, and being lackadaisical about other less important issues, isn't really a big deal.

But your life is your life!

Now, I always say that survival is a personal thing, because it is. Some people don't think their life is very important. And that's ok! No skin off my nose.

Now, should you carry while at home?

Well, home invasions, while may be rare in some neighborhoods and prevalent in others, there is one thing true about most home invasions. They are almost always very brutal, and often times the residents do not survive.

The doctors family in Connecticut a couple of years ago lived in a quiet, community full of upper middle class to upper class folks. He lost his entire family to brutal rapes, beatings, shot and set on fire, and he never gave any thought a home invasion would happen to him either.

And there are hundreds of people on this forum who know of that story, followed it closely at the time, and truly believe it isn't going to happen to them.

Well, geeze.... probably not! But hey, it's only your life, right?

At home, if my gun isn't on my person, it's within arms reach.

I bought an LCP specifically for the sole purpose of no longer being able to say, it's just too much of a hassle to strap on a gun at home. Or, I'm only going down the street to get some milk and loaf of bread I don't need my G-23 for that.

While I don't carry my LCP in a T-shirt pocket, it does fit in one, which just goes to show, there's no reason to be without at least some pistol.

But then again, survival is a personal thing. Some people don't feel their life is worth the hassle. After all... they have "probabilities and percentages" on their side.
 
#22 ·
I would carry at home. That is where your guard is most likely to be down. I don't need to reiterate all the talk about home invasions. I have a gun on me except when sleeping, showering and changing clothes/guns and then I have a gun within arm's reach. How does it impact your life NOT to just to incorporate always having a gun with you? If you have clothes on you can wear a gun and you generally always wear clothes. Because not having it can impact you for the rest of your life, IF you live. I just don't make it a big deal to always have it. It just is.
 
#23 ·
Since you are in Summerville, SC..why not check this link: Summerville Crime Statistics and Crime Data (Summerville, SC)

Looks like two areas that exceed the NATIONAL average are "Rapes" (you DO want to protect the lil lady don't you) and "Larceny/Thefts" (hmm, do you reckon that means home invasions are included).

Oh, here's another link: Summerville crime rates and statistics - Neighborhood Scout

Using that second link, study the statistics for Summerville. Looks like it's not the "safe area" you think it is.

With all that being said, I personally carry every place I legally can carry, including at home. I just live up the road from you in Florence, so I'm sure we get some of your "overflow" bad guys heading in our direction. Am I paranoid..NO...am I prepared...YES... The choice is yours.
 
#24 ·
I'm not going to carry all the time. I have guns close by in every room I spend significant time in, and its a small house. What I'm focusing on now, is hardening my house. Putting shattersafe film on every window. Hardening the door frames. Putting a secure plexiglass security front door in front so we can answer the door and see who is there, without giving them access to the house.

The idea is: give me the five seconds I need to get a gun in my hand.

Talk about statistics though, home invasion is very rare. Based on PD stats in the 5 miles around my neighborhood, I have a .3% of a home invasion occurring in given year (there were 18 last year). No one was hurt in any of those.

The true hardcore home invasions, while gruesome beyond description are much less likely than many other hazards you should probably be looking into first.

In fact just based on statistics, you should probably get trained as an EMT before you take extensive firearms training if your primary concern is just to save the lives of your loved ones. Let's face it, a lot of us just have a gun fetish and think it would be pretty bad-ass to waste a scumbag. I don't think anyone whose ever actually been in a shooting feels that way about it though.
 
#26 ·
I live in a rural area in the NC mountains. Several years ago three generations of a dear family in our area were murdered by two heartless predators. They lived in a small quite community, not much crime. Most people never locked their doors. The two predators from out of town running from the law entered the home to steal a vehicle. They duct taped the 70 year old couple. When confronted by the son they proceded to shoot him in the face with a shotgun. They also shot the sons wife and followed the couples 14 year old daughter to a bedroom and shot her also. They returned to the 70 year old couple and shot both of them. NO one would have thought this could happen in our community. I just cant help but think some of this family might be alive if they had a gun on their hip.

Needless to say I ALWAYS carry at home.
 
#27 ·
I mean, there haven't been any break-ins in our neighborhood. The crime rate is pretty low actually.
Q: "How often do people get killed around here?"
A: "They only get killed once."

The more times you use a hammer the more likely you'll mash your finger. And with a loaded gun the results could be very traumatic!
The time you are most likely to have an accident with your gun is when you are putting it on or taking it off. The gun is not going to go off just sitting there in a holster on your hip. Handling a gun is what exposes you to the risk of an ND. Carrying it does not. Taking the gun off and putting it back on every time you enter or leave your home is more dangerous than carrying all the time.
 
#28 ·
Bad things can happen anytime, anywhere, therefore I carry all the time, everywhere I legally can.
At any time there is a firearm on my body or within arms reach, always, period.
 
#29 ·
My take on it is no one can be condition yellow all the time and it is necessary to relax once and a while. At home is the perfect place to do it. If someone feels the need to carry at home, I would recommend they move somewhere safer and get some BIG dogs!
I have two large GSD and I go into Condition orange when they bark. Because they only bark when something is out there.

Condition Yellow is a fact of life. 10 Years USMC infantry, 35 years LEO or criminal investigator, When you send people to jail, Condition White is not an option, they seem to resent the company they are force to keep.

After a while Condition Yellow is a normal condition and you don't even think about it.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top