[P95Carry]

I have in recent times been really looking - hard - knowing that 6% of folks in this state have CCW and yet dang it - I have yet to make anyone.! :dead:

I guess I can say the same about myself - I am not made - it only happened once some time back.

I am pretty certain that my area - semi rural, and pretty gun savvy - must have a good number of folks carrying but - yet to spot one. I guess this is good but makes me feel it is me and only me that carries! :biggrin:

Having just been up to Pitt' and looking around hard - still, made no one!

Guess that's good!

 

[Euclidean]

Well only about 5% of the population of this county carries, and I see guns all the time. I think though there's a sizable number of people doing it without a permit so the state's numbers may be a bit off.

 

[P95Carry]

Thing is here - I see no guns!!!

Well OK - the odd rifle in a truck etc but handguns - shucks, you'd think there weren't any! :smile:

 

[FortyFive]

I am amazed that PA has ccw, nothing to do with the normal guy on the street but with attitude of the general area. There is NJ,NY and others nearby with out carry or very difficult to get. As a yougster you would not see a handgun. We had shotguns or a .22 rifle yes but not handgun. So it always surprised me when PA residents talk proudly about the ease of getting a ccw, thats a good thing.

 

[QKShooter]

I've Made A Few Here But, Not Too Many

A couple of folks in my local bank...business folks.
One PGH detective in town (very early morning) & due to holster squrinch.
I heard it but, could not really see it but, I know the exact sound. He was walking in front of me & the streets & sidewalks were empty.
One or two in the gun shops but, I'm not really counting them.

Yes, we are fairly lucky in PA...so far mostly due to the PA Constitution.
The way it USED TO BE HERE was that the Sheriff would decide if you were a suitable candidate for concealed carry.
Upon his determination you either got a LTC or you didn't.
Then PA was forced to change over to "Shall Issue" & it has worked out just fine here.
Probably 99% PLUS of the shootings & gun incidents in PGH are not legal concealed carry related.
Don't turn your back on Gov. Ed Rendell though. He would stomp us in a minute if he could.

 

[XD40]

Self conscious

Since getting my permit I have begun to look more closely for signs of others carrying. Haven't seen any yet. I think part of the reason for watching is that I still feel self-conscious of the fact that I am carrying and am very concerned that I might attract attention to my self because of an unsightly bulge or awkward movement. I think the truth is that most people are so unaware of their surroundings that anything short of dropping the gun or getting it fully exposed from under a shirt or jacket probably goes unnoticed. As has been previously noted elsewhere in this forum, one of the keys to remaining secure is simple awareness of your surroundings.

 

[XD9]

Last night I was talking to my neighbor next door and I found out that he has a CCW also. The conversation started because I mentioned to him that I bought a .22 pistol for the range the other day so we started talking about guns. He showed me his KAHR .40 and he checked out my tiny little collection also. We then had a good conversation about neighborhood defense, etc. It was good all around. My neighbor across the street is also a 2nd Amendment supporter and is well armed so that makes 1/2 our circle ready to go if things go south.

Sorry to take it off-topic. I will bring it back right now. I have never made my neighbor and he has never made me. Is that better? :biggrin:

 

[500Mag]

I can't say I've ever seen someone carry, but I do live nervously close to the more liberally urban area of philadelphia, so I'd say less people per capita carry there to begin with.

 

[FortyFive]

Xd9-Sounds like the start of a very good neighborhood support group! It does break the ice when people have like ideas about freedom and less about restrictions of carry. I lived on a street with fireman, cops and gun people and it was without saying support was there when needed. Some conversations didn't go well if you asked do you have firearms at home just in case and the stock answer is somewthing like no I haven't reached that point where they are needed. I would bet they would be the first screaming for help if something serious went wrong.

 

[SSKC]

I have in recent times been really looking - hard - knowing that 6% of folks in this state have CCW and yet dang it - I have yet to make anyone.!

Well, PA has been "shall issue" for about fifteen years. We've had a lot of practice! :biggrin:

SSKC

 

[500Mag]

Just out of curiousity, where'd you get that 6% of PA carry fact from?

 

[P95Carry]

500 - I have a graph showing status quo back some years - original source of that forgotten right now - plus, it is fair to expect from all we see that since 9/11 there has been even greater uptake - I see this too with the NRA courses I teach.

Finally, I made an inquiry at my local SO as to numbers and a year or more ago when asked they said averaging over 100 per month. Well - that means in my county - 1,000 plus in year and county pop' is approx 50,000 or so. That figure alone is 2% of county in a year - added to pre-existing ones over last 15 years I think QK said, since 'shall issue'.

So - the 6% now is I think not too far off and I have seen even somewhere else something supporting that - one of the highest uptake states it would seem.

 

[HotGuns]

I see people print quite a bit...but only because I look for it.

Being an instructor gives me an edge, because I can relate to alot fo the faces that I see. But thats here in my hometown. Never have noticed anyone anywhere else unless it was an offduty cop. That I have noticed.

 

[Hask12]

Compared to New York or New Jersey, Pa is a whole other world, and always has been.

 

[DirksterG30]

Compared to New York or New Jersey, Pa is a whole other world, and always has been.

Thank God for that!

 

[FortyFive]

Compared to New York or New Jersey, Pa is a whole other world, and always has been.

Yes I agree with that! As children our parents always told us to be very careful if the car has PA plates on them as the drivers were so so lousy.

 

[P95Carry]

PA plates huh Richard!! I have those ya know! oke: :banana:

Did you know - PA has only 2 seasons? Winter and contruction :biggrin:

 

[cmidkiff]

I don't think most people pay enough attention to notice. A (non-shooting) friend from work came by the house a few months ago, I was wearing a 4" revolver in a paddle holster, in plain view. He and I had been talking for almost an hour before he noticed it!

In the city, people on the street don't even make eye contact anymore. Unless you happen to be an attractive female, nobody gives a second glance. Those that do are generally law enforcement, good guys, or gobblins. The sheep just don't want to get involved.

 

[uudl]

I have made a few people that were carrying over the years. This is not easy to do in Kalifornia, I don't know what the percentage of people carrying is, but I bet it is a lot less than 5 or 6%. Two of those were wearing Polo type shirts and carrying IWB. When they bent over, the shirt rode up over the grips of thier gun. One of these was a very attractive female and yes I was watching her before she exposed her firearm (LOL). Most of the others I made were probably leo's wearing civilian clotheing mostly wearing jackets and you could see their firearm when their jacket swung open, sometimes their badge also.

 

[rocky]

I have made some of em up here in MI, but then I was LE for a while so awareness is a bit higher than some. Heck half the time I can't spot my friends guns, and I know they carry.