concealed carry

I lived in Las Vegas for 5 years. Twice my open carry of a pistol has defused what could have been a bad situation.
1) Standing in line, waiting to uy a candy bar or something. Glock 23 is in a Serpa level 2 retention holster, right hip. Guy comes in, walking fast, hand in his pocket. Pardon the expression, "dressed like a thug". He wallks in, sees me standing with my Glock on my hip, Screeches to a halt, and turns around and walks out. The clerk sees him, and starts dialing the telephone. Seems this guy had robbed her about 2 weeks before. (So she says)
2) Driving on Maryland Parkway in Vegas. Got cut off by two guys in a Honda, so to dodge them, I cut off the guy beside me. He gets mad, honks his horn, and drives past me. Then he gets in front of me, and slams on his brakes. I slam on my brakes to keep from running into him. We do this a couple of more times. I get tired of it, I have my son, age 4, and a pregnant wife in the car. I pull off the road in the residential area just south of Sahara. He stops in front of me, gets out of his car, and starts walking towards me with something shiny and about 3 feet long in his hands. (Maglight, chunk o pipe, what ever) I bounce out of the driver's seat, already calling 911, and I tell him to get back into his car, right hand on the Glock, finger on the holster release. I tell the dispatcher who asnwers that he is walking towards me with a weapon, and when he passes the rear bumper of his car, I am going to shoot him. I tell him to walk back to his car, or I am going to shoot him. He starts yelling from the side of his car, "you need to learn to drive", still walking towards me. I guess he finally realized that the reason my right arm is at a "funny angle" is because I have my hand on a weapon, and am about to draw and fire. He stops, runs back to his truck, and tries to drive off. About then, Metro shows up, one pulls up behind him, another cruiser stops behind me. I put my hands up, just in case Metro is feeling froggy. (Occasionally Las Vegas Metro have been a little nervous around folks with guns. No sense in getting shot for no reason.) They walk over to me, I still have the 911 dispatcher on the phone. The guy ends up being taken into custody for assault and a couple of other things, brandishing a weapon, reckless driving, I think. I don't know everything, they talked to me and the wife, and let us go. He got a pair of stainless bracelets, and ride in the back of a police car. If I hadn't had my Glock, I think things might have turned out differently.

 

I've only pulled my gun out once, and then it was still never raised from my side.
My little sister was dating a real winner (meth, abusive, etc.). While I was visiting home he decided to slip in the back door and sneak upstairs to find her. Turns out he pulled a knife on her and was threatening her. As soon as I found out he was there, I grabbed my pistol and made my way to the stairs. He realized I was there and left. I don't know if he saw I was armed or not.
He eventually went to prison for forging a scratch ticket, stealing cars, and hitting a cop. He was paroled recently and got married, but a few days ago he beat his wife up. Broke some of her ribs, collapsed a lung, and tried to strangle her. Now he's on his way back for 8 more years on his original sentence plus whatever he gets for this.

 

I've never drawn my weapon in a concealed-carry situation without the intent of using it. If you see it, it's too late.

Which is is why I don't carry anymore. I keep myself current and I'm never too far from a weapon, though. I personally despise open carry, since the majority of people I have met who utilize this form are generally lacking in the common-sense and/or tact departments and use it as a method of intimidation (either directly or indirectly).*

At 6'-4", 240 lbs., I'm not a likely target, and I use my head when going places/doing things which could potentially get ugly. I've also been enough places and seen enough shit to know that what a lot of people consider life-threatening situations usually aren't.

In my opinion, it's much more prudent to keep aware of your surroundings, check your six and know your escape routes if you're in some sketch than to think you might be able to blast your way out. Obviously, this isn't always possible (the guy on here who climbs radio towers late at night comes to mind) but I find it much easier to live by than always making sure I've got one in the pipe.

People carry for all different types of reasons -- from personal protection to rights exercising to penis enlargement -- none of which are necessarily wrong. But generally speaking, if you have situational awareness, a clear head and a plan, you're far better off than relying on a pistol -- which can jam, misfire, catch a safety, etc. It's extremely hard to diffuse a situation when you both have weapons drawn.

So my advice is to examine your scenarios and your motivations for carrying a sidearm.



* This statement is my own personal experience. I realize that there are many, many responsible open-carry participants out there, and I sincerely hope that a culture of respect spreads and changes my opnion.

 

I had a friend who was sitting in a local coffee shop with a friend in a nice part of town... A guy walks in with a shotgun and just starts blasting. He shot 3 girls that night (all lived), took off from there and drove to a local bar, walked in and put the barrel to the door guards chest and killed him.

dont think that bc you are a bigger guy or that you are aware of your surroundings that this type of thing cant happen to you...

 

I'm not saying it can't. Obviously, there will be outliers to anything. I could also probably stroll through the streets of Mogadishu and come out unscathed -- but the statistics are against me.

Micro-analyzation of possible scenarios is a good way to justify anything. I could also get hit by lightning on the way home, and the statistics of that are much more likely than a guy blasting me in a coffee shop - especially being 6'-4" and 240. Doesn't mean I'm going to wear a rubber suit and carry an AED with me everywhere.

I'm not trying to dissuade anyone, I'm just saying that when it comes to carry, everyone needs to take stock of their own situation and needs, that's all.

 

It seems to me if I were the bad guy and I saw you with a gun in plain view, I would simply shoot you in the head first. Lol.

 

i just shoot at the range i plan on never using it for anything but im glad i have it for that just in case of home defense to protect my loved ones.

 

I guess this is the key point here.

to each their own

 

As for me, as a gas station owner I carry all the time, better to have it and feel safer when opening and closing the store!

 

Heard this on Sirius patriot last night. It was a "hero of the day" story or whatever.

It came from Birmingham, AL, where a guy was out driving and noticed some of his belongings in the back of a pickup truck in front of him. He decides to call police and then follow the men through some back country roads. Eventually they reach a light on a rural stretch of road and a guy gets out of the truck in front of him. The supposed robbery victim pulls out his shotgun and subdues driver and passenger until the cops arrive. There was no mention in the story as to whether or not the stuff in the truck was actually stolen or not but the host of the show was applauding the man for taking things into his own hands. I wanted to call in with my opinion but couldn't get through.

For me, this doesn't constitute a situation of last resort where pulling a gun is a life or death matter - though I guess in backwoods Alabama, stuff like this is common whenever there is an argument or a feud. I dont see this any different than getting into a bar fight with someone, going to your car, getting your CCW, meeting him in the parking lot, continue to fight and then draw your weapon. When only property is at stake, it is best left to the authorities. At least thats what I believe...Maybe others see the anecdote differently than I.

 

I see it your way. Others won't.

Some people follow the mantra "when seconds count, police are minutes away."

The problem with this line of thinking is that we as a society have chosen (through the voting process) to move away from a vigilante-justice system to one of municipal public protection. Why? Because it's the system the majority of the people wanted. (Jeffersonian Democracy!)

Obviously, there are flaws in any system, but overall, the municipal police system creates fewer in-discrepancies than a vigilante system by means of more detailed record-keeping and procedures.

People will argue that corruption and inefficiency make a police force an inadequate method of personal protection -- and to an extent this is true -- but there is no way that the levels of corruption and/or incompetency of a police system even approach those of a vigilante.

 

i just got my conceal carry license in the mail!!!!

 

Carrying a gun just gives you another option. Not everyone has it in them to be a sheepdog.

 

I've got my ccw and have yet to carry concealed except when driving to the range to shoot. It's a personal choice but if you choose to carry I'd highly recommend knowing exactly what it is you are choosing. Here in MA the laws are vague and not in favor of the ccw holder.

And can we cut the crap with the whole sheep, sheepdogs, and wolves thing? It's been overused and way too f&^king macho. I'm as manly as the next guy, I don't feel like I have to prove it.

 

If you plan on carrying be prepared to use effectively, if not the slightest hesitation may cause injury to yourself.....

 

I agree that a plan and situational awareness are fantastic skills to have. A gun is also fantastic to have. In no way should one inhibit the other.

 

If you have a CCW it may be a good idea to not discuss what you would do, how you would do it, etc. when you find yourself in a self defense situation.

Lawyers/prosecutors will take what you've said on public forums like this and use it against you...

 

Thats a good point but it also bears repeating that at least from the firearms education that I've received, Guns should be used in life-defense situations where there is no other alternative. If you have that in the back of your mind all the time then it will be ingrained in your head when there comes a situation where self defense is needed.

For those of us with home defense guns or CCWs, find a good range that offers QUALITY classes, not just some huckster who gives 2 hours of safety training and spends 3 hours hawking his other classes or his preferred vendors. Take classes, take classes, then take some more classes. If you have a gun in your house, have the mature handlers in your house take the classes as well. Im happy that my CCW class was 8am-4pm safety and 4-6pm range time. There are situations all the time where cops, who receive hundreds of hours worth of training, mishandle their firearm due to adrenalin or carelessness and they are far more protected from a legal standpoint than we are.

I am proud to say that I signed my better half up for her CCW class even though she wont be carrying in public. Point is if I get up half-asleep in the middle of the night to take a dump and get whacked over the head, she knows how to defend herself and be legally in the clear as well.

 

Well after reading all of the post there is alot of good opinions and stories. Someone posted its better to have it then not to have it. And that is where I am at with the whole idea of it. I have my CCW but AZ just past some crazy law that you dont need it..... But my suggestion to you would be spend the 75 or 100 for the class and learn as much as possible about being able to have a CCW and carry your weapon. You will learn ALOT in the class. I know I did. And after all that its still your choice to carry or not. But at least you have to option to do so.

After all that I NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT

 

I disagree with this completely. As a psychological exercise, I find the concept for firearms as personal protection extremely sad and depressing.

Of course, this is macro emotion on personal dangers and their necessitated responses. I'm not saying that a sidearm isn't an adequate solution to the question of personal protection -- I'm saying I find it sad that we have to ask the question of personal protection at all.

As has been illustrated by countless historical examples, even the best laid plans can go awry. So of course having backup plans is a good tactic. The next question from there becomes what level of paranoia is a person willing to adhere to in the name of said protection. For me, the line is at carrying full-time. I've been there and done that and to me it's become too taxing on my psyche to rely on that level of forceful protection. But again, it's my personal choice.