Ten Things You Learn by Carrying a Gun Every Day

[crudos]

http://www.outdoorhub.com/stories/2014/08/06/ten-things-learn-carrying-gun-every-day/

So good words of wisdom for concealed carry folks. Thought it was worthwhile enough to share here.

[Nemo]

 

Found and read that a bit back.  Most accurate.

Nemo

[brat]

Some good points. Practicing engaging from concealed can't be done enough imho.

Here we also have open carry option. I am constantly amazed at those who choose this. I guess they think it makes them macho and intimidating. I know they are clueless to the ruthlessness of the hardened criminal and what they are capable of once they have decided they are going to act. The criminal's know what they are going to do and when they are doing it. Everyone else has to react. So by open carry, you've just designated yourself as "target 1" and taken away your element of surprise and options. Criminals don't see those folks as intimidating and are simply the first to be dealt with to get what they desire, whether it's money, property or your date.

 

[Erick]

Some good points. Practicing engaging from concealed can't be done enough imho.

Here we also have open carry option. I am constantly amazed at those who choose this. I guess they think it makes them macho and intimidating. I know they are clueless to the ruthlessness of the hardened criminal and what they are capable of once they have decided they are going to act. The criminal's know what they are going to do and when they are doing it. Everyone else has to react. So by open carry, you've just designated yourself as "target 1" and taken away your element of surprise and options. Criminals don't see those folks as intimidating and are simply the first to be dealt with to get what they desire, whether it's money, property or your date.

I respectfully disagree.
This is the narrative that the anti-gunners have been trying to inoculate us with since the 60's.
As if the "criminals" had magic powers ot take away your firearms.

If that logic held cops would be the most common people attacked.
But that is obviously not true.

Criminals look for weak targets. people who appear victims.

Having a visble firearm make you SO MUCH less of a victim because u no longer look like prey.

[JohnyMac]

PA. is a open carry/conceal carry state. 98% of the time I conceal carry however in the heat of the summer I do not always wear a cover. I would NEVER do so in Philadelphia or Pittsburgh though as to be quite frank - Legal as I may be I just don't want the hassle.

RI. there are two CCW's. One is open/conceal carry and the other is only conceal carry. The first CCW is issued by the states AG and the second is issued by the Chief of Police of the town/city you reside in. Currently the states AG IS NOT issuing CCW's to every day citizens. This is a violation of the states Constitution which is a "shall issue state". There is a lawsuit in the works moving slowly to the states Supreme Court so that may change unless we get a pro 2A guy/women elected to the AG position.

I have a resident, Chief issued, CCW. No worries BUT if for some reason your cover blows away from you or you forget to put a cover on, you are in violation of the Chief issued CCW. 

Once many moons ago I was in a fancy restaurant in Providence. MrsMac and I was eating dinner before attending a play and apparently when I got up to go to the head my blazer hung up on my EDC. While in the head standing at the urinal, I heard a voice behind me say, "Do you have a AG or Town issued CCW?" Before I could reply the guy said, "The reason I am asking is that, your slip is showing."

I did a quick EDC check, thanked the guy, washed my hands and left the head without another word.   

In closing I do not take notice of someone open carrying a handgun or in fact a long gun (Not uncommon during hunting season) while in rural PA. With that said, I will do a double take when I see likewise in RI.

So time and place do make a difference. 
 

[Grudgie]

I've been open carrying a government 1911 for a while now simply because I don't have anything smaller. I've never really been hassled by it. It is Just frustrating that I'm always restricted about where I can go. The universal crossed out beretta sign on the front of buisnesses means I have to go back to the car and slide the gun and holster under the seat Infront of everyone. That's my primary motivation for wanting to conceal. I'll be getting a pocket sized .380 soon that will go with me everywhere. Fines be damned if I actually have to use it in a gun free zone.

[brat]

I respectfully disagree.
This is the narrative that the anti-gunners have been trying to inoculate us with since the 60's.
As if the "criminals" had magic powers ot take away your firearms.

And that's fine, and I'm not anti-gun, but I did spend 30 years leo, had a few friends killed over that time......
One shot in the back of the head standing in line at Pizza Hut to get his pizza to take home to his wife and kids after he got off. He walked into a robbery, they were in the crowd and simply took him out in the back of the head. Second one was shot with a 30-30 in the head when he got out of his cruiser. Third was shot by a peeping tom on a suspicious call. I'm sure there are more in many jurisdictions, they make the news regularly and are individually listed on the police memorial in D.C.

They don't want your gun nor do they have "magic powers", the point is when they decide the time and place to act (which they get to decide, not you nor the police), THE threat to them getting away will be dealt with. So, why would you want to advertise.

Hypothetical.... you're in a mall when two shooters walk in. They scan the crowd and see you with your pistola hanging out looking at all the sparkly stuff in the jeweler's window. Who you think they take out first ?

A Jmac story..... while Chirstmas shopping with the wife at a strip mall I stayed outside to smoke leaning against my truck scanning the crowd, people watching. A man walked by with kids in tow with his pistola hanging all out. Spotted him two stores down. If I would have been a lookout for a robbery, I'd took him out, just that simple, and he'd never cleared leather. Don't care how quick he was on the range. because I got to decide when to engage. He never paid me any attention and never knew I was armed.

Do as you please, I for one will not take away my options nor be the first target because I want to make everyone think I'm a lesser target by showing them my pistola. Just tactics.

[USMC0331]

Well said brat. I carried for 10 years illegally because a Sheriff said my life wasn't worth giving me a permit for, only if I transported money.

I disagreed and would have rather been caught by the police with a concealed weapon than by bad guys with an unconcealed one.

[Burt Gummer]

I open carried for about a year here in wisconsin before the concealed carry got passed into law. Now I CC 90% of the time.
To be honest it's a lot easier... let me explain myself.
I live in an semi urban neighborhood that's just not that nice, nock'm out games, crack, your sporadic stabbing. So when I decided to take this prepping / self reliance thing serious I started OC'ng because that was my only option. Now here in SE Wisconsin that shit just doesn't happen. Stuck up culture, celebrated victim mentality, the works.

-OC
The upside being deterrence, that it likely saved my ass after the whole trayvon thing, White dude walking around in a predominantly black neighborhood picking up some late night Chinese food, big fat angry dude walking towards me "You white &#@!" pulls something out of pocket, I begin drawing fat guy suddenly moves fast up some guy's drive way.

The downside is recognition, I became "that guy" and you get moron's bragging about how tough they are to you while you take out your trash or get some groceries. And to which I'm then required to be "polite" in order to continuously "deescalate" the situation.

-CC
Upside is access, everywhere I couldn't carry before i now can and since the "being alive" is a 24 hour thing it is a HUGE benefit.

Downside is comfort, seriously you carry 100% of the time you will have that "i'm carrying a gun" feeling slip from your conscious mind. While I don't play the "who's carrying" guessing game, my favorite is the "cover vs. concealment" and the "spot the egress route"

I like both, in a perfect world you'd have both happening just enough OC to keep the crooks uncomfortable and loads of CC to keep them guessing. 

[Kentactic]

I'll add these for some people who carry. If it includes you you'll know what I'm talking about.

#11 you realize how extremely difficult it is to follow all traffic laws perfectly and that they are that way by design.

#12 you figure out that dressing and carrying so that you never print under most any circumstances, is very difficult, even with a smaller pistol.

[JohnyMac]

Like brat I like to people watch. One of my favorite people watching games is to guess who is CC'ing. I look primarily for that telegraphing bulge. But over the years it has become a bit more difficult as some people wear their Smart Phone in a holster on their belts too. 

On another note: I went for my non resident CCW in MA. which requires a 16 hour class. It was taught by a MA. State Trooper who was a hoot. 

Anyway one of the things he covered was traffic stops. He told us that it wasn't the law in MA. to declare you had a CCW but he felt it was the professional thing to do and he appreciated it when people declared so when he stopped someone for a moving violation. His suggestions was this:

> Roll down your window and place your hands at 2 & 10 O' Clock. If it was night turn on your inside lamp.
> When the officer asked for your DL & Registration Say, "As a courtesy I am letting you know that I have a CCW
   and am currently carrying." Typically the officer will ask you for your CCW and then ask where is the hand gun now.

A student in the class got all pissy about his rights and the Statey told him he was 100% correct in that he didn't have to volunteer the info. But, if you did you will be treated with a higher level of respect and be processed a lot faster by the officer.       

[Nemo]

I have done that twice with traffic stops.  Once in Ga and once in Fl.  Both times they had me dead cold.  Once was a red light right turn with sign prohibiting and the other speeding 70 in 55.  Both times I was told to do what the signs said and drive carefully.  With no ticket due to advising.

I really dislike doing that but it generally works out well.

Nemo