Why Do You Carry Concealed?

[tpd223]

To protect myself and my family.

I have a bit of an advantage being a full time LEO, however I would still carry concealed if I was not a cop.


Funny that you mention the incident in NOLA. My wife and I were on vacation down there a couple of years ago. I was nearly involved in shooting a guy who was trying to rob us on the street in broad daylight, we were in the French Quarter just walking along minding our own business, other people were all over the place as well but that didn't make any difference to these guys.

Bad guy was better than 6'6" and like 375lbs, and he had a partner. Although I am a larger guy than most, I work out, and I am a police defensive tactics instructor, there was no way I was going hands on with a guy that size who had back-up.
They backed down when the snub .38 started to come out, they were looking for money or a chance to beat somebody down, they weren't looking for a real fight.

 

[droptoptrk]

In 2004, my brother heard screaming outside his house. He rushed out to find his single female neighbor being assaulted. He broke up the encounter, but the assailant went back to his car, came back with a pistol, and shot him in the face. Had my brother been carrying, the situation would have ended differently. He had several guns in his house, but didn't take the time to unlock his gun case prior to rushing to his neighbor's aid. A gun locked up, unloaded, or in any way rendered inoperable is useless when the situation calls for a gun. Why do I carry? Because when you really need a gun, you really need a gun. Now and loaded. Not locked up and unloaded.

 

[rikkor]

Why do I carry?

I have a CCW permit, but I don't own any guns (Take note Eric Holder):wink:. If I did, I'd probably carry a Taurus PT709 "Slim". I also might carry a 380 ACP when something smaller is in order. If I hunted I would probably opt for a .44 magnum sidearm while in the bear stand -- if I hunted.

 

[Fluffy]

I carry because I would rather have it and not need it, then need it and not have it.

 

[freedomftc]

Why I Carry Concealed

After the Arizona shooting, with Gabrielle Giffords, I decided I didn't ever want to be with my family when some lunatic, or terrorist opened fire and just have to stand there and watch people die - especially my family. I have a 10 year old daughter, and the thought of her being shot because I didn't do what it took to be able to defend her would be more than I could bear.
People ask why I carry a gun at all times, and my answer is: "the same reason I buy house insurance, car insurance, life insurance, health insurance, etc. You don't know when you'll need it, but you need to have it at all times, just in case."

 

[nvstorm]

It's pretty rural out here, and the violent crime rate is low low low, BUT we occasionally have to visit the Urban Jungles of Las Vegas & Reno. I have had to, on more than one occasion, dissuade an idiot from becoming a statistic. The presence of a large revolver in the hand of your intended victim seems to be a a very convincing argument. I have had 3 social encounters involving the pistol and I have only had to speak once. So.... I guess I carry so I won't have to talk to criminals.

 

[redboneshadow]

Why Do You Carry Cncealed

This may be controversial but stay with me here.

I carry concealed for the same reason I open carry. 2nd Amendment. That is the legal standpoint. For a personal standpoint (the controversial part) I heard a well known gun expert put it this way and I have to agree. Reason I carry at all is to kill people. Shock at first but it is true. I have a hammer at home to pound nails not wash windows with. Have a fire extinguisher to use on fires. Note I did not say murder. There is a difference.

A gun is made to kill plain and simple. Some say protection. Bottom line in this is if confronted by a deadly threat we will kill that threat. No matter how you package it, it all comes down to the bottom line. The sum of all.

 

[hzwj67]

Obvious answer, for personal and family protection. I had an incident over 30 years ago. Driving to work on the afternoon, and stopped at a red light. There were several other cars there also, I was in the middle lane (there were 3), when a man crossed the street in the walkway. Wearing a longcoat, he then pulled out a long gun (didn't know if it was shotgun or rifle) and pointed it at the cars, me included. He was acting very strangely and laughing maniacally. He kept pointing the gun at the cars as he crossed, even stopping at one point and and aimed at one of the cars standing against their front bumper! I wasn't armed at the time, did not have my permit.
I got my permit and have carried since, 30+ years.

 

[57ford]

My family and I will not be a willing victims.....ever.

 

[sassedbygov]

Simply... because it's my right.

Everything else I could say is just an excuse.

 

[Mass.Hysteria]

I've been asked the same question with a different slant "Why do I feel I need to carry a gun?". Answer: I don't "feel" anything, I carry because I can.

 

[TlWheatley]

I consider my gun a tool as much as anything else. My family's safety is utmost importance to me.

 

[garylorann2]

Human beings only have two ways to deal with one another: reason and force.
If you want me to do something for you, you have a choice of either
convincing me via argument, or force me to do your bidding under threat of
force. Every human interaction falls into one of those two categories,
without exception. Reason or force, that's it.

In a truly moral and civilized society, people exclusively interact through
persuasion. Force has no place as a valid method of social interaction, and
the only thing that removes force from the menu is the personal firearm, as
paradoxical as it may sound to some.

When I carry a gun, you cannot deal with me by force. You have to use
reason and try to persuade me, because I I have a way to negate your threat
or employment of force.

The gun is the only personal weapon that puts a 100-pound woman on equal
footing with a 220-pound mugger, a 75-year old retiree on equal footing with
a 19-year old gang banger, and a single guy on equal footing with a carload
of drunk guys with baseball bats. The gun removes the disparity in physical
strength, size, or numbers between a potential attacker and a defender.

There are plenty of people who consider the gun as the source of bad force
equations. These are the people who think that we'd be more civilized if all
guns were removed from society, because a firearm makes it easier for a
[armed] mugger to do his job. That, of course, is only true if the mugger's
potential victims are mostly disarmed either by choice or by legislative
fiat--it has no validity when most of a mugger's potential marks are armed.

People who argue for the banning of arms ask for automatic rule by the
young, the strong, and the many, and that's the exact opposite of a
civilized society. A mugger, even an armed one, can only make a successful
living in a society where the state has granted him a force monopoly.

Then there's the argument that the gun makes confrontations lethal that
otherwise would only result in injury. This argument is fallacious in
several ways. Without guns involved, confrontations are won by the
physically superior party inflicting overwhelming injury on the loser.
People who think that fists, bats, sticks, or stones don't constitute lethal
force watch too much TV, where people take beatings and come out of it with
a bloody lip at worst. The fact that the gun makes lethal force easier works
solely in favor of the weaker defender, not the stronger attacker. If both
are armed, the field is level.

The gun is the only weapon that's as lethal in the hands of an octogenarian
as it is in the hands of a weight lifter. It simply wouldn't work as well as
a force equalizer if it wasn't both lethal and easily employable.

When I carry a gun, I don't do so because I am looking for a fight, but
because I'm looking to be left alone. The gun at my side means that I cannot
be forced, only persuaded. I don't carry it because I'm afraid, but because
it enables me to be unafraid. It doesn't limit the actions of those who
would interact with me through reason, only the actions of those who would
do so by force. It removes force from the equation...

 

[cawpin]

I agree with above, I carry for the same reason I have fire extinguishers on my boat and in my home. I dont expect a fire, I dont want a fire, but if it happens I wish to be prepared.

I concealed carry because open carry is illegal in NY.

To add to this, carrying a gun is like wearing a seatbelt. I don't ever WANT to have to use it for its intended purpose but I want it there if I need to.

 

[stormrider54]

For safety but mainly because it is my legal right to do so.

 

[charlieinthebush]

I generaly agree with most motivations already posted, however for me it really comes down to one primary reality. My karate sucks

 

[aj's 40 cal]

its my 2A right, personal protection in a cruel world, and beacuse i took the test, passed it, and own guns, so why not carry them. plus texas has no open carry law (yet) so thats the way i carry untill oc is passed.

 

[Seafoxfla]

I've been carrying concealed since 1991 and started to when a neighbor was robbed at gun point and then pistol whipped in front of his house after being followed home from the airport and a few weeks after that my cousin and his wife were also followed home after having diner and were beaten, tied and gaged and the house was ransacked and robed blind. Living in South Florida makes it a necessity to carry concealed. I thank God that in those 20 years I've only needed to pull my weapon on two occasions both of which were from the drivers seat of my vehicle, one occurred when I was threatened by a couple of gang bangers in front of me who would not move their car when the light turned green and I taped the horn for them to move , one went to the trunk and pulled out a base ball bat the other had a machete. needless to say the both turned around and left as soon as I pulled out my 1911. The other was also due to road rage and he had a tire iron but also decided to quit while he was ahead. He's another reason to carry, look at this video and see how every body just turns and runs away. this clerk was very, very lucky. just think of what a different outcome it would have been if one of those guys had a concealed weapon and yes this happened in So Flo.

WSVN-TV - Woman speaks about CVS armed robbery

 

[Old Irishman]

In 2005, my brother and I found how easy it was to get a CCWP in Florida, so our interest in guns was rekindled after many years of being out of loop. We also have concerns about national and international situations and uncertainty, mostly though for personal protection.

 

[Hoganbeg]

I'll turn 61 next month. Until about 5 years ago I lead a very active life, including studying and teaching a combat oriented martial art 3-4 times a week. I now have a heart issue that severely limits my endurance. I could probably still take a single attacker but I'm not going to be able to show any mercy. I'll have to use the most direct and deadly techniques I know. Against multiple attackers I'll be in trouble. So, all-in-all, I've just added another tool to the arsenal, but these days I prefer to have a stand-off weapon.

Be Strong!