We tend to gloss over the significant issues in carrying a gun such as :

Do you have the skill to adequately deploy your gun?

This means you are quick enough, and accurate enough, to realistically use your gun?

Are you?

Are you willing to shoot someone? Perhaps in the head (as in if that's neccecary to end a threat to you or someone you are entititlef to protect)?

Do you have the skill to do that?

Truth be told, few do.

. You need to have internalized 'shoot, don't shoot' cues thought out in advance.

Do you?

Have you thought about realistic sd situations (not zombie fantacies)?

What would you do?

What are your cues triggering a sd response?

Have you decided what to do in real sd situations?

What would you do?

Can you do that is within the local laws? You need to know.

Are you wiling to deal with the expense and emotional issues that may well come with civil and/or criminal litigation?

What questions should be considered that I've overlooked?

What have I missed here?

Is the gun you carry as near 100% reliable as a handgun can be? Do you know that for a fact? Have you tested it?

Is your wallet, your Rolex or your car worth shooting someone for?

Is anything but your safety from serious harm, or that of someone close to you, worth shooting someone for?

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Oh well, what the hell.

And there you have it!

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

Did you ever read the ingredients of the big Mac & still eat it? In 1970 when I started driving I was told what could happen & I still drive. I have heard there are down sides to having a lot of money but that's one thing I don't have to worry about. My cpl is like an insurance policy I might have to use it one day but I hope that doesn't happen. The op's points are all relevant & true but I just don't break some things all the way down which allows me to get from one day to the next. Just my opinion.

I have only twice pulled a handgun on a human. I did not have to shoot. I have three times pulled guns for dog attacks. Twice I did have to shoot. There are lethal threats out there that do not go on two legs. If you are not mentally prepared for the eventuality you need to either work on that, or come up with a reasonable plan B.

More questions.

What realistic ranfe can you actually engage a target with a high probability of success?

Same question but apply it to different carry options.

How will you direct your spouse or kids in various situations?

A car is more than a car if you depend on it to make a living and no insurance doesn't always if ever cover the costs. Does that change the scenario?

Will your carry weapon neutralize the threat or just buy you time to escape?

How would you engage a terrorist organization other active shooter vs a more typical robber? Would you even engage a typical robber?

How trained is the person you are with most often?

Do you have an attorney that is good at SD law on speed dial? Do you at least know of one?

What would you do afterwards? What do you tell 911 and what do you tell the cops when they arrive?

Where do you shoot if you suspect the attacker is wearing body armor?

Are you dead sure you can end the threat before it ends you? Think scenarios here.

There are infinitely many what if someone. Considering as many of them as possible beforehand can be useful but.

It has been said that people focus too much on the hardware (guns, gear) instead of the software (between the ears).

Proof of that is in the news regularly. People use guns in an unsafe manner and do so illegally.

If the decision is made to carry a gun for self defense the first step should be quality training before you purchase a gun. Many instructors use indoor ranges where rental guns are available. Learn how to safely use a gun before purchasing.

After that Situational Awareness, Mindset, Attitude, and Practice will be your first line of defense.

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Life Is A Gift. Defend it!

What to consider before carrying a gun?

Well... for Average Joe who will visit a range maybe a handful of times a year, I think the below are worthy considerations.

Understand the carry laws in the applicable areas and have a basic understanding of justifiable use of deadly force.

Understand how the guns works and properly maintain it. Be able to reliably shoot the gun and proficient enough to hit center mass at distances to at least 10 yards.

Use a proper holster for the gun and method of carry.

Leave the gun properly holstered and on your person while carrying. Don't whip out the gun to show it off, check fit a holster at the gun store or anything else. Keep those grubby paws off your loaded carry gun unless you intend to defend yourself with it. Following this basic discipline will dramatically lower the odds of having an unintentional bad day.

You're not required to have the skills of a high-speed low-drag operator or situational awareness of a Secret Service protection detail. A bit of common sense goes a long way.

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Of course there are zillion things to consider beyond this, but much of it I put in the category of overthink for Average Joe to consider.

I wish people put this much thought into driving . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

. . . or before reproducing.

I believe defensive scenarios are predicated 100 percent on mind set. If I am being robbed - he/she gets the money. If the encounter escalates to the point where I think I need to pull my weapon then someone is going to get shot, either them or me. There won't be any ambiguity in the situation.

Chat's post makes the most sense. Most people, even those that think they "train" or practice a lot, really can't handle a firearm. They leave the safety on, they can't clear a jam, they have to go hunting for sights, they can't draw or reholster properly, they can't reload in a timely fashion (really--probably less than 1 in 15 can get off a fast, reliable reload)...you name it, they probably can't do it.

A lot of guys like to get hung up on scenarios. How far you can shoot, what's the other guy armed with, body armor, ARs, terrorists. They look past the things that are likely and plausible problems. It really boils down to three things:

-Willingness: Are you mentally capable of making the decision to use lethal force?

-Preparedness: Do you know your weapon's manual of arms? Can you operate your weapon with efficiency? Does your gear actually work? People show up to classes to find that their belt and holster don't work, or that they can't get their gun out without giving themselves a wedgie. Do you understand what a fight is like? People have died because they carried pistols with empty chambers, discovering too late that they might need their support hand for something else in a fight.

-Awareness: Do you actually pay attention to your environment? Can you identify a life-threatening situation before it becomes so? Do you think tactically 24/7, or do you hit the ATM at 4 AM?

The bolded part has zero bearing on anything. Lethal force is lethal force.

Do you train to a competent level, AND PRACTICE at least monthly to maintain competent gun handling?

Do you participate in some club shoots to practice shooting in (simulated) stress?

Don't just be a legend in your own mind. Come to IDPA and embarrass yourself with the rest of us. Its all practice until somebody shoots back.

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Science plus Art

This is an interesting post. However, I have to question it's purpose. Is its intention to develop one's mindset, or to discourage carrying?

I would like to believe that those who have chosen to carry have done some serious soul searching ... I know that I have. My decision to obtain my CFP was not a knee jerk reaction. Being a disabled, single, custodial parent, my first priority is to make it home to my children every night. I have adopted the mindset, that if I am not going to make it home, those that seek to stop me will face comparable delays.

I agree that the decision to carry, and to potentially take another life is not a light decision. However, I refuse to be a willing victim. With 2 bad legs and only 1 good arm, I can't be expected to run nor fight off an assailant. But I do concede that I must use my head.

With that being said, we have to look at the threats that we could encounter, and the possible complications.

First, there is the garden variety mugger, who may be armed or not. Working on the premise that the person doing the mugging is desperate, do you want to take a chance that they are fully in control if they brandish a weapon?

Second, if the assailant is a junkie, robbing to afford a fix, and they display a weapon, what is to say that they aren't hyped up to the point that they won't discharge the weapon, or be content with all of your valuables and want more?

In the third instance, you have what I will call the predatory encounter. This could be two or more individuals that could be motivated by anything, ranging from boredom, the thought of making an "easy" buck, to either a terrorist attack or a racially motivated attack.

The problem is, that we really don't know what precipitated the encounter until after the dust settles, if it even becomes known then.

Let's discount the fact that virtually all of the recent mass shootings have been conducted by democrats. The reality is, most of the recent mass shootings have either been motivated by:
- persons prescribed psychotropic drugs,
- mentally unstable persons easily influenced by outside sources, such as the ISIS triggered "lone wolves",
- bona fide terrorist affiliates conducting their terror, or
- racially motivated attacks by racial extremists.

We don't really have a clue what we will encounter until that fateful moment pounces on us. The bottom line is, do we train and develop the mindset to face the threats that appear, or go down like sheep?

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Judge control not gun control!

• Why do you want to carry a gun? - It's a tool of self-defense, not a badge of authority or an indication that you're "tough".
• Are you not only willing to shoot somebody, but to take a life? - Don't shoot somebody you're not willing to kill. That doesn't mean you INTEND to kill them. It DOES mean that shooting somebody ANYWHERE with ANY firearm is DEADLY FORCE. There's no such thing as "shooting to wound". Expect that if you shoot somebody, they're going to die. They may not die, but don't count on that. If what they're doing justifies shooting them, it justifies killing them. If not, don't shoot.

Consider that line stolen. Don't know where or when I'll use it, but I will.

I thought about all of that when I turned 21, and was commissioned as a deputy sheriff.

I didn't think. I did what I was told when I was issued an M-16 in Vietnam. Don't mean to sound flippant, but IMHO, people overthink this issue. Carrying a firearm is a huge responsibility. I didn't apply for a CPL for many years because of that yoke of responsibility. A person needs to sort out all these questions BEFORE he/she decides to carry. If you're reluctant to put the piece in your waistband, or at the other end of the spectrum, feel like you've grown a foot and put on 50 pounds of muscle when strapped, you're headed for trouble. You should think twice about carrying.