"What made you start carrying?"

Reality.

About 18yrs ago my brother,then his girlfriend now his wife, a couple of other friends my wife and my-self, stepped out of a club after listening to a kickass band,2-3 punks just started shooting as us hitting one of our friends in the thigh! we took him to the hospital which was about 3/4 of a mile down the street. cops came in said we left the scene where, and get this,we Incited an incident! never found the punks and we were never charged. they asked me if i could discribe them and i said no we were to busy taking cover! that did it for me. in the past two days we have had two different shootings here and one forced entry..thats why i dont leave home without my .40! its on my hip at all times!

Watching Jock Mahoney as "Yancy Derringer" on TV in the 1950's.

Yancy Derringer, an ex-Confederate soldier turned gambler, was a suave lady's man in New Orleans, Louisiana. Yancy's job was to prevent crime and arrest the culprits. His constant companion was side kick Pahoo-Ka-Ta-Wah an Indian who watched Yancy's back.

I started packing a .41 Remington Deringer (1 R) in the third grade. Been carrying some kind of thunder stick ever since.

MOONDAWG

I tried to fight the urge to carry, but after a couple of years, I couldn't ignore the voices in my head.

BECAUSE I CAN.

After 4 months of full time carry I really feel naked when I have to disarm (post office, school.) I especially feel good carrying in a bank. A coworker's wife's bank was robbed 3 times in a year. The first time the dude stuck the gun in her face. After he got the money from all the tellers he said, "If you put dye packs in here you'll meet your maker." (They all had.) When they exploded in the parking lot he became enraged and tried to get back in. Luckily one of the tellers had locked the door and he was right there on the other side of the glass as she turned the knob! He scrammed. I won't let myself get caught in a crappy situation like that. If I'd have been there and not freaked out the dude would have had a nasty surprise coming back in the door.

quote:

Originally posted by uncle norman:
After 4 months of full time carry I really feel naked when I have to disarm (post office, school.) I especially feel good carrying in a bank. A coworker's wife's bank was robbed 3 times in a year. The first time the dude stuck the gun in her face. After he got the money from all the tellers he said, "If you put dye packs in here you'll meet your maker." (They all had.) When they exploded in the parking lot he became enraged and tried to get back in. Luckily one of the tellers had locked the door and he was right there on the other side of the glass as she turned the knob! He scrammed. I won't let myself get caught in a crappy situation like that. If I'd have been there and not freaked out the dude would have had a nasty surprise coming back in the door.

>>I know how you feel! Ijust dont leave home without my .40 it is on the headboard with a LED light beside it at night! just lastnight there was another "forced entry" in our city. thats is about one everynight for around two weeks.. if they try at my house and get by my dog well in the words of PFC Pyle.. SURPRISE-SURPRISE-SURPRISE!! 165grHP's should take the "fight "out of 'em!

my first toys had wheels then i got toy guns.
then igot a bigwheel and a dart gun.
then i got bycicles and bb guns.
then i got .22's and minibikes.
now i got 2 harleys,1 buell 1 honda and a bunch of guns so i guess the progression was natural so well im off to buy a walker and viagra ohooo

Over 15 years ago, I was bicycling some backroads while attending college in California. I flipped-off and yelled at a guy who blatantly tried to run me off the road (while yelling and gesticulating). He promptly turned around and crashed me into the ditch--striking my handlebar with his front fender. I got up as quickly as I could, but he was already upon me and swinging a blue aluminum bat. He pump-faked me a few times, then whacked my bike. I thought I was really going to get hurt. Then I did--he he whacked me in the ribs with it. If I had a gun I certainly would have used it at that moment. His wife/girlfriend finally got out and yelled him off. To say the least, I was mortified. I guess that in retrospect, I am glad that I did not have the means to kill him, because even a 'justified' kill can ruin a man's life. However, I vowed that that I would never lat that happen again--and I have never since flipped someone the bird.

I immediately became interested in getting a CC permit, but had no money for a gun. I started carrying pepper spray. Years later, after moving to Oregon, I finally had some money and promptly started carrying. First a Rohm .38 (bleckh), then a S&W .38 J, then to a SIG 226 .40 and now a S&W M&P 40c. I still carry pepper spray. If it is possible, I would much prefer to use it first, if ever forced to defend myself.

M&P40c

I am not yet carrying but I am waiting for my application to clear. I starting seriously thinking about it when seeing deadly car jackings and home invasions in nearby Knoxville.
Violent home invasions have made there way to my town recently.
Also parking lot robberies.

When I turned 65 I realized I was too old to fight and too slow to run away.

Within the last month we had a robbery of a pizza delivery guy. Usual set up: Order the pie and give the address of a vacant apartment. When the guy showed up the perp stuck a pistol in his face, stole his money, made him strip then stole his car and wrecked it a couple blocks away. The next morning the same guy went to a used car lot and took a car for a test drive. The owner of the lot felt uneasy and rode along. A couple blocks away said perp pulled into an alley demanded the guy's money then put the pistol to his head and pulled the trigger. It failed to fire. The punk bailed and was finally picked up a couple days later. He was a "good" kid strung out on drugs. 17 years old. What's to say someone like that wouldn't pop into your home, business or store that you're in right now and do something totally off the wall stupid? People don't reason any more so why should we expect them to be reasonable? Where are we really safe?

In the past 6-7 months I have had an inkling to get this permit. About two months ago a co-worker was asking around if anyone was interested in getting the permit because he knew a guy who could teach the class and do all the background stuff, etc., all for a good price. It was a sign for me. In the back of my mind, I knew my dad would be proud. And he is! And so am I. I will feel very protected, and so will my wife and son. I just need a gun now. Next month I am getting the 340PD most likely. Good thread, BTW!

The birth of my twin daughters 8 years ago. My family nor I will not be a victim, atleast on my watch. Sheeple make me break out in hives.

We never had anything but toy guns as kids, but when I was 22 I joined the Air Force and got on the Lackland pistol team and later instructed a the Air Force Academy. By then, guns were natural to me.
After the Air Force, I got married an into the antique business. This evolved into antique jewelry..after which we would be followed from shows on occasion. So far, 11 following events from shows, one from the Home Depot! We didn't lead the guy home, but we lost him.too...evasive driving I guess you'd call it.
Once in LA when we were doing the Great Western gunshow (when it still existed) I opened the door of our hotel and there was a young fellow who pushed a pistol against my forehead. We struggled in the doorway and I remember pushing back on his gun (it looked something like a 1903 Colt .32). He pulled away and tried to shoot me and my wife who was laying on the sidewalk where she had fallen tripping over the combatants in the doorway. He got away, but his gun didn't work. I think (surmise) I probably pushed it out of battery in our struggle.
Nowadays we also deal in bullion and coins. There have been three times in our shop over the last ten years that I was certain a person was getting ready to pull a weapon. At the last minute, you could see these guys changing their minds and walking out...musta been psychic. lol.
Once, a while ago, I was at the post office on Sunday morning to check my PO box. Someone (looked like a street bum) was waiting outside and tried to "talk" his way closer to me. My revolver was in my car (Post Office, you know) but I had my fanny pack on (which is where I carried long ago). I grabbed my fanny pack, and he took off...did't want to risk the possible consequences, I guess.
I think these kind of things happen to people more often than they realize and the bad guys back off for one reason or another. Luck saves some people. I don't want to rely on luck...A Smith and Wesson N frame (or two) are much more reliable friends!