Pro Secret: I Hate Carrying a Gun! — GMP #250

[Dump1567]

If we're being honest, carrying a gun all the time is a pain in the neck. In this episode, Roy Huntington and Brent T. Wheat discuss the truth of carrying a handgun for protection and how you can keep carrying one even when the thrill is gone!

This is about a 30 minute video.

https://youtu.be/MJrffyR2MTI

I personally, don't have a problem carrying a gun all the time. But since retiring, I'm not usually carrying anything on me for more than 4 hours at a time. At home, I always have a gun in reach.

If you don't want to watch the video, here are some of the take aways.

Stay alert and keep an eye out for trouble. And don't be afraid to leave an area if trouble may erupt. Stay away from areas where trouble may happen.

One example Roy uses is, going a week without a gun on and see how you avoid trouble. Now apply that common sense to when you do wear a gun.

Although I'm always armed, this is kind of the philosophy I live by. And since retiring, I rarely go out at night. Reading the local paper, this seems to be when most of the shootings & murders occur.

 

[S-W4EVER]

Haven’t watched the video but I’ve carried a firearm all my adult life so other than consciously keeping it concealed I really don’t think about it very much. I wouldn’t change my habits if I was unarmed, I actually live a pretty low-risk life now that I’m retired.

I was trained in Risk Management on the job. Just about everything we do involves some level of risk but risks can be managed, mostly by lifestyle for most of us. Probably half the reason I CCW these days is because I’m not going to watch someone be hurt and do nothing about it. It’s just the way I’m wired…

 

[hardluk1]

I really don't care what they say about why they hate to carry . I do think the weight of what you carry can make a difference in comfort . But beyound that I have 37 years of concealed carry mainly with a handgun the weight 29 to 29 oz when empty several spare mags , knife and small basic med kit and my carry options till lately have been ether a 40sw or 45 . I'm almost 69 now and have finally decided to drop my lw commander in 45 is a cc option and buy a 20oz 9mm as a lite cc option that optic ready and carrys 15 or 17 rounds . MY 15 round m&p 40sw is still a primary carry though. More rounds in mag as I know I getting slower with mag swaps thru the years . Dot optics will be in my future too.

 

[Denverd0n]

Disagree that carrying all the time is a pain. In fact, the more I carry, the more accustomed to it I become, the easier and LESS of a pain it is.

I do agree, however, that you shouldn't do things when you are carrying that you wouldn't do if you weren't. You certainly should avoid confrontation and risks just as much regardless of whether you are carrying or not. In fact, I tend to think I avoid confrontation MORE when I am carrying than otherwise. I really do not ever want to have to draw and fire my weapon in a lethal force situation!

 

[Dump1567]

Just speaking for myself, I've never had an issue carrying any size gun. But I'm 6'4, 205. And when carrying a heavy gun, after about 10 minutes, I forget it's there.

But I understand some people just don't like to carry something big and heavy. Especially if you're only 5"6, 150. That's why the airweight J's are extremely popular. Enough so, that Ruger & Kimber joined the market.

Since retiring, I had to reassess my role in carrying a gun. And as a citizen, I had to adjust my mind set of run from trouble, not towards trouble. And one's gun choice will probably represent that.

But as a "gun guy", I like to strap on various makes and models. Just like someone might like different watches, or different shoes, I like to carry different guns.

 

[ladder13]

Nothing good happens after 10pm. I am rarely out at that time when the action heats up.

 

[CH4]

I’ve been carrying almost daily since about 1983, as a cop and retiree. I feel naked without it, especially as I sit in a Prague restaurant on Saturday night. It’s like leaving home without your wallet.

 

[Doug M.]

I always preferred working power shift (roughly 1700-0300) or something like that. I am not a morning person and left to my own would sleep 0400-noon or so. I also did not like dealing with more or less decent people, who were often whiny and annoying because they did not understand cop insights, suspicion, and safety.

When I left LE, that all changed. My goal now is to be as far from stupid places and stupid people as I can be. As a general rule, I do not leave the house after I get home from work. In my experience, nothing good happens if one leaves the house after dinner. My work hours are a bit off due to the accommodations for my dialysis and the like, but they are more or less day shift.

I am always armed and never did like the practice of getting to the office and locking up one's firearms. A decent holster/belt combo and the right clothes make it pretty easy and comfortable. As noted above, one should as a matter of practice avoid places when armed that we would avoid unarmed.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

I've been concealed carrying one handgun or another since the late 1980s. I'm totally used to it and I hate to leave home without it and I seldom have to even think about doing that. My biggest issue is something like what happened to me today, when I had to switch from pocket carry to OWB concealed because of the fit of my pants. I felt everyone could see that gun while, in reality, nobody noticed it including my gun-toting friends.

Hate to carry? Ridiculous.

What's sad is that we have to carry!!!!

 

[Sgt. Buzzard]

Where I worked the only people on the streets at night were drunks, junkies and cops. Retired now 23 years. Haven't been back to those streets in, 23 years. But still carrying, you never know.

 

[Bald1]

Nothing good happens after 10pm. I am rarely out at that time when the action heats up.

Boy this hits home. I put new LED pods under the back bumper of my new truck in February. I didn’t drive it in the dark to really check them out till Labor Day weekend.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

... And since retiring, I rarely go out at night.

Sunset have Senior approved dinner and go to bed. Sunrise, awaken and have Senior approved breakfast.

Go for a walk and drink coffee all day.

 

[S-W4EVER]

... Since retiring, I had to reassess my role in carrying a gun. And as a citizen, I had to adjust my mind set of run from trouble, not towards trouble...

Same here, but sometimes (rarely) things get so stupid I feel I have to act. A few years ago, it was dark and I was driving through a road construction area and a motorcyclist laid it down and the motorist behind him honked his horn. I was instantly angry, it’s a small town, and even though I’m not a motorcyclist there is no reason to be rude so I instantly got out of my truck and ran over and helped the guy get his bike up. Ironically he was DUI and I advised the Police Officer of this after he arrived.

Generally I try to mind my own business. I don’t carry a radio or handcuffs and I don’t even know most of the LEO’s around here anymore (so I would prefer to avoid the threat of friendly fire).

 

[petepeterson]

Not sure why carrying a handgun would make you go to places you wouldn't if you weren't carrying.

Do you drive differently because you have insurance?

 

[BC38]

I spent a couple of weeks visiting with family clear across the country (in W. VA). Due to having to take flights with more than one connection I chose not to check a bag, so no gun to carry the whole trip.
I MISSED IT. Felt half naked without it.
I've been carrying since the mid 1980's and for the last couple of decades I've been carrying from pants-on-to-pants-off every day.
I have a variety of CC options and good carry gear, so carrying isn't a pain, its a habit.
Avoiding times and locations where trouble is more likely is just common sense. So is not behaving any differently when armed vs. when unarmed.

 

[Sgt. Buzzard]

Sunset have Senior approved dinner and go to bed. Sunrise, awaken and have Senior approved breakfast..

I can get along with this part but around 1100 hrs. I get together with other cops, deputies and special agents and go to the range to practice for the day evil comes. Then we all go to a non wife approved lunch and tell war stories. Most are even true.

 

[.455_Hunter]

Do you drive differently because you have insurance?

Yes- My driving habits would absolutely be different if I did not have auto and/or health insurance.

 

[eb07]

I carry a snub. And I love it.

 

[Smoke]

The biggest PiTA aspect of carrying a handgun I ever experienced was all the client employees who felt the need to give me a ration about it at work.

My last 2 assignments were nights. One was an empty FedEx warehouse and the other was 3rd shift roving patrol all over Colorado Springs. Almost zero interaction with other people.

Now that I'm retired I don't really leave home unless I have to. I'm certainly not out after dark. I know what kind of people wander around this town at night. Most of the time I have a gun nearby but I don't carry at home.

When I do go out I carry a Glock 19 or 26 and two reloads. Most of the time they're not noticeable.

I spent some time in the hospital in June. When I got out our daughter decided that DW and I are too old and feeble to live alone. When our current lease is up we will be moving to a small house on her Ranch. 30 miles from the nearest Walmart and 7 miles from the nearest paved road. When that happens I won't even go into Colorado Springs unless it's absolutely required.

 

[Narragansett]

I had permits to carry in RI, CT, and PA totaling 40 years. The times that I carried a gun other than to the range you can count on one hand.

As of yesterday, I am now a card carrying resident of Georgia where I do not need a permit. So for me, I will carry something now for when I go fishing or walking the trails, because we have alligators and poison snakes. I will also carry when night fishing