My own carry rule

[Rastoff]

Like most of us, I have friends who are gun people as well. As such many of them know that I carry. Early on I developed a rule for myself and I don't violate it.

When I put the gun in my holster at the beginning of the day, it only comes out for three reasons:

1. To shoot the bad guy.
2. To practice a the range.
3. To put it away at the end of the day.

If someone were to ask to see my gun, I might hold my shirt up, but it's not coming out of the holster. I do this to help with my mindset. I just want to be sure that when it comes out, I mean business.

Anyone else do something similar?

 

[sps282]

I try my best not to let any one know I'm carrying. Too easy for the word to get around.

 

[sac-gunslinger]

I would not even pull my shirt up to show. Too easy for that to be misconstrued. Me, my wife, and the badguy are the only ones who need to know that I am carrying.

 

[Rastoff]

I would not even pull my shirt up to show. Too easy for that to be misconstrued. Me, my wife, and the badguy are the only ones who need to know that I am carrying.

I agree. I wouldn't do that either in public. I only mentioned it to make a point.

I have done it at a friends house when it was just he and I though. My point is simply that it doesn't come out of the holster except for "serious business".

 

[Ranger514]

Most of my friends also carry. I don't have a problem safely unloading a firearm I'm carrying and allowing a trusted friend (emphasis on "trusted") to safely examine it in private, but never in public. The rest of the world has no reason to know that I carry, but my friends, many of whom I work with, know that I am armed. They can count on me to back them up if needed, and vice versa.

 

[Arik]

Most of my friends know i carry. Sometimes they ask if its something new and if so if they could see it. I have no problems with it, not in public of course. I take it out, take the mag & +1 out and show them. This only maybe happens once or twice a year. My main carry is my G19 which is with me 99.9% of the time

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[Old cop]

Only those very close to me know I carry since retirement and I don't share the news beyond that.

 

[Bkreutz]

Like most of us, I have friends who are gun people as well. As such many of them know that I carry. Early on I developed a rule for myself and I don't violate it.

When I put the gun in my holster at the beginning of the day, it only comes out for three reasons:

1. To shoot the bad guy.
2. To practice a the range.
3. To put it away at the end of the day.

If someone were to ask to see my gun, I might hold my shirt up, but it's not coming out of the holster. I do this to help with my mindset. I just want to be sure that when it comes out, I mean business.

Anyone else do something similar?

I have the same mindset, if I draw a pistol, I will use it. (I don't consider pulling the pistol out to put it away as a "draw") I don't believe in threatening to use it.

 

[DR505]

Sometimes it has to come out...like when going into a lock-up or court.

 

[Silvergoose]

I am not a Law Officer, nor do I want to take that position. The men and women who work at maintaining the law rank up as high as any military person, IMO.

I carry only for the protection of my wife and myself the last thing I want anyone to know is that I am carring a firearm. The only time anyone needs to review my weapon is to answer a direct question form a LE oficer. I don't show, I don't tell.

 

[Juliet_Bravo]

Close friends know I carry, and only those close friends would be allowed to safely handle it, in private.

 

[cracker57]

I started with the no one will know attitude, how ever it didn't take long to find out it had to be a family and close friend secret. I had the grandson with me one time and I did not want him to know I carried, I was afraid that a 12 yr old would think it's really cool and tell all his friends. I had to disarm to go into the post office with him in the car, "Grandpa you have a gun on you" he said, thats when we went for a long walk and I explained it to him. never does it come out so someone can "see it". those that must know should and those that don't need to know never will, unless of course its the last thing they ever learn in life.

 

[hangnoose]

NEED TO KNOW BASIS

I have a hard time keeping secrets from my wife. I assume my friends do also. so telling a friend you c/c is like telling his wife also, now you have 2 more people to worry about talking. and so it starts.

 

[BaaBaa]

Small town = Everyone knows

While we have tried not to broadcast that we carry by not showing and not telling, we live in a small town. By now, just on the basis of who we've seen at the local shooting range and questions we have gotten at social events, I am pretty sure the vast majority of town knows what we have in terms of firearms and that we can and do carry.

Not much I can do about that, in a small town the grapevine grows the best. OTOH I also know pretty well who does and does not carry, both who has permits and doesn't carry and who carries all the time. It's fun to play the, "Where's he/she got it stashed now?" game to try to spot their carry location.

And of course there are the open carry folks we see, all very well known to the town residents.

 

[Rastoff]

It doesn't really matter who knows. I'm still not taking it out except for those three reasons.

 

[DJ Lars]

I'm a new gun owner, obtained my CCL, but have yet to carry. I'm curious why many of you are so guarded with the fact you are carrying. I'd like to know why.

I still have a lot of information to take in before beginning to carry, and hadn't considered who'd know when I do. Thanks for the helpful info.

 

[Rastoff]

I'm not sure what you mean by "guarded"? Is there something in my OP that wasn't clear?

 

[mc5aw]

Other than my friends at the LGS, no one should be asking to see my firearm any more than they should actually see my firearm.

 

[Chiggin]

I'm a new gun owner, obtained my CCL, but have yet to carry. I'm curious why many of you are so guarded with the fact you are carrying. I'd like to know why.

I still have a lot of information to take in before beginning to carry, and hadn't considered who'd know when I do. Thanks for the helpful info.

The purpose of concealed carry is pretty self explanatory. It's concealed to stay hidden or "guarded". In some cases, if it were obvious you were packing, it may make you a target. It's only something I discuss with people I trust, and I wish sometimes I wouldn't even discuss it with people that I have. Once the cat is out of the bag, there's no way to put it back in. Best keep it to yourself and only those who MUST know(ie: wife/family). Better to avoid potential unforseen consequences.

Otherwise, you may as well just carry openly.

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[michaelpthompso]

I'm a new gun owner, obtained my CCL, but have yet to carry. I'm curious why many of you are so guarded with the fact you are carrying. I'd like to know why.

A good rule to remember is "Concealed is concealed." Basically, there are several reasons why this is important. First, the fact that a bad guy does not know whether you are armed or not gives you a tactical advantage. That's the most important one.

But it's also important that only those around you whom you trust are aware that you have a deadly weapon. There are those who would freak out because they have an irrational fear of guns. There are those who would express too much curiosity and either alert the ones who would freak out or rob you of your tactical advantage. There are those who would feel compelled to call the cops if they knew you were carrying. There are those who would want to confront you. There are those who might try to take your gun. There are probably more reasons. It's just easier all around if nobody knows. Concealed is concealed. Mas Ayoob deals well with this in the Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry. Worth checking out.


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