When You Decided To Carry

[Bmlove]

Was a sheriffs son my whole childhood. Dad of course always carried a smith and Wesson 38 snub nose back in the day. I always thought it was cool. But never thought to much about it until he passed away and I inherited that 38. As I age I find that I am physically not able to protect myself like I used too so decided to get my CHL. Dad's 38 is my home defense gun now and I rotate between a Ruger LC9, Smith 38 bodyguard and .380 smith bodyguard. Just depends on what I wear. My prayer is I never have to use them.


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[Lobster Picnic]

Because in Florida you can walk in, buy a gun, and walk out - but only if you have the carry permit.

 

[HankG]

My wife and I had just left a Bennigan's restaurant and were hoofing it back to our hotel. Two twenty year olds wanted my wife's purse. What they got was a semi auto that magically appeared in my hand. They left very quickly. After that incident my wife never questioned me when I put a pistol in my pocket.

 

[Old TexMex]

1999, upon my return to the U.S.

 

[Knochen]

I got through life as a teacher for 32 years without a moment's thought about guns. When I retired I got on as an officer at a federal detention facility - trained and qualified on a 38 and 12 gauge. Once when doing a count in segregation, a crazed inmate, Murray, greeted me at his cell door and asked me straight up what I would do if ever he showed up on my doorstep. I bought my first pistol within the next week and took a CCW class shortly after that.

 

[Seneca]

I live next to and spend some time every week working in Detroit. I sometimes have that same feeling in my gut when I'm in Detroit as I had when humping the paddies in VietNam but I have no artillery to call or gunships overhead now. That is why in 2001 when CC became legal in Michigan, I applied for a permit. Still miss those Cobras, though.

 

[G.T. Smith]

I am 63 and have owned a gun since I was 9. I was always one to believe that a gun is a very good thing for many reasons like hunting, plinking, and cleaning when your snowed in. Since my first gun, I have had one nearby, in the vehicle or on my person 99% of the time. I used to, and still do, believe that carry permit or not I would CC if I really thought I needed to. The day of 9/11/01 changed all that for me. I remember driving home unarmed and feeling naked and vulnerable. As soon as I got home the pistol became a constant companion of mine and just to make it legal, (before I got caught), I went and obtained a CCW a couple of years ago. So I will say 9/11 was my most motivating factor. I don't leave home without it anymore.
Peace,
Gordon

 

[Iggy]

Went to work for a PD in 1966. Packed an off duty gun then and have ever since.
If the Lord wanted me to fight like a dog, he woulda given me fangs and claws.

 

[Faulkner]

What were the determining factors in your decision to carry a gun for self defense? How much thought did you give it? Was it just because it was legal? Or was it some event? How long did you think about it?

You could just as easily ask me why I started wearing shoes or what was the determining factor to get a driver's license. There was no epiphany, I was carrying a firearm with me most of the time anyway well before I was LEO, so when the CCP became available in my state I went and got one.

 

[Alk8944]

I can't remember, it was so long ago.

I can, and I will bet it was a lot longer ago than you.

Kansas City, MO, late Fall 1962 got offered a ride back to the train station by an individual who it turned out would have been called LGBTQ now. Aggressive, didn't want to take NO for an answer. Fortunately I got away at a stop sign. I was 18 Y.O. I have never traveled un-armed since that date, legally or not! Regardless of the situation.

 

[Norm66]

My sleepy little WV town is catching up with the rest of the country with crime and drugs. But I'm also not as young and generally tough as I used to be. Finally I'm mature enough to do it responsibly and safely.

 

[jackruff]

I was encouraged by friends, some of whom are law enforcement officers. One is an attorney who'd had a permit for some time. It gets very interesting around here, an hour from New Orleans, before and after a hurricane.


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[Caster]

Being a retired l.e.o. it was just a natural thing to keep carrying.

 

[cmort666]

The realization, that came LONG ago, that NOBODY was going to protect me BUT me.

If you're not willing and able to protect yourself, you're just not going to get protected AT ALL. Anybody who tells you different is a LIAR.

 

[zx9rt1]

Mine was a life changing event that inspired me to get my CHL. I will not go into much detail, in 1995 my 78 year grandmother was murdered in Lancaster Tx. The scumbags were people that she new since they were babies. Sad indeed. It opened my eyes. So that's my story.

 

[eveled]

Finally I'm mature enough to do it responsibly and safely.

Well stated Norm66.

Funny how you always think you are grown up before you are. When I finally was all grown up and responsible and had a family to protect, and take care of. I realized two things, I needed to stop drinking and start carrying a gun.

I was not a heavy drinker,but I quit drinking altogether so I could carry a gun and be certain I had a clear head.

I had my permit for 10 years before I carried with any regularity, Ed.

As a side note, guns kept me off drugs when I was growing up. I knew if I had any kind of drug related history it would make getting any permit difficult if not impossible. So my love of shiny stainless steel revolvers, gave me the motivation to walk away when my friends started using drugs. I didn't hold it against them or shun them, I just didn't partake.

This is also a big reason I beleive in teaching kids to shoot, and enjoy guns. Ed.

 

[Old cop]

I started as an LEO in 1968 and off duty carry was mandated. The things I saw and had directed at me personally made the decision an easy one. As a retiree I still carry daily and will do so until I'm too old to handle a gun safely.

I mind my own business and my daily routines are pretty safe.

 

[Adk.IBO]

My grandfather and uncle had handguns and long guns as long as I can remember, my father only long guns. In 1966 my mother purchased a Belgian made Browning 22 w/ 9 shot clip for target/ protection that added to her 45 caliber muzzleloader we used to compete with. So we have history with firearms. 21 years ago I used to make collections and it was common for me to have $1000 cash on me pretty much daily. I got my unrestricted permit and bought my 640 38spl and my mother gave me her Browning. I carried for a while, a few years or so, and then all but forgot I had them for a while (change of carreers). Enter my future hunting, trapping, fishing son in law and interest in firearms was rekindled. 14 months ago took my Utah non resident carry permit that gave me 32 states to legally carry in. Pretty much a daily thing now with more frequent practice and training.

Stay safe, John

 

[deno56]

Living in Chicago everyone needs to carry, I got my ccl this week it all new to me at 59 I can't fight like use, hope I never have to use.

 

[moosedog]

I started to carry legally when I became a cop at age 23. Back then in Michigan the only CPL or CCW was a restricted to and from the range, unless you carried large sums of money for a business.
Notice I used the word legally, which actually changes the time line slightly.

 

[Atonal]

I'm taking a CCW class in a few weeks. I plan to begin carrying as soon as I get my permit. I've been thinking about this for a couple of years and am finally following through.

 

[cass]

I carried for about ten years before TEXAS passed the concealed carry law in 1996. Being in a small town has it's merits, and all the local police were either friends or school buddies. They all knew who carried, and didn't care. Within days of becoming law, I got my license, and nothing changed. Now, I seldom carry because I seldom leave the property. I would have a hard time with open carry.

 

[Ranger514]

I first started carrying in 1982, when I was a manager of a visitor attraction, and was responsible for transporting large sums of money after closing each night; however, I didn't form the habit of carrying outside of work until I got my law enforcement commission in 1989

 

[carpriver]

I started carrying in 2004. I retired from my job. I worked in the mental health field. Several times while working I was assaulted by patients. Just before I retired a client threaten to kill me. I saw him walking around my neighborhood. I bought a gun and got my CPL. I have never looked back.

 

[jarhead1178]

I got through life as a teacher for 32 years without a moment's thought about guns. When I retired I got on as an officer at a federal detention facility - trained and qualified on a 38 and 12 gauge. Once when doing a count in segregation, a crazed inmate, Murray, greeted me at his cell door and asked me straight up what I would do if ever he showed up on my doorstep. I bought my first pistol within the next week and took a CCW class shortly after that.

I hope you told him to stop by and you would show him,

 

[tomtheturner]

New Year's eve 1971 I was working late in downtown Indianapolis. To get to the company parking lot i had to go down an alley. I was attacked by two homeless me with empty wine bottles. I pretended that I had a gun in the pocket of my trench coat that convinced them to back off, and leave me alone.

The next week I applied for my LTCH, which was not easy to get in 1971. I have carried since.

Since then I have had two home invasions, plus one attempted one. Two attempted car jackings, and several other occasions where my having a gun has protected me at home, and away.

 

[The Real Hawkeye]

What were the determining factors in your decision to carry a gun for self defense? How much thought did you give it? Was it just because it was legal? Or was it some event? How long did you think about it?

It was 1978. I was seventeen and had just gotten my drivers license. Looking for an excuse to drive somewhere on a Sunday morning, I decided to drive to the local sporting goods store in a large nearby shopping center. I needed to return a baseball cap that was too small anyway.

As I pulled into the large parking lot from the main road I saw that it was almost completely empty. Then it occurred to me that the stores didn't open till 10:00 AM on Sunday morning, and it was only about 9:30. The only other car was a black Spitfire idling in the far right corner right up next to the stores. I decided I'd park up close to the store and just wait. I drove forward to the stop sign, at which I would take a left to get to the store. The Spitfire was about fifty yards to my right, facing me perpendicularly as I was at my stop. It was just idling. Soon as I applied my foot to my accelerator and began to ease forward, the Spitfire's tires spun out loudly, and it started speeding in my direction, causing me to slam on my breaks mid turn to avoid a collision. He slammed on his breaks and skidded out in front of my car.

A huge guy in his late twenties jumped out wearing a studded black leather jacket, long hair, and a handlebar mustache. He ran over to my drivers side door and tried to open it, but I locked it an instant before his hand reached it. He ran over to the other side and tried the same thing, but again I locked it just in time. Then he pounded his fist on the windshield screaming for me to come out. I said no. He runs back to his Spitfire, pushes forward the drivers seat and reaches back there for something which I assume was something with which to break my windshield. Seeing this, I start to back up my car, but see that now there's a car behind me blocking me in, and I can't move forward due to the position of the Spitfire. Fortunately, though, the Spitfire driver looked up just then to notice the car behind me. He immediately tossed what was in his hand back in his car, put his seat back in position, got in his car and sped off. The very next day I contacted the police to ask what I had to do to get a concealed handgun license, and was lawfully carrying less than two years later. Been carrying since.

 

[shouldazagged]

The next week I applied for my LTCH, which was not easy to get in 1971. I have carried since.

Since then I have had two home invasions, plus one attempted one. Two attempted car jackings, and several other occasions where my having a gun has protected me at home, and away.

Remind me not even to drive through your neighborhood. Or stand next to you if there's a thunderstorm within twenty miles. If you haven't had the world's worst luck you must be in the top five. Maybe the top three.