Who do you tell that you CC?

[H.J.]

I have a 9mm MP Shield with a CC permit. My question is who do you tell that you CC?

My wife knows of course but no one else does. When we go to visit our kids I leave the gun in the car. I put it back in my pocket once we go out. But they do not see it nor do I tell anyone about it. Not my son and daughters and not the grandkids.

What do you guys do? And is there any good reason to tell them?

Thanks,

H.j

 

[dmar]

I don't tell anyone when I'm carrying. Just my business, no one else's...

My wife knows I carry, and if/when she asks if I'm carrying, I tell her. Otherwise, I don't mention it to anyone. I just believe that it could open up to potential angst/issues if I mentioned it.

I don't mention if I'm carrying a pocket knife, or a pack of gum either. I also don't mention how much money I have in my pocket. Well, you get the idea...

 

[H.J.]

Good points all...

 

[LimaCharlie]

Our friends, relatives, and neighbors all know my wife and I both carry and own guns. I grew up in the Southwest in the 1950s and 1960s when many people open carried. People who conceal carried were up to no good back then.

I never got the memo that said having and carrying guns was a double secret society. Our very liberal anti-gun neighbors know we both carry and they still invite us to their house for dinner. It is no big deal.

 

[hangnoose]

CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET?

Do you REALLY believe your wife/kids/anyone are not gonna tell anyone else, who in turn tell more people? May as well open carry at that point, the secret will spread like wildfire. If you can't keep a secret don't expect others to. It's an almost impossible secret to keep & blabbermouths certainly don't help. Assume anyone that knows will tell at least 1 other & that would be greatly underestimating things.

 

[H.J.]

Hi LimaCharlie,

I guess my question is, is there a benefit to their knowing? I'm not trying to argue or even disagree. I'm just not seeing the benefit in telling my family especially if I don't take the gun into their home.

 

[H.J.]

Hi HangNoose,

Yes, I believe that's the direction my head is... The more I think about it the less sense it makes to inform anyone of my concealed carry. How CC is it if you tell people about it. No, I think mums the word!

 

[flagman1776]

I would only tell those who might discover by accident... where the surprise might be troubling.

I believe in really concealing your weapon. You are in the unenviable position of a undercover without backup. The only thing you have going for you, is the element of surprise. Don't give that away. If you ever need your weapon, you want it to be a sudden surprise to the bad guys. Hopefully superior tactics (recoginizing risk, moving away from danger, towards cover) will benifit you prior to the big reveal.

The late Col. Cooper had a stong preferance towards the Yaqui Slide holster which looked unremarkable without a pistol... perhaps these days a cell carrier might disquise it even better. I just had this discussion with someone & would not leave a firearm locked unattended in the typical motor vehicle... if I was contemplating that, I'd purchase a strong box that could be secured to the vehicle. As soon as I began accumulating firearms, I realized how bad it would be to be shot with your own gun.

 

[H.J.]

Hi Flagman1776, I don't disagree about leaving a gun in the car, I don't like it either. But I'm not sure about the strong box either? That's a tough one for me and admittedly one I'd not considered? I'll give that some additional brain power, not an easy thing for me!

 

[Black_Sheep]

My wife knows, we have an understanding that it's not a topic for public discussion, ever...

 

[hangnoose]

SECRETS

Thanks for not taking it personal HJ it was never meant as such. A blabbermouth friend of my wife somehow found out (gee I wonder how) and has openly asked me in a room full of people, loud enough for all to hear "are you carrying now?" NOT a nice situation to be put in when surrounded by dyed in the wool anti so and so's. I then had to tell her in private of course how I felt & if she wished I would not carry in her home, but please keep your big yap shut, in my typical tactful/sensitive manner of course.

 

[TX-Dennis]

NOBODY. Well, I would tell my wife if she asked, and a LEO if necessary. That is all.

 

[Iggy]

Nobody locally except very trusted friends.. None in the family but my wife, and son and his wife know.

Well that's not countin' the whole dammed internet of course.

 

[bettis1]

I've carried concealed for approximately 20 years. In that period I may have left home without carrying 5 times but no more. Those times were when I was going to a hospital or some other place where it was completely impractical to do so. Otherwise, I have simply stopped going to "killing zones" (aka "Gun Free zones"). That means that I no longer teach or counsel in schools or go to areas which prohibit it.

My wife certainly knows and I'm sure that close friends suspect that I do...not because they have ever seen it but because they know my strong support for the Second Amendment.

On the rare instance where someone (usually clueless) asks me if I am carrying a gun, I answer something to the effect that: "John, if you ever have the occasion to find out if I am carrying a gun, it will be the worst day of both of our lives." That ends the discussion.

Because you are asking this, I will assume that you are relatively new to this situation. Be comfortable with it, train well, role play your responses to various situations, and soon carrying your sidearm will become no more of a novelty than carrying your billfold or wearing your shoes.

Good luck.

Bob

 

[USAF385]

My wife, my brother, and about 1,000 forum members....... other than that, total secret....

 

[Muss Muggins]

Told the Gray Man once, but he ratted me out . . .

 

[PR24]

NOBODY. Well, I would tell my wife if she asked, and a LEO if necessary. That is all.

Agreed. Except that my wife and immediate family know I'm packing....dad does too since he's a retired cop. No one is surprised nor do they care. The public, well none of their damn business.

 

[rattlesnakedaddy]

My wife, and that's pretty much it. I have two friends who know I have a permit, but that's it.

RSD

 

[kenv1950]

Just my close circle of friends and the last thing i would do is leave a gun in a car ,in a lock box or any other means of securing it in a car. Cars can be stolen and lock boxes can be broken into, but thats just me

 

[Muss Muggins]

Just my close circle of friends and the last thing i would do is leave a gun in a car ,in a lock box or any other means of securing it in a car. Cars can be stolen and lock boxes can be broken into, but thats just me

I always have a handgun (at least one) and a collapsible rifle in the vehicle, in addition to what's on me, but that's just me . . .