Concealed carry: what are my options?

[Gunny]

No need to put anything under the seat. I keep it on my hip. If I'm wearing pants, I have a weapon.

Like I said, what's under the seat is the heavy artillery. Full size auto, loaded, two spare mags. Just in case I decide to engage in a small war.

 

[Gunny]

And to add another variable to the mix:

Are you prepared to kill someone? I know that it sounds academic on this forum, but you'd be surprised at the number of trained folks who froze at the wrong moment. There is no point in being armed unless you have done the soul searching required to actually place rounds on a living target and flatline the EKG.

Finally, you mentioned being familiar with shotguns. Remember to keep two, one in the car and one in the house. Load the house gun first round with birdshot so it won't penetrate walls and endanger your kids or grands. The second round is slug or shot as you can then aim in and kill your opponent.

Never, ever, ever, give a verbal warning or fire warning shots. Your enemy has already announced his intentions. You must be prepared to put him down like a rabid dog.

I know this is off your original question. Sorry bout that.

What's a warning shot? WARNING: You are now dead.

 

[pegwinn]

What's a warning shot? WARNING: You are now dead.

Y'know, I heard that there are actually states that require you to give warnings and actually let the guy go if he tries to CSMO. Not Texas thank God.

 

[Gunny]

I took my CCW qualification today and learned a few things I didn't know.

For example, in Missouri you can legally carry a loaded handgun concealed under the seat or in the glovebox of your vehicle without being CCW qualified.

Same in Texas. I think the one caveat is you have to cross county lines. I'm in and out of 3-4 different ones daily.

You can legally carry under the seat in Florida as well.

 

[Gunny]

Y'know, I heard that there are actually states that require you to give warnings and actually let the guy go if he tries to CSMO. Not Texas thank God.

I don't see the point. If all that's needed is a warning, then why fire at all? I wonder if there's anything else they can do to help the bad guys out?

 

[editec]

What a thoroughly depressing thread.

You want to know why I find this depressing?

Not because you guys own and carry guns, but because you feel you have to own and carry guns.

Is it truly that dangerous where you live?

I mean so dangerous that the mere gun isn't enough, but you need multiple clips and shotguns under your car seats because you might find yourselves in an extended shootout?!

If civilization is truly falling down on the job that badly, why on earth are any of you and your FAMILIES living there?

Jesus, is it really that dangerous!?

I was caught in the race riots in the late 60s, lived in a Black neighborhood in Queens in the 70s; I lived in SoCA in the mid 70s, and downtown Boston for a decade til the mid 80s. I wasn't wealthy, I didn't live in good neighborhoods I tended to hang out with disreputable people and party with all sorts of lowlife and nobody -- absolutely nobody --felt like we had the need to carry for protection.

Have things really gone that far South since I left civilization for the hinterlands of Maine?

 

[CrimsonWhite]

What a thoroughly depressing thread.

You want to know why I find this depressing?

Not because you guys own and carry guns, but because you feel you have to own and carry guns.

Is it truly that dangerous where you live?

I mean so dangerous that the mere gun isn't enough, but you need multiple clips and shotguns under your car seats because you might find yourselves in an extended shootout?!

If civilization is truly falling down on the job that badly, why on earth are any of you and your FAMILIES living there?

Jesus, is it really that dangerous!?

I was caught in the race riots in the late 60s, lived in a Black neighborhood in Queens in the 70s; I lived in SoCA in the mid 70s, and downtown Boston for a decade til the mid 80s. I wasn't wealthy, I didn't live in good neighborhoods I tended to hang out with disreputable people and party with all sorts of lowlife and nobody -- absolutely nobody --felt like we had the need to carry for protection.

Have things really gone that far South since I left civilization for the hinterlands of Maine?

It isn't that we feel that we need to. It is simply a matter of having the Constitutional right to do so.

 

[Missourian]

What a thoroughly depressing thread.

You want to know why I find this depressing?

Not because you guys own and carry guns, but because you feel you have to own and carry guns.

Is it truly that dangerous where you live?

I mean so dangerous that the mere gun isn't enough, but you need multiple clips and shotguns under your car seats because you might find yourselves in an extended shootout?!

If civilization is truly falling down on the job that badly, why on earth are any of you and your FAMILIES living there?

Jesus, is it really that dangerous!?

I was caught in the race riots in the late 60s, lived in a Black neighborhood in Queens in the 70s; I lived in SoCA in the mid 70s, and downtown Boston for a decade til the mid 80s. I wasn't wealthy, I didn't live in good neighborhoods I tended to hang out with disreputable people and party with all sorts of lowlife and nobody -- absolutely nobody --felt like we had the need to carry for protection.

Have things really gone that far South since I left civilization for the hinterlands of Maine?

I don't see what one has to do with the other.

I'm sure your not expressing the opinion that crime does not occur, we both known it does, all too frequently.

It has to do with preparedness, not probability.

The probability of you getting a flat tire is relatively low, yet you carry a spare.

The probability of a tree falling on your house or a car driving thru your living room (home damage) is even lower, yet you have insurance.

The probability of your house burning down is much lower, yet you have a smoke detector, fire extinguisher and a plan of escape.


The law allows me to be prepared to defend myself. IMO I would be foolish NOT to take advantage of the extra preparedness...that additional insurance to protect myself and my family.




Just as a reminder...the odds of death by criminal assault (lifetime) are 1 in 210. LINK

.​

 

[BaronVonBigmeat]

What a thoroughly depressing thread.

You want to know why I find this depressing?

Not because you guys own and carry guns, but because you feel you have to own and carry guns.

Is it truly that dangerous where you live?

Yes.

Or at least, my neighbor and my coworker's experience says yes.

If civilization is truly falling down on the job that badly, why on earth are any of you and your FAMILIES living there?

Well for starters, I live alone and don't have any kids that I know of.

I would love to live in a more rural crime-free area, but it's harder to make a living away from the cities. But really though, criminals can drive. My neighbor's grandson defended himself in a somewhat dodgy part of town. His cousin defended himself in a rather nice part of town, where the dentists and lawyers live. People thought he was weird for carrying a pocket gun while he mowed his grass in an upper-class neighborhood, until some guy came up behind him and told him to go in the house.

And besides which, people are sick of running. We've spent the last 50 years moving further and further out, commuting an hour each way for some people, just to get further away from crime. We've spent obscene amounts of money sprawling out, trying to be safe, and the main thing we have to show for it is an unsustainable, oil-dependent suburbia. And now that city housing projects are being torn down and replaced with section 8 housing vouchers, criminals are spreading out everywhere, and moving away again is pointless.

Enough is enough. It's time to stop running.

 

[BaronVonBigmeat]

Anyway, back to gun talk.

The holsters that clip to the inside of your pants look okay. I want something I can put on rather quickly, so that fits the bill. (Anything that takes too long to put on, I'm probably going to end up not wearing it. Hey, I'm just being realistic.)

Only thing is, it kind of prevents me from tucking in my shirt, so it wouldn't be much use when I'm wearing my usual office attire.

Fanny packs...eh. I'm really leaning towards some sort of pocket gun at this point. I'll go to the range this weekend and look at some options:

* Revolvers: S&W 642 38 special. I keep hearing this a lot on different forums. I'm a little concerned that the wheel will bulge out in my pocket. Also I hear that revolvers are harder to shoot accurately, especially if its a double action only thing like the 642? Plus, I would rather have more rounds than just five, but that may not be possible in any sort of pocket gun.

Also I might check out some of the Taurus revolvers, but I think I would be inclined to just pay the extra for a S&W.

* Auto pistols. I'm looking at this. The .380's and 9mm all seem to carry 5+1 or 6+1...which is not a whole lot better than the revolvers. There's some Kel-Tecs and also the SCCY CPX-1, which carry 10+1, but I keep running into a lot of negative opinions about these manufacturers, concerning reliability.

And the .32 and smaller...no thanks. I need something just small enough to fit in a pocket, but smaller just for the sake of being smaller seems pointless. Some of those guns remind me of the little palm-size squirt guns, I'm not even sure if I could handle them properly.

The 9mm guns seem like they are just about the same size as the .380s, hold the same number of rounds, but have better ammo, so I think I'd lean towards that. They show a .40 and even a .45 but I have to wonder about the kick from something like that in such a small gun.

So it seems like it's a choice of: compact, holds 10 rounds, reliability--choose any two.

 

[no1tovote4]

I like my Glock .40 cal for conceal carry.

It also depends on how you dress, sometimes you can limit your options...

I have a great belt holster and carry at the small of my back.

I just don't want to always carry some of my more expensive guns, and the glock was designed for point and shoot ease at the same time as safety. It won't go off on accident, but if you pull the trigger it will definitely shoot.

 

[Missourian]

Check out this NAA .22 lr mini....it might be next door to useless but better than nothing.

Yes, thats a bic lighter.

$225​

 

[Gunny]

Check out this NAA .22 lr mini....it might be next door to useless but better than nothing.

Yes, thats a bic lighter.

$225​

Ummm ... that's a Scripto lighter.

 

[elvis]

Any thoughts on glocks?

 

[Missourian]

Any thoughts on glocks?

I'd like to help you out but the grip angle of the glock never felt comfortable to me.


I've only owned pistols based on the Colt 1911 design, tho lots of folks swear by Glock.

1911 & Glock​

 

[BaronVonBigmeat]

I went to the gun show and looked at some guns. I was thinking pocket carry, but not anymore. The ONLY pocket gun that felt good in my hand was the S&W 642 revolver. Actually, it felt great in my hands, which surprised me. The smaller guns, the Kahrs and even the baby Glocks, they were just too small. I have big hands.

So I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with a mid~full size pistol. Check out Smartcarry and the 30 pages of testimonials. As long as you're not wearing skin-tight cowboy Wranglers (you should never do this), you can carry guns as big as a full size 1911.

Speaking of which, what's the appeal of 1911's? It's a very big gun that only holds 7+1. Nostalgia? Accuracy? Anyways, I'm thinking of getting a Springfield XD(m), in 9mm. Or maybe one of the HK's or Sigs. Actually my favorite gun at the show was a Sig Sauer 226(?), chambered in .357 sig. Big fatass grips like a baseball bat. Feels great, but probably to fat and heavy to really carry. I really wanted to like the Glocks, but yeah, the grips are just weird and distracting.

 

[Procrustes Stretched]

Okay so I live in Texas, where you can get a concealed carry permit. I'm familiar with shotguns, but I've never owned a pistol. I'm researching several different guns (probably a glock or a sig?), and hopefully I'll get to try out a few different guns at a range before I buy. That's what I've been told to do, anyhow. Any suggestions? I'd rather not have anything smaller than 9mm.

My bigger question though is: how do you conceal, when the weather is too hot to wear a sports coat? Jeans and a t-shirt, or dockers and a golf shirt, is the only thing you can comfortably wear for 8 months out of the year in Houston.

Do I need to find a gun I can carry in my pocket? I've seen these holsters you wear inside your pants, but they seem kind of wacky, I mean what do you do if you're at a gas station during a stickup--start unbuckling your pants to get to your gun? Ha ha.

I'm not buying the whole "come on, it's not going to happen" argument--my neighbor's family has had no less than three incidents in the past few years where a concealed gun saved the day, plus a cowoker used his to scare off a couple of burglars without firing a shot.

Thoughts?

did your co-worker ever think of moving or taking the victim label off their head? What fukin' neighborhod do they live in?




seriously though, good read.

 

[Procrustes Stretched]

What a thoroughly depressing thread.

You want to know why I find this depressing?

Not because you guys own and carry guns, but because you feel you have to own and carry guns.

Is it truly that dangerous where you live?

Yes.

Or at least, my neighbor and my coworker's experience says yes.

If civilization is truly falling down on the job that badly, why on earth are any of you and your FAMILIES living there?

Well for starters, I live alone and don't have any kids that I know of.

I would love to live in a more rural crime-free area, but it's harder to make a living away from the cities. But really though, criminals can drive. My neighbor's grandson defended himself in a somewhat dodgy part of town. His cousin defended himself in a rather nice part of town, where the dentists and lawyers live. People thought he was weird for carrying a pocket gun while he mowed his grass in an upper-class neighborhood, until some guy came up behind him and told him to go in the house.

And besides which, people are sick of running. We've spent the last 50 years moving further and further out, commuting an hour each way for some people, just to get further away from crime. We've spent obscene amounts of money sprawling out, trying to be safe, and the main thing we have to show for it is an unsustainable, oil-dependent suburbia. And now that city housing projects are being torn down and replaced with section 8 housing vouchers, criminals are spreading out everywhere, and moving away again is pointless.

Enough is enough. It's time to stop running.

so it isn't always fear that drives this but anxiety and on some level anger?

I am with editic in many ways ..as I get older though I am starting to wonder about vulnerability. What happens when the time comes that we present ourselves, whether purposefully or not, as a victim to a shithead with bad intentions? Shit happens...especially when shitheads are around.
Do I want a permit to carry? I think about it as I move along in life.

an aside:
I've told this story a few times online..I once ...
-----------
I've told more than I usually do. It's sort of cathartic. It's a true story. The details I remember so well because they were seared into my brain as we fought. I did wonder if I was going to become a statistic...a dead one.

I'll probably delete this one. who knows.


{edit} i did

 

[Missourian]

Speaking of which, what's the appeal of 1911's? It's a very big gun that only holds 7+1. Nostalgia? Accuracy? Anyways, I'm thinking of getting a Springfield XD(m), in 9mm. Or maybe one of the HK's or Sigs. Actually my favorite gun at the show was a Sig Sauer 226(?), chambered in .357 sig. Big fatass grips like a baseball bat. Feels great, but probably to fat and heavy to really carry. I really wanted to like the Glocks, but yeah, the grips are just weird and distracting.

For me the M1911 is the sidearm I trained with in the Army just as they began it's replacement with the M9.

It doesn't hurt that the 1911 design has 98 years of tested durability.

I don't actually own a Colt 1911, I have a more compact Star BKM 9mm based on the 1911 design.

The Star BKM (left) compared to the Star BM (right) model.​

This is a picture of mine with a dollar bill to give some perspective.​

I holds 8+1 and has an alloy frame for better balance.​

I paid $165 for it used 5 years ago.​

 

[pegwinn]

I like the 1911 because it hits like Mike Tyson used to. I also like the Taurus clone of the service Beretta. In both cases I was so fully trained that I can wake up, snatch it up, aim in, and become fully conscious just in time to make sure of the target.

I still prefer a shotgun for home defense.