# Main reaon to carry CCW? In threat? Or just because you can?



## TheLAGuy (Nov 28, 2012)

I remember this being touched earlier but I couldn't find the thread.

For the people who carried CCW? Is their a reason that you carry CCW? I mean is it because you feel in threat for one reason or another? Or you just feel more comfortable in case something came your way and you have this readily available, just in case? 

Or simply because its your second ammendment right and you figure why not?

Any replies would be appreciated!


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

In this day and age, most anything can happen anywhere. I carry because I want to even out the odds if something were to happen. 

I don't carry as much as I should, but hopefully, I'll never have to regret saying those words.


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## chessail77 (Mar 15, 2011)

Being prepared to meet a threat, should one occur and in today's environment seems much more likely..


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## TheLAGuy (Nov 28, 2012)

Have you guys ever been in the situation in public where someone has seen that your packing heat, concealing if you will? Has anyone said anything to you in this instance?


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## TurboHonda (Aug 4, 2012)

I conceal carry for the same reason that I buckle my seat belt. The need for both will arise when the least planned.


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## TheLAGuy (Nov 28, 2012)

Do you ever let people know that your travelling with that your concealing? Or keep it to yourself?


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## jakeleinen1 (Jul 20, 2011)

TurboHonda said:


> I conceal carry for the same reason that I buckle my seat belt. The need for both will arise when the least planned.


Well put

Alot of people think its ridiculous that I CCW though, do any of you meet these kind of people because I am surrounded by them.

TheLAGuy, I haven't drawn a gun on someone, but in a gun free zone someone tried to snatch my bro's girlfriend and I whipped out a collapsable baton on him. Not as cool as it sounds. It's funny the people around me who don't understand why I carry were there just wrote that incident off and forgot about it. Next time I probably not be around to help any of them...


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## TheLAGuy (Nov 28, 2012)

Did you use it? and get the purse back?


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

I used to live in L.A., and I walked to work through one of the roughest, most gang-infested areas in the western section of the city.
I was not permitted to carry a defensive weapon, because that's not legally available to the "ordinary" citizen of L.A. County. So I carried a big stick instead, stayed alert, and did my best to interact positively with all of the people I met on my way.
Now that I live in a "shall issue" state, I carry a defensive weapon all day, every day, without fail. On the small island where we live, crime is a low priority. Nevertheless, I have been very glad, just once so far, that I was carrying a gun here.
I carry my pistol partly "because I can," and partly for possible self-defense. The latter is particularly true when we visit the mainland, where drug dealers and manufacturers abound. (Skagit County is one of the "drug capitols" of the US. There are lots of meth labs.)


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## TheLAGuy (Nov 28, 2012)

What island do you live on? Hawaii?


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## MoMan (Dec 27, 2010)

I carry because of all the reasons you listed!


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## TheLAGuy (Nov 28, 2012)

Do you ever find it uncomfortable when you carry? Let's say you were going out for a nice dinner with your wife or g/f, something really fancy. Would you carry then?


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## usmcj (Sep 23, 2011)

I didn't author this piece, but I think it to be the best "reason/s to carry" I've ever run across.

1. We don't carry firearms so that we can ignore other basics of personal safety. Every permit holder that I know realizes that almost all dangerous situations can be avoided by vigilance, alertness and by simply making wise choices about where one goes and what one does. We don't walk down dark alleys. We lock our cars. We don't get intoxicated in public or hang out around people who do. We park our cars in well lighted spots and don't hang out in bad parts of town where we have no business. A gun is our last resort, not our first.


2. We don't think we are cops, spies, or superheroes. We aren't hoping that somebody tries to rob the convenience store while we are there so we can shoot a criminal. We don't take it upon ourselves to get involved in situations that are better handled by a 911 call or by simply standing by and being a good witness. We don't believe our guns give us any authority over our fellow citizens. We also aren't here to be your unpaid volunteer bodyguard. We'll be glad to tell you where we trained and point you to some good gun shops if you feel you want to take this kind of responsibility for your personal safety. Except for extraordinary circumstances your business is your business, don't expect us to help you out of situations you could have avoided.


3. We are LESS likely, not more likely, to be involved in fights or "rage" incidents than the general public. We recognize, better than many unarmed citizens, that we are responsible for our actions. We take the responsibility of carrying a firearm very seriously. We know that loss of temper, getting into fights or angrily confronting someone after a traffic incident could easily escalate into a dangerous situation. We are more likely to go out of our way to avoid these situations. We don't pull our guns to settle arguments or to attempt to threaten people into doing what we want.


4. We are responsible gun owners. We secure our firearms so that children and other unauthorized people cannot access them. Most of us have invested in safes, cases and lock boxes as well as other security measures to keep our firearms secure. Many of us belong to various organizations that promote firearms safety and ownership.


5. Guns are not unsafe or unpredictable. Modern firearms are well made precision instruments. Pieces do not simply break off causing them to fire. A hot day will not set them off. Most modern firearms will not discharge even if dropped. There is no reason to be afraid of a gun simply lying on a table or in a holster. It is not going to discharge on its own.


6. We do not believe in the concept of "accidental discharges". There are no accidental discharges only negligent discharges or intentional discharges. We take responsibility for our actions and have learned how to safely handle firearms. Any case you have ever heard of about a gun "going off" was the result of negligence on somebody's part. Our recognition of our responsibility and familiarity with firearms makes us among the safest firearms owners in America.


7. Permit holders do their best to keep our concealed weapons exactly that: concealed. However, there are times with an observant fellow citizen may spot our firearm or the print of our firearm under our clothes. We are very cognizant that concerns about terrorism and crime are in the forefront of the minds of most citizens. We also realize that our society does much to condition our fellow citizens to have sometimes irrational fears about firearms. We would encourage citizens who do happen to spot someone carrying a firearm to use good judgment and clear thinking if they feel to need to take action. Please recognize that it's very uncommon for a criminal to use a holster. However, if you feel the need to report having spotted a firearm we would ask that you please be specific and detailed in your call to the police or in your report to a store manager or private security. Please don't generalize or sensationalize what you observed. Comments like "there's a guy running around in the store with a gun" or even simply "I saw a man with a gun in the store" could possibly cause a misunderstanding as to the true nature of the incident.


8. The fact that we carry a firearm to any given place does not mean that we believe that place to be inherently unsafe. If we believe a place to be unsafe, most of us would avoid that place all together if possible. However, we recognize that trouble could occur at any place and at any time. Criminals do not observe "gun free zones". If trouble does come, we do not want the only armed persons to be perpetrators. Therefore, we don't usually make a determination about whether or not to carry at any given time based on "how safe" we think a location is.


9. Concealed weapon permit holders are an asset to the public in times of trouble. The fact that most permit holders have the good judgment to stay out of situations better handled by a 911 call or by simply being a careful and vigilant witness does not mean that we would fail to act in situations where the use of deadly force is appropriate to save lives. Review of high profile public shooting incidents shows that when killers are confronted by armed resistance they tend to either break off the attack and flee or choose to end their own life. Lives are saved when resistance engages a violent criminal. Lives are lost when the criminal can do as he pleases.


10. The fact that criminals know that some of the population may be armed at any given time helps to deter violence against all citizens. Permit holders don't believe that every person should necessarily be armed. We recognize that some people may not be temperamentally suited to carry a firearm or simply may wish not to for personal reasons. However we do encourage you to respect our right to arm ourselves. Even if you choose not to carry a firearm yourself please oppose measures to limit the ability of law abiding citizens to be armed. As mentioned before: criminals do not observe "gun free zones". Help by not supporting laws that require citizens to be unarmed victims.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

TheLAGuy said:


> What island do you live on? Hawaii?


Check the upper right-had corner of the gray header of my last post. Last I looked, Hawaii was nowhere near Northwest Washington State.
Also, Hawaii does not permit concealed carry to its "ordinary" citizens, so if I were carrying-and, most assuredly, I am-I would be doing something illegal in Hawaii.

I live on Orcas, one of the islands of Washington's San Juan County.



TheLAGuy said:


> Do you ever find it uncomfortable when you carry? Let's say you were going out for a nice dinner with your wife or g/f, something really fancy. Would you carry then?


I can only answer for myself, of course. Others may have different answers, and different reasons.
I am always armed. If I am up and about, I am wearing a pistol. If I am in bed, the pistol is on the side-table, right next to the clock and the flashlight. The shotgun is in a nearby closet.
I am always armed because I am a really bad mind-reader. Thus, I cannot predict when deadly trouble may begin. So I make myself ready for deadly trouble as a matter of course.
(If I had a girlfriend, my wife would get jealous. She might decide to kill me with her own concealed pistol. So I only go out to dinner and theater with my wife.)

It took me years to find a comfortable concealment gun and rig. I did a lot of experimenting. I put up with a lot of discomfort.
I finally found three: Two different .45 ACP pocket guns and their holsters, and now a .380 ACP Colt's Pocket Hammerless (which, it is ironic to say, I wear in a belt holster).

A wiser man than I advises that, "A gun should be comforting, not comfortable."


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## jakeleinen1 (Jul 20, 2011)

TheLAGuy said:


> Did you use it? and get the purse back?


No i didn't but it wasn't the purse that got snatched, he tried to grab her body. He had pulled on her arm one time and the second time after she walked away he charged her full sprint. I gently but firmly pressed my arm against his chest and expanded the baton.

I'm thankful I didn't have a gun on me because when going against someone who is not armed a gun would not be the ideal choice, I usually reccommend if people CCW they have a non-lethal option with them, though I dont always follow my own rule...


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## jakeleinen1 (Jul 20, 2011)

TheLAGuy said:


> Do you ever find it uncomfortable when you carry? Let's say you were going out for a nice dinner with your wife or g/f, something really fancy. Would you carry then?


And no, never... Sometimes it can be awkward when I go out with a new girl and she eventually finds that I CCW, I'm such a playa (just kidding, okay maybe not) these days that if the girl decides that she can't be around a guy who conceals a gun, then good ridance I say! And to be honest very few girls have been turned off by it...


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## rex (Jan 27, 2012)

The world is a dangerous place,always has been and always will be.I have some type of weapon on me at all times,and when I can I add a gun into the list.

I aways have a forehead,hands,elbows,knees,feet and a keyring with me,a knife 99.9% of the time and a pistol unless I'm going to a prohibited spot (and then it's in the car or bike).You never know when some lowlife gets a hair up their butt and picks you.Fortunately my looks and the way I carry myself discourage the majority of people from screwing with me,but a few dumbass drunks have tested me before.


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## TheLAGuy (Nov 28, 2012)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> Check the upper right-had corner of the gray header of my last post. Last I looked, Hawaii was nowhere near Northwest Washington State.
> Also, Hawaii does not permit concealed carry to its "ordinary" citizens, so if I were carrying-and, most assuredly, I am-I would be doing something illegal in Hawaii.
> 
> I live on Orcas, one of the islands of Washington's San Juan County.
> ...


Seems like you really know your stuff!


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## Gunners_Mate (Feb 17, 2010)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> Check the upper right-had corner of the gray header of my last post. Last I looked, Hawaii was nowhere near Northwest Washington State.
> Also, Hawaii does not permit concealed carry to its "ordinary" citizens, so if I were carrying-and, most assuredly, I am-I would be doing something illegal in Hawaii.
> 
> I live on Orcas, one of the islands of Washington's San Juan County.


Steve, I never realized you live on Orcas. I'm from Seattle and I spent my honeymoon on Orcas, at the Northshore Cottages (specifically the Eagles Nest). My wifes from Anacortes and worked at the North Sound Brewery, they gave us a 5 gallon mini-keg of Bourbon Barrel Stout, a phenomenal brew and my only regret is not having had more time and resources to stay there longer. It was a gorgeous little spot, one I would love nothing more to grow roots in.

But back to the topic. I conceal carry everyday stateside (ie when not deployed) and not out of an irrational fear, or being at some increased risk, but because I have a wife and 2 children whom I have a responsibility to protect. As many good friends as I have I trust none of them so much as to expect them to be able to protect that which means most to me, so Why on earth would I EVER entrust a stranger with a response time of 5 minutes or more with the lives that can be taken in just a few seconds time?

I carry, my wife carries, and as soon as my children can carry (obviously I'm not going to arm teenagers, when they are 21 and get permits), they will.

The short and simple is, I conceal carry because carrying a shotgun everywhere with me would be a make a target of myself to LEO's.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Gunners_Mate said:


> ...I spent my honeymoon on Orcas...


Us, too. We're just having a very _extended_ honeymoon. About 14 years-worth, so far.
We stayed here for two days when we were still just "going together," while on our way to somewhere else. We woke up on the second morning and we both said, "This is the place."
Then it took us a couple of years to get ourselves retired, and to get our financial ducks in a row.

This morning there was mist everywhere, ghosting up between the hills and over the sound. Every tree stood out, softly, against the hillsides.
Jean said, "You just couldn't take a bad picture of that."

(Thus endeth ye hijacking.)


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

I live on Orcas said:


> I tried getting on a dolphin once, very slippery.
> Living on an Orca ? At least their bigger then a dolphin :smt017


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## berettabone (Jan 23, 2012)

L. Caudill USMC (ret)..." Why the gun is civilization". Google


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

pic said:


> I tried getting on a dolphin once, very slippery.
> Living on an Orca ? At least their bigger then a dolphin :smt017


Ye hijacking continueth...

I didn't write that I lived on _an orca_. I wrote "_Orca*s*_." That's _more than one_.
While we sit on one of them, the others keep adjusting our seat belts.
Jeeze...

May we go back to the original subject please? Every time you make a joke, I am absolutely driven to answer with another.
So it's _all *your* fault!_
:smt083


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## qwiksdraw (May 11, 2012)

If you tell someone you are carrying, then you are no longer concealed.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

qwiksdraw said:


> If you tell someone you are carrying, then you are no longer concealed.


While that is absolutely true, there are times when it is reassuring to that other person, to have been told that his/her companion is armed and competent.


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## qwiksdraw (May 11, 2012)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> While that is absolutely true, there are times when it is reassuring to that other person, to have been told that his/her companion is armed and competent.


And I do understand what you wrote. Let me qualify a little further: *while *carrying tell no one you are carrying.

It is a good to tell family and close friends that you carry but not _when_ you carry. You should instruct them to never ask if you are carrying.
In a stress situation you don't want someone pointing at you and saying" he's got a gun." That could make you the first target.


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## BigCityChief (Jan 2, 2013)

usmcj said:


> I didn't author this piece, but I think it to be the best "reason/s to carry" I've ever run across.
> 
> 1. We can ignore other basics of personal safety. Every permit holder that I know realizes that almost all dangerous situations can be avoided by vigilance, alertness and by simply making wise choices about where one goes and what one does. We don't walk down dark alleys. We lock our cars. We don't get intoxicated in public or hang out around people who do. We park our cars in well lighted spots and don't hang out in bad parts of town where we have no business. A gun is our last resort, not our first ...
> 
> This is a well reasoned, thoughtful piece. Thanks for posting it.


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## rolandrock (Sep 21, 2012)

because every bit as important as the right to bear, is the responsibility to keep. If it's in my waistband, I know where it is and what it's doing. (NOT getting stolen)


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## berettatoter (Sep 1, 2011)

TheLAGuy said:


> I remember this being touched earlier but I couldn't find the thread.
> 
> For the people who carried CCW? Is their a reason that you carry CCW? I mean is it because you feel in threat for one reason or another? Or you just feel more comfortable in case something came your way and you have this readily available, just in case?
> 
> ...


I carry because of the JIC reason.:mrgreen:


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## numbertwo (May 28, 2012)

If we could carry here (we can but we need to submit a request to the chief of police and he NEVER approves) it would mostly be because I can. I love the idea of being able to carry, I used to carry my toy guns on my waist as a kid and I'd love to do it now. BUT I do know that it's a scary world out there so having it loaded and ready would be due to the dangers of an imperfect world.


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