# What prompet you to get your CCW?



## LiberalCCW (May 26, 2008)

So I'm curious to know what prompted each of you to get your CCW.

My story:

I'm heavily involved in the art community here in Phoenix (which is why i talk of guns here rather than with friends). My house is in a historic art district and I spend many nights downtown (reason in itself to carry) visiting local venues or galleries. So you can imagine how many gun-banning-hippies feel they must speak their minds to me. Which is fine, but I don't see them complaining when they need a sense of security.

So basically, I got sick of all the comments and debates so I decided to get my CCW... what a hippy doesn't know won't hurt it. It's been two weeks now and seems to be working... though I'm still a little self conscious about it.

What about you?


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## Black Metal (Jan 16, 2008)

I like guns and like to protect myself and family. Utah is a right to carry state it was a no brainer


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## wiseguy (Feb 24, 2007)

i live in a bad part of town, my dad (former Marine) brought me up with a very strong respect for guns and an understanding that it is absolutely necessary to own and carry one when legal. It's like owning an insurance policy for your car...not because you plan on getting into an accident, but because they happen. Every day i lock and load, and carry everywhere i go, not because i plan on using my weapon but the safety of knowing that i am prepared to defend myself and my loved ones no matter what happens. It's a sense of safety...when i began carrying i was nervous, also checking to see if i was printing and wondering if anyone knew. now it's second nature to me and i feel naked without a pistol on me. maybe that's a little extreme but it's true...i just don't feel completely secure without one....oh yeah and because i can :smt033 :smt1099n God bless America!


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## LiberalCCW (May 26, 2008)

wiseguy said:


> ...when i began carrying i was nervous, also checking to see if i was printing and wondering if anyone knew.


Thank You! I feel slightly less embarrassed about my last thread.


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## Todd (Jul 3, 2006)

Simple. I know that cops are first responders, they are a limited "resource", and aren't always driving by when you need them. People need to step up and take some responsibility for themselves. I want to be able to protect my kids, my wife, and myself if I had to. Bad things don't only happen to bad people in bad places; they happen to everyday people, doing everyday things, in everyday places.

I should also add that I like the fact that I have the option of just walking into a gun shop and buying a gun, without having to go though the hassle of going through the whole purchase permit saga every time.


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## Joeywhat (Apr 17, 2008)

My primary reason is because I can. I figure if I get it it will help the cause, and hopefully (although doubtfully...) help change peoples' opinions about guns due to there popularity.

The other reason is that I enjoy having extra protection when traveling into the less then friendly cities around me. It's also good when I'm out hunting, and makes transportation much easier.


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## Willybone (Oct 26, 2007)

I wasn't looking to get a CCW. I just wanted to get a .22 revolver for target shooting.
In CT, you need a CCW to even own a handgun. So, I got the CCW and the .22, and then decided to get and carry a 38 snub just because I could.


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## brifol6111 (May 6, 2008)

My general Philosiphy.

You always need it when you dont have, you rarely need it when you do.


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## Nozoki (Feb 1, 2008)

I got interested when I was listening to Opie and Anthony on XM radio. Anthony was always talking about his guns and would mention whenever a home invasion happened on Long Island where he lives. Then I started looking for message boards for more info and found some great sites like this one. Some sites get a little too anti-liberal for me, but I have found some of my views meandering towards the center line lately as I get older. Anyway, what pushed me to buy a gun was I realized that if someone broke into my house while I was there, I had nothing to protect my family. I live outside of town in a heavily wooded area and my neighbors can't be seen except for their lights at night. But the reason I got my carry permit was because the news gets worse every night. I just got my permit this weekend. I honestly feel that society is headed in a bad direction. Crime is getting worse and nothing is being done about it. Prison is a joke.


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## Baldy (Jun 21, 2006)

My wife got on my case to get legal as I been carring for about 40yrs without a piece of paper. So we both did. She had the papers in many places that we lived but I just never got around to it back then.


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## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

I grew up around guns, so it was a natural progression for me when I reached legal age. I prefer having a gun around, even though the odds of needing it are miniscule. 

It's also somewhat of a job requirement for me.


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## crinko (May 26, 2008)

*why i carry*

you just never know these days, i wouldn't want to be stuck not having it when its needed. :draw:


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## funkypunk97 (Aug 2, 2007)

Well I just wanted a permit, not really a CCW permit. But here in NY state you cannot even take your gun to a range or competition unless you have a CCW permit. The basic ownership permit only allows you to own one to be kept at a specific address. Apparently not even in a box, locked away and unloaded......which makes me wonder how people legally get them home or get them serviced without a CCW...??? 

Either way since I want to get involved with USPSA and IDP sport shooting, I needed to apply for a CCW..... which I'm still waiting for (it takes up to 6mos here in NY) the process is still ongoing.....


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## funkypunk97 (Aug 2, 2007)

Todd said:


> Simple. I know that cops are first responders, they are a limited "resource", and aren't always driving by when you need them. People need to step up and take some responsibility for themselves. I want to be able to protect my kids, my wife, and myself if I had to. Bad things don't only happen to bad people in bad places; they happen to everyday people, doing everyday things, in everyday places.
> 
> I should also add that I like the fact that I have the option of just walking into a gun shop and buying a gun, without having to go though the hassle of going through the whole purchase permit saga every time.


Great post.... really sums it up nice.....

The police are great, and they do their jobs the best they can..... but they are not psychic, they are not really preventative they are reactive..... they are generally just getting involved after the bad stuff has already happened to some extent.....

It still makes me wonder if just one professor or student at Virginia Tech had been packing..... that psycho walked around with total autonomy, slowly, deliberately, and there was just no way to stop him......

I used to think Texas was crazy, people all walking around with guns like the wild west...... but how many malls or schools get shot up in Texas? How many home invasions? Rapes? Of course some, but nothing like in states where no one is carrying....

I have to think that a psycho would think twice before walking into a Wendy's and opening fire....knowing that probably 5 of the 20 people in the place could end your psycho tirade before it even starts.....

sorry..... I've ranted again.....


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## unpecador (May 9, 2008)

Baldy said:


> My wife got on my case to get legal as I been carring for about 40yrs without a piece of paper. So we both did. She had the papers in many places that we lived but I just never got around to it back then.


Wow 40 years, I would imagine at some point during that stretch you had to draw your firearm on somebody.


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## P97 (May 8, 2006)

Baldy said:


> My wife got on my case to get legal as I been carring for about 40yrs without a piece of paper. So we both did. She had the papers in many places that we lived but I just never got around to it back then.


 Been carrying since 1960.


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## Triple T (Dec 20, 2007)

got mine cause I turned 21 and bought a pistol, and cause parts of the town I live near are not the safest and have high gang rates so just a little backup plan to have, and its also around a Art and Hippie college called SCAD


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## 54omle (Feb 9, 2008)

I hadn't thought too much about it, until my wife and I walked into a bank as directed by our employer (worked at same company) to make sure our direct deposit started properly. When we walked in, we waltzed into an armed bank robbery. I felt completely helpless, and didn't like the feeling. At that time Ohio didn't have concealed carry. While working (damage appraiser) I was inspecting a car in a downtown area of a major U.S. city and witnessed a murder 100 feet from me, and again there wasn't a thing I could do. When a friend started his business (retail store) and told me he was getting his, I got mine, and shoot every week and am in process of becoming a NRA certified and Ohio certified CCW instructor. I believe in it very much.


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## Willy D (Jun 5, 2008)

I always liked guns but did not grow up around them...I decided I wanted to buy a gun and just take it to shoot at the range...I figured I would not even keep ammo for it, just buy it, shoot it and go home...I have been playing in a band playing in bars for the last 20+ years...I never even shot a gun before about 4 months ago...I found out that in Indiana too, you need a permit to transport it back and forth to the range...I carried it there every week (unloaded in the trunk) untill I got my CCW permit. Now I carry it with me all the time. Every gig and most other times...I cannot have weapon of any kind on the property where I work as they even state that vehicles are subject to search, so I cannot have it there. I feel better now when I go into a restaurant and eat (especially at 3 am after a gig) knowing that if some idiot starts shooting at least I have a chance. I plan on getting into some competitions too...I feel way more comfortable with it now than I first carried it...

Willy


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

I got mine because I've been shot at (once) and threatened by the pistol of a robber (once).


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## SuckLead (Jul 4, 2006)

Honestly, I had an issue with the laws for transporting guns in NC. They give you suggestions and what is frowned upon, but they actually include the line, "North Carolina law does not specifically address how to transport a weapon in an automobile." Which leads me to believe that if I open carry and a cop pulls me over, if he has a stick up his rear he can basically decide whether or not I'm in violation. With a CCW, I can drop it in my glove box or under my seat and just make sure I let him know I have a CCW and the gun is in the car with me and where. Plus, with the issues at home, dropping my handguns in my backpack so dad doesn't find them is in my best interest (he's an anti-gunner who regularly threatens to drop off any handguns he finds in the house to be destroyed). 

And of course there was that one time a cop approached me and told me someone had called the police saying there was a girl "running around with a gun" and was trying to use the "going to the terror of the people" law that NC has. He told me to put my open carry piece away and have a nice day. I was getting gas on the way home from my job as an armored car guard at the time, and the gun in question was my duty pistol (I was also in full uniform at the time). Had someone try to do that once while was working at the same job. They called when they saw me go in for pick up. 

It wasn't until after I got the permit that I realized I was taking my handgun everywhere with me.


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## Todd (Jul 3, 2006)

SuckLead said:


> And of course there was that one time a cop approached me and told me someone had called the police saying there was a girl "running around with a gun" and was trying to use the *"going to the terror of the people" law that NC has. *




Good ol' NC. Gotta love them for having a law on the books that basically negates the open carry laws. That and no CCW in restaurants where you can buy and consume, even though you can't have a drop of any controlled substance in your body and carry anyway. :smt011


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## Ram Rod (Jan 16, 2008)

I was involved in a traffic stop in 1995. The police searched my vehicle and came up with the 357 mag I kept under the driver's seat for years. My speed loaders were in the glove box, and the revolver was in a gun rug case. I pretty much always relied on the 'journey law' exception of my state (Arkansas). The officer asked if I had intended on getting a CHL as the law passed that year (1995) and suggested I do so. I got my CHL in 2001 actually. No more leaving the gun in the vehicle.


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## SemoShooter (Jul 5, 2007)

I have owned guns for over 30 years, and pistols for over 20. I never took one out of the house for protection until a couple of years ago when a guy at work got fired. He was kind of a nut job so I started bringing a revolver to work. Later that year a distant relative started threatening myself and other family members. My wife, who has had a revolver for 23 years wanted me to take a concealed carry class with her. After we got our carry permits we bought pistols, own several of them now, and both carry everywhere it is legal. I really feel kind of naked when not armed anymore.


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## Natureboypkr (Jul 24, 2007)

Considering that criminals carry, I just though it would be a good idea for me to do so too


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## biegel34 (May 19, 2008)

*Better safe than sorry!*

The reason I got mine was simple: better safe than sorry. Hopefully, I'll never experience a situation where it's needed, but it's there just in case.


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## hfl73 (Feb 6, 2008)

A couple of things led to my CCW permit, since I retired last year and all my backpacking friends are too old for that activity I occassionally venture into the woods alone. I thought it would be a good idea to carry, more so for protection from humans rather than wild animals. To be honest, in all my years in the backcountry black bears have never been a problem. Mosquitoes, blackflies and no seeums have been more of a nuisance and my handgun is of little use against them. Another reason is that my father had passed along some of his handguns and rifles to my younger brother and I learned he has given some several of them to his live in girlfriend. So as long as Dad was willing to give away guns to family members I thought it might be best to keep them in the family.
Not sure my dad would like that


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## Bigjoedo (Mar 17, 2008)

Unfortunately, the USA and the rest of the world are getting to be a dangerous place. 10 years ago I would never thought about carrying a gun.
The latest trick of criminals in Ohio, is to lay under your car with a knife. They allow you to get one leg into the vehicle the grab your other leg and cut the Achilles tendon. The victim falls down, they steal your car and cash or valuables.

Joe


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## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

Bigjoedo said:


> Unfortunately, the USA and the rest of the world are getting to be a dangerous place. 10 years ago I would never thought about carrying a gun.


I'm assuming you live in Ohio, since you referenced it.

http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/ohcrime.htm

The above stats actually show a general downward trend in violent crime in Ohio since at least the mid-1990s. The high was in 1991, with 61,460 violent crimes. This was reduced by about a third by 2006, with 40,209 violent crimes.

In 1998, your hypothetical 10 years ago, there were 40,628 violent crimes, slightly more dangerous than the most recent year shown (2006). So Ohio is actually safer, not more dangerous, compared to a decade ago.

The stats show a similar trend for the US as a whole: http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime.htm.



> The latest trick of criminals in Ohio, is to lay under your car with a knife. They allow you to get one leg into the vehicle the grab your other leg and cut the Achilles tendon. The victim falls down, they steal your car and cash or valuables.


Urban legend: http://www.snopes.com/horrors/robbery/slasher.asp.


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## TampaSsgt (Apr 3, 2008)

Virginia Tech.

I carried 'off-duty' all the time when I was an Ohio LEO in the late 70's to mid 80's. After I left the job, I didn't feel the need to carry anymore.

Then Virginia Tech. happened, and I realized that all I had on me to protect my wife was my Swiss Army Knife.

I sat down with her and explained what I was going to do and why. She was totally supportive. Matter of fact she recently completed her application and mailed it in to Tallahassee and is waiting to receive her Concealed Weapon License also. :smt023


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## RevDerb (Jun 4, 2008)

I have read through all of the replies to your question as of 8:07 this morning and with the exception of having faced an armed robber or witnessed an altercation involving a weapon which I couldn't respond to, I would say that virtually every response has at least some element of my own reasoning. Actually, I don't have my CPL yet but it is due to be approve in a little over a week and I intend to carry everywhere that it is legal in Michigan. Michigan is a "shall issue" state at this time but who knows when that rug could be pulled out from us and I don't want to be left behind. Too many times I have paid for my procrastination and when my son and his wife got their CPL's a couple of months ago, I decided that it was time for me to GOTP as well. I have owned long guns since I was 13 years old and 49 years later decided that it was time to be able to defend myself and my home with something that could be handled in most situations which is not always the case with a shotgun or rifle. I have enjoyed reading everyone's replies here and have been interested in seeing how the different states in our "union" handle the 2nd Amendment.
\"doggy:


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## BigJim22602 (Mar 13, 2008)

because I have that right, and if we don't excerise our rights, they will be taken away.


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## Roger Norris (Jul 5, 2008)

I have always kept a firearm handy. When Michigan became a"shall issue" state, I got the permit....and I'm not being a wise guy when I say this....because I can. 

When non gun folks ask me "why?", I equate it to an insurance policy.


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## AirForceShooter (May 6, 2006)

I'm like Baldy.
Carries for over 40 years without any paper.
If you wear a pin striped suit and a white shirt and rep tie you can go anywhere without a question.
When we got to Florida my wife told me to get a CWL, I asked why? I don't need one to have a gun in my house or car or take it to the range.
Then I found out it eliminates the 3 day waiting period. 
Off to the cop house, get prints and get a photo. Fill out application, stuff a check and my DD-214 in the envelope and about 90 days later there it was.
Wife is happy. 
See the things we do to make our significant others happy?
Married almost 40 years.
And she got hers too.

AFS


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## Todd (Jul 3, 2006)

Roger Norris said:


> When non gun folks ask me "why?", I equate it to an insurance policy.


You're kind of like me. I equate it like having a fire extinguisher in the house or a spare tire in the car; both are tools you don't ever hope to have to use, but when you need them, you sure want them there.


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## Roger Norris (Jul 5, 2008)

Most men will intercede when they see something going wrong....kids using foul language in front of women and children, etc. I think we owe it to society to insist on decent behavoir. The thing is, we also owe it to our families to return home at the end of the day. And in this day and age, a simple behavior correction out in public can turn ugly fast. So a Colt Commander is my insurance policy that I will come home each night.


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## mtlmgc (May 3, 2008)

I have had a handgun(s) since I was 19, I'm originally from Idaho and you are allowed to carry during hunting season with a hunting license, that covered most of the year so I never worried about it. Now I live in central Pennsyvania and find myself two nights a week in Lancaster after 10:00pm with an hour drive to get home. I always had a gun in the car but it wasn't legal and doesn't help when I stop at the minimart on the way home. I'm changing careers and will find myself in more "populated" areas. I just felt like it was time to carry on my person and do it leagally.


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