# Downside of CCW?



## Orion6 (Jul 29, 2006)

Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm from a country where civilians can't even own any handgun except an airgun or a black powder pistol. So the only people that carry are a few (supposedly) specially trained cops plus the bad guys. Yup. That's the loony tunes state of the UK for you.  

Now obviously all you guys on this forum are responsible and would not draw down on anyone except as a last resort.

But don't you worry about OTHER people carrying guns? Is one of the reasons YOU carry just because you worry about the other people who are legally allowed to carry?

Here in the UK when people get angry and resort to violence it's fisticuffs or any weapon that comes to hand. People get killed, but I can't help thinking that a lot more people would get killed in this kind of blow-up if one or more of the idiots was carrying.

Does this worry you guys, or do you think people actually behave themselves better and start less fights on account of the fact you never know who has a Glock in his/her waistband? :smt071


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## Charlie (May 13, 2006)

Orion6 said:


> Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm from a country where civilians can't even own any handgun except an airgun or a black powder pistol. So the only people that carry are a few (supposedly) specially trained cops plus the bad guys. Yup. That's the loony tunes state of the UK for you.
> 
> Now obviously all you guys on this forum are responsible and would not draw down on anyone except as a last resort.
> 
> ...


I'm not near as worried about other people LEGALLY carrying guns as I am about the ones who carry illegally. I think the people who are legally allowed to carry guns (for the most part) are much better citizens that those that are NOT allowed to carry. Just my $.02


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## Nathan Plemons (Aug 11, 2006)

I have to agree. I've never met a person who legally carries a gun who I would be worried about. 

Kentucky is particularly interesting in that open carry is perfectly legal as well, so honestly you don't need any permit, you just have to be 21. Normally when I'm carrying my gun it's in a small of the back holster which is technically not concealed. I just don't want the hassle of it being considered concealed if I happen to wear a coat, etc.

Being said, those who happen to go through the trouble of getting a CCW tend to be very level headed people who carry their guns only as an absolute last resort. 

Story from one of my friends, I don't really remember who. 

Guy A, a CCW holder, was driving down the road when he came across a particularly road raged fool. Rather than further confront the person he pulled off into a parking lot only to find that Guy B followed him and got out of the car and started to approach him. Guy A got out of the car with a bat and told Guy B that he would be best to calm down and back off. Guy B ran back to his vehicle and started frantically searching under the seat. Guy A drew his gun and asked Guy B if he was "looking for one of these?" Guy B then turned white as a sheet, got back in his car and sped off.

In this particular case a raging fool who was carrying illegaly, and very foolishly, was kept at bay by a person who was legally carrying a gun. Had Guy A not had his gun he would have likely been attacked or killed by Guy B. The gun actually peacefully ended an otherwise bad situation. There is also the possibility, granted a very slim one, that Guy B will think twice about his road rage next time.


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## P97 (May 8, 2006)

In our Country there two types of people that carry guns. Those that carry with criminal intent, and those that carry for self defense. Those that carry with criminal intent aren't going to license their guns, because they don't want the guns to be traced back to them. Those that has CCW license know that they have to be responsible because any action they take can be traced to them easily. What worries me most is the criminal element that has weapons.


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## Charlie (May 13, 2006)

P97 said:


> In our Country there two types of people that carry guns. Those that carry with criminal intent, and those that carry for self defense. Those that carry with criminal intent aren't going to license their guns, because they don't want the guns to be traced back to them. Those that has CCW license know that they have to be responsible because any action they take can be traced to them easily. What worries me most is the criminal element that has weapons.


+1 what P97 said...........


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## Grayfox (Jul 14, 2006)

In many cases knowing we are armed allows us to put up with more crap off of morons than we normally would. We have no desire to harm anybody. Having the ability to do so lets us keep our anger in check and realize just how trivial these things really are. 

Robert Hienlien said it best: "An armed society is a polite society."


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## jwkimber45 (May 6, 2006)

P97 said:


> In our Country there two types of people that carry guns. Those that carry with criminal intent, and those that carry for self defense. Those that carry with criminal intent aren't going to license their guns, because they don't want the guns to be traced back to them. Those that has CCW license know that they have to be responsible because any action they take can be traced to them easily. What worries me most is the criminal element that has weapons.


Very well put......


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## tony pasley (May 6, 2006)

concealed carry is for protection of ourselves and families, but it also provides protection for those who don't carry because the badguys have to wonder does he/she or doesn't he/she have a pistol?


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## Mdnitedrftr (Aug 10, 2006)

Nathan Plemons said:


> Guy A got out of the car with a bat and told Guy B that he would be best to calm down and back off.


Did you mean to say Guy B got out of the car with a bat?:smt017


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## Mdnitedrftr (Aug 10, 2006)

And I too am not afraid of a CCW holder. I know they're on my side.


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## Baldy (Jun 21, 2006)

I am with you all the way P97.


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## Buckeye (Jul 13, 2006)

P97 said:


> In our Country there two types of people that carry guns. Those that carry with criminal intent, and those that carry for self defense. Those that carry with criminal intent aren't going to license their guns, because they don't want the guns to be traced back to them. Those that has CCW license know that they have to be responsible because any action they take can be traced to them easily. What worries me most is the criminal element that has weapons.


I can't say it any better than that. I am NOT worried about the people who carry legally...I carry because of the criminals who will have a gun on them regardless of the law, and they won't be using said gun for self defensive purposes, they'll be carrying mainly for criminal acts perpetrated on those they perceive as week and unarmed. And it doesn't matter how much gun control and gun registration any govt impliments anywhere in the world, criminals will always get their guns, gun control only controls law abiding citizens. I feel carrying legally at least evens the odds.


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## bambam (Jul 14, 2006)

Amen brutha's:smt1099 :smt026 :smt038 :supz:


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## Nathan Plemons (Aug 11, 2006)

Mdnitedrftr said:


> Did you mean to say Guy B got out of the car with a bat?:smt017


No I mean Guy B came at Guy A some kind of pissed off and acting very irrationally so Guy A pulled out the bat as I warning. Guy B then went for his gun but couldn't find it because he's of less than average intelligence so Guy A didn't let him get that far.


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

Actually, with a CCW, U have a disadvantage, sometimes. To cover your butt, you have to make every effort to get away from a hostile situation. You also don't even want to get into a non weapon confrontation because if things do not go well for U, the guy might come across your weapon, and then everything changes.


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## scooter (May 9, 2006)

Shipwreck said:


> Actually, with a CCW, U have a disadvantage, sometimes. To cover your butt, you have to make every effort to get away from a hostile situation. You also don't even want to get into a non weapon confrontation because if things do not go well for U, the guy might come across your weapon, and then everything changes.


THIS is changing rapidly, more and more states are passing stand your ground laws,"castle doctrine laws" etc, I think its about time too..


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

Well, I still think its stupid on my part to get into a shouting match w/ someone and get drawn into a fight. 

The stand your ground laws make sense when someone breaks into your home - and some states make U keep retreating room by room until U can no longer do so.

But, letting your mouth get in the way of common sense is a different thing.

When I was married to my ex-wife, her and I went for a walk on night. We lived in a duplex at the time. As we walked the neighborhood, we passed some people hangining out in their driveway. Oone of them started to follow us and throw comments to try and start a fight. We just kept walking and ignored him. I knew I was armed - and if the situation escalated, I would deal w/ it. Me turning around and being drawn into that situation by throwing insults back to the guy would have been stupid on my part. 

That is what I mean. Had I been a hot headed moron and been drawn into a confrontation, it might have escalated into something else. I used my brain and just kept walking - knowing that I was probably doing the fool a favor. But, had I not be armed, I still would have been smart enough to have ignored the fool.

Unfortunately, too many people would have been sucked into that situation and it would not have gone well.


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## Mdnitedrftr (Aug 10, 2006)

Nathan Plemons said:


> No I mean Guy B came at Guy A some kind of pissed off and acting very irrationally so Guy A pulled out the bat as I warning. Guy B then went for his gun but couldn't find it because he's of less than average intelligence so Guy A didn't let him get that far.


Oh ok.


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## Maximo (May 26, 2006)

Shipwreck said:


> Well, I still think its stupid on my part to get into a shouting match w/ someone and get drawn into a fight.
> 
> The stand your ground laws make sense when someone breaks into your home - and some states make U keep retreating room by room until U can no longer do so.
> 
> ...


I agree with you there Ship. I am the king of the smart ass remark. In the past I may have said something back to a person like that feeling my pride had been hurt if I didn't. However since I had my son and especially since I got my CHL I completely avoid any kind of confrontation even verbal. On the other hand if a BG want to escalate things to the next level of a physical threat..........well just read my tag line.


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## Todd (Jul 3, 2006)

I've gotta agree with the general population. CCW people are on my side. They took the time to get the necessary training and permits. They want to abide by the law. It's the other ones I worry about.


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## SuckLead (Jul 4, 2006)

Having seen some of the things I've seen while working in a gun shop, I doubt I'd be able to save myself from a dummie with a gun. I'm more afraid of people who don't have them legally. There's a reason they have an illegal gun, and I don't want to know what that reason is! But, to be fair, I also carry to defend myself (and others) from animals. We seem to have rabbies issue around here recently; if something comes at me that looks rabid, I'm shooting it. Same goes for snakes. Granted, all the guns I own are overkill for a snake, but it will do in a pinch while walking the dog. I also go out into some strange places sometimes to take pictures, and more than once I've stared down the barrels of a double barreled shotgun owned by someone who didn't have the right to the land I was on but still felt the need to defend it from me. 

However, more than a few times since I have become a CCW holder, I have been invited into fights. The first thing I always say is lose the weapons, I'll lose mine, and we'll do this with our fists.


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

SuckLead said:


> more than a few times since I have become a CCW holder, I have been invited into fights. The first thing I always say is lose the weapons, I'll lose mine, and we'll do this with our fists.


U must be hanging with the wrong people... Other than some work related conflicts (with probationers - or shoplifters, back when I worked loss prevention), I never have these issues in my personal life.


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## SuckLead (Jul 4, 2006)

Shipwreck said:


> U must be hanging with the wrong people... Other than some work related conflicts, I never have these issues in my personal life.


I hate to say this, but I've had a few of our customers come at me after work or during breaks, and I had the same thing happen at my last job. Especially at my last job, customers who decided they had the right to physically assualt me for whatever the lame flavor of the week was. It doesn't happen often, but it has.


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## Wandering Man (Jul 9, 2006)

SuckLead said:


> I also carry to defend myself (and others) from animals. We seem to have rabbies issue around here recently; if something comes at me that looks rabid, I'm shooting it. Same goes for snakes.


I know what Texas CHL law says about when you can bring your weapon out in confrontations with people. But I'm not sure it addresses rabid animals or snakes.

If I'm walking down mainstreet and I'm confronted by a rabid snake, do i get to shoot it? Or do I have to wait until it draws first?

:smt071 :smt071 :smt071 :smt068 :smt068

WM


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