Why I carry a handgun

Recent discussions that sort of overflowed and got real off-topic up in the Reloading area got me to thinking about why I carry a handgun, pretty much all the time.

Okay - let's get the old joke out of the way: Because a cop is too heavy! :grin: Darned straight. Oh crud, I am a cop, and too heavy. Double oh-crud. So yes, I do carry a handgun on duty because it's part of my job. It's come in handy a time or three over the years as well.

But what about off duty? Why do I carry? I can't speak for others, but I can explain why, and cite a few examples of how that's worked out for me.

Basic reason, self defense, and defense of others. I do my best off-duty to avoid trouble, but trouble has a way of showing up time to time when we're least expecting it.

Example: Years ago when my sons were young, our family went to dinner in a nearby town. A decent, downtown area of a small, rural town. Nice dinner, then back to the car. Just as we're getting to the car, four people, three men and a woman, start closing in on us. They're spread wide, in what I'd describe as a "skirmishers" line. The woman is towards the center. These are all adult white trash "street thug" type people. Dirty. Hard looking. The guys on the far ends are spreading out, flanking my little family of four. I ask my wife to put the boys in the car and get going. This is a pre-arranged drill for us, and there are no questions to ask. She gets going on that. I stay outside the car between the four hard-cases and my family.

The woman asks me "Do you know what time it is?" A ploy to get me to look down, at my watch, and distract my attention from them.

I had my hands in the pockets of my coat. It's cold out. Pull my hands out, and in it there's my carry gun, a stainless .357 mag Smith & Wesson, one of the hammerless snub-nose five-shot J-frames, full of 145 grain Winchester Silvertip hollow point ammo. Good gun, and I've practiced with it quite a bit. As I was pulling it out I said in a calm, but loud voice (good old USMC training coming out there) "It's time for you to leave."

Everything slowed way down. My wife went on about getting the kids secured in the car, starting it, and actually started driving away, as per our plan. Her job was to get the kids and herself away. My job was to give her time to make that happen.

All four of the hard cases froze in their tracks. The woman's eyes got real wide and she just sort of stammered a bit. The guy closest to her, and to me, put his hands up, started walking backwards and said over and over "Hey man, we don't want no trouble." They all followed his lead and backed away from me, my family and to the sidewalk.

They left. My wife let me in the car and we drove home. Incident over. Gun never was pointed at anyone, just at the parking lot pavement. I sure was glad I had it with me that night. At 6' and 200+ I'm reasonably big & strong and have some hand-to-hand training. Fighting three guys at once isn't something I'd look forward to. Having a handgun with me saved me from that fight, and likely saved my family from something bad too.

I'll share a couple more examples.

Guy

Am driving, off-duty. Going fishing. Have a handgun along of course, as always. The .357 again. It tucks nicely into a pocket and is easy to carry, if not so easy to shoot with full-power .357 loads.

Car ahead of me hits a good size mule deer that is flung over to the side of the road. Crippled, but very much alive. After checking on the good folks in the car, I go shoot the deer. Have heard that this action can get one in trouble, but it sure seemed like the right thing to do rather than let it lay there and flop and twitch and die a slow, nasty death.

I wasn't going to have a rifle or shotgun in the car on that trip, but the handgun was with me. I was glad.

Another: A couple of years ago I was fishing for steelhead on the Methow River. November? December? Something like that. Cold. Out on a gravel bar, casting my fly rod, and I notice a big dog come out of the woods maybe 30 yards from me. "That's weird" I think. Oh, it's not a dog, it's a cougar! Cool. No, I didn't shoot it, but it was once again, nice to have a reasonably powerful handgun with me. Yes, we have had cougar and bear attacks in this general region.

Another: Backpacking with the Boy Scout troop. A couple other fathers and me. A few boys on a six day, 50 mile backpack trip through the high country of the Cascades. Bears. We took all the right precautions, hung our food from a tree, etc, but it sure was nice to know that I had enough of a gun along to deal with a bear should one decide it was time to eat a scout. Is a bear attack likely? No - but it's nice to know that the tool to stop a bear attack is on hand. Bear spray? Yeah, could have had that too. Likely a good idea. Rifle or shotgun? Didn't want to backpack six days with one, and besides, the handgun was tucked completely out of sight. I think my son was the only scout on the trip who knew I had one. Of course, Dad always has a handgun.

Yup, even out in the boonies, it's good to have a handgun. Not necessary, but nice.

I think the first time I was ever glad I was carrying a handgun was way back when I was twenty-something and dating a good looking gal. We went hiking up a dirt road way out in the hills one day. We were having a great time, looking at all sorts of wildlife and just goofing around. She looked pretty good in her shorts and t-shirt too.

A group of off-road motorcyclists found us and started making closer and closer passes, scaring us while we hiked along the edge of the road. They made several passes, spraying us with dirt and getting way too close for comfort. There really wasn't anywhere else for us to walk, except on the dirt road. Too much brush.

I was carrying a .357 mag on my belt, a good size Colt Trooper Mk III that I owned back then. Apparently they couldn't see it. I re-arranged my shirt & pack so that the revolver was Very Visible, in the holster on my belt.

The next pass from these yahoos came from the front. The first rider almost dumped his bike, braking hard and steering way around us. The others followed him, swinging wide. They pulled up to a stop some yards past us and I heard one yell "That **** has a gun!" Then they rode off. We never saw them again. I was glad I had the handgun with me.

There have been a number of other times I was glad to be carrying - and I've never had to shoot anyone, thankfully. Some folks shouldn't carry. I'm glad I'm not one of them.

I do think that if you're going to carry, it's important to understand all the ramifications of being armed. You just might kill somebody someday. All sorts of bad things can happen because there's a gun present in a bad situation. Know the laws. Know yourself. Know how to handle the gun.

Regards, Guy

Ah well, one more.

One winter, late at night, I was walking home from work. I walk to and from work often. It's not far, maybe a mile or so. I like the walk. Gives me time to think. Late. Dark. Cold. Nobody on the street, just me. Several inches of fresh snow covering the road & sidewalk. I've got a heavy coat on, a hat, and am carrying a gym bag.

Get to the intersection of an alley with the the street. A car (the only occupied car in the area that late) previously sitting still accelerates straight at me. I've got seconds to make a decision.

Draw and shoot the driver through the windshield?

Try to get out of the way on 50+ year old legs in the snow?

Stay there and get hit?

I went with option 2, figuring that three would hurt a lot, and that if necessary, I could go back to option 1 and shoot, if getting out of the way didn't work out.

Somehow I got enough traction to get the heck out of the way. I think the car was having trouble getting traction too. It slid to a stop right where I'd been standing. Two guys were in it. By this time I had my hand on my .45, but hadn't drawn.

They started yelling at me and giving me grief, challenging me to a fight. I told 'em to get, then they saw the gun on my belt. I didn't want to kill them, nor did I want to get into a fight in the middle of the night, and I didn't think it was going to work out peacefully if I'd tried to arrest them alone, and off duty. As they left, I got their plate and called it in to my pards who were still on duty. They stopped the car and arrested the guy for DUI. He'd had two or three priors. The prosecutor decided not to charge them with anything regarding their harassment/endangerment of me and I'm okay with that.

I suspect that without the gun, the two of them would have come at me and we'd have had a merry little scrap right there on the snow covered sidewalk.

Admittedly this was late at night, and I was all alone, but I've been walking to and from work at all hours of day and night for a lot of years now, without problem for the most part. Still, I was glad I had the .45 with me.

Guy

Guy,

Excellent post.
I have carried for years as well. Never been in trouble and don't go looking for it either.
My job requires travel all over the state, sometimes through bad areas. Had a flat tire on the side of the road and 3 punks stopped to help. You could tell by their posture as they got out of their car that this was big trouble.
They decided that they didn't want to get their hands dirty when they realized I had a 45 in my waist band and left.
I realize brandishing is illegal, sue me. :mrgreen:

JD338

It's a fine line isn't it Jim, between being prepared to defend yourself, and "brandishing" a firearm?

Am glad I live in a place where it's not uncommon for a man (or woman) to be armed. For a liberal state, Washington is surprisingly good about both open carry, and concealed carry permits. I like that.

Guy

Same here in MI which has both CCW and Open Carry laws.

I agree, it is a very fine line between being prepared to defend yourself, and brandishing a firearm? Glad I read the body language correctly as they left post haste.

JD338

I too am a police officer and carry a handgun religously on duty and off duty. WHY? Well there are a lot of reasons most of which you have already touched on. The number 1 reason at least for me is even in rural America times they are a changing and not necessarily for the better. The morals in our great country have (if I can be blunt) have gone to the toilet so to speak.

Yes there is a HUGE responsibility in carry a concealed handgun, and I also agree that not everyone is capable of handling that responsibility. However in my situation (much like Guy's) I'd feel pretty silly if something were to happen close to me and I was not prepared to handle ths situation should that be possible.

For some it may be a macho thing, and yet for others it may be a security blanket of sorts, but for a lot of us it is a lot more. It is part of the package of being prepaired.

Larry

One thing I have learned over ther years is that carrying a handgun is not empowering. The act of carrying places a heavy weight of responsibility upon the individual carrying.

A handgun is simply a tool. Yes, it can be a work of art. Beautiful in form and function. But once placed into operation, it becomes the final word.

Excluding combat, I have twice used such a tool in the line of duty. Against other Marines who gave me no other choice but meet violence with violence. Neither time did I come away clean. The second incident put me into the hospital on Pendleton for 2 months with an additional 6 months rehab. The A-Hole jerked his 60 Chevy into me as I was putting 4 rds of 230 grain ball thru his windshield.

Oddly enough, I have never been shot. Even my pretty Purple ribbons were not for bullet wounds.

I have never felt a moments of remorse. Both survived to stand trial. Altho the first one would live out his life in a wheelchair. Doc's testified that he was so full of drugs, his body neglected to tell his brain that I had killed him. And I walked around for 2 weeks with 'freckles' on the left side of my face from where his 357 had impacted a cinderblock wall next to me. I would have lost my left eye not for the military issue glasses I had started wearing a few months earlier.

I stopped being afraid of dying in my youth. If your number is up.... nothing can change that. But what does scare me..... is how I die. And it will never, ever, be without a fight.

I am disabled and my lungs are severly scared and damaged from lung cancer and TB which shuts me down pretty fast for combat purposes. I was taught to fight and am good at it but can't do it anymore.

Two years ago a local ice company's truck driver ran my wife off the local main street of town just because he could do it. We honked at him and he followed us home. I went in the garage to get a .45 and he left. I called the ice company and talked to the owner. He said: "this guy is an ex-con and is trouble". He suspended him for one week without pay for harrassing me. I called the local town police and they said they knew him and he was "trouble and dangerous". So I reported what had happened.

Two night later this felon emerged from a side road in his car and follwed us home at dusk, drove into and blocked our driveway. I got out of the car and pointed a .32 H&R Mag, S&W Model 331 snubby at him and cocked it. He left. I called his boss the next day and told him that Washington has Castle Doctrine laws and that I will shoot the SOB on sight on my property as he has threatened me twice. I have not seen him since.

I now have a CWP and don't expect any more issues. The day that I went to get my CWP, there were 35 people behind me in line for the same reason! It used to be about two a week according to a deputy, before Obama's election as President.

Some people think that they lead a charmed life and can talk their way out of any situation. All they are telling me is that they are niave and do not understand criminality and its manifestations through felons very well.

On about five occasions during my long life, I have had to point a gun at a felon to end incidents that were going south very fast! I each case the sight of a handgun has ended the incident peacefully. I have not illusions about the alternatives and what would have happened when a Hell's Angel (who lived next door) entered my house at 5:30 AM while I was sleeping and if he had not heard the 1911 being cocked.

This or, the two dope dealers in LA that blocked my driveway because my son owed them money (stupid boy!). What if my Peacemaker Colt .45 had not been pointed at their heads and their being told to "leave or die and don't come back and you will be shot at the count of three if you are not gone"!

I love Wyoming

open carry
No CCW required for in State carry
CCW is offered to all for outside state carry.

FOTIS":yb6awr79 said:

I love Wyoming

open carry
No CCW required for in State carry
CCW is offered to all for outside state carry.

Click to expand...

That is the way it should be in all 50 states.
And the crime rate would go down too. :wink:

JD338

I agree but the Libs are so obtuse!

Obtuse and brainwashed thoroughly! There is nothing that I can say certainly that would change anything about Libs.

Little Johnny machine gunned a bus load of nuns. His defense attorney claimed his client was not at fault because the night before the prom queen refused to dance with him.

Ignore the fact he has runny, puss sores all over his face. Ignore the fact he has not brushed his teeth in 10 years. Ignore the fact his clothes had not been washed in over a year. Ignore the fact he had not bathed for over a month before the prom.

He was distraught becuase he was rejected by the prom queen. It is society's fault he stole an M16 from one of the local SWAT Team members patrol vehicle within hours after the prom. Society is too blame for his entire outlook on life.

He is a victim of his environment and the gun society is too blame. If that SWAT Team member did not have the M16, my client could not have stolen it and used it in a plea for help.

~~~~ Such is the mentality of most liberals.~~~~~

Mortis":po18sq3o said:

Little Johnny machine gunned a bus load of nuns. His defense attorney claimed his client was not at fault because the night before the prom queen refused to dance with him.

Ignore the fact he has runny, puss sores all over his face. Ignore the fact he has not brushed his teeth in 10 years. Ignore the fact his clothes had not been washed in over a year. Ignore the fact he had not bathed for over a month before the prom.

He was distraught becuase he was rejected by the prom queen. It is society's fault he stole an M16 from one of the local SWAT Team members patrol vehicle within hours after the prom. Society is too blame for his entire outlook on life.

He is a victim of his environment and the gun society is too blame. If that SWAT Team member did not have the M16, my client could not have stolen it and used it in a plea for help.

~~~~ Such is the mentality of most liberals.~~~~~

Click to expand...

Wow! Now that is perspective! :twisted:

Well they elected Bathhouse Barrack!

Yes they did!

I have carried off duty religiously since I put on a badge (25+ years) and while there have been a few close calls on duty, nothing has happened yet off duty (except shooting a car-injured deer). However, the same people who you meet while in uniform might not want to test you then, but would have few qualms about trying something while you are at Wal-Mart with your family, when you don't have your duty belt full of gear. They don't realize that such actions mean the rules of engagement change, too, and not in their favor.

I have tried to instill some of this in the new(er) officers but many elect to dress for comfort/fashion and hiding a gun often doesn't lend itself to maintaining that desired "look". These are the same officers who talk about seeing our clientele at locales away from work and the ways the clientele openly acknowledge them.

As others have said, the world isn't getting better and the bad guys/girls are getting more brazen. Just because you happen to live in Smalltown, USA, doesn't insulate you from the bad people anymore. They're everywhere and their numbers are growing. They have vehicles and so are mobile. The more heinous the crime/act the more media coverage drawn and they are now more famous than the previous newsmaker.

I have often been asked if the influx of CCW holders bothers/scares me. My answer is always the same: absolutely not. The people I have to worry about aren't concerned with doing things the legal way and haven't been for centuries. The ones who go through the process to get their CCW permits are the least of my worries.

God bless and protect all those who go in harms way.

Ron

What irks me to no end is that my company will not let anyone bring any firearm on the installation. Parking off company property is NOT feasible.