[shootistpd27]

I am a police officer and only carry my service weapon and backup while at work. Off duty I carry three. A 38 snub nose on my left ankle, a ruger lcp 380 on my right, and a glock 22 in my waistband. My take on it is that it doesnt hurt to have them there so why not?

[Justice5]

Mississippi must be dangerous! Just kidding. The more the better I suppose, as long as you don't waste time on choosing one of the three when you need one! I carry 2 on duty, and only one off duty. Never go anywhere without at least one. At least you can grab one from any position it sounds like.

[Davionmaximus]

Sounds smart to me...

[WC145]

On-duty I carry my primary and one, occasionally two, BUG(s). Off duty I normally carry one gun plus a reload or two. I always carry one or two knives as well. If you can carry three comfortably and train at getting them into action, more power to you.

[pbearperry]

Sounds like a lot of weight to me.I carry a snubbie,a folding knife and pepper spray.

[Just One Shot]

At least you're balanced by having one on each ankle. ;)

If you are comfortable with 3 then by all means carry 3.

[XD9WBT]

I think your cop induced them and us mentality plus paranoia has gone a bit to far. It might be time to become a human again.

The fact that you are asking about it means that you think it's a bit much.

[mgkdrgn]

The only time you have too many guns with you is when you go through the metal detector.

The only time you have too much ammo with you is when you are on fire.

[Baba Louie]

I think your cop induced them and us mentality plus paranoia has gone a bit to far. It might be time to become a human again. Two of my uncles were cops who probably between them put away a few hundred bad guys over the years. Only twice, between the 2 of them, did they get a little visit from previous client ner-do-wells who were back out on the streets and specifically remembered the name of the officer who "owed them". Small town cops, visitors were polite.

Probably never happens to "us" (non-LEO), so thus it can't happen to "them", right? My interaction w/ eeeevil-doers and ner-do-wells being somewhat limited (thank you very much)

A few years ago I designed a home for one of our cities prosecuting attornies. He was a freak about home defense. I mean he took it "real" seriously. When I asked why, he stated he'd probably put away thousands of BGs over the years who eventually get back out. To him, they were just another case. To them, HE was one of the three potential guys (cop, prosecuting atty and judge) who owed him or might owe him some payback.

Seen in that light... shootistpd27, be careful around deep pools of water wearing all that extra weight, ya hear? :D

[jimmyraythomason]

mgkdrgn said it all.

[MCgunner]

I'm not a LEO and don't live in the big city, so I usually have one or maybe two (if you count a NAA mini revolver as a gun) on me. But, an LEO in a big town, I'd be packin' plenty of options. :D It ain't like you have the option to avoid the trouble, might be forced to get involved with it. I call 911, you ARE 911. That's a whole nuther ballgame from civilian self defense.

[Rexster]

You are neither the only one, nor paranoid. I am not anonymous enough to be comfortable saying exactly how many I carry and where, but it is normal for me to have two SIG P229 pistols with me, and spare mags, on the clock or off.

I live very near where I work, though it is two different cities. I live in a statistically safe and quiet city, and work in a fairly high-end part of a big, busy city, to the north of where I live. Personal violence is rare, but when it happens, it HAPPENS. Very close to my home, in the small city, was a recent miniature version of the shootout scene from the movie "Heat," with just one bad guy and one police officer, and a police car turned to Swiss cheese. And the potential for more trouble is there, due to several items of what the DHS calls "critical infrastructure." Then, there is a major business center, in and near which are located several very high-end hotels and shopping centers, a Jewish cultural organization, an Israeli consulate, and a mosque. On the opposite side of where I live, is a major Jewish neighborhood, with several synagogues and other centers of Jewish activity. Through this area passes THE major land route between Mexico and the USA's Midwest, Northeast, East, and South. Can anyone see a potential for volatility? That is even before we consider the bad guys I have locked up over 25 years.

[Eightball]

Depends on where you live and your occupation (current or former). For you? A little unusual, but excusable. For me? Heck yeah I'd be paranoid to think I was going to need that much firepower.

That being said, I can't afford the different types of stuff yo'upre carrying; ask me again when I have that money :P

[191145fan]

Your prepared... not paranoid.

Most people have only two options during real trouble.
1) Run (serpentine my friend....serpentine)
2) Fight hand to hand against a possibly armed opponent.

Firearms give you another option. Extra firearms like extra ammo just provide addition options should trouble turn into worse trouble.

[Big Bill]

OOPS! Sorry!!!

[welldoya]

He didn't say a 22LR. He said a GLOCK 22. It's a 40 caliber.

Oops. My bad. Just saw the smiley.

[Peakbagger46]

I personally carry a BUG on duty but only carry one gun (either sig P239 or a snubbie .357) off duty. I must admit I do shut off my "awarness level" a good deal when I'm not at work... probably not a good thing, but I don't like to be identified as a cop 24/7.

[Kind of Blued]

Maybe you're paranoid, maybe you're just prepared. Either way, you're not the only one.

I often carry a 1911 IWB, a .38 snub on my left ankle, and a Kahr PM9 in my pocket.

Why? When I'm driving, on the ground, sitting, etc. I can't reach anything on my belt. When I'm walking around in a heavy coat with a bag over my shoulder, I can't reach anything on my ankle or belt. When I can reach something on my belt, that's the one I want to go for, because it's the most effective, and I shoot it the best.

Maybe we should call it "preparedanoid"... :) If you're the type of person who worries about what other people WOULD think about you IF they knew certain things, carrying a single gun probably isn't a good idea.

[Anyname]

I hope none of the three gun guys ever fall into a river...

[VegasGeorge]

Gee, and here I am struggling with the decision of whether or not to carry a spare magazine. Compare to what you put up with, a spare mag would be a breeze. Thanks for helping me decide! :)

[crazy-mp]

+ 1 for mgkdrgn

[David E]

I must admit I do shut off my "awarness level" a good deal when I'm not at work... probably not a good thing, but I don't like to be identified as a cop 24/7.

I don't follow this. If you're betraying your status as an off-duty cop by your "awareness level," then you're not doing it right.....

.

[BHP FAN]

Heck,I used to carry two 12 shot 469 S&W's back in the day,and I'm not even a LEO.I figured in a gunfight I might be a little nervous and fumble a reload,and they were small,light and hi-cap ,so what the hey?

[ccsniper]

i carry 8 guns small of my back, strong side, shoulder, crossdraw, ankle, open carry, and one in the hand. :)

but really, i know a friend who does the same thing with a .22, nine and 45.

[C-grunt]

No your not paranoid. Its not a good feeling to run into someone that you have arrested. Especially if they are facing serious punishment. Here in Phoenix, unless you are a "flight risk" or did something really bad, you get out before the trial. I once ran into a guy I arrested at Walmart who was looking at probably 5-10 years.

I recently kicked a guy out of his girlfriends house. Found out later the guy lives down the street from me, literally 25 miles from where I contacted him.

[rogertc1]

I have held my CCW for almost 37 years...before they became the fashion of the times. My small town midwestern area of residence is very low crime. Hardly ever carry.
I guess it is where one lives. Bigger the city. The more diverse and density of the people, the bigger the crimes.

[altitude_19]

Paranoid or not, I'd say it's your call. Some people call us paranoid for carrying ONE. I make it a point not to criticize your (legal) decisions lest the trend spiral out of control and I start catching flak for carrying my J-frame. Just be sure of a couple things.
1.) You're on the up-and-up with local ordinances (with which I imagine you're intimately familiar).
2.) You're not compromising public safety. Positive retention on all weapons, good concealment, etc.

[xxxstarmaniac]

I know people who carry at least 3 when riding a motorcycle...1 full size glock under each arm and at least one back up glock or revolver. They say you never know what can happen; if someone decides they want your bike, what do you do if your in a parking lot, traffic, etc. If your on the bike you have very limited options, especially while riding, so its nice to be able to choose with either hand.

[MCgunner]

My wife worked for Texas Children's Protective Services for 13 years. 5 years after retirement, we still run in to former "clients". They're not model citizens, normally. I do understand the problem.

[Loyalist Dave]

Why do ya carry three in the first place? If it was a good decision then, has something changed to make you re-evaluate that decision?

Are there guys in the locker room giving you crap because they choose not to carry more than one gun? If so... ignore that!

My backup is a 9mm 5-shot S&W as I could use the same ammo they issued for the duty gun when I bought it (lowered liability), and I figured that if I went to it, I'd probably be fighting to maintain my duty gun in its holster, or I was wounded, or the dang duty-gun broke, and a simple revolver would be a more reliable choice. Folks gave me crap for carrying a third speed loader when the custom was two, but nobody said anything when I got the backup..., so if you are getting funny looks it's probably not logical, but do to "conventional wisdom". History is full of folks that died as a result of conventional wisdom.

OK, so lets say you are paranoid..., I'd rather be paranoid, and come out alive on the other side of a gunfight, than have a malfunction and die because I coulda, shoulda carried an extra gun or more.

LD

[22-rimfire]

If you don't mind carrying all that weight, go for it. Like another mentioned, I have a problem carrying a reload for my Smith 442 and I know I should.

[krs]

My firstline is one of those Kimber sprayers and my second is usually my Colt New Agent modified. I carry eight full mags for the NA in one of those leather double ammo cases that come when you buy a Russian milsurp rifle in the car. (neat fit of the officer size 7rounders, BTW) I keep a KT 3Pat in my back pocket at all times and if I'm wearing a jacket my off hand is probably holding the grip of my Sig 232 or a j-frame 442 or M49.

If you go to the FBI website and look around a little you'll eventually find the 2008 Gang Report. It tells you that their are gang activities of some sort near you, pretty much wherever you are. There are well organized criminal activities in response to the high demand for guns and 4x4 vehicles in Mexico now.

The other day some poor guy in his early fifties was out cross country skiing not very far from me. He was in a fairly remote area, miles from Portland, OR. Two hispanic guys assualted him and beat him very badly to the point that he very nearly died. They left him for dead apparently, but he isn't dead. They took his Ford Explorer type 4x4 and the news is posting his license plate for everyone to watch for and report, but I'd bet large that that truck crossed the border before dawn the day after.

A typical guy enjoying the great outdoors we have up here in the northwest. Nowhere near any area where a person might think to expect trouble. He'll be maimed and physically messed up, in pain with difficulty doing normal things like eating or taking a dump for the rest of his life.

Someone tell me how it does not make sense to try to prepare to be able to keep something like what just happened to that guy happening to me or to mine.

Call me paranoid? Uh-huh.

[drjoker]

Well, if you had to carry a backup gun on your ankle, it would be understandable to carry 2 on each ankle to balance the weight. Being a LEO, it would be understandable for you to have a backup gun. So, no, you're not paranoid.

I personally carry a pepper spray, a Kel-Tec P3AT, a sure-fire flashlight, and no backup gun. I carry the pepper spray because I want to end confrontations in a non-violent manner, if possible. I really don't want to kill anyone. I just want to defend myself. If the bad guy doesn't have a gun, I'll try my best to use the pepper spray first before using my gun. If the bad guy has a gun, then, I'm not fooling around. I'm going to shoot him.

By the way, if you're going to need a back-up gun, keep a rifle in your car. I'd rather have a rifle than a pistol of any caliber, any day. One time, a BG threatened my wife at work and she called the cops. When the cops were about to come, the BG left. After the cops left, the BG came back. So, she called the cops again and the whole ordeal would happen again. Well, the cops quit coming after the 3rd call. They thought that it was a prank caller. So, she called me. I took my AK-47 and put it underneath a trench coat. I escorted her from work to her car and I spotted the BG coming towards us from the other end of the parking lot. I "accidentally" let my AK slip out partially from my trenchcoat. The BG backed off. There are no long gun restrictions in Texas. Thank god! The concealed handgun law wasn't in effect at the time because this was many years ago.

The AK makes a LOUD clak-clak sound when you chamber a round plus the muzzle and banana shaped magazine were sticking out of the trench coat. I had both hands inside the body of the coat holding the gun, the coat was unbuttoned and the sleeves were empty.

[Stainz]

I am a retired college instructor. When I see former 'customers', whether they did well or not in my classes, they have all been friendly. I don't carry a CCW for them - it's for the level society has dropped to today. Home invasions, houses burgled day or night, armed assaults in public, carjackings, etc - all within a mile of my home. A 642 is likely in my pocket while I am walking the neighborhood or mowing my lawn; shopping at the grocers or the discount store; enjoying food out, fast or otherwise; or even greeting folks at the door at church. When the 642 is at home, I have a 296. It's a sign of the times... when I raised my sons, I never 'carried'.

This all started when I had to protect myself, after three robbery attempts, as an Americorps VISTA volunteer upon my retirement from education nearly fourteen years ago. I had to start carrying then - or quit - which I did soon afterwards, reasoning that I 'had' to carry while I was in the service - and chose not to now - so I got out of 'harm's way'. Sadly, that's not possible today.

No, a LEO is never completely 'off duty', so protection is required. If three 'feels right', carry three.

Stainz

[RudeMood]

I don't feel that you are paranoid, though I think it may be a bit excessive in most (but not all) situations. Odds are you will only have time to pull one should you ever need it, and that is an argument for and against your current setup. ;)

That being said I'd just like to throw something out there. Do you carry three firearms off duty because you are insecure about defending yourself in any other manner? I know that LEOs are issued and trained in a multitude of defense tools to get the job done. If you are just most comfortable with the guns and chose them as a result, then by all means carry on. (pun intended) However, if you examine your reasons for carry and find that you don't feel confident in your ability to defend yourself without a gun then you need to ease back a bit and take a look at the picture again. When is the last time you had to go hand to hand with some one, even in practice? How often do you use a non lethal alternative in your line of work? Does it work? If so, then why not concealing one of those options instead of another firearm? There is a lot to be said for just knowing and practicing simple self defense setups for the exact reason I mentioned in the previous paragraph: You may only have time for one ... or not at all.

Just some food for thought, i'm sure you'll work it out on your own. Keep fighting the good fight sir, and be safe.