Why do you carry?

[Gambit88]

Ok Im going to be 21 soon and have been debating on weather to get a carry permit or not. What I wonder is what do some of you carry? Is it to be ready for when something goes wrong, or did somemthin happin in the past that made you decide to always be prepared. On that matter how do you choose what to carry? I know if you ever had to use your piece, the police would probably take it away as evidance and melt it down in the end. With the prices of handguns I dont think Id want to carry anything over 300 dollars, though I guess that loss vs my life is an allright trade. My main reason to carry would be the areas of detroit I drive through to get to work, And going home where there are alot of deer hits. If I hit a dear and it doesnt die right away I wont want it to suffer on the side of the road.

Gambit

[mcdonl]

Because I still can.

[General Geoff]

Because it's irresponsible not to.

[indoorsoccerfrea]

there have been plenty of stories on here and other places where the gun doesn't get melted down after it is used for evidence. sure, you lose access to it after a self-defense shooting, but it seems like more often than not, it comes back in one piece.

I personally haven't had any life-threatening two-legged predator encounters, thankfully, but I have my LTC (CCW) and will hopefully be ready for it when it comes.

I carry for self-defense and because I still can

[JImbothefiveth]

Self defense is probably the best reason.

[hardluk1]

I have carried for 28 years with a ccw and have been shooting for 47 but mainly to have a legal handgun around me with out problems with cops and for basic protection. I like most that grew up hunting and shooting it was just normal to have a gun with you. I keep a shot gun in my truck rear window in high school,,,boy how times change.I just desided it was safer to besure to have the law with me and behind me to carry and to be able to defend myself with in the law. You do after a course have a different outlook on how you would react to a given problem. Think before reacting. Never had a problem but like i said , knowing you can defend if needed does have some tendencies to calm or change what you or someone else might do. It's just more of a life style . Go to a range and rent some pistols or revolvers. Take a good ccw course. See what fits and what you can shot well. I carry a small ultra-lite revolver in 38 special and or a 32 beretta tomcat. Have larger fun guns or hunting pistols but do not carry large guns as i am a t-shirt and jeans guy so hard to hide well. If you find yourself in a situation with a gun and you did nothing wrong in defending your self or others you will get your gun back. As for the deer hit thing,, Contact your fish and game office and ask how to deal with that type of problem . Most don't want you shooting deer unless it's also hunting season. Might check with sheriff and HP also. Be heck to get cuffed for that. It is much more important in learning to shoot well than the size of your gun and after talking with your range officers see what they carry and others that are older shooters use for CCW. It is easyer for new shooters to learn with a revolver and you can also get a like type gun in 22 cal just for practice and muscle memmory. And it cost less.

[doubs43]

I'm into my third or fourth GA concealed carry permit; each is good for 5 years. I carry depending upon where I'm going and the time of day or night. I spent 13 years as a Realtor in the local area so I have a good idea of where it's reasonably safe to go and where it isn't. That's not foolproof by any means but I try to play the odds and keep them in my favor. I often carried when I was showing a house in a questionable neighborhood.

[eatont9999]

I got my CCW when I turned 21 in October last year. I have been in situations where I could have used a gun, but that was before I could even carry so I had no choice. Trouble always finds you sooner or later and the best thing you can do is to be prepared. The boy scouts teach you to be prepared in the wild, well you have to be prepared in the civil as well. I carry a .38 Special in my right front pocket. I load it with standard velocity hollow points. I don't live in a high crime area, but some parts of town I don't go to and some nearby towns I try to stay out of.

There is no reason not to get the permit anyhow; you don't have to carry if you don't want to. Especially carry if you live near Detroit. I paid about $200 for my revolver, so $300 will get you something worth carrying.

I do not advise you to discharge your firearm in public or on public ways even if it is to kill an injured animal. PETA is not going to say you were a savior and neither will the police. Most police do not like to see people pull or discharge their firearms in public unless a life is being directly threatened. If it is legitimate, you should get your firearm back after an incident of self defense.

Just my thoughts. Good luck.

[GRIZ22]

If I hit a dear and it doesnt die right away I wont want it to suffer on the side of the road.


If that is one of your intentions I'd check the laws in MI. It's not legal to shoot within so many feet of a public road or shoot road hit animals unless you're an LEO in many states.

Carrying a handgun legally is like carrying a spare tire in your car. Something you do just in case with hopes you never have to use it.

I know if you ever had to use your piece, the police would probably take it away as evidance and melt it down in the end.

In my personal experience the gun was returned to the owner after investigation showed it was agood shoot. Your concern in this matter is largely unsubstaniated although it may have happened somewhere.

[cactusgeorge]

Because I can and it is a constitutional right....oh, we spell it whether..not weather..!!

[JWJacobVT]

"Carrying a gun is like wearing a seatbelt.
You don’t wear a seatbelt because you expect or hope to get into a car wreck.
You wear it because you never know what might happen and wearing it could save your life."

[TimM]

Because it's irresponsible not to.
This may be a hard statement for some to understand but it is spot on.

"Carrying a gun is like wearing a seatbelt.
You don’t wear a seatbelt because you expect or hope to get into a car wreck.
You wear it because you never know what might happen and wearing it could save your life."
What he said.

Ultimately I am responsible for my safety as well as the safety of those that I love. Me - nobody else is responsible for my safety.

[FM12]

I carry because of back trouble.

Mine has a yellow streak running up it.

[DoubleAction]

I Carry For Self Defense

[Just One Shot]

:confused:
Why do you wear seat belts?

Why do you install smoke alarms?

Why do you own a fire extinguisher?

[geniusiknowit]

In case some punk wants to make my day.

:D

[InRemorse]

The risk that you will end up shooting someone is very small. Most criminals are not murderers. They operate unseen. Don't let the price tag guide you to a gun. Seek opinions and get a reliable gun. So what if the cops take it, at least it worked reliably and you are still alive. If you want a snubby, check out the Taurus 85 in steel and make sure the fit and finish is good. Lots of stores carry that model, don't buy the first one you come across. If you want to be able to shoot maimed deer, put an empty 2L soda bottle in your trunk. Use it as silencer. This is nothing I have tried, but logic says it should muffle the blast somewhat. Place the bottom of the soda bottle on the head of the deer and shot straight down the opening of the bottle. I don't know though, maybe you would loose your ccp after that. I carry because the world is full of nuts. If you don't stand your ground you will be crowded out by them. Most nuts are weak mentally and don't carry through with their threats, and if they do you have a right to shoot, at least where I live.

[eatont9999]

No matter what any one here says, do not shoot a dear unless you are engaged in legal hunting activities. If you hit one, don't even go near it because you could get a hoof in your face. Whatever you do, do not fashion a silencer out of a coke bottle. You could spend many years in jail for silencing a weapon with out a Class 3. Plus you would be on a public way which makes it worse.

[eye5600]

Just for balance, let me say that I've lived in a small city about 30 mi from NYC for 30 years. I can't remember a single time that I really wished I had a firearm on me. More often that not, the feeling of being safe, or being threatened is generated internally, and if you are prudent, you will be OK. Don't get me wrong, there are times and places that I might carry if I had the license and weapon, but less often than once a year.

This attitude is certainly facilitated by the nature of my work which is indoors in quiet offices that don't see a lot of visitors. If my work took me around bad areas, I might feel a whole lot different. I don't much worry about places that people work however grubby they look; it's residential areas that scare me.

When I was a kid, I tramped around fields and forests without the tiniest fear of the wildlife. The bear threat has increased quite a lot here in the northeast in the last half century. I never heard a first person account of someone running afoul of a rattlesnake or copperhead until later.

Keep track of the law. I don't remember reading about gun restrictions in Detroit on the scale of Chicago or New York, but there might well be.

[CoRoMo]

...have been debating on weather to get a carry permit or not.

Just get it. You are not required to actually carry a gun just because you have the permit.
You can decide not to carry whenever you want, but without a permit, you don't get to choose.

the police would probably take it away as evidance and melt it down in the end.

No, that is not true.

It is better to have the permit, and/or gun, and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

Take the class, get the permit, you'll thank us later.

[Iggy]

Years ago some one posted this on the THR. I made it into a business card I carry with me at all times.

Why Do I Carry A Gun

I carry a gun because there is evil in the world. I strikes in churches, McDonalds, the Library, at home and in traffic.

It comes to restaurants, parking lots, and movie theaters.

When it comes, you won't have time to wait for the police. It will come suddenly without warning and with unbelievable violence.

I believe it is my job as a man to protect my family and other innocents from this evil.

Generations of Americans have fought and died to protect this country, their families and friends.

It is my right and my duty to follow in their footsteps if called upon to do so.

Author unknown.

[sagebrushjim]

Kind of like being a "Boy Scout" -- "Always Prepared" !!!:)

[mljdeckard]

You have to decide that you are going to make a commitment to a lifestyle in which you do EVERYTHING you can to keep yourself safe. Not just carry a gun. Ditch your dangerous friends. Don't go to bars where there are a lot of fights. Don't enable and indulge friends and family members who are addicts. Check the batteries in your smoke detectors. Get some umbrella coverage liability and life insurance. You must become a person who is always aware of your surroundings and options. If you aren't willing to do these things as well, it doesn't make much sense to carry a gun.

You must commit to carrying everywhere you legally can. If you don't, you open yourself to liability in a situation where maybe you shouldn't have gone there, but instead you put on your gun and went anyway.

And you are right to assume that if you use your gun and the police are involved, it is a very real possibility that you will never see it again.

Don't put a dollar value on this. Certainly not one that low. Yes, you can find a good used revolver or Glock in that price range, but you are talking about your life. You need to find the gun that works best for you, REGARDLESS OF PRICE, and stick with it. If you don't it sounds just like buying used discount fire extinguishers and hoping for the best. When you REALLY need to use it, the last thing that will go through your head before you pull the lever is; "I feel really, REALLY stupid right now for not buying the better one." It's the exact same thing you will think if you buy a cheap gun and have to use it.

You need to go to a rental range and shoot a LARGE variety of guns to see what one works best for you. This will cost you some money for range fees and ammo. Spend it anyway.

Here's the bottom line for why we carry. (I think I can speak for most of us.) YOU are responsible for your safety. Legally, ethically, and according to common sense. If someone is trying to harm you, the police can't get there fast enough to help you, and if they just don't come, THEY ARE NOT LIABLE. They will take some pictures and write a report. Whether or not they catch the bad guy doesn't do you OR YOUR FAMILY any good at all if you're dead. Self-defense is a fundamental human right. You must embrace it and exercise it as you should ALL rights.

And since you mention it, I have been in a situation where I saw a deer get hit, it was suffering, and I put it down. But it wasn't near an incorporated city. Just because it's the humane thing to do doesn't mean you won't get prosecuted for unlawfully discharging a weapon in city limits.

[searcher451]

I had "earned" a couple of death threats in a previous job that were serious enough to warrant LEO investigation. There's nothing like that hanging over your head to perk up your interest in the Second Amendment and the concealed carry laws of your state, let me tell you. This all goes back 20 years or more, but you don't forget it easily.

[ScareyH22A]

I wish I could carry. Stoopid OC, CA. I've personally lost property recently and so has my friend. They burglarized his parent's home and luckily no one was there. Who knows what could've happened if his parents were out back or something when they broke in. I recently purchased a gun because of all the burglarizing I heard on the news recently. And at our store, we've had some very unsavory characters coming by. And just last week, someone stole my phone and camera from my office. This is supposed to be a quiet neighborhood. But with a down economy, this area is turning into ****. I know our Sheriff won't give me a chance so I didn't even try.

[JWJacobVT]

Iggy nice statement

[mgkdrgn]

Because a cop is too heavy to carry.

[wrs840]

For the same reason that I have three fire extinguishers in my house, three in the garage, and one in every vehicle.

Les

[glassman]

I carry because the streets are getting meaner and respect for life is getting more scarce. I live in suburban Philadelphia where seven police officers have been shot down in the past two years. Murder of the common man is a daily occurance here and on the six o'clock news every night. I work in an operating room and helped take a bullet out of a man's chest this afternoon. When I handed the bullet to the police officer in attendance, I asked him how many people in this city carry a gun. His answer..."everyone". I'm sure he was overstating things but it made me sad and angry at the same time. This incident brought home the fact that I am responsible for my own safety and the safety of my family. Avoid, evade, escape, but I will always have the tools I need to survive.

[TimM]

Just for balance, let me say that I've lived in a small city about 30 mi from NYC for 30 years. I can't remember a single time that I really wished I had a firearm on me. More often that not, the feeling of being safe, or being threatened is generated internally, and if you are prudent, you will be OK. Don't get me wrong, there are times and places that I might carry if I had the license and weapon, but less often than once a year.
There are no such thing as "safe zones". Read this thread.


http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=438791

[catspa]

Hey, Gambit.

If I were you, I'd look up your state laws on concealed carry, and keep a copy handy for when a question comes up.

A deputy once told me, "The prosecutor in this county is a no-nonsense guy. If you have to kill some criminal in self-defense, having a permit shows the DA that you respect the law and follow the rules, and he's not going to charge you with a crime." That same deputy also told me, "If I respond to a shootout, I only want to hear one story." So in some times and places, a carry permit indicates to the authorities that you're a good guy.

I was working in a big city once, and driving home to the country on weekends. Late one Friday night, I was behind an elderly couple in a small foreign car when a big blacktail doe jumped out in the road, and they hammered it. After making sure they were okay, I went looking for the deer, and she was in the ditch about 40 yards away, badly crippled but not dead.

I had guns at home, but none with me. I backed my work truck down there and dispatched her with a 28 oz. Estwing hammer, and it was not a pretty sight. If a state trooper had come along he'd have ticketed me for sure, but no way was I gonna leave that doe in the ditch to die with crows pecking on her, just that kinda guy.

No cell phones then, way out in the middle of nowhere. When I came back up to tow the people's car into the next town, I had blood all over my coveralls and the lady started crying, as far as I know she cried all the way to town 'cause she was still crying when I left them. Her husband kept saying, "You did the right thing, thank you for helping us." And offering money, which I refused.

If I had been carrying, even a .22, I could have done the deed much more quickly and efficiently. I know how the mods don't like us discussing illegal acts, sorry but in some cases the law just doesn't address what's needed in the situation, and a man does what he's gotta do.

Parker

[SCKimberFan]

Why not?

[Gambit88]

Thanks guys alot of these responces I figured would come up as well as the try various guns thing. To me A gun and a guitar are very similar. Not every guitar player can play the same brand. You have to go out and try a bunch out for fit feel tone etc. I believe a hadgun is teh same way. You may like a 1911 and I may like a usp. One guy may love the feel of a revolver and one may like a semi auto.

[kyo]

I am waiting for my first CCW in GA to come in. I felt at the age of almost 24 I was responsible mentally and financially to purchase a firearm. Why am I going to carry? Because I have people to protect. So, when my family or friends hang out with me and something happens that requires my intervention or someone dying, I will take my chances with me getting involved.
The main reason is to preserve life, who's ever it may be.

[Clifford]

I carry because it's my god given right. I will allways have the ability to protect my wife, my two little boys and myself, I don't need the government to tell me if it's right or not.

[Hikingman]

Cheap life insurance depending on the person, how much they spend on the gear, and if they can use it. Practice-Practice-Practice...

[ACBMWM3]

I carry to protect myself and others around me.
Simple as that

[Dan Crocker]

:neener:
Because your mom thinks it's hot!

[Gambit88]

LOL actually Dan my mom was one of them people who never liked guns untill I baught one(same with my swords). After she saw how someone responseable with a firearm used one and learned how much knowlage I had about it...Well she baught me a shotgun and wants to go skeet shooting with me so I see that as a victory.

[TheVirginian]

I don't. The $300 will be the least of your worries if you shoot anyone.

Most every state should have a law against discharging a firearm within a certain distance to a road. So even a mercy killing of a deer could get you into a great deal of trouble also. Even if no one sees or hears you do it, if the animal control or other police find out that you shot the animal, you'd possibly face several charges. You'll leave evidence of the fact there and your car will be evidence that you were present. Most all cities have laws against discharging firearms within their geographical limits also.

The only time that I have "carried" is when I am responding to a burglar alarm at my place of business (it's always a false alarm, but I always respond...). I open carry in this instance. I have also taken along a gun when traveling sometimes due to being in isolated areas or areas where tourists might be easy targets. I never carry the gun on my person, concealed or open in that instance. It's only available in a motel room or car for emergencies. Again, I'd probably spend a lot of time in jail and a lot of money getting out and back and forth to court, just to defend myself if I made the choice to use it.

My brain is my first defense. I'll do what I need to do to avoid being in a dangerous situation. Second, I'll try to leave the situation if possible. Third, I'll likely use pepper spray if it's just a jerk or a drunk trying to be superman. If it's an armed thug, he'll get one warning with the gun being displayed if I have to defend my family. It'll be brief and I'll suffer whatever consequence to insure their safety.

You're a young man. Keep in shape and use your wits. No one wants trouble from you if you're physically able. Thugs will find an easy target like a small lady's purse. Sad but true.
-Bill

[eatont9999]

I wish I could feel that secure, but when I am not carrying, I feel so vulnerable and open. I don't carry at work, but I do everywhere else. Pepper spray is good to have, but the effects vary from person to person. Some do not feel it as much as others. What happens if a base head wants to stab me because he's tripping. Pepper spray may not even stop him. A .38 hollow point to the heart or face is in my opinion more effective. A .45 is even better.

I am not a big person by any means. Even if I where bigger, it is not going to stop me from being stabbed and bleeding out while waiting for the cops to show. Assuming of course somebody called them.

[el diablo]

I carry because a Police Officer is only there AFTER the SHTF

[dat2]

I got my license to start with because it makes the paperwork when you buy a gun a lot faster.
now I do just because I have the license

[Hungry Seagull]

Enough being sheep. There are many sheep out there. And we aint going to be adding to that herd. Things are getting pretty dangerous downtown and in several other areas.

It's time.

Before it wasnt time. Now it's time. Before I relied on wit, small gifts and words along with a blade. But now aged and soft, slow and half wit... it's time.

Yer 21. Everything is nice and tight.

Add about 25-35 years, nothing will be tight except the diapers.

[TheVirginian]

Hi Eaton,
I know that pepper spray won't stop everything. If you need to have a gun handy for when it won't, that's your call and your right. just be ready to suffer the consequences either way it goes down.

My theory is this, I'm small and god is great; when my card is up, I'm finished. I'm not a particularly religious man, and I'm not a particularly large man; I just try not to get into things that I can't get out of. I'll carry if I feel the threat is there of if the odds are against me. Otherwise, I'm not paranoid nor a pansy. Plus, I'm a few pounds lighter and acceptable everywhere without it. :)

Anyone that carries legally or illegally doesn't get any grief from me. I could care less if that someone wants to protect themselves. It's only those who want to do harm that are truly dangerous. If it makes you feel safer to carry, go for it. It just makes me feel heavier on one side and none wiser. My concern is for bystanders for those who get a permit to protect themselves, yet don't have the practical training and experience to shoot a gun in public. It's dangerous and even cops who practice every week and may never use their gun, still have accidents when they do. I personally know a cop who killed a person responding to a call. it involved a car, not a gun but still a fast moving object in a crowded area and a lot of adrenaline. **** happens, make up your own mind, just be aware of what else can occur because of it. Sometimes the cure is worse than the disease.
-Bill

[woad_yurt]

I carry because I refuse to let a law-breaker determine the course of my life, even if only for 1/2 of a second. It's a self-determination thing.

It may happen that I never need to use my gun but it's there, just in case, like my auto insurance.

[Revolver Ocelot]

I started carrying on account of being held up one to many times, if you get a permit and someone holds you up for your money, if you have 300 bucks on ya my advice is give it to them, the gun is for if all efforts to de-escsalate a situation have failed.

[conceal45]

The main reason is for self defense, but there are other reasons:

In Michigan having a CPL makes it much simpler to take your hand gun to the range. You can have it in the passenger area loaded or at least with the ammo in your range bag, verus separated from the ammo in the trunk. You can transport multiple guns with out paper work.

It simplifies purchasing a hand gun because you no longer need a purchase permit.

If you have to save you own life by making a bad guy room temperature and it is ruled a good shoot, the bad guys relatives can not sue you in civil court as you are immune from all civil law suits

It may save your life.

[okespe04]

My job requires me to carry around 1000s of dollars in cash on weekends and evenings. I carry a gun all the time.

[Ky Larry]

To paraphrase Sir Winston Churchill:" A person will seldom, if ever, need a gun. But if they do, they will need it very, very badly and very, very quickly."