What made you start carrying?

[DeepSouth]

I have been asking a few people what, if anything, made them start carrying.
I know a LOT of people have "just always carried" But many of us can site a specific event that encouraged the decision to get a CCW and licence.

If you have a story and don't mind telling it, please share. I think it will be interesting. If it has been done before I didn't see it.

I'll start.

I was working as an Air Conditioning Service Technician and I got a call to a unit we had put in before I started working there, so I didn't know the customer. Our sectary told me over the radio the fellow was "Not right in the head" I did't think much of it until I got there, to find him highly agitated and within minuets shouting profanities. Well, I was there to fix the thing, so I tried to calm him and tell him I would do my best to get it going.

I was only around 21 or so at the time and he was somewhat intimidating to me, I was not used to that kind of behavior. It seemed like the more I tried to assure him everything would be ok the more aggravated he got. After a few minuets of this he said "I'm gonna go get my shotgun and kill yo a$$" At which point he began walking toward the front door when he walked through it he made a swift right hand turn.

I remember thinking "This guy has done half of what he said he was gonna do, and the other half ends in me dead!" So I grabbed my tool bag, RAN to my service truck and left spinning rocks. I went back and told my boss either he would let me carry at work or I needed to start looking for a new job. He looked at me and said "Keep it quiet, I don't even want to know......understand." I have pretty much been carrying every since.

BTW: He told me to go back the next day and I refused, so he went.

 

[colorado_handgunner]

Put in the permit and am still waiting. For me it has been a slow realization that there is no reason for me not to carry. I have an LCP so I can carry it as easily as another phone (already have to carry two phones anyway). I have seen and experienced some shady characters/happenings around my area recently, and while I have never had the need for a firearm on my person yet, it would have been nice to have on more than one occasion.

 

[Boba Fett]

*whispers to DeepSouth* there's a typo in you title

Why did I start carrying?
1) I watch the news
2) I work in and live near a large large city and I've seen the people that live there
3) I travel a lot in my current job and it takes me to areas that I feel I need the protection.
4) Perhaps my most motivating reason is a "always be prepared" mindset mixed with self-preservation

I wish I could say I had an excellent story that motivated me to start carrying (or maybe I don't wish that ). I suppose the closest thing I could say is having lived through three hurricanes motivated me to carry way more often after the dregs from Louisiana (if you're from Louisiana and not a dreg then I'm not talking about you) invaded and the craziness of Hurricane Rita.

 

[psyopspec]

After getting home from my first tour (Iraq) in 2003, I reflected on my time there and realized I survived what was at the time one of the most dangerous places in the world to be. After getting a grip on that, I realized that it would be stupid to survive a war zone then come home and be offed by a crackhead looking for drug money. Got my permit soon after.

 

[eight433]

Nothing YET, but I am getting a permit sometime very soon just out of preparedness. I would rather HAVE and not need, then NEED and not have.

 

[bandit5150]

Why

I was 21. my squeeze 19. We were out in Joshua Tree National Park, walking from my truck toward some rocks that we were going to climb. A sedan with 4 scumbag lookin' desert rats pulls in behind my truck, eyeballin' us. The hair stood up on the back of my neck when I realized there was absolutely nothing I could do about it if the staring progressed to worse.

We hadn't seen another car in over half an hour. I felt sick to my stomach. I felt I had two choices. Flee into the desert or bluff my way into my truck. I chose the latter. I don't know why they didn't come after us, but I can assure you that they were up to no good.

I didn't like the sick feeling in my gut and swore that I would never feel that way again. I bought my first of many handguns shortly after that. I don't have a CCW. You have to be politically connected in my city to get one. My government forces me, upon occasion, to break the law.

I carry less and less as I get older, but always when I travel, camp and when I am out in the boonies. When in places like Death Valley, the Mojave Desert etc. I am armed and I assume everyone else is as well. It makes for very polite conversations.

Some day I may get popped, I'd like to think not. I keep a very low profile, I have too much to lose. You won't know that I am armed unless you make me shoot you. That is the last thing I ever want to do, except of course having you hurt me or someone I care about.

I work in public safety, my wife works in the judicial system. I can assure you that a lot of the ******bags out there have no fear of the system, the only thing that prevents them from doing what they wan't is the fear that they will get hurt or caught.

If we weren't such a nation of pussy lawmakers, every state would be a right to carry state, Sadly that is what we have become.

By the way, I have been married to my then 19 year old squeeze for 26 yrs! I like her, she's nice!

 

[Avenger29]

Nothing made me decide to start carrying- I've been a shooter most of my life and it was natural for me to apply for my CCW on my 21st birthday.

Some "life experiences", however, have taught me that having a gun nearby or on you can make all the difference in the world.

 

[Dr. Fresh]

I couldn't wait until I turned 18 and was able to buy my first firearm. Then I couldn't wait till I turned 21 and was able to buy my first handgun. It just made sense to go ahead and get the permit so I could carry it.

 

[dycab]

Hey! New member here and first post! I was never around guns growing up, but knew my grandfather had hunted, but died when I was 5 and I never got to really know him, let alone learn to hunt or shoot any weapons. Although my parents were not anti-gun, there wasn't even a BB gun in the house, yet my mother had a starter pistol. (She'd shoot it at barking dogs a couple times, told me it was to "scare" an intruder if there ever was one... and I never figured that out.)

Once on my own, I moved to Massachusetts for a couple years and drove a taxi for an Uncle. There were no guns I knew of with the few drivers there, but meeting people in the back seat not knowing them at all, and the beginning of the crack epidemic made me think deep and hard.

I moved back to Ohio and drove a cab out here, by then the crack problem was huge. I purchased my first gun after talking to a dealer, trying a few and deciding I didn't want to have a big gun, just one that would go through the seat, for my personal protection, and this Davis .32 just felt right in my hands, it was at the time only $80.00 and it was peace of mind. There was no "CCL" or "CHL" in the state of Ohio - just a "Prudent Man" law which was ambiguous at best. I NEVER drove without it and I never had to pull it.

It's still my concealed carry weapon, now legally in Ohio I have the state's "permission" - it's a 6 round capacity, 2.8 inch barrel, almost 5 1/2 inches overall length, and just over 2 pounds loaded... wood grips that I didn't initially appreciate at the time of purchase, but over time I've grown to appreciate that, and wouldn't trade it for the world. My weapon has been with me a loooong time.

I just last week took my kids to the range for the first time to shoot my Chipmunk rifle all they wanted in an hour and in that hour I let them shoot 5 rounds each from the .32 - they did very well with both...

Safety has been covered for a few years with the BB guns (Red Rider, Daisy Quick Silver and a Power Master 760 by Crosman) and there has never been an issue of safely handling guns, so they are very aware of the rules... made me proud of my 10 and 14 year old boys...My wife has never wanted to go, but went and suddenly wants to shoot next time. THAT was simply the bonus! I'm looking very forward to the next time we go. She wants to shoot as well... after 17 + years of marriage... I couldn't believe it!

 

[Judicator]

I started pretty soon after turning 21, mostly because of discussions I'd had with older, more experienced people that it's the right thing to do. Always be prepared, don't let some scumbag decide for you how your life is going to end. It was also a natural progression associated with my growing interest in guns.

 

[chris in va]

Watching my friend's 11yo daughter almost get kidnapped.

Then there was the sheet covered body lying out in full view off a major intersection...for 6 hours. Seems he got shot in the head by a 22 for his newly cashed paycheck.

Same dude was cruising the apartment/condo complex across the street from us, casing a few people. Creepy.

 

[rojocorsa]

Can't carry yet. When I move out of state, I will--even if it's just a Mak.

 

[bigfatdave]

On the one hand, it was a natural extension of handgun ownership and shooting. I own them, I shoot them, and I always had a thing for miniature/minimalist machinery, so I was drawn to the compact/subcompact handguns to start with.
On the other hand, there seems to be a victim mentality in the populace these days, and it encourages "active shooter" type sprees. I, for one, will not be lined up against a wall by some precious snowflake off their medication who thinks enacting their violent fantasies is a way to plead for attention.

 

[Mr.510]

The major event that got me started carrying was my 21st birthday. I applied for my first carry permit and bought my PPK/S that day. Total time that I've been without a handgun either on my person or within arms reach since getting that permit is about 30 hours. I turn 40 in a month.

 

[bigione]

Times are changing. Seems like even the boonies are more dangerous. Also, I travel a lot more keeping up with my children and grandchildren

 

[41022collector]

I live in Cleveland Ohio. Nuff said, that is why I started to carry the day I was legal to.

Regards,
Mike

 

[yeti]

Since I live in a state where there is no reason not to carry, it just seemed the natural thing to do.

 

[garyhan]

I did not carry for the last five years. The reason I stopped was that the day of my appointment to renew my permit, my wife was giving birth to our son. It was a hard choice, but I went to the hospital rather than the police station. I somehow never got around to renewing while I was busy with first that child, then another son. A couple of weeks ago, I started thinking about an old friend I hadn't seen for years. For the heck of it, I googled his name. I found that a year ago, he had been brutally murdered--stabbed and beaten in the face until he had no face. This was a gentle and even naive man who was no threat to anyone. I was brutally reminded of the threats that exist to all of us, and my responsibility to my family. I received my renewed permit last Saturday and have had a .357 in a pocket holster whenever I have left the house since then. Complacence is our enemy.

gary

 

[DAVIDSDIVAD]

To be completely honest, I had to move to a ghetto when I started attending my university (the entire city is a ghetto, literally.)

Once I had my Mossberg 590 I felt much safer and much more empowered.


I decided, "Hey, I should feel like this all the time, except at school."

 

[RoostRider]

I have testified as witness in 2 separate trials against people who have committed murder. That's as close as I ever need to be to a murder trial and WAY to close for comfort.

I have lawfully used a firearm to defend myself on 3 separate occasions. That's 3 more times than odds said I should need to.

I have been assaulted by a murderous felon in the course of a robbery once. 1 more time than the odds said I would be.

There are no less than 4 convicted felons with gang relations that I have testified against. All currently in prison, but with 'relations' all over my city. Thats 4 'connections' I would rather not have.

I found the body of a murdered 16 year old kid in the ditch. 1 more example of what can happen in this world than I needed to see.

I have had no less than 5 encounters where I wished I had been carrying and was not. That is 5 more than I ever want to have.

I do pretty good at poker, but the odds seem to catch up with me in the 'dangerous encounters' area. I carry almost 24/7 at this point.... no bluffs...

I need to move back to the country where the odds of getting 'called' proved much less.....

 

[sm]

How raised - what you do.

I was born in the last great decade, and folks just carried guns.

 

[bigfatdave]

Complacence is our enemy.

A sobering reminder, garyhan. My condolences on your lost friend. Examples of times someone might need a pistol abound, logical reasons to NOT have one handy (beyond convenience) are few and far between.

 

[rrruuunnn]

Returned to my hometown, I realized that we deal with cash flow in our business and I needed to be prepared.

Over time I realized that our employees are sometimes coo coo. Many have criminal records for theft, dealing drugs or using drugs. But mostly users of drugs.

Over time I realized that even if I started a new career, I might still carry because of what I hear on the scanner, news, and work.

 

[Davek1977]

I got my permit when I was 18, just becasue I COULD. However, I let it expire, and then had a small legal issue that prohibited me from getting my CCW for a couple years. Last November, I decided I wanted my permit again, and applied for and recieved it. However, the holster I ordererd from Gunner's Alley the same day I got my permit didn't get here until late April. I've been carrying almost daily since....and after acquiring a PROPER belt this weekend, will be doing so even more often....what people say is sooo true! A good belt makes a WORLD of difference!!!

 

[wideym]

For me it was being robbed at an ATM outside Ft. Campbell, KY by what looked to be a couple of 16-18 year old black kids in 94'.

When the local cop arrived 30 minutes after I called 911, he seemed put off that he had to take a statement from me and said the chances of finding them was next to nothing since they only took my cash, even with a compleate discription of the robbers and their car.

I realized then that the police generally just clean up after a crime and started to carry without a permit. I carried without a permit until Arkansas became a shall issue state and even then I waited until the you didn't have to list the carry gun with the serial number.