Am I paranoid or just prepared?
- Thread starter Norinco982lover
- Start date
- Status
762 shooter
Member
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2008
- Messages
- 95
I think it was a sat nite live skit when they were interviewing charles manson and he said "Am I crazy or is it hot in here".
Yes and yes.
You were paranoid if nothing happened.
You were prepared if something did.
Yes and yes.
You were paranoid if nothing happened.
You were prepared if something did.
Carlos Cabeza
Member
I carry nearly everywhere I go and ALWAYS when at home, mowing the lawn etc. I live in a rural setting so my situation might be different from yours. The gf has a ladysmith in her purse. We are old enough to be your parents. Life experiences can do much for your (or the wife's) confidence in yourself and your abilities. Some of the replies I have read should be taken lightly like we already have enough, we don't need (justonemore) ! My rule for those who may disagree with our way of thinking is "You'll never know I am carrying until it is needed." That gun will never jump up and go to slidelock all by itself !
Urbana John
Member
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2007
- Messages
- 173
Was waiting for a "thread" just like this!!!!
A couple of things--------I keep all my UNLOADED guns locked up.
I live with my daughter, son-in-law, and 2 grandsons,,,,ages 13 and 16.
My LOADED weapons are kept "around"!!! I am locked and loaded 24/7 except for showering---loaded weapon is under my pillow when I sleep.......And I have a DOUBLE BARK alarm system!!! One outside with puppies and one inside that sleeps with me,,,,and after 2 years in this living situation, he still barks at "anyone" entering "our" space.
My first wife's (kids Mom) husband and her were here for a cookout over Labor Day and noticed I was "packing", though it wasn't the first time he has seen me with my weapon, but he asked Jim, my s-i-l, "Does John always have his "gun" on him"??
My son-in-law's responce was GREAT!!!! Yup,,,,,,,,he's my Home Land Defense crew!!!!!
My kids keep loaded weapons upstairs also and in a couple of years,,,,my grandsons will have weapons in their bedrooms.
"We" will be READY for the bad guys or a SHTF situation.
We live in the country with close neighbors, but no one knows when they " should have BEEN prepared".
A couple of things--------I keep all my UNLOADED guns locked up.
I live with my daughter, son-in-law, and 2 grandsons,,,,ages 13 and 16.
My LOADED weapons are kept "around"!!! I am locked and loaded 24/7 except for showering---loaded weapon is under my pillow when I sleep.......And I have a DOUBLE BARK alarm system!!! One outside with puppies and one inside that sleeps with me,,,,and after 2 years in this living situation, he still barks at "anyone" entering "our" space.
My first wife's (kids Mom) husband and her were here for a cookout over Labor Day and noticed I was "packing", though it wasn't the first time he has seen me with my weapon, but he asked Jim, my s-i-l, "Does John always have his "gun" on him"??
My son-in-law's responce was GREAT!!!! Yup,,,,,,,,he's my Home Land Defense crew!!!!!
My kids keep loaded weapons upstairs also and in a couple of years,,,,my grandsons will have weapons in their bedrooms.
"We" will be READY for the bad guys or a SHTF situation.
We live in the country with close neighbors, but no one knows when they " should have BEEN prepared".
WolfMansDad
Member
Holy crap!
Note that all the door and window locks in the world would not have stopped these guys.
paintballdude902
Member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2007
- Messages
- 2,872
considering i feal uncomfortable if i dont have a gun with in 10ft of me
id say ....why did you only have one you should have one for everyone in the room
id say ....why did you only have one you should have one for everyone in the room
You don't stash your handgun in the cushions of the couch -- especially with other people sitting in and around it.
Your wife's probably not objecting to the gun -- and you don't stash it in your pants to "hold your ground" either. She's probably objecting to your seeming random and secret stashing it where it's not particularly secure, where it falls out on the floor.
The "it's not loaded" argument doesn't make it. A semi-auto with a full mag is a "loaded gun." You may be comfortable with the knowledge that there's no round in the chamber, but the gun is "loaded" in the eyes of the law and in the mind of most people who handle firearms. For people who don't handle firearms, a handgun with a full mag is unequivocably a loaded gun and doesn't belong stashed in the couch.
You don't need to "hide it." You do need to SECURE it.
Your wife's probably not objecting to the gun -- and you don't stash it in your pants to "hold your ground" either. She's probably objecting to your seeming random and secret stashing it where it's not particularly secure, where it falls out on the floor.
The "it's not loaded" argument doesn't make it. A semi-auto with a full mag is a "loaded gun." You may be comfortable with the knowledge that there's no round in the chamber, but the gun is "loaded" in the eyes of the law and in the mind of most people who handle firearms. For people who don't handle firearms, a handgun with a full mag is unequivocably a loaded gun and doesn't belong stashed in the couch.
You don't need to "hide it." You do need to SECURE it.
I don't think your argument was about you being paranoid as much as it was that you didn't tell her the pistol was there in the first place and she didn't like the position she found herself in when she finally did figure it out. Basically, it sounds like she was chewing you out for lack of communication, not being paranoid.
Replace your pistol with a 12ga Mossberg 500 with a pistol grip and an 18 inch barrel, load it full of buckshot and put it not on the couch but on the kitchen counter. Now, as for whether I think you were being paranoid or not...
Replace your pistol with a 12ga Mossberg 500 with a pistol grip and an 18 inch barrel, load it full of buckshot and put it not on the couch but on the kitchen counter. Now, as for whether I think you were being paranoid or not...
poor_richard
Member
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2006
- Messages
- 466
Your paraniod. Get a good OWB holster for carry around the house, and get comfortable with a round chambered. Then you‘ll be prepared.
Serously,
First rule of a gun fight is to have a gun. Get some sort of latch for the screen door. I know that during hot weather, it’s not so easy to say, “shut the door”, but your trading off security.
You do realize that when you mentioned an empty chamber as your defense, you effectively painted the practice of carrying with one in the chamber as irresponsible in your view. That’s a hurdle you’ll have to clear once you become more comfortable with the firearm.
I started OC’ing around my parents house when I visit them. My mother asked my “why?” (in that condescending, critical way that all anti’s think that we should answer to them). My response shut it down immediately. I simply asked her (in a calm and loving way) why she had a problem with it. That was the end of it. Some day we may finish that conversation, but I can wait until she is ready to deal with it, at which time I'll try to be there for her.
People have real (however illegitimate they may be) fears about guns. You can argue about the justifications all you want, but until you and they address their fears, they won’t be capable of rational discussions on the topic.
You have to determine where her respect for you lies, and to what extent it exists. Either she trusts your judgment or not. Until you figure things like that out, discussing it may well be pointless. Ask yourself this question, “If she has a problem with you having an “empty!” gun handy (or not since it’s empty), then how much support will she be able to provide if you (God forbid) should have to actually kill some cretin while defending you, or her?”
OBTW,
Go to http://www.corneredcat.com/ and do your homework by reading everything she has posted there.
Another thing,
Concealing, covering, or stashing the gun out of sight won’t take care of the problem. It might help resolve the issue when after a year of doing it she discovers that you’ve had it handy all along, and nothing bad happened. However you also have to determine if she’ll see that as a trust issue. Either way, the problem still has to be dealt with, “Does she trust you with a firearm in the house, and why does she have a problem with it?”.
Another OBTW,
The shotgun doesn’t do much good in the closet, especially with an unlocked screen door. Once you get here used to the idea of a gun present, work in the shotgun. It’s more effective than a pistol, by putting more lead downrange. That doesn’t mean “in place of the pistol”, it means “in addition”. They each have their advantages.
Serously,
+1
First rule of a gun fight is to have a gun. Get some sort of latch for the screen door. I know that during hot weather, it’s not so easy to say, “shut the door”, but your trading off security.
You do realize that when you mentioned an empty chamber as your defense, you effectively painted the practice of carrying with one in the chamber as irresponsible in your view. That’s a hurdle you’ll have to clear once you become more comfortable with the firearm.
I started OC’ing around my parents house when I visit them. My mother asked my “why?” (in that condescending, critical way that all anti’s think that we should answer to them). My response shut it down immediately. I simply asked her (in a calm and loving way) why she had a problem with it. That was the end of it. Some day we may finish that conversation, but I can wait until she is ready to deal with it, at which time I'll try to be there for her.
People have real (however illegitimate they may be) fears about guns. You can argue about the justifications all you want, but until you and they address their fears, they won’t be capable of rational discussions on the topic.
You have to determine where her respect for you lies, and to what extent it exists. Either she trusts your judgment or not. Until you figure things like that out, discussing it may well be pointless. Ask yourself this question, “If she has a problem with you having an “empty!” gun handy (or not since it’s empty), then how much support will she be able to provide if you (God forbid) should have to actually kill some cretin while defending you, or her?”
OBTW,
Go to http://www.corneredcat.com/ and do your homework by reading everything she has posted there.
Another thing,
Concealing, covering, or stashing the gun out of sight won’t take care of the problem. It might help resolve the issue when after a year of doing it she discovers that you’ve had it handy all along, and nothing bad happened. However you also have to determine if she’ll see that as a trust issue. Either way, the problem still has to be dealt with, “Does she trust you with a firearm in the house, and why does she have a problem with it?”.
Another OBTW,
The shotgun doesn’t do much good in the closet, especially with an unlocked screen door. Once you get here used to the idea of a gun present, work in the shotgun. It’s more effective than a pistol, by putting more lead downrange. That doesn’t mean “in place of the pistol”, it means “in addition”. They each have their advantages.
SCPigpen
Member
I say you are being cautious. Now, tell us about your wifes 19 yr old sister. 
PennsyPlinker
Member
Paranoid? I think not. Of course, I am sitting here with a pistol on my hip as I type this. The only thing I would have done differently would be to have a round chambered and ready to go. You might not have time to do that if someone came crashing through the door.
The only thing I would have done differently would be to have a round chambered and ready to go. You might not have time to do that if someone came crashing through the door.scrat
Member
prepared yes not paranoid. relax
BruceRDucer
Member
/
In the middle of the night, I can reach out my hand, and in one second, it will be filled with a .357 Magnum.........anyone bursting in through the door, will appreciate the reception.:
That's not paranoid of us. We know that when things happen, they only happen all of a sudden. Anyone with any knowledge of history at all, knows that. If there was time, nothing unpleasant would happen to anybody.
In the middle of the night, I can reach out my hand, and in one second, it will be filled with a .357 Magnum.........anyone bursting in through the door, will appreciate the reception.
:That's not paranoid of us. We know that when things happen, they only happen all of a sudden. Anyone with any knowledge of history at all, knows that. If there was time, nothing unpleasant would happen to anybody.
Ghost Walker
Member
Your marriage is a relatively new relationship. Give it time to mature. My wife didn't trust guns until after she learned to trust me; and, then, she learned how to trust me AND guns together! In 1990 - at 8:30am on an, otherwise, quiet Sunday morning - we experienced a home invasion. I was caught flatfooted, on crutches, and helpless. Quite frankly, I became so afraid as that huge filthy dirty monster began to move across our livingroom towards me that all I could see was the strange sick grin on his face; and, I had started to say my prayers when, all of a sudden, I heard the first growl and remembered we kept Pit Bulldogs.
(We'd been breeding and training Pitbulls for about 15 years at the time. This guy had actually walked right past the warning sign on the front porch in order to enter our home. Go figure!)
The Pitbulls saved us; and, since that morning I have never been out of reach of, at least, one loaded gun inside my home. The Glock is in C-3; the others have a round ready-to-go.
The best definition of, 'paranoia' I ever heard is; 'An accurate perception of: 'What' people actually are; 'How' the world really works; and, 'Why' life might revert to unexpected violence at any given moment.'
Main Entry: para·noid
Pronunciation: \ˈper-ə-ˌnȯid, ˌpa-rə-\
Variant(s): also para·noi·dal \ˌper-ə-ˈnȯi-dəl, ˌpa-rə-\
Function: adjective
Date: 1904
1 : characterized by or resembling paranoia
2 : characterized by suspiciousness, persecutory trends, or megalomania
3 : extremely fearful
— paranoid noun
You sound quite fearful of your environment, yet did not close and lock the door. Was the fear genuine ? Perhaps it was more a justification for having the gun present.
I suppose you could wander over to the Brady board and ask the same question. The answers here seem to me consistent with the nature of the board.
Pronunciation: \ˈper-ə-ˌnȯid, ˌpa-rə-\
Variant(s): also para·noi·dal \ˌper-ə-ˈnȯi-dəl, ˌpa-rə-\
Function: adjective
Date: 1904
1 : characterized by or resembling paranoia
2 : characterized by suspiciousness, persecutory trends, or megalomania
3 : extremely fearful
— paranoid noun
You sound quite fearful of your environment, yet did not close and lock the door. Was the fear genuine ? Perhaps it was more a justification for having the gun present.
I suppose you could wander over to the Brady board and ask the same question. The answers here seem to me consistent with the nature of the board.
Ghost Walker
Member
Gee, that's soo ..... profound! However, the best person to ask how to build an igloo would be an Eskimo, right!
Yesterday, 05:52 PM #41
Ghost Walker wrote:
Gee Ghost Walker ... if the question was, "How do I build an igloo ?", you might be right.
However here the question was am I paranoid, or prepared ? This calls for a diagnosis I'm thinking. Maybe if the question was along the lines of, "Is an igloo, or tent better shelter ?" your response might be more appropriate I'm thinking. However that was not the OP's question.
Was my response profound ? hmmmm The question ?, or The possible answers ? Hmmm perhaps you are right.
Ghost Walker wrote:
Gee Ghost Walker ... if the question was, "How do I build an igloo ?", you might be right.
However here the question was am I paranoid, or prepared ? This calls for a diagnosis I'm thinking. Maybe if the question was along the lines of, "Is an igloo, or tent better shelter ?" your response might be more appropriate I'm thinking. However that was not the OP's question.
Was my response profound ? hmmmm The question ?, or The possible answers ? Hmmm perhaps you are right.
Last edited:
green country shooter
Member
Rule # 1: All guns are loaded all the time. This means it is never an answer to say "it's not loaded." People get shot with "unloaded" guns all the time. Use accidental discharge as a search term here and you will find many such cases.
Keep the gun in a holster and lock the door.
Keep the gun in a holster and lock the door.
Not paranoid... yet not properly prepared either. You should get a good holster, and some form of lock on the screen door. A shoulder holster should be a comfortable choice for home couch duty. On second thought just admit it man, you are a gun nut (just like the rest of us) and you need a gun or two around you to be happy. It's really not entirely about being prepared now is it?
moooose102
Member
well, first, no, you are not paranoid. second, you have some issues to deal with as far as your girl goes. if she really loves you, she needs to feel very comfortable about placing her life in your hands, ANYTIME. third, putting the pistol in your waistband might have been a better place to put the gun. not as comfortable, but less conspicuous. for everyone. 4th, figure out a way to lock that screen door, although a knife will cut right through it. in any case, if you have to shoot an intruder, it will go much better with the cops if they can see that the intruder cut the screen to gain entry. if he just walks in, it will be a lot stickier.
Double Naught Spy
Sus Venator
If you have to ask, then some of the former is showing through. That isn't to say you aren't prepared. Many paranoid people are prepared. The two are not exclusive. However in this case, it may be more that you are paranoid about how you are perceived versus paranoid about self defense.
Ben Shepherd
Member
It's 5:15 in the morning as I type this. My door is open for the nice cool morning. But my LOADED gun is right here by me.
Some will say don't leave the door open. Bunk. This is your home. You're not in the county lock-up.
Your only real issue is the wife and yourself not being on the same page as far as home defense. Carefully remedy that and you'll be GTG.
Some will say don't leave the door open. Bunk. This is your home. You're not in the county lock-up.
Your only real issue is the wife and yourself not being on the same page as far as home defense. Carefully remedy that and you'll be GTG.
Sean Dempsey
Member
Home robbery, and someone waltzing in your front door when there are clearly 3 people there are two pretty different things. Burglars aren't all homicidal maniacs, so I don't know. Having a handgun sitting on the back of your couch, and thinking that random burglars are going to decide to try and kill 3 people so they can take your DVD player, is a bit of a stretch for me.
By all means though, I think you should keep your gun wherever you want, as long as it's safe. Your gun wasn't safe in my opinion. My rule is the 3 C's: Care, Custody, and Control. I can't say you met all those criteria. Accidents and mistakes happen when people are "100% sure" that their friends/family/selves are totally capable and trustworthy with a gun.
I would never, ever have left my gun where you did. I would consider that a breach of safety for me.
By all means though, I think you should keep your gun wherever you want, as long as it's safe. Your gun wasn't safe in my opinion. My rule is the 3 C's: Care, Custody, and Control. I can't say you met all those criteria. Accidents and mistakes happen when people are "100% sure" that their friends/family/selves are totally capable and trustworthy with a gun.
I would never, ever have left my gun where you did. I would consider that a breach of safety for me.
Agreed with Sean Dempsey...
I am beginning to think "prepared vs. paranoid" is not the right question.
1. If you honestly think that you are at a high risk of home invasion, then you should not leave the door open and the screen door unlocked. I don't care about the weather. I mean, do you go into crack town just for a leisurely stroll, and carry a pistol openly in your hand?
2. The gun was not safely carried.
Prepared is: fortify your dwelling. If you sense it is unsafe to have the door open, then putting a gun in your hand doesn't solve the problem. Closing and locking the door does solve the problem. The electric bill will look like chump change compared to legal fees if someone wanders into your house through an open door and you shoot them. Better they try the knob, find it's locked, and move to the next house, IMHO...
And prepared is: carry your gun normally, in a safe, practical manner. Not sitting on the sofa with a mixture of people around, but holstered on your person.
The mythical intruder has far greater access to your own gun if it is sitting on the sofa compared to if it is in a holster on your person.
I am beginning to think "prepared vs. paranoid" is not the right question.
1. If you honestly think that you are at a high risk of home invasion, then you should not leave the door open and the screen door unlocked. I don't care about the weather. I mean, do you go into crack town just for a leisurely stroll, and carry a pistol openly in your hand?
2. The gun was not safely carried.
Prepared is: fortify your dwelling. If you sense it is unsafe to have the door open, then putting a gun in your hand doesn't solve the problem. Closing and locking the door does solve the problem. The electric bill will look like chump change compared to legal fees if someone wanders into your house through an open door and you shoot them. Better they try the knob, find it's locked, and move to the next house, IMHO...
And prepared is: carry your gun normally, in a safe, practical manner. Not sitting on the sofa with a mixture of people around, but holstered on your person.
The mythical intruder has far greater access to your own gun if it is sitting on the sofa compared to if it is in a holster on your person.
- Status
Similar threads
