Carrying rubber gun at work?

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Carrying a rubber gun is called SUICIDE!! It is bad enough some security companies issue them but wanting to carry one yourself, I am sorry it shows serious MALL Ninja tendencies that are going to get you maimed or killed..

I am sorry to seem abrupt but it would be a shame to see you killed over this.
 
Byron Quick said:
After viewing your subsequent posts, perhaps I have a better grasp of your intentions with this concept.

A)You're new to carry.
B) You'fre still extremely self conscious when you carry with paranoia that everyone is looking at you
C)You conceptualized this as a way to become accustomed to carrying in a shorter length of time.

It's understandable when viewed as such. (My assumptions are probably all wrong.)
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No, you're right on the money.

Byron Quick said:
I still think it is not a good idea. One thing I see happening is forgetting to replace it with the real gun after work. And then needing to draw the real gun on an assailant. OOPS. Another thing I see happening is trying to explain why you are carrying a dummy gun at work. Even if you squeak by with the dummy gun it will get you strange looks for quite some time. As well as having co-workers and supervisors wondering about your mental health.

If your goal is to become accustomed to carrying-be patient. It will come of its own. The only time I'm aware of mine is when it's not there.
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Thanks for your helpful reply! The more I learn about armed self-defense, the more I want to be carrying whenever possible. There are some times when I simply cannot. Work is a prime example. But I was also concerned about putting the holster on when I get out to my car. Trying to put it on sitting in the car is damn near impossible, but I don't want to be standing outside my car when everone else is getting off work, strapping on my pistol. So I figured I'd always wear the holster. But I've read that wearing a holster without a gun in it for extended periods of time is bad for the holster, and will cause it to collapse, crack, etc. So I thought of the rubber gun after seeing one at TH101 last weekend.

For some of the rest of you: See, there was a logical progression to the idea. No goofy stuff, no 'boy I can't wait to be a victim', no 'I wanna be a mall ninja'. :)
 
"I haven't spewed coffee onto a keyboard and monitor in quite some time."

I don't care who you are that's funny :neener:

I was still reading :uhoh: , looking for the punch line when I saw your comment & almost got diet coke up my nose
 
I don't think your idea is nutty at all. I understand your motivation (and did from the frist post).

I think, however, that you need to admit to yourself that your plan also is intended to serve as an experiment, which, if successful, will lead to you carrying your real gun concealed while at work. Should you do that? I can't say.

You've had the risks spelled out for you. Now decide for yourself.
 
I don't think your idea is silly at all. Its good practice when you're just getting used to CCW. It tests your concealment methods as well as the alertness of those who might notice. The campus cops saw my empty holster once. They were calm and professional about it although it probably would not have gone well if I had been carrying. (law school is too expensive to risk expulsion)

I regularly carry an empty holster in places where CCW is prohibited. Party because it is a hassle to remove my holster from my belt.

I say, "go for it", and if you feel more comfortable at some point maybe you'll decide to carry for real.
 
I wouldn't do it, it calls attention to you that will not be positive.

Either have a gun at work (Not in a holster but oh say in a bible case or briefcase, well hidden but accessable)

or don't and have one in the car.

but don't do anything that would attract added attention.

Its a sad fact but this hoby of ours is not well received by those around us typically, and if there's not a rule against what you are doing specifically, there will be once it makes someone uncomfortable.

Be discrete, don't get caught, and don't get used to walking in with a holster on. what if you're in a rush one day and you forget to do your rubber gun swap?

Try very hard not to be 'that crazy guy with the guns'
 
Thanks to everyone for their ideas and opinions. You've given me a great deal of info to take into account. The legal right to carry vs a property owner to limit those rights is a very deep conundrum. :p
 
Alright. My last post was less than informative. I'll try and give you a reasoned answer this time. Reading some of the posts since also gives me a little more background.

I once was as you are now. I got my permit when I was 20 (still pretty young, though I'm not sure on your age) and I had a lot of times when I couldn't carry. I worked at McDonalds a lot, which is obviously the wrong uniform to carry in, and was a college student during the school year. I can still remember the first day I got my permit, sat in the car and loaded up my magazine w/ American Eagle FMJs, and went out to run errands. And I was carrying a Glock 23, about the same size as your gun. I thought for sure everyone would notice.

They didn't. People are, in general, very clueless. I've carried for three years and none of my liberal friends outed me until last summer. And then only because one of them asked jokingly if I carried a gun around and I answered seriously. There have been lots of times when I couldn't carry. I just carried when I could. Carrying is not something you need to do 40 hours a week to get used to. You will get used to it pretty quickly.

Falconeer said:
Thanks for your helpful reply! The more I learn about armed self-defense, the more I want to be carrying whenever possible. There are some times when I simply cannot. Work is a prime example. But I was also concerned about putting the holster on when I get out to my car. Trying to put it on sitting in the car is damn near impossible, but I don't want to be standing outside my car when everone else is getting off work, strapping on my pistol. So I figured I'd always wear the holster. But I've read that wearing a holster without a gun in it for extended periods of time is bad for the holster, and will cause it to collapse, crack, etc. So I thought of the rubber gun after seeing one at TH101 last weekend.
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I think having a rubber gun will buy you the worst of both worlds. You get potentially negative attention from people at work, but still no way to defend yourself. I'd recommend just carrying when you can, outside of work. That's what I've done. I'd prefer to be armed 24/7, but that just isn't an option. More incentive to start my own business some day.

I suggested a Fobus holster because it is very easy to slip on and off, even sitting in your car. I've done it probably hundreds of times.
 
The legal right to carry vs a property owner to limit those rights is a very deep conundrum.
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Actually, there's no conundrum here at all. We 2nd Amendment supporters who are so very picky about the government infringing on our sacred rights must also respect the equally sacred rights of others or our position is logically inconsistent. When we fully support the rights of property owners to do as they please, have whom they please, or allow what they please on their own property we have standing to ask that they respect our rights. If they choose not to, hey, their sovereignty over their property trumps ours to be armed on said property or even to remain on said property.

That's why eminent domain abuse is as much a hot button issue for me as 2nd amendment rights. The Constitution specifically prevents *government* entities, not private parties from infringing on our rights.

It's a pain in the tuckus, but if your employer says you can't carry on their property you take your chances by doing so. Note that unless the property is properly posted, you can carry without incurring criminal liability from the state, but you can still lose your job. Fair trade, if'n ya ask me. I carry at work even though my personnel handbook says employees may not carry weapons at work. If I have a CCW, Arkansas state law says I am not guilty of the offense of "carrying a weapon". None of the required signs are posted, so I am perfectly legal. I choose to interpret the handbook in light of state law. It also helps that I'm a part time LEO and my department requires me to carry while off-duty.

IANAL, YMMV. Carry at every opportunity and you'll get used to it quickly enough. ;)
 
You could carry a rubber-band gun instead. That way if somebody at work ticked you off.... you could really have the office talking about you.

:D

Actually, while career suicide may not be as final as hara-kiri, it still conveys its own degree of exquisite pain.

I can relate to trying to get used to carrying a gun. I have never, ever been totally comfortable packing the freaking things. What a nuisance. Except, of course, on the couple of occasions when the need to have one handy was acute - and boy, did it ever feel good then.

It's all a trade-off.
 
Either carry for real or don't. Substituting a fake gun is just bizzare, and you're going to have just as hard a time - maybe even harder - trying to explain to a superior why you are trying to conceal a fake gun (as if "the real one is in the car" is going to elicit a satisfactory conclusion).

Yes, the decision to carry at work when prohibited from doing so is difficult. That is a personal decision, and I can respect either choice (frankly, the odds of getting fired and having no income are much higher than having to actually defend yourself, at least in my cube-farm environment). Either way you choose, take it seriously.

If you choose to carry at work, note what others said: while you may be hyper-aware of your gun and expect everyone be staring at you, fact is most people haven't a clue until the thing goes THUNK on the floor in front of them. Concealed means concealed, and if done right it won't be noticed.

If you choose to not carry at work, get suitable equipment: a Mitch Rosen Workman holster can pop on/off the belt trivially yet be secure, and a safe for the car can be obtained. If you have to fumble with it, you don't have the right equipment.

A rubber gun does nothing to protect you, complicates your thought process to no good end, and makes people think you're extremely, even dangerously, strange if they find out - I'd bet you'd get fired anyway. Don't play with toys when you're dealing with weapons. Make your choice - carry or don't - and do the best you can with either.
 
Also keep in mind we're living in times when a grade school kid can point his finger at a classmate and say "Bang!" and get suspended for it.

Some of the offices I've been in have pretty much the same mentality.
 
Edit: This thread sticks out in my mind, and I too have given it some thought. When I first started carrying, I would wear a new leather holster empty to work, concealed, to help break it in and get used to the feel. Every employer I've worked for since I started carrying has banned guns on their premises (though the policies did not have the force of criminal law behind them). Eventually I just saved the pennies and dimes and got a Kahr PM-9 with two holsters: one for pocket carry and for tucked IWB carry. The gun is hardly a joy to shoot, I don't use it in competition, and on most trips to the range it stays in the holster or the safe. It sucks having a gun I don't enjoy carrying (that tuckable IWB is hardly comfortable) in places where the property owner would rather I not, but it is comforting to have that protection discreetly by my side at all times. It's not easy to get to this point if finances aren't right, but it's certainly worth the trouble. I hope you'll give more thought to deeper carry, as there is little benefit to an empty holster or one with a rubber duck in it in the context you describe.
 
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With all that switching of guns in the holster, I'd be afraid I'd try to draw my blaster, and pull a red gun out of the holster.:what:
 
If they're going to look at you funny...

it might as well be for a REAL gun. I realize you may be doing this to figure out if you'll be safe packing a gun at work and going unnoticed, but if you get caught, either with a plastic gun or a real gun, the results might be the same....Termination of your employment.

If you did get caught, wouldn't you rather have them looking at you with an inkling of respect for having enough cojones to carry a gun rather than pointing a finger at you and laughing because you were caught with a rubber gun?

If your job means that much to you, you should respect your employers wishes. If your safety means that much more to you, carry the gun and just keep it undercover, knowing it puts you at risk for termination, but not permanent termination, just employment termination.

If you have a job where you feel it necessary to carry, you might want to pick up a Sunday paper and start looking.

jeepmor
 
Try ordering some T-shirts that express how you feel. One of favorites says: I AM UNARMED! PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!! and is illustrated by a cowering stick figure.
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I have a couple like that. I wear 'em to the range.

Let 'em wonder :)

As far as the plastic gun, it's not enough to just carry it. Every now and then, you should jump out of your chair, do a "tactical" roll across the floor and come up with the gun drawn. Yell, "here come the zombies!" and make gunfire noises.

It'll keep your co-workers alert, that's for sure.
 
On second thought

Pack an airsoft. You can practice your draw and shoot with all the pop cans that pile up in cubicles. Set them on the cubicle wall tops and have a lunch plinking session.

I can hear the stories already. Remember that guy that went nuts at work and started shooting all the pop cans with the peashooter.....:evil:

jeepmor
 
you guys are killing me!!!!! my freakin sides hurt!

I have the same problem with my job. And I know for a FACT that if I carried at work, which I don't, for fear of losing my job, and I got caught... I would get terminated instantly... but... lets say for some reason I didn't get terminated, lets say I challenged the rules, went to court, and won...

I know my existence there would be very short still... cause they would FIND a way to get rid of me... even if it meant setting up someone to make a bogus sexual harrassment claim.. anything. They would do this just to get rid of me.

I'm not so great at giving advice, but just something to think about... they WILL find a way to get rid of you. So I suggest you find pictures of your employer cheating on his wife... haha.
 
My first thought was.....

how about taking a 'real' gun to your 'fake' job???


Nah, in all honesty, if you can't carry on your belt, carry in a hand held organiser style holster or just throw a NAA in ya pocket, hell , before the clamp down over here I spent an evening with a 3" barrel 5-shot .38 in my pocket, no holster and no-one noticed, even I forgot it was there:confused: . (just make sure your pants aren't tight enough to 'print')

PS. could you use the rubber gun as a cosh? in which case you'd still be kinda armed?
 
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