If you think you don't need to carry at all times.....

I am sad to report that this morning, during a live local news interview in my area, the reporter and cameraman were shot and killed and the person being interviewed was shot, but the condition of the person being interviewed is unknown.

The reporter and cameraman are both dead.

This was during a "live" news feed on the morning news. A manhunt is currently going on for the suspect. No motive is currently known.

Carry at all times, no matter where you are.

Good advice Mogul! A lot of us get lazy about carrying when the weather is so nice out, and concealing a "real gun"becomes more of a challenge. I just got an M&P shield with an IWB holster, so now I don't have any excuse to go anywhere unarmed. If you have a full size gun for CCW, you will find a reason to leave it at home when you can't wear a coat or jacket. If you can afford it I suggest everyone has a different carry gun for different weather conditions. Stay safe everyone!

What about practicing open carrying as opposed to concealed carry? I believe when I openly carry my full size pistol it would deter/intimidate criminals more effectively, or maybe not.....

Let me preface this with the fact that I am not a criminal, but if I were, I assume I would remain a decent observer. Seeing someone else openly carrying may limit my options to commit whatever crime I was going to commit, or it would make that person target number one, before going back to the crime I was going to commit. Since I would already be a criminal, in this exercise of the mind, there would be no reason for me to not be concealing my own weapon. That would give me the benefit of knowing that you have a gun, and you not knowing that I have one, and intend to shoot.

I don't feel the need to open carry. Some folks like to have a sidearm on display. Some folks don't have or cannot obtain a chp.

IMHO... situational awareness matters the most. Of the shootings I have witnessed, car and workplace "accidents"... 98%+ have involved folks that were minimally (or less) aware of their surroundings.

Not blaming anyone here and not saying I always get it right myself, but the more you are aware of the car in front of you (beside you... behind you) and the space you leave there while driving... the greater your reaction/response time and the lower your risk of getting "involved" in something will be.

Same is true with running a table saw or carrying a weapon (OC, CC or bag carry)... please be as aware of all that is around you as you possibly can and safeguard accordingly.

I agree as well Cash.... we must be aware at all times of what is going on.

Yesterday I watched a gentleman open carrying what appeared to be a glock 19. He was a rather small fellow and the gun was sticking way up. It would be very easy for someone to come up from behind him and take that pistol.

This is why I very rarely open carry. It is better to not be identified as a possible target of someone that wishes to do you harm. Carrying a firearm openly can make you such a target to the criminal element.

Anything(watch,shoes,iphone,limping,being a senior,looking down,large amounts of money,not paying attention etc..) can make you a target to the criminal element.


And if he was like 99% of the OC'ers I know the gun grabber would have been shoot, all while thinking he disarmed this guy. It's not like those who CC never get targeted by criminals.

Agreed, "CIK" situational awareness is paramount.
How one chooses to carry is up to them and their current situation.

Test your SA right now... at this moment...

Random questions... MORE ARE WELCOME (i.e. please add more!!!).

1) How far are you from doors that folks could enter? Where is your 1st, 2nd and 3rd self defense weapon?

2) How much fuel is in your vehicle and where will you go immediately? Is it ready to go FORWARD at 90 MPH IMMEDIATELY?

3) Do you have a blade in your sock, boxers or panties right now?

4) Can you field strip, clear and repair every weapon you own in pitch black darkness?

5) If you are OCing at the moment... and your weapon fails or is taken from you, do you have a 2nd, 3rd and 4th weapon?

6) If you are CCing at the moment... and your weapon fails or is taken from you, do you have a 2nd, 3rd and 4th weapon?

7) Do you understand why a Prius can be 10x more useful than a Glock in some bad situations?

8) Do you understand why a Cummins D-3500 can be 11x more useful than a Glock in in some bad situations?

9) You are having dinner or drinks with friends at a restaurant... are you in the back corner watching door #1 and your trusted friend in the back corner 90 degrees watching door #2?

10) No one is 100% safe from violence all the time... it is a matter of degree. The last time I was shot at in anger... I was fighting a forest fire.

I agree 100% always carrying even if it's down to the grocery store which is 1 minute away, too many things happen when you least expect it.

+1 I'm carrying right now and I'm on my couch with the doors locked. But seriously bad guys don't call and make appointments. Whatever you have on you is what your going to use to defend your life. The 6 pound revolver with a 9 inch barrel at home in your sock drawer does you no good.

A couple times a year I have the same conversation with someone who finds out I'm into guns. It goes something like this.
Me: oh cool your a 2A supporter too, what's your carry gun?
Other guy: 1911/Desert Eagle .50/.44 mag snub/plasma rifle in 40 Watt range/ or whatever.
Me: wow how do you carry that all day every day?
Other guy: welllll I don't carry all the time, only when I think I need it.
Me: .................(I usually excuse myself, and walk away)

And while I understand the open carry sentiment. It's not good tactics for personal safety in day to day life. I believe it screams a couple of things. 1. Shoot me first, I'm a threat. 2. Come bash my head in and steal this $500 item I have on my hip.

^Opinion not fact....

Situational awareness.. is paramount.... More so for the OC'er than the CC'er possibly.
However, the CC'er (non carrier/avg person) makes themselves more of a target if/when they lack proper situational awareness, just like the OC'er.... ie.... they look like the criminals normal prey.

The gun rags are full of "it happened to me" types of stories, all/most are cc'ers that got caught slipping.
Many of those stories include a cite to a credible news source to confirm said event.

+1 Fenton1, carry all the times....! Even at home.

It is just a tool, like my wallet, pocket knife, keys...etc

I bet MANY more folks are now carrying full time, after the horror in Paris, especially since ISIS says America is next on the list

And if not bad enough, Obongo is going to bring thousands of Syrian Refugees to America (which will be laced with ISIS members). The Gov of VA is going to welcome them also, REGARDLESS of what We The People think!

Folks, I agree with those that say we are in the beginning of WWIII

Patriots ............... Lock & Load

John has a mustache
John has a mustache
The chair is against the well
The chair is against the well

May God save America

I'm all for concealed carry-I see alot of ccr's that are at the ranges and many cannot shoot their way out of a wet paper bag; Not only is the enemy a threat but "friendly fire" as well.

Perhaps it is wishful thinking but I wish more "permit" holders would take more shooting classes beyond just what is required, getting a CCP.

IDPA or any shooting sport will help with muzzle awareness, situational awareness etc.

I read the other day, about an infant of around two, that reached into his mom's purse while riding in the shopping cart and shot her in the head; she never knew what hit her.

If she had chosen her gun more wisely, say a Glock 26 or similiar and left the chamber empty (condition 3), the 2 yr. old would not have had the motor skills or strength to chamber a round.

Not only is carrying important, but it needs to always be with forethought--I'm quite sure that that young mother NEVER anticipated being killed by her own baby; very sad, but very preventable.

Godspeed, brothers and sisters...

After last night I plan to carry all the time, every where I go.

Last night I purposefully chose not to carry. Unfortunately, I got into a fight; a stupid fight between two grown men who should have known better but didn't. I had my EDC blade but chose not to use it (for all of the obvious legal implications). I used to fight competitively but once I knew this guy was not a serious threat I stopped and luckily so did he. In other words the outcome could have been really bad but, in those slow motion moments when I was evaluating how to neutralize the threat, I realized I could have prevented the situation.

That's a long way of saying that I learned a lesson about myself last night; if I had been carrying I am certain that I would have walked away from that fight at all costs. I have been in several altercations when I was carrying and tempers were high. In every case, I walked away. I walked away because I knew I had a handgun and the training to defend myself and the people around me in just about any situation.

As Clint Smith at Thunder Ranch was quoted as saying, "If you carry a gun, people will call you paranoid. That’s ridiculous. If I have a gun, what in the hell do I have to be paranoid about?"

Boy Scout, I am glad you had walked away from that fight unharmed and did not injure the other guy. It could have been bad.

Another famous Clint Smith quote "Guns are not supposed to be comfortable to carry, it should be comforting".

Good knowledge:
https://youtu.be/pJgPh3qptCA

What are the repercussions of carrying concealed if one doesn't yet have the necessary permit/license to do so?
Open carry while not ideal is what I know I can do legally. Yes I understand that makes me more of a target. But on the other hand a large pistol or revolver does make people do a double take.

For sure appreciate reading the true law and learning new things.

Imho, worth the your time:
https://youtu.be/LsICTtwwEno

https://youtu.be/u40CPG021Xk

Bruen wins again!!!

Good info:
https://youtu.be/QHVpS34Bj18?si=qrohMsKnQ3ncXAq0

Also, entertaining.

Makes sense to me!

Be armed and get training!!!