Conceal to carry - if so what? Or what do you own?

[BigSwede]

I don't carry often, large white guys don't get hassled much. But when I do, I carry a Kahr PM9. I am comfortable with 9mm, and the PM9 is tiny, if not quite as small as some of the .380s out there. I am very happy with it.

If the zombies come, I am grabbing my FN-FAL.

[PK]

OK, we're goin' look like nutjobs here, but here goes anyway.....
I hope PK still loves me after this....

I still loves ya Sue.
I just have to decide whether I should -

Start blowing my horn when I am 100 mile away, to let you know I'm coming.

OR

Wait until I wrap my arms around you from behind, and whisper in your ear.

Guess it will be No 1 because I wouldn't get past those ferocious dogs of yours. (Or big Dave).

I do have some firm opinions on this topic, but won't bore everyone with them.

I will make a few observations -
I assume of course, that all of you carry for defensive reasons only.


1. Don't ever carry unless you have the resolve to use it if needed.
2. If you have to use it, aim for the central mass of the target. It is hard enough to hit something moving without being fancy with where you try and place the shot.
3. I have to agree with Riff (Wow - never thought I would say that), if you can't draw and fire your weapon in less than 1 second, you are carrying useless weight around. Try this, it is harder than you think.

Suffice to say that if I lived in America, I probably would carry.
Luckily I live in Australia, and with the lack of guns on the street, and my hand to hand combat training, I have zero need to live in fear.
If I am within 10 feet of someone, I can have them unconscious, or dead, within 2 seconds if I have to.

I don't hate guns, I just don't see the need for everyone to walk around armed to the teeth in a supposedly civilised society.
When in the bush (not hunting) I have my knives and special "camping tool", and of course, if I am hunting, I have my rifle, or shottie, which ever is appropriate.

PK

[Ebenezr]

Thank you Ldub for posting my kitty picture with the gun in the face that I stole from the internet and thank you VX KAT for showing me how

[spaceCADETzoom]

However i am just jelous as we arent allowed anything here, athough thats not a bad thing as road rage is just alot of shouting here, then you go your seperate ways instead of being dead lol

Yeah, so road rage defaults to the bigger, angrier guy in the UK then? Media hype aside, and contrary to fear mongering, motorists shooting other motorists because of road rage doesn't really happen. I mean, the homicidal driver is already in control of a 2ton vehicle...don't need a gun to kill anybody if so inclined.

Suffice to say that if I lived in America, I probably would carry.
Luckily I live in Australia, and with the lack of guns on the street, and my hand to hand combat training, I have zero need to live in fear.
If I am within 10 feet of someone, I can have them unconscious, or dead, within 2 seconds if I have to.

I don't hate guns, I just don't see the need for everyone to walk around armed to the teeth in a supposedly civilised society.
When in the bush (not hunting) I have my knives and special "camping tool", and of course, if I am hunting, I have my rifle, or shottie, which ever is appropriate.

PK

THat's funny, I'd think a civilized society would be one where you aren't afraid of your fellow citizens and their own private property? I, too have zero need to live in fear. I have not once open carried or concealed carried or have felt the need to carry any gun in any way throughout the US. I have zero fear of my fellow citizen, even if visibly armed. I find it terrible that anyone in a civilized society would.

...oh no, a terrible thought flashed through my head. I'm a little guy. What if there were big dudes with "hand to hand combat training" out there? I don't think that unsafe mastery of the oriental arts should be wielded by killers. What rational defense is there of having the knowledge to kill be in the skillset of my fellow civilized neighbors? FOr the children!

Sorry, soapbox. I just don't see why everyone doesn't adopt the live and let live approach in matters like these. If one neighbor doesn't like guns, and thinks its unsafe, why is it okay for him to legislate his neighbor's ability to buy one? Maybe, just maybe, opinions on guns shaped purely by action movies and news reports on violent incidents is not an adequate gauge on the issue? If you've never driven or even seen a car before, but were exposed to nothing but news on traffic related death and watched Death Race 2000 over and over again would your opinion on cars be similar? Fifty years from now, let's say technology comes to the point where anything can be done with public transportation 100% more safely and efficiently and to a point where there's no conceivable rational reason to "allow" private car ownership. Would you be defending your right to the private ownership of your VX? What would be your reasoning behind this, knowing the terrible, terrible statistic of death involved with widespread ownership of this death machine? What's that, you say? YOu've never killed anyone in your car? You're a responsible driver? Some freedom nonsense?

I dare say our vehicross contributes to more death in the long run collectively than every single board member's guns...

sorry,can of worms opened.

[Marlin]

I dare say our vehicross contributes to more death in the long run collectively than every single board member's guns...

sorry,can of worms opened.

Well said, and so it is with the rest of our freedoms we give up. Once we give away one, it seems so much easier to give away the others.

As for the more deaths, I assume you aren't counting zombies?

[VX KAT]

I still loves ya Sue.
I just have to decide whether I should -

Start blowing my horn when I am 100 mile away, to let you know I'm coming.

OR

Wait until I wrap my arms around you from behind, and whisper in your ear.

Guess it will be No 1 because I wouldn't get past those ferocious dogs of yours. (Or big Dave).

I don't hate guns, I just don't see the need for everyone to walk around armed to the teeth in a supposedly civilised society.
When in the bush (not hunting) I have my knives and special "camping tool", and of course, if I am hunting, I have my rifle, or shottie, which ever is appropriate.

PK

I got a bit dishearted about society after living in Los Angeles/Long Beach for 15 yrs, (especially during the 1991 Rodney King riots) and saw way too many bad & sad things....some within 2 miles of our home.....

I think maybe since the U.S. had to fight for our country's independence, and fought ourselves in the Civil War, that guns, and gun ownership has carried over into our national psyche, which is even reflected in our Constitution (2nd Amendment).

I really admire societies like AUS and CAN that seem to have a less "gun crazy" culture. But I'm not naive enough to believe that outlawing guns in the U.S. would completely solve the problem, as I believe there's some truth in the old adage if you "outlaw guns...only outlaws will have guns".


I don't carry as I don't want to live under that constant "fear of bad guys" mentality, plus I fully realize I'm incapable of drawing in a "reasonable" amount of time. I do it completely for sport & activity, and fun. It gets me out into the woods and mountains, I get to go off-roading to get there, plus I can do it sitting in a lawn chair when needed.


Ah, you must be referring to my "8lbs of sheer terror" Pomeranian! Now how could you not love this sweet little doggie? Oh, just remember not to get a corndog anywhere near him....


And oh yeah PK, ....I vote for #2 above!

[Bulldoggie]

I haven't had a gun since before I was married. I was at too much risk of having them used on me.

It didn't stop the risk of getting stabbed in my sleep

[BigSwede]

Luckily I live in Australia, and with the lack of guns on the street, and my hand to hand combat training, I have zero need to live in fear. If I am within 10 feet of someone, I can have them unconscious, or dead, within 2 seconds if I have to.

What about those folks who don't have "hand to hand combat training", or the physical aptitude to even use it, such as the elderly, small women, handicapped, etc.? How do they defend themselves? Or are they at the mercy of the good will of people such as you?

[Marlin]

Ijust got a lead on a Kel-tek 380. Brand new, 3 extra magazines, gun safe, 200 bucks. The guy bought it for his wife for a Bday present in the summer, now they are getting divorced. SHe never even fired it. Sounds like a good xmas present for the wife Thanks for the lead on the Kel-teks Billy.

[PK]

What about those folks who don't have "hand to hand combat training", or the physical aptitude to even use it, such as the elderly, small women, handicapped, etc.? How do they defend themselves? Or are they at the mercy of the good will of people such as you?

Same thing as if you are not the quickest to draw and shoot I guess - you loose.
But at least here, 99.5% of the time, all you are likely to loose is a verbal argument, or a fist fight - not your life.

Don't get me wrong guys - I am not totally against guns, or your rights to carry them in your country if you want.
I especially recognise Sue's point - we have never had to fight a war on our own soil, or against each other. That would have embedded a need to carry a gun for decades.

I just feel sorry that you still feel the need to do so.
Okay I have my training, but I received that training for a purpose and I still carry it in my civilian life.
Although I have to 'fess up here and admit it was a fair while ago, and I am not as fast and agile as I used to be.

As an outsider to your country, I would never have the cheek to suggest your laws should be changed (except maybe which side of the road you drive on, and catching up to the rest of the world to the metric system).

Crap - now I've gone done it - where is that flame proof smiley??

PK

[Marlin]

As an outsider to your country, I would never have the cheek to suggest your laws should be changed (except maybe which side of the road you drive on, and catching up to the rest of the world to the metric system).

Crap - now I've gone done it - where is that flame proof smiley??

PK

You are 100% right on the metric thing....but driving on the other side of the road?!! You guys are just weird. You can keep your kangaroo sack storage pouches as well!!!

I spent a few days in Brisbane, went to the australia zoo, was molested by a Koala bear, went to all kinds of places out in the glass mountain area (not sure the actual town names, but lots of wineries, shopping...)
I saw more kangaroo sack tourist souvenirs than I could have imagined. Of course I bought a few of em Keep your valuables dry with a seamless leather pouch!!! How can one resist that?

Back to the guns, if your people don't have guns, how could you ever possibly overthrow your government if you needed to? If they have the only weapons, it sounds like an easy step to tyranny and dictatorship with no hope of retaliation?

[jmassa]

I too have a Walther PPK/s, but I prefer my Colt Commander and matching Thompson M1A1.

[BigSwede]

I just feel sorry that you still feel the need to do so.

Although I have the permit to carry, I really never do. 95% of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area (population of about 3 million) is "safe", and even the other 5% isn't that bad until after dark.

Having said that, I know there are other metro areas elsewhere that are not so lucky.

I guess I just feel that guns are a great equalizer for those who are not physically able to defend themselves, and as Marlin said, a means of deterring government tyranny.

[VXIRONwoMAN]

I carry a 241mm Merona...



And I have a fire-poker on the side of my bed...

There are too many rules in Chicago. I almost got my CCW when I lived in Vegas, but then I was moving to IL and haven't done anything because we weren't allowed to register handguns in the city up until a month or so ago. I hate this city. Texas here I come!

[Marlin]

There are too many rules in Chicago. I almost got my CCW when I lived in Vegas, but then I was moving to IL and haven't done anything because we weren't allowed to register handguns in the city up until a month or so ago. I hate this city. Texas here I come!

I am going to be honest, I never would have guessed you would carry a gun!!! Good for you. Some parts of Texas are awesome, and I would love to retire in that area.
I heard that there are still places you can homestead there?