matego

All you guys watch too much TV. Everyone thinks they are a gunfighter from the wild west and they are going to blast the bad guy. Leave the Wal-Mart shootouts to the LEO's that are trained to deal with the situation. Flashing your gun around trying to take control is going to make more problems. Who here has ever been shot at in public or has been held up at gun point? Yeah you can say you are going to protect your family but I think you are putting them in more harm when you draw fire your way. Adrenaline will have you shaking so bad you wouldnt be able to hit anyone but point blank anyway. I have a concealed carry permit and when I was 21 I thought I was a gunfighter too. Now I only carry in my truck so when I hit a deer (4 in 6 years) I can put it out of its misery. I am 100% for guns and I like them a lot but they have their time and place.

I've never been in a head on collision in my truck either.
But I still want airbags in my vehicles, and always wear my seat belt.....Just In Case.

If you and your family happens to be in the mall when someone like Robert Hawkins decides to visit, what are your plans......to call 9-1-1 and wait for him to run out of ammunition or victims?

If it works for you.....great......but allow me to make the decisions on how MY family will be protected.

Fronty Owner

Im no gun fighter, and your right, waving a gun in public is probably gonna get you in trouble.
Part of carrying a pistol is also know how to use it under a stressful situation. take a couple defense courses. take a refresher every couple years. burn thru a few hundred rounds at the range with silhouette targets.
go with your LEO buddies to the range and shoot with them, thru some of their drills.

Redleg

I hope nobody causes the grounds gained the last few years to be lost with bad P.R. Also, keep in mind, it may be lawful to carry in certain places, but if it's private property, they can still ask you to leave if they don't like your gun. That's part of THEIR constitutional right to own property. If they don't know it's there, then no harm. This would be the type of incident that would get "no guns" signs posted everywhere.

Shovelhead

I've never been in a head on collision in my truck either.
But I still want airbags in my vehicles, and always wear my seat belt.....Just In Case.

My mission is NOT to get in a shootout with an armed agressor.
But it's NOT to throw up my hands and watch as a family member or myself takes a bullet either.
You can play the odds if you wish.......BUT
If you and your family happen to be in the mall when someone like Robert Hawkins decides to visit, what are your plans......to call 9-1-1 and wait for him to run out of ammunition or victims?
That "plan" didn't work well for the citizens in the Oklahoma mall, or the students at Virginia Tech, or Columbine,. or the Amish school ..........

......Always / in my holster.
If what you are doing works for you.....great......but allow me to make the decisions on how MY family will be protected.

Rick D

Don't forget, in Va. open carry is required in restaurants if they have an ABC licence, our idiot governor took care of that.

Rick

checkster

Its imposssible to get a permit in Maryland so most of the criminals dont open carry.

matego

I dont like the idea of someone who thinks they are doing the right thing and tries to shoot a criminal and escalates the situation well beyond a few dollars stolen, then putting MY family in danger. That is the more realistic situation that happens a lot more frequent than the shootings you referenced earlier. They were tragic and sad, I do feel bad for the families that endured those terrible times but I do not think everyone who can get a permit should be running around with guns waiting for their chance to be a star. Of course, you might be one of the responsible ones but unfortunately the criteria to get a permit only requires you to send 20$ and fill out a form in my state.

PourinDiesel

Matego,
What do you think the criteria ought to be to obtain a carry permit in your state?

matego

He pretty much summed it up for me.

PourinDiesel

I agree everyone should be well skilled with the firearm they carry and know the gravity of carrying.
Although, I don't agree with required or mandatory training, or testing as I think the US Constitution pretty much covers that area.

Indiana is a good example of a shall issue state with no required testing. I can remember only one accidental discharge that has been reported of a permit carrier in the last 10 years.
However, I can recall many instances where a permit carrier used their weapon in self defense.

Dieseldude4x4

The advanced course that my son and I took informed us of a lot of stuff we did not know (hence the need for course). BY LAW in Virginia at least, you are not supposed to get involved no matter what "UNTIL" you feel personally threatened or "bodily harm".
I asked the question "what if I'm in the local burger joint and someone comes in and points a gun at the cashier?" The reply was "get under the table and sneak out the door". As screwed up as that sounds, it kind of makes sense. These two instructors were both retired LEO's with over 30 years each and pretty much stated facts.
As someone mentioned above, I do carry and hopefully will never ever have to draw it out of the holster except for practice and cleaning "BUT", unless I'm struck first, I plan to defend myself and family against stuff like VT and so on..

Fronty Owner

My attitude towards firearms is its just another tool.
You dont rebuild an engine by changing your oil twice..
you dont cut down 30" diameter trees by cutting a few branches first.
You dont build a house by swinging a hammer a few times.
Why would you take on an armed criminal by going to the gun range once?

sure, you can try these things with little or no experience, but success is going to be questionable.

On the subject, For those with a home defense firearm, does the WHOLE family know the drill? How do they get in the safe room without being shot? do they even know where the safe room or area of the house is located? Whats the plan if the BG comes thru a window IN the safe room?

Diesel_Storm

it is definatly going to be concealed for me. just purchased a .380 this past weekend. some would say its too small, but i think it will work. im a firm believer in shot placement versus large caliber.

Shovelhead

A hit with a .22 beats a miss with a .50 BMG.

however........

While a 9mm might expand, a .45 never shrinks.

PourinDiesel

Yeah the .45 is so powerful that the US Military is ditching their 7.62mm GPMG's and going with Thompson SMG's for all that knockdown power!

Hey if you can't knock the bad guy down with the 9mm at least you can get their attention!