How many people actually carry concealed?

[ASCTLC]

All day, every day, defanged only when mandated by Federal law. I just don't have the precognition required to know when I'll truly need it so I play it safe.

Andy

 

[Yosemite Sam]

Yosemite Sam - I’m not quite clear on this. Would you be wearing kilts… or using it as a loin cloth in which case common decency would demand wearing two - front and back! ROTFALMAO!

Ha! That's mainly at home, where boxers are acceptable, no shirt required. Not in public.

 

[bubba in ca]

I held off on my ccw for a long time because of all the ``can`t goes``--I couldn`t carry to work, to the lake, driving south out of town, to pick up the kid at school. actually, I couldn`t drive down main street or take any road to the house because Comrad Clinton signed the gun free zones act so that only nutcases can carry within 1000 feet of a school.

Eventually I got the permit, but i don`t carry often. Being fat in a hot climate without an open carry law hurts. The local political climate might make it hard if I had to triple tap somebody, not to mention the perp will probably have more relatives in the area than I do. Although I am retired, I am multi-tasking much of the time and babysitting a gun will add to the stress. Netnet, the places I usually go I need to concentrate on traffic, pot holes, etc. In most cases, if my gut told me I should carry a gun somewhere, I just wouldn`t go.

I carry when I go out at night (rarely), when I go for drives in the country or to my weekend place, and sometimes when I hike alone. If there was an iemergency at my daughter`s house, I would probably slap the carbine in the car and not even think about the ccw piece.

It`s a matter of balancing the perceived risks and rewards, and factoring in risks of negligent discharge, gun stolen from parked car, arrest for accidently exposing you concealed gun, etc. etc. I don`t criticise people who carry all the time. They have to figure out their perceived risk and act accordingly.

 

[JohnKSa]

I carry any time I can do so without running afoul of the law.

I don't carry because it's dangerous here or because I think it's dangerous here. I don't carry because something bad happened, or nearly happened, to me or an acquaintance or family member. I don't carry because of what I saw on the news last night or last week. I don't carry because I expect to be the victim of a violent crime.

Mostly I carry because it would be a huge waste to need a gun and not have one after all the time and money I've spent becoming proficient with a handgun, acquiring and renewing my carry permit, etc.

I also carry because I like to be prepared. I have prepared for a number of possibilities and eventualities--some mundane, some more esoteric--by acquiring knowledge, by learning skills, by having various tools and implements on hand, and by other means.

I believe about 2% of Texans have CHL permits and my educated guess based on informal polls of CHL holders and CHL instructors I know is that less than 10% of those persons carry on a regular basis.

 

[X-Rap]

Aside from prohibited places of which there are few in CO I pretty much always at least have a 380 in my pocket and bigger when cooler weather allows for more cover but I am trying out a Nemesis for my G26 in my cargo shorts and think I will be better armed this summer.

 

[Mag_357TX]

I carry 100% of the time. I rarely go into "gun free" zones and have boycotted MANY businesses because of their refusal to respect my right to carry a gun. I have a Texas CHL and in TX, open carry is not allowed (BS I know). But considering I live in a city of 5 million I'd probably keep it concealed anyway. As soon as I got out of the inner city I'd switch from my concealed Glock to my openly carried Ruger 357 magnum.

 

[J. Parker]

I've been carrying concealed since the mid nineties in Washington State. That said, open carry is legal also.

 

[bikerdoc]

I also carry because I like to be prepared. I have prepared for a number of possibilities and eventualities--some mundane, some more esoteric--by acquiring knowledge, by learning skills, by having various tools and implements on hand, and by other means.

Kuos, John for a well written paragraph that emphasizes mindset, skillset, toolset.

 

[champ0608]

There's more than a hundred reasons why I couldn't be happier that I grew up in, and stayed in, Arizona. One of them is our gun laws. We require no permits for open or concealed carry, and best is that open carry is so common here, no one ever makes a fuss when they see a firearm. In fact, if you're paying attention, and are out and about in town, you probably don't go a day without seeing at least one person open carry.

To answer the original question, I carry every day. Some days open, some days concealed; depends on the weather.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

I have since I got mine. So far I have not been stopped by the Police etc.