"I wouldn't carry a gun if it wasn't issued to me!"

Status
Not open for further replies.
H

hankdatank1362

Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2006
Messages
2,377
Location
Myrtle Beach
How many times have we heard a law enforcement officer, or someone who carries as part of their profession, say that? Or, at least, heard about someone saying it?

I heard it tonight, in person. From a Federal agent, no less.

I was standing with him when somene came up, and, in a rather immature manner, started barraging him with all kinds of questions, interspersing everything with "Obama"-laden expletives. I guess since he knew my acquaintaince was a Fed, then he must be a gun guy.

The agent merely responded with "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm just not into guns. Frankly, I wouldn't carry one if it wasn't issued to me." The guy got the hint and took off.

Funny thing is... the Fed is a gun nut. Absolute, drooling nut. That's one of the reasons we get along so well. We can sit around and talk shop all day. He just wasn't in the mood to entertain the whimsical notions of some uninformed new guy. I know, patience with the newbs and all, but just not after the weekend we had.

Moral of the story? Just because you hear someone say that they only carry because they have to... doesn't mean it's the truth. It could very well be a simple, polite conversation ender.
 
Just the opposite here.

I wouldn't carry a gun if it was issued to me.


My non issued guns are better. :)
 
.
We had a teacher in school who was a former cop and she didn't like guns, never kept her duty gun at home. She left it in her locker at work.


I think LEO's shouldn't be afraid of the weapons they carry and if they are, that's not good.


How can you be capable of using a tool well that your afraid of?

.
 
Azizza said:
Me thinks someone didn't read the entire OP.
Click to expand...

^Same here.


Honestly, it is fair to say that some cops really do feel that way. My shift lieutenant has that opinion on guns. He says he doesn't collect, and only carries weapons because they are necessary tools of his job.

Even though I don't personally feel that way, I have been guilty of using that "excuse" once in a while when I've been bombarded with questions from AGI (Any Given Idiot). Until I became a cop myself I don't think I realized quite how often people would approach you with silly/stupid questions about your firearms, and the used of these weapons.

So, every once in a great while I'll just blow off one of these useless people by saying something like: "Hey, I just carry this gun because I have to, and I don't like talking about it". Obviously I don't mind talking about guns with people who can have intelligent conversations, but when childish fools approach me with Rambo-like enthusiasm and misplaced feelings of greatness, I simply don't have the time or desire to talk with them.

In the past I've had adults approach me on duty and tell me that they are looking to get a gun for home defense/CCW/etc, and then ask for my advice about choosing a weapon/training. In those instances I'm more than happy to help. But, I have absolutely no desire to share information with Joe gang-banger when he wants to know how many people I've killed, what ammo I think is most lethal, or why I'm not carrying that gun that he heard the Navy SEALS were carrying.

Along the same lines, I also don't let a lot of people know that I'm a cop when I'm off-duty. For some reason I've noticed that a certain breed of idiot is drawn to cops like iron is to a magnet. Normally this produces a somewhat symbiotic relationship for us, whereby the idiots really need us, and we sort of need them too (job security and all). Of course, my need for idiots ends the minute I take off the uniform, and I'd rather just be known as "Kevin" when I'm on my time. Suffice it to say, if I'm off-duty and you know I'm a cop, it probably means that you've already passed my internal idiot-screening, or you are doing something so idiotic that I've had to come "on-duty" for the time being. I love to talk about guns, and I love to talk about my job, but I certainly pick and choose who I'll discuss either topic with! :)

To summarize my long reply: This thread amused me!
 
they see themselves as better than legitimate cops and "above" them.
Click to expand...
..... :banghead:

And you're basing this off of your vast personal experience with three letter agencies? Because you wouldn't just say something like that with no actual facts to back it up, would you?
 
I've heard it before, from officers in my agency, and unfortunately, they truly mean it! In fact, I would have to say that less than half of our officers even carry a gun off duty. Many simply lock their guns in their lockers after shift, and head on out without a concern. Unbelievable really. It should be required for an LEO to carry off duty, some agencies do require this I believe, but my agency says its "recommended but not required." I don't go fishing or to the gym without being armed. Then again, my oath to serve and PROTECT doesn't end at the end of my shift as it does for some I guess.
 
For those who can't be bothered to read all the way to the end of the story or who are reading comprehension "limited". :rolleyes:

Funny thing is... the Fed is a gun nut. Absolute, drooling nut. That's one of the reasons we get along so well. We can sit around and talk shop all day. He just wasn't in the mood to entertain the whimsical notions of some uninformed new guy. I know, patience with the newbs and all, but just not after the weekend we had.

Moral of the story? Just because you hear someone say that they only carry
Click to expand...


The Fed told the goob he wasn't interested just to get him to shut up and go away. Whenever some monomaniacal slavering fanatic on something accosts you at a party to gush about their obsession - "Sorry, I don't follow sports. Not interested in them. Goodby." "Sorry, I don't follow NASCAR. Not interested in it. Goodby." "Sorry, I wouldn't carry a gun at all except they issue it. Not interested in them. Goodby."
 
Last edited:
I have friends that are in law enforcement. Some are Deputies, some are city police, some ATF and some are boarder patrol. I can not think of one of them that does not carry their weapon(s) off duty. I am sure glad you guys that don't carry off duty believe your community is without any bad guys, our LEO's here in my town know we have BG's and are prepared to protect and serve at all times. We thank them for their unselfish duty to the community.
 
I have friends that are in law enforcement too.
DEA, various police and sheriff's offices...
I think there may even be an FBI type in the mix there somewhere
and at least one distance family member is a Federal Judge.

I do the same as the op's bud when someone wants to talk politics.
If someone is so blinded by the onslaught of propaganda out here,
I tend to try and not attempt engage them.
What's the point? Especially if they operate on 'feelings' instead of facts.
 
Even though the OP's friend said it as a way to get rid of an idiot, some do say it and mean it. Some even take their ammo and put it in their lunch bag so the weapon is not loaded at home as they are afraid "their kids will play with it". Some even forget to reload when they get to work and actually hit the street unloaded. Absolutely true story.
 
I have had the unfortunate life to have worked side by side with some officers that not only are not into guns, but have stated that they are not sure they could shoot someone (in the line of duty). They only carry guns because they have to on duty (never off duty). I have no idea why they are in the job. It resulted in me not wanting to work with them, feeling like they have no idea what their responsibilty is, or what they are getting paid for. Totally absurd.
 
Slightly off from the OP; since i'm not a LEO...

I have a ccw license and do not carry. In my 28 years, i have never encountered a situation where i needed to, and i hope & pray not in the future either. I think that carrying a gun is a huge liability, and that the potential for an accident is higher than the potential for defending myself (in my case; a LEO is a different matter, entirely). As a caveat, I do always carry a pocket knife (CRKT M-1610Z) which I use multiple times a day from opening envelopes, cutting my sandwich in half, and opening a beer in the evening; after working in a fish processing plant, i can gut anything that breathes very efficiently.

That being said, there is generally a HK USP .40 under my car seat, a CX4 back by the spare tire, and my dog (a husky/yote/border-mix) is almost always at my side, and i have no doubt that she would die to protect me.

my.php
[/URL][/IMG]
 
I admit to having expressed little to no interest pertaining to firearms on at least one occasions perceiving the presence of less stable elements; it served its purpose every time in that off they went with little to no fanfare.
 
but have stated that they are not sure they could shoot someone (in the line of duty).
Click to expand...

Whoever these guys are you speak of should not be in law enforcement. They are a danger to themselves and their fellow officers not to mention the people they are sworn to protect. It is your responsibility to take what ever action is necessary to have these guys checked out. If it were me I would see my Chief the first thing in the AM.
 
I'm a semi-retired rent-a-cop. I'm old enough that most of my LE connections are deceased, but I saw all of this over the last 40+ years....

My favorites were a guy from Chicago who refused to carry off-duty, and had absolutely no patience with the idea of "civilian" carry, and a couple of Brits who said they'd quit if issued guns....

Other than the Brits, I've also run into more than one LEO who carried what the Chief ordered, and had little or no knowledge of anything else. Like a kid who carried a Glock, and had pretty much never seen a 1911.... (We showed him several. He'd driven up as several of us were leaving the range, late at night. No confrontation or anything like that - guys putting range bags into their vehicles outside a well-known Rod & Gun Club may be worth a look, but what the hell did you expect? :) )

A very good friend (also now deceased) used to stay in the station. Every time he took a car out, he either wrecked it or hurt his back. Suggestions that he be chained to the desk were entertained, but never acted on. Normally, he'd come in to the office, lock his gun in the desk in the Captain's Office, and then "go to work". The Captain would regularly go home so early that my buddy's gun stayed locked in the office.... He apparently rated a key to the desk, but not the office.... Don't ask....

One afternoon he ended up in Judge's Chambers as part of a case, and when the subject's mother pulled out a gun to object to the Judge's decision, he happened to be the only other one in the room who was armed. Mama left in a rubber bag, kid got a whole new set of problems. My buddy never really figured out why he happened to be carrying. The Judge ordered up a bunch of metal detectors the next day. :(

Regards,
 
chuckusaret said:
Whoever these guys are you speak of should not be in law enforcement. They are a danger to themselves and their fellow officers not to mention the people they are sworn to protect.
Click to expand...

^As true as that statement is, it is also a sad reality that folks like these are currently working in LE. It seems like it is becoming more common these days, given the attempts that departments are making towards becoming "Kindler and Gentler" as we call it. Moreover, recruiting for new cops has moved more towards the college campuses, and less towards the military (admittedly, I come from the college background myself, and there are pros and cons to recruiting from each angle).

I've wondered for years about why we keep some people on this job. In all honesty, we have some incredible talent within my department; sadly we also have some real jokes. Here are a few key examples:

1) A couple of years ago I was qualifying at our range next to a female Sgt who had been on the job for over twenty years. I saw her shoot the course of fire, and I honestly think she had more shots off of the target than she had on it (even one miss is a DQ on our courses). This lady then tells me that it took her 6 tries to qualify on the previous quarter! I hope she never gets in a shooting with innocents in the area!

2) I had the unfortunate luck one night of being partnered with an officer who neglected to qualify until the very last shoot day. It is a well known fact in my department that the majority of our inept shooters qualify on the last day. Anyway, this particular qual course was set up like an IPSC type scenario, and officers went in one at a time to qualify. While I was waiting on my partner I watched one female officer as she waited in line. She appeared to be sweating and shaking, and kept saying how nervous she was. Before she went in to the range she told another officer that she might need to stop mid-course because the gun really scares her. If that scares her, imagine what bullets coming her direction would do to her mental state?

3) An officer on my shift went to qualify with me one day last year. He presents his weapon to the range officer for inspection (standard practice) and the range officer immediately noted that it was dirty (big no-no on our range). He sends the officer to clean his weapon. The officer returns about ten minutes later and explains that he doesn't know how to disassemble his GLOCK! Sad part is, this guy was former military. His one saving grace was that he could actually shoot fairly well, and I'd feel reasonably confident that his bullets would land on target in a real situation.

4) I have heard a couple of officers mention that they don't think they could ever kill anyone. While no sane person really wants to kill another person, it is safe to say that it is a reality you may someday need to face as a police officer. If you can't handle it, this is the wrong profession for you!


So, the long and short of all of this is that some of us have chosen careers where we need to rely on firearms as an essential tool of our trade. As such, we do a great disservice to ourself, our fellow officers, and our community if we don't take the time to master these skills when working in this field!

(sorry, I know this rant goes off on a bit of a tangent from the original post, but I couldn't help myself from sharing these examples)
 
I just retired last month after 40, yes 40, years as a state peace officer.

I worked the last 18 years in the Bronx. The majority of the officers I worked with were not into guns or shooting. Most probably only fired only once or twice a year and at re-qual.

While I carried every day at work, and to and from, I rarely carried off duty. I've never felt that threatened in the Bronx, and still don't. Call me naive, but that's just the way I feel.

Sometimes I read about the fears and reactions of some of the people here re: perceived threats and shake my head. I've never felt a gun was the answer to all problems which is a reaction I see here more than I'm comfortable with. Some seem to have no concept of how negatively that trigger pull will impact their life. The false bravado statements would almost be laughable if they weren't so sad. I sometimes wonder if some of the people here have pajama and shower holsters.

I will probably be flamed, so be it. I enjoy this site, but don't agree with everything I read here.

I will be the first to admit I am not an expert in the "latest and greatest" self defence techniques. I have only been trained by my agency's academy and by the NYPD at various times, never by civilian "experts".

I'm into guns but just didn't feel like carrying off duty. I'm applying for a carry permit, but doubt I'll carry much. More into target shooting.

Not carrying does not necessarily mean a person is not into guns.
 
Speedo:

Just a small flame, 'cause YMMV....

Perhaps because I live in the 'burbs, where the local PD guys are very good, but very thin, I don't see it that way. A "drop everything and run" call can be the epitome of waiting. Probably wouldn't be the end of the world (my folks moved us here in 1947) - there was a time when a six year old could walk to the barber shop without an escort....

Can't do it today.... The BGs from across the City line now live all over the place in the Township. There's nothing left to steal in the City anyway....

I don't want to shoot anybody. But after 40+ years as a rent-a-cop, I've seen it all, and prefer to not just sit there and wait, nor to lack the options. And, I'm a little happy with the possibility that the BG's can no longer assume that somebody's unarmed....

I hope you never find out that you're wrong.

Regards,
 
My brother in law got a job with the State of NJ about 30 years ago. He found his way into doing paperwork for some division involved with tax enforcement (e.g. catching cigarette smugglers) and was required to qualify with a hand gun. He wasn't interested, hated it, and never touched it except as required for his job. He was not a cop, didn't have cop training, and, so far as I know, was never out on the streets.

It's a big, complicated world with lots of variations on any particular theme.
 
My Chief would just as soon use his Sig as a doorstop......
He just doesn't "get it" (when compared to me or my Ssgt.).....

I get a kick out of it, and as much as I try to get him on board with my 2A/pro firearm rants, he just doesn't "care" as much as I do.....

He was smart enough to buy me a new P-220 with night sights and an accessory rail :D however!!

How he shoots *snicker :banghead:*??? Well....that's a story for another day!
 
Sometimes I read about the fears and reactions of some of the people here re: perceived threats and shake my head. I've never felt a gun was the answer to all problems which is a reaction I see here more than I'm comfortable with. Some seem to have no concept of how negatively that trigger pull will impact their life. The false bravado statements would almost be laughable if they weren't so sad. I sometimes wonder if some of the people here have pajama and shower holsters.
Click to expand...

Speedo--

I'm glad to see you write that, because it echoes many of my perceptions. I think it's wise to be prepared, but also feel that we each need to seek an appropriate balance between preparedness and paranoia.

Back to the original post, I'd first remind everyone that this was a story about an LEO who was brushing off someone, not an LEO who was wholly disinterested in guns. I've been an LEO and have worked a number of them over the years (mostly federal agents). Some are into guns and work tirelessly to prepare for armed confrontations, and others, well, not so much.

Being prepared for a gunfight can be important for some folks. If you're talking about a member of an FBI SWAT team, that is certainly the case and, to a person, every LEO I've known who has that type of duties takes it quite seriously. On the other hand, there are many federal agents whose work involves investigations that are very unlikely to ever place them in a situation involving an armed confrontation. Many of these people keep up their basic proficiency because they're required to, but they really are not gun-focused, knowing that they are not much more likely than the average citizen to ever have to use a gun.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

S
  • Locked
If it wasn't for Walmart, I wouldn't be shooting.
2 3 4
Replies
99
Views
5K
SOUTHPAW
S
A
  • Locked
"I don't carry a gun because if I did, criminal could use it to kill me"
2 3 4
Replies
81
Views
3K
mustanger98
M
G
  • Locked
Border Patrol shoots............dog (no it wasn't a Border Collie, very funny)
2
Replies
49
Views
2K
coelacanth
C
M
  • Locked
Help me identify this serious gun I saw..
Replies
13
Views
1K
Wolfy
W
H
  • Locked
Concealed Carry.. with two guns?
2
Replies
28
Views
4K
7an
7
Back
Top