Home carry
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By Donald Frame

TTAG got my attention regarding the merits of home carry, so I decided to give it a go. I’ve been at it about a month, carrying more than 90% of the time at home and here are the results so far: carrying at home is not as much of a pain as I had anticipated. Most of my carrying has been with largish pistols in various forms of pocket carry, and it’s not too bad. I’m not worried about printing around the house, so that’s one less concern.

I haven’t found a great way to carry in comfortable pre-bedtime wear yet though. And I have no idea how to carry when I am a swimsuit. Maybe I need a P226 Navy SEAL version with the waterproof small parts. Then I could lie on the bottom of the pool, securely anchored by the weight of the gun. But overall, I’ve found that home carry really isn’t all that much trouble.

More importantly, enough things have happened around here to emphasize the wisdom of arming up. We’ve had two sort of half-hearted home invasions in my little neighborhood, and not long ago I decided a HVAC guy who was coming into the neighborhood was suspicious. I can’t tell you why this particular guy raised my Spidey senses as opposed to any of the other legion of workmen who lurk at the gate, waiting for someone like me to let them in, but I decided to follow and keep an eye on him.

That really pissed him off, though. He came to my passenger window and offered to kick my ass for me, and was generally not friendly. It was bad enough that I was glad I was armed. I drove away and called the number on the van from the safety of my garage, wanting to speak to his employer, but I got…the same guy. He offered to kick my ass once again. My inner young man though about inviting him over for a contest, but my inner old man decided that was probably unwise.

Research after the fact turned out no evidence of a HVAC license I could track to the name painted on the vehicle. No one in the neighborhood had called for service. I was able to track down a criminal record with a picture of my guy attached that showed felony convictions for simple assault and sexual assault on a child.

On balance, I think he was probably up to no good. I still don’t know what made me follow that guy in particular. I related all this to the police, who dutifully wrote it all down.

The big takeaway from my home carry experience so far: carrying around the house has made me realize how vulnerable I am at any given moment. I’m not 22 any more, strong and mighty from summers in the oil fields. I’m about 60 and a little gimpy.

Home carry (courtesy thetruthaboutguns.com)
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We live on an acre with a guest house and it’s easy to end up far from convenient firepower. All those guns in the safe only help me if I’m, well, close to the safe. With the safe unlocked. With a suitable gun out of its storage sleeve. And fully loaded. So if you want to be prepared to repel boarders, home carrying is really the only practical alternative.

To wit: last week, I had a guy show up to cut the grass in our yard. He had the wrong yard, but I didn’t realize it. All I knew is that my wife came into my office and let me know there were two dudes out there. Every ER doctor knows that nearly all the mayhem in the world is committed by “two dudes,” and now they were in my driveway.

I went out into the driveway and visited with dude #1. Between his fractured English and my sickly Spanish, he explained himself and went on his way. I think it really was a genuine case of the wrong address, but who knows? It was better to be there with a pistol at hand than not.

That led to a second realization: walking out the door to convene with dude #1 made me think. The pistol you carry doesn’t mean you’re safe. If things go sideways, a gun doesn’t mean you’re going to prevail. It doesn’t mean that even if you win, you will not suffer greatly as a result. There are simply no guarantees in this thing.

A normal distance to talk with strangers is just a few feet away. If your stranger suddenly turns into your opponent and he’s good enough to do it without the customary bowing-up grace period of fair warning, you’ve got a real problem on your hands. You might have a real problem even if he does bow up and even if you do immediately get with the program. Guns are great, but they aren’t immunity from danger.

Home carry is working out well so far, though I’m sure there is much more to learn. One lesson so far is that the main point of your handgun is having it handy. If it isn’t right there, it isn’t useful.

The second lesson is that a continuous level of alertness is required to achieve optimum safety, which is not “safe” in the absolute sense. There are no absolutes in this. This is why they say, “be careful out there.” And why I’m glad I now carry at home.

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178 COMMENTS

  1. Interesting article. I think home carry is a good idea. Good luck with it.

    One note of caution though – following the HVAC guy doesn’t sound like a wonderful idea to me. Didn’t George Zimmerman get into hot water following someone in his community who looked suspicious? As always, you got to make your own decisions based on your circumstances.

    • “One note of caution though – following the HVAC guy doesn’t sound like a wonderful idea to me.”

      He was in his vehicle, and stayed there.

      I would have recorded the threats he made in that confrontation and then gone to the cops.

      The chance of a conviction would be excellent.

      (I would have also recorded that video live to the cloud.)

      • Yes, the author stayed in his vehicle. However he still got into a verbal confrontation that was threatening enough for him to grab his gun.

        I prefer to avoid conflict. If that doesn’t work, I’ll attempt to de-escalate. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll use the appropriate level of force to resolve it. For me, if I was being verbally abused by an angry man while in my truck, I might simply drive away. If that wasn’t possible, I’d probably palm my pepper spray. A gun is my last choice. I’m not slamming the author, he did what seemed right to him at the time. I hope I would make different choices in that situation.

        • I’m the Neighborhood Watch for my street. You’d be glad for my decision to follow that phony A/C van if you lived on my street. Inviting trouble while armed is foolish, but turning a blind eye to suspicious persons in your homefront is just as foolish. I’ve turned away many suspicious characters from my property over the years, and none have ever returned.

    • If I even suspected that one of my neighbors was keeping an eye out for the rest of us I would buy that man a beer.
      As they say “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

      Stealing A/C compressors is a rampant problem where I live. I probably wouldn’t have thought twice about someone with an actual HVAC service vehicle. From reports I have read it’s usually just someone in a pickup, sometimes with a trailer.

    • The 911 dispatcher asked Zimmerman to tell her what Saint Trayvon was doing. His only mistake was letting down his guard while walking back to his truck, and allowing himself to get jumped and nearly killed by the kid.

      But yes, in general, stay in the car. If the situation reaches self-defense-time then a 3500 lb. vehicle can work as well as a gun.

    • Zimmerman actually got into trouble because he wasn’t watching him carefully enough and Trayvon doubled back and ambushed him.

    • Major difference here–Zimmerman followed a kid on foot, the author followed (supposedly) a service business worker in a marked vehicle. Typically, you would expect the vehicle to go to a house for an appointment, and if you talk to the worker they would politely explain what they are doing there. The unexpected confrontation is further evidence that this individual was not right, as confirmed by his criminal history.

    • How does this article go from +home carry to getting in a vehicle and following someone. I assume during the track/following, the author was no longer on his/her property. Feedback?

    • I would have reported him as a suspicious character without following him. Cops around here take that seriously, and if they discovered he had no reason to be there, and no license for the service he claimed to be offering, he would have been discouraged from returning.

  2. And if home carry doesn’t fit your comfort zone or shared habitat protocols, you can secret a gun in every room (or at lest the main rooms of your house). A weapon within easy reach at all times is better than no weapon or one locked away in a safe.

    • I don’t quite understand the “home carry” talk, because having my gun on whenever I’m dressed just seems more convenient than arming/disarming every time I go in or out. So there’s no home carry; just carry. Of course, that assumes on-body carry.

      If guys are disarming when they come home, is that because they’re the sort of guys that dump their keys and wallet on the coffee table when they come home? I’ve never gotten that, either. Again, isn’t it just more convenient to leave the stuff in your pockets?

      • I’m of a like mind. My keys get hung up, but everything I EDC on my person stays put, whether at home or not. I’ve found it works better in general that way. No worries about forgetting something when you leave the house and no wondering where the nearest weapon is if SHTF while in the house. I look at it as applied KISS principle.

      • With you on that. I started “home carrying” when I stopped remembering to take my gun off when I came home. That was years ago. These days wearing a gun is synonymous with wearing pants. I guess there’s some folks who just don’t like wearing pants though, so maybe “home carry” might be tricky for them.

        • so maybe “home carry” might be tricky for them.

          No as much as one might think. A simple belt and old school holster works great. You get used to it over the years. 😀

      • Some of us live behind enemy lines and cannot carry outside like those of you in free America. Home carry for us means grabbing our pistol when we get home and then putting it away when we venture outside

      • Have carried everyday/everywhere for going on 10 years. A Ruger LCP can be carried even in pajamas. If you are more than 2 seconds away from your firearm you are unarmed.

    • I am with you here! I fashioned rare earth magnets, steel mending plates, and use venal coating material t cover it all up. I have several weapons stashed under tables so I a never more than 10 feet from one.

      Its just the wife and I now, and I always “sanitize” before company with kids come over.

  3. If two dudes show up unexpected at my home my wife or I will likely open carry. If I’m home my wife sill cover me as I investigste. I will not get working 10 feet of either dude. If they rush me I will shoot them. Honestly though open carry is s pretty good deterrent. Most criminals do NOT attack armed men unless cornered.

    • Good way to let them know you have a gun and possibly more, that they could take when you’re not around to use it.

        • JR
          “Why would his gun be there when he’s not”,
          Yes, his carry gun would be with him, but carrying a gun in the open will probably give someone the impression that there are probably more where that came from.
          “To each his own” My philosophy is out of sight, out of mind

        • “Who said anything about a carry gun?”

          He did. Heres’ the exact quote:

          “If two dudes show up unexpected at my home my wife or I will likely open carry.

          Emphasis added.

          Then you did…again…emphasis added:

          “Good way to let them know you have a gun and possibly more, that they could take when you’re not around to use it.

          Since he made reference to open carry at home, well, seems a reasonable guess that the “it” here refers to the gun he carries. {shrug}

          Yeah, he “may” have more guns, but then again, doing the statistics on household gun ownership, a blind guess any given home has a gun in it is not a bad guess either.

          Think you guys are worrying up a wet rope on this one…this “hidden danger” of home carry showing off to the BG’s your arsenal.

          Your mileage may vary, though. Carry on. Or not. Whatever.

        • Well, Groucho Marx is gone, but I’m hearing a lot of folks thinking an average sleazeball wants to play “you bet your life”. I don’t think so, my bet is that most will find easier pickings than someone who open carries. Particularly since I leave no visible indications whether I am home. Step in at the wrong time and you’ll be here the rest of your life.

      • Drive by a really poor neighborhood some time and look at all the bars on the windows.
        Criminals will break into the poorest houses because they think there’s something they want inside no matter how unlikely. I really don’t understand the idea that someone is more likely to break into your home because they see you with one gun.
        When police are tasked with reducing crime in an area their first strategy is to increase patrols in that area. It’s a show of force. An intimidation tactic against criminals. I open carry around my house for the same reason. Sure, they know I have a gun but, they’re probably certain I also have a TV, a computer, etc. etc. At least they know I’m prepared and they might even wonder if I’m the only one on the block that is. If only my neighbors would also open carry, then we would have the perfect storm. Maybe these master thieves case my modest house and know when I’m gone, they aren’t intimidated by the ADT stickers and the barking dogs. They’re not worried about a neighbor calling the cops. BUT, they would also have to worry about the neighbors that are also armed.
        I just don’t think that the knowledge of a gun owner significantly factors into it for them…
        You wouldn’t hide the fact you have a security system…

        • I really don’t understand the idea that someone is more likely to break into your home because they see you with one gun.

          Really? You can’t connect the dots between “owning a gun” and “chances of owning more than one gun plus related accessories such as ammo, mags, optics, etc”?

          At least they know I’m prepared and they might even wonder if I’m the only one on the block that is.

          Sure, you’re prepared when you’re around to defend your home.

          I just don’t think that the knowledge of a gun owner significantly factors into it for them…

          Study up more into how criminals choose their targets.

          You wouldn’t hide the fact you have a security system…

          Part of the instruction I posted above also involves knowing that criminals ignore those cute little signs you put in your garden. They look for wires on the windows, sensors, and cameras.
          Never underestimate your enemy. Never give them more information than you have to. Basic OPSEC stuff.

        • Wow, you got really butthurt. You know people have opinions? If you don’t like me open carrying then you’re just going to be a sad little camper…
          Yes, I can connect the dots; you, not so much. Criminals don’t know any of that stuff is in any house. They’re going to look at my house and say “Damn, he might not have a $500 gun. Let’s pass this one up.”
          But, you think seeing one $500 item means there’s $1000’s inside and none of it is locked up.
          You’re the one contesting my opinion. You study and prove me wrong… While you’re at it, look up herd immunity and also try to explain why no data can be produced to suggest that people in states that can only open carry are uniquely targeted for burgleries..? You watch too much TV.
          If criminals (the kind that are going to break into a home for a TV and jewelry) plan so well then why do they break into ghetto houses…? Masterminds, I’m sure. The kind of criminals you’re thinking of aren’t coming after my $90k home even if it has a gun in it….

        • “Study up more into how criminals choose their targets.”

          And you should as well, since you clearly don’t understand the process at all.

          Most crimes like burglary and street robbery are crimes of immediate opportunity, not big, planned events.

          Do you have some actual DATA supporting your hypothesis that criminals “see” a gun, associate it with a specific home and then specifically target THAT home?

          I’m guessing “no” and that this is just more Geezer Science like all the Open Carry gets you targeted nonsense.

        • “Good luck with that.”

          Cute. But that’s not data.

          I’m sticking with my initial guess…that you really have no idea if this is a real assumed risk or just a fantasy.

          By your logic, one would never let a BG see a gun, even in legit DGU’s, on the grounds of “OMG…Now He Knows I Has a Gun111!!!”

          Open carry, at home or elsewhere, is what it is. There is no real world data showing it creates all these bogeyman scenarios we too-often hear about.

        • How the hell would you have ‘data’ for that?

          Stop insisting on something that can’t exist as if it bolsters your argument.

        • When I needed to get the message across that we didn’t want people poaching on our farm, I began carrying a semiautomatic rifle (M1 carbine) that people could see on me from the road and in fields when I came up on them. Before long I was known as “That crazy sonofabitch that don’t want nobody hunting on his land,” which I was happy to hear and happy to learn reduced the number of incursions onto my land. With that rifle visible (never unslung, by the way), I only had to politely tell a few people they needed to leave for the point to be made.

        • Why the fuck are these tools reposting an add like this word for word and the same comment section. Lazy as fuck. The timestamp is not something I care to look at, but I guess with the lazy ass articles like this, I should.

  4. We are the only house in the neighborhood with those wrought iron bars on the windows and doors, They were on the house when we bought it in 2008, we did not remove them. We have a working alarm that will indeed alert the local police, my wife tried it by mistake and just a couple of minutes later the police were here. Interesting conversation. (They were not mad as we had not and do not make a habit of testing them)

    That said I home carry. I use a small 380 in the front pocket with a holster, spare magazine in my support side pocket. That is intended to get me to my loaded and chambered AR.

    No I’m not paranoid, I just worry a little more than most.

  5. Interesting post, I’m wondering, do you open carry around the house, and out in your yard? Did you have your pistol on your side when you went out to talk to the dudes in your front yard?
    Myself, I prefer to carry concealed , all the times, but of course, that is a choice for each individual.
    I carry a small 22 magnum revolver in my front pocket, 24/7. This would also work well with a swim suit, as long as you don’t go swimming, but of course you could wrap it in a sandwich bag
    I wear heavier hardware when I’m going out and about.

    • “I carry a small 22 magnum revolver in my front pocket, 24/7. This would also work well with a swim suit, as long as you don’t go swimming,”

      Jeremy S mentioned in his review on the NAA Mini that he swam with his.

      Crimped ammo would be a good idea or clear nail polish to seal the ammo…

      • The problem that I see is that the area in the grip is going to fill up with water, and if it didn’t all drain out quickly, It could impede the action of the hammer spring, which would soften the blow of the hammer, to cause a light strike, and misfire!

        • That’s possible.

          You can always drill a few drain holes in the grips…

          That’s also an idea for any TTAGers who own NAA Minis to test and report their findings…

        • Drill a drain hole, perhaps? I have custom made stainless steel flat grips and now you’ve got me thinking…

          ETA: Apparently, Geoff PR and I are thinking alike. 😀

        • The holes might work, but I wouldn’t want to take a chance. I followed the NAA blog for a while, and it seems that the hammer spring is the weakest link in these little guns.
          NAA has probably one of the best warranty policies in the business, BUT, Not only would they be horrified to see a bunch of holes drilled in their frame, I’m sure that it would nullify any warranty you had.
          I tried cocking and firing (unloaded chamber) my mini mag, while it was inclosed in a sandwich bag. It worked pretty well, especially after I took the sandwich out of the bag.
          now I have to get the peanut butter out of the cylinders.

        • @Gunr: I was thinking more along the lines of a hole or two in the stainless grip panels and not the frame. Or, even a notch in the lower part of both panels.

          Took the sandwich out… 😀

        • John in Ohio,
          I got you now. Actually, you could just mill a cutout most of the way across the inside of the grips.
          Glad I didn’t try to live fire my mini in the enclosed sandwich bag. Powder residue and flash burns really screw up a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, to say nothing of a 1/4″ hole through the middle.

        • “Actually, you could just mill a cutout most of the way across the inside of the grips.”

          Now that is an *outstanding* good idea!

          Thanks!

        • That is an excellent idea, Geoff PR and thank you, Gunr. Unfortunately, I don’t know if that would work with my flat grips. They fit flush.

  6. I carry constantly at home….wife does not….numerous items hidden around for her if she runs into any room. Where we live we have no family that visits…couple friends that we work with and due to our jobs, we always know when someone is gonna stop by. Doorbell rings twice per year. Normally neighbor girls selling cookies….any sound and we are on alert…oh yes, and a ten pound yorkie -pit bull wanna be alarm system….we got this covered in central PA

    • I’m all for the Yorkie or any dog as a deterrent. Mine just happens to be a 100# bull mastiff mix. They can also give you that split second advantage to get to your EDC and phone.

  7. I think I’ve home carried for the better part of a decade now. If you generally wear pants around the house, and pocket carry (I either tote a .32 seecamp or .22 mag NAA sidewinder), it’s just something you do and kind of forget about.

  8. Yesterday I heard a LOT of gunfire from the house behind mine.
    It sounded like fun to me, so I tightened the drawstring on the swim trunks I was wearing, stuffed a Remora clad 1911 in them, and walked over to the neighbor’s house to see what they were up to. Had a nice chat with the neighbor’s son in law about his AR15, which was the source of all the racket. Since the shooting was already over, and pistols weren’t the toys of the day, I didn’t have any use for a pantsload of 1911. It did stay in place the whole time I was there, and while walking the 1/4 mile round trip between our houses.

    So, you can pack a full sized pistol in a swim suit, if you aren’t planning on actually getting in the chlorine laden water with it.

    BTW, a Remora holster is pretty versatile, but I cannot comfortably wear one for an entire day with nearly 3lb of pistol and ammo in it. If I wear it outside my undershirt it moves around too much throughout the day, and against my bare skin it irritates after several hours.
    It is great for figuring out exactly how much cant you want when you buy a real belt mounted IWB holster, and it’s OK for carrying a large pistol for an hour or two.
    I bet the Remora’s drawbacks would be a lot less important if I had a LCP380 or similar.

  9. I have come to the fold later than some. Beginning in my late 50’s and am now 60. 35 years as a bricklayer has made me somewhat tough, but when asked by an LEO acquaintance at the club, why the epiphany to full carry I responded that I am not as tough as I used to think I was.

    • I hear ya.

      Every time I crash my bike nowadays it’s painfully obvious I don’t bounce nearly as good as I did when I was 20…

      (ow…)

    • Yep it’s my birthday today and I’m older than you. All kinds of problems.Getting old was a major reason I got into guns 5years ago. I was very large,very strong and intimidating .NOT anymore. BTW I use a fanny pack if I carry at home-you can put a large gun in it with zero printing or just throw it in your pocket. And being an OFWG I don’t give a damn being hip/stylish. I ALWAYS have a pepper blaster and a knife on me…

  10. I started to home carry when a series of violent home invasions happened in our area. A 62yo woman was shot in one. Suddenly, having a shotgun next to the bed, upstairs, did not feel so reassurring. Now, jframe in pocket and shotgun upstairs and downstairs.

  11. No, I don’t usually tool up like this routinely – I’m trying out some different carry methods on a round-the-house day.

    But I have a 45 XDS appendix carry IWB, a Nano 9mm on support side IWB back hip for support-hand draw if needed, and an LCP 380 tucked inside a holster shirt. 2 mags of 45 in one front pants pocket, 2 mags of 9 in the other. Being a Glock guy forever it’s a revelation to carry these pistols, with the opportunity to stash single-stack mags in your pocket. Glock mags look like, well, Glock mags in your pocket (and, yes, I’m glad to see you).

    Weight isn’t a big issue but I threw some suspenders on over my t-shirt under my somewhat loose shortsleeve striped shirt just for a little extra support. Pants half-down is not a particularly sought-after fashion statement in this neighborhood. As far as concealed carry compromise, someone would really have to stare, and know what they were looking for, to notice anything.

    Maybe it’s because I carry any time I’m not in bed or the shower, but I don’t even think about it or notice it any more, any more than I would be of my glasses or my wristwatch.

    Hmmmmm….shower carry – maybe a heavy Ziplock style closure built into a waterproof Smart Carry / Thunderwear style holster…or a roll-top like you see on waterproof bags, although that would slow down presentation of the firearm. You could have skin-color-matching flesh-tone on one side, for concealment in the shower (you never want to give an advantage to an attacker, even while bathing. Speed, surprise, violence of action, right?), and an FDE camo pattern on the other side if you’re dirty and grimy in the woods while appearing in an episode of “Naked And Afraid.” Sort of a combat loincloth.

    Stick a ballistic plate in the front and we’re ready to go!

    • “or a roll-top like you see on waterproof bags, although that would slow down presentation of the firearm.”

      Mine is a Taurus 44mag in a clear land nav bag like you suggest. To speed up the presentation I have it hung upside down so when I unsnap the clip the gun is in my hand within a moments notice of my door getting kicked in. I can unclip with my eyes closed to simulate soap in them, and the weight of the stainless 44 helps.

  12. I’ve carried since I was 15. I always have at least one of several .380’s in my pocket, and a number of other larger guns stashed around the house and in the car. It’s no big deal.

    • I am curious did your parents know or care that you were carrying? Also was it to kill a snake in a rural country area or was it to not get mugged in the city?

      • It was in the early 1950s, when parents pretty much left you to your own devices if you weren’t burning the house down. I lived in a nice suburb outside of Boston. My carrying was precipitated by a number of young Hibernian gentlemen whose priest told them that I, personally, had killed Christ. They announced their intention to exact revenge, and I purchased a Model 1917 Colt revolver from a friend. My prospective attackers then decided to find other things to occupy their time.

        • Holy Crap. That 1917 is almost crew-served.

          Where in the hell did you hide that canon?

          I carried a Smith model 28 when I was a teenager. (Shoulder holster)

          It seems small compared to that big-assed Colt.

        • “My carrying was precipitated by a number of young Hibernian gentlemen whose priest told them that I, personally, had killed Christ…”

          uh, feels like this could use some explanation

  13. I pack around the house, when walking the dog, and around town. Our dog was attacked by a pit bull (still in the neighborhood today) on a Sunday evening last year. $1300+ in vet bills was the result. The only thing that saved us was a stun gun flashlight I was carrying, I was hesitant to kill someone’s pet, but if the situation escalated….

    We have also surprised people walking on the road. One turned around and walked into the woods as we exited our driveway when walking the dog. The first question my wife asked was “Are you packing?”

    I hope to never draw my gun in anger, but I refuse to roll over if confronted by a self defense situation.

    • Pitbull (on a leash but it wasn’t being held by the owner) came at my wife and dog a week or so ago while we were out walking…. I screamed at the owner to control their dog… they said he’s just playing.. I carry a sjambok whenever we walk… no concealed carry where I live…. I hit that mufu as hard as I could across his chest… dog never made a sound… but broke off and went back towards his owner…. they started bitching and screaming at me… if I could carry – that’s a dead dog…. the first swing ‘opened’ him up… I was gonna give a few more then go to the knife….

  14. If that guy had been for real, he would not have gotten in your face, but been polite and asked what he could do for you–or you could do for him (i.e.,”Do you know where so and so lives?”).

    I carry a lightweight 7+1 9mm in my front pocket very comfortably all day. More comfortable than an OWB holster even , which wouldn’t matter to anyone except my wife, since I work out of my house. Two spare mags and a loaded .45 in the desk drawer (with its own spare). I think I’ve got it covered for my neighborhood.

    • Can’t figure out why some criminal types, like Trayvon and the mystery HVAC man, try so hard to make themselves memorable. I thought it was the burglar’s job to blend into the background. If Travyon had just scooted off to dad’s home when he knew GZ had spotted him, nobody, not even the local cops, would have ever known his name.

      • Entitlement mentality is one possible reason. Some criminals literally feel entitled to break the law and prey upon innocent people. That and they are idiots. For example, one young idiotic criminal here a long time ago kept breaking into an elderly woman’s home. She eventually learned the identity of the burglar and called the police on him. Shortly afterwards, he was seen carrying around a screwdriver in each hand. When asked why he was carrying a screwdriver in each hand, he said he was “going to kill that ****” that rightfully turned him in to the police.

        He literally felt entitled to commit multiple felonies, and was dumb about it too.

        With Trayvon though, he had a ghetto mindset. Zimmerman dissed him, and he reacted as someone with a ghetto mentality would he react. He physically attacked the person that “insulted” him.

        For more on this, I urge you and everyone else to reach the first item in this link. It was written by a former police detective:
        http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/1285487_Street_robberies_and_you___The_Basics.html&page=1

        • Mister Fleas,

          Yesterday, I read the article that you linked. It is an excellent article.

          I kid you not: a likely armed robber approached me today and it played out EXACTLY as the author of the article predicted. And when I say “exactly”, I mean EXACTLY.

          Around 6:40 p.m. this afternoon, I left an office supply store and was walking across a parking lot to my car. The parking lot was basically empty and I scanned it as usual.
          I did not see anything concerning. When I was about 10 feet from my car, I noticed a man wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt with his hands in his pockets about 40 yards away walking toward me at a slow yet deliberate pace. He locked eyes on me and developed the “thousand yard stare”. At 30 yards he started asking for something. I replied, “no!” in a stern voice. He kept coming. At 20 yards he asked for something else. Again I said, “no!” in a stern voice. He kept coming. At that point, I pulled my car key out of my car door, took three steps back to the front corner of my car, turned slightly to a bladed stance, and reached back to my right hip ready to draw my handgun. He immediately broke off his advance and said something about being sorry for getting into my space or something. He made a circle and walked away in the other direction.

          This is the honest-to-God truth. And it was freaky. Whoever wrote the article that you linked knew exactly what they were talking about.

      • Quite a high percentage of criminals, it turns out, are not intellectually gifted. Many, in fact, are completely stupid. That’s why they spend their time committing crimes instead of curing cancer or unlocking the secrets of cold fusion.

      • Drugs and the immediate “need” for more. Just remember pot is not a gateway (all the potheads say so).

  15. Every ER doctor knows that nearly all the mayhem in the world is committed by “two dudes,

    I laughed at the “two dudes” reference as it relates to ERs.

    In the Navy, we called it “Two Dudes Syndrome.” Every sailor that came back to the ship having had his ass kicked… lacerations, facial bone fractures, contusions, broken / missing teeth, etc… had a story that usually began with, “I was just _______ (minding my own business, on my way to help at the soup kitchen, coming back from choir practice), and I WASN’T DRINKING…. and these TWO DUDES jumped me.

    I had one guy tell me that THIRTY DUDES jumped him. I told him he was lucky to be alive. 🙂

  16. I’ve HC’ed off an on over the years, I currently don’t most of the time but I think I’ll start again, soon as I can find my damn pocket holster!

  17. Excellent thoughts Dan. My home carry has become more consistent recently. After a week at my house and then two weeks at my Parents’ house in FL with contractors going in and out and open/unlocked doors all day, home carry became second nature. Fanny pack carry allows me to work at the same time too.

    • Fanny packs are also my go to method for home carry. Perhaps it doesn’t look so inconspicuous, but it’s comfortable even in sweatpants (pandemic uniform) and far more concealed than open carry. I don’t want every delivery guy to know there are firearms (valuable itens) in the house.

      As for why…

      We had two home invasions in my neighborhood a couple of years ago, both during Sunday lunch when homeowners were away.

      I figured we do not live in as safe a place as I thought we did. I’ve been HC from dawn to bedtime since then.

      So, a few years passed and we had another Sunday lunch home invasion a few months ago, but the family was at the table. Fortunately, both father and son had a gun on their hips, so one of the bad guys ended up in room temperature. The other quickly managed to get away, but no family members were injured. For me, that just validates my opinion.

  18. In my home, I wouldn’t be caught dead without a snubby in my pocket.

    Wait — that didn’t come out exactly right. . . .

  19. Get a belly band holster. The belly band works with your swim suit or even buck naked. If you really want to drown yourself with that Sig 226 a belly band will hold your gun securely until someone drags you out of the pool and removes the Sig from your body.

  20. A buddy of mine recently told me I was paranoid because I home-carry my LCP. I responded appropriatley with “you are an idiot.”

  21. I live on a gravel road on the edge of town. In fact, my property IS the edge of town. The road is a mile long and is a sort of shortcut between two bends of a loop in the county blacktop. Counting my home, there are fewer than a dozen houses on that road. With that in mind …

    I came home from work one day in 2007. The headline on the paper lying on an end table announced “Stabbing Victim in Critical Condition.” I figured it was another lovers quarrel between the local assistant county prosecutor and one of his lover boys and paid it no mind until my wife asked, “Did you see the address on that stabbing?” Huh? So I took a look. It was one of four Section 8 HUD houses just down the road, houses noted for, let us say, unregistered pharmaceutical entrepreneurship.

    Three men had knocked on the front door of one of those houses. When the occupant didn’t respond, they kicked the door in, dragged him out of the bedroom in which he was hiding, and stabbed him repeatedly in the back of the head, neck, and kidneys. He was left lying in a pool of blood in the road. Luckily, a neighbor had called the sheriff and the deputies got there in time to transport him the two miles to the local hospital. I shrugged it off as a dispute over pharmaceutical prices or quality.

    Two weeks later, the assailants were arrested and it turned out to be a simple case of mistaken identity. One of them had a lady friend who’s boyfriend tended to beat her and this guy decided to “teach the boyfriend a lesson.” The only problem was that he got the wrong address and stabbed a totally innocent stranger. When I read that I realized that they could just as easily have chosen MY house by mistake. I could have been the victim of a home invasion for no reason other than someone else’s mistake. Ever since, if I’m dressed, I’m armed; if I’m not dressed, there’s a gun within arm’s reach.

    That paid off last August when I heard a loud bang and man’s angry voice come from the front of the house. I went to investigate and found a large (6’4″, 250 lbs. according to the jailer) man lying just inside my back door which was wide open. It looked like he’d leaned his shoulder on it and fell when it popped open. By the time I had my cordless phone in hand, he’d mostly stood up, leaning towards the kitchen where I was standing. As I called 911 with one hand, I pointed my handgun at him with the other and told him that if he too one more step the decision was already made to shoot; just lie down and await Deputy Dan. He did and by that time the deputy was in my carport (neighbor had seen the man trying to get in and already called the cops.) I was on crutches following surgery and in no shape to take on a large, healthy assailant. If he’d taken one more step towards me I’d have fired. But if I’d not routinely been packing inside my home, I’d have been helpless.

  22. What kind of pussy feels the need to wear a gun in the house? And what kind of HVAC criminal puts his phone number on the side of his van and then answers the phone when you dial him? I foresee the author doing some prison time shortly after he shoots some kids father who is just in the neighborhood to mow someone’s lawn. The author sounds like every homeowners worst nightmare of a neighbor. Before I’m labelled a gun hater; I’ll say that I was ARA & RBA national champion 2005-2006. I’m an enthusiast in the purest sense of the word.

    • See the post right above for the answer.As the famous saying goes, “where you stand depends on where you sit” or in this case, live.

    • Not a gun hater necessarily, just a troll with a serious case of self righteousness, and enough arrogance to believe that your trophy means anything outside of that competition.

      Why carry at home? Statistically it’s where 100% of home invasions occur. While I’m sure you’re Chuck Norris’s younger cousin, not everyone is willing to gamble the lives of their family on their ability to win a brawl with assailants of unknown capability, equipment, and numbers. If you’re ok with that, then by all means keep your guns in a safe until it’s time to go to your matches.

    • And no one needs anything except a single shot .22LR target rifle tor the ARA & RBA shoot?

      So where is your fancy pants 10lb Anschultz .22? I mean right now/you need in the next 5 seconds to defend your child’s life.

    • Exactly….. this author “guy” has some SERIOUS ISSUES…
      With his attitude about guns, he won’t be around much longer…

    • Randy if you talk to people in person like this, you are right about you not being the sort of person that should carry ever.

  23. “And I have no idea how to carry when I am a swimsuit.”
    “…how to carry when I am a swimsuit.”
    “…when I am a swimsuit.”
    “…I am a swimsuit.”

    Wut

  24. This right here is one of the core reasons, behind all the noise, why the anti-citizens having guns folks are, well, anti that:

    “The big takeaway from home carry so far: carrying around the house has made me realize how vulnerable I am at any given moment.”

    They are deep in a river in Egypt about how vulnerable we all are. We exist on sufferance – the agreement to treat each other decently.

    They also want some big daddy, mama, gender non-specific, semi-anthropomorphized, responsible but not accountable entity in the sky to make it all safe for them. Here’s the truth. You may get whacked in the head at any time. It’s unlikely, but at any given time, it may happen. The whacking may come from falling space junk, some bad guy free of forbearance toward anyone else, non-human instigated meteors, or, yes, your own biology whacking you in the head. You deal with these contingencies or choose to accept the risks as is. That or you are willfully a child.

    They are P O-ed because your carrying a gun yanks them out of the sound slumber in their crib.

  25. Maybe im one of the few out there.. But home carry would never work for me… I’m mowing the lawn, working on irrigation, digging in the dirt.. planting my garden, weeding, painting the house, reroofing, working on plumbing, so Im crammed under a sink. all those things a guy has to do to keep up on house maintenance stuff… I keep nothing in my pockets when im working around my place. Wallet, phone, keys, p3at, all on the table if I gotta run to the hardware store, or whereever.

    • We have a farm. I do stuff like that and I’m armed while doing it. The only exception might be while under something like sink, tractor, truck, etc. Even then, the handgun is right next to me and an NAA mini is in the watch pocket of my jeans. (ETA: I guess I am technically armed with the NAA.) When I’m in one of the barns with a concrete floor, using a creeper makes it easy to keep the holstered gun on.

      Roofing, painting, anything standing up or sitting down is always while armed.

    • Funny. I do all that stuff with all my EDC with me.

      Yes, it sometimes gets sweaty and dirty. But it’s all there.

      Whenever I need to run to town, i have all my stuff.

      Always have….just me I guess.

      • Just because your equipment is nasty and sweaty, doesn’t mean normal people would do that….
        You’re a nasty mfer….

        • I’m pretty white-bread normal.

          Dirt and sweat wash off.

          Better to have all my stuff all the time.

          That way, I’m never fumbling around looking for it.

    • Newsflash a few years back was a guy mowing his lawn, fella walked up, presented a gun and demanded money. Our hero dutifully emptied his wallet, perp got pissed and demanded MORE money, or else! Lawnmower man drew and introduced perp to room temperature. All in broad daylight, criminals don’t even bother to wait ’till dark any more. Carrying while mowing seems a good plan. I don’t work on my car anymore, but if I still did I’d be carrying. Shopping for groceries or cooking dinner, I’m carrying. And I still have not heard a single reason why I should not. I’ve been licensed for over 20 years and full time carrying for over 15. Before that, carrying when I felt like it for another 30, mostly illegal. All the shit that is supposedly going to happen according to the trolls has NEVER happened, or even gotten close.

  26. The wife has been in our house for 31 years and we have been together for 16 years. We have noticed that the neighborhood has been changing. I have been carrying for the last 20 years and the wife for about 12. We both have been home carrying now for about the last 3 years. As I said the neighborhood has been changing. Better safe than sorry!

  27. I’m an hvac “guy”….. and I WOULD’VE kicked your ass…..btw….I carry WAY WAY more firepower in my van than you do…
    And my employer would kick your ass too…
    Busy bodies like you need to be RED FLAGGED

        • And….. the old classic…. COME AND TAKE IT IF YOU’RE MAN ENOUGH…. (I DON’T THINK YOU ARE)

        • I’d say your meds quit working a long time ago Martha.

          I’m SURE your HVAC business is going well due to your sparkling, effervescent (you can look that up) personality.

          LMAO. More likely, you do odd jobs and live with your mother.

          And i do mean odd.

        • With that attitude, When I invite you to GTF out of my house, the cops will already be on the way, and you’ll be looking at the wrong end of my 12 Ga. Thus, obviously, you are full of shit, probably don’t own a gun (maybe prohibited). You’re not convincing anyone you’re a badass, possibly defective.

    • Go ahead and delete my comment…. This guy REALLY hit a nerve with me because in my 30 years doing HVAC i’ve run into a few guys like this author “guy”..
      He has issues…. and it won’t end well for him if he doesn’t start MINDING HIS OWN BUSINESS

  28. I don’t carry on the body at home. The dog tells me when someone is driving down the long driveway. Pistol upstairs, shotgun and pistol downstairs, meet people with hand on dogs collar outside. If I let the dog go, they won’t be looking at me as I get the drop on them.

  29. There have been periods of time I wore a gun at home. Depended on where I lived, what the surrounding conditions were like. These years and in this place it’s just a matter of guns readily available in the home. Really not carrying anything expect when going outside.

  30. Always have LCP with me when I’m awake.

    When out mowing and whatnot, I usually have a 38 of some sort so I dont have to shoot vermin with my 380.

    • We may be black as well, Martha.

      What does that have to do with anything?

      Tell your parents you need more therapy.

      It might help.

    • GW quit trolling.

      You’re exposed now get off of here. moderator, track GW’s IP address. You probably work for Putin, the supreme leader or KJU.

  31. I need to step out for a pack of Virginia Slims and another bottle of Chablis I keep in a neighbor’s house. The shit bags better be home.

  32. All those guns in the safe only help me if I’m, well, close to the safe.

    Only thing in my safe is a couple of high end hunting rifles and a few collector hand guns.. everything else is distributed throughout the house (in battery).. Stainless 38 special and 357 magnum in bathrooms.. 1911 (45) in the kitchen, Ruger P90 at bedside w/12ga pump in reach, EDC 10 MM G29 next to the recliner w/AMT 22 automag (6″) at the Cave entrance, ARs in other 2 bedrooms w/spare mags, always pocket carry an SCCY 9MM to answer the door… keep several ARs in different calibers in unlocked gun case in the Cave.. No kids, no grandkids, no problem…

  33. The funny thing to me is that I look at it exactly the opposite way.

    I home carry because, to me, taking the gun off is the hassle.

    But then I also don’t tend to change my clothes like a teenage girl either. To me “pre-bedtime wear” is whatever I was wearing all day (unless I got filthy in which case I took a shower and changed earlier anyway). Generally my clothing doesn’t change until I go to bed or take a shower right before bed. The exceptions being going to the gym or BJJ, the latter being a place I never have and never will bring a gun.

    • Not much to add except I’ve refined my home carry. And I gotta well decked out AR15. And more guns than 5 years ago. And the wife is fully on board. And the neighborhood has really gone to he!! We still have retarded trolls visiting TTAG…sigh.

      • It’s worth noting that if you don’t have guests or kids there’s not much problem with leaving guns all over the place. I’ve done it for, 14 or so years. You’re never more than five or so steps away from a gun in my house.

        They’re everywhere, just not obvious.

  34. Owning guns is good and carrying one is very good. When in your own home, wear what you like (or not). If you can’t get to your firearm quickly enough when something bad happens then it soon turns into very bad things. Being at home does not change the fact that criminals are out there.

    Carry your gun as often as you can. I see no reason to treat it like I don’t need or want it. Otherwise I wouldn’t have bought it.

    @Donald Frame
    Nice job 🙂

  35. I’ve been home carrying for years. Same guns I carry on the street; a S&W 649 and a Sig P225. Handy by my bed is a P226 and an AR with 40 rounds of frangable loaded and 30 rounds of XM193 and 30 rounds of green tip ready in spare mags. Plus a tactical 12 GA. shotgun…

    I have a tactical molle vest with six more 30-round mags with XM193 and four more 15 round P226 mags and a P226 holster.

    I don’t go out in the yard to investigate anyone or follow anyone on the street. I take pictures and watch carefully.

    Fortunately, I never had to challenge anyone on my property but as soon as any tresspasser gets destructive, I’ll challenge them, AR muzzle first…

  36. I’ve been home carrying for years. The only time I don’t is when the wife and I are doing what married people do. Then it is between me and the door to the room. I have it on me when I’m mowing or out in the driveway splitting firewood (corner lot in a suburb) on a hot and sweaty day. They don’t allow it at work, not even in the parking lot, but once I get home I strap up. My thought is: when the time comes that we NEED to be doing this I want to already be good at it, not a newb. Been training the wife too.

    This last few weeks I get the feeling that the NEED time is here.

  37. I have always held that if you are going to carry a gun you need to carry it all the time – you don’t want to come home late at night (or any time, really) and be welcomed by a bad guy pointing your pistol, which you should have carried, at you. Dress for the gun, not the other way around when you go out beyond your yard.

    As for me, since I have a two story house I have long guns stashed upstairs and down for fast access.

    Plus, even in those very few times (like if I’m wearing sweats or something) my pistol is not on my belt it is next to me on the chair arm/table/desk. When I answer the door I have my gun, go outside to get the mail I have my gun, turning the steaks on the BBQ I have my gun. Nobody I meet at the door knows I have a gun handy since my paddle holster just slides to the rear; last thing I want to do is startle the Doordash guy into dropping my dinner.

    It isn’t paranoia, and even if that was a factor I think all the peaceful protesting lately would have confirmed my most paranoid fears. However, as a former LEO I learned quickly to always have your gun since you just never know what will happen around any corner. Neighbors know me, so nobody gets their knickers in a twist when they see out flipping burgers on the back deck with my Glock on my hip. So far.

  38. Sounds like a lot of urban dwellers here? Maybe life is just a little different when you live where I do? I mean, if I am out and about then come home I have enough confidence that my gate, motion detectors, and cameras will alert me (often too much… even for deer) plus the mutts. Some guns in safes, some not. Yard work is open carry… nobody has ever tread on my property that shouldn’t be because you’d have to be crazy to go this far out of your way and drive up a private road like mine. I do carry when I am out and about on the property, which isn’t that big, and 99% of the time it’s open carry. Really not worried up here. I’d be more concerned with a random sheriff showing up as to what their intention is on my property. Which they have tried, and failed to make it beyond the gate before greated (professionally of course). Something stupid too… someone down the road has their horses get loose and was wondering if I saw them, still, stay off unless you are invited. The gate camera is very obviously attached to the comms too. Use it or turn around. And, it was night time. So it was hard to see without altering a still image. Anyways… not worried up here. Good luck in your HOA’s 😉 haha.

  39. I’m pretty sure I know who is facing the monitor in that picture while carrying a G19 on his hip.

    Any guesses?

    • A new neighbor noticed me outside with a OWB holstered pistol(legal here)several times. One day, she asked if I always carried, I told her the old “pants on” story. She giggled, and asked me what if I was in my underwear, still giggling. I guess it a feeble attempt at being “cute”. I told her if she saw me outside in my underwear, the gun would be in my hand, and more than likely, another one would be in my other hand. Giggling stopped. I’m guessing she ran off to her “safe space”.

      • Also, if I’m just sitting around watching TV etc., unholstered, it’s on the arm of mychair. If I get up it goes with me(kitchen, bathroom, wherever). In these recent days of civil unrest, I have several, SAFELY staged around the house, in places I can reach right before the one in my hand runs dry. Just saying.

  40. Yes, these days seem more troublesome. They probably feel this way for a lot of people.

    The author’s story about following some guy around gives pause. Imagine if someone was following you around. Imagine if someone thought your daughter’s car looked suspicious and was following her around. Generally speaking, the act of following someone around increases the likelihood of confrontation and escalation, it does not decrease the likelihood.

    The good news is that this time it turned out okay.

  41. Here’s a question:

    If you live in a state that requires a permit for concealed carry, do you need that permit if you are standing on your own property (inside the house, or on the front lawn)?

    Never been able to get a consistent answer to that one.

    • If you live in a state that requires a permit for concealed carry, do you need that permit if you are standing on your own property (inside the house, or on the front lawn)?

      Fl does NOT require a permit to carry a firearm in any manner you choose in your home or your private property, further it is legal to open carry a handgun while hunting or fishing without requiring a permit….
      Anyone legally entitled to carry a firearm may open or conceal carry in his or her home or place of business without a permit. [Fla. Stat. § 70.25(3)(n)]

    • The exception to the permit in Virginia reads,” This section shall not apply to any person while in his own place of abode or the curtilage thereof.”
      Thus in Virginia you could have an outbuilding on the other side of the road and could possibly be convicted of concealing a firearm if you do not have a permit.
      Foley v. Commonwealth of Virginia is one such example, although there other extenuating circumstances.
      It all depends on the language your particular state uses.

    • Not in CA. One does not need a CCW lic to carry open/concealed “anywhere within the citizen’s or legal resident’s place of residence, place of business, or on private property owned…” Cal. Pen. Code 25605 https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PEN&sectionNum=25605.
      So for carry inside the house, GTG. Now if the garage door is raised open, or the front/back yard is not fenced in, gate locked, we have to consider how the castle doctrine would apply.

      • And UP, consider the question you asked was “YOUR property”, the answers go farther than that, you are covered on your residence, whether you own or rent, and most times if you are in your motel room, since it is your residence for that night.

    • In my state (Oregon) you can carry outside, openly if you have a CCW. But, though this state is an open carry state unless you have that preemption you will be stopped and possible snagged by one of the myriad patchwork of laws each municipality has. The PTB decided the individual municipalities can pass local ordinances to control guns and ammunition transportation and carry in spite of the state constitution and statute.

      As a result it is entirely possible to move from one block to another, passing over the city boundary to another, and then be violating laws against carrying a gun in your car, loaded, stored improperly, etc.. If you open carry in Portland you’ll definitely be stopped and hassled, and then likely charged with public order offenses even if you have a CCW. In your yard with a permit? You will probably be OK but it will depend on the local ordinances and politics. And we all know what Oregon urban politics are these days.

      As a former LEO, and known as such by the neighbors, I don’t worry about it if I have my gun on my hip while washing the car or whatever. But your mileage may vary for the same reasons as I described above.

      Essentially, if you have a CCW, unless you live in a state that actively supports open carry with no hidden traps being laid during the constant battle to further restrict guns and harass owners, just keep it concealed to avoid the hassle.

  42. I’m not deep into how this site/page works so took me a few to get the gist of this being dated 2020 yet had 2015 comments. 🙂 Anyway, since I conceal carry away from home I just keep the same rig on at home as long as I’m dressed. If I am not wearing enough to carry I have the carry pistol and/or night stand pistol out and around me nearly all the time, within arms reach. The author of this post commented on the Sig MK25 which is one of my favorite pistols.

  43. My wife and are retired for the last 20 years. We have been recreational shooting for the last 6 years and it’s been a joy. Personally, I have been legally carrying for the last 5 years. Have had SD shooting training and still attend classes. Great stuff.

    I still spend a lot of time in my former home office, basically in front of my computer. My .380 MP EZ Shield on my desk an arm’s length away; however, always wear my gun belt (w/an extra magazine) with an empty holster while at my desk. When I get up from my desk, even for a cup of coffee, I’m holstered.

    Also, I have in our downstairs family room a S&W, 16&1,SD9VE, with an extra magazine. Oh yeah, my bride of 58 years also knows how to use firearms.

    If at home on any given day, I’m always carrying. Outside the home, whether I’m mowing the lawn, or using my riding mower. I’m always carrying and “printing”. I’m sure neighbors walking down the street and people driving by may notice that I do carry (because I choose to “print’) while I’m outside picking up the newspaper getting the mail, or yard work, etc. Always have a firearm at our bedside. It’ a shame but, one never knows now-a-days

    I never talk to neighbors about guns (unless they were to ask) but, I “betcha” they know that we know about guns. .

  44. I’ve done home carry for about 25yrs now. I’ve never regretted it. I’m under no delusion that I’m going to stop a platoon of terrorist but some things have come up as the world is really no longer a safe place. I’m not sure it ever was but society put a stigma on gun carry pretending to be all civilized and such. We are not

  45. Decades ago I was reading the Armed Citizen roundup in the NRA rag and realized that almost all of the stories where people got injured were stories in which the person had to go to a different room to retrieve their gun. Since then, if I’m not carrying on my person (because I spend half the day in PJs because I work from home) one of my HD guns is on the desk next to me. Heck, in NY I answered a 2AM knock on the door with gun in hand. Turned out to be the local PD trying to find a 911 caller that had used a cell phone. They completely understood when I quickly explained I had a gun behind the door. (The one officer said it’s probably a good idea to answer any 2AM knock with gun in hand, lol)

  46. Thanks for the entertaining and instructive article. I’m always interested in reading how different people view and handle potentially threatening situations. Helps me refine my thought process.

  47. My SIG P365 goes on with my pants in the morning and off at bedtime. I don’t always carry my spare mags with me around the house, but at least one is in my pocket if I’m out dinking in the yard.

    As for the NAA .22mag, continued exposure to water, especially pool treated water may have a detrimental effect on the small inner working parts over time, but being immersed when it’s being fired, I doubt water in the mainspring grip housing would soften the hammer strike enough to make a difference (just not much space there). The cartridge would be the main issue as .22’s aren’t usually sealed at the factory. I think a very thin coat of lacquer would be preferable to nail polish. It would be something to experiment with. Too much, and you’ll have trouble getting the cartridge to seat in the cylinder. I’ve never checked to see if there’s a maker that waterproofs their .22’s.

  48. Although I have Escrima sticks, OC, and knives hidden in each room, I often carry a .38 snubbie in a pocket or fanny pack. However, I plan to get a shoulder holster to carry my Ruger Security Six .357 Magnum.

  49. “And I have no idea how to carry when I am a swimsuit.”
    The best part of the article for me!
    Poof!! You’re a swimsuit!

  50. I have been carrying every waking minute since 2013 I carry an FNX-45! With 16 rounds of 45acp I feel safe enough to get to my 12 Guage if required!

  51. I carry my small Springfield 911 in my pocket when I am working around the house, as it doesn’t get in the way or I carry my Walther PK380 in a belly band when I have athletic shorts on aka my PJs. My thinking is that should be enough ammo for me to get to my rifle if need be, as that is what I truly want to defend the house with.

  52. Regardless of age or physical capabilities, the best way to win a gun fight is to not get into the gunfight. No one ever wins a gun fight. You merely survive it. Inside about 21 feet, even a knife wielding attacker can inflict deadly injuries before you can reliably draw and shoot. Suspicious activity? First, call the police, leave phone line open…..unless directly attacked stay away….distance is your friend. You should have insurance to cover property damage. Cheaper than defending a bad deadly force decision. Testosterone driven decisions will get you killed or driven into bankruptcy.

    • . No one ever wins a gun fight.

      You have obviously never been in a GUNFIGHT.. As a participant in a shitload of gunfights I can assure you there are “winners” and there are definitely losers..

  53. Swim suit carry, a speedo wont work! Lol I live a 1/4 mile from the Gulf and hit the beach a couple times a month and carry into the water all the time. Guns can be submerged and still go bang. Water proofed ammo hedges your reliabilty, see last Paragraph below. People just don’t want to properly flush them with fresh water, flush with aerosolgun cleaner or water displacer like WD-40 and do a detailed strip, clean. Your other option is to bag it.

    You need Board Shorts with a cargo pocket, ziplock type bag that your compact or micro CC gun fits in and a piece of thin but stiff plastic (like on those cheap 3 ring binders).

    How to: Practice this with an unloaded safe gun before going hot.
    Put gun in bag, partially close the seal, orally suck out all air and close seal. Let it sit for a few minutes and see if air gets in and vacuum is lost? If good, open bag, take lower non seal corner and carefully push it through the trigger guard in front of the trigger (future trigger finger access). Repeat air removal and seal. You should now have a vacuum sealed water proofed gun. Final step is to cut the thin plastic so it fits the shape of the pocket. Slide plastic into pocket then bagged gun into pocket inboard of the plastic. This prevents wet clingy shorts from printing the guns outline.

    I highly recommend you actually test shoot th bagged gun a the Range. Test finger to trigger access and pull, and cyclic operation. Small revolvers are usually flawless, pistols may have slide cycling obstruction (didn’t happen with a 380 Backup or a G42). Even if you need to rip off the top of the baggie its still better than no gun. Pistols with safety levers are your call for the position of that control.

    You could also seal cartridges with a light coat of clear nail polish aound primer pocket and case mouth.

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