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Do you carry when alone?

Do you take your gun with you or leave it with your family?

  • Take it. My gun never leaves my side.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Take it. I don't trust them with it.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Take it. I open carry to exercise my rights first, for protection second.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Leave it. I think I am better off unarmed then they are.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Leave it. I think my house is a more likely target then I am.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Leave it. Carrying outside my house is stupid.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    0

Manka Cat

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Cody, Wyoming, USA
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Just wanted to get a general feel from everyone. If all you have is your open-carry weapon of choice, and you leave the house with your family/significant other/whatever at home, who gets the gun? Do you leave the gun with them, since they are you loved ones, or do you keep your weapon with you as you trek around a dangerous world?

Lets try to keep this on topic rather than talk about the fact that no one should have only one gun or that the wife should carry too. Those points are obvious. We're assuming for the sake of argument that there is one pistol, whichever one you typically carry, for your whole family.

Sorry if this came up somewhere before, I did some digging but I'm still pretty new here and haven't read every page on the site.
 

LEO 229

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Feb 21, 2007
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I always have a gun with me when I leave the house and I make sure my wife has hers too.

There are times I may leave it in my car door if she is with me and I am not doing anything but standing outside the car.

I know cops that leave it in their locker and go home unarmed because they fear their kids will get it or their spouse hates guns.
 

Sitrep

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May 25, 2007
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150
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Here and There, Washington, USA
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My handgun stays with me. At the house there are plenty of other guns that family members could choose from.

If I assume that my gun was the only gun in the house, I'd have to also assume that I was the only one who was proficient with it, and therefore it would stay with me.

I'm pretty sure that anyone who's family believes in self defense will have a gun for each family member inclined to use one. As such, I'm afraid your poll doesn't have a possible answer that would satisfy the situation for most people.
 

OneShot

Regular Member
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Nov 5, 2007
Messages
83
Location
Dover, Delaware, USA
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I'd like to add to the vote, but my catagory is not listed. I carry for my personal protection, but I also have other guns in the home that may be used by the family if needed.
 

Manka Cat

Regular Member
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Feb 17, 2008
Messages
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Location
Cody, Wyoming, USA
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OneShot wrote:
I'd like to add to the vote, but my catagory is not listed. I carry for my personal protection, but I also have other guns in the home that may be used by the family if needed.

Understood, but this is hypothetical. Answer as if you had one gun, or were at a hotel, or whatever. I guess instead of your home I should have said "where your family is". Maybe your spending the evening at a friend or relatives house, and only brought your sidearm.

There was another thread about why people open carry inside their homes, and someone said because he didn't even want the gun out of reach because the worst feeling he could imagine was seeing his family attacked and his gun in another room. Sure you have other guns in the house, so do I, probably 95% of the people on the site do, but if somebody barges through the door, can they get to them before getting shot/attacked? You don't leave your gun in your car everywhere you go do you? Of course not. That doesn't exactly make you protected. And unless every member of your family is strapped neither are they unless with you, and that still has limitations.

Anyway, thanks for the feedback, I appreciate the response and the point. But considering your family secure with a gun upstairs or in the basement would be like considering yourself secure with your gun in the trunk. Just my opinion. Thanks again :)
 

Joe Sixpack

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Nov 4, 2007
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well im one of those people who just carries around the house and outside..

in my state you can't open carry in a car, you have to have a CHL for that here :/
so it's impractical to lock up the gun in the trunk every time you get in the car.. this means handling it way more then you should in public imo not to mention pita.

i also have'nt worked the nerve up to actually OC off my property.

im seriously thinking of getting my CHL but a course + ammo + fees it's gonna run at least 200 bucks + 12 hours of training.

anyway unsure exactly the question being asked but i dont let anyone touch my gun when it's loaded.. no one wants to anyway.

if i was to carry it would be on me.. i dont see any reason for it not to be.
i get highly protective of my gun except at the range when i'll share it.
 

deepdiver

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Apr 2, 2007
Messages
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Location
Southeast, Missouri, USA
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My fiancee and I together have 3 large dogs. If at home and we had only one pistol, it would go with whoever left the house as it is highly unlikely that someone is going to break in with 260 lbs worth of fast moving vocal dogs running around. If we were somewhere else, it would depend on circumstances. If we were, as the above example offered at a hotel, I would still be inclined to lean towards the person leaving the room being armed as hotels tend to have decent room locks against any casual intruder. Most of my friends have self defense weapons so being at a friends house is an easy decision.
 

LEO 229

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Joined
Feb 21, 2007
Messages
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USA
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Joe Sixpack wrote:
well im one of those people who just carries around the house and outside..

in my state you can't open carry in a car, you have to have a CHL for that here :/
so it's impractical to lock up the gun in the trunk every time you get in the car.. this means handling it way more then you should in public imo not to mention pita.

i also have'nt worked the nerve up to actually OC off my property.

im seriously thinking of getting my CHL but a course + ammo + fees it's gonna run at least 200 bucks + 12 hours of training.

anyway unsure exactly the question being asked but i dont let anyone touch my gun when it's loaded.. no one wants to anyway.

if i was to carry it would be on me.. i dont see any reason for it not to be.
i get highly protective of my gun except at the range when i'll share it.
OC off your property when you feel more comfortable. Maybe you can hook up with someone in your area for lunch that already does OC.

$200 sucks... save up little by little for your CC permit fund. It really is a nice option so that you can always be armed summer or winter.

I NEVER hand over my loaded gun to another person. I will let them hold it if they ask but I am going to UNLOAD and CLEAR it first. ;)

I do not want to be accidentally shot by my own gun. I have known of situations were inexperienced people shot the owners be either being given the gun or picking it up.
 

Marco

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Jul 29, 2007
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Greene County
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BobCav wrote:
I'll never tell how many guns I have. It's a SECRET!
I second that.;)
I am always armed.
The family/homestead is never left defenseless:exclaim:
 

MarkNH

State Researcher
Joined
May 25, 2007
Messages
67
Location
, New Hampshire, USA
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Why would you only ever have one gun? Sorry but I don't get how I can respond to your question/poll because you exclude 99% of the people here by saying "assume there is one gun for the entire family".
 

expvideo

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2006
Messages
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Location
Lynnwood, WA, ,
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Manka Cat wrote:
If all you have is your open-carry weapon of choice, and you leave the house with your family/significant other/whatever at home, who gets the gun?
The question is irrelevant as asked. I don't choose between leaving a gun for my fiancee and taking it with me. We both have one, and that is that. There is no choosing, because that is not a choice I wish to make.

As for who would be wearing the kevlar vest if we felt the need for me to wear my vest (which we don't), it would be me. Not because I want to be more protected, but because 2 layers of kevlar and a body between you and an attacker are better than 1 layer of kevlar.
 

Manka Cat

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Joined
Feb 17, 2008
Messages
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Location
Cody, Wyoming, USA
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MarkNH wrote:
Why would you only ever have one gun? Sorry but I don't get how I can respond to your question/poll because you exclude 99% of the people here by saying "assume there is one gun for the entire family".

Everyone seems to missing the point. I realize it's irrelevant for most people. I have stated this above. I even gave more scenarios. At a hotel. Your other guns get stolen. Who knows. I find it odd that we can have threads about what you would carry if zombies invaded, (a very interesting and important topic) but when I ask another, slightly more likely hypothetical question, (don't tell me there has never ever been a time when it was you and your family, you left them somewhere, and they didn't have a gun), people can't seem to relate. I'm not trying to get anyone to admit they aren't as secure as they say, I believe they are. I believe I am. But the question still came up in my mind, and I thought it was relevant enough to ask people if not just to get the wheels turning.

My fiance always has access to a loaded 12 gauge. But she doesn't pack it around the house. We don't leave our pistols in the bedroom when we're downstairs. Therefore, by simple logic, they are not as protected when at home just like we aren't if our gun is in another room. I know everyone can get that. Just reading the threads here that has been a primary point drilled into this young ocer's head.

Thank you all for your input so far. Just try to realize what I mean. It can relate to everyone.
 

Legba

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My gf is utterly useless with regard to firearms, so there's no question of who gets the gun.I really doubt she could figure out how to load a semi-auto (yes, I've offered to teach her safe handling, etc - she's not remotely interested). So, it devolves to me to handle such things, which I don't mind.

-ljp
 

Marco

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[align=left]The wife and I are always armed!!!!
God and our parents provided use with two each, a right and left just encase one broke.:lol:

As for your poll.
Do you take your gun with you or leave it with your family?
Take it. My gun never leaves my side. Not a true statement nomatter who you are.
Take it. I don't trust them with it. Might be true but I highly doubt it, especially with this group.
Take it. I open carry to exercise my rights first, for protection second.
I OC to exercise my rights I carry for defense.
Leave it. I think I am better off unarmed then they are.
I am less of a target than my wife and kids. DUH!!!!
Leave it. I think my house is a more likely target then I am.
I don't think my house has enemies, but you never know, especially since he doesn't talk, much.
Leave it. Carrying outside my house is stupid.
WTF!!!!
None of the above.
DING DING WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!
If I only had one gun it would stay with the parent that is watching over my family/kids regardless of the location.

The questions as polled are irrelavant.
My rights/life and my house/property don't amount to squat if I allow my family to become victims.

My home occupied or not has it's own defenses and only someone truely stupid would ignore the warning signs.


[/align]
 

expvideo

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Oct 8, 2006
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Lynnwood, WA, ,
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Manka Cat wrote:
MarkNH wrote:
Why would you only ever have one gun? Sorry but I don't get how I can respond to your question/poll because you exclude 99% of the people here by saying "assume there is one gun for the entire family".

Everyone seems to missing the point. I realize it's irrelevant for most people. I have stated this above. I even gave more scenarios. At a hotel. Your other guns get stolen. Who knows. I find it odd that we can have threads about what you would carry if zombies invaded, (a very interesting and important topic) but when I ask another, slightly more likely hypothetical question, (don't tell me there has never ever been a time when it was you and your family, you left them somewhere, and they didn't have a gun), people can't seem to relate. I'm not trying to get anyone to admit they aren't as secure as they say, I believe they are. I believe I am. But the question still came up in my mind, and I thought it was relevant enough to ask people if not just to get the wheels turning.

My fiance always has access to a loaded 12 gauge. But she doesn't pack it around the house. We don't leave our pistols in the bedroom when we're downstairs. Therefore, by simple logic, they are not as protected when at home just like we aren't if our gun is in another room. I know everyone can get that. Just reading the threads here that has been a primary point drilled into this young ocer's head.

Thank you all for your input so far. Just try to realize what I mean. It can relate to everyone.
In the case of a hotel, I would have the gun, because I have the permit. As far as "all but one gun was stolen", I'd borrow one from my father or worst case schenario I would leave it with her, but we live in a bad neighborhood, and if my guns were stolen a new gun would be purchased the same day. I won't leave her home alone unarmed.
 

kmcdowel

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Joined
Dec 31, 2007
Messages
253
Location
Marquette, Michigan, USA
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Manka Cat wrote:
Lets try to keep this on topic rather than talk about the fact that no one should have only one gun or that the wife should carry too. Those points are obvious. We're assuming for the sake of argument that there is one pistol, whichever one you typically carry, for your whole family.
...I think people missed this part
 

sailor628

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2008
Messages
49
Location
SW Washington, Washington, USA
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I give my wife the choice to have the gun but she's not interested or comfortable having it yet (something I'm working on). If she not comfortable with it then it's better off with me for the time being. Ideally while I am, say, in a different town with my gun and my family needs defending hopefully some other responsible gun owner can come to aid them. I will do the same for someone else.
 

PT111

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Jul 31, 2007
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Location
, South Carolina, USA
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I take it with me, the wife can use one of my shotguns if she needs to shoot someone.......You don't have a shotgun and you call your self a gun owner?.........That's like saying you only have one pistol.
 
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