Do any of you that OC or CC have kids?

imported post

I am curious as to how many of you that carry have kids and if your kids are with you when you carry. I am thinking about starting to carry soon and have a 4 year old girl, 1 year old girl, and a boy on the way. My wife is not liking the idea of the kids seeing a gun on me and the kids being around it. She is not opposed to open carrying in general though. My kids safety is my top priority and would not carry if I didn't think it would be safe. I've been talking with my oldest about gun safety and if my gun is not on me it is locked in the safe, no exceptions. I'm looking to get either a level 2 or 3 holster to lower the chances of my gun being grabbed or coming loose.

What have your experiences been with kids and you carrying? And for those of you that OC, do people react any different when they see you carrying and your family with you? Any input would be helpful, thanks!

imported post

I have a 3 yo and a 1 yo and I CC with them regularly. I use a holster which is very comfortable and stays in place in awkward positions. A Crossbreed Supertuck, if you're curious.

Personally, I would not OC with kids this young unless I had a retention holster I trusted. Even then, I'm not sure I would. Kids are way too inquisitive at this age and have a knack for figuring things out when we don't want them to.

I also don't carry with one in the chamber with the kids around. That inquisitive thing again. I know, it slows the response time. However, I drill myself to get in the habit of racking the slide on the draw. Slow, frequent practice practice practice.

My wife doesn't mind. She knows I burn range time and practice.

Just my $0.02. Do with it what you will.

imported post

Of course I do...my kids/family are the reason that I do carry......

IMHO, your kids SHOULD see you carry (responsibly, of course) .....and in addition to being taught gun safety, they should also be taught WHY we carry.
By the time my daughter was 12, (she's 28 now) she not only was safer with guns but also more proficient with them than many adults that I have known.....

imported post

While I don't have kids, and I refuse to breed and bring any in this messed up world.

I often OC with my 17 yr old niece, she also brings one of her freinds as well (she looks 14-15), while we do lunch and catch a movie once or twice a month, with out incident.

Hopefully you can educate the wife a little about OC. and that you're main concern is protecting the children.

imported post

I carry around all of my kids. The youngest is 15. She has been taught gun safety and we occassionally go to the range and she practices. Do not shield your kids from seeing you carry and knowing why you do. Help them become responsible armed citizens. We can never have too many of them.

imported post

Of course. I have a 7 and 3 year old and never think twice about it. I don't want my kids to grow up anti-gun like most (not all) libs. They also learn from your actions, both safety and otherwise. Lead by example.

imported post

If you were going to the bank to deposit $50,000 in cash, you would never think of not carrying, would you?

How much more valuable to you and your wife is the safety of your kids?

Being "out with the kids" when a SHTF moment occurs is just as likely to happen as it is without the kids. Be prepared at all times to defend the life of yourself and your loved ones.

Tell your wife that you love her and the kids far too much to ever leave them at the mercy of whoever happens to see you all as victims.

imported post

Decoligny wrote:

to deposit $50,000 in cash

Click to expand...

What days and where? :lol:

imported post

I don't have kids, but I still have several younger siblings. I OC all the time. It just makes the why I OC much more personal when they are with me.

imported post

I have always CC'ed where legal, but even more so now that I am married with kids.

My kids, (3 & 5),see me get ready and holster up all the time. I want them to see that CCWing is for responsible caring adults and not just for criminals.

I want my kids to grow up understaning their rights and responsibilities, which include firearm safety and self-defense.

imported post

Yes, I have a 14 year old step son and an 8 month old daughter. I carry openly or concealed 80 hours a week. It is normal in my family for me to be armed.

Some of the neighbors weren't particularly happy, a few still aren't but we've lived here a few years now and most have or are in the process of coming around, at least the husbands .

Tonight I open carried in The Ram on Eagle with my 8 month daughter. I routinely open carry while pushing a stroller, have never got anything but a smile.

I do practice shooting weak and strong single handed and always keep my strong hand free.

Most people are so busy looking at the cube baby they never notice, if they do notice few people have a problem with a parent being ready to defend their children.

My mother in law who also has her CWL commented the other day how funny it was to watch me feeding my daughter yams while carrying a Sig on the belt .

One of the neighborhood kids made the comment "your dad carries a gun" to my step son, to which he replied "So what, he is allowed to!"

Just let her know that her and the kids are what is most important to you to defend, and point out that carrying the firearm on the belt in a holster is the safest place for it. You have absolute knowledge of what is happening to it and have immediate access to it in a defensive situation.

You could humor her by carrying in a retention holster or carrying concealed during the day and open carrying at night after kids have gone to bed until she gets used to it.

I would be hesitant to go past a level II retention holster, there are plenty of officers that don't like level III and they are far more likely to face a gun grab attempt.

As my wife said she may just need to be eased into it and given time for her mind to be comfortable with it.

imported post

Well i have 5 children from 5yo to 18yo and I OC all the time with them at my side, yes even the 5yo. As a matter of fact my 18yo is working on getting his belt, holster and his own hand gun so he can start OCing too.

Reading through all of the postings one thing was not stated. It is good for others (even the sceptics) to see normal, right minded, children loving fathers OCing. It is not the bad guys all the time that have guns and we have to show the world this!

imported post

I have kids and always carry either cc or oc and educate my children on responsible carry and firearm use. I actually think my children are even more reason to carry when they are with me. How would you have liked to be in that mall down in Utah with your kids when that guy shot a bunch of people...how would you have felt being trapped in a store with him and all you had to defend your children was a hanger because you decieded not to carry a weapon around your kids. Also Your children would probably end up working at wall-mart being afraid of a responsible law abiding citizen that carries a gun and asking them to leave.

DocWalker

imported post

I have a 4 year old son (single parent) and CC most of the time when in Arkansas. When he is around me, however,I do not chamber a round.

imported post

i have no issue with my 5 year old.. even got him a matching non functional airsoft pistol(clear) and a serpa holster so he can open carry also, just like dad..

mainly at our home and yard..lol

imported post

When the lady at the bank the other day who has never seen me before saw me walk in with a gun openly strapped to my belt, I am sure she was a little more conforted seing 7 and 5 year old boys with me. I doubt that someone coming in to rob the bank would OC, nor would they bring their kids with them.

imported post

My only son is 3 months old so no worries about inqusitiveness yet. But I OC with him every time we're out in public. Judging peoples faces I think it confuses them. A baby, and a GUN?! I think it works best to hit home the message of normal people carrying.

I do not plan to stop OCing, I carry all day at home and any guns not on my side will be locked up once he can crawl.

imported post

I have kids that open carry!

imported post

this is why i Carry....i know we just had Heller vs. DC go our way but here is an equally important decision.

Warren v. District of Columbia (444 A.2d. 1, D.C. Ct. of Ap. 1981) is a case in which three rape victims sued the District of Columbia because of negligence on the part of the police. Two of three female roommates were upstairs when they heard men break in and attack the third. After repeated calls to the police over half an hour, the roommate's screams stopped, and they assumed the police had arrived. They went downstairs and were held captive, raped, robbed, beaten, and forced to commit sexual acts upon one another and to submit to the attackers' sexual demands for 14 hours. The police had lost track of the repeated calls for assistance. DC's highest court ruled that the police do not have a legal responsibility to provide personal protection to individuals, and absolved the police and the city of any liability.[1]

last year I worked a unit that held mainly sex offenders.
they would brag about their crimes. some even taunt their victims by calling them
from the prison..

imported post

Great pic SGT Jenson! Though I don't know if it counts as open carrying when the gun is being used to help him stay on his feet. Cute kid.