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Family carry?

SDguy

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2008
Messages
119
Location
, South Dakota, USA
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Elsewhere on this site I read of many guys who claim that one of their reasons for carrying is to protect their families. I follow that as I do the same. However, since you can't be with your family members all the time I wonder how many of your spouses or adult children also carry regularly?

In my family of 6 (two are underage) living in the same home we are all shooters and very familar with arms. Firearms are and always have been as common in our home as the furnature.

However, only my oldest son and I carry regularly with the other adults sometimes thinking about it but not jumping on board. My wife says "I don't carry a fire extinguisher in my purse, so why a gun?" She is not anti-gun whatsoever, she simply does not think anything is going to happen. She however, would like to carry pepper spray.

Are you the only one in your family who carries or do other immediate family members carry as well? If you deem it important to carry then what about the others in your family?
 

Dr.Coy

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2008
Messages
107
Location
Panama City, Florida, USA
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I am new to this realm of carrying. But, I find it imperative my wife learns to shoot and carries something. After finding a 911 call on this site of a lady home alone and a man breaking into her bedroom during the 911 call, shooting him, and killing him while still on the phone as she was being strangled- I sent it to my wife's email at work... she came home and said...



" I want a gun. "

It totally changed her view to actually hear a real life situation of a female alone, with nothing to protect herself, no man, no sons, not even a locked door, and locked up house... but the gun saved her.

I am 21 and a newly wed... but if you can research instances for your wife to read or hear, and it may deter her natural instinct to feel as though nothing can happen.
 

Dustin

Regular Member
Joined
May 28, 2008
Messages
1,723
Location
Lake Charles Area, Louisiana, USA
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Dr.Coy wrote:
I am new to this realm of carrying. But, I find it imperative my wife learns to shoot and carries something. After finding a 911 call on this site of a lady home alone and a man breaking into her bedroom during the 911 call, shooting him, and killing him while still on the phone as she was being strangled- I sent it to my wife's email at work... she came home and said...



" I want a gun. "

It totally changed her view to actually hear a real life situation of a female alone, with nothing to protect herself, no man, no sons, not even a locked door, and locked up house... but the gun saved her.

I am 21 and a newly wed... but if you can research instances for your wife to read or hear, and it may deter her natural instinct to feel as though nothing can happen.



Yea, I sent that same thing to my wife, her response,

WTF !%@!^$ WERE YOU THINKING (@!&(@&#@

Of course the fact that she's also pregnant was defintely bad timing on my part :banghead:

:what:
 

Prophet

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Joined
Feb 29, 2008
Messages
544
Location
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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SDguy wrote:
My wife says "I don't carry a fire extinguisher in my purse, so why a gun?" She is not anti-gun whatsoever, she simply does not think anything is going to happen. She however, would like to carry pepper spray.

I find this amusing. I just imagine women lugging around fire-extinguishers and it amuses me. To your wife I would simply say that being doused with gasoline and set aflame is much more rare than being mugged or raped. The gun can protect against the latter two as well as stopping the gasoline hurler. Now, as for spontaneous combustion i don't know what to tell ya.
 

Dr.Coy

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2008
Messages
107
Location
Panama City, Florida, USA
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haha oh man... Pregnancy, phew hormones wilder than a raging bull. haha

just keep the ice cream and junior mints going and they stay cool! haha
 

Five.Seven

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 9, 2008
Messages
34
Location
Cadillac, Michigan, USA
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i carry a Fn-5.7 in my waist band, my wife has one in her purse with a LazerMax and our oldest son also has one on his side, he is talking to his wife about getting one also. i would notcarry anything else..
 

Orygunner

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2008
Messages
737
Location
Springfield, Oregon, USA
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My wife and I took the class together, but she doesn't have a gun yet so she hasn't applied for her CHL (I carry a Taurus PT111, she wants a Taurus PT 24/7 - Figures, she wants a bigger gun than me ;) )

With my decision to start carrying a gun for defense, I've been talking with my two kids (12 and 10) about gun rightsand the law. They arewith me when I OC around town, and I've been explaining my reasons for starting to carry a handgun. They asked how old you have to be to carry a gun. I told them 21 to get a CHL, and 18 to open carry a handgun. Then they asked, what about rifles?

I explained that Oregon law states it does not prohibit transfer of a firearm (other than a handgun) by or with permission of a parent or guardian, so, technically, they could OC a shotgun or rifle in public.

They both asked me if they could carry their rifles around now.:shock:

I explained the point of carrying a handgun is for self-defense first, that OCingis for a deterrantand 2A activism, and that they simply don't have any legitimate reason for carrying a gun around besides activism (I explained there doesn't need to be, but I am going to require one).

I can't help but think:What have I started? :uhoh:

I also got to thinking, Oregon law says specifically that it allows transfer of a handgun to a minor "Temporarily for hunting, target practice or any other lawful purpose"... isn't self-defense a lawful purpose?

"Yes officer, I transfer that handgun temporarily to my child every morning for the lawful purpose of self defense, and they give it back to me every evening when they come home safe."

...I wonder if I could get away with it :lol:...
...Orygunner...
 

Harper1227

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2008
Messages
387
Location
Lorton, VA
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Dr.Coy wrote:
haha oh man... Pregnancy, phew hormones wilder than a raging bull. haha

just keep the ice cream and junior mints going and they stay cool! haha



eh-hem?! As a pregnant wife that carries I warn you that there are some women on this site. at least 2 i know of that are pregnant so you should watch the hormone jokes or you may get a foot in your butt! wait, did i just prove your point. my bad! :D

Seriously though. My husband introduced me to carrying. never had a problem with them being in the house but it took me awhile to understand why he felt the need to carry all the time and why we HAD to move to VA when we got out of the military-stationed in Maryland. After awhile of him sending me self defense stories and other stories about people being beaten and raped and killed I couldn't help myself thinking, why didnt anyone do anything, or if she had a gun. And then I started to realize 'well what could I do?" When our daughter was born it became even more of an imperative. Now with number 2 on the way I joke that any of those crazy b!%&*s that want to steal my baby are gonna be real surprised when they break out that box cutter. Now, that may be a tasteless joke, but that is one of the biggest things that scares me at 7 months pregnant. it happens more often than people realize. same with home invasions. which is why I usually have my gun on me at all times in my house.

Since I am pregnant it has gotten harder to carry on my hip especially when you consider that most maternity pants aren't equipped with belt loops. but, i always keep my 239 in my purse when I can't carry on me. Definitely makes me more certain that no sicko is going to run off with my daughter at the grocery store. and if someone tries to hurt us I am prepared. So, long answer to a short question, yes, we carry to protect our family :D


ps. pickles and pepperoncinis - no ice cream thank you :celebrate
 

Dr.Coy

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Jul 15, 2008
Messages
107
Location
Panama City, Florida, USA
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hahaha, thats funny.phew! pickles and pepperchinis that is quite the duo!

:cool:

i am glad there are women on here who know the real danger of people and that they carry.
 

Aran

Banned
Joined
Jan 29, 2008
Messages
674
Location
Indiana, Pennsylvania, USA
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My fiancee is too lazy to get her LTCF.

Plus, she doesn't have a gun of her own, and all I have carry-worthy are about as big as she is (a G17 and a full-size EAA Witness) so she'd have to go shopping, and how horrible would that be? ;)
 

Orygunner

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Jun 5, 2008
Messages
737
Location
Springfield, Oregon, USA
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Oh noes! You'll have to take your Fiancee gun shopping? :shock: Oh, the HORROR! ;)

Take it from me, as I have learned the hard way. When shopping for an important item with your spouse or significant other:

1. LISTEN to her. I mean it. Really listen. it saves a lot of pain later. :uhoh:
2. You will not change her mind. You can assist her with making a new decisionby providing newinformation she may not have known before, but let HER make the decision, don't choose for her because you think it's the best choice.

...Hopefully this advice saves SOMEONE else from 2 years of "YOU got the truck that YOU wanted"... ;)
...Orygunner...
 

desert-prospector

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Joined
Jun 12, 2008
Messages
72
Location
(City of the Crosses), Las Cruces New Mexico, USA
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Thought it was time to get in here.
It is now a family affair, my wife finally got herself a handgun.....:celebrate

Since we live about 30 min. from the Mex. border she saw the need.
We went to Sportsman's Warehouse and to my luck the salesperson was a young woman. I left the 2 of 'em alone when I came back she was having the grips changed on a Taurus .357 mag.

Now she's shopping for a holster and handbag for carrying. Any ideas on the handbags? Has to be below $80.00.

She also recently found out her hair stylist carries concealed. Go figure....

My sons aren't old enough to carry, but sure are interested give it a few more years.
 

deepdiver

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Joined
Apr 2, 2007
Messages
5,820
Location
Southeast, Missouri, USA
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My fiancee is not yet fully convinced that she needs to carry. I think with time she will decide it is the thing to do. She prefers to shoot my P228 and is becoming pretty good with it.

Like I always tell her, she is one fertilized egg away from carrying a pistol everywhere she goes.
 

Tess

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Joined
Jun 15, 2006
Messages
3,837
Location
Bryan, TX
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Yeah, my husband has been OC almost as long as I have, and had a CC permit in Texas (I didn't get mine there).

Daughter carries now too.
 

Harper1227

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Joined
Mar 31, 2008
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387
Location
Lorton, VA
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Tess wrote:
Yeah, my husband has been OC almost as long as I have, and had a CC permit in Texas (I didn't get mine there).

Daughter carries now too.
I didn't know your daughter carried. where has she been. you should bring her to the next get together.
 

Tess

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Jun 15, 2006
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Bryan, TX
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She's in Texas. Right now she only carries in her home; TX is a no-open-carry state and she doesn't have her concealed permit yet.
 

skidmark

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Joined
Jan 15, 2007
Messages
10,444
Location
Valhalla
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The Lady Friend has her VA CHP - because I dragged her down to the courthouse and put a $50 bill on the counter. But that's OK - she has the CHP. :cool:

She does not carry because 1) she has not found a gun she likes (Yes, we have been through shopping, renting, borrowing, and looking at ads), and most importantly to her 2) because I carry :).

We have had conversations (OK, I made words at her) about the fact that even if we were together 24/7/365 I might protect her, but only because I made a conscious decision to do so, as I'm under no legal or moral obligation to do so. We have also had conversations (OK, again, I made words at her) about the fact that the odds are just about 50/50 between me deciding to protect her versus using her as concealment/cover. These words I have made at her do not seem to have sunk in - yet.

I'm in no particular hurry to have the Lady Friend "get it". That might be because I've offered to buy her her first handgun. But I keep telling myself that just as she is slowly but surely getting on board with the same general world view (politics, moral viewpoint, ethics, sense of self with relation to and within the universe, etc.) as me, she may one day come around to deciding she wants to be responsible for her own safety. Until then, she can gamble on my good nature (NO comments from the peanut gallery:exclaim:) to decide to protect her as opposed to sacrificing her. I would expect no less if the positions were reversed.

I have concluded that senior family members have a duty to protect junior family members until the juniors reach a stage in life when they are capable of protecting themselves. At that point the juniors either become partners in the family defense plan or moving concealment/cover. Sure, that is a cold, harsh statement, but life is cold and harsh. Live with it or get out of my family and create your own the way you want things to be.

I do allow for sincerely held moral beliefs that would preclude a family member from becoming armed. But that allowance requires them to assume and carry out other activities that will contribute to the family's defense - such as being the designated lookout, the designated one to call 9-1-1 when TSHTF, and assuming the role of pack mule so the armed members can keep their gun hand free.

Most folks do not subscribe to these thoughts, or at least not to the level at which I state them. That's your choice. I'm not out to convert anyone to my way of seeing things.

stay safe.

skidmark
 

esstac

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2008
Messages
65
Location
camano island, Washington, USA
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2 years ago on my Girl Friends B-day(Wife now) I handed her a card with 3 Twenties in it and strict instructions to get her permit, she applied for it the next day. This was before she owned her first gun, 1st was a Marlin model 60 .22, second an AR-15 and just last month on her B-day again she got a Glock 19 that she now OC/CC's.

We have 3 boys. The younger 2 are from my first marriage (9&10) and our oldest is hers(12) The younger 2 have owned there own .22 single shot bolt guns for about 5 years now and we just got the oldest his own last month also. They will be getting P22's in the near futer but they are a ways off from being able to carry them except when we are out shooting as a family.
 
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