You hit the nail on the head, describing me. I got my CWP a few years ago and I HARDLY carry at all. It usually stays in my nightstand. Its a Glock 23 .40 cal and I just feel its a little too big to carry. I've been thinking about purchasing a inside the waist band holder to keep it at the small of my back. I might actually carry it if I had a better holster. I did carry it last week when I went to meet someone (craigslist transaction). Glad I did because I swear they were Mexican gangsters/drugdealers. No joke. I'm glad I requested to meet them in a public place and NOT my house. Shadow...like others...I think you should get one, regardless. Honestly, I thought you'd be the type to already have a permit.
I know Finch....I am the type. My wife is not though. Therein lies the dilemma. I need to construct an argument to gain her favor....any advice?
Take her shooting. Take your kids shooting. If everyone in the house Knows the Dril, safe operation and Consequences of misuse, it will put her more at ease about the whole situation. Put some Blue food coloring in Sealed milk jugs amd make a mess, or red if you want a bit more shocking effect. I think that if your wife knows and feels more comfortable with the kids knowledge, she will be more accepting of the situation
Its hard to use sometyhing like having a gun as an intimidation factor. If he is close enough to shake your hand he is close enough to punch you before you can draw a gun. your Self defense training will get you farther here.
I agree Live--I am talking about him potentially following me out to my vehicle. I project scenarios outward and try to think at least one step ahead.
Get your wife to watch this short video. It has the 911 calls of a home invasion that happened in Botetourt county, maybe 20 minutes from my house. A place where everybody knows everybody..you wouldn't think anything like this would happen around here but it does. The same thing could happen anywhere....your home, while driving in your car, restaurant, etc. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xeDfsRxGnw
Dang Donnie... lol I don't blame you...lol but I have to ask, where was that Glock when I rolled up to your house?? :D
LOL...it was actually in my nightstand. BUT I had snipers on the ready...just in case you didn't check out. :D
Virginia, I worked with at risk youth for 7 years within my school district. I know exactly where you are coming from when you talk about these youth growing up and still associating you with "whatever" impact you had on their life. I am like you a father now and husband. In my day I could hold my own pretty well but like you I am not a spring chicken any more and I realize that if need be I could still hold my own, but I chose to get my concealed permit about 5 years ago, my wife did as well and we have NO regrets. We keep concealed weapons hidden in all of our cars and I often pack, not always but often. I agree with what Bruce said. Make sure you have some training and be very familiar with your weapon of choice if you do get a permit. The last thing I would ever want to do is have to shoot someone, but I would do what needed to be done if my family or my life was in immediate danger.
Donnie, I made a post this morning while sitting and eating my oatmeal about your very topic, but it didn't go through and I haven't had time until now to get back on... don't know how much i can type as I'll run out of cell-phone coverage soon. What I had written earlier was that as you investigate carry pieces, pay a lot of attention to frame size... everyone will scream at you to get a .40 or bigger for knockdown power, and -- while true if I had my choice of picking up a handgun at the moment of truth I would agree -- oftentimes (not always) they're not the most practical choice for carrying around. There's an old mantra among the CCW crowd, and it's based on a lot of truth (as Donnie's post backed up so well): "A .380 on your person beats a .40-anything in the truck any day." I've read and/or known about too many people who buy a larger-caliber handgun for the romantic notion of all that knockdown power, yet they don't end up carrying it past a month or two because of the heft/bulk involved with it. As someone who carries all the time, as you could imagine, I've got several carry pieces. One of the nicer little pieces I just picked up was a Ruger LCP... It's really nice when I have to tuck my shirt in for the occasion, I can just slip it in my front pocket and it doesn't print at all and adds no undue strain to my pants. Every once in a while I come across some smart-aleck who says "Aww, all you're going to do with a .380 is piss someone off -- that's all it'd do to me!" I always just laugh, smile real innocently and ask them if I can double-tap them dead center mass? If they're indeed just really pissed off, they can feel free to try to kick my butt if they want at that time. Never had that person take me up on that offer.
Thanks Shed and Greg. I fired a decent amount of sidearms with my father 10 years ago as he was a firearms instructor with the State Department and was a Marine Corps Colonel. I mainly shot short barreled .357's. If I did purchase a handgun it would have to be something that was not bulky, yet provided a good knock down shot. I will take a look at the handguns you all mentioned. If I did buy one, I would like to have a holster that situated the firearm on my back right hip--any suggestions? Before yesterday I had not really reflected on how long I had actually been working with at-risk youth. About 6 years ago I had a student of mine come over in the snow and pop my back right tire with a knife. He was all over my property at night. This decision of mine is not based on this one event, it just provided me with some clarity about my life and the jobs I have worked over the years.
I have a coworker that has the Ruger LCP...I think I want something even smaller. I haven't gotten my hands on one yet but I've been wanting to check out the Ke-tec 3AT or even a Bersa thunder 380. Alot of the people I work with are glock fanatics (thats why I bought the G23, someone let me try theirs) and tell me to look at the G26 or G27. I really just want a "beat-around" gun to keep in the truck at all times. Hell, I'll even consider a revolver. Anything is better than nothing.
My wife is still having problems with the idea of my owning a handgun and CWP. I even talked to my boss who has worked in corrections for 40 years. He said if he lived around where we work, he would have a concealed weapons permit and carry. I told my wife and she still is offering resistance. This is gonna be a tough road for me.
So you have one? Anything you do NOT like about it? I've been wanting to check one out for a while now.
You want smaller than an LCP? Ain't gonna happen, LOL. The Kel-Tec and the LCP are exactly the same size... I've got a Bersa 380CC and it's significantly LARGER than the LCP. Here's an overlay of the LCP on top of the Kel-Tec: ... and the reverse overlay of the Kel-Tec over the LCP: I went with the Ruger for personal bias on the name a little, but I also like the fact it has a slide lock on it and the 3AT didn't. Both are great carry guns though and you'd be much better off with either of these on you than your .40 on your nitestand. Back to the Bersa... it's by far my favorite carry piece -- in the CC version. They're much harder to find right now, but well worth it IMO. That's probably what I carry 98% of the time.
Guess I remember the LCP being a little bigger? Its been a while since I had seen it. Okay Greg...you said you favored the Bersa more than anything for CC. Why would you since its the biggest of the two you own? Guess its the cheaper than all three, right? Thats a plus. I don't want to spend another $500 for a pistol.
I simply like the feel of it better, plus I'm far more accurate with it. I like a pistol that hits where I aim, and the Bersa is better than the LCP in that respect. Took a bit of range time to figure out the sight picture I needed with the little Ruger. I also like the comfort of carrying the Bersa in an inside-the-waistband holster.
