How Many here dont Carry

[Birds Away]

I didnt know you had to tote a gun everywhere you go to enjoy them and learn about them?

You most certainly do not. However, I think you need to step back and do a little introspection. Do you believe in "gun free zones"? Do you believe they keep people safe? Why would you have a HD gun but you don't feel the need to defend yourself/family when out in public? I think some people, particularly but not exclusively on the left, have this sunshine, lollipops and unicorns view of the world. They really want society to be a nice safe place where no one is ever in danger. Wishing it and actually believing it exists, despite tons of evidence to the contrary, are two different things entirely. You can hope, from your perspective, that human nature can evolve to something better. But believing it exists now, and letting that belief persuade you to go through life unprepared for reality...just makes you another helpless target. Think about it.

 

[HenryWallace]

To be honest, I would if I could. Don't have the LTCH yet. I do understand the whole "Have it and not need it, than need it and not have it", argument.
The wife at home has all of the armament at the moment, but that's just fine with me today. Never thought I'd carry, never thought that I'd need it. I did Martial Arts for years but I can't hit or kick a bullet. It's all about evening the playing field.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

OP:

I highly urge you to go ahead and get the IN LTCH...even if you decide you never want to carry a handgun on your person.

I know you said you don't know how long you'll be in Indy - did you mean Indianapolis or Indiana as a whole?

If the former - don't worry - a phone call / fax to the Indiana State Police to update your new in-state address is all that's needed.

If you move out of state - a phone call / fax to the ISP letting them know you're moving out of state - and they "suspend" your license until such a time you come back to IN to live...if ever.

-J-

 

[chibicascade]

Its not my choice to not carry, I just haven't filled out the paperwork.

 

[Steve B]

I'm betting there's way more people who own guns that don't carry as there are that do. Personally I carry 99% of the time.

 

[ryan3030]

I don't leave home without a firearm, ever.

Most people I work with have no idea I'm always carrying, nor do they know I'm even interested in guns.

 

[SPUTTER]

Just as others have posted, it is your choice if you carry or not. People carry for certain reasons or being in certain areas and others just chose not to carry. For me after seeing what is going on in this crazy country for years, I started to carry 100% of the time except when not invited. If it comes down to it and you have a damn pycho loose, I want to be ready and not caught with my shorts down, exspecially when it comes to protecting my family and others.

I pray that I will not have to pull my weapon out to use it, but if need be, I will pull and I will use it. My choice and I am getting my wife on board. Today she goes and gets her LTCH filled out and sent off.

I will take her more and more to range to learn and again I pray she will not use it but it will be there if needed. Everyone has a choice, I carry just about 100 % of the time. My worth.

 

[dangar]

I also just recently bought my first handgun. I've applied for my LTCH (still waiting!), but I'm also not sure how much I will carry once I get it. I also purchased the Ruger SR9C so that I could carry. However, OC/CC is forbidden at my workplace. I tell myself that I will carry when out & about with the family. We'll see...

 

[Scottie1317]

You most certainly do not. However, I think you need to step back and do a little introspection. Do you believe in "gun free zones"? Do you believe they keep people safe? Why would you have a HD gun but you don't feel the need to defend yourself/family when out in public? I think some people, particularly but not exclusively on the left, have this sunshine, lollipops and unicorns view of the world. They really want society to be a nice safe place where no one is ever in danger. Wishing it and actually believing it exists, despite tons of evidence to the contrary, are two different things entirely. You can hope, from your perspective, that human nature can evolve to something better. But believing it exists now, and letting that belief persuade you to go through life unprepared for reality...just makes you another helpless target. Think about it.

Like I said I have nothing against people who do carry and think it does make the criminals
think twice about committing crimes. I just feel like I don't feel threatened enough to carry around a weapon everywhere I go.

And for the gun free zones I know when I went to high school we had an armed police officer at out school everyday. I would imagine most larger schools are the same in Indianapolis. For the smaller schools I don't think we need to put officers at everyone but I think a couple educators should be allowed to have a weapon.

 

[NumberCruncher]

For those that carry all the time, do you have an ankle holster? Where do you carry it where it's not conspicuous? Just curious. I just applied for my LTCH today just to have it. I haven't thought about carrying all the time or not. I just want the ability to.

 

[JettaKnight]

Hey I am fairly new here and have kind of a random question. I picked up my first Pistol around 5 months ago, a SR9C, and have absolutely no desire to carry. Now I am not against people carrying and I am glad that those do carry I just don't really feel it necessary to try to dress around a gun or have one on me. Is that pretty common or am I a minority?

Seven pages in 11 hours - to

If you don't want to carry, then don't. I don't most of the time. It doesn't make you any less of a man, an American or 2A support. However, it does make you less of a 'Murican.

But, as others stated, always get your LTCH. My wife never carries but has an LTCH. Why? You never know what may happen and you may need to take a loaded handgun out of your house or find yourself in a vehicle with a loaded gun. Plus, it takes forever to get one.

Why don't (or in some cases shouldn't) some people carry?

• Lack of training
• Lack of discipline
• Lack of commitment
• Unwilling to accept consequences if forces to shoot
• Risk assessment leaves them to believe a firearm isn't necessary
• Will be drinking or performing an activity that should mix with guns
• Can't carry for legal reasons (GFZ or lack of LTCH)
• Uncomfortable with carrying
• Would be in a situation with severe penalties if caught (work, college)
• Their spouse opposes it

You laugh at the last one, but, the odds of a opposing spouse making your life rough is 100%, the odds of a situation requiring a firearm is very, very low. As the old man in Pet Sematary said, "Some time dead's better".


The first three are incredibly important and incredibly ignored. A large majority of carriers have some Clint Eastwood idea about how "things will go down" with the BG. I'll tell you, it doesn't work out like you think.

 

[BanditRed]

Whether or not you carry is a very personal choice, one that is not to be taken lightly. That being said, the more accustomed you become with firearms, the carry "mystique" will fade, and will become second nature.

 

[JettaKnight]

For those that carry all the time, do you have an ankle holster? Where do you carry it where it's not conspicuous? Just curious. I just applied for my LTCH today just to have it. I haven't thought about carrying all the time or not. I just want the ability to.

Or you could just open carry as a lot of INGO'ers do.

I'm CC/OC.

I wear a Crossbreed Supertuck IWB under a dress shirt when ushering at church.

 

[Birds Away]

Like I said I have nothing against people who do carry and think it does make the criminals
think twice about committing crimes. I just feel like I don't feel threatened enough to carry around a weapon everywhere I go.

And for the gun free zones I know when I went to high school we had an armed police officer at out school everyday. I would imagine most larger schools are the same in Indianapolis. For the smaller schools I don't think we need to put officers at everyone but I think a couple educators should be allowed to have a weapon.

I don't think you get what I am saying. How is your ability to predict the future? All it takes is once and you could be living with a lifetime of regret...or not at all.

 

[eldirector]

For those that carry all the time, do you have an ankle holster? Where do you carry it where it's not conspicuous? Just curious. I just applied for my LTCH today just to have it. I haven't thought about carrying all the time or not. I just want the ability to.

I carry the vast majority of the time. Mostly openly (nice leather OWB thumb-break holster), but occasionally concealed (Crossbreed IWB holster). I don't use an ankle holster, but have thought about a pocket holster. That way, even if I need to "lock it up", I can still have my back-up in my pocket. My plan is to carry everywhere it is legal.

To the OP: I suspect a great many handgun owners do not carry. I know dozens personally (family and friends). They and I (and you, for that matter) have simply weighed our options and made different choices. That's what freedom is all about. I ENCOURAGE folks to prepare for their own defense, just like I encourage them to have a first aid kit, fire extinguisher, and to wear their seat belt. I respect their choice either way.

 

[cosermann]

OP, first of all welcome to INGO!

Prior polls suggest that only about 3.4% of INGOers do NOT carry.
In other words, approx. 96.6% of INGOers DO carry at least occasionally.

References:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/general_firearms_discussion/202969-do_you_carry.html
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...sion/74417-carry_poll_how_do_you_do_it-4.html

 

[cosermann]

For those that carry all the time, do you have an ankle holster? Where do you carry it where it's not conspicuous? Just curious. I just applied for my LTCH today just to have it. I haven't thought about carrying all the time or not. I just want the ability to.

Again, welcome to INGO.

More polls to the rescue - For the carry of what INGOers consider their "primary" carry gun, strong side waist band carry is by far the most popular at about 70-80% followed distantly by pocket carry.

The popularity of ankle carry increases when one starts considering the carry of a backup gun (i.e. BUG). A couple limitations to ankle carry would be its relatively awkward and slow draw stroke, and that it's being most suitable for the carrying smaller guns. That is, most people aren't very comfortable carrying a very large handgun in that position - yet most INGOers carry at least a medium size handgun as their primary defensive handgun (I won't bother to post that poll).

References:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...fense/238328-concealed_carry_method_poll.html
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...what_type_of_holster_do_you_use_to_carry.html
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/handguns/239754-concealed_carry_method_poll_bugs.html

Individuals approach this whole issue different ways. For some it's about reducing/mitigating risk. For some, it's picking a likely or worst case scenario and planning for that. Those are objective approaches. For some it's more subjective; I "feel" safe/don't feel threatened, I "think" I'm safe, etc.

There is a lot of experience represented in this forum for those who are willing to listen; many decades of carry both professionally and privately, many decades studying the dynamics of self-defense situations, many decades training (both as instructors and students), etc.

 

[Archer46176]

I carry while I wash the dishes, shovel snow, mow grass ect... I have since a few weeks after I turned 18 and got my ltch 18 years ago.

 

[chef larry]

The easy part of getting a pistol you like is the one that fits your hand. The expensive part is going thru a large amount of holsters to find the one you will like and use. Like a woman with shoes or purses. Does this holster make me look fat?

 

[JettaKnight]

I carry while I wash the dishes, shovel snow, mow grass ect... I have since a few weeks after I turned 18 and got my ltch 18 years ago.

I find I carry more at home than in public. If you're in your house, there's no where to run and no where to hide*. And retrieving a gun can take way too long.



* I hope that song is now stuck in your head too.