Your firearm and Drinking...

[Joe Williams]

it will probabaly be used against you if you encounter a leo to get your permit yanked

Merely having a drink while carrying, or being drunk and disorderly?

 

[Bigum1969]

What that all boils down to is this, if you have the proper mindset to carry a firearm while sober, you should also have the proper mindset while under the influence. If you can't trust yourself under the influence, then can you be trusted while sober?

WOW!

You can have a proper mindset to carry a gun while under the influence?...

I can trust myself to drive a car sober, but cannot trust myself to drive one under the influence. Trust and drunk don't belong together.

Neither does drunk and proper mindset for carrying a firearm.

 

[rmabrey]

it will probabaly be used against you if you encounter a leo to get your permit yanked

Do you mean just drinking at a bar and a cop walks up, or your involved in a shoot?

 

[indykid]

Trying to repair a friends firearm drove me to drink. Of course, the firearm was first locked up, then the drinks flowed. I might be crazy but I am not stupid!

 

[Sasquatchhunter]

WOW!

You can have a proper mindset to carry a gun while under the influence?...

I can trust myself to drive a car sober, but cannot trust myself to drive one under the influence. Trust and drunk don't belong together.

Neither does drunk and proper mindset for carrying a firearm.

Thats what I was thinking. One of the first things that goes out the window when you drink is your judgement. That statement pretty much doesn't make any sense...

When I drink, the gun stays home. Period. How do you know what is a "good shoot" situation and a "bad shoot" situation when your judgement is blurred? To each his own, but don't make any buts about it, when you drink, you lose judgement, and you are not in total control

 

[Prometheus]

One of the first things that goes out the window when you drink is your judgement. That statement pretty much doesn't make any sense...

When I drink, the gun stays home. Period. How do you know what is a "good shoot" situation and a "bad shoot" situation when your judgement is blurred? To each his own, but don't make any buts about it, when you drink, you lose judgement, and you are not in total control

The judgment it takes to guess (judge) the on coming speed and distance of a car as you are making a turn in front of it is a MUCH DIFFERENT variant of the word than the judgment it takes to realize the crack head in front of you with the knife is going to kill you and rape your date.

Lets remove the word judgment, since most here are incapable of differentiating between it's varying meanings. Not and insult, but we have the same debate every month, so lets try it a different way this time. Instead we will use words like reflexes and assessment.

Before I get into the two examples, I do not go out and drink 5 beers per hour... at least not in years anyway

After 5 beers in an hour am I capable of driving as well as sober? No. My reflexes are greatly diminished.

After 5 beers in an hour am I capable of realizing a crack head stands in front of me with a knife/gun and he is threatening to kill me and rape my date? Yes. While my reflexes may be diminished, I am still able to assess a real threat.

The question then become ones of "lefty the liberal". You aren't good enough to be able to defend yourself. Personally I'd rather have try (and possibly fail) to defend myself with a firearm, then not have one and be just as dead with no chance.

Provided you keep it in your pants (aka holster), most people should be fine with carrying and have a drink or two. I personally don't handle firearms if I've had 'more than a couple' but I won't hide them. I leave them in their holsters. Don't screw with it and you remove the risk of a ND.

You people do remember that a gun is an inanimate object and won't go off on it's own right? This includes if someone around it is drinking. Provided they don't manipulate it, it won't do anything.

As I've said before, if you can't trust yourself not to shoot someone after a couple drinks, you shouldn't be drinking in public, you're just as likely to stab them or bash them over the head with a bottle.

That said, if you fall into the angry drunk, gun prank drunk or other idiot drunk category, no, you shouldn't be carrying. If you can leave it in your pants, it's no risk to anyone and should you need it, you'll have it.

 

[nobody_special]

being involved in a shoot or just drawing your firearm in generel if you're above the legal limit..pretty much rest assured you will have a hearing before the ISP as to whether or not you're allowed to keep your permit or if it will be revoked..I personally don't want to be the one to test the waters.

 

[bigus_D]

Rest assured, if you are in a situation where you would have needed your gun but don't have it due to having a couple drinks, you probably won't hear from anybody... Ever again...

I'll take my chances on losing my permit (not my life)

 

[bigiron]

That said, if you fall into the angry drunk, gun prank drunk or other idiot drunk category, no, you shouldn't be carrying. If you can leave it in your pants, it's no risk to anyone and should you need it, you'll have it.[/quote]


or drinking, IMHO.

 

[rmabrey]

being involved in a shoot or just

drawing your firearm in generel if you're above the

legal limit..pretty much rest assured you will have a hearing before the ISP as to whether or not you're allowed to keep your permit or if it will be revoked..I personally don't want to be the one to test the waters.

Exactley what legal limit are you speaking of. Indiana is silent on the drinking while carrying/in bars issue. Hence it is not against the law.

 

[spartan933]

If I am going out to have a beer, I carry. If I am drinking, I leave the gun at home. If some moron is looking to ruin my night by getting into a bar fight, I don't want to have my firearm be a factor.

That being said, I also figure that if I am drinking, and I get pulled over, I figure an LEO would be more likely to give me a hard time for having a drink and then driving if I am carrying than if I am not. Common sense when it comes to alcohol will help a person avoid any problems they might have.

 

[Customgod227]

If you can leave it in your pants, it's no risk to anyone and should you need it, you'll have it.

Thats what she said...

That was a good statment Prometheus, you listed a lot of useful knowledge in there, and +1 for the listed scenarios.

 

[Rizzo]

I wouldn't change the law even though drinking and carrying a gun is stupid. Why?

Because...

We should only outlaw the violation of rights never what might cause the violation of rights. If we outlawed everything that may tempt someone to violate the rights of others, we'd outlaw everything but laying comatose on the floor.

Where as I don't think drinking alcohol with a gun should be illegal, I do think ANYONE who gets drunk while carrying or not carrying a gun is a fool of the biggest sort.

Never give up self-control. Never impair your judgment. Never slow your reaction time. Never kill your brian cells. Never destroy your liver. Never indulge in addictive substances that will control you. Never drink something that makes you sexually impotent for a few hours. Never remove your ability to react to threats against yourself and others. Just because you should be free to do something doesn't make it wise.

Proverbs 20:1 says, "Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise."

We will all answer to God for our choices.

 

[dwh79]

I find it interesting how mean spirited people get on here. Maybe people are not calling out specific people but calling people who drink and carry stupid and idiots is crazy. It is a personal preference. I agree that drinking a few beers and carrying is not a big deal. How many officers out there all carry off duty and go drinking I bet a bunch so simply having a few beers and drinking should not be an issue if you encounter an officer now being drunk different story. I agree with the person that said it should not be illeagal because you should not limit rights like that. I carried at the bar last night I had one beer in the hotel room before we left went to the bar and then drink coke all night was dd when got back to the room had three more beers. Not at one time was I hampered in my judgement or reflexes. My Right my prefrence if you choose not to thats fine by me no skin off my nose.

 

[CountryBoy19]

WOW!

You can have a proper mindset to carry a gun while under the influence?...

I can trust myself to drive a car sober, but cannot trust myself to drive one under the influence. Trust and drunk don't belong together.

Neither does drunk and proper mindset for carrying a firearm.

I think you're confusing mindset with reactions/reflexes.

Mindset doesn't change when under the influence (it may change when you get wasted, but not just under the influence). OTOH, your reflexes and motor skills do change when under the influence.

You don't "unlearn" how to drive the car when you're under the influence, your reactions change and your motor-skills become impaired, but your mind still knows "how" to control the car. See the difference now?

So you want to try that again now that you understand the difference between reflexes etc and mindset?

 

[henktermaat]

Carrying is serious. Drinking is entertainment. So, I organize my life accordingly. entertainment never trumps the serious stuff.

I carry everywhere.

The choices I make as to the amount I drink hinges on the fact that I carry.

 

[Tripp11]

I think you're confusing mindset with reactions/reflexes.

Mindset doesn't change when under the influence (it may change when you get wasted, but not just under the influence). OTOH, your reflexes and motor skills do change when under the influence.

You don't "unlearn" how to drive the car when you're under the influence, your reactions change and your motor-skills become impaired, but your mind still knows "how" to control the car. See the difference now?

So you want to try that again now that you understand the difference between reflexes etc and mindset?

Mindset is an attitude or a mood, and most people would agree that an individual's attitude or mood changes when under the influence. So, in my opinion, mindset most certainly changes while drinking...to what degree all depends on the individual person and the amount of alcohol or drug consumed.

IMO, it's your life...do what you will with it; however, just understand that a great responsibility comes with carrying a firearm, IMO. I think most posters on this forum understand responsibility which is why they joined INGO.

 

[Ol' Wiley]

For clarification, I never called those who drink and carry idiots; only those who drink and want to fight.
I carry all the time, even when I drink. Just know yourself and your limits for the protection of yourself and others.

 

[CountryBoy19]

Mindset is an attitude or a mood, and most people would agree that an individual's attitude or mood changes when under the influence. So, in my opinion, mindset most certainly changes while drinking...to what degree all depends on the individual person and the amount of alcohol or drug consumed.

IMO, it's your life...do what you will with it; however, just understand that a great responsibility comes with carrying a firearm, IMO. I think most posters on this forum understand responsibility which is why they joined INGO.

You're sadly mistaken.

Mindset:
n.

• A fixed mental attitude or disposition that predetermines a person's responses to and interpretations of situations.
• An inclination or a habit.

A mindset isn't simply changed by the presence of alcohol. Your mindset is fixed, it's a habit, and habits don't just go away because you've had a few drinks. Maybe these things change if you're wasted drunk, but I wouldn't know because I've never been there. With the addition of a few drinks your mental capabilities remain the same, it's your motor skills that begin to degrade. You still have the ability to judge whether or not a situation warrants deadly force, and hopefully you'll have witnesses to back that up.

Ever heard of the saying that alcohol doesn't make you do/say stupid things, it only gives you the courage to do/say the stupid things you didn't have the courage to do/say while sober? It doesn't change your mindset or basic principles.

Like I said before, the presence of alcohol does not turn a "good-shoot" situation into a "no-shoot" situation. If you have the ability to "properly" analyze the situation while sober, you should also have the ability to do so while under the influence (once again I have no idea about doing so when you're wasted drunk). And at that point it all boils down to the fact that I'd rather take the scrutiny than be dead. IMHO, if you're not going to carry your firearm for protection its pointless to even leave the house (unless legally prohibited from carrying).

 

[rambone]

I wouldn't change the law even though drinking and carrying a gun is stupid. Why?

Because...

We should only outlaw the violation of rights never what might cause the violation of rights. If we outlawed everything that may tempt someone to violate the rights of others, we'd outlaw everything but laying comatose on the floor.

Where as I don't think drinking alcohol with a gun should be illegal, I do think ANYONE who gets drunk while carrying or not carrying a gun is a fool of the biggest sort.

Never give up self-control. Never impair your judgment. Never slow your reaction time. Never kill your brian cells. Never destroy your liver. Never indulge in addictive substances that will control you. Never drink something that makes you sexually impotent for a few hours. Never remove your ability to react to threats against yourself and others. Just because you should be free to do something doesn't make it wise.

No more laws, no more gun controls. +1 Rizzo.