Do you REALLY carry your gun at all times in your own home?

[Jimbo]

 If I'm CCW-ing that day, the pistol stays on me 'till nite-nite. If I'm off from work & hanging around the house, I usually strap on my Browning Camper, stuff two spare mags in my DCU or Brit DPM shirt and tote that all day... I might start toting the cap-n-ball .36 on occasion once I get a holster for it.

[Beetle]

I never carry in my house. I wear Carhart's with suspenders and no belt. Haven't figured out where to put a holster.

[Louisiana Suvivor]

shoulder holster?

[Hippy223]

I carry pretty much every were when i get dressed in the morning i put on my guns. They don't come off till i go to bed.

[Beetle]

shoulder holster?

   They are so uncomfortable, that piece of metal is on my hip so often I get sick of it. It would be like a framer wearing his tool belt at home. I got a good dog and a long driveway plenty of time to get something if I had to.

[texasmufflerman]

 I wish they would start a cash for clunkers program for guns so I could trade my old guns in on some new sleeker models. That would be way cool!!!! And yes I am serious.

Dallas and Fort Worth are sorta doing that on August 15, 2009.  Trade in your gun for a $50 grocery card at Kroger.  Since gun buybacks don't work (they don't achieve their primary goal of  making the streets safer) what you end up with is people bringing in junk guns that aren't even worth $50.  Good opportunity to get $50 for that worn out inaccurate Jennings pistol.  Hey, $50 in free groceries frees up $50 of your grocery money to be reallocated to buy a new pistol.

Way off topic, I know, but I just had to mention that.  Maybe I should start a thread on the gun buyback program.  Wondering which category it should be in.


Edit:

Here you go -- http://thesurvivalpodcast.com/forum/index.php?topic=7661.0

[The Professor]

Y'know. . .it sorta makes me want to run an ad in the local  newspaper telling people I will take their old, dangerous guns, broken guns, etc.  Run it between these offers for $50 gift certificates.

Then, turn the junkers in for the cards.

Oh well.  No cash for guns programs up here in Colorado.

Yet.

The Professor

[Chris_Carroll]

I never carry in my house. I wear Carhart's with suspenders and no belt. Haven't figured out where to put a holster.

J-frame .38 in a pocket holster?

[M1Andy]

I carry almost all the time as soon as I get off of work and come home.  My job doesn't allow carrying
at work (company car) and I cannot put my job at risk.  I drive the personal car in the evening and the weekends.
Crossbreed holster makes my 1911 very comfortable.

[Beetle]

  I think I'll just make the wife pack at home. She's a better shot anyways.

[vicious]

  I think I'll just make the wife pack at home. She's a better shot anyways.

While it may be true, I will never admit to it. FYI...It may not be true either!

[Beetle]

  She is wicked with her .357. I think women have better breathing control.

[fratermus]

2. I've never owned a gun - never felt the need to, even after being burgled while we were at home asleep.
...
Doesn't it make you feel besieged at all times, even in the supposed sanctuary of your own house?

Not offended by the question.

I carry in my home generally but not always.  If I am doing something which makes the weapon impractical or uncomfortable I disarm.  Like if I am wearing a sweater and it is no longer practical I take it off.

My licensed sidearm is part of my daily wear.  The question to me is similar to "do you wear sensible shoes every day?  Do you really think you will be suddenly called upon to walk long distances?"  Maybe.  So I wear them.  It's part of my normal kit.

I quoted the above bits because one's sanctuary can suddenly be breached, as your example shows.

[Goatdog62]

I'm one of the guys that has a loaded gun in almost every room. I know Jack said on his 3 August podcast that this method leaves me vulnerable to someone kicking in my door and shooting me in 1.5 seconds. I'm not here to disagree with him, just want to make it clear that all homes and home defense plans are not created equally.

I am not against someone carrying while at home, America still allows us to make that decision for ourselves, I just cannot find fault with someone who doesn't. NONE of my doors or windows can be breached in 1.5 seconds without explosives, thermal, ballistics, or a complex mechanical device. If they come at me with those, then they likely have a whole lot more capability and even a Desert Eagle .50 held at the low-ready probably wouldn't be enough to successfully defend myself.

Most doors are much tougher than Hollywood shows them to be. I've participated in scores of forced entry breaches through military counterterrorism ops and SWAT work. It just isn't that easy to gain entry on a properly installed and locked door. I remember us beating on an old shotgun crackhouse in the projects for three minutes with one and two man rams, halligans, and a sledge with no success. Finally we attached a grappling hook to the barred window and tied it to the Peacekeeper and had the driver jerk the bars off the frame.

My home is also my fortress. I have cameras, outdoor dogs, motion sensors, clear fields of fire, etc. If you do manage to reach my door unseen, I've spent the extra money getting my doors reinforced and making sure my locks were the very best for my needs. I'm trained in locksmithing and study every door I see. Many, locks/dead bolts/latches/strike plates are improperly installed. Even when done by a qualified locksmith. For instance, over half the catches I see on exterior home doors are placed so the entire auxiliary deadlatch is inside the strike plate recess, instead of being pushed inside the lock by the edge of the strikeplate and therefore activating the deadlocking feature that almost every front door has.

There is no national standard for locksmithing. in many states you can open a locksmithing business with no special licensing requirements or certifications. It is eye opening to see what some of these bozos actually don't know.

If your house doesn't have strong physical barriers and/or you habitually don't lock your doors/windows, then you should consider carrying. If you just feel better being armed 24/7, then do so. I think it's great. I don't and do not feel our family safety is compromised.

I asked 6 guys I work with today if they carry while at home inside their respective homes. Two are retired CAG (Delta Force), one retired SEAL, two former Rangers, and a former Force Recon Marine. None carry while at home and these guys are veterans of operations you read about. Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipients. I trust their judgment.

If I'm running in and out of the house doing stuff and running errands, I stay armed. If I'm home, and I've changed to a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, I'm not packing. I cannot possibly feel as physically comfortable with a gun attached to me somewhere as I do when I don't have one. Maybe it just gets old having one strapped to me all the time after all these years (29) that I've been carrying. I know where every gun is and I know how to use it. Everyone 14 and older in my home knows how to use them too.

Anyway, YMMV. If you have doubts, then you should carry 24/7. No one is wrong here, just have different opinions.

Goatdog

[bungo]

I asked 6 guys I work with today if they carry while at home inside their respective homes. Two are retired CAG (Delta Force), one retired SEAL, two former Rangers, and a former Force Recon Marine. None carry while at home and these guys are veterans of operations you read about. Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipients. I trust their judgment.

That's really interesting Goatdog. When I started reading this paragraph, I was assuming they all carried at home. Really interesting that none of these guys see the need in their own home.

I'm not trying to prove my point by highlighting this, it's just fascinating to read all the different perspectives here.

[Goatdog62]

I asked two former Marine Scout/Snipers the same question today. Got the same answer.

I'm going to ask some of the guys at another location tomorrow. I would like to hear a different opinion and hear why. I do know that when I was a cop I knew one guy who even slept armed, but he was weirder than most.

[Pawdog]

Just because I’m paranoid doesn’t mean there not out to get me!

[Possenti2264]

+1 Carry in the home.

I put my Crossbreed Supertuck and XD.45C on when I get dressed in the morning, and take it off when I put on my PJs.  I find it even comfortable enough to wear while taking a nap (as long as I'm not laying on the gun).  I even open carry when working in the garden in the backyard or mowing the lawn in the front.  If I'm awake, I'm wearing the gun. 

You never know when some jerk is wandering down your street and decides to venture into your home.   (It has happened to friends of mine, and none of them were carrying at the time.  They had to physically beat the intruder with fists before they would leave.  (Luckily the guy wasn't armed). 

I just figure it would be more convenient to end the encounter right away, instead of having to make a break for my gun.   


~Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into.  -Matthew 24:43

[VTaero]

I agree with many of the above. Once you've carried for a while, especially with the right gun and holster, you barely know its there.  I actually find that my wallet makes me more uncomfortable when I get home and goes on the coffee table before the gun makes me uncomfortable.

I carry a PPK in a smart carry holster.  Recommend both highly.

[Tiberias]

24/7 carry.  It's like my wallet, keys and gerber multi tool.

Once it is habit, it is habit and you don't think about it.

[Sgt_Dan]

Bungo, GREAT question and one I find myself asking as a CWP holder myself.  I personally don't carry in my home 100% of the time.  Usually I have my firearm within arms distance though.  Whether that means it's sitting near the couch while I'm watching TV or in the bathroom while I get ready for bed at night or work in the morning.  Now my brother he keeps his on his person at ALL times.  He has a 3 year old daughter and by keeping it on his body he ensures that his daughter has no access to it, even if she could somehow manage to open a lock.  That also ensures if someone does come in to hurt his family he doesn't have to race to the safe, unlock it, load and hope he was quick enough to prevent tragedy.  If someone comes in, it's ready to go on his waist, no questions asked.

I have another buddy who owns his own house, but rents out 2 rooms.  He's had several people come through and tries to keep the fact that he owns a firearms on the downlow.  It's really nobody's business.  To prevent leaving it laying around where someone could walk away with it, he keeps it on his person as well.

So even among the CWP (or CCW as it's sometimes called) community there's no real consensus.  I've even heard of people who have a CWP AND a firearm, but never carry it.  I don't understand that.  In FL it's about $117 (or more if you need the required safety courses, military is exempt from that requirement) and about 3 months minimum (right now at least) waiting period to get your CWP.  To go through all that and then not put it to use (i.e. carry, not actually intend to use your firearm unless ABSOLUTELY necessary) doesn't make sense to me.

On another note, I truly feel bad that there are MANY places on earth where the right to life and self-protection aren't respected.  But like the saying goes, "With great power comes great responsibility."  Fortunately, despite the best efforts of many anti-gun folks here (even within the government) our forefathers and founding documents and by extension our current government (to an extent) respect and place high value on our inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness (including the right to protect and secure that from those who would seek to destroy it).  Cheers.

BTW, wish I could have seen more of AUS, but Darwin was fun.  Love the Bundaberg Rum.  Wish we had it here....

[Hoxbar]

I think carrying at my home is not really needed.  I live in a very rural area. My dogs let me know if anyone is comming down my one mile driveway.  So, I don't carry at home.  That does not mean I don't have access to a gun in a matter of seconds.  I also have small children and feel it is very unresponsible for me to leave a loaded gun lying around.  I do have a shotgun with shells in the tube but not chambered.  So if/when someone unknown comes to my house I'm ready should they endange myself or family.

[Goatdog62]

The point of all these postings is clear to me. Our homes all have different levels of physical security, we have different aged children if any, and we all have different comfort levels with firearms. I would never call someone wrong who chose to carry or not to carry in their home. I consider my home to be very secure, my wife/children trained adequately, and my experience with firearms to be well above the norm. The choice I made to not carry every minute while in my castle is my decision, no one can fault that. It is my ongoing right to do so that worries me more.

[Serellan]

The point of all these postings is clear to me. Our homes all have different levels of physical security, we have different aged children if any, and we all have different comfort levels with firearms. I would never call someone wrong who chose to carry or not to carry in their home. I consider my home to be very secure, my wife/children trained adequately, and my experience with firearms to be well above the norm. The choice I made to not carry every minute while in my castle is my decision, no one can fault that. It is my ongoing right to do so that worries me more.

Well said.

Again, the reason I carry in my home is not to carry in my home, it's just because I always carry (except in illegal places of course), it's just part of my routine, and if I don't stick to my routine I forget things.  Same reason I always hang my keys by my door when I walk in every night.  Also, carrying a P32 is a lot different than carrying a P14-45.

[Goatdog62]

Yep, I've seen cops show up in roll call with empty holsters. I am a creature of habit and developed a routine of practicing my draw 10 times before leaving for work. Hard to do without a gun.

I had routines for firing up my cruiser and all the electronics, rear seat check, shotgun release, etc.

When I was a soldier I basically did a preflight on my combat weaponry and equipment. The pre-jump equipment checks from being a paratrooper transferred over to everything I do.

I still have a number of routines I follow, s.o I can appreciate your position Serellan

[Hoxbar]

The point of all these postings is clear to me. Our homes all have different levels of physical security, we have different aged children if any, and we all have different comfort levels with firearms. I would never call someone wrong who chose to carry or not to carry in their home. I consider my home to be very secure, my wife/children trained adequately, and my experience with firearms to be well above the norm. The choice I made to not carry every minute while in my castle is my decision, no one can fault that. It is my ongoing right to do so that worries me more.

I could not agree more.

[ModernSurvival]

Here is the thing about knife vs gun.  Yes many times at close range the knife "wins" if win means draw first blood.  That said if you slice me and I put 3 .45 cal slugs into your chest.  I am off to the ER for stitches and you get to go to that bottom floor of the hospital where it is very cold.  I think this gets left out a lot, cutting a person with a knife is easy, cutting a guy with a gun as to take him out before he creates new body cavities isn't anywhere near as easy as we are led to believe.  

[VTaero]

I think this gets left out a lot, cutting a person with a knife is easy, cutting a guy with a gun as to take him out before he creates new body cavities isn't anywhere near as easy as we are led to believe.  

Come again? (No disagreement or agreement just dont understand your wording).

Are you saying its hard to kill somebody using a knife before they can kill you with a gun?

[PistolWhipped]

Something to that effect.  Sure you might tag them with the knife first, but unless you hit a vital, they are still able to shoot back. 

As far as carrying, I live in the ABSOLUTE middle of nowhere.  And rattlers like the area around my home.  I carry SOMETHING every time I step out the door.  When I'm in the home, I might have something on me half the time, being generous.  But like others, I am never more than a few steps from a gun.  Usually in 12 gauge.

[Goatdog62]

Here is the thing about knife vs gun.  Yes many times at close range the knife "wins" if win means draw first blood.  That said if you slice me and I put 3 .45 cal slugs into your chest.  I am off to the ER for stitches and you get to go to that bottom floor of the hospital where it is very cold.  I think this gets left out a lot, cutting a person with a knife is easy, cutting a guy with a gun as to take him out before he creates new body cavities isn't anywhere near as easy as we are led to believe.  

Complete agreement. I habitually carry a knife 24/7, but it's my gun that comes out regardless of what the bad guy has or my proximity to him. Knife wounds are nasty. But I can more quickly create multiple nasty bullet holes in a BG's torso than he can cut holes into mine.

Never worked a knife v. gun fight where the knife guy won.