Concealed Carry

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I have always mulled over the idea of when/when not to carry a concealed weapon. My personal take on it is quite simple and wanted to hear from others whom carry a concealed weapon. I think that the only decision to make is the most basic, carry or not. If you choose to carry a weapon, then carry it at all times. If you choose not, then never do. At times, though, the former decision to carry and thus by my logic, to always carry, can at times just be a hassle. I have a family of four with two young preschool children and my decision to carry is largely based on protecting myself and them...I live in the suburbs of Boston. So, should I carry when I go to church on Sunday...no, there are always exceptions to the rules, heh. But, I do when we go out to eat, to the movies, or shopping. The hassle comes into play, for example, during the week when I am working. I cannot bring a firearm into my office building so I leave it in the car, in a lock box in the trunk - with a trigger lock on it. Is that even legal?

Instead of rambling on - when, where, how often do you carry a firearm?
 
I have always mulled over the idea of when/when not to carry a concealed weapon. My personal take on it is quite simple and wanted to hear from others whom carry a concealed weapon. I think that the only decision to make is the most basic, carry or not. If you choose to carry a weapon, then carry it at all times.
Let me modify this by adding "when legal to do so".
So, should I carry when I go to church on Sunday...
See above. "If you choose to carry a weapon, then carry it at all times." Woman made the news last year because she DID carry in church. How are you going to defend your little children with a prayer book? Forgive me for a bad pun, but without that sidearm, you don't have a prayer. Carry in church.

The hassle comes into play, for example, during the week when I am working. I cannot bring a firearm into my office building so I leave it in the car, in a lock box in the trunk - with a trigger lock on it. Is that even legal?
As long as it's unloaded, you can keep it in a lock box in your car and you can even skip the trigger lock.
 
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The only weapon I carry is my brain, everything else is a tool. Every tool has its' uses.

Attempt at wittiness...failed. Attempt at answering the questions to contribute to the thread...failed. But thanks for the quick reply.
 
I carry whenever I'm not legally prohibited from doing so, with a handful of exceptions here and there. (mainly when drinking) I work at a "school" so the MA 26910J crap kinda kicks me in the groin there, but it is what it is.

I disagree on "all or nothing" though. Having a gun within reach 45% of the time is still better than 0%.

-Mike
 
For the most part if I am not drinking I carry every where I can legally.

Same here. Storing it in a lock box or just locked in the trunk is legal but I believe it has to be unloaded and the ammo stored separatly. Hopefully Cross-X or someone with more knowledge of the MGL will weigh in on this. Also a search in the legal section may have the answer.
 
I disagree on "all or nothing" though. Having a gun within reach 45% of the time is still better than 0%.

-Mike[/QUOTE]

I guess what I'm thinking there is the comfort level of carrying a firearm. In speaking with people that carry on occasion, it is more of a 'power trip' to them and makes them feel good and (falsely secure). This kind of casual carrier is a bad apple in my book. So maybe the all or nothing I'm implying is either carry a firearm for the purposes of a way of life, rather than a thrill hobby.
 
I carry whenever legal to.

So all of you that answered to the same effect, I'm sure many times when you leave the house you will be going to both places you can legally carry, but also to a stop you cannot..ie work, gov't buildings, schools, etc.

So do you leave your firearm in the car because you sure as hell have it with you. Or do you not leave the house with it on those mixed destination days. Again, during the work week..
 
I carry whenever it is legal to do so. IF for some reason or another I have to go into a Post Office or the like, I lock my gun in a container in my trunk with no ammo. I did buy a pretty nice lock box to mount in the trunk, but some might see that as overkill.

If I could guess when I needed to have a gun with me, I just wouldn't go to that place. So I carry as much as I can.

As for all the kneeling, sitting and standinig, sounds like Mass to me. Try a J frame in your pocket, no one will notice.

If you need a referral to a good firearms instructor, who is on this board and is also a Minister, drop me a note. I bet he carries when he's giving a service, why can't you carry when you go to one?

EDITI just read your question about not carrying days you know you have to go to somplace not legal to carry.

I go to my Doctors in Rhode Island every now and then, and I leave my gun home. It's not legal to keep it locked in my trunk. I feel naked until I get home and can legally carry again
 
I bet he carries when he's giving a service, why can't you carry when you go to one?

I guess I have just unconsciously had the notion of prayer and firearms not mixing. As for the responses I've gotten on this so far, they have made me think about it as some good points have been made or at least they have been realized by me...an incident could occur anywhere, anytime.
 
I guess I have just unconsciously had the notion of prayer and firearms not mixing. As for the responses I've gotten on this so far, they have made me think about it as some good points have been made or at least they have been realized by me...an incident could occur anywhere, anytime.

Bingo!!

The Arabs thought that prayer and firearms didn't mix when they launched the Yom Kippur War against Israel. The soon learned the error of their ways.

Numerous churches/congregations have been attacked in the US . . . almost all totally disarmed and at the mercy of merciless killers! Prayer is great, but "G_d helps those who help themselves!" also is true.
 
Carrying isnt so much the ability to thwart known dangers, like walking in a bad neighborhood at night, but instead to increase your chances of survival for unknown dangers, the things that occur that you never see coming.

Places that you should consider carrying are the places that you might not have thought about, such as church, dropping the kids off, at the mall, in the home (for the double safety of having it on you and away from prying hands -but because you may open the door to a stranger), and so on.

The only person who is qualified and can really tell you where and where not to carry is yourself, you have to follow the law of course but in doing so recognize just which grey areas you can exploit as its your safety in the end.
 
The only time I leave it at home is when Im heading out to drink, other than that if I cant take it with me (post office, court) it stays in the truck.

Not to thread jack, but along the same lines - is there any possible legal recourse on behlaf of an establishment which has a posted "no firearms" policy, in which youre caught carrying (not that anyone ever knows [laugh])? Obviously, aside the normal places we cant, mentioned above.
 
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The only time I leave it at home is when Im heading out to drink, other than that if I cant take it with me (post office, court) it stays in the truck.

Not to thread jack, but along the same lines - is there any possible legal recourse on behlaf of an establishment which has a posted "no firearms" policy, in which youre caught carrying (not that anyone ever knows [laugh])? Obviously, aside the normal places we cant, mentioned above.

They can ask you to leave and you could be charged with trespassing if you don't.

Other than that there is no legal signage in MA to limit carry in public places.
 
I carry whenever it is legal to do so. IF for some reason or another I have to go into a Post Office or the like, I lock my gun in a container in my trunk with no ammo. I did buy a pretty nice lock box to mount in the trunk, but some might see that as overkill.

Overkill? I don't think so.

I think someone like you is going to have that LTC for a long, long time.
 
I guess what I'm thinking there is the comfort level of carrying a firearm. In speaking with people that carry on occasion, it is more of a 'power trip' to them and makes them feel good and (falsely secure). This kind of casual carrier is a bad apple in my book. So maybe the all or nothing I'm implying is either carry a firearm for the purposes of a way of life, rather than a thrill hobby.

I've never ran into anyone that thought it was a "thrill hobby". Those who do things like "I only carry a gun when I go into the city" might be deluding themselves, but frankly it's their problem. We all make our choices based on
different metrics. Even then I have more respect for that person, then the person that says "Why do you carry a gun? I know that realistically, nothing bad will probably ever happen..... " At least the person who carries the gun once in awhile might be at least cognizant that real danger exists, instead of being completely
ignorant.

-Mike
 
Attempt at wittiness...failed. Attempt at answering the questions to contribute to the thread...failed. But thanks for the quick reply.


No, this is a plain fact. If a sidearm, rifle, or carbine is your only means of defending yourself then you have failed. Homo-sapiens evolved from homo-habilis; during this process the ability to use tools carried over.

You are welcome for the quick reply.
 
I disagree on "all or nothing" though. Having a gun within reach 45% of the time is still better than 0%.

-Mike

I guess what I'm thinking there is the comfort level of carrying a firearm. In speaking with people that carry on occasion, it is more of a 'power trip' to them and makes them feel good and (falsely secure). This kind of casual carrier is a bad apple in my book. So maybe the all or nothing I'm implying is either carry a firearm for the purposes of a way of life, rather than a thrill hobby.

I guess it's all about personal choice. I choose to carry everywhere that I can legally, not as a power trip or ego boost, but becasue I have seen how fast things can go very, very bad. Therefore, I choose to carry not because of the known "problems" out there and the ones we think we can avoid, but because of the unexpected, the surprises that by having a carry firearm I have a better chance of surviving than if I did not. Again, choices. If we go out for dinner / drinks then as a couple we always elect a designated driver ( we basically take it in turns). The one who drives also carries...

There is nothing wrong, in my mind, with folks who choose to carry occasionally or situational, but to do so to boost your ego sounds a tad worrisome to me. Everyone who chooses to carry has to have an understanding of that that means. It means you understand what the responsibility is and what the ramifications of having to pull and use that firearm in defence of your life or a loved one. Don't carry if you have not had that conversation with yourself.

As for church, every time.

Smiles1014 - if you have not read this, I recommend you do.

On Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs - Dave Grossman
By LTC (RET) Dave Grossman, author of "On Killing."

http://mwkworks.com/onsheepwolvesandsheepdogs.html
 
I carry all the time I can legally. When I'm forced to travel to some state where I can't carry, I don't. When I have to visit locations (e.g., colleges, federal buildings, etc.) where it's illegal, I have a lock box in my car in which to store it until I return. As depicts posted, whenever I have to go some place where I think I'll need to be carrying, I rethink my plans and arrange to go some other place.

Ken
 
No, this is a plain fact. If a sidearm, rifle, or carbine is your only means of defending yourself then you have failed. Homo-sapiens evolved from homo-habilis; during this process the ability to use tools carried over.

You are welcome for the quick reply.

I've seen this approach before (i.e. in my defensive pistol class, we don't use the word "weapon") and I don't buy it. A gun is a weapon. Sure, you can call it a tool, but when used for the purpose of defending one's life or Liberty, it's a very specific kind of tool, and that kind of tool is a weapon.
Just because Homo Sapiens evolved into a being sophisticated enough to learn to use tools (some of which are weapons) doesn't mean that a gun isn't a weapon.
Here's the definition of weapon according to Merriam-Webster

1 : something (as a club, knife, or gun) used to injure, defeat, or destroy
 
........So, should I carry when I go to church on Sunday...no, there are always exceptions to the rules, heh. But, I do when we go out to eat, to the movies, or shopping. The hassle comes into play, for example, during the week when I am working. I cannot bring a firearm into my office building so I leave it in the car, in a lock box in the trunk - with a trigger lock on it. Is that even legal?..........

Why does kneeling, sitting, or standing affect whether you carry (in church) ? None of those positions should pose a problem or be uncomfortable with a decent holster.

As far as locking the gun in a box, I can understand doing it occasionally, like when going to the post office. But I wouldn't do it everyday at work (assuming your company even allows guns on site) because if your car is stolen and you lose the gun there's a significant chance your local chief might revoke your permit.

ETA: If indeed you're locking the gun in a real "trunk" (i.e. a sealed car trunk, not the rear of an SUV etc) then you don't even need the lock box. And if the gun is locked in a trunk or a box you don't need the additional trigger lock.
You should learn the law..... here:

http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/140-131c.htm


.
 
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I've seen this approach before (i.e. in my defensive pistol class, we don't use the word "weapon") and I don't buy it. A gun is a weapon. Sure, you can call it a tool, but when used for the purpose of defending one's life or Liberty, it's a very specific kind of tool, and that kind of tool is a weapon.
Just because Homo Sapiens evolved into a being sophisticated enough to learn to use tools (some of which are weapons) doesn't mean that a gun isn't a weapon.
Here's the definition of weapon according to Merriam-Webster

1 : something (as a club, knife, or gun) used to injure, defeat, or destroy

weapon, n. 1 any instrument or device for use in attack or defense in combat, fighting, or war, as a sword, rifle, or cannon. 2 anything used against an opponent, adversary, or victim: the deadly weapon of satire.

firearm, n. a small arms weapon, as a rifle or pistol, from which a projectile is fired by gunpowder.

Random House Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary, Second Edition, 1998

I can look up words too. Maybe it's time to look beyond your “defensive pistol class” and see that there is a world beyond what teachers can and will show you. This is an irony that you won’t get, I doubt you know how I live.

Are you a shaman? Have you named your guns? How about your car?

Anthropomorphize much?

A firearm is nothing but a tool built to do one thing; discharge a piece of lead when a trigger is pulled. I know a woman that can outshoot most people I have met. What does she use her Aushutz rifle for? What else can she use it for?

What is a hammer? A formed piece of steel with a steel handle, most people use it to push nails in to wood to build shelter. What else can they use it for?

In my vehicle I have a small hatchet. What do I use it for? Cutting wood, if I flip it over I can use it as a hammer. What else can I use it for?

Do you own a car? No; a bicycle? Feet; ever worn boots? You say you are an Army Veteran, so you must have at one time. What can you use your feet for? What else can you use a shod foot for?

How do I use this? What else can I use this for? That is what makes us all sapient. You may look as a firearm as a means to “injure, defeat, or destroy”, I look at it as a tool. Nothing more than what it is told to do. We as sentient beings tell it what to do. Sit here and do nothing, come apart and be cleaned, stay in this holster and pull my belt down and make me walk different. Stay in this holster, wait for this buzzer to sound and help me beat my last score. Stay here and wait patiently until my elderly mother needs you to protect her when someone breaks into her house at night.

Are these not what we ask of inanimate objects?

Or do you give them a life, a mind, a means of self awareness to their own?

No matter what they are. They will always be tools, not because we made them, but because they have no means to declare itself as more than just a tool.




Do you?
 
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