Carried for the first time today

[timbernet]

I remember the first time I carried... I felt like everyone was looking at me... I carry the Ruger LCP and it is in my back pocket in a pocket holster.

A week went by of carrying everywhere and then I started carrying with a round in the chamber. Let me tell ya - that was tough to do... The Ruger has no safeties other than a long trigger pull (my Springfield XD has the grip safety, etc) --- so it was a bit scary at first but now it is second nature. I wear that gun everywhere... even for my 30 minute commute into work (where I have to take it out). First thing I do once I enter my vehicle is unlock the gun case and stick it in my pocket.

 

[stitchclimber]

That story reminds me of my first couple times open carrying... I was nervous as sh*t. I couldn't wait to get out of that store, I felt as though everyone was watching me. However now I realize that very few people even notice an exposed weapon.

 

[swoop]

I think we have all been there at one time. Think of it this way, to carry a auto with one in the tube, is the same as to carry a loaded DA revolver. Congrats on your first carry day.

 

[DALE]

Thanks for your post...I am still at least 6 weeks away from receiving my license and already apprehensive about what the experience will be like packing all that "Responsibility" IWB. Sounds like the folks that have been carrying awhile say it does get easier, that's encouraging. Anyway, glad you're out there as one of the GOOD guys protecting yourself and family!

The MTAC is also the holster that looks to me to be the most concealable. I have never noticed clips or straps on anyones' belt before, but did not know what to look for. I would want the ability to tuck the shirt in and have the clips as invisible as possible. May order it with velcro clips so nothing hangs over the belt.

 

[JC9995]

Thanks for your post...I am still at least 6 weeks away from receiving my license and already apprehensive about what the experience will be like packing all that "Responsibility" IWB. Sounds like the folks that have been carrying awhile say it does get easier, that's encouraging. Anyway, glad you're out there as one of the GOOD guys protecting yourself and family!

The MTAC is also the holster that looks to me to be the most concealable. I have never noticed clips or straps on anyones' belt before, but did not know what to look for. I would want the ability to tuck the shirt in and have the clips as invisible as possible. May order it with velcro clips so nothing hangs over the belt.

Your right. I was talking to my wife on the way home and she said even if she had noticed something under my shirt, she would have figured it was a cell phone, leather man, knife.... whatever.
Made me re-think it a bit. People arent like us. They, for the most part, are completely clueless to CCW. I bet my wife isnt in the minority as far as wondering what was under the shirt.

 

[Frog]

Just 'me' talking outloud, but I'm thinking that one needs to be of a 'mind set' to use your firearm if necessary, BEFORE you would be comfortable carrying one!!

Maybe I'm crass, but damn, if you are uptight and concerned about what your wife is think'n just pack'n, how do you feel about drawing the weapon in the event that you need to use it??

And if you wouldn't use it, what's the sense of pack'n it?

Frog.

 

[ZombieAssassin]

Just 'me' talking outloud, but I'm thinking that one needs to be of a 'mind set' to use your firearm if necessary, BEFORE you would be comfortable carrying one!!

Maybe I'm crass, but damn, if you are uptight and concerned about what your wife is think'n just pack'n, how do you feel about drawing the weapon in the event that you need to use it??

And if you wouldn't use it, what's the sense of pack'n it?

Frog.

100% agreed. I tell everyone "get your head straight first, otherwise you are likely going to be part of the problem if a situation ever arises when you NEED to draw on someone". You may draw unnecessarily on someone. You may not use a commanding tone to defuse a situation. You may hesitate and end up doing something stupid/deadly.

My suggestion to people is to go take some martial arts, get that adrenaline rush of someone grabbing you and you needing to take action to defend yourself, etc. That should help you get over that adrenaline rush, develop some ice in your veins, and keep a level head. Some people are naturally more inclined to build confidence with protecting yourself/harming someone else, others are more timid, so the time it takes to reach a good confidence level will vary.

The bottom line is that all of this concern with printing, does anyone know I'm carrying, etc. demonstrates a focus on the wrong things. You are carrying a firearm, which can be a deadly weapon in your hands. This requires you to use calculated thoughts and actions; some of us take to it more naturally than others. In my view it's a sign of maturity WITH THE ACT OF CARRYING A FIREARM (not in general) when your thoughts and behavior matches the responsibility. Too many people, even those supposedly trained and blessed by The State and The Country to kill and be absolved of their actions, are severely lacking what I just described.

 

[eriknemily]

Eriknemily
Check this out.... words to live by.
http://forum.pafoa.org/concealed-open-carry-121/35965-massad-ayoobs-ten-commandments-cc.html

Thanks JC9995. That'll be my first read when I get home from work tomorrow.

Go for the mtac. It's incredibly comfortable and concealable. When I first got my CHL a few months ago my friend was always trying to tell if I was carrying and had to really look for it at first. And that's with a full size pistol not a compact.

 

[eriknemily]

As far as carrying with a round in the chamber that's the only way I've carried. I figured if I'm in a situation that requires me to draw then I need to be able to pull the trigger immediately if necessary. If I had time to rack it and get a round in the pipe I'm either lucky or probably could have gotten the heck out of dodge. Of course it's only been in the last week and a half that I've started carrying with my safety off. I don't want to have to remember a series of steps in a shtf situation. Draw and fire (or not depending on what happens in that split second) is all I want to have to remember. Anyway, that my inexperienced and uneducated

 

[Monkeyman]

How much training have you had?

I understand your excitement, but:

Get over the urge to let your friends and family know you have it with you. Even your wife. Not a good idea, in my book. It is your weapon and it is either concealed in every way or it is not. My galpal and I have a "don't ask, don't tell" policy that works well to keep us both calm.

Rubbing it against your wife, bringing attention to the fact with anyone for that matter, in a public place shows a mindset that is unsafe in the long run.

Sorry if that's harsh, but my .02 is get serious and be safe. Not a game.

 

[ORBrit]

I used to let my wife know when I was carrying - she assumes it now and acts accordingly - e.g. waits for me to pull out her chair in a restaurant - so I can take the seat I want with the view of the door or with fewest people to my back. Other people just see it as a courteous gesture!

 

[SheepDog223]

I don't think the OP has done anything wrong (ie how he let his wife know that he had it on) and he seems like a thoughtfull person which is key.

I remember the first time I went out armed. I couldn't get over the fact of how easy it was. I just got my ccl and was legal, but I could have carried the day prior just as easy and would not have been legal. Quite a thought for me... Just because of a piece of paper in my pocket I can carry a pistol. Hmm.

To the OP of this thread. Welcome to the world of CC. Nobody else will understand.

 

[wakeadrian]

How much training have you had?

I understand your excitement, but:

Get over the urge to let your friends and family know you have it with you. Even your wife. Not a good idea, in my book. It is your weapon and it is either concealed in every way or it is not. My galpal and I have a "don't ask, don't tell" policy that works well to keep us both calm.

Rubbing it against your wife, bringing attention to the fact with anyone for that matter, in a public place shows a mindset that is unsafe in the long run.

Sorry if that's harsh, but my .02 is get serious and be safe. Not a game.

I very much disagree. If I am out with my husband, I need to know if he is carrying or not to act accordingly for the situation. Maybe it's because I'm a gun person myself (Waiting for the chl) with some training, but either way I think the wife should always know the situation. If something happens and he has to draw his weapon and (probably) fire it, the last thing you want is her freaking out that her husband just pulled out his weapon and she had no knowledge of it.
Also, I'd run through some "what-ifs" with her to make sure she knows what she needs to do if something ever happens. Everything changes when you are carrying.

I know it seems silly, but just things like moving under cover and the basic knowledge of firearms and how they work will benefit her.
If some big shootout were to happen while you're walking down the street, she should know how and where to take cover according to the situation and then how to move farther from danger (if her first cover point is not sufficient) while you lay down some cover fire. I'd always plan for the worst, just in case.
I'd also suggest she takes the CHL class, just so she knows how much of a lifestyle change it is. The instructors that I had were very thorough on making that a clear point, and it will be a big change for her as well.

 

[ORBrit]

I very much disagree. If I am out with my husband, I need to know if he is carrying or not to act accordingly for the situation. Maybe it's because I'm a gun person myself (Waiting for the chl) with some training, but either way I think the wife should always know the situation. If something happens and he has to draw his weapon and (probably) fire it, the last thing you want is her freaking out that her husband just pulled out his weapon and she had no knowledge of it.
Also, I'd run through some "what-ifs" with her to make sure she knows what she needs to do if something ever happens. Everything changes when you are carrying.

I know it seems silly, but just things like moving under cover and the basic knowledge of firearms and how they work will benefit her.
If some big shootout were to happen while you're walking down the street, she should know how and where to take cover according to the situation and then how to move farther from danger (if her first cover point is not sufficient) while you lay down some cover fire. I'd always plan for the worst, just in case.
I'd also suggest she takes the CHL class, just so she knows how much of a lifestyle change it is. The instructors that I had were very thorough on making that a clear point, and it will be a big change for her as well.

Very well said!

 

[WhyteCheddar]

Probably took me a couple of weeks of intermittent carry till I was comfortable. But really, the first few times were just as the OP described...
'everyone was looking at me'. LOL
Brings back some funny memories.

 

[kentsboots]

Since were on the subject , I was just reading thru this

http://www.handgunlaw.us/states/oregon.pdf

I usually carry everywhere except when i take my son to school, cause i wasnt sure...

Looks confusing to me when i read all that , when it mentions any public building in line 1 . what does that mean ? any public building ? Does this refer to the Public Library? places like that , then what about the grocery store, looks pretty public to me...

Is it legal to carry if I wanted when i take my son to school ?

I guess i would be more confidant if it were just yes or no answers, like the state parks and national forests...

can anyone clarify for me? thanks

 

[Monkeyman]

I very much disagree. If I am out with my husband, I need to know if he is carrying or not to act accordingly for the situation. Maybe it's because I'm a gun person myself (Waiting for the chl) with some training, but either way I think the wife should always know the situation. If something happens and he has to draw his weapon and (probably) fire it, the last thing you want is her freaking out that her husband just pulled out his weapon and she had no knowledge of it.
Also, I'd run through some "what-ifs" with her to make sure she knows what she needs to do if something ever happens. Everything changes when you are carrying.

I know it seems silly, but just things like moving under cover and the basic knowledge of firearms and how they work will benefit her.
If some big shootout were to happen while you're walking down the street, she should know how and where to take cover according to the situation and then how to move farther from danger (if her first cover point is not sufficient) while you lay down some cover fire. I'd always plan for the worst, just in case.
I'd also suggest she takes the CHL class, just so she knows how much of a lifestyle change it is. The instructors that I had were very thorough on making that a clear point, and it will be a big change for her as well.

Your points are well made, Adrian, but I think you're making my point for me. You've been posting on the forum for a while,immersed in the culture, you make good posts, you're trained, and you're in line for a CHL, unlike Mrs. JC.

Just as Mrs. JC might freak out if the gun came out and she didn't know it was there, JC chose a moment in a public place to let his significant other know it was there. What if she had freaked out then?

I'm not married, and therefore I don't worry about having my life partner on the same page in such an incredibly serious decision. I was suggesting that if JC felt he had to tell someone he was carrying (even his wife, who didn't know) he might think twice about it. That's all. It's nobody's business, and if he was going to let his wife in on it, there might have been a better moment.

Nervousness besets us all when we begin to carry, Heck, I've only been carrying steadily for 6 months, and I know how JC felt; it's fresh in my mind. But I took 30 hours of classes outside of a CHL class, with lots of well-trained people before I considered walking out of the house with a firearm and one of the things I learned is to be calm and get your head right.

That was the most important thing I was trying to convey to our new member. You are soooo right, everything changes when carrying, and the sense of responsibilities should far outweigh the sense of thrill. It just sounded to me like JC was overly-thrilled, and that could make him under-prepared.

 

[Bark]

My first few days carrying had a lot of those self conscience moments, mostly because I had not found the right carry set-up. All that changed over time, now I don't think about weather someone can tell because my weapons are well concealed, I think more about situational awarness...draw time, back ground, cover, avoiding situations (people, places) that may put me in harms way.

I have found the thing that has given me the most confidence is practice, practice, practice. Muscle memory is very important when it comes to reacting in a high stress situation, ask any person thats been in a real life situation about the adrenaline rush, having to process all the information in the blink of an eye......threat level, background, cover, next bad guy. The last thing you want to have to do is think about how to pull, aim and discharge your weapon on target, that needs to be in your muscle memory as much as possible.

Carrying a weapon comes with a large responsibility, I have found that there is just a lot more to it than you get from sitting in a class, or shooting at the range. In reality, situations can happen faster than your, pull,aim,fire time so anything you can do to decrease that time is worth the effort.

Just my 2..ok maybe 3 cents

 

[TheDogFather]

I've been carrying for a couple of months now and I experienced many of the described feelings and reactions. I did a lot of soul searching leading up to applying for my carry license but had been on this course probably for 10 years or so. Still, the " holy cow" moment was very strong and yes, I felt like everyone I passed was looking right at me. I'm feeling more comfortable now, both with my carry rigs and my "carry mentality" but the sense of responsibility still makes me pause and reflect before I go out the door.

 

[PlayboyPenguin]

It is normal to be apprehensive at first and to feel like everyone is looking at you. This really starts to fade as time goes on. You will also find, as you start experimenting with different methods of carry, that you will become more comfortable both with the physical aspect of carrying and the mental aspect. You start to be more comfortable both with the gun and realize that most people are not looking at you at all. Eventually you find exactly what works for you and you run with it.

Just remember to never get so comfortable that you forget the rules of CC and, more importantly, the rules of safe handling.