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We were invited to dinner and some good friends house last Saturday night. We have known them almost 30 years, not family close but good people. He is a Scout leader, very well prepared and I knew he had some guns.

Before we went in the house, I took my S & W 40 off and left it in the SUV with my spare mag. It was very visible and about 40 feet for where were sitting in the kitchen. We were visiting and he says, I need to ask you about pistols, We are going to get one for personal protection and to take camping with us, and I know you carry and seem like you know your stuff. He said I have my dads Walter .32 WWII trophy pistol and got it to show me. Nice piece, early '40s in great condition.

I said nice show piece but not a self defense gun. I said I have mine out in the car and will go get it if you don't mind. I got up to go out and get mine, and as I walked out the front door, a car pulls in his driveway partially and stops. This is a rural area 6 miles from town and a fairly high traffic road. I cannot see who is in this car, but the bass beat is coming out of this rice wagon POS. So I see this and my heart skips a beat or two, and I think oh f me, this jackwagon is between me and my weapon and I have zero tactical advantage and every disadvantage right now. So I have my right hand in my front pocket where my pepper spray is,so I just stand there scowling at the car, my friend looks out the kitchen window and scowls at them too. Now he did have a loaded shotgun in the house so all was not lost. They sit there about 20 seconds and then back out and go down the road and stop, but long enough for me to get to the car and get my piece. I stand there until they drive off and I go back in. I unload the piece and show it to him and his wife, they handle it for feel, we talk about calibers and sizes a bit, and I offer to have them come out and shoot my 3 carry pieces, which they gladly accept.

The point is, I got complacent and though that the location and situation would allow me to not have the firearm on me and the situation could have bitten me in the azz big time. My usual confident and assured attitude went away when I saw that car pull in there and I had to come up with a fast alternative plan and that plan was weak at best. I should have had my rear pocket .380 at the very least or should have just carried the .40 in the house, they never would have known or need to have known.

Now that my stupidity confession is over, back to normal behavior.
 
There have been a couple threads on respecting others homes. Since then I always try and know who's home I am going to and whether or not I can carry. Funny thing is, went to buddies house who hates guns (don't see him very often due to different views on things) I carried anyway :D
 
There have been a couple threads on respecting others homes. Since then I always try and know who's home I am going to and whether or not I can carry. Funny thing is, went to buddies house who hates guns (don't see him very often due to different views on things) I carried anyway :D

Agree with the respect thing, but this time it hit me pretty hard. I am still responsible for mine and my wife's safety, (well she is a force to be dealt with so no problem there) and anybody else who may be there.

So it comes down to if there was a need to defend ourselves, could the other person whose home we are in effectively handle the threat ??

That is for us to evaluate and decide from there. My wife and I would have been the best trained to dealt with a force threat, and we left one of our primary working tools unavailable.

Huge tactical mistake. One that I should have never made and it was VERY educational for me. This would bring back my deep concealment .380 in a pocket holster that looks like a wallet. Not what I would have wanted in that situation, but better than my finger and saying bang bang. This could have been a home invasion and there is no time to go to the closet for grandpas old 12 gauge.
 
I have a good friend that invites us over often but has an 11 and 4 year old.

No good way to keep it on me and get comfy so I take the knife but leave the gun in the car because of the kids.

Difference though is they live in a nice neighborhood and I don't feel like my car is in danger of being broken into nor gangbangers knocking on the door.
 
when I am in a situation where I shouldn't carry I put my Ruger LC9 in a IWB and carry anyway. thing is so small no one is going to see it and I can still get comfortable.
 
I've given this some thought recently.

Visited a friend who had a lot of company including little kids entertaining each other in various rooms. I never leave weapons in the car, and I wasn't going to wear a holstered revolver in the very mixed crowd, even under my un-tucked shirt.

So I left it unloaded in my jacket on a high shelf in the closet, ammo in my pants pocket. If it were a semi-auto, I would've done the same and kept the magazine on my person.

I was certainly more unarmed than I am at home where I keep it handy and loaded.

Would my hosts or some of their guests mind if they knew there was an empty revolver in the house? Maybe. Maybe not. Probably mixed. Either way, they've never said anything specific on the topic, and I didn't want to put them, or me, in an odd spot. So I didn't ask.

Logic? Separated from the ammo, even just moments apart, it's no more of a weapon than a (much bigger) claw hammer in the garage. Or that long knife in the ham.
 
I've given this some thought recently.

Visited a friend who had a lot of company including little kids entertaining each other in various rooms. I never leave weapons in the car, and I wasn't going to wear a holstered revolver in the very mixed crowd, even under my un-tucked shirt.

So I left it unloaded in my jacket on a high shelf in the closet, ammo in my pants pocket. If it were a semi-auto, I would've done the same and kept the magazine on my person.

I was certainly more unarmed than I am at home where I keep it handy and loaded.

Would my hosts or some of their guests mind if they knew there was an empty revolver in the house? Maybe. Maybe not. Probably mixed. Either way, they've never said anything specific on the topic, and I didn't want to put them, or me, in an odd spot. So I didn't ask.

Logic? Separated from the ammo, even just moments apart, it's no more of a weapon than a (much bigger) claw hammer in the garage. Or that long knife in the ham.

What if you can't get to your coat?:eek:
 
Not speaking for others, that's just one of those calculated risks I willingly take at times.

I didn't want to leave it at home, or in the car.

Sadly, I'm not quite retired yet (hopefully later this year), and I spend 40+ hours a week in an enforced gun free zone. Life is full of compromises.
 
I am lucky to not have to go many places that are strictly gun-free areas. I always have a pistol on me and I'd just have to be offensive to someone's feelers. I have friends who have wives that are uppity about peoole around their house with guns. These are the kinds of friends that I meet somewhere else for lunch.
 
@CoastRange57
I've had similar situations. Where, out of consideration, I pull my holstered firearm and leave it in the vehicle. On doing so, I feel naked. Given the place, I do my best to suck it up and carry on. On the average, I was fine. But there were several times I questioned whether my decision to disarm was the right choice. All worked out well for the sketchy. I still did not convince myself that disarming was a comfort.

On another note,
Today I stopped by the PO to retrieve a package I had waiting. While waiting in line, a lady walked in behind me, put her purse on the display, and started counting out Benjamins. I was a bit surprised she was so adamant about it. She did not know me. I could (if I was a thief) have easily snatched that bank roll from her hands and been out of there. Next, she walks away from the counter leaving her purse there wide open. I think, really? You're not too bright. As she walks away. Ten seconds later she returns to the counter. Yes, her purse was still there, lucky for her. Then again, maybe there was nothing of value left in it for her to worry. Who knows? She gets back to the counter next to where I'm standing. I couldn't help but saying. You're a trusting sole, leaving your purse there and walking away. As she stands there with a HUGE wad of Benjamins. I said to her, not that I'm implying anything by what I'm saying, but you have no clue who I am, or the thought I may have as you stand there counting out all that cash. Someone could have easily taken it from you and took off. She gave me this strange look, then said, thanks for the tip. At that point I was next at the window, and went about my business.

I will say, there are some "not so smart" people among us.

Sorry for going left field in your thread.
 
Maybe just carry it unloaded next time.

Joking.

I had something similiar happen last time I took a vacation out of town. Flew out to Ohio so I took my truck gun out and put it in the safe. Forgot to put it back in when I got home and got in a little road rage incident.
The guy followed me from portland to vancouver. I stopped in a gas station down the road from where I was going and we exchange words. Luckily all went away without fireworks. As I was pulling into the gas station the shooters prayer flee through my mind.

Especially the part,
Let my last thought not be, if I only had my gun.


I carry my guns everywhere now.
I'll carry them into friends houses.
If they don't like it F em. They ain't no friends of mine.
 
Yeah yeah I tease about the nice neighborhood I live in now.
But I would never do most of the places I went in Tacoma or Seattle ever again,unarmed.
I truely believe in not carrying in folks houses that don't like guns. I believe in honoring folks views in their houses. I would never carry in someone's house that wouldn't like it.
But now,I wouldn't go to their house. I have family that knows I would carry. But some of those places I just won't bother going any more.
I respect other folks values enough that I wouldn't attend their functions instead of violating their space by carrying.
If I needed to explain it all to them I would do so before the event.
Big thing is,like in the OP, what was his carry gun going to do for him? What happens when they bring out big armor from the car?
Why be in that situation?
I got away with living in those areas for many years. I don't think I would want to be in those neighborhoods any more
 
Big thing is,like in the OP, what was his carry gun going to do for him? What happens when they bring out big armor from the car?
Why be in that situation?
I got away with living in those areas for many years. I don't think I would want to be in those neighborhoods any more

Lets look at this one at a time. They were still in the car idling in the driveway. Nobody got out..I would have challenged them verbally if they did. IF...IF.. I would have had my carry piece on me, most likely I would have drawn it and held it behind my leg until I determined where this was going. With my piece out, if they were going to arms at least I had a chance to stop the situation at that point.

Since I did not have my piece on me, I may has well just stuffed my trigger finger up my azz and held the door open for them and gave them my wallet. My very big bad.

If you read in the post, I noted 6 miles out of town on a major highway, the house fairly close to the road. There are two multi million dollar homes with in a half mile, and a farm shop complex 200 yards away. The house my friend lives at is a nice 3000 sf house on 5 acres. Been there 30 years.

The road is a major highway between 3 larger suburban cities on the west side of the Portland metro area. Sh*t bags transit these roads all day and night long. No reason at all to not be in this hood, very similar to the area where we live. Hood means nothing any more, sh*tbags go into any hood or area any more in pursuit of sheep and places to rip off.
 
Lets look at this one at a time. They were still in the car idling in the driveway. Nobody got out..I would have challenged them verbally if they did. IF...IF.. I would have had my carry piece on me, most likely I would have drawn it and held it behind my leg until I determined where this was going. With my piece out, if they were going to arms at least I had a chance to stop the situation at that point.

Since I did not have my piece on me, I may has well just stuffed my trigger finger up my azz and held the door open for them and gave them my wallet. My very big bad.

If you read in the post, I noted 6 miles out of town on a major highway, the house fairly close to the road. There are two multi million dollar homes with in a half mile, and a farm shop complex 200 yards away. The house my friend lives at is a nice 3000 sf house on 5 acres. Been there 30 years.

The road is a major highway between 3 larger suburban cities on the west side of the Portland metro area. Sh*t bags transit these roads all day and night long. No reason at all to not be in this hood, very similar to the area where we live. Hood means nothing any more, sh*tbags go into any hood or area any more in pursuit of sheep and places to rip off.

Now I'm really mad, they better leave my sheep alone!!!!!!! That's crossing the barbed wire fence, there....
 

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