Too old to carry?

[nammac]

"A man's gotta know his limitations"
- Inspector Harry Callahan, Magnum Force

A good credo to live by. When I'm no longer stable mentally nor competent physically, I'll give up driving and carrying a firearm. There's always pepper spray and the ole Shillelagh…

 

[OR Highlander]

I have been following this thread with some interest because I am making a change to my own EDC, though not exactly because of age alone.

For me it is more injury math than birthday math. I am moving from a P365XL in a Galco Miami shoulder rig with two additional 17-round magazines to a Model 60 in the same general shoulder rig setup, with two EZ Strips for reloads.

On paper that looks like a step backward in capacity. In real life, it is more about weight, concealment, and what I can realistically wear all day without paying for it later. Getting older has not been quite as funny as I assumed it would be. Turns out the warranty department does not answer calls after 50.

I even went out this morning to spend some time with my old friend, the Model 60, and get comfortable again with the longer, stronger DA trigger pull. That is part of the tradeoff. If I am going to carry it, I need to be honest about what changed and put the work back in.

The bigger issue for me is not whether I can still carry. It is whether my carry setup still fits my body, my injuries, and my actual day. Errands, appointments, vehicle time, some range time, and all-day carry are different than standing on a square range pretending everything still works like it did 20 years ago.

I still think keeping the CHL makes sense. Having the option does not mean carrying the same way forever. But I do think there is value in being honest about when the gear needs to change before safety or consistency starts to suffer.

So maybe the question is not only "when are you too old to carry?" Maybe part of it is "when is your current carry method too old for you?"

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Maybe part of it is "when is your current carry method too old for you?"

This is a very important consideration.

What works for you when you are 20 , 30 , 40 , 50 , etc.....
May be different when you are 60 . 70 , etc....

As well as just what is a threat at those different ages.
A healthy , active 30 something....will view a threat differently than even a healthy active 50 something....
Let alone someone in their 70's or 80's.
Andu

 

[rrd101]

there are a lot of factors as to when to stop I think its a person by person choice My anut is early 90s and still carries

 

[No_Regerts]

"A man's gotta know his limitations"
- Inspector Harry Callahan, Magnum Force

A good credo to live by. When I'm no longer stable mentally nor competent physically, I'll give up driving and carrying a firearm. There's always pepper spray and the ole Shillelagh…
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The top part reminds me of something….