BuckJM53

While the easy answer here may be for some "because it's my right", I'm curious if there was a particular event, situation or thought that ultimately moved you to the point of making that final decision to carry concealed?

For me, it was pretty simple. There was no one particular event, but rather the simple desire to protect my wife and myself from becoming the next "easy target/victim" as we grow older.

Spike12

Couple of reasons...

As a male member of this society I feel a responsibility to protect others and stand for them. Kinda like when I went in the service.

In particular to protect my family although not much happens around here except WalMart shoot outs and crazies with bombs visiting Clinton's campain office

And finally; Got old, can't run.

Pitbull1022

The birth of my daughter. So I can protect my family. Since the BG's have more rights than their victims. Figure I would just even the odds in our favor a little bit if I ever need it.

cwl1862

++1 Amen to that brother. Started carrying back in 80 as a PO and have been ever since, can't leave home without it, and not without feeling naked!

Larry from MT

Long story but in the late 70s I fired someone who then threatened my life. I asked for a Restraining Order. When the Sheriff served the RO the guy went nuts and was jailed. This caused the Sheriff to run his prints and they found he did time in prison for things like armed robbery, kidnapping, etc,,, The Sheriff called me and said to come to his office and pick up my CWP and to protect myself at all times as they could only hold him for a few days. That's how I started carrying.

LAGun

My reason seems to mirror that of Buck's.

DocuTex

I'm a part of the 2009 CCW boom brought on by the 2008 election cycle.

Howie

+1

RedDawn4Life

Thats scary, when the police are telling you that you need to carry something is wrong. I hope you never had to actually use your carry piece to protect yourself.

Zealot

Ironically, for me it was all the hoops I had to jump through to get my license here in MA. I started off as a moderate "I just want a shotgun in the closet for home defense" guy. In MA that means all you need is a Class B license; which is a middle of the road type allowing you to own rifles/shotguns and SOME handguns, but not carry concealed.

However, in order to get the Class B you have to go through all the same motions as if you were getting the Class A (concealed carry). Same $150 fee, same schooling/training, same interview with the Chief, same mugshots and fingerprints. The more I learned and thought about it, the more I realized that if I was going to go through all that for the Class B, I might as well get the Class A. Part of that was driven my my growing feelings that all of it was an infringement on what I was slowing seeing was a natural Right of mine. So I went all NRA, Don't tread on ME!

Couple that with the fact that every instructor and store owner said to just go for the Class A for the flexibility and the fact that as I learned more and thought more about it (thanks Ruger Forum!) I realized that if I was convinced I needed a gun to protect my family at home, I probably "needed" one even more to protect them far afield.

And the rest, as they say, is history!

pfllewis

It took me a long time to finally reach the decision to CCW. I work in the financial industry, (ATM Service) at all hours of the day but this was not the governing factor. My main reason is the decline of human decency to one another, it has become apparent in this day and age that in a blink of an eye your life can be changed. I just want the "odds" to be in my favor, I take CCW very seriously, I practice, not just at the range but also mentally in situations I encounter. It costs a lot of money to commit to CCW, the choice of firearm, the training, license fees, but more than this there is the mental preparedness one must fully understand what you are about to undertake. This is some serious stuff...if you shoot someone in self defense plan on going to jail, having to get a lawyer, bail, all sorts of legal issues. I will do almost anything to avoid shooting someone, even turning and running, but...there will also the time when you have no option.

white cloud

i was chatting with a s.c. policeman one time. the cwp was something he recommended.

Larry from MT

In fact, I never saw him again. A few years later he got into a brief shoot-out (no one killed) with the Feds who were trying to (and did) arrest him for trafficing in automatic weapons. I know he was then sent away for a long rest but never heard any more about him. I think that was before 3 strikes, but he may still be in prison (or dead).

JD77

I've been robbed at knife point and one time I was jumped by 4 guys with bats and table legs. That aint gonna happen again.

Trad Archer

I was charged by a pitbull once. The owner had to pull the dog off just about the time my knife was about to go into him.

Plus, I'm not far from Gang Bang Central (Murderapolis, MN) were there are Mexican, Hmong, Somali, and African American (by the way, I consider myself European American, not white or honky) gangs on every block. What a chithole!