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Anyone here choose NOT to EDC a firearm??

11K views 119 replies 78 participants last post by  Oldfut808 
#1 · (Edited)
If so, why?

The reason I ask is...I ran into a gentleman at the gun club who admittedly LOVE guns, but when I asked him what was his choice for EDC, he replied "None...I dont carry." I didn't ask him why, and it bugged me all the way home.

So just curious if anyone here is in the same camp.
 
#74 ·
Everywhere I legally can, not at work as I work for a municipality that has a VERY strict no weapons policy. Even the pocket knives we all carry are iffy...outside the 40 or 50 hours a week I'm at work I carry as often as possible. Yes, the chances that I will need a pistol are slim and none as I practice the fine art of minding my own business and not poking the bear. If you're not comfortable carrying that's okay by me, just realize that as others have said when seconds count the police are minutes away. I had the unique opportunity to work as a police dispatcher in a smaller city here in CT (70k residents) and take 911 calls of home invasions, robberies and quite frankly murders. EVEN with officers being less than a mile away it took 30 seconds to a minute for them to arrive on scene once they were dispatched. Keep in mind the call taker has to enter information into a CAD system, the dispatcher then has to prioritize the call and assign the units who in turn then have to respond to the emergency. Again, you make your own informed decisions and decide on what level of protection you are going to provide yourself and loved ones. I'm not advocating to intervene in every single crime you see nor anything else you're not comfortable with. A firearm is carried to afford you that final line in the sand against a threat that you may or not expect that day. Remember, nobody goes out looking for a fight it finds you. We wear our seatbelts in the car, often most of us will never be in a serious accident either.
 
#77 ·
I also cannot carry at work AND I am freshly back on the driving list ( health issues kept me from driving for three years.). Now I have to get a car. One daughter doesn't allow weapons in her car or residence, the other one has to travel on Army base two to three times a week so no Arms allowed when getting on base. I carry as situations allow, not as I prefer.
 
#81 · (Edited)
I don't carry, but I am an avid shooter and reloader. I would carry if circumstances were different, and I have for most of my adult life, but recently I decided to stop.

I have early-onset Parkinson's disease, and although I am confident that I am still capable of carrying safely, my family has asked me to stop. Rather that make an issue of it and cause angst, I am going to suck it up and bend to the will of my loved ones.

Although I have made it a practice to assess whether I am physically capable of proper gun handling and safety before I strap on my 1911, there are more and more times when the answer is, "no." My wife in particular sees when I am having difficulty moving well, and it disturbs her to think that I might have coordination or balance problems while I'm out during the day while carrying.

Perhaps 75 percent of the time I am completely capable of safely handling a firearm, and I still shoot IDPA (pistol and carbine). I'm not fast, but I am accurate, and I routinely place in the middle third of the pack in the standings. The problem is not the 75% of the time I am on, though - it's the 25% (and increasing) that I am debilitated.

Parkinson's is progressive, degenerative, and incurable, and barring a miracle, I'll never again be better than I am right now. I am not ready to stop carrying any more that I am ready to stop shooting or to stop breathing, but I'm not the only one involved.

I still shoot, but I don't carry a firearm any longer. I DO carry a Benchmade automatic tanto-point and a walking stick that I am proficient in employing as a combat staff (bo). No need to give up completely.
 
#82 ·
First, I'm sorry to hear about your condition. It must be very difficult giving up things that have been a part of you life for so many years...

Kudos to you for recognizing your limitations, and altering you habits accordingly. It says a great deal about your character.
 
#84 ·
I don't carry for several reasons. The first is that in 71 years, not counting Viet Nam, I've never seen a case where it would have helped anybody. I've ~heard~ about such, all at third hand, but never seen one. Presumably I just lived in a safe environment. The second is that to make it convenient I'd have to buy all new clothes or a new gun. My full size 1911 is pretty hard to conceal and rather heavy. I ~do~ have a CCW, just in case the threat level changes, since I don't want to go through the one to two month process if someone starts threatening me.
 
#86 ·
I'm a CCW-licensed non-carrier for the most part as stated earlier here, but in light of the current chaos I think I'm going to reassess that. Also, we've never had any trouble in my neighborhood the whole 23 years we've been here, but things are starting to happen. recently we were alerted of car break-ins going on and in a near-by area they posted security camera pictures of a guy walking around inside the house carrying what appeared to be an 8" Model 29 (young man, he obviously stole it), just looking for stuff. So its looking more and more like everybody needs to think about security and decide what they're willing to do about it should it happen to them.
The fact is that half the country has declared war on white men, especially older ones, so get yourselves ready for the next phase.
 
#87 ·
This has been a very long and interesting post for sure. Like many others have said I worked for some companies who had no carry corporate policies, and some who did not address the issue. When ever I worked for companies who stated in company manuals that is was against policy to carry on site, I complied as I was always the sole supporter of my family. If there was no policy stated, I carried. Now that I am retired I carry 24X7. The sad truth is companies have the right to tell you weather you may or may not carry on their property. Thanks goodness I never worked for a company who tried to control the issue off premises. I'm sure these days many do.
 
#88 ·
I leave the house armed every day but since I go into customers homes
I will take the gun off and put it in a lock box under my van seat, after I'm done with the job while I climbing in the van I'll reholster till my next stop. Gets old but can't carry into private residences unannounced
 
#93 ·
I understand people being resistant to carrying a deadly weapon. But I have also had occasion when a firearm was the only answer, I did not have one, and innocent people died. I realize that it is unlikely to happen again, but then, I will not get to choose when, where, or how evil may befall. "cogito ergo armatus sum."
 
#95 ·
My buddy has decided to get a permit to purchase rather than carry. He wants a new gun and I think part of the decision was the speed of process. On the other hand, I don't think his wife considers a CCW as a need. I told him to go ahead and just blame it on me. He does anyway.
 
#103 ·
It is called EDC for a reason. I never want to get into the habit of not carrying because that is just asking the universe to send you a day when you really need it.

My favorite response to those who say that EDC is too difficult is that carrying is meant to be comforting not comfortable.
 
#106 ·
Its always amazed me how many people I shoot with on weekly basis don't carry at all. I don't carry in areas where I cant legally do so. Nor do I walk around the house with my carry gun on my person (there is a firearm in every room anyway). And no, I don't mow the grass while armed. When I leave the house, I carry. We have 2 moderately aggressive dogs in the house and the yard is fenced with 4'-6' fencing, the dogs consider the yard as their property. If you choose to be armed 24/7 that's ok with me; I don't.
 
#108 ·
I do now as there has been an increase in crime in my area. I have gotten older and slower and want to get into the habit of arming myself when I leave home. I wouldn't think of going on a long trip without a spare tire even though having a flat would probably just be a hassle. For the past 20 years I have never left town or gone into the bush up here in Alaska without my 45.70 or a 12 gauge shotgun. Society is now more dangerous than the bush in my opinion. I know I will probably never need to use my 1911 in self defense, but if I do its a good bet I will survive.
 
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