What gun do you carry?

[old faithful]

I'm all for responsible firearm ownership. Just not for military type guns. I'm ex army, and love assault rifles, I would love to have one, used to own an SLR. but since I've left the army, I've worked in various industries with some, frankly, idiots who couldn't get in the army for one reason or another, lots of these blokes read soldier of fortune magazine in their breaks and waffle on about quitting this crappy job to get a merc job in Iraq etc. These are the sort of blokes that DONT need to own an SKK or AR15. There are a lot of them out there.
[/LIST]

 

[Volkodav]

I'm all for responsible firearm ownership. Just not for military type guns. I'm ex army, and love assault rifles, I would love to have one, used to own an SLR. but since I've left the army, I've worked in various industries with some, frankly, idiots who couldn't get in the army for one reason or another, lots of these blokes read soldier of fortune magazine in their breaks and waffle on about quitting this crappy job to get a merc job in Iraq etc. These are the sort of blokes that DONT need to own an SKK or AR15. There are a lot of them out there.
[/LIST]

And many of them also seem to think someone or perhaps even the government is out to get them, feel threatened and frightened about them or their families being attacked (usually by someone of different race or religion). Many probably secretly wish something did happen so they would get to use their gun and prove they were up to the task of defending themselves, their family, their.....what ever.

 

[pampano181]

Okay, I'm old...fashioned.

So, which gun do you conceal carry? This question may pertain more to the US users as we wide range of laws allowing users to carry concealed weapons with permit.

The state where I live, requires a permit to carry but you can own and keep a gun in your house and in your car (not sure about if its needs to be in locked compartment, I don't think so) without any permit/license. Which is great!!!

I always have a knife (spyderco tenacious) on me for last year or so but now thinking about getting concealed carry permit to carry a gun. I've got a Glock 19 9mm, great gun, but carrying that on daily basis is bulky in my opinion. There are number of options that I am considering, like the 9mm Karh PM9 or Ruger LC9, both subcompact guns and really easy to carry and conceal, especially in everyday work attire.

On the other hand, there are those people who carry guns like 1911 and Glock 17s on daily basis, I don't know how they do it.

So, what gun do you carry?

Aside from a knife (always with me), when I carry, I carry a Colt Official Police .38 loaded with 158 gr. semi jacketed hollow points in semi wad cutter. The gun is finely tuned and used to belong to and FBI agent from whom it was purchased. Yes, I'm a dinosaur - I carry a wheel gun, get over it...I also use the isosceles stance as taught by my sheriff instructor.

 

[77superaxe]

Agreed.

But an interesting reflection on where individuals live. I am lucky, because I don't feel threatened. But if that was not the case, perhaps I would reassess.

Well, I hope that in the one situation where you are being threatened or one of your loved ones is being threatened, you and they survive to make that reassessment.

 

[Volkodav]

Well, I hope that in the one situation where you are being threatened or one of your loved ones is being threatened, you and they survive to make that reassessment.

Interesting, I had a situation yesterday when my wife and I were confronted by three young men carrying on and driving erratically in a car while we were driving. They appeared to be looking for trouble, the sort of scenario you see on many TV shows, movies and sadly news reports. They stopped their car dropped the window, the driver made an obscene gesture and was posturing to make an issue as I continued on with my business parked my car and ….. (this is where TV would have both parties drawing guns and opening fire) I just looked the immature twit in the eye and said assertively “Grow up d!ckhead”. He looked shocked and uncomfortable and drove off without another word.

Then again this is Australia not the US so it didn’t even cross my mind that he would have a gun. This is the problem some places in the world have is, too many guns in the hands of idiots make it impossible for responsible adults to be assertive without carrying themselves and there by increasing the chance of violent, even lethal, escalation. Pull the guns out of the community and the average thug loses his mojo.

I don’t know about you but I feel a lot more confident standing up for myself when I know the creep I’m staring down isn’t going to pull out a high capacity semi auto pistol and shoot me. Most thugs and bullies are cowards but weapons, guns in particular, make them feel brave and manly, even if the person they are confronting may be armed as well. Take away their security blanket, their great equaliser and they have to seriously evaluate their true individual physical worth and acknowledge the fact that even if they win they will get hurt. This makes them think twice about who to pick a fight with and confidence and assertiveness from the mark is a pretty good indicator that the encounter could be painful.

The laugh is it’s my wife who has done martial arts for years but it was my size assertive and dismissive aggression that scared them off.

 

[Gremlin29]

Glad it worked out for you Volkodav.

My buddy had a similar situation 5 months ago. He was driving through a public park (wooded, hilly, winding road) late in the day, checking the mileage of the trail he had been running. The speed limit is 20mph and that's how fast he was driving. A car came up behind fairly quickly and started riding his a*s. After about 1/4 mile the car quickly passed him and then maneuvered and stopped to block the road. 2 young guys got out, one had a baseball bat and the other a steel pipe. They trotted up to his car and the one with the steel pipe was approaching his window with the pipe raised to swing. That's about when my buddy leveled his .40 cal Glock at the guy. The punk yelled "he's got a gun!" at which time they both dropped their weapons, ran back to their car and sped off. A random act of violance, deescalated with a gun. There are phoney toughs, and there are people who intend to do harm. The phoney toughs can be bluffed away, for the other type their minds work differently and a bluff can backfire and escalate an already bad situation.

 

[Volkodav]

Glad it worked out for you Volkodav.

My buddy had a similar situation 5 months ago. He was driving through a public park (wooded, hilly, winding road) late in the day, checking the mileage of the trail he had been running. The speed limit is 20mph and that's how fast he was driving. A car came up behind fairly quickly and started riding his a*s. After about 1/4 mile the car quickly passed him and then maneuvered and stopped to block the road. 2 young guys got out, one had a baseball bat and the other a steel pipe. They trotted up to his car and the one with the steel pipe was approaching his window with the pipe raised to swing. That's about when my buddy leveled his .40 cal Glock at the guy. The punk yelled "he's got a gun!" at which time they both dropped their weapons, ran back to their car and sped off. A random act of violance, deescalated with a gun. There are phoney toughs, and there are people who intend to do harm. The phoney toughs can be bluffed away, for the other type their minds work differently and a bluff can backfire and escalate an already bad situation.

I supose thats the biggest issue you have over in the US, so many of the thugs have guns that the only way you can confidently stand up for yourself is to be able to match force with force. Nothing against you guys but I am glad I am bringing up my family here, there is still crime and violence but you are far less likely to get shot for telling a peanut to get stuffed.

 

[Todjaeger]

I supose thats the biggest issue you have over in the US, so many of the thugs have guns that the only way you can confidently stand up for yourself is to be able to match force with force. Nothing against you guys but I am glad I am bringing up my family here, there is still crime and violence but you are far less likely to get shot for telling a peanut to get stuffed.

Actually matching force with force is a losing proposition, what is required is overmatch. Realistically, weapons are quite common amongst virtually all societies. What can vary depending on nation and legal system is the nature of the weapon.

IIRC within the past decade or so VIC outlawed the possession/ownership of swords, in part because of their usage in violence. There has been a spike within the past decade of stabbings/knifings in parts of the UK, especially involving fights in bars/pubs.

The sad truth is there are those people who are basically cowards, who with possession of a firearm or some other deadly weapon, change into a bully, hoodlum, or thug.

Whether one is in the US, Australia, or anywhere else in the world, what is most important is the ability to recognize a situation before it unfolds. That is actually more important than being armed (be it with a firearm, impact weapon, pepper spray, blade, whatever...)

For the Australians reading this, what would you do, what options would you have, if someone had been tailing you closely, only to pass you, block the road with their vehicle, get out and then brandish impact weapons like baseball or cricket bats, tire irons, etc?

 

[Volkodav]

For the Australians reading this, what would you do, what options would you have, if someone had been tailing you closely, only to pass you, block the road with their vehicle, get out and then brandish impact weapons like baseball or cricket bats, tire irons, etc?

The car, and thats what I've told my wife. If someone if road raging and threatening you do not stop do not get out of the car, if they get our of their car and threaten you with a weapon of some sort drive away, if they block you, push them out of the way or run them over. She has a mobile phone and hands free, ring the police and tell them everything as it is happening. A car is a weapon, if necessary use it.

At home, someone breaks in, let the dogs have them, stand behind the dogs but infront of the kids and have what ever comes to hand ready if one of them gets past the dogs. Again ring the police and give a running commentary on what is happening. This works against bats, knives and other improvised weapons, you would be stuffed against a gun though but then again google "Volkodav" (my nick anme isn't from the movie) and decide if anyone would realy be stupid enough to come into my house.

volkodav - Google Search

 

[Marc 1]

For the Australians reading this, what would you do, what options would you have, if someone had been tailing you closely, only to pass you, block the road with their vehicle, get out and then brandish impact weapons like baseball or cricket bats, tire irons, etc?

Volkodav has already given the option I would use - car in reverse back away. Pretty sure my car is faster in reverse than a person on foot. I suppose it the road was blocked behind that would be an issue - drive if necessary off the road. If that's a problem plan to run them down. Blow the horn, get on the phone. Do whatever you can to attract attention.

The problem with an aggressive response is that you have then escalated the issue. What if the morons with the baseball bat had only intended to smash the windscreen then go, but because you buddy pulled his Glock, what if they went back to their vehicle and came back with an AR15 or similar?

I used to work crowd control/security for quite a few years in some fairly rough places (Cambelltown RSL being one). Plenty of times I had some moron (sober and pissed) call me every name under the sun or even take a swing or two. I used to agree with them, not escalate by retaliating, but the moron was always removed or prevented from entering or whatever the task was. Frankly I cannot fight my way out of a wet paper bag, but by de-escalating or moving in close, locking them up and walking out with them normally did the trick. I considered it a failure if we had to lay more than a 'friendly' escorting hand on a shoulder.

As to people coming into my place, unfortunately my faithful dawg was put down late last year, however any fool entering my place with the wrong idea will probably face a greater threat from school bags dropped in the hallway and a scattered assortment of incredibly sharp bits of lego to impale any foot that isn't in a combat boot. If the bad guy has made it past that then they face a lifetime of industrial deafness from my snoring.

Dunno, different mindset I guess.

 

[gf0012-aust]

Whether one is in the US, Australia, or anywhere else in the world, what is most important is the ability to recognize a situation before it unfolds. That is actually more important than being armed (be it with a firearm, impact weapon, pepper spray, blade, whatever...)

From the day I first started martial arts every successive instructor I had reinforced the need to read the environment, anticipate, avoid and stay awake. Contact is a last resort option

I used to bounce in my younger days - and at top places like the Peter Jackson (Elizabeth), Exeter Hotel (Port Adelaide). Even in those pubs you could negotiate the atmosphere down a notch. But when its pretty apparent that its not going to end nicely then I was always taught to go for the biggest mouthiest bloke first and then work your way down

one of the curiosities is that when you're the smallest bouncer in the pub everyone assumes that you're not there because of your height and tend to leave you alone as its also undignifying to take on the little fella -

thank god for twisted pub ethics on pride.....

For the Australians reading this, what would you do, what options would you have, if someone had been tailing you closely, only to pass you, block the road with their vehicle, get out and then brandish impact weapons like baseball or cricket bats, tire irons, etc?

if you can't do a "uey" then tally ho....

In adelaide I'd drive through or run them over in the Rangie, in canberra I'll drive through the blockade and/or run them over in the Patrol - both have bullbars and are deceptively nimble /smirk

There is a technique to breaking a roadblock which I'm sure some in here are aware of due to their current jobs.....it would hurt it, but even a honda civic sized vehicle can be used to break open a road block by larger vehicles. Its about technique and timing....

 

[old faithful]

I have survived a home invasion, and I had a gun in the house, that I had no hope of getting to.
Started with a knock on the front door. I was laying down watching the ODI (cricket) on the telly, so my Girlfriend at the time answered the door. Two young blokes burst in, and had a kitchen knife to to her throat before I could get off the couch.
Both were wearing ski masks, but Kelly knew one of them by voice(stalker).

I dialled 000 yelled police and address, then managed to talk down the 2nd bloke, who handed me his knife, the bloke who had Kelly took off when his mate folded to me.

Get this, sometime later (weeks) the one who had Kelly, broke his leg (must have been an accident) and was in hospital. I informed the NSW police of his where abouts, even what ward he was in. I was told to stay away from him, because I was intimidàting him, further, the police said they couldn't do anything until he was released from hospital care, wTF? This is a guy who burst in to my home, at night, armed with a knife.

he later went to prison, not sure what for, but I was never contacts to go to court, because I would have no matter what.

In my bed room, gun safe, was a boito side by side coach gun, and about 100 rounds of SG,s. Not much use at all in that situation. This happened in 1998.

 

[old faithful]

My point is, I managed to talk down one of them, can't remember exactly what I said, except that he heard me call triple O, añd knew the police would be there soon. He was going to prison for a long time, and he better take off!

If I had a gun handy, I would have shot both of them, and I would have made sure they were dead, and I would have gone to prison for a long time.

After that, I now know that you CAN talk your self out of trouble, I KNOW this is true, I am employed in a maximum security prison, as a prison officer.

 

[RobWilliams]

I was told to stay away from him, because I was intimidàting him

Words can't describe how much that has irritated me, it's the typical crap i'd expect to hear about in the UK, not Aus.

I hope to God I never have to experience a situation like that, i'm lucky in that I live in a quiet little village in the English countryside. But that doesn't mean that I don't feel a certain security with the knowledge i've got a bat under my bed.

EDIT: Quiet little English village when home from uni

 

[Gremlin29]

These things happen in the US as well, deescalations that is. Despite the impressions you have not everyone has guns stashed all over the house, or in their car in the US, nor is it whipped out at the slightest provocation.

I have an aunt that was raped, and stabbed to death years ago, by a young man who just got out of prison (and she baby sat him for years). Obviously she was unable to talk him out of what he did, and the police were useless. My sister was assaulted by an ex boyfriend, he actually beat her bad enough to have both orbital sockets destroyed, along with her nose, and teeth. She was left for dead in a ditch. I can't help but believe that my aunt might have survived had she been armed. I know my sister wouldn't have gone through what she went through if she had been armed. Whehter or not a gun would have made a difference is uncertain but one thing is true, neither were able to talk their way out of the situation and I know for a fact my sister begged for her life, on her knees, like a dog. Some people have no sympathy for an appeal.

Old faithful you obviously know this, but in the US if you shoot an intruder in your home you are not going to go to prison. We have a few rights that can't be changed by an amendment, the right to life is one of them. As difficult as it may be for some of you to imagine living in a country where you have to worry about who does or doesn't have a gun, I can't imagine living in a country where my right to life is trumped by the right of a criminal, or whim of a government. I don't think about people having guns with them/on them, because very few do. In fact with my christmas leave over I just drove 900 miles cross country, unarmed and was more worried about the idiots driving on the road with me than somebody with a gun.

 

[old faithful]

Of course there are situations where talk'is useless, no argument there.
My point is!they entered my house at night, armed. if I had a gun handy, two men would have died, and the stats would have gone up again.

 

[Marc 1]

I'm no weed smoking hippie - I can see situations where a gun may be the only way out, I guess I am happy that here in Australia, I've never felt I have needed one for personal defense. I grew up in a house where there were never less that 40 weapons stored and went hunting with my old man regularly. What worries me about keeping weapons is that I have kids. Those of you with kids know that they get up to mischief so any weapon needs to be securely locked away.... Which ironically means that it is probably difficult to get to in a hurry should you need it - bit of a conundrum that. The more accessible you keep the weapon, the greater the possibility of someone else finding it (kids/intruders/crims etc) It'd be a tad ironic to have your own self defense weapon used on you by some intruder who arrived armed with only a knife.

This is the hidden cost of the proliferation of weapons - the 'accidental deaths': Accidental Shooting | TheSurvivorsClub.org

If you take out hunting incidents - 560 people dead in 2008 in the US. Don't know about the source and whether they have a specific axe to grind, but that's a side effect of have 300 million firearms out in the community.

 

[jim4065]

Kind of a strange thread. The OP asked what kind of gun you carry, supposing that the question pertained mostly to the USA, though certainly encompassing anyone who carried a gun for self-defence, anywhere in the world. Reading through the replies, it seems like very few are posted by those who carry.....
For some reason, there seems to be no middle ground regarding the possession (and carriage) of firearms for self-defense. One either loathes the very concept, and as a corollary, those who are armed; or you welcome and approve of your fellow adults who refuse to put their faith in the "benign government" and it's power (and desire) to "protect the defenceless". Perhaps America has a higher proportion of iconoclasts - at any rate many of us take delight in sneering at Government and it's minions -politicians, judges and others of a similar ilk. To those who wonder why we carry, I can only reply that I wonder why you don't? Sour grapes because you can't?
Gun show in town this weekend. It's such a delight to associate with those of a like mind, surrounded by rows of tables covered in guns and ammo. Perhaps I should spread the joy by posting a photo - if that's allowed? :ar15

 

[RobWilliams]

That's such an immature comment, the whole "Oh, your country DOESN'T allow you to carry firearms? Well then, I suppose the only reason you disagree with it is because you're JEALOUS of me" attitude is something a spoilt child would come out with.

Then splitting the community into something similar to the Marmite community; you either love firearms or hate them, is incredibly stupid - not to mention a gross oversimplification. I know it's stupid because I AM a member of the 'middle ground', I don't loathe the owning of firearms I quite enjoy the sport. But I wouldn't say I particularly 'love' them either.

 

[old faithful]

You have posted twice yourself without staying on topic.

What gun do you carry Jim Bob?