How many open carry at home?

[A pause for the COZ]

I CC when out and about, but at home I did not. I sufficed that I had strategically located fire arms around in case the need arises.

I have since, in the last couple of months changed my tactics.
I live three miles out of a small town, and even here it is getting bad again.
I constantly note dirt balls out scoping some possibilities. Three or four days a week I am at home. You would be surprised who is driving the dirt roads when your at work.

Just in the last month with in 2 miles of me. One place got broke into and they were still in the house when the kids got off the school bus. Kids noted Dad's shot guns against the wall in the entry way. Figured some thing was wrong so hi tailed it to the neighbors. Scruff Muffins were gone by the time the Sheriff dept showed up.

1/2 Mile south of me. An old fella had died. When the kids came up to go through dad's stuff. There was nothing left to go through. They even took the wiring.

Last week at my place. I had a contractor doing some cement work. In between tasks he left his shiny new Bob Cat and a trailer in my yard.
That night around 11pm, we get a knock on the door.
Some jittery looking kid who could not make eye contact asking for directions. ( yea right, just wanted to see if any one was home)
He did note the PT111 on my hip.

Getting bad again:

I have choices for a home carry piece. But I chose my PT11 for one reason. (ok three reasons)
Its reliable, compact, and cheap. I think the new ones can be had for $199 on a good day.
If I scratch the heck out of it, And I will. No biggie....

My goal is not to have to pull it. But I want these dirt bags driving around looking for a mark to see me mowing the yard with a gun strapped to my hip.

" Aint going there. That crazy guy lives there."

[Brotherbadger]

I don't carry at home. I live in a very small apartment in a family oriented building(my wife and I are the only ones without kids), and have guns in a few select locations. If my neighborhood was bad(like in my last place), I'd think about it.

[Bultaco]

I am carrying when I get home but always concealed. Walking around my 2 acres with an openly carried gun will not cause people to avoid me for any of the right reasons. It also points out that there are guns at that house so a thief can plan to come look when I'm not there. If someone wants to come and attack me at my home I would prefer they be surprised when it is time to display the gun.
Get a big dog.

[riverratt]

Yes I do carry at home. Just last week a man was beaten and robbed wile working in his garage. He lives 5 houses down from me. Last year a high school kid shot another student in school, he was then caught 3 hours later in my neighborhood. And a kid that "accidentally" beat his brother to death, accused of multiple battery charges, accused of breaking and entering, and has been caught 2 times dealing drugs frequents this area. (His parents must have a lot of money and a great lawyer) I do keep 2 scatter guns around the house loaded with 00 buck but that won't do me any good if I'm in my garage, or someone kicks in the door between me and the shotgun.

As a side note I don't let everyone see my gun for the simple fact that it (in my opinion) deters a bad guy when someone's home, but it makes your house a target when there's not. (Yes I have a safe but they don't know that)

[doofus47]

If I carry at home, I'm cc'ing. Changing holsters, etc is just not as easy as just sticking with the status quo until time to put the equipment to bed.

[A pause for the COZ]

Riverrart: I have had similar brushes.
About 10 years ago we had a half way house a few miles east of our place.

Note: If they ever want to locate a half way house in your area. FIGHT it for all your worth. Its not the people who lived there we had problems with. it was the dirt bags who were going to visit the residents we had issues with.

I was under my car in the shop. I noticed a set of hairy legs at my feet.
I crawl out and this scruff muffin dirt bag. said" Hey man, I need a ride to the cities. Can you loan me 10 bucks for a cab?"

What??? Hey fella 10 bucks wont get you to the cities. Maybe $150 in cab fare.

"Can you give me a ride?"

I think you need to leave. After some more BS he did leave.

Wont even get into the times these scuffs showed up with just the wife and kids home.

Happy day when that place burned down... I was not involved in that event.
But who ever did, I owe them a beer. The area quieted down quite a bit until the Meth thing started up.

[kraigwy]

I pocket carry at home just like everyone else.

I'm not a fan of staging guns. You're not always near one you have staged and it only takes about 3 seconds to kick in a door.

All my "staged" guns are staged in the gun safe because my grand kids are always bringing their friends over. A kid can find a stage gun by they cant get one out of the safe, nor can they pick my pocket.

One of the greatest fears in my life is a kid getting one of my guns and getting hurt. Not gonna happen. Gun safes are cheap insurance.

But as I said, home invasions happen and I believe a self defense gun not on your person is not a self defense gun.

I'm not a fan of open carry, whether I have a gun on me is my business and no one needs to know.

[Dragline45]

I usually just place a handgun down next to me wherever I am sitting, it's uncomfortable relaxing on the couch with a pistol on my belt.

[Grant D]

I open carry in the house when I get home from work because I carry on my hip or IWB during the day with my shirt untucked, so when I get home the shirt comes off, but not the firearm I carried during the day. I also have a coach gun with outside hammers by the front door.
When I'm working in the yard, I carry my LCP, or NAA 22 mag revolver in my front pocket, so no open carry in the yard.

[kinggabby]

I open carry almost everywhere . So yes I open carry at hope. Only place I don't open carry is church but several including the Pastor know I have mine on me at all times.

[Snyper]

He did note the PT111 on my hip.

Yes, and that means he will add your house to the list of good places to hit since chances are good there will be more guns there

[4thPoint]

I'd never Openly Carry at home; Concealed Carry gives me a tactical advantage.

[FITASC]

Sorry, if I feel I MUST carry while sitting inside my home and watching TV or whatever, the house would be up for sale tomorrow................

[kinggabby]

Sorry, if I feel I MUST carry while sitting inside my home and watching TV or whatever, the house would be up for sale tomorrow................

It is a good thing that home invasions never happen. Everyone is always safe no matter where they live. Rich people never get killed in their own homes because they are good neighborhoods. Nope break ins never happen.

[skizzums]

if it's nighttime and I am done running around all day, I just keep a gun next to me at ALL times. when I leave for work I put my wifes gun on the bed next to her, she knows it'll always be there when she needs it. but I carry IWB pretty much all day, even during yardwork and other chores. that's one reason why I don't consider a full-size or even a compact as a viable carry gun anymore. my little pt111 with a cheap versacarry is unnoticeable on my appendix.

I didn't used to be like this....but, my brother who only lived about 1.5 miles from me, was violently robbed at about 830 in the morn. the armed intruders(2) kicked in the door and immediately held them at gunpoint. robbed the house, after beating my brother and wife and hog-tying, and got away in a car. me and my brother discuss how fast and unexpected it happened and have come to the conclusion that unless he had a gun ready to go, right there and then, then there was nothing he could do. there was no "bump in the night", his dog reacted just as fast as my brother did and there was no way he could alert them to the situation. long story short......it was FAST!!!! a gun in the bedroom can't help you when someone busts into your living room while your watching t.v. I have a family to protect and take it very seriously, and the only option that will give me a more hopeful outcome is home carry, loaded and locked, with enough capacity to take on up to 3 armed intruders. yes, my pistol is there to get me to my rifle, but you can't take that option as a given in most circumstances, your not likely to get a warning. reinforced doors/windows is probably the only thing I put above being armed at all times. even a great alarm system isn't going to save your hide in those first few seconds, although a well trained attack dog could, but I don't want a dog at this point in my life.

and as to the above comment.....I lve in a pretty nice house, mid 100's, very nice neighbors, no crime that I have heard about in the 5 years since I moved here, but like I said, my brother lived 1 1/2 miles away from me. granted, he was targeted because his neighbors knew he had guns and they told one of their out of city friends that my brother had guns and is easy pickin's. as nice as my neighbors are, and the people I work and shoot with, I can't know 100% that someone won't blab their mouth to the wrong person about the guns I own or jewelry or whatever. so I stay prepared

[Shadi Khalil]

I always carry at home but it's usually concealed. I do open carry when shooting or working in the backyard. As prevalent as home invasions are, I think home carry is just as important as carrying out in the street, no matter where you live.

[psalm7]

I live in a rural area I often open carry around the yard . Sometimes I will patrol my parimeter in full battle rattle or Sniper gear . If im just around the house I may not carry at all .

[colbad]

Im not sure if its paranoia or a lot of people on here live in bad places. I cant imagine wearing a gun around the house. I agree with the earlier post, house would be up for sale if I could not go to the can in my own home w/o being armed.

[JohnKSa]

I'm not a fan of staging guns. You're not always near one you have staged and it only takes about 3 seconds to kick in a door.

Agree.

Sorry, if I feel I MUST carry while sitting inside my home and watching TV or whatever, the house would be up for sale tomorrow................

Bad things happen even in the best neighborhoods. There was an incident in a very nice neighborhood in CT some time ago where home invaders armed with an airgun (apparently it looked real enough to be effective) took a family hostage. They beat the father and left him for dead in the basement, then held the two daughters while the mother went to the bank for cash. When she returned, they raped the daughters and mother, tied them up, doused them with gasoline and left them to burn alive. The father regained consciousness and managed to crawl out of the house.

Here's the sole survivor.


Here's a picture from inside the house.


The police were notified when the mother alerted the bank teller. They did not intervene in spite of having more than sufficient time to make a difference in the outcome. They did arrest the two criminals as they were leaving the scene.

Home invasions are not very common, but it's a mistake to believe that where you live makes you immune to them.

[riverratt]

Paranoid? Perhaps, I've been called a lot worse. As an early teen my mom (single mom) worked nights so I was left alone most of the time. During a period of time our house was broke into twice. Both times they kicked in the door. The first time was in broad daylight and they ran off when they found out I was home. The second time was at around 3 a.m. they kicked in the back door, I grabbed my h&r 20ga next to the bed and went to the hallway. They saw the gun and ran out the back door right into my German shepherd

As the saying goes, I'd rather have it and not need it then need it and not have it. I hear stories all the time of bad guys breaking into a house and beating/killing the home owners. I bet they didn't need a gun on them either.

[psalm7]

Not wanting to repeat myself but , I have talked to more than one Officer that say the worst crime scene's they have worked are home invaisions gone wrong . BG breaks in thinks noone is home gets surprised and gets violent . They feel safe to do what ever they want behind closed doors . I dont carry around the house but am always close to a firearm . Iv never been burgularized or broke in on but have been surprised by unknown's knocking on the door .

[TimSr]

Sorry, if I feel I MUST carry while sitting inside my home and watching TV or whatever, the house would be up for sale tomorrow................

I lived like that 30 years ago for about a year. Never again. I'm with you.

[KenL]

I cc everywhere. I have one gun on me all the time at home, even when doing yard work. I live in a nice, quiet neighborhood but ya never know what's going to happen or where it's going to happen.

Heck, I have homeowner's insurance, car insurance, health insurance and life insurance. I really don't want to have to file a claim on any of them (especially the life insurance, because that means my wife would be filing that claim). I also have fire extinguishers at home.... don't want to have to use them either. I figure that having a gun on my person is a form of insurance. Bad things happen all the time in "good" neighborhoods, and I feel it's naïve to live in condition white although lots of people do.

[A pause for the COZ]

You guys that think your area is safe.
Think again... You only really hear about 10% of the crap that happens.

I know Black People get the lions share of the news. But I tell you what.
Thats not the case out here.
White meth heads are the real problem. By a wide margin, very wide.

By and large, 99.9% of all their crime are crimes of opportunity.
Taking away that opportunity and appearing to be a harder target. Will in fact help.

Worrying about making your self a target for that 0.001% by open carrying at home. The real bad guys.
They already know who you are. They may already have a friend at the gun shop feeding them information.
They are not the ones driving around the dirt roads looking for a easy mark.

Most Meth heads are unarmed because they sold their guns to get meth and every thing else they own.

Just my take from my local observations. Do what you feel best for you.
Me I am gona armor up.

[EddieBangBang]

I have kids, and if they're anything like me when I was a kid they will find anything and everything you think you cleverly hid. For me the only effective and appropriate way to carry is on body concealed 24/7 365 wherever and whenever it is legal for me to do so.

There are far too many accidents involving off body carry for me to allow that risk. All non carry firearms are kept locked in a safe unless in direct use.

I live in a very nice, secluded, quiet neighborhood and last year had a drugged out/drunk and extremely irate gentleman try and force his way through my front door at 2am. Luckily the local constabulary got to him before he made it through the door...less paperwork for me.