Do y'all carry in your house?

[Manco]

Originally Posted by Teuthis

Some people become so paranoid that I wonder how life can have any pleasure for them.

Like many others, obviously you don't know what real paranoia is. I do because there is a guy who has been threatening to kill me for a while now because he believes--with every fiber of his being--that I've been doing all of these rotten things to him, without a shred of evidence or any motive on my part. He even believes that I've been doing some very implausible things such as crawling around in his attic in the middle of the night, as well as beneath his floor, when his house happens to be built on a concrete slab. This is clinical paranoia that was brought about initially, as far as I know, by an unusual but documented type of reaction to the weight-loss drug Phentermine. I don't know why his paranoid delusions have persisted for this long--maybe something in his brain got "fried" or he's still taking Phentermine.

One of the key things that makes this a real form of paranoia is that it involves delusions and irrationality. Do you now understand what paranoia really is? Do you now know why some folks were offended that you called them paranoid? There is nothing paranoid about believing that one could be the next undeserving victim of random violence because guess what, it really happens to some people--no delusions are necessary. The vast majority of us realize that the odds of this happening to us are slim overall, and we are therefore still quite able to derive pleasure from life even without having a firearm strapped to our side, contrary to what you suggested. That said, carrying a gun at all times gives some of us a little bit of added peace of mind, much like an insurance policy, as others have suggested, or wearing a seat belt while traveling in an automobile, and there's nothing wrong with taking such precautions.

Personally, I think that some people make too big of a deal about carrying a gun around. It's nothing out of the ordinary for most of us, just like carrying a pen in case we need to write something down, or tissue paper in case we need to blow our noses. We like guns, which makes it all the more natural for us to want to carry one around, just in case somebody tries to do us and our loved ones harm, however unlikely that may be statistically. In fact, I think that making such a big deal about carrying guns around may itself be a form of paranoia. What, are you afraid that the gun will go off all by itself? Does carrying one make you feel as though you'd more likely need to use it? That's not the case for most of us--it's just another EDC tool that we carry in order to be prepared.

Originally Posted by Teuthis

Carrying a gun around in one's house is pretty far out,

Maybe for your lifestyle, but is there anything irrational or delusional about it? Do people not sometimes get attacked in their own homes? There's nothing paranoid or "far out" about being prepared for real events that do sometimes happen to real people, even if it's unlikely. It's not that unlikely, though, as there have been home invasions in my neighborhood, and attempts have been made to break into my own house while I was home--fortunately all it took was a locked and reinforced door to thwart them in those instances (maybe not next time), but somebody has been threatening to kill me lately, and that's no delusion on my part.

Originally Posted by Teuthis

unless the ghetto surrounds you. Then I might see it.

The "ghetto" is perfectly capable of driving to my perfectly-landscaped suburban neighborhood to rob and terrorize its inhabitants whenever they feel like it, with virtual impunity. The only thing here that could stop them is breaking into my house while I'm home. Everybody else here, as far as I know, is just waiting to be a helpless victim because they're afraid of guns (probably have some paranoid delusions about them).

Originally Posted by Teuthis

I carry a gun sometimes when I go outside early because of Javelina and coyotes. Javelina are really mean and unpredictable and coyotes are rabid in these parts. But inside the house I see no need.

That's because javelina and coyotes suck at breaking into houses. But what if they were really good at it?

Originally Posted by Teuthis

I think that keeping a gun handy in the house can be a good idea though. Perhaps I too am a little paranoid?

No, you're not paranoid--you just didn't understand what paranoia is, and hopefully now you do. It's perfectly fine to think that keeping a gun "handy" is a good idea, and even that carrying one around on your hip all day long is probably not worth the effort for you. I currently do not carry a gun while at home myself because my house is pretty well fortified, although I always keep one handy for determined home invaders. But just because others take it one step further and wear a gun basically as part of their wardrobe or EDC kit doesn't mean that they're paranoid in the slightest. It just means that they choose to sacrifice a little bit of physical comfort and effort in order to be a little bit more prepared than I am in the event that somebody does successfully break in. I'm thinking of carrying while at home myself now because I can envision myself or somebody in my family compromising our usual defenses for a period of time, such as when carrying things in and out of the house with the door unlocked, working on something out front, or going outside to check the mail, which in my case involves walking to the curb in front of a neighbor's house. In such cases, I may not be able to get to my gun, either quickly enough or at all. Besides, I like guns and the feeling of being prepared for anything at any time.

[Mr. James]

I carry darned near all the time. That's because I've been reading you lunatics for far too long!

Seriously, though. If we could log into our Blackberries when the bad guys were going to come and rape and pillage, I guess we wouldn't need to carry at home.

If I'm up and dressed, I'm armed.

[.40cal]

No, I dont carry in my house. I do however carry all the time when I am out walking the property.

[timpierce]

I too carry in and around my home. For me it's a lifestyle choice I committed to when I took the classes and obtained my CCW permit. I believe it's like a lot of things, if you want to be safe, and be proficient- practice. I always have at least my LCP in a pocket, or a 1911 on the nightstand. As others have said, my carry gun is like my wallet or a watch. I would feel naked without it.

[Gary L. Griffiths]

In the immortal words of Inspector Lestrade, "As long as I have my trousers on, I have my hip pocket. And as long as I have my hip pocket, I have something in it!"

That about sums it up. The operative word in "always" gun is "always."

[Dresden2001]

Recently our neighborhood was hit by a very destructive hailstorm and nearly everyone's roof was damaged. Enter a passel of roofers from all over the country (and many from south of the border). I used to just keep a pistol nearby my bed and in my home office because I always figured I would be able to get to a defensive handgun within a few steps. I've just had my left hip replaced and am pretty limited, until my mobility returns.

I have put a P232 in the pouch in my walker, and have stopped answering the door unless it is someone I know and am expecting.

[SauerGrapes]

I only carry in the house if I've been out and about at some point in the day. When I come home, most of the time I just leave it on till I shower. If I'm in all day, very seldom will I holster a weapon.

[Love&Hate12]

Most I do is take a handgun with me to a room I'm going to be in for a while if I'm alone, other than that I have guns in the closet and one in my night stand. Single, 1 roommate and in a house.

[Irish B]

No, I dont carry in my house. I do however carry all the time when I am out walking the property.

I'm the same way. I do however ALWAYS lock my doors whether i'm home or not and I live in the woods. I'm not that worried about home intrusion of the human kind. I worry more about critters crawling in through low lying open windows. I will however hide my 870 behind the door if i have a shady character come a knockin.

[stargazer65]

Yes, because I try to make carrying a handgun my default condition. Just like wearing clothes is my default condition. I make it a conscious decision to not do one or the other when the situation warrants.

[Redbeardsong]

I'm new to carrying, but have made the decision to carry at all times possible, even at home. Partly to just get used to having my gun IWB. I also found myself thinking the following:

"100% of home invasions happen at home."

[jmquinn05]

If there is a room, there is a gun.

[WANT A LCR 22LR]

When I'm outside on my property I carry. (rural area, farmish ) The gun/holster stays on till the end of day even when inside. If out for the day with gun but not in holster, when returning home gun stays near me then it goes to the nightstand. For the rest of the days, one of the guns stashed through the house are enough.

[michael t]

I always carry at home Why not.

I rarely do since the guns are never more than 15-20 seconds away,

That's a life time when you really need a gun. You will never make it If a home invasion.

[six-gun]

i live on my own patch of desert in southern arizona. the border is only a couple miles from my front door. a river runs north from the border, parrallel to my property line, only about a thousand feet away. this is a commonly traveled conduit. drugs, illegals, you name it. some may have heard that not long ago a rancher in arizona was murdered on his own land by foreign nationals. this is my primary concern. there are also rattlers and coyotes aplenty. i'm remote enough that a common burglar isn't exactly topping my list of concerns but i figure i have reason enough already. so yes, i openly and conspicuously carry a 41 magnum blackhawk, loaded hot with JSP bullets. if i'm outside, doing something with my hands free, it's not rare to find me holding my 30-30 winchester too. when i build my AR, i'll likely start keeping that with me when i'm working on my land instead. call me paranoid, but paranoid and alive is better than sure of your safety and dead.

[kraigwy]

Do ya'll carry in your house?

I do if I have my pants on.

[M-ONE-X]

I am a Michigan resident forced to live in the butt hole known as New Jersey, because of the military's wishes. I have a MI CCW and carry every possible place/ moment I can. Unfortunately That does not include anywhere in NJ, except my own home. Even then I would be treated like a criminal in this state because I defended my family and hurt the poor bad guy if he broke in. No right to self defense here. I have had complete strangers show up here looking for random people one guy even opened my screen door when my wife answered the front door. Lucky for him he closed it real fast and went on his way, as I was waiting at the top of the stairs with my 870 and 6 slugs. I live in a decent part of town on a road that only other military members live but we are close to the sketchy folks. I usually have my Sig P229 on me every where in my house. It's even accessible from the shower, only an arms length away. The way I look at it is; I could live with my self if I went to jail because some clown tried to carry out evil deeds on my wife or daughter and ended up getting a couple of 150gr attitude adjustments. I could NOT, however live with myself if I did not prevent that because my gun was tucked away in a closet or safe or on the opposite side of the bad guy as me. Watch the beginning of law abiding citizen, If that doesn't set your mind right about a home invasion, nothing will !!! It's a crazy world out there, especially with all the drugs and i'm not just talking about meth heads, I'm talking about all the crap the FDA and pharmaceutical companies try to shove down peoples throats to"FIX" their problems too. You never know when it's going to go live, so you need to keep yourself in a constant state of readiness which is not "paranoia" as some may think, especially if you have loved ones to protect. Also from dusk till dawn, make sure you have your Surefire or other trusty illumination device within reach and ready as well. It's nice to be able to tell the difference between your dog or a loved one and the bad guy, in the event you do have to detonate.

So... Misterwhite- Many men have died to give you your freedoms, including the right to keep and bear arms. So exercise your rights at all times. If you don't, you will lose them.
Also about the whole 70 rounds in mags, the bad guy is not going to stop in the middle of a gun fight so you can load up your mags again (though I really hope that it doesn't take you 70 rounds to stop a bad guy/s ) but it's good thinking on your part, so good for you, at least you will be ready when the damn zombies start coming down the streets and you have to bug out. Just a thought though if you ever do get into a gun fight in your home, you may want to unload your spare mags back to maybe only one spare... Or hide them really really really well before the cops show up and start their investigating. Because when that gun and it's related components get confiscated as evidence and you go to court and the jury see's you have 70 some odd rounds waiting.... the anti-gun folks are going to "FRY" you!! labeling you as some psycho gun nut extremist, Simply because you were prepared minding you own business and defended yourself.

[M-ONE-X]

I also have shared that feeling of dread. Only mine came on a day when I was giving my carry gun a quick inspect and lube. When I went to download the ammo from my Sig I had NO round in the chamber that could have been a bad day... here I am prancing all over town with what I thought to be a firearm ready to rock and roll on my hip..yet it was not. Two days earlier I had taken all ammo out of the gun and separated the live mags to another room while I practiced drawing from my concealed location and completing reloads with my empty mags. After my "training" was complete I retrieved my loaded mags and put one in the gun however I forgot to rack a round in, as I put my other mags in their pouches. Now with no loaded chamber indicator on the gun it didn't catch my attention until I went to unload two days later. Since then I have never put my gun it's holster until an admin check for a round in the chamber has been completed. It doesn't matter if I know 100% that there is one in the tube, and I pull it out set it on the counter spin around in a circle and pick it right back up... It does NOT go in the holster with out and admin check for a round in the chamber. This may seem like common sense for most but I didn't think I would forget something like that either. Luckily I learned I was a dumb ass the easy way and not when I went to pull the trigger.

[AROutdoorSoldier]

My wife and I carry while in the house everyday all day. We do have two big dogs, but a determined zombie can get in. I also remember from my Boy Scout day's, "Be Prepared!". We have talked about hiding a few guns about the house, but our kids are 7 & 5. Neither one of us are comfortable with that idea. They know not to play or even touch the guns, but there is always that chance. They also have friends over and I know some of their parents know nothing about guns. Consequently they have not stressed proper safety and handling of firearms.

Anyways, yes we carry about the house and yard.

[sigxder]

With all the home invasion crap going on you're damn right I do. Had three of them here locally. In very nice neighborhoods. One they took the couples baby and put a gun to the child's head and demanded money, jewelry, or whatever. I don't have any children so I've also got guns stuffed all around the house. Overkill???? I don't know but it's better than underkill. Been having a scam going on here with bad guys trying various ways to get into your house for a look. Selliing things, services and so on. Had one unknown come to the door. Peaked out the peep hole in the door. He was very nervous. Answered the door with my XD slighty showing. He left quickly.
Didn't point it at him. I just told him no to whatever service he had and told him I would inform my Condo association of his presence. Not allowed to sell stuff on the premises.

[machrism]

Yes. I do carry in the house. May not be on my belt since I still have to get my CHL but there is always a gun within reach. Whether it is mine or not. That is a different question. We are packing in our house. Heavily and everywhere but the bathroom!

[Stevie-Ray]

Heavily and everywhere but the bathroom!

Why not the bathroom? Not being a SA, just curious because whenever I'm in the shower or "in the library," the gun simply comes off the holster and sits on the vanity. Easy, quick reach and it's the last place I want to get caught with my pants down, so to speak.

[DiscoRacing]

Usually not... tho I have at least five loaded in several areas of the house.

[Alaska444]

It is my responsibility to protect my wife, so I always have easy access to my weapon at all times. I don't actually holster it very often in the house, but we have taken many precautions on other security aspects. As long as the doors are closed and locked, it won't be easy for the average creep to get inside and it will take a lot of noise to do that. We likewise have an alarm with motion detectors at night and some other internal precautions within our house itself. Security is a multi-faceted approach with layers of protection instead of just a single device to count on, including the gun. But the gun is always within arms reach 90% of the time. We don't answer the door unless we are expecting someone. My wife has all of her friends trained on that issue already. No surprise visits.

[BigPoppa]

I have cameras placed at my front door, back door and front garage door that I can access through my television and computer. I normally don't carry while at home but there is a firearm in reach when I am @ my computer and while I am watching tv and Three weapons loaded(Glock,Taurus and S&W) beside my bed every night that I go to sleep. I carry most everytime I go outside because there are plenty places for would be clowns to hide.