[6t7goat]

I have been giving a lot of thought over the last year to obtaining a permit. I don't currently even own a gun. I am not sure I would even buy one if I got the permit. My thought is that If I get it at least I have it if I ever need it or if the laws change. I also work at a dealership that is not in the best part of town and I am frequently here late at night and it can be kind of creepy walking out and to my car. I even happen to walk up on someone breaking into a cars and stealing stereo's one nite. I saw them before they saw me so I startled them and they took off. Thinking back it probably was not the smartest thing to do. What do you think?

[T A 70]

Originally Posted by 6t7goat

I have been giving a lot of thought over the last year to obtaining a permit. I don't currently even own a gun. I am not sure I would even buy one if I got the permit. My thought is that If I get it at least I have it if I ever need it or if the laws change. I also work at a dealership that is not in the best part of town and I am frequently here late at night and it can be kind of creepy walking out and to my car. I even happen to walk up on someone breaking into a cars and stealing stereo's one nite. I saw them before they saw me so I startled them and they took off. Thinking back it probably was not the smartest thing to do. What do you think?

Unless Florida is different, you'll need to list the concealed weapon(s) on the permit including Serial #'s. I strongly, very strongly suggest you take a course or two and see if owning a gun is for you. At that point you can certainly test a whole bunch of guns for the size and cal. that feels right for you and to handle it/load/clean safely. Depending on the county you live in and the Sheriff or Chief of Police, it may be extremely difficult to get a CCW.

[sleepy]

I think you just listed the reason you should get one and get TRAINED to use it without hesitation.

[6t7goat]

I've owned and handled guns in the past. I use to do a lot of hunting when I was younger. I sold off my guns when the kids were young. I did not want to chance having them in the house with my older step kids. I have been through the gun safety classes years ago. A concealled weapons class is a requirement in florida to get the license. I was told that even my old buck knife is concidered a concealed weapon if I carry it.

[6869GTO]

Definitely get the proper permits and training if you've never owned a handgun. Remember once you pull the trigger you can't take that bullet back. If you see something suspicious,call the police and let them handle it but if your life or family is in danger,lock and load.

[Region Warrior]

From your post...HECK YA!

Grew up in a hunting/fishing family, so guns where an every day normal thing.
Carried since the 80's cause was 1st on the alarm call list for the place i worked(lived the closest).
On the 1st one the cops asked if i was carry'n. When i said no, they said "why not?".
Also being on the fire dept with cop friends had an influence.
Here in Indiana they dont require gun #'s, just a license to carry.

[Region Warrior]

Oh ya, if you decide to, look for a gun shop with a shooting range.
The ones around here will let you try'm out before buy'n.
BTY, one of my brother inlaws lives in Jacksonville.

[My442]

Don't live anywhere that requires you to carry a concealed weapon.

[Bjorn]

I dont have one , but I think its good to have.....if you can keep the weapon(s) out of reach for kids...but be sure to train well.
and why? to protect yourself and others...same reasons as why to have a weapon.

[Overkillphil]

I've had a concealed carry permit for about 15 years. Here in Pa. we don't need a "reason" and can list our firearms (as I did) on the permit as "Various". 19 bucks every 5 years and no BS!

Sure beats the snot out of our neighboring state, "The Peoples Republic of New Jersey"!

[Tom Vaught]

Originally Posted by 6t7goat

I've owned and handled guns in the past. I use to do a lot of hunting when I was younger. I sold off my guns when the kids were young. I did not want to chance having them in the house with my older step kids. I have been through the gun safety classes years ago. A concealled weapons class is a requirement in florida to get the license. I was told that even my old buck knife is concidered a concealed weapon if I carry it.

LEOs can be funny about Civilians carrying knives. If a person gets a CCW permit to carry a gun, that permit may not cover you if you carry a knife (even though both weapons are concealed). If you have a concealed weapons permit for a firearm, most LEOs will give you a break on the knife deal unless the founding father's of the city/ state are on their A$& about specific knife laws they passed years before the concealed weapons permit stuff went into effect. Make sure that you get something in writing if you carry the knife and the gun.

Originally Posted by My442

Don't live anywhere that requires you to carry a concealed weapon.

If there is such a place, it must be in someone's dreamland.

Just because you carry it does not mean that you have to use it.
You are just PREPARED if the NEED does arise. Being prepared is one
of the greatest feelings in the world. Like having "Life Insurance" but in
your pocket. Most people carry around a few extra pounds. Lose 3 pounds
and then carry a 2.5 lb Beretta. Your body will never notice the difference.

Tom Vaught

[bob67firebird428]

here are a few reasons ,,,,

http://www.thearmedcitizen.com/

http://www.thearmedcitizen.com/

[Tim john]

I carry everyday and have had the CCW permit since day one in Michigan. I run my trap line all fall and winter so it is applicaple there but as a "what if" situation arises like the good Boy Scout, I WILL be prepared.

Tim john---

[Blackcat]

Seriously consideing getting mine. I've had enough death threats over the years.
I'd rather be able to shoot back and protect myself. I have my gun. Just need to take and pass the course. (I also target shoot)

[400 4spd.]

I was strongly advised by some people in law enforcement that I should take special precautions. I do.

[TooLow]

I have had my ccw for 24 yrs now. I got it when I turned 21, bought my first pistol and 2 days later went and got my ccw. As to why, I always use the saying "I refuse to be a victim". You definatly want to read up on your states laws, the do's and dont's the where's and when's. Each state is different and you can get yourself into a bunch of trouble real easily if you make a mistake. Back when I first got mine here in PA it was kind of a hassle, you first had to go to your local police and get them to sign the forms for you. They called it sponsering you. Then you went to your county sheriff and he issued the permit after he lectured you on how it worked. Then each year you went back to the sheriff and re did it. Now days we have a local outpost close by and you get a 5 yr premit, much easier. Back to the reason for having one, Actually when I was 21 I did payroll runs for the place I worked and it was susgested I obtain one. I also do a lot of target shooting and it makes it easier to transport your weapon to and from the gun range. Craig.

[Brian Baker]

Originally Posted by My442

Don't live anywhere that requires you to carry a concealed weapon.

Where would that be? Iceland? I'll give you 3 guesses as to why Iceland has such low crime...and the first two don't count.

[johnsma22]

The only thing that people need to know about the right to bear arms and carrying a concealed firearm is that it is better to be tried by twelve than carried by six!

Just ask the scumbag that grabbed my wife from behind a parked car with a broken wine bottle. We were on our way back to our car in a parking garage after dinner in the city when this guy grabbed my wife from behind and held the broken bottle to her neck.

I didn't have any time to think about it, I just pulled my gun and shot the guy in the abdomen and promptly urinated in my pants. I'll never forget that moment as long as I live! My wife and I sat on the floor holding each other and crying as the guy kept screaming "why did you shoot me?". I kept screaming back at him "because you were going to cut my wife's throat!". He then started begging me to help him, which I did. I took off my shirt and used it to apply pressure to the wound to try and stop the bleeding. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the cops arrived and had him taken to the hospital and arrested me, urine soaked pants and all!

I was jailed, bailed out and charged with assault with a deadly weapon! A friend who is an attorney offered to defend me for free, but it never came to that. The district attorney decided to drop the charges. The guy who I shot recovered from his injuries, and because he had quite a lengthy criminal record, was sentenced to three years for his actions that night.

If I had it to do over again the only thing I would do differently would be to shoot him in the head so I wouldn't have to stand there and listen to him tell the cops and EMT's that I SHOT HIM FOR NO REASON!!!!

[NBF823]

I really should get one. It's a pretty bad enviroment around here. I window shop alot, even made a descision on what one to get a few times.

For me, it's a balance of fear. I know that if somthing should happen, I'll be sorry I don't have one. One the other hand, I don't want to be sorry I had one. My freind got hit with a bat about a year ago, I still don't know how I feel about that. He came out ok. But was it a bad thing I didn't have a gun, or a good thing? I guess that's thing about it. You have to make that descision, I try to avoid making that descision. One of these days when I have a few hundred not to spend and if the enviroment worsens I'll get one. Better to have a descision to make I guess. I hope to hell I never have to make that descision.

[gtoric]

According to the Second Amendment we don't even need a permit to keep and bear arms. Any arms. Seems to me a permit is an infringement on that right. Here are some additional thoughts on the need to bear arms, courtesy of Ted Nugent from his book, Ted, White, and Blue and retired Marine Major Caudil.

Human beings only have two ways to deal with one another; Reason and Force. If you want me to do something for you, you have a choice of either convincing me via argument, or forcing me to do your bidding under threat of force. Every human interaction falls into one of those two categories, without exception. Reason or force, that’s it.
In a truly moral and civilized society, people exclusively interact through persuasion. Force has no place as a valid method of social interaction, and the only thing that removes force from the menu is the personal firearm, as paradoxical as it may sound to some.
When I carry a gun, you cannot deal with me by force. You have to use reason and try to persuade me, because I have a way to negate your threat or employment of force.
The gun is the only personal weapon that puts a 100-pound woman on equal footing with a 220-pund mugger, a 75-year-old retiree on equal footing with a 19-year-old gang banger, and a single guy on equal footing with a carload of drunk guys with baseball bats. The gun removes the disparity in physical strength, size, or numbers between a potential attacker and a defender.
There are plenty of people who consider the gun the source of bad force equations. These are the people who think that we’d be more civilized if all guns were removed from society, because a firearm makes it easier for a [armed] mugger to do his job. That, of course, is only true if the mugger’s potential victims are mostly disarmed either by choice or by legislative fiat—it has no validity when most of a mugger’s potential marks are armed.
People who argue for the banning of arms ask for automatic rule by the young, the strong, and the many, and that’s the exact opposite of a civilized society. A mugger, even an armed one, can only make a successful living in a society where the state has granted him a force monopoly.
Then there’s the argument that the gun makes confrontations lethal that otherwise would only result in injury. This argument is fallacious in several ways. Without guns involved, confrontations are won by the physically superior party; inflicting overwhelming injury on the loser.
People who think that fists, bats, sticks, or stones don’t constitute lethal force watch too much TV, where people take beating and come out of it with a bloody lip at worst. The fact that the gun makes lethal force easier works solely in favor of the weaker defender, not the stronger attacker. If both are armed, the field is level.
The gun is the only weapon that’s as lethal in the hands of an octogenarian as it is in the hands of a weight lifter. It simply wouldn’t work as well as a force equalizer if it wasn’t both lethal and easily employable.
When I carry a gun, I don’t do so because I am looking for a fight. But because I’m looking to be left alone. The gun at my side means that I cannot be forced, only persuaded. I don’t carry it because I’m afraid, but because it enables me to be unafraid. It doesn’t limit the actions of those who would interact with me through reason, only the actions of those who would do so by force. It removes force from the equation…and that’s why carrying a gun is a civilized act.
So the greatest civilization is one where all citizens are equally armed and can only be persuaded, never forced.

Maj. L. Caudill USMC (Ret)


If one does decide to own a firearm, please keep it in safe containment when not bearing the weapon. Even if you don't have your own children in the household, visiting children should be protected from curiosity and the danger a weapon, loaded or not, presents.