1. Yes, it's a whole new look! Have questions or need help? Please post your question in the New Forum Questions thread Click the X to the right to dismiss this notice
    Dismiss Notice
  2. Seeing tons of unread posts after the upgrade? See this thread for help. Click the X to the right to dismiss this notice
    Dismiss Notice

Question about carrying concealed weapons

Discussion in 'General Chat Forum' started by Silence Dogood99, Dec 7, 2007.

  1. Silence Dogood99

    Silence Dogood99 New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 11, 2005
    Messages:
    2,769
    Likes Received:
    2
    Serious question for you guys. This is coming from someone who doesn't own a gun, has never really been to a range since I was a kid, but who respects second amendment rights and the proactive use of force :)

    We read about these mall and school shootings. It does actually make me think, "I wonder if the outcome would have/could have been different if a properly trained citizen had been at the scene." Is it realistic to think that you could one day help avert such a tragedy, or even keep yourself safe, if you were in such a situation?

    Realistically now, would the average gun owner have the judgment, training, experience and marksmanship to actually pull out his gun at that mall (actually, it's a gun free zone, but let's say it wasn't) and start firing at the gunman?

    I have wondered about carrying a concealed weapon. I don't know if it would unnecessarily escalate a situation. Like what if I saw two guys squaring off to fight, or a hoodlum grabbing a lady's purse...right now, I'd call the police, chase down the hoodlum and perhaps try to intervene if I could safely. But what if I was carrying a gun? Would I then unnecessarily pull out the gun over situations that weren't THAT grave or serious? Would I introduce a more deadly aspect to it than would normally have happened?

    I guess I'm looking for practical situations in which carrying a concealed weapon could be helpful versus even more deadly (mind you, I don't usually frequent high crime areas except when I get lost in big cities on trips!).

    Separately, please let me know how you handle personal protection in your homes (what kind of gun do you keep nearby, how close is it to you at night or even at all times, safety measures you take with kids in the house, etc). Thanks for your perspective.
     
  2. Forum Administrator

    Forum Administrator Member Forum Staff

    Joined:
    Jul 25, 2001
    Messages:
    247
    Likes Received:
    6
    Post moved to its own thread to not clutter a specific event topic
     
  3. Gun Ohna

    Gun Ohna New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2006
    Messages:
    214
    Likes Received:
    0
    Silence.

    Contact me directly and we'll talk. I'll be at HH tonight around if you'll be there. I'll have NRA appareal on most likely. In VA, there has to be imminent danger to life and/or limb of yourself or a third lparty before you can draw a firearm for protection.
     
  4. Silence Dogood99

    Silence Dogood99 New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 11, 2005
    Messages:
    2,769
    Likes Received:
    2
  5. BigDog

    BigDog Member

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2003
    Messages:
    172
    Likes Received:
    9
    Blue Ridge Arsenal in Chantilly (http://www.blueridgearsenal.com) has an excellent Concealed Handgun class they run every month or so. They also have beginning firearms classes too.

    I got my concealed carry permit this summer and carry every day.

    The NRA is a great source and they probably run similar programs in Fairfax.
     
  6. Villager

    Villager Ashburn Village Resident

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2006
    Messages:
    2,512
    Likes Received:
    19
    Carrying a licensed concealed handgun may or may not have made a difference in many cases, but it's a real shame when a church feels it must have armed guards.
     
  7. Eric the 1/2 troll

    Eric the 1/2 troll New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2007
    Messages:
    85
    Likes Received:
    1
    Not to try to divert this thread from the concealed handgun issue but where are these lunatics getting these high powered rifles? They say the mall shooter stole the gun from his step-father which leads me to the question of why aren't these guns better secured? Can't something be done by the gun industry to lock out guns so that they can not be easily lifted by lunatics bent on massacre?
     
  8. flynnibus

    flynnibus Well-Known Member Forum Staff

    Joined:
    Oct 29, 2002
    Messages:
    5,358
    Likes Received:
    250
    an earlier article said the kid had shown the gun to the family the night before - but they didn't actually think it was functional anymore.

    Guess the point is - people aren't going to lock their gun from someone they don't think is a threat with it.
     
  9. Silence Dogood99

    Silence Dogood99 New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 11, 2005
    Messages:
    2,769
    Likes Received:
    2
    Is there a telltale sign that someone is a lunatic bent on massacre?!
     
  10. T8erman

    T8erman Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 26, 2003
    Messages:
    5,236
    Likes Received:
    249
    No, not really.
     
  11. Eric the 1/2 troll

    Eric the 1/2 troll New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2007
    Messages:
    85
    Likes Received:
    1
    SD,

    No that is the point. Guns should be kept secure away from lunatics and sane criminals alike. I seem to remember talk of trigger locks that only the owner can open for firing. Seems that something like that would help. With today's technology, surely something can be done.
     
  12. Silence Dogood99

    Silence Dogood99 New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 11, 2005
    Messages:
    2,769
    Likes Received:
    2
    I am sure everyone shares your concern and desire, but I'll let others who know more about this comment.

    The limitation of this argument is this: what if the sane criminal or aspiring lunatic IS the owner of the gun?!
     
  13. Eric the 1/2 troll

    Eric the 1/2 troll New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2007
    Messages:
    85
    Likes Received:
    1
    SD,

    I am certainly no arms experts but it looks to me that many of these lunatics are simply stealing guns from others to use. The VT shooter bought his own gun but really that should have probably never happened either.

    I noticed that the governor passed or signed or proposed (not sure which) legislation designed to improve mental illness treatment as a response to the VT shootings. Now to me, I would rather see the effort made to keep the guns out of the hands of the mentally ill rather than trying to solve the problem by treatment of the mentally ill. I certainly am not against treating the mentally ill but I don't think this should be how we are trying to stop lunatic gun rampages.

    Clearly (if you will forgive the pun) there is no silver bullet but the status quo is not acceptable to me.
     
  14. jamesmkelly

    jamesmkelly Member

    Joined:
    Dec 6, 2005
    Messages:
    187
    Likes Received:
    7
    Insane people that are out to harm will do it in any fashion possible to include firearms, explosives, theft, sabatoge, etc. Laws are currently in place to attemptto prevent access to such items, but criminals rarely abide by the laws. If someone wants to use a firearm in a crime, they are not going to purchase it from a gun dealer, register it, and apply for a concealed carry permit. They will go down to the bad side of town and buy something that is not tracable.

    Attempts have been made to use technology to only allow the owner to use the weapon, but this becomes problematic in it working 100% of the time as well as situation where the "owner" becomes injured and then someone else can not use the weapon to defend themselves. Bottom line is that responsible owners have their weapons secured.
     
  15. Eric the 1/2 troll

    Eric the 1/2 troll New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2007
    Messages:
    85
    Likes Received:
    1
    I am sorry, james but this rhetoric is not supported by recent events. Will SOME criminals get guns to commit crimes no matter what? Of course, some will. Will other potential shooters be dissuaded from their crime if access to the gun is made more difficult? Most likely - yes. Such has been concluded in teh VT shooting. I believe that this is the philosophy behind the "cooling off period" in some current gun regulations.

    I suspect that more people are dying because of unsecured guns than could be killed by NOT being able to defend themselves because of malfunctioning safety devices. That argument does not pass the sniff test.

    Bottom line is that many owners are NOt very responsible apparently. Perhaps if they were, people like me would not be asking for them to be better regulated. The adage about a few bad apples is certainly apt here.
     
  16. jamesmkelly

    jamesmkelly Member

    Joined:
    Dec 6, 2005
    Messages:
    187
    Likes Received:
    7
    Eric,

    I do not disagree with your points, but the majority of violent criomes comitted with handguns are not by people who went through the legal process to obtain them. FRom DOJ:

    According to a Survey of State Prison Inmates, among those possessing a gun, the source of the gun was from -

    a flea market or gun show for fewer than 2%
    a retail store or pawnshop for about 12%
    family, friends, a street buy, or an illegal source for 80%

    Granted some incident like VA Tech do unfortunately occur and I do not disagree with background checks, waiting periods and the like. If additional screening is required to prevent another school incident, then law abiding gun owners should be willing to go through that step (I would).


    You are most likely corrrect that more people die due to unsecured guns. I think we both agree that people do get through the existing process that should not, and even folks that legitimately pass all the tests are not responsible. This irresponsibility leads to crime and accidents which should never have happened. People need to secure their weapons and educate those around them of their deadly ability.
     

Share This Page