Thursday, May 17, 2012

I'm not that tactical, actually...

Writes Greg at Dum Vivimus, Vivamus:
I know some people who claim they are always armed...that they carry even around the house.
Y'know, I'm not all that tacticool, I'm just lazy.

If I'm dressed, I have a gun on, mostly because the empty holster would feel silly. The holster is there because before I go to bed, the jeans I am going to wear the next day have all the stuff of life transferred to them from the current day's trousers: pocket knife, folding money, the little business card holder I use for ID and plastic, and belt & holster.

So, yeah, the gun goes on when I get dressed for the day and doesn't come off again until I'm crawling into my pyjamas, mostly because it's easier than constantly taking it on and off. It's not really for defense against home invaders (although I suppose it could be used for such,) because, thanks to the retired deputy who used to live here, Roseholme Cottage's front and rear entrances aren't the kind that sumdood can just kick in. Secure entrances are a much better preventative against home invasions than a pistol, anyway, and should give me plenty of time to go fetch a, you know, real gun.

So, yeah, I have a gun on when I'm at home because I'm lazy.


Joseph said...

I carry around the house and I keep one in the room with me when my pants are off. I figure I don't want to try and outrun a home invader to my shotgun, at least not without putting some rounds downrange from my pistol. I'm slow footed, so I carry in the house.

In no way would I ever call myself Tactical, at least not until I get my ninja getup and bullet-proof vest on.

Weer'd Beard said...

Same here, if I'm dressed, I'm wearing. And even tho I'm that guy who has no issue grabbing the mail or taking out the trash in my PJs, I'll make it a point to arm up just because I've seen attacks that happened to people who just stepped out for a second.

I'm not being tacticool. I'm just one of those guys who think guns are a good idea, and they're nice to have around, so I have them around whenever I can.

Also you never know when something might happen, and a gun on my person cocked-and-locked beats the hell out of any other option.

bluesun said...

That holster thing you do is also a good way to just get in the habit of carrying for people who have their permit but can't seem to find the motivation to actually tote a gun around.

Anonymous said...

I have 2 youngsters that I shuttle to school. I can't carry on school grounds so I don't, even worse I tend to bundle many of my trips together so I run errands before or after leaving school grounds.

Therefore I am admittedly unarmed more than I like. Shhhh... Don't tell anyone.

perlhaqr said...

I always have several to hand, but can't just do the "load up for the day" thing like so many of my friends, because I work somewhere that's inimical to armed citizens: the local university campus. Because god knows no one has ever needed to be armed on a college campus.

Anonymous said...

Tam - [T]hanks to the retired deputy who used to work here, Roseholme Cottage's front and rear entrances aren't the kind that sumdood can just kick in, which is a much better preventative against home invasions than a pistol...

Tam and several commenters here have often pointed out that there's more to self-defense than strapping on the latest gee-whiz pistol loaded with the hottest new JHPDSFSDU-T rounds. "Situational awareness" is frequently (and rightly) discussed, as are good habits such as "don't stroll through bad neighborhoods at night".

Putting a little money and effort into (for want of a better word) fortifying one's home seems a good idea, and one that even a hoplophobe could do with a clear conscience. It also works even when you aren't home: if a burglar finds that it'll be too hard to break in to get your stuff, he'll go elsewhere.

Firehand said...

First thing I did at daughters' new house was get a box of 3" screws and replace all the screws on the door hinges(good, solid doors) and strike plates with them. Makes it a lot harder for sumdood to get in.

When I started carrying I decided to make sure I stayed in the mindset, which meant always having something with me(pocket pistol is very helpful in hot weather) or close to me. Every time I hear of a home invasion it reinforces the idea.

Yrro said...

I carry around the house because
1) I spend almost all of my time in the house.
2) Given the nature of the neighborhoods I visit, and the time spent there, I am as likely to have need of the gun in my house than outside of it.
3) I live in a historic old farmhouse, with lovely 150 year old windows and doors, that I (possibly unwisely) value more than I do the ability to stop an attacker for an extra 5-10 seconds. I put in dead bolts, but anyone who wants to is going to be able to break the window on the porch and be inside quicker than I can run for the shotgun in the closet. Especially since most of those outside doors (did I mention there are five of them?) are in between my living room and my bedroom, where the guns are stored.

So I strap up in the morning and forget about it for the rest of the day.

Anonymous said...

Couple of years ago I learned something. I never, ever left the house without a projectile expeller of a suitably large caliber because The World is a Dangerous Place, and kept a couple in the house, always within a step or two.

One morning, dressed rather casually (no belt for a holster), I stepped into my well-fenced back yard, quite foolishly unarmed. I had made it about 15 paces to the clothesline when, to my surprise, I encountered the neighbor's 100 lb German Shepherd who had undertaken the task of digging under the fence between our yards, something he had never done in his 5 years of life. For some reason he thought my yard was also his, and I was an intruder, as evidenced by his growling. About my 5th step back toward my porch door he graced my right leg with his teeth.

Needless to say, much law enforcement and medical personnel involvement ensued, followed by substantial legal action. Small solace, that.

Since then I have never walked through a door, any door, to the outside without a .45, nor have I ever worn attire outside that would not support a filled holster. And, since I have it on to go to the clothesline, mailbox, errands and lawn mowing, it's just as convenient to attach at awakening and remove at retiring, as Tam does. At the very least, it's always within arm's reach and I know exactly where it is.

Lesson learned, very much the hard way.

Anonymous said...

I'm a big fan of the nighttime fanny pack. (To deal with the obvious criticism: If you slop around in baggy sweatshorts and a stained tee shirt at home, you're not worried about fashion!) A fanny pack is the one type of holster that always works regardless of what else you wear, or don't wear, around the house.

WindRider said...

Triple-pane windows keep heat in and slow down entry quite a bit. Then I used something from these folks to replace the door strike plates so the doors can't be kicked in. If sumdood decides to knock loudly with his feet, I'll probably mosey over to the gun safe to select something to properly greet him with.

But I still usually carry around the house, since it's safer to have good consistent habits.

Anonymous said...

What are pajamas?

Old Radar Tech said...

As an E-4 I shared an apartment in a seamier area of Norfolk. One evening roomie answered a knock on the door. It took the intruder approx. 2.5 milliseconds (I may be off, this is from recollection) to lay roomie out cold with a large wrench and get in my face, on the other end of the apartment. I had a pistol within arms reach - I turned, picked it up, and turned back to find wrenchboy raring back to take a swing. I socketed the muzzle into his nostril and invited him to swing.
He rejected my gracious invitation and after a few seconds vacated the premises.
I learned two valuable lessons - first, don't keep a broken pistol lying around - get it fixed, you might need it. Secondly, if you don't have a gun within arms reach, you don't have a gun.

Pakkinpoppa said...

It's an easier "lazy" habit to get into, strapping up in the morning, than it is to only strap up when "you think you may need it" and usually travel empty.

Anonymous said...

I can't carry the way you do, my employer forbids weapons on their site. Vehicles are subject to search. California requires significant bribes of public officials to get a carry permit.

At home, I have a revolver in each room.

But cap and ball revolvers are not legally fire arms, as the CA definition requires metallic cartriges, so that is the vehicle security system for people not politically connected. I figure with a .44 inch ball (load .451 and swage down on firing) it would work as well as ever it did.

T.Stahl said...

I'm in Germany. At home and at the range are the only places where I'm allowed to carry. So sometimes, yes, the Glock is on my hip instead of in the steel locker.

The Jack said...

Me carrying falls under the "stop touching it" rubric.

If I don't have to fiddle with the gun and holster I don't.

It just happens that that means I carry whenever I can.

Stretch said...

*lifts up shirt-tail*
Yup, 1911A1 right where is should be.
*drops shirt-tail*
Tomorrow I drive to my Aunt Ann's memorial service in the Soviet of New Jersey. Have to pass through the D.P.R. of Maryland. Return Saturday night.
That's the longest I've gone unarmed since 'bout 2001.
Civilization ends at the Potomac. But we've known that since 1861.

Ed said...

In a parallel case of George Zimmerman shooting Trayvon Martin in self defense, elderly Valrico Florida retiree Trevor Dooley shot the much younger and robust David James in self defense. When asked by an incredulous prosecutor at a hearing why Dooley carried a pistol in his pants pocket when he was at home, he answered "Because I can. It's my house."

Anonymous said...

Does carrying because of large furry things count as tacticool?

Never step out the door without hardware. Despite some folks reluctance to believe, I know, and know of, more people that have been mugged by critters than humans. In the house, either still have something on, or it's literally within arms reach anywhere in the house. Having a very small house helps in that regard.


Unknown said...


My inlaws were fairly anti when I met them... so I just carry on carrying, they don't specifically take notice, I don't make an issue, the world is good.

So the other day sumdood and his buddy mookie climbed in through their bathroom window and started stabbing them a bit.

They're a lot happier having me around and knowing I carry these days.

Today, I feel nekkid. There's a ship in harbour and I've been on it once and need to go on it again and they have all kinds of people standing around with R4s to make sure nobody steals the ship. And they don't particularly want me to outgun them (because I suspect none of them have ammo...)

And no, I can't leave the gun in the car. That's illegal unless you're a member of the South African Police.

greg said...

Well, first off, thanky for the linky ma'am...I was wondering if my site counter was broke.

Part of my problem is shared with some of your other readers. My place of employment(DOE Hanford Site) doesn't allow carrying, so unlike your attempt to call yourself 'lazy', I'm not carrying in the first place.

In fact, I've never worked someplace I've been allowed to carry...I guess that's what I get for sucking off the government teat. The other side effect of that is that I've never 'gotten used' to carrying anything remotely full sized. Wearing a gun for two hours if I happen to come home before going out with the family doesn't give you much time to adjust to the feeling.

It's easier(my admission of laziness) to just throw my Kel-tec in my back pocket...

Tam said...


"In fact, I've never worked someplace I've been allowed to carry..."

Oh, I understand. Remember, although I worked someplace where open carry was encouraged, a plurality of our customers worked in or around ORNL...

Anonymous said...

I work at home and carry around the house all the time. Not because I'm particularly lazy but because I like to. And that's a good enough reason.

Jennifer said...

If I'm dressed, I'm carrying. I'm not tactical at all, but it's a hell of a lot easier than dragging my shotgun around the house.
I find the kitties don't snuggle so nicely if I'm strapped like Rambo. I guess the ammo belt is kind of stabby.

Kristophr said...

Balloon goes up: The federal ban on school carry only applies to those without a permit.

Your state may have more restrictions. I suggest ignoring them.

I carried for decades without a permit back in the bad old days.

Weetabix said...

If I'm awake and not in the shower, it's strapped on. I guess it's a form of laziness - I never have to decide whether to carry it, and I'm pretty sure not to leave home without it.