“Why do you carry a gun?”

[JDD]

Yes, usually followed with an explanation why they don't feel its prudent to be a vigilante when off duty.

I've lost my civility for such red herrings, and usually interrupt them and say something to the likes of, "I'll stop you right there, because I never said anything about purposely hunting crime like a vigilante in my off hours. If you have something productive or intelligent on the matter to share, I'm all ears."

It gets mixed responses, which is fine by me.

I'll still never forget a supervisor who asked what authority we had to intervene in an active shooter, and when I replied that we're federal agents and specifically written into the FLEO Good Samaritan Act with response to life threatening (natural or felonious) incidents being in the scope of our duties, he walked off after shrugging and mumbling, "Oh, that answer."

Like, dude, get the fuck out of here. Thank god he's retired. I get it was a different agency when he signed up, but we don't fucking need agents like that anymore.

I have been asked why I carry all the time (and why I don't drink) when talking to folks literally hours after we all heard a few s-vests triggered less than a kilometer away.

[willie]

As a lifelong shooter, I like and respect guns and am comfortable with them. I'm proud that the state has trusted me to carry one should I choose to do so. As an older guy, I like having choices about self defense. Once a large and robust man, I'm now a bent, arthritic person who today is a shadow of a former self. That said, I must say that I continue to be blessed and have zero to bitch about other than politics. However, choices are limited. The gun gives me an edge that I don't have without it. If an armed mugger insists that I give him my wallet, I probably will--unless I determine that he's going to kill me anyway. Why? Surrendering the wallet is a cheap way to avoid a gunfight. Also, if I shoot somebody, I may or may not be arrested. Either way, I wish not to spend the little nest egg that I have on attorney costs. I don't want the stress of wondering will the grand jury indict me. I don't wish to worry about being sued in civil court. I don't want to find out that I killed a 15 year old kid. And, yes, it would bother me tremendously. Ain't nothing free or cheap about shooting somebody else even in a legal shooting. I will cross the street to avoid a suspicious person. I will retreat if I can. And so on. Part of this attitude is self preservation. Part is common sense. Most of my career I was a teacher. Had I killed somebody in a justified shooting, I would have lost my job. The next year I would have been told it would be best if I went elsewhere. Some people that I assumed were friends would have excluded me.

I write all the above to make a point about the possibility of being ruined financially and the possibility of having one's career disrupted and the almost certainty of exclusion and even the possibility of being charged with a felony. The phrase that I hate most is this one: "I rather be tried by 12 than carried by 6."

[Otaku.edc]

Self defense is an innate right/instinct of every living thing.

[Rex G]

Why do I carry a gun?

Short answer: It fits.

[ubervic]

As a lifelong shooter, I like and respect guns and am comfortable with them. I'm proud that the state has trusted me to carry one should I choose to do so. As an older guy, I like having choices about self defense. Once a large and robust man, I'm now a bent, arthritic person who today is a shadow of a former self. That said, I must say that I continue to be blessed and have zero to bitch about other than politics. However, choices are limited. The gun gives me an edge that I don't have without it. If an armed mugger insists that I give him my wallet, I probably will--unless I determine that he's going to kill me anyway. Why? Surrendering the wallet is a cheap way to avoid a gunfight. Also, if I shoot somebody, I may or may not be arrested. Either way, I wish not to spend the little nest egg that I have on attorney costs. I don't want the stress of wondering will the grand jury indict me. I don't wish to worry about being sued in civil court. I don't want to find out that I killed a 15 year old kid. And, yes, it would bother me tremendously. Ain't nothing free or cheap about shooting somebody else even in a legal shooting. I will cross the street to avoid a suspicious person. I will retreat if I can. And so on. Part of this attitude is self preservation. Part is common sense. Most of my career I was a teacher. Had I killed somebody in a justified shooting, I would have lost my job. The next year I would have been told it would be best if I went elsewhere. Some people that I assumed were friends would have excluded me.

I write all the above to make a point about the possibility of being ruined financially and the possibility of having one's career disrupted and the almost certainty of exclusion and even the possibility of being charged with a felony. The phrase that I hate most is this one: "I rather be tried by 12 than carried by 6."

Amen

[GuanoLoco]

... I'm proud that the state has trusted me to carry one should I choose to do so. ...

Curious. I don’t give a rat’s ass about the opinion of ‘the state’ other than there is a minority subset that should NOT be allowed to carry.

Seriously, why should I? Inalienable right to protect one’s self, 2A RKBA and so on.

[Kyle Reese]

What's fascinating to me is when I get this question from fellow LEOs, asking why I'm armed off duty. Sigh...

Ha! You took the words out of my mouth. I bluntly ask them why they opt to be unarmed while off duty, and get some of the responses that TGS enumerated above.

Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk

[41magfan]

A disproportionate number of COPS only carry a gun (when they're actually working) because it's mandatory and going armed when it's not required is a foreign concept to them.

[Cory]

They are not you Tuesday. If you know, you know.

I might need to shoot someone. If I need to shoot someone its likely to prevent serious violence against my family or myself. What if I didnt have the option and needed it?

-Cory

[Poconnor]

I made always made friends at my department when we qualified. At the end of the day I would ask who had off duty or back up guns to qualify. The officers who declined to purchase or carry such guns always got pissed when I asked them why not. My question “what’s your plan? Run away?” Always went over well