How common is it for gun owners to WANT to be in a situation where they have to use their guns?

In My Humble Opinion
61

I have lived in open carry states for the past 35 years. Saw one guy eating a hot dog on the street in Boise with a rifle on his back. That’s it for 3+ decades. Another “man bites dog” situation that people talk about that doesn’t really happen often enough to worry about.

For myself, just another gun owner who doesn’t consider carrying worth the hassle, even after they did away with the permit requirements a few years back (with no noticeable effect on crime, good or bad)

62

Agree completely. I don’t want to carry anyway. But that is a whole norther level to “I’m going to the store”.
Carrying a firearm is a pain in the ass. It is. EVEN if you do it right, it’s got to be a pain. Half of your focus has to be on the firearm. Or it should be.

63

For the first five years of my career, I was in uniform. The next 20 were in plain clothes, usually “undercover”. That is to say, jeans and whatever shirt would cover the gun, cuffs and badge. It is a pain to carry concealed, but you get used to it. There are many new, small handguns that would be little bother. That said, even though as retired law enforcement I am permitted to carry almost anywhere, I don’t think I have more than a couple of times since I retired 15 years ago. This is heresy among some people but I’m just not that worried about being caught without a gun. I have to admit I sometimes find myself re-thinking this.

64

I had a CHL and carried my 9 mm religiously for many years. But when my CHL expired three years ago I decided to not renew it. I just wasn’t convinced that it was worth it for the areas I visited.

Nowadays, I will still strap on my 9 mm if I visit a place that is considered a “high crime” area. (And I can do that legally, even though my CHL has expired. Ohio changed the law in June 2022.) This is a very rare thing, though.

65

I’m sure that’s true. My 3 hand guns are a .357 with a 4" barrel, a colt 1911 .45 and a .22 Rugar Mark II with a bull barrel. Still though, since I’m just not used to it, all my focus would be on safety and the gun. That’s what it always is when ever I’m handling or are around guns