It’s a bit sad that (I presume!) reasonable people feel the need to have not just their “papers” in order, but go all out for super duper papers…just in case.
But, here we are.
Granted, a CCW permit (or whatever it might be called in one’s area) is useful for other purposes, even if one visits a range maybe once a year or whatever, as is, I suppose, the “Real ID” (I’m kind of stuck in the past with the good old passport and state-issued ID…I’ll do the Real whatever when forced to, though).
Just because it’s about the thread title itself, AND we’ve had a lot of commentary in this and other threads about underestimating Democratic/liberal leaning gun ownership, I thought I’d put in a poll.
Trump wins and will be the next President, do you arm yourself and why?
No, because I find firearm ownership increases my risk.
No, because I find firearm ownership is a wrong choice for anyone.
No, because I think owning a firearm won’t make any difference.
No, because I already own one or more firearms.
Yes, but I was planning on doing it for another reason anyway.
Yes, because I’m worried about specific local threat.
Yes, because I’m worried about unspecific local threats.
Yes, because I’m worried about national level threats.
There are good and legitimate reasons to own a gun- after due consideration, including proper safe storage if you have kids. Make sure you know Gun safety, do some range shooting etc.
We’ve done this (reinforced and armored the house). But against criminals, not the gummint or whatever the yahoos might do after the election. I doubt if much will happen locally no matter who wins, and won’t be doing anything different afterwards.
Windows are merely a cultural taboo. They’re just stiffer Saran Wrap to some types of crooks.
With a skilled enough welder, the bars can be custom made to fit inside rather than out. And coated/painted to match or blend with blinds or even installed inside window treatments. If the HOA can’t see them, they won’t object.
Note: if you do this, you’ll find that windows have slightly different dimensions even if they seem identical, and require much more measuring than expected. Also, adhering to fire codes and providing proper escape hatches requires some creativity. You must ensure nothing blocks them (they open inward), and that the release can’t be accessed by crooks breaking glass and reaching inside. We did quite a bit of measuring/experimenting to determine what length must be blocked by welding additional barriers. We are now safe from everything except Orangutans.
Same here. I’ve visited most of my neighbors, and a 10 year old with a rock could be inside their houses in less than a minute.
Same here, it’s the only reasonable response if escape is impossible. But during our research I spent some time with an attorney experienced in this type of defense. I also spent a short time with someone who had actually killed in self defense (he wasn’t charged). The main takeaway is that using deadly force can be catastrophically expensive, even if you’re in the right. As such, our decision was to concentrate on avoidance, rather than defense afterward. Constant armed vigilance is impossible for the average suburbanite. And one important bonus from strong barrier security, is that firearms can be securely stored and locked away. Secure storage and instant availability are mostly incompatible.
This is a good point. The carry license legitimizes a lot of things that are edge cases. If I understood the attorneys correctly, there are some odd corner cases regarding responsibility for informing that guns aren’t allowed (for private concerns). With a permit, more of the responsibility rests on the business owner, rather than the citizen to determine whether he’s welcome. In Texas we have constitutional carry, which many seem to think means “anywhere, anytime”. This is not the case and I suspect some yahoos may find themselves in hot water for not reading the fine print.
In answer to the OP’s question – No, I’m not the least worried about the fallout from the election and have no plans to change anything. The “current occupant” has a near zero effect on my life, and like most elections I’ll sleep through it and probably find out in the next day or two how it went.
If anyone is considering firearms, it’s probably a good idea to talk with an attorney about the laws where you live. I live in the most gun-friendly place on the planet, and it’s still easy to run afoul of the confusing intersections between state and federal laws.
In the end it’s kinda too late, unless you’ve been previously trained(military) to get armed.
It’s not prudent to think you can acquire(waiting period), learn to use safely and accurately(not as easy as some think) and figure how not to get it used/stolen by persons you rather not have it, or shoot yourself.
Just gotta ride it out. Get a baseball bat. Big outdoor light and a hiding place.
I wouldn’t own a real handgun - too much expense and paperwork/regulations, plus risk to children. I have, however, considered buying one of those airsoft pistols that resemble a real gun in every way - painted entirely black/metal, etc. I wouldn’t take it out of the house, but if an intruder broke in, I might be able to bluff with it to get him to flee. I recognize that’s probably a dumb idea in twenty different ways, but it seems better than nothing.
I was saddened and distressed (to put it mildly) about the election. Worse, was what I heard from co-workers and customers today.
As I said upthread, I have enough guns.
But I couldn’t silence the “but enough ammunition?” anymore after hearing the evil gloating and plans for revenge, even given a large fudge factor for hyperbole.
So I bought 3 boxes of practice ammo for my 9mm pistols, and a spare box of JHP. At $60, it’s not too pricey, won’t expire, and provides a tiny amount of piece of mind. It’s almost certainly not necessary, but I’m a lot less certain of that than I was in July.
Yep. Maybe bands of right wing militias- that you could defend against, so it would be more “if Harris wins do you are yourself”. The chance you can outfight the Feds is 0. Now, I pooh-poohed the idea that the racist militias - mostly fat stupid cowards- would actually do anything serious, but certainly that was within the realms of possibilities.
Which is why I said it was just possible. So, if trump lost, and you lived in an area where they were around, and this was a concern for you- that might be a good reason- plus proper training, storage, etc.
I’ve got a number of guns. I don’t carry. Don’t want to. It’s a pain, both physically and phycological. But I did test a few months ago what it would be like to carry a 1911 Colt .45 Officers model. Wasn’t too bad. Had it on at home for most of the day.
But I don’t plan on carrying a weapon. Sucks in many ways.