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Isn't part of this like exercise equipment? Many people buy it, know it is good for them and maybe even have a doctor yelling at them (like mine at me) that they need to exercise more. They know they should and took the first steps toward doing it but.....

I like the story of the doctor who convinced a woman to get up and march in place during the commercials while watching TV. He knew that wasn't going to help her by itself. But the idea of getting started gave her confidence. When she figured out that exercise wasn't as hard as she thought, she begin doing it more and finally got into a routine about it.

I just wish that my exercise regime was as consistent as my carrying.

Middle Age Russ wrote:Chasfm11, you posted some of the typical excuses/reasons many people don't carry as often as they might. One of them in particular caught my attention.

Manipulating a loaded pistol multiple times a day is too nerve wracking for some others that I've talked to. This was something that I had to overcome early on, too. It seemed that I'd end up at prohibited locations (our granddaughter's school, the post office, a 30.06 store) multiple times in a day. There is a certain comfort level that one has to achieve that you can concentrate on muzzle control when the urgent items of the day are trying to distract your mental focus. I've heard people say more than once that they are afraid of getting distracted and causing an ND.

This argument is a good point where education / discussion about carry options might be warranted. There are a LOT of different holster designs available for most common pistols. Many of these don't require unbuckling the belt to remove or to re-arm, so to speak. Since these holsters completely cover the trigger and are relatively easy to put on and take off, keeping the gun in the holster practically all the time (while on-body, off-body and in transition) can mitigate most of the safety risks.

Agreed. In my case, the Comp-Tac Minotaur that I use with my EDC is not one that I would consider easy on/easy off. I have a separate holster that I keep in the vehicle. The gun is removed from the IWB and immediately placed in the second holster for vehicle storage. A paddle holster might be a better choice. I recently bought a QB from Comp-Tac and it comes off my belt a lot easier. I just don't like the bump that it makes in my cover shirts since I've gained a few pounds. I've talked to several people about these kinds of decisions but many are put off by the number of holster choices. Again, it is an excuse, not a reason. If they really want to find something that works, they can. While mouse guns aren't the best choice, getting one with a DeSantis pocket holster is still better than being unarmed, at least for me. So far, once I've gotten someone to agree to carry at least a few times, I've found that a few turns into a lot. It is somehow getting past that initial discomfort.

I was one who got my then CHL with no plan to carry daily. We have an RV and had always had a shotgun on board. However, we ran into several situations where that might not have been enough. I wanted a pistol and felt that I had to have the CHL for it.

As others have said, the process (and expense) of finding a holster that works can be a barrier to some. I"m an untucked shirt tail type but those who aren't have a harder time. The admonition "don't carry if you don't carry one in the chamber" also drives some people away from carrying. It took me six months after I did start carrying before I racked the slide and added another round to the magazine before holstering the pistol.

The constant arming and disarming also puts off some people with LTCs that I've talked to who don't carry. Let's face it: putting the car in a place to manipulate the gun in and out of the holster unobserved in a public place and then locking it up can seem daunting until you do it a bunch of times. I was always afraid that someone would observe my movements and call LE. Others feel as I used to.

Russel's app helps a lot of people whom I've talked with that had concerns about ending up somewhere that is posted. While it is no big deal to most on this forum, others are more intimidated by showing up to find a 30.06 sign.

Manipulating a loaded pistol multiple times a day is too nerve wracking for some others that I've talked to. This was something that I had to overcome early on, too. It seemed that I'd end up at prohibited locations (our granddaughter's school, the post office, a 30.06 store) multiple times in a day. There is a certain comfort level that one has to achieve that you can concentrate on muzzle control when the urgent items of the day are trying to distract your mental focus. I've heard people say more than once that they are afraid of getting distracted and causing an ND.

But those are all excuses, not reasons. I've convinced several other people to start carrying daily or at least regularly by taking them back to why they considered getting an LTC in the first place. I always offer to help them work through any of the obstacles that they have. There for a while, 50% of those I spoke with who had LTCs didn't carry. Recently, the numbers at least seem higher.