I recently read an article at TheTruthAboutGuns.com that got my attention. The author explains how he has begun carrying a firearm 90% of the time he is at home (whenever convenience allows).
RF got my attention regarding the merits of home carry, so I decided to give it a go. I’ve been at it about a month, carrying more than 90% of the time at home. Here are the results so far: carrying at home is not as much of a pain as I had anticipated. Most of my carrying has been with largish pistols in various forms of pocket carry, and it’s not too bad. I’m not worried about printing around the house, so that’s one less concern. I haven’t found a great way to carry in comfortable pre-bedtime wear yet though. And I have no idea how to carry when I am a swimsuit. Maybe I need a P226 Navy Seal version with the waterproof small parts. Then I could lie on the bottom of the pool, securely anchored by the weight of the gun. But overall, home carry isn’t all that much trouble
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The big takeaway from home carry so far: carrying around the house has made me realize how vulnerable I am at any given moment. I’m not 22 any more, strong and mighty from summers in the oil field. I’m about 60 and a little gimpy. We live on an acre with a guest house. It’s easy to end up far from convenient firepower. All those guns in the safe only help me if I’m close to the safe. With the safe unlocked. With a suitable gun out of its storage baggie. And fully loaded. So if you want to be prepared to repel boarders, carrying is the only practical alternative.
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Home carry is working out well so far, though I’m sure there is more to learn. One lesson so far is that the main point of your handgun is having it handy. If it isn’t handy, it isn’t useful. The second lesson is that a continuous level of alertness is required to achieve optimum safety, which is not “safe” in the absolute sense. There is no absolute in this. This is why they say “be careful out there.”
Here’s the NRA’s Colion Noir on the merits of home carry:
