We finally went and did it. It was a big decision and it took us a while because such decisions really shouldn’t be made without significant amount of thought. That decision you ask? After months of discussion both my wife and I decided to get our carry permits.
I won’t say that the decision to carry was hard because it wasn’t; we’ve been interested in getting our carry permits for quite some time. We just needed to take the time to carefully and methodically consider the hazards and subsequent risk associated with carrying a loaded firearm, which can be a bit of a process. Risk is a function, or combination if you will, of the likelihood of an unplanned or unwanted event occurring and the potential severity of the consequences of the event.
Once the hazards were identified we needed to assess the risk. The purpose of a risk assessment is to answer three things; What could happen? (What are the hazards of engaging in a particular activity?) What is the probability of that happening? (What is the probability or the frequency of the hazard being realized?) What would the consequences be? (What is the potential severity or impact of the realized hazard? How bad could it be?).
This risk assessment was qualitative in nature which means that the rankings/values assigned to likelihood and severity were non-numerical. The values we used for likelihood were: Very unlikely, Unlikely, Possible, Likely and Very likely. The values we used for severity were: Negligible, Minor, Moderate, Significant and Severe. The were a number of factors that went into determining the values we selected for likelihood. We started with one that I consider to be a well established fact, that past performance is the best indicator of future behavior (arrest record, violence, abuse, mentally unstable, suicide attempts...). Some other factors included location (state and city), quickness to anger, alcohol or drug intake, proclivity to road rage etc.
The values used for severity are a bit different in that they function more like a defining set of criteria or a threshold. Negligible = No injury or financial loss. Minor = Injury requiring medical treatment, financial loss of up to $2000.00. Moderate = Injury resulting in hospital stay, financial loss of up to $10,000. Significant = Permanent or long term disability, near bankrupting financial loss. Severe = Single or multiple fatalities, bankrupting financial loss.
1. Unintended / negligent discharge – likelihood possible, consequence severe, risk high
2. Finding ourselves in a situation where it is necessary and legal to employ our firearms – likelihood very unlikely, consequence severe, risk high
3. Public perception (people upset at the sight of a handgun) – likelihood possible, consequence negligible, risk low
4. Incorrect target acquisition (shooting the wrong person) – likelihood possible, consequence severe, risk high
5. Being shot by police or a citizen in the course of the lawfully discharge our firearms in public – likelihood very unlikely, consequence severe, risk high
6. Having the firearm taken forcefully taken and used against us – likelihood very unlikely, consequence severe, risk high
7. Unknowingly being in a location where it is unlawful to carry a firearm – likelihood possible, consequence minor, risk low
8. Children accessing a loaded firearm in the house – likelihood possible, consequence severe, risk high
9. Unintentionally profiling the weapon when carrying concealed – likelihood possible, consequence negligible, risk low
10. Breaking laws that would result in losing our carry permits – likelihood possible, consequence moderate, risk medium
11. Escalation of a situation due to being armed – likelihood very unlikely, consequence severe, risk high
After assessing the risk we then had to determine then necessary controls to put in place to reduce the risk to a level that we considered tolerable. The controls we selected were:
1. Training, practice, good holsters that cover the trigger, becoming very familiar with the guns, always treating them as if they were loaded
2. Never go any where with a gun that you wouldn’t go without a gun
3. Carry concealed
4. Training, training, training and practice, practice, practice
5. Not much can be done, risk was assumed as is
6. Concealed carry and number 2
7. Being knowledgeable of local and state laws
8. Biometric gun safe
9. Dressing appropriately for concealed carry
10. Know the laws and if necessary change behavior
11. Being constantly aware of lethality of a handgun and the consequences of using it illegally
After reassessing the risk levels and deciding that the controls we selected sufficiently reduced our risk exposure we then went about finding the right handguns, this took a while. We visited several gun shops and handled dozens of firearms. We were looking for three basic things, first was comfort and fit. The guns had to fit our hands and be comfortable to hold and shoot. The second thing we were looking for was concealability and third was the caliber.
Once all the shopping was done I ended up with a Smith & Wesson M&P Compact .40 and my wife decided on a Ruger LC 9mm. We then bought Stealth Gear IWB (Inside the Waist Band) holsters and magazine carriers and then after more shopping decided on a Sentry Safe Biometric gun safe. The next step in this process was shooting/training. So we went to the range, and went to the range and went to the range. After about 1000 rounds each we decided it was time for some state sanctioned training.
Taking a firearms class seemed like a straight forward proposition but we couldn’t find any regularly scheduled classes that weren’t full until next year. All the classes at the local ranges were booked a solid 3 months in advance so we ended up paying a bit extra for personal training. We started with a very basic firearms refresher course and then took the 8 hour course the state requires for a permit, 4 hours in a classroom which dealt mostly with state law and 4 hours at the range. There was then paperwork to complete, photographs, fingerprints and a background check. With everything completed and passed we were told we should receive our carry permits in 6 to 12 weeks,which allow us to carry a handgun either openly or concealed.
Where do we go from here? Well we are going to start off slow by first carrying in our house and walks through the neighborhood. We have to get accustom to the weight of the gun and holster. We have to dress differently and get used to doing so. Then do some driving to see if it’s uncomfortable, make short trips to the grocery, Costco, or the Mall and see how comfortable we are in public situations. Who knows maybe we will decide we don’t like it.
11:44 AM PT: I'm off to bed, it's really late where I am and I get up way to early. Will endeavour to respond to comments after sleeping and working. Thanks to those who commented.