Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Massad Ayoob, A Gun In The Safety, Of Your Own Home?

Wear A Gun In The Safety Of Your
Own Home? Here’s Why It’s A Good Idea.
By Massad Ayoob

A staple meme on the gun-related Internet forums seems to be, “If you carry more firepower than I do, you’re paranoid, and if you carry less than I do, you’re a pathetic sheeple.” Nowhere does this manifest itself more than in discussion threads on “home carry,” that is, wearing a handgun on your person when at home.

One poster comments he keeps a gun in his pocket or on his hip at home. Another writes, “Where do you live, Fallujah? I’d hate to be as paranoid as you!” And the argument is on. A second person will comment, “I just keep a loaded gun stashed in every room. Why carry at home?” And the next guy will say, “You’ve got a gun in every room, and you call someone else paranoid?” Well…

Balancing Responsibilities
The responsibly armed household has to balance quick accessibility of a loaded firearm in a sudden, life-threatening emergency against the obvious need to keep that weapon secure from the unauthorized hands of little kids, irresponsible adults, and the burglars themselves. If the stored or staged gun is even in a quick release safe, there’s going to be the matter of swiftly and surely unlocking the little vault, perhaps in the dark and with hands shaking from adrenaline. Some hands are simply not compatible with biometric safes. Getting across even an average size den or bedroom to the storage location takes considerably more time than the practiced movement of drawing it from a holster already strapped to the body.

I figured out a long time ago the simplest way to keep a loaded gun instantly accessible and simultaneously keep it out of unauthorized hands was to keep it loaded and holstered on my person.

I first met Jeff Cooper in the mid-1970’s at his home on the then embryonic Gunsite property, where he lived with his wife, Janelle, before building his famous house, the Sconce. I noticed his trademark Colt .45 auto never left his hip unless he sat down, at which time he set the pistol on a table beside him. A couple of years later, I was a guest in the home of Lt. Frank McGee, the legendary commander of the NYPD Firearms and Tactics Unit, and observed that his signature 3-inch barrel S&W .38 Special never left the holster on his hip. Those wise men had figured it out before I had.

We would be fools to think we’re prepared to defend against home invaders without studying what happens to victims who are not so prepared. If you haven’t done so already, read In Cold Blood, Truman Capote’s classic on the 1959 murder of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kan. One would think a farm family would have at least rifles or shotguns in the house, and if they did, none of the residents were able to reach one when surprised by the murderers, and they were slaughtered. Look at the savage orgy of rape, murder, and arson in Cheshire, Conn., in 2007, which only one member of the Petit family survived. I don’t know if the family even owned a gun. But ask yourself, when each of these atrocities went down, if the head of the household had been carrying a gun, whether the outcomes might have been better.

No, you don’t need to walk around the living room strapped up to run a 3-Gun match. If you’re worrying about alarming the UPS man, the cookie-selling Girl Scout, or the neighbor who came over to borrow the proverbial cup of sugar, a J-frame in a pocket holster or a subcompact 9mm strapped to the ankle or even a full-size .45 or magnum holstered discreetly beneath an untucked shirt will go unnoticed.
Even if you feel comfortable with a loaded gun quickly accessible in every room because your home is presently child-free, the day is going to come when a friend or relative shows up unexpectedly with a passel of rug rats. This will require some hurried running around to get all the hardware scooped up and secured. It seems so much easier to simply have to pull a slightly oversize shirt over a holstered pistol, or leave the gun in your pocket—this way you can be sure little fingers won’t be finding their way onto any triggers.

Paranoia? Nah. The gun on at home is, for a lot of people, simply a solid understanding of the time and space continuum and how rapidly a home invasion can go down.

https://gunsmagazine.com/handguns/home-carry/ This is a good read. He makes some good points.

I have a hundred yard driveway and a very nervous boxer.
A ninja with felt bottom boots couldn't make it 1\4 of the drive before I can lay hands on a long gun. I do not need to strap a little pistol on myself.

In so many of these home invasion scenarios, a barking dog coulda made all the difference in the world.

I don’t ware (or wear?) inside or outside at home. There’s always one in reach, but we live out where home invasion robbery is unheard of.
I’ve been giving thought to getting a holster for when I’m working outside. Not so much protection, but I often see varmints and critters that would probably be dispatched if a gun were handy.
If I could find a light canvas job with a good dirt proof cover for when I’m cutting wood or grass. I seldom go looking for them though.
7mm

I have our two Aussies for early warning. I keep a loaded pistol next to me in the den where I watch TV and another by my bedside table as well as Surefire lights. Hope that's enough

Try a Fanny Pack. It works well for me when I'm out and about on my property. I use it to carry a .22 pistol with a spare mag and folding knife.

I rarely carry at home. Do keep one handy most times.

I keep guns around too. But the one you have on you is far more available, and quicker than the one in the drawer, in the same room.

I don't carry all that often and never at home, but have one nearby regularly, but that fanny pack idea works well anyplace. If I were carrying all the time you'd see me with a fanny pack.

Due to my line of work and the fact that my 13 year old beagle is lazy....I have 1-2 located on each level of my home. The wife is proficient and the oldest daughter is learning. We don't expect to be bothered much but living in town we have had our cars broken into (car hoppers) looking for change and whatnot for drugs. I've had a tank of gas or two siphoned as well.

I carry whenever I leave the house/yard. But I have guns easily accessible to me and I keep my doors locked, so usually I don't bother to carry inside my home.

I have two labs for early detection and home alarm system. With that I have a pistol by my bedside, and AR pistol (not the best home defense) in a 5.56 as well.. when I go somewhere 95% of the time I will have my AR pistol..

No dogs currently, but I either wear a gun around the house, or have one by the side of my easy leather chair, during the day, or on my bed stand with adequate flashlight.

Massad Ayoob has been my favorite gun writer since i first started reading the mags 40 year ago. Just checked . . . he's now 71 years old.

Yep, mine too. Somewhere I still have my copy of “In the Gravest Extreme” and his column was my favorite part of “Combat Handguns” magazine.

Lately I’ve really been appreciating how easily and unobtrusively an S&W Airweight revolver w/shrouded hammer 629??) and Uncle Mike’s Boot Grip slips in and out of an Uncle Mike’s Pocket Holster and how easily it carries. Often have it in my pocket around the house and elsewhere.

I gotta spend some range time at 15 to 50 yards, I already got the point and shoot close range stuff down, but what if a situation arises where I need to engage someone further out?

For the woods, where feral hogs are a concern, a higher cap nine w/147 grain BB lead solids. I was already confronted by a big feral boar once, about 20 yards out, as it turns out I didn’t have to shoot, but the j-frame in my hand on that occasion just seemed to shrink as I held it.

I do and have carried at home and every where else for that matter.
a important part of being proficient with a fire arm is being comfortable with it. sitting, standing, bending over etc.
I have had a 1911 riding on my hip for so long that I feel funny if its not there.
I have been known to go to church with it on. should happen more often but there you are.
the biggest hurdle I had to overcome was the flames directed at me when sitting down in a leather chair or coach.
I did scratch the leather in the Jeep with the hammer spur but it buffed out before the dragon saw it.
the old saw about "you don't need a gun, until you need it" is the truest there is.
there have been 3 times in my life that if I hadn't had my piece AT HAND, I would have either died or been maimed. remember the saying we use against the anti gunners, when seconds count cops are minutes away.
ymmv

I usually carry a 2 inch model 36 in my pocket with enough holster on the front of it to protect my pocket from getting a hole rubbed by the front sight. But the trigger guard is exposed so there is no trouble getting my finger into it. If I have on enough clothes to hide it I wear my Model 66 4 inch loaded with magnums. Except while using a tractor at the farm I carry a center fire rifle when I dismount the truck. Predators can show themselves any time of day. On vacation or travelling we always have an accessible rifle in the truck unless we fly somewhere. Then it's just the model 36 and 66 S&W.

I always liked the Rossi Coach Gun with double hammers and triggers.

Ruger LCP 380 ALWAYS in my pocket. Even while wearing shorts or sweats around the house. And a high cap 9mm and a Rem 870 Tac 14 in 12 ga within easy reach at any time.

Don’t think I need Ayoob to tell me squat!