Carry at other people's homes

[KD5NRH]

... snip... They run TacPro Shooting Center, between Stephenville and Mingus.

COOL !
That's close to where I live :)

It's even closer to where I live.

Funny thing, though...I drove by it daily for months, have three friends with memberships, and yet I've never actually stopped in to check prices. My car's getting less and less efficient, so the closer range (Pigeon Road Shooting Sports) is fairly attractive at $5 and a somewhat shorter drive.

OTOH, SWMBO let the guys at Pigeon Road talk her into buying a *barely* used Remington 7400, (.243 with a Redfield scope for just under $400, and I'd almost swear the gun hadn't fired a full box yet) and their range only goes out to 100yds, so maybe we'll be taking her car on range trips more often

[longtooth]

BobCat, been over a year now since your original post. You have had a lot of resopnses that go from "ask permission before you enter" to basically "nunya biniss bubba" (no referrance to our Bubba w/ a capital B) There are very few people that have the need to go into private homes on a real regular basis any more than preachers me, or lawyers who speak to political issues Charles, home security salesmen maybe. I think the more comfortable you get with just having your weapon on you in public, the more comfortable you will be in the home of a friend or acquaintance with it, without asking. My carry criteria from the beginning was 24-7. As a preacher the above crossed my mind & in the beginning I usually disarmed before knocking on a door. BUT, 1. that was several yrs ago. 2. Spot in the rd community w/ only 3 trafic signals now. 3. Had one officer when #1 in effect. The homes I visit stretch from "know I am 24-7, know what I carry, where it is, have shot mine & I theirs." All the way to: 83 yr old Mr. & Mrs. "Goodman Brown" who "must have cake & coffee when the preacher stops by" they have no clue what is going on in the world outside their 10 acres, the grocery store that still delivers, and the Dr. office. (This is really one of my families only the name is changed.) No doubt everything is represented in the community who do not know me well, FROM, Didn't know that preacher lets go shoot some time. to I can't believe it. A preacher with a gun What's this world coming to??? In all places, What's the policy? It is a part of my dress just like any other unseen garment. NOT A GARMENT PREACHER!! Ok It is part of my carry possessions just like any other unseen thing that I do not get out unless I need it. ie. bilfold, pocket knife, watch (I am so old I still carry it in pocket) keys, etc. I confess I do get my gun out less than any of these other things. I do carry a pretty good size pocket knife in my back pocket, not in belt holster & it has been said, Preacher what in the world do you need such a knife for?? I do not ask permission to bring that in when I visit. I don't ask permission concerning any other carry items. I knock & if they say come in I do. My guess, Charles criteria is close. Hope the year has made you more comfortable. My experiences & 2-cents that is worth about half that to some. Have a great day & carry every where legal & you are comfortable.

[BobCat]

longtooth,

Thank you for your reply!

Yes, it has been quite a while since my original dicomfort with the idea of carrying in the home of my wife's friends, who would probably be uncomfortable in the presence of a firearm. I did carry, stayed discreet, and there was no problem.

I was not worried about practical issues; it was more of a philosophical (oh, Goodness!) issue regarding Property Rights and respecting other peoples' wishes. Had they asked me not to carry at their home I would have respected their wishes (probably stayed home); but in the absence of their stated request, I figured I was not "dis-respecting" their wishes because their wishes were not explicit.

There might be an analogy here. I tried to think of something that other people do, that I strongly disagree with. For instance, drugs... but drugs are illegal, so asking someone not bring drugs my house is not motivated only by my distaste - there is a legal issue. Tobacco? Not illegal, but unhealthy (I lost a cat to intestinal lymphoma that might have been attributable to tobacco smoke). How about "sexual orientation" ?? Would I ask someone not to bring their "significant other" to dinner, if they were the same gender? Probably not... I might not like it, but they aren't actively harming me, and unless they are very "in-your-face" about their relationship, they are not being deliberately, actively offensive.

So, I like your view on this. My pistol is just part of what I have with me at any given time. It is not a garment, but it is something I feel prudent to have along. As long as there is no need to draw it, it is unobtrusive. If there *is* a need to draw it, I'll be darn glad I didn't leave it home.

You know, there is something out on the internet called the Cowboy Code.

It sounds corny, but it has a bunch of good advice. One line says:
"A cowboy unbuckles his gun belt and removes his spurs before entering another's house."
I think this is what set me off. I'll send you the whole "Code" if you want (don't need to waste more space here) - but I was not immediately clear to me whether "unbuckling my gun belt" meant not carrying concealed.

Regards,
Andrew

[Doug.38PR]

I'd carry. I do it whenever I legally can. Don't tell anyone.