I often get asked the question by friends who know that I carry: “Do you carry even when you’re home?” It’s a valid question I suppose, and my answer is always “**** YEA I DO!”
My reasoning is simple and can be broken down into a few important points:
- Although a break-in while at home is rare where I live, there’s always a chance
- I’d only have seconds to act if someone were to break into my home
- I carry all day anyway, why make an exception while I’m home?
- When I get dressed, my firearm is a part of my daily attire
Bullet Point #1 Explanation:
I’ll just use the fire extinguisher example. We all have them in our homes in case of a fire. We rarely have fires and hope to never have a fire but if we do, we have a remedy to attempt to stop that fire in it’s tracks before the unthinkable happens. The same rule applies to my firearm.
Bullet Point #2 Explanation:
If I’m in my family room at 10pm watching TV and someone kicks in my front door, I’d have to run by the intruder to get to the location where I usually store my firearm when it’s not on my hip. Why not have it right there, ready to go if it’s ever needed.
Bullet Point #3 Explanation:
It seems silly and unnecessary to remove my firearm and holster from their position just because I am at home. My holster is so comfortable, I forget it’s even there. Unless I’m doing my business or sleeping, it’s on my hip where it belongs.
Bullet Point #4 Explanation:
Along the lines of #3, my rig is a solid part of my daily attire. If I got dressed without putting my wallet in my pocket, it’d be the same feeling of nakedness if I did the same thing with my firearm.
In closing, we all carry to be prepared. Being prepared in your home is no different than being prepared away from your home. Crime can occur anywhere and unless you have a Gun Free Zone sign on your front door (obviously, this is a joke), your home is no exception. So, my advice is yes, you should carry while you’re home.
