I always feel better with a gun along and have no plans to stop carrying one.
I just came in from shooting my little S&W model 60 pro series revolver. I switched ammo in it recently to the Winchester white box 110g JHP. It is sure softer shooting than the heavier full power loads in the little gun, kinda halfway between a 38+P and a full power 357. I'm headed to the river this weekend and this gun will be with me. It's light and small enough to forget it's on my hip until I need it and easy to have hidden under my shirt at the ramp.
I only had one time where carrying a gun almost became a bad thing. I was still in high school and carrying another revolver while catfishing a creek a few miles from home on private land. I was a mile from the public gravel road and a half mile from the dirt road running along the fields and it was after 11pm. I had no reason to expect anyone to be anywhere around. Suddenly from behind me I heard a yell and someone rushed me out of the weeds. I half stood from my bucket, spun, and palmed the revolver. I'm still thankful I hesitated on pulling the trigger, and shaking a bit remembering it even now. A buddy of mine knew I was fishing down there and thought it would be a good prank to sneak up on me and scare me. He was a guy who had moved out my way recently from a small town in another state, not a local who had grew up around there. It scared the crap out of him when I spun and drew the gun, and both scared and infuriated me. Scared because of what almost happened, and furious at the situation he put us in. I still don't know what kept me from pulling the trigger, but I'm damn glad I didn't. He ran away apologizing as I put the gun away and headed toward him to beat the hell out of him for pulling that stunt. We talked about it the next day after I had cooled off and made sure it would never happen again.
I still carry a gun a lot of the time, but I always consider the responsibility that comes with it when I do.
I just came in from shooting my little S&W model 60 pro series revolver. I switched ammo in it recently to the Winchester white box 110g JHP. It is sure softer shooting than the heavier full power loads in the little gun, kinda halfway between a 38+P and a full power 357. I'm headed to the river this weekend and this gun will be with me. It's light and small enough to forget it's on my hip until I need it and easy to have hidden under my shirt at the ramp.
I only had one time where carrying a gun almost became a bad thing. I was still in high school and carrying another revolver while catfishing a creek a few miles from home on private land. I was a mile from the public gravel road and a half mile from the dirt road running along the fields and it was after 11pm. I had no reason to expect anyone to be anywhere around. Suddenly from behind me I heard a yell and someone rushed me out of the weeds. I half stood from my bucket, spun, and palmed the revolver. I'm still thankful I hesitated on pulling the trigger, and shaking a bit remembering it even now. A buddy of mine knew I was fishing down there and thought it would be a good prank to sneak up on me and scare me. He was a guy who had moved out my way recently from a small town in another state, not a local who had grew up around there. It scared the crap out of him when I spun and drew the gun, and both scared and infuriated me. Scared because of what almost happened, and furious at the situation he put us in. I still don't know what kept me from pulling the trigger, but I'm damn glad I didn't. He ran away apologizing as I put the gun away and headed toward him to beat the hell out of him for pulling that stunt. We talked about it the next day after I had cooled off and made sure it would never happen again.
I still carry a gun a lot of the time, but I always consider the responsibility that comes with it when I do.