How old is too old to carry?

[speedyp8]

I’ve spent most of my life in a northern state that is not gun friendly. I’ve owned pistols for 20 years just couldn’t legally carry them. Now I live in Florida and had to get my carry permit. I’m 57 and love the idea of carry but in a mostly retirement area there isn’t much crime. I would probably have to shoot wildlife way before the need to shoot a BG.
I think without serious training carrying is more a problem than a solution at my age. My son is a peace officer and I see the stress training he goes through and have to wonder what would I do in a stressful situation.
Let me know your thoughts.


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[yqtszhj]

First Welcome to the forum. Just curious what led you to us here? Anyway at 55 I figure I’m too old to fight fair so I carry all the time.

For convenience you can carry a small pocket 380 or 9mm. Even in Florida you can do that in shorts. Easy to do and you can get it from the pocket easy as long as your not sitting while driving.

[OldFatGuy]

I'm 63, pretty crippled up, can't run, can't fight. I go to the park and to Walmart, I wonder too why I need to carry. I'm not fast enough in wit to save myself anyway, by the time I know I'm in trouble, it will be over. What I think about are other things. The old saying, better to have it and not need it, than .....etc.

[speedyp8]

First Welcome to the forum. Just curious what led you to us here? Anyway at 55 I figure I’m too old to fight fair so I carry all the time.

For convenience you can carry a small pocket 380 or 9mm. Even in Florida you can do that in shorts. Easy to do and you can get it from the pocket easy as long as your not sitting while driving.

I’m here because I bought a CM9 to pocket carry. I haven’t shot it yet but bought a small (of course it’s a CM9) holster for it to fit in my pocket. My other quandary is that my wife does not like guns.


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[leftysixty]

I'm 70 years young, beat up and crippled, I still have fight in me and that's why I still carry a handgun!

[Transporter]

Gents, as we get younger we all still have that American boy in us that just loves to play with a gun--the controlling of the mechanical mechanism is too fascinating. And we , our dads, uncles, grandfathers introduced us. Handling and carrying a gun is practical, tactile, responsible, weighty, noble--a locus that helps focus the mind on the present, prescient, and positive reality. The NOW. Go on, fellas! Be 70, be 80...carry a gun you've known for decades or try a new one to train new habits. Current, like a new language. What is better than this? And in the end--you pull the trigger and it goes BANG!!!

[Wlfman13]

Well, there you have it. I believe we have answered the original question. There does not seem to be a “too old”.

There does come a time when we may be allowed to live long enough that it is no longer that important. Before I get my wrist slapped, let me provide an example.

When I was 8, my grandfather took me aside, and showed me his Smith & Wesson .38 Special Combat Masterpiece, and his shotgun. Both of which he carried as a police officer. He asked me which one I wanted, and explained that I was the oldest grandson, and that my cousin (6 days younger than me) would get the gun I didn’t choose, and that I would get my choice when he no longer had a need for the gun. It may be obvious that I chose the pistol.

Fast-forward 37 years, and my grandfather moved to an assisted-living facility. He decided he no longer had a need for the pistol, and gave the gun to me. A little while later, I visited him and we ate lunch together, getting ready to go to the range for my first chance to fire the gun I had waited 37 years to fire. He, with his walker with tennis balls on the feet, and me carrying the range bag. Both grinning ear to ear.

We donned eyes & ears, entered the range, and the smiling stopped. He stood behind me as I made a quarter-sized hole at 7 yards. After 20 rounds, I asked if he wanted to shoot. He said, “I’ve shot that thing enough in my life. I don’t need any more practice.” I reeled the target back to us, and said, “Not bad, huh? That thing is accurate!”. He said, “It is VERY accurate. You also didn’t make it very hard on yourself, either.” In one sentence, his eyes let me know how much he enjoyed seeing me shoot the gun, and his words and tone let me know that he knew I had been “sandbagging”, and that he expected me to expect more out of the gun. Two sentences prior, he let me know that his days of shooting were over. I sent the target back out to 15 yards and made the quarter-sized hole the size of a half-dollar. I got a little smile out of him, and he said, “Why don’t you let the gun cool down a bit?”

So, it seems that you might never be too old. However, when you are done, you are done.

We went ahead and quit for the day. I still have the “other” ten rounds in the safe.

-Wlf

[JohnR]

I would add that there's no such thing as a "safe neighborhood." It only takes one violent crime to make you wish you'd been carrying. That's not to say everyone should carry a G17 with three spare mags 24/7, just that in this period of history we can't assume we're totally safe anywhere.

[Bobshouse]

Quit carrying the day you go outside and your friends tell you that you forgot to put on your pants...that will be your hint.

[AIRret]

As a women a gun levels the playing field.
Now, as a 63 year old women who's had two back surgeries it's even more important to "close" the gap and level the field….and give me a chance to NOT be a victim!!
I am also committed to train!! If your NOT willing to train is when you need to question why you carry!

[Mike_usn_ret]

I am 68 years old and carry a Kahr CM9 in a IWB holster every minute I am awake. My wife could not understand why I carried in the house till the the night an escaped criminal was caught in the neighborhood. I believe if I still have the mental and physical ability to carry, I will. Range time practice is important the older we get.

[yqtszhj]

I’m here because I bought a CM9 to pocket carry. I haven’t shot it yet but bought a small (of course it’s a CM9) holster for it to fit in my pocket. My other quandary is that my wife does not like guns.


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You picked a good pistol for pocket carry. I have one that I bought when the CM9 first came out.

As for the wife, my wife thinks I have too many pistols (I just like cool pistols) so I tell her I think she has too many pairs of shoes, purses, and a scarf collection that would rival Macy’s retail stock. Saying that usually gets me an eye roll and then we move on to another topic.

[Barth]

I'll carry as long as I can proficiently operate the weapon.
Pretending you know when, where and how you will be attacked is a prescription for disaster.
Fortune favors the prepared

[berettabone]

I have a feeling that when the time comes, if it comes, you'll know how to use it. I will carry until I can't. I can't run anymore so it's the equalizer. If you are to continue carrying, you must practice. Retirement places in FL. are perfect soft targets. Yesterday they shut down the high schools in my area because of an active armed robbery. A month ago, some poor soul a few blocks away from me was shot 4 times from outside through his kitchen window. You cannot possibly be ready for everything that may come your way, but being aware and prepared at least gives you a fighting chance. If your not truly committed to carry, then maybe you shouldn't. You have to have the correct mind set to carry. I tell my wife all the time, if your not ready to kill someone to save yourself, then you probably should carry a hammer. She's still carrying...………………………………………..

[JimboTN]

IF you can still think clearly enough to fight back...you're still young enough to carry. The question will more likely be WHAT you should carry and HOW than whether or not you should. I'm 69 and arthritis and numerous surgeries and now having to use a cane...I'm re-evaluating my primary handguns of choice - which are almost all in 40 S&W. The size and recoil are beginning to be uncomfortable. IF it gets to the point where I can't effectively apply them I'll reduce the size/caliber but I can't in good conscience give up my ability to defend myself and loved ones.
As to the subject of "safe neighborhood" today's criminal element thrives on soft targets and gun-free and/or geriatric gathering places seem to be a growing target.