60 days

[pacific nw guy]

what a difference 2 months can make! in early October I decided to buy a gun. Before that I was not of the anti gun sentiment I was merely indifferent, and to be honest a little scared of the equipment.

I give the credit of my decision to buy a firearm to the idea of family protector. There have always been dangers in the world and there always will be but being a father of 2 and a husband over time I developed a deeper need to protect those in my household. In my time leading up to owning a gun(s) I also bought a supply of food and worked on setting up various emergency contingencies. Bottom line is I am more prepared and now with my gun and food there will be a lot more dead zombies on my lawn before they break the door down I just have to be accurate enough for head shots.

OK, back to my intial train of thought. My transformation today was complete as it is the first day I carried my weapon with a live round in the chamber.

When I first got my gun I could not even fathom it in my safe with a round in the chamber but over the period and through a training class I understand how a gun works and that without that round I may as well carry a rock.

My first gun was an XDm, and I merely bought what felt good. Little did I know that my opinion/feeling would further evolve and I would soon want to carry a weapon...with that came my purchase of the pm40. I was in the gun shop and thought that the small package and larger caliber was perfect. at this point i had only shot the xdm 9 a few times so again my decision was rather impulsive. I know now I made the right one but in looking at a seecamp, kel tec, or lcp i didnt feel like they were going to do the job I wanted done. I was keen on the pm40.

Now I am the owner of 2 guns and am ready to carry a weapon. I even get the feeling that I need to carry it more and more....I assume that is the next phase, I start carrying it from the refrigerator to the bedroom, but seriously my mindset is now that if I go out without it and something does happen on the way to 7-11 and I could not protect myself how dumb am I?

which brings me to becoming a person with guns and a ton fo holsters....crossbreed on the way.

anyhow that is where I am at, maybe some can relate but I thought I should add some new content to the site as I read more than I write!!

[500KV]

Good on you for becoming a convert and family protector.
Those zombies are out there and they're real.

Just keep the PM40 and XDM out of the reach of the kids then make converts of them as well when they're old enough.
I know you'll like the Crossbreed too.

[Dietrich]

Practical experience trumps indifference most every time.You are learning and learning well it seems.You have made the right decision as a husband and a father.Congratulations.

[Raoul]

Practical experience trumps indifference most every time.You are learning and learning well it seems.You have made the right decision as a husband and a father.Congratulations.

+1. Practice, practice, practice.

[pacific nw guy]

practice

practice.....true indeed and as a follow up the guns are kept in a locked safe out of the kids reach or access. gunvault!

[MattTheKnife]

Good call on the XD and the Kahr. Now you need to get yourself a defensive Remington 870.

[johnh]

Very good choices indeed. I have two XDs and two Kahrs at this point. I expect growth in both areas of my collection. The XDm is great for defensive use or competition. Soft shooting and accurate. Of course reliable as the platform tends to be. The PM covers any CCW needs you may have. Like Raoul said, buy ammo and practice, practice, practice!

John

[Bawanna]

Knowlege is power

Welcome fellow NW guy. First I've read on this really great forum. Like you I read much more than write, usually someone inserts my exact thoughts eventually. To me the safest place to store at least one of the two guns mentioned is on your hip but the main reason I felt compelled to write is the kids. Take them and the wife to the range, let them see what the gun does and how it works. Offer to let them look at it, hold it, and certainly shoot it when they are old enough, which is normally earlier than many people think. I found that kids are very inquisitive about things like whiskey, beer, guns, cigarettes, etc. If you lock up a gun and forbid a kid to check it out, the first chance they get on their own they will want to check it out. I own a few guns, far more than I need but not nearly as many as I want, but from the time my kids could talk, they knew they could hold any one of them, all they had to do was ask. I had no fear of them going to a freinds house and checking out the kids dads guns. If their friends come to my house mine will not even mention guns and if one is inadvertantly left in view they will let me know. That being said I of course keep all but what I'm carrying in a good safe, mostly due to the previously mentioned zombies. Knowlege is power, take away the novelty and things will be much safer. Guess I lied, I write as much as I read.

[bossbird]

May consider the new Stoeger Double Defense side by side shotgun in either 12ga or 20ga. Great home defense firearm to compliment your handguns. Only has 2 rounds but it's simply, totally reliable and somewhat forgiving if you don't have a good shot placement. If you go with the 20ga your wife could ease into learning how to shoot this firearm if you ever progress to that point. As others have stated, always think about the safety angle. I load my Stoeger when I go to bed, unload it when I wake up. Takes about 15 seconds but I know the gun is safe during the day. During the day I have my selected handgun on my person. Good luck with your practice.

[BigD]

Good post Pacific NW Guy!
That feeling of needing to carry more and more will not go away until you do! If your part of the country is getting worse like mine seems to be, home invasions seem to be on a sharp increase! Hearing about them more and more every week around here. I'm a lifetime shooter and gun owner but only in the last couple years has my state wised up and legalized CCW. Being newer to the carrying thing my feeling of need has steadily risen! With the bouts of armed robberies and home invasions going on lately I have gone to full blown carrying at ALL times! I used to strip off the rig along with my keys cell phone etc when arriving home. Not any more!!

And great advise from Bawanna45cal also! Teach 'em young so they can enjoy a lifetime of safe and responsible gun ownership!

[zena]

Congrats on your transformation. Sounds like you are taking it slowly, one step at a time in logical order. It wasn't that long ago that I went through a similar sea change and it feels empowering to know I am not and won't be one of the sheep. Good luck and keep safe.

[Bawanna]

Technology Challenged

I think I managed to put in one of them there avatar pictures with a little help from my friends way smarter than me. I was so proud I just had to do a post and share it with the world. Give a boy a gun.