How Do You Evaluate What's Necessary For EDC

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Moonglum

New member
There's currently a discussion on another forum that I participate at in which the OP is considering carrying a full size handgun and two spare magazines (for a total of 3) in the backpack that he carries daily to work. He currently carries a J frame in his pocket, no reloads were mentioned.

His rationale is to have the gun available should he want to concealed carry outside of work or to have the gun available should things go crazy at work.

Except for the fact that there is no way that I would leave a handgun unsecured in a back pack at work, none of this really sounds unreasonable to me.

However, as the discussion has progressed a couple of people have responded that they're carrying AR pistols and in one case a CZ Scorpion to work in their daypacks everyday. To me that just seems like overkill. It also seems to me that you're more likely to get caught with that at work and be terminated immediately than you are to need it at work or on the way home.

So my question is how do you make the determination (I'm sorry I can't think of another way to phrase this) that a rifle is what you need to EDC?

To put it a different way how do you determine what weaponry is necessary for your daily life?

I realize that this could be a really broad topic but since the discussion that prompted me to think about this was focused strictly on the gun that's kind of what I'm limiting myself to in this discussion.

I work alone, I'm literally the only person in the building right now. The odds of me being a victim of workplace violence are almost non-existent. I'm literally more likely to be attacked by raccoon (guess how I know).

I live four miles from where I work. If the balloon went up I could walk home in an hour. I'm looking at Cheyenne Mountain as I type this so if the balloon REALLY went up I'd see the beginnings of a bright white flash and that's the last thing I'd ever see anyway.

If the Rapture happens you guys are welcome to loot the building, loot my car, take my gun, whatever I won't need it anymore.

I said all that to say that I judge myself to be adequately armed right now with a Glock 19 two reloads and a can of Sabre Red. At most I've considered throwing a couple extra magazines in my backpack but I haven't got around to it yet.

What criteria do you use to decide what kind of gun you're going to carry on a daily basis? What eventualities are you preparing for?
 
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Prof Young

New member
Clearly it's all circumstantial!

I don't everyday carry. I live in a rural very, very, very low crime town.

If I'm going out of town, I carry. Why? well there is the travel, and more than once I've "ran into" a crazy on the road. And generally when I travel to another nearby town I'm headed from a low crime area to a higher crime area.

My carry gun is a 380 or 9mm. The 380's are single stack six so I usually carry a spare mag for those. The 9mm is a double stack ten, so I don't bring along a spare mag. I figure if I can't get the job done in 10 or 12 shots then I'm in a real gun battle and am an idiot for not running away.

When I head out to the woods or the shooting range I'm usually carrying. I figure you never know when you'll meet that rabid raccoon so woods carry makes sense. And the range? Well I'm going to a gun place so I'll take some guns.

My HD gun is a Public Defender. It's only five shots, and they are all the specialized 410 ammo starting with disks and BB, them moving to 00 buck shot and finishing with a slug. I live in a rural town right across the street from the policer station so I'm not going to have to deal with a home invasion. Five shots will be enough.

So there is what I do and my rationale.

Life is good.
Prof Young
 
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TunnelRat

New member
Similar to yourself I am not a fan of a firearm that is not under my control. In my area we have had a few cases in recent years where vehicles were broken into and firearms were stolen. This has soured me on the idea of having a rifle in a car (though I’d still consider it in certain circumstances). As for an AR pistol or larger pistol such as a CZ Scorpion (braced or otherwise) in a backpack at work, for me no. While I get that a theft in an office location might be less typical than say a car (depending on your work, of course), I still don’t like a firearm not being secured on my person or at home. I will caution anyone that if you are an employee at will you can be terminated for many reasons, and violating a company’s weapon policy might certainly fall under that. At the end of the day we all have to evaluate the risks and rewards of our actions and the conclusions differ by person.

Do you mind if I ask which Sabre Red dispenser you’re using? There are a number of them and I’m always curious which of them others have and how they like them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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Moonglum

New member
TunnelRat said:
Do you mind if I ask which Sabre Red dispenser you’re using? There are a number of them and I’m always curious which of them others have and how they like them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
It's whatever my employer issued me. It's hanging on my Bat Belt in my den, I'll look the next time I go in there. It's really not a question of my likes or dislikes, that's what they gave me that's what I carry. I pay almost zero attention to it.

When I'm not at work I carry a little can of POM on a pocket clip. I like that because it's as hot as anything available and much more unobtrusive.
 
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cslinger

New member
Many years ago I was on a forum, I don’t remember which may not have been a gun forum, anyway a dude posted his “EDC” and the first reply was classic.

I don’t remember the specifics but generally it was something like.
GLOCK 17 4 extra mags
GLOCK 26 on ankle 2 extra mags
Handcuffs
Zip ties
Two large folding knives
Multi tool
Defensive spray
Large tactical flashlight
Smaller flashlight
Etc. Etc.

It just went on and on. So dude finishes his post with “The way I see it I am prepared for ANYTHING.”

The very first reply....... “Oh yeah, what if you’ve gotta swim?”

Cracks me up to this day.
 
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GE-Minigun

New member
So the question I have for people that carry in a backpack as the OP…in this case the OP mentioned carrying G19…do you carry with one in the chamber or do you figure you’ll have “enough” time to retrieve the gun? I’m not questioning how you carry, I’ve been thinking about starting to carry a backpack as well along with some other stuff and figure might as well toss in a gun.
 
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Nathan

New member
Some guys have all the answers....some guys have none.

I like to have 2-3 trusted rigs...

My off body bag with the basics bigger knife and bigger light. It has a lot of firepower, but I’m not a fan of off body carry.

My shoulder rig with a light s&w shield and 2 mags. I usually carry a SAK utility knife and small light with it. Good stuff.

My pocket holster.....and offside Ghost light. Super small, light and answers most needs.

and sometimes I just carry a blade and light.....it’s ok. I havn’t had incoming rounds yet in my life, so my safety assessments must be keeping me alive better than my shooting.
 
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Moonglum

New member
GE-Minigun said:
So the question I have for people that carry in a backpack as the OP…in this case the OP mentioned carrying G19…do you carry with one in the chamber or do you figure you’ll have “enough” time to retrieve the gun? I’m not questioning how you carry, I’ve been thinking about starting to carry a backpack as well along with some other stuff and figure might as well toss in a gun.
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I think you might want to go back and read the OP. I never said anything about carrying my gun in a back pack at work. I carry in a holster, on my belt, with a round in the chamber.
 
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Moonglum

New member
GE-Minigun said:
...my bad. I read the second to last sentence wrong.
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I do carry a back pack to work but it stays in the car but it's mostly full of winter clothing (it's been known to snow in June here) and sundries like an extra phone charger or pens in case mine disappears. I was thinking of throwing two extra magazines in it for a total of four but I never did.
 
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T. O'Heir

New member
The OP needs to understand that he is not going into combat. Assuming his work place allows carrying in the first place. He sounds decidedly paranoid or really scared of everything.
"...If the balloon went up..." A great deal would depend on what that balloon was. And where you are at the time. If it's one of those bright, flashy, loud, Russian or Chinese ones, you'd be right in saying you wouldn't be there.
 
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Brit

New member
After looking at the need for a defensive handgun, for years, as in where handguns have been deployed, in defensive applications.
My conclusion in carrying of one it needs to be large enough to have enough rounds, more than ten in the mag. Accurate enough in your hands, to hit the torso up to 50 yards. Static headshots at 7 yards.

Reliable. My pick Glock 19 with night sights. Gen 4. Spare G17 spare mag. TruGlo steel night sights.
Benchmade folder. Surefire light, in a belt holster. Apple Cell phone, in cell phone flap pocket. In the house, track pants, Phone and pistol.

As an old guy, carrying every day here in Florida, no problem.
 
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Moonglum

New member
I don't know this but I assume the guys who were talking about carrying AR pistols or even the guy that wanted to carry a handgun in their back packs work in a cube farm. If that's true they really don't have a way to secure their bags so their options are to leave the bag unsecured in their cube or carry it with them everywhere. Sooner or later option one is going to get forgotten or option two is going to get noticed.
 
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Moonglum

New member
T. O'Heir said:
The OP needs to understand that he is not going into combat. Assuming his work place allows carrying in the first place. He sounds decidedly paranoid or really scared of everything.
"...If the balloon went up..." A great deal would depend on what that balloon was. And where you are at the time. If it's one of those bright, flashy, loud, Russian or Chinese ones, you'd be right in saying you wouldn't be there.
Click to expand...

Some people read to understand, some people read to respond and prove they're the smartest person in the room.

What I'm hearing you say is you didn't actually read what I wrote at all.

I work alone. There's no one else at my workplace but me. I am literally more likely to be attacked by a wild animal than another human being.

I'm not carrying a rifle to work the posters I referenced were talking about it. I carry a handgun and two reloads (and a broomstick for the raccoons) which is what I carry daily(minus the broomstick) anyway
 
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Kevin Rohrer

New member

To put it a different way how do you determine what weaponry is necessary for your daily life?


Mine is based on training and prior usage.
 
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FireForged

New member
I think that it is important to have a good understanding of statistical norms. Although a fight may not always fall within those norms, there is a exceedingly high probability that it will. That said, I want to make sure that what I carry at least answers the statistical norm. I dont really subscribe to the 3-3-3 I am more of a 5 shots within 5 seconds within 21 feet kind of guy.

The least I will carry is a 5 shot j frame and 1 reload. The most that I carry is a 13 round BHP and 1 reload. No matter what I carry as a primary, I carry a NAA 22 mag revolver as a back up.

I think that people worry to much about what gun and ammo they carry. Sure you need to carry something that is reasonably up to the task but whether or not you win a fight in not likely to hinge on 9mm vs 40 vs 45 vs 38 or 5-6-7-10 or 15 shots. What its likely to hinge on is how early you detect the danger, your knowledge of fighting , your physical and mental capacity to fight and whether or not your very first active decision is the correct one.

If you carry something at least 380 and up and are actually good with it, who gives a flying flip what it is. I dont think it much matters because the main problem can often be that the majority of people rarely want to prepare for the fight, they just want to carry a gun that others will be impressed with or accepting of.
 
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