Carrying a concealed firearm is a great responsibility, and there are plenty of reasons why someone would not want to carry one.  But there are a great many reasons why you should carry everyday. It is a huge commitment and you need to make the decision for yourself.

Here are just a three reasons that may help to persuade you to start to carry everyday, not in any particular order.

It’s Your Right as a Citizen of the United States

The Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights guarantees protection of the right to keep and bear arms for self protection. The Supreme Court has upheld this concept. Just by being a citizen of this great nation, you have the right to carry a concealed firearm.

The World is a Bad Place

As much as we wish it wasn’t, the world we know today is not the same one we knew years ago. There is more crime and violence than in other historical periods. You just never know when or where something bad will happen.

To Protect Your Family

The most important asset in our lives are our families, and we need to protect them anyway we can. A concealed firearm is one of the best ways to protect them from the world we discussed above.

To Protect Yourself

We all want to come home to our families every night. I know I do. This is another tool to ensure we will make it home to hug our loved ones.

Reap the Benefits of Training

Some people just like to be able to train and learn, and by carrying their firearm, they are able to put that training to use.

Better Situational Awareness

Some people say that when they carry, they are more on edge and are better aware of their surroundings. When I carry, my senses are on high alert and I tend to know more of what is going on around me. Having a gun means I have to know what is happening to avoid a bad situation.

Everyone’s reasons for carry differ from person to person and place to place. However, it boils down to making a commitment to be a responsibly armed person not only for ourselves, but our families and friends.

What is your number one reason to carry? I would like to hear from you in the comments below.

At one time or another, just about every human being has given serious thought to the unthinkable—about what it might be like to be the victim of a home invasion. Those of us who regularly carry guns in public also understand that we may have to defend ourselves at home. Even hunters will admit to having considered how they might have to use their duck gun or deer rifle to protect themselves or their loved ones.

But while having a gun in your home is certainly a good idea, it is (or should be) only one element in your personal protection plan. You DO have a plan, don’t you? Not anything “set in stone”—just some basic steps that you and/or any member of your household understand and follow. After all, as the old military saying goes, “No battle plan survives the first ten seconds of contact with the enemy.”

Where to start? First of all, consider the kinds of simple basic steps that can be done long before an actual confrontation. Burglar alarms are getting more sophisticated and less expensive. Whether you choose the simple motion-activated units that only notify the homeowner, or the more advanced systems that automatically call 911, having some form of warning system is almost a no-brainer.

By the way, as astonishing as it sounds, in a disturbing number of home invasions, police discovered that doors and/or windows weren’t even locked. In warm weather areas, windows and patio doors often have nothing but screens to stop attackers.

Dogs can be very helpful. Even in an apartment or condo (if allowed), a small dog can yelp up a storm, alerting you to the presence of an unwanted guest. As a bonus, they can also act as a deterrent to burglars when you are not at home. Criminals of all stripes prefer to avoid dogs.

But what if you don’t, or can’t (due to allergies or other issues), own a dog? No problem. If you live in a single-family home or townhouse where it is possible, just buy a big dog watering dish and place it conspicuously in the back yard. A “Beware of Dog” sign (or an “I Love my Pit Bull” sticker at the front door) can have the same effect.

Educate yourself, and everyone else in the household, about the wide variety of threats that can materialize. Contrary to the typical “guy in a ski-mask with a tire iron” shown on TV, home invaders can strike at any hour of the day, not just in the middle of the night. Many rapists purposely target at-home women during daytime hours.

By the way, taking the above steps can also help you legally, should you ever have to defend yourself or your loved ones. Your preventive steps can be effectively used by your defense attorney to convince a jury that you were acting as a conscientious and responsible citizen. Conversely, prosecutor may attacked a homeowner for their lack of defensive measures.

The bottom line is that preparation and deterrence can prevent an attack in the first place, which is always preferable to defending ourselves in court.

You’re reading. You’re ready for bed, but you heard it…the bump of a chair against the table downstairs. Could it have been the dog? Why take a chance?

What’s the first thing you’re going to do?

Turn out the reading light.
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Then you take your carry pistol from the drawer (or shotgun from under the bed). Softly rack a round if one is not already chambered. Be still and let your eyes adjust. If it is possible to silently move so that anyone coming up the stairs will be backlit, you want to do that.
You know by now that it wasn’t the dog, and so you worry. If you are prepared, I would argue that you should wait before calling 9-1-1. Circumstances are impossible to forecast. Situations are volumetric in number and proportion. But one size—one answer—does not fit all.
Unless you are absolutely caught unawares, the odds are in your favor. You know the layout of your house or office. You know just how the coffee table juts into the living room aisle, how chairs are positioned around the table. Your knowledge of your surroundings is your first, best defense. The intruder is feeling his way in the dark or semi-dark.

Even if he has visited your home before—as a guest or even burglarizing it earlier—he’s going to bump, break, scratch. You’re going to hear him, know exactly where he is, and you can almost hear his heavy breathing as he fumbles in the darkness.
There’s an intruder. You find your concealed carry protection and turn out the light…right?
Now, the question…
Should you turn on a diversionary light? Unless you can flip a switch remotely or have installed some motion-activated burglar alarm, the answer is probably no. Moving around—even crawling—makes noise and informs the intruder of your position. That means movement is going to cause the plywood-covered joists to squeak, even if you worm your way across the carpet like a turtle. An aggressive or frightened intruder might fire up through the ceiling and floor if he believes you are tracking him, ready to ambush him—and, of course, you are.
Large caliber handgun bullets are not stopped by residential floors or walls (cement, sure). This could be a problem when you unleash your .45 at the shadow stalking up the stairs of the apartment. Some of those bullets may hit, but some will cause your neighbors to—the scientific term is “freak out.”
I believe the best solution is to take a ready position with the lights out. Allow your vision, and especially your peripheral vision, to work for you. Your first job is to be safe and safeguard your family. Keep the lights out. Do not try to move and call 911. 
Be alert. You are armed; you are dangerous—and the person who has broken into your house in the dark should be afraid, very afraid.