[_delirium]

Even in those states it's not that common for people to actually carry guns, at least in cities. I lived for years in Houston, and it was very uncommon, even among people who had the license, in part because it greatly restricts where you can legally go. You can't enter any establishments that sell alcohol, post offices, educational institutions, most hospitals, sporting events, etc. Private property owners can also exclude weapons by posting a notice at the entrance. So you have to be very careful about how to plan your day if you're carrying.

[bhayden]

>Even in those states it's not that common for people to actually carry guns, at least in cities.

Going to need some sort of evidence for this. Anecdotal doesn't even work here because the firearms are concealed.

[_delirium]

The firearms are concealed, sure, but you can still talk to people. :) I do know a reasonable number of people who have concealed-carry permits, and none of them carry a gun regularly, if they're telling the truth, because it's too much of a hassle and they don't normally feel a need to. They got the permit so they can, but it doesn't obligate them to actually do so. My guess (but it's a guess) extrapolating from that is that only a small fraction of permit holders actually carry at any given time. But it would be nice to have a more solid estimate, I agree. The number of permit holders itself is about 2% of the population, but I haven't found an estimate of the utilization rate.

[madcaptenor]

I know some people who have concealed-carry permits and claim to carry whenever they're not at work.