Free Republic

Self-defense in modern society is about far more than carrying a gun, it's also about developing situational awareness. This means knowing where you are and what's going on around you at all times. One vital element of situational awareness seldom taught in concealed carry classes is how to spot a concealed handgun. Just as you hope to have the element of surprise if you find yourself in a life-threatening situation, you want to avoid being surprised by an armed attacker. Based on the experience of Robert T. Gallagher, former NYPD detective, Anti-Robbery Tactical Unit, this detailed illustration, titled Spotting a...

CCW folks: I've been carrying a S&W Sigma .40 cal for a couple of years and it's just too heavy and bulky. Have looked at both the Taurus TCP and the Bersa Thunder .380 (I know, small, but that's kinda the point). Anybody got experience or recommendations? jagusafr

When Tom Scocca applied to Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith three years ago for a permit to carry a concealed firearm, he thought he had all the right stuff. Not only was he a former police officer and sheriff's deputy working as a security manager at a major Silicon Valley tech company, he owned an investigative firm and was already licensed to openly carry a loaded gun. But the sheriff turned him down. Now that denial is the basis of a federal lawsuit in which Scocca alleges that Smith issues concealed-weapons permits in an arbitrary and capricious way. He...

The Wisconsin Department of Justice has received more than 20,000 concealed carry applications since the law took effect Tuesday. Data from the state Justice Department show that as of 4 p.m. Friday, 20,476 applications had been submitted. Of those, 879 concealed carry licenses had been approved and 793 had been printed. Also, 117 applications were rejected. Agency spokeswoman Dana Brueck incomplete applicant data, insufficient training documentation or a missing payment are all reasons an application can be rejected. The state has 45 days to issue a license once a valid application is received. Brueck said the Justice Department is working...

Police called him a "Good Samaritan," but Minneapolis detectives were still investigating Friday the case of a man who shot and killed an armed robber he chased down the night before. The man who fired the fatal shot had a permit for his handgun and told police he used the weapon after the fleeing robber turned and confronted him behind a restaurant. Police spokesman Sgt. William Palmer said the department was leaning toward classifying the shooting as self-defense. "However, decisions on charging are left up to the county attorney's office. And since there's a death, it might even be taken...

My mother is the person who made me. And she's done it twice. She caught me. Now what?? I don't remember a lot about the first time, because it began when I was too young to remember much of anything. But I clearly remember the second time she made me. It was shortly after I'd begun carrying a handgun for personal defense, before I'd figured out the art of giving someone a hug without giving away the secret. She and my father had offered to take my children to a movie, so the kids and I piled into the van...

I have always used a belly bag for concealed carry, but I am thinking about leather holsters now. Input sought.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/08/04/article-1300240-0AB052F2000005DC-955_468x603.jpg (copyright complaint prevents me from posting the pic directly)

Along with a motion to dismiss a lawsuit that alleges that the state's restriction on law-abiding citizens to carry a weapon outside of their homes violates the Second Amendment, Illinois Attorney General Lisa M. Madigan filed a response to the plaintiffs' request for a permanent or preliminary injunction. According to court documents filed on July 22, Madigan is asking the court to deny a summary ruling.

A jury acquitted a man of carrying a concealed weapon after hearing that he had borrowed the gun for protection in the Sunnydale neighborhood, according to the San Francisco Public Defenders Office. Jurors acquitted Johnny Stone, 23, of Reno, Nev., on Thursday after five hours of deliberation, and hung on a second misdemeanor charge of carrying a concealed weapon. The judge dismissed a third charge, possession of nunchaku. Stone was arrested Sept. 9, 2009, while visiting family members in the Sunnydale housing projects. His attorney, Deputy Public Defender Arial Boyce-Smith, said that he had borrowed the gun for a trip...

Just a quick question for Oklahoma Freepers- I live in Texas, and am planning a quick trip to OK tomorrow. I'd like to know if, or under what conditions, it is legal there for me to carry a pistol in my car. I know that it is legal in Texas, but I'd like to know if I'm headed for hot water over the border. Thanks in advance for any info- I won't be able to reply for a couple of hours- gotta take the wife to the doctor!

Wis. one of last states to approve concealed carryBy: SCOTT BAUER | Associated Press | 06/21/11 8:05 PM Lawmakers in Wisconsin, one of the last states to prohibit the carrying of concealed weapons, approved lifting the ban Tuesday and sent Republican Gov. Scott Walker a measure he is expected to quickly sign into law. Once Wisconsin's measure takes effect this fall, Illinois will be the only state that bans carrying guns, knives and other concealed weapons. Supporters of the measure, which passed Wisconsin's GOP-controlled Legislature with bipartisan support, said the fact that none of 48 other states with similar laws...

The Wisconsin State Assembly is scheduled to debate (and hopefully pass) SB93, the concealed carry bill, which has already passed the Wisconsin State Senate.

...She and the Illinois State Rifle Association are suing Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Gov. Pat Quinn, Union County State's Attorney Tyler Edmonds, and Union County Sheriff David Livesay. The suit, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, states she was denied the right to defend herself due to Illinois laws that prohibit citizens from carrying a handgun for self-defense...

The viciousness of the crime rocked my small community to its core. It was a heinous, random attack that "couldn't happen here." But it did...

The law had a 65-52-1 vote on Thursday, but due to Home Rule this is about the only thing home rule seems to affect. It needed 60% supermajority to pass with 71 House votes, Governor Quinnochio just repealed the Death Penalty he campaigned support for last fall and this week he comes out against Concealed carry and he Daley, and Emmanuel twisted and bought off enough votes to stop it, the Chicago way. House vote on concealed carry *By party Party, yes, no, present ... Democrats, 14, 49, 1 Republicans, 51, 3, 0 *By region Region, yes, no, present Chicago,...

Here’s an overview: Adds Stand Your Ground Enhances Castle Doctrine Prevents Gun Seizures During a State of Emergency Extends Purchase Permits to Five Years The bill also borrows a page from the Permit to Carry law, providing a more robust appeal process for denied purchase permits, and requiring that police chiefs and sheriffs whose purchase permit denials are overturned must pay the applicants’ legal costs. Adds Universal Carry Permit Reciprocity

False fears about concealed guns Illinois should give licensed citizens the right to carry around weapons Steve Chapman March 31, 2011 "Experience is a dear teacher," said Benjamin Franklin, "but fools will learn at no other." Give some credit to fools: At least they eventually learn from experience. What would Franklin say about people who don't? By that, I refer to gun-control advocates alarmed that the Illinois Legislature may vote to let licensed individuals carry concealed handguns. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence calls the measure "dangerous." Kristen Rand of the Violence Policy Center says that it would lead...

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- America has come a long way from its 17th century founding. Massachusetts and Virginia had laws requiring travelers to be armed. In Massachusetts, congregants had to be armed. That all changed, though, over the next couple of centuries when states began imposing massive amounts of gun control. These restrictions turned countless Americans into mandatory victims, and many innocent lives were lost as a result. But now, we are ever so slowly inching our way back to removing the mountain of prohibitions on being armed in public. Prior to this year, three states had stopped requiring law-abiding citizens...

Mayor Daley Gets testy with reporter who doesn't see his way.

Joseph Zimudie, concealed carry hero in Tucson. I searched the site and didn't see a single thread with this man's name in it. I think that's a shame, so I'm adding one. Here's the information that I've gathered on his actions on the day of the shooting. Joseph was at a nearby Walgreens when he heard the shooting start. Instead of running away, Joseph headed *toward* the sound of gunfire. Joseph had his CCW on him and had flipped off the safety, prepared to use it in the defense of others. He did not draw his weapon, but had his...

CLEARWATER — An 83-year-old man leaving a restaurant pulled a gun on his attacker and thwarted a robbery attempt Thursday morning, police said. About 11:20 a.m., Charles Place was leaving Costello's, 1724 N. Fort Harrison Ave., when he was grabbed from behind by a 43-year-old Bryan Treloar, city public safety spokeswoman Elizabeth Watts said. Treloar, a transient, tried to take Place's wallet, but Place resisted, holding his attacker's arm as they struggled, Watts said. In the scuffle, Place was knocked onto the ground and pulled his .25-caliber semi-automatic handgun from his pocket. Place told Treloar to get away from him,...

Just got a heads-up from old network friend. John Stossel is doing a VERY pro-concealed carry story on FOX Business News today. It is very statistic and reality driven vs. the traditional MSM "Chicken Little" approach to weapons. A quote from Shossel. "I worked at the mainstream media for years, and they all swallow all the liberal lines, and it is never more apparent than in their approach to guns and the carrying of them. This story will show how wrong they are." Do not have an air time. Remember, this is FOX Business, not FNC.

Washington, DC--Concealed handgun permit holders have killed at least nine law enforcement officers in addition to 152 private citizens (including 15 shooters who killed themselves after an attack) since May 2007 according to the latest update of Concealed Carry Killers, a Violence Policy Center (VPC) on-line resource that tallies news reports of such killings. The web site, located at http://www.vpc.org/ccwkillers.htm, is updated monthly to include new fatal shootings since May 2007 by concealed handgun permit holders and any changes in the legal status of permit holders facing criminal charges. (Any concealed handgun permit holders who are eventually acquitted of their...

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. -- Clayton County Sheriff’s Office officials arrested a Delta Air Lines pilot for allegedly carrying a concealed weapon inside Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Police arrested Matthew Lamar McDaniel on Saturday and he was charged with carrying a concealed weapon. Officials said McDaniel is currently a Delta Air Lines pilot and has been for the past 13 years. He was granted a $5,700 bond. The circumstances surrounding McDaniel’s arrest have not been released

Anyone have experience with concealed carry coats with the built-in ambidextrous pistol pockets? Looking for pros/cons recommendations ... Comfort? Print? Practicality? e.g., http://www.freerepublic.com Looking for options in addition to waist holsters and shoulder holsters. Thanks for the advice

Time for a Sunday night gun porn vanity. Now that .380 ACP is becoming more available, I'm considering another .380 ACP semi-auto for concealed carry/range plinking. I already have a Kel Tec P3AT, but a Bersa Thunder .380 caught my eye in the local funshop the other day. An Argentinian knock-off of the PPK, it looked and felt like a quality piece for the amount (about $299). One down-side I see is the magazine disconnect. Any input from my fellow firearms enthusiasts?

PHOENIX — Are you 18? Not convicted of a crime? Legislation set for debate today would let you carry a concealed weapon without having to bother with the background check, training and proficiency test now required. Sen. Sylvia Allen, R-Snowflake, said she believes all Arizonans should have the right to defend themselves. Allen, who does have a state-issued permit to carry a concealed gun, said she does not believe that makes gun owners any safer. More to the point, she said the law makes Arizonans less safe. Allen’s proposal, SB 1270, does not do away with the concealed weapon permits....

Erin King squeezed into a packed classroom at Bob's Gun Shop with a new pistol and a mission. She sat through two hours of instruction and fired off several dozen rounds at the range with her Guardian .32-caliber. The 26-year-old from Suffolk bought her first gun a few weeks ago and plans to get a concealed-carry permit next month. She'll slip her pistol into a hidden holster and protect herself commuting to her part-time job cleaning offices at night. "I'm responsible for myself," King said. As the classroom shows, she's not alone.

What issue could unite a Republican lawmaker from Southern California and a 46-year-old lesbian from Natomas? Guns, of course. A bill introduced in the state Assembly last month aims to make it easier for Californians to obtain a concealed weapons permit.

   Sales of guns, ammo still high by: KELLY BOSTIAN World Outdoors WriterFriday, March 13, 2009 3/13/2009 11:16:57 AM Correction: This story originally reported the wrong years when comparing the number of permit applications. The cutline incorrectly identified the .40 and .45 caliber bullets. The story and cutline have been corrected. Related Story: Liberals told to leave: An instructor for a hunter safety course orders Obama voters to get out of his class. Four months after the election of President Barack Obama, firearms and ammunition sales in Tulsa remain at a fever pitch. Popular self-protection ammunition is often sold...

4 robbers call in a pizza delivery at a phony address; pizza delivery guy arrives, thugs jump him, pizza guy delivers something very hot, but not exactly what they expected. Story and video here at the link

You have to put in the second word if you want to vote yes, the first word to vote no or you can text.

“One of the most popular legislative initiatives in recent years is the movement allowing qualified law-abiding citizens to carry concealed firearms,” says Snyder, Treasurer of the Second Amendment Foundation. “Studies by scholars such as John R. Lott, Jr., author of More Guns Less Crime, demonstrate that in jurisdictions where such a public policy is implemented, violent crime takes a nosedive. Forty states now have some kind of right to carry policy. “What has been missing is federal right to carry concealed legislation so that persons permitted to carry in a state may carry in other states, in much the same...

Unbelievable. Major General Stephan Layfield of Fort Richardson trusts his soldiers to bear full auto weapons when on base or on foreign battle fields to defend our Nation, but when it comes to defending their own lives on our streets, he disarms them of all weapons capable of causing physical injury. Not only is that unconstitutional, it's disgraceful. DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY HEADQUARTERS, U.S. ARMY ALASKA 724 POSTAL SERVICE LOOP #5000 FORT RICHARDSON, ALASKA 99505-5000 APVR-RUPM 20 Sep 2007 MEMORANDUM FOR SEE DISTRIBUTION SUBJECT: Concealed Weapons Policy (CG/CofS Policy #0-20) 1. Carrying concealed deadly weapons by USARAK Soldiers represents a...

Today's ruling by the Ohio Supreme Court that strikes down a ban on legal concealed carry in public parks was "a proper decision that upholds the state's concealed carry preemption statute," the Second Amendment Foundation said. Ohio's current concealed carry statute, adopted by the State Legislature in 2006, prohibits local governments from adopting more stringent gun control regulations than the state. The City of Clyde passed an ordinance banning legal concealed carry in city parks. The law was challenged by Ohioans for Concealed Carry. "Anti-gun municipalities across the country have been cooking up ways to challenge state preemption statutes," noted...

Tampa: Prohibition against firearms on USAA property remains in effect Published 6/27/2008 USAA's policy prohibiting firearms anywhere on USAA property remains in effect at all locations. The policy remains in effect despite a new Florida law limiting such policies. Background On July 1, a new law takes effect in Florida that restricts employers' ability to prohibit guns at the workplace. However, that law also includes an exemption for properties that include school facilities, such as our Child Development Center (CDC). As a result, USAA's policy prohibiting guns in the workplace will remain in effect even after the law takes effect...

I live in the great state of Texas, the land of cowboys, guns, oil rigs, guns, pickup trucks, guns, recent U.S. Presidents, guns, the annual Houston Rodeo, guns, a NHL franchise, a couple of NFL franchises and, did I mention guns? Though gun ownership is a strong characteristic of American culture as a whole it is a predominant trait in Texas where it is rightly taken as a guarantee of freedom. When President George W. Bush was running for governor of Texas in 1994, one of his campaign pledges was that if elected, he would pass the concealed carry law...

At a time when even nail files and pocket knives are barred from courts, Hillsdale County has reopened its historic courthouse to citizens who legally pack weapons. Circuit Judge Michael Smith recently ordered the ``no guns'' signs removed at the courthouse in downtown Hillsdale, saying the ban is against state law. Smith said that courthouses are not exempt from state concealed-weapons laws, so there's no way to lawfully stop people from carrying a concealed weapon if they're licensed properly. The ban against citizens carrying guns in courts is based on a 2001 administrative order by the Michigan Supreme Court, not...

A little bit of background information on the subject first: as many of you may know in most States Americans have the right to carry a concealed gun for their own protection. In 37 states, you can apply for a CCW (Concealed Carry Weapon Permit) with the County Sheriff or the local PD after you passed through a CCW safety class, demonstrated your ability to safely handle and fire a handgun, demonstrated you have the knowledge about the laws dealing with the right of self defense, passed a background check and pay an application fee. The law requires the law...

I went to the Yuma Regional Medical Center Plaza Lab for annual tests today. They had a prominent sign on the door saying “No Firearms”. As they are a public facility, I went to the receptionist desk, showed them my doctor’s request for tests, and asked them to check my personal firearm. The nice lady at the desk looked puzzled, and I explained that they had a sign on the door saying “No Firearms” and that I wished to check my personal firearm, as required by law. I said “security has a policy for this if you with to call...

More and more Oklahomans are carrying concealed weapons these days. In fact, there are so many new requests the state Bureau of Investigation can barely keep up. Last year, there was a 45-percent increase in new licenses -- the largest jump since the concealed carry law went into effect. It is legal in the State of Oklahoma to carry a handgun in your purse on your belt if you have a license. It's been that way for more than a decade. Some laws have made it easier. The governor signed legislation expanding gun rights in 2006. Some of the fees...

A representative from Students for Concealed Carry on Campus argued for a more sensible policy for carrying concealed handguns on college and university campuses at Walter Hall last night. “It’s hypocritical to say you can bring a gun into a 300-person movie theatre but not a 300-person lecture hall,” said Stephen Feltoon, Midwest regional director of SCCC. Feltoon, a 2007 graduate of Miami University of Ohio, spoke for a 40-person group as part of the SCCC’s weeklong protest of concealed carry laws across the nation that forbid concealed handguns on college campuses. The OU Second Amendment club — comprising about...

GCO has entered into a settlement agreement with the City of East Point, in a case filed by GCO against East Point and other Fulton County governmental entities over ordinances banning the carrying of firearms in parks. East Point earlier had repealed its ordinance a replaced it with an ordinance banning carrying firearms to public gatherings. After additional discussions with GCO, East Point has agreed to repeal the latter ordinance as well, coming into complete compliance with state law on the subject. East Point also has agreed to reimburse GCO for its attorney’s fees. GCO will drop East Point from...

The owner of the Green Bay-based web site that sold guns a gun to the Virginia Tech shooter and gun accessories to the Northern Illinois University gunman plans to visit Virginia Tech on Thursday. Eric Thompson owns TGSCOM, the company that sold a gun to Seung-Hui Cho last year. Cho killed 32 students and staff at Virginia Tech's campus. Thompson announced Wednesday students invited him to campus to talk about concealed-carry laws. "What I'm really hoping to do is just lend a voice. Unfortunately, a set of coincidences and circumstances, I've been in the media, and I think with that...

The following commentary was written in response to a New York Times article entitled "Guns on Campus: Could They Prevent a Repeat?" by David Codrea. Republished with permission. Interesting take, Mr. Codrea. I have worked on college and university campuses most of my adult life - first as a student, now as a professor. I have grown quite accustomed to the idea of citizen concealed carry. I know that such policies (now the norm in 48 states) do not increase crime; in contrast, data suggests these allowances deter all but the most brazen (or stupid) criminals. Most importantly, I also...

DURHAM - A University of New Hampshire student who was told by a professor that he could not wear an empty gun holster in her class as part of a protest responded by posting the correspondence on the Internet, which earned the professor several angry e-mail from strangers. Senior Matt Ham, 22, is taking part in a nationwide demonstration this week in which participants wear empty gun holsters as a way to push for college students with permits to carry a concealed weapon to be able to bring guns onto campus. Those in favor of the move say that just...

RICHMOND, Va. - Doug and Cheryl Camden were raised around guns but agreed not to keep them in their house after they got married and began raising five children of their own. Then violent crime began to dominate daily news reports. Several businesses near their Chester restaurant were robbed, home invasions seemed to increase and the world just seemed to be getting much more dangerous. "It's to the point where you can't walk through the park without getting attacked," Doug Camden said Friday. So the Camdens are following the path taken by a sharply increasing number of Virginians: They're applying...

Democrat Barack Obama on Tuesday insulted millions of legally-armed American citizens when he told a Pennsylvania newspaper that concealed carry poses a threat to innocent people, and he should immediately apologize for that remark, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today. Senator Obama, quoted by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, admitted, "I am not in favor of concealed weapons. I think that creates a potential atmosphere where more innocent people could (get shot during) altercations." "American citizens have been responsibly carrying concealed handguns for years in 48 states," said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, co-author of America...

Concealed weapons on college campuses gets House approvalBy TIM TALLEY, Associated Press Writer OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Legislation that would allow concealed weapons on college campuses in Oklahoma was approved by the state House Thursday despite opponents who said putting more guns on campus makes no sense following recent massacres at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University. “This has to be the craziest thing I have ever seen,” said Rep. Ray McCarter, D-Marlow, one of several lawmakers who said the measure is opposed by college administrators and most Oklahomans but is supported by the National Rifle Association. “How silly can...