Concealed Weapons Good Or Bad?

mainiak1 · Jan 12, 2004

I've had a concealed weapons permit for over 25 years. I used to conceal the gun in my car when going to the target range. Do you realize that a gun or a knife in the trunk,glove compartment or under a blanket or hidden on your person you can be charged. I don't carry that often. I usually carry
when hiking, snowshoeing, when shopping with a lot of cash.
I would never carry if I will be drinking. I also have different
guns to carry depending what I'm wearing for better concealment. I also would not ever pull out a gun unless I intended to use it. Once you show it and the if perpetrator challenges you. You might be on the other side of the barrel.
In Maine you can only use a gun in delf defense and in fear of loosing your life. Practice ,practice, practice to hit what you shoot at.

BB_TX · Jan 12, 2004

Texas has been a concealed carry state for a number of years now. Like other states, there was a lot of controversy about wild west shoot'em up gun fights in the streets. It has turned into a non-issue. There have been very few people with CCW license that have had problems. You cannot carry in any place serving alcohol or any school or government building or any other building that post a sign saying you can't. A training class and shooting proficiency must be passed to get the license and must be repeated each time you renew the license. Even though I have several handguns, I have not got a CCW since I don't feel that I would ever carry if I did.

MossRoad · Jan 12, 2004

Thanks, Von.
I think here, in Indiana, the first time you get caught carrying a concealed weapon with no permit, it is a misdemeanor(as long as you weren't committing some other serious crime). After that, I'm not sure... but I think you going to jail, dude! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

As I said before, I doubt that it(the Ohio law) will be a deterrant to a criminal to think twice about if someone has a concealed weapon or not. As others have stated, honest people will abide by the law and get the permits required.

Best wishes to you and all the other TBNers. Be careful out there /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Inspector507 · Jan 12, 2004

Pine Ridge,
The law here will not allow (legally) someone to carry when in any room of an establisment where liquor is served. No Government buildings, schools of any kind, or any place the business owner says you can't. The records of who can carry will be accessible to any journalist on a name by name basis. As in writing a news story about someone injured or killed, they may ask if he/she had a permit, they'll have to tell them.
I plan on getting a permit and keep up on the training. Now, will I ever carry? Maybe, maybe not. There may come an instance where I want to, and will be glad I had the permit to do it legally.

Now, Ohio is not the first state to do this, obviously. There have been very few problems in any of the other states that have had it for years. I don't expect any here.

Currmudgeon · Jan 12, 2004

There was a study, Lott Mustard I believe, that attempted to determine the effect of CCW on the crime rate. They made great efforts to compare areas with similar demographics. They determined that there was about a 3% decrease in violent crime in areas where CCW was permitted. AFAIK, no reputable critic has overturned Lott Mustard's methodology.

Personally, I think that 3% is inside the limits of experimental accuracy, so I judge the results to be about a wash. So it is pretty much neiutral. The only person, on the average, it should make a difference to, is the person saved by carrying. That, in my mind, justifies allowing CCW.

There's another study, Keck I believe, that looked at self defense incidents. They determined that using a firearm was the safest and most effective means of self defense, by far. They measured results by the number of incidents that were resolved without major injury to the victim. The second safest defense method was complete compliance with the criminal. Any other form of self defense was denmonstrated be be far more dangerous to the victim.

Interestingly, many firearms users had already been injured by the time they resorted to firearms. It could be argued that, if they shot quicker, the stats would more strongly have favored using firearms.

From what I've seen, states that allow CCW do not have significant problems with license holders. They typically revoke something like 10-20 permits per year. Most of those are for stupidity rather than for shooting someone. It appears that license holders are justifiably cautious with their pieces. They're not the ones you need to worry about.

I heard another statistic, that I can't cite a source for. It is that police officers have a higher rate of unjustifiable but not criminal shootings than do civilians. IOW, a cop is more likely to shoot the wrong person by mistake. than Joe Sixpaxk. This is largely because it is John Law's job to "go looking for trouble," so he has more exposure. But it also indicates that Joe Sixpack is very reluctant, and justifiably so, to fire that piece in anger.

I always advice people who are considering owning a weapon or engaging in self defense to look inside themself and determine if they are morally able to take life or maim someone. If not, then don't even think about it. If so, then gain all the tecchnical, legal, and tactical proficiency with your chosen form of self defense that you can. Then prey you'll never have to use it. Justifiably killing someone is more terrible than you want to contemplate.

Allowing myself or family to be victimized is worse, but that's a personal evaluation.

Docsknotinn · Jan 12, 2004

Carrying a concealed weapon in any state with out a permit is a felony punishable by a Mandatory 2 years in Federal prison. The only way to avoid that is if the case is reduced to a attempted carry with out a permit. If it was used in this manner to commit another Felony it is a Mandatory 5 years in Federal Prison for unlawful use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. There is no plea available on that and it is a mandatory sentence. Dave

gsganzer · Jan 12, 2004

I've had a CCW license since TX adopted the law. I typically carry a firearm in my vehicle. However, I very rarely carry one on my person. My mode of thinking is that if I feel the need to have a firearm on my person, then I'm probably somewhere I don't need to be. There are exceptions, as they say, you never know when or where a crime will be committed. I just haven't found a comfortable way to conceal a firearm for my purpose. (Bigger framed people and those living in cold climates have the advantage when it comes to concealing a firearm /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif)

My other reason for a CCW is for home defense. The fact is, if you shoot an intruder, you'll probably be sued by them (if it's not fatal) or their kin for any number of thought up reasons. I believe that the civil courts would look more favorably on the circumstances if you've demonstrated proficiency with the firearm and an understanding of the use of deadly force by having a CCW permit. Maybe I'm niave to think this, but it makes me feel better.

MossRoad · Jan 12, 2004

Thanks for the updated information. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

gws · Jan 12, 2004

Ohio had concealed carry for a quite a while, but it was based on prudant man law. Would a prudant man carry a gun? Well, who is prudant? On top of that there are so many other conflicting laws to confuse both the court and police. The easy choice was to cite/arrest anyone with a gun and let the courts work it out. If you were a jewler or a business man carrying large sums of mony or valuables then you could win, but only after gong to court. If you were an average Joe then most likey you would not win.

The new CCW law is a must issue law that gives everyone (within limits) the right to carry. Its a shame we need a law to allow what the US and ohio constiution says we have the right to but we have it.

I am all in favor of it. As soon as all the details are worked out and training classes are approved I plan on getting my permit. I have no reason or need to carry and have no plans to carry regually but I would like the option to legal do it.

gws · Jan 12, 2004

Ohio law is the same, no governmnet "owned" buildings, bars, shcools.

( Here In Oklahoma it is against the law to carry a handgun into a bar, concealed handgun license are not. It's also illegal to carry a handgun into any Post Office...school...government meeting... etc etc


Billy that may indeed be the same here in Ohio also. This law although passed does not take affect for 90 days. I am sure there will be certain stipulations regarding where one can and can't take a weapon. You would think that people might use good judgment here, but then again it's always better if it is spelled out in black and white for all to see. )