Justice Education Security

Category: Concealed Carry

  • Get Your Concealed Carry Report from the USCCA

    The US Concealed Carry Association is offering a free report to help users who are new to concealed carry. Regardless of where you are in the country this is a great guide to get you started with the basics. The description provided by the USCCA includes:

    If you’ve decided to carry a firearm for personal protection (or even if you’re just thinking about it), I applaud your decision. Most people are not willing to do what is necessary to protect themselves, their family members, and even complete strangers from the ruthless attack or a violent felon…

    It is critical that you realize that the MOMENT you’re forced to draw your gun in self-defense there will be 100+ decisions that you’ll need to make in a split second. The MOMENT you decide to draw your gun, YOUR LIFE WILL CHANGE.

    If you need to take the time to THINK about these decisions, there’s a good chance you’ll make a choice that will put you in jail…or worse.

    You need to have these decisions programmed into your brain BEFORE you leave your house with your gun!

    Reading the Concealed Carry Report and being in the USCCA is all about helping peoplemake informed decisions. We empower our members so they know EXACTLY what to do in a life or death situation.

    The Concealed Carry Report is a free, weekly newsletter. Inside, you’re going to uncover the answers to the toughest questions a citizen can (and MUST) face before being able to responsibly carry a concealed handgun and defend himself.

    Just enter your name and email below to start your free subscription. I urge you to get your copy today, before it’s too late…

    >>Click Here To Get the Report

  • Legislation to be Introduced in Georgia to allow CCW Permit holders to Carry on Campus

    CANTON — A Cherokee County state legislator plans to introduce an amendment to a bill that would allow college students who are at least 21 years old to take firearms on campuses.

    Current law already permits those students to have concealed guns in their vehicles.

    State Rep. Sean Jerguson (R-Holly Springs) said his amendment would only apply to licensed concealed gun owners who are over the age of 21.

    The legislator said he was propelled to consider the amendment after recent incidents on two college campuses in Atlanta.

    “I think it’s an appropriate situation … so they can be able to protect themselves from the predators we are seeing,” he said, referring to the recent incidents in which Georgia Tech and Georgia State University students have been robbed at gunpoint.

    Jerguson said he hasn’t determined when he will introduce the amendment, or whether it would apply to Georgia’s public or private colleges, or both.

  • Ohio and New Mexico Sign Concealed Carry Reciprocity Agreement

    (COLUMBUS/SANTA FE)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and New Mexico Department of Public Safety Cabinet Secretary Gorden E. Eden, Jr. have signed an agreement that permits reciprocity between their states for citizens who have valid concealed carry permits.

    “I am pleased that this agreement between Ohio and New Mexico will allow Ohioans who have concealed carry permits the same rights to carry a concealed handgun in the State of New Mexico, as well as New Mexicans who have concealed carry permits to do the same in Ohio” said Attorney General DeWine.

    Secretary Eden reiterated those remarks.  “As proponents of the Second Amendment, the New Mexico Department of Public Safety is happy to extend concealed carry rights to licensed Ohioans, as those same rights are extended to licensed New Mexicans who visit Ohio.”

    Ohio law permits the Attorney General to enter into written agreements with other states whose laws are “substantially comparable” to Ohio’s eligibility requirements for a license to carry a concealed handgun.  In New Mexico, this authority falls under the New Mexico Department of Public Safety.

    New Mexico’s and Ohio’s concealed carry laws are very similar to one another.  Both states require a background check for long-term residents of their state or an FBI III check for short-term residents of their states, and both require training in order to be eligible for a concealed carry license.

    Concealed carry permit holders will be required to comply with all of the other state’s laws regarding possession, transportation, storage and use of concealed weapons and all other applicable laws except those regarding issuance, suspension, revocation and renewal of concealed weapons licenses, which remain within the power of the issuing state.
    Each state will make their verification systems available to the other to be able to check the status of the other state’s concealed carry licenses.

    The agreement remains in force unless statutory authority for it is withdrawn by either of the state’s legislatures or terminated in writing by either party upon 30 days notice.

    With this signing, Ohio and New Mexico each now have reciprocity agreements with 22 states.

    Media Contacts

    Dan Tierney, AGO: 614-466-3840
    Lt. Robert McDonald, NMDPS: 505-827-3349

    Documents

    Reciprocity Agreement (PDF)

     

    Source: http://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Briefing-Room/News-Releases/December-2011/Ohio-and-New-Mexico-Sign-Concealed-Carry-Reciproci

  • 3 Factors When Buying A Handgun for Personal Protection

    I have been teaching firearm training classes for 5 years. That is a relatively short amount of time compared to many of my mentors. Just the same there is one recurring topic that most students really want to discuss with me… What Gun To Buy. I try to avoid this topic of conversation for several reasons. First off, there are far to many opinions among gun enthusiasts to make this a safe topic of discussion. Gun people are extremely passionate and opinionated and I just assume avoid a discussion about why any certain make is the best thing since sliced bread. Also, I believe that each individual has unique needs in a handgun and that makes it difficult to give meaningful advice. All that being said, I am outlining some basic principles that I believe can lead anyone to buy the correct firearm for their situation.

    First, please understand that you need to shop based on your need. There are many different uses (even within the self-defense category) for which you may intend to use your firearm. Some of these may include: hunting, backpacking, to keep in the car, to keep in the house, to carry on my person, to carry in luggage or in a handbag/purse, etc.

    Beyond determining your need you also need to consider your body type and economic situation. I’m 5′ 8” and about 170 lbs. I don’t have a lot of upper body muscle and can’t handle some of the higher caliber weapons as effectively as I wish. Some of us have small fingers, fat fingers, etc. Your economic situation is crucial to consider not just when considering the cost of the weapon but also in considering the cost of the ammunition. Your tendancy to get out and train with your firearm may be the single most important factor in saving your life. May sure you select a firearm that you can afford to shoot often.

    The last generic consideration, before I outline the 3 factors, is your level of expertise. The more trained and proficient you become the more your needs in a firearm may change.

    With those considerations in place let me put forth three important factors when selecting a caliber of weapon.

    1. Stopping Power – Effectiveness. Without neglecting the next two factors, you want to get the most powerful weapon you can. There are some calibers that nobody would debate as to their efficiency. For example, the .22 long rifle round is not something you would want to bet your life on. The .45 ACP is something you could almost guarantee is going to stop someone. Anywhere in the middle is debatable depending on who you ask.
    2. Ammo Capacity. More ammunition is always a good thing. Some calibers of handguns, although effective, may reduce the total amount of ammunition you can carry in the firearm. Common examples are the .38 Special and the .357. Both are debatable in their effectiveness but perhaps too big of a round to be practical for concealed carry.
    3. Size. You must select a firearm that will be comfortable to carry and to use. In the concealed carry world there are as many different types of holsters and options to conceal as there are handguns to choose from. Don’t buy a Desert Eagle if you plan on carrying it on your waist. Your back will ache after a few hours and you may have an issue with sitting down and standing up. Also, consider your body type as we discussed earlier. Buy something appropriate for your strength and size.

    Its not easy to find the perfect gun for your and for your needs. This is made much less easy if you are trying to buy one firearm that will serve many needs. Handguns aren’t cheap but remember that your life may be on the line and this is the tool that could save it.

    Jacob S Paulsen

  • Liberty University in Lynchburg Virginia Removes Gun Ban

    Guns on campus are a sensitive issue in Virginia after the 2008 Virginia Tech incident. Now a private Christian University has removed a ban that previously banned all firearms from campus property. The new policy allows visitors, students, faculty, and staff with valid concealed weapons permits to store weapons in locked cars. Students can also apply for permission from campus police to carry a firearm on the exterior grounds. The policy also allows some faculty and staff to carry weapons inside buildings with permission granted on a case-by-case basis by campus police.

    Read more here…

  • Sen. Orrin G. Hatch Speaks Out About Firearm Legistlation

    Recently Sen Orrin Hatch wrote an article entitled “Protecting our constitutional right to keep and bear arms requires constant vigilance.” Its a great summary of some of the wins that we have achieved at the national level over the last several years. It also speaks out clearly as to the Utah philosophy in regards to firearms.

    The original article is found here: http://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2011/11/04/protecting-our-constitutional-right-to-keep-and-bear-arms-requires-constant-vigilance-opinion/

    For your convenience I’m posting an excerpt here.

    Gun owners in America know they can never rest easy. That’s because Americans’ constitutional right to keep and bear arms is always under fire from the political left and their allies in the White House, Congress and the media.

    It doesn’t take much to prompt another assault on our Second Amendment Rights. All it requires is one high-profile case involving a criminal and a firearm, and there’s no shortage of liberal legislators and pundits willing to tar law-abiding gun owners with the same brush and call for gun control.

    In that never-ending war, I have found it better to be proactive than reactive. It is better to take the legislative initiative rather than wait for the next incursion from the anti-gun crowd before taking action. That is why I have spearheaded many important initiatives over the years to uphold our right to bear arms.

    In October, for example, Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) and I introduced the Firearms Interstate Commerce Reform Act, which brings gun laws into the 21st century by allowing the interstate sale of firearms and getting rid of antiquated and unnecessary restrictions on interstate firearms transactions that hurt business and jobs.

    Specifically, the legislation would remove a number of restrictions from the Gun Control Act of 1968, which only allows dealers to sell rifles or shotguns to residents of a different state subject to a tedious series of conditions. These restrictions are aimed at stopping buyers from evading background checks.

    Since 1998, however, all people buying firearms from dealers in the U.S. are subject to a sophisticated computer background check under the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which is much more advanced and renders the restrictions in the 1968 law obsolete. The current restrictions, unless changed, will continue to interfere with interstate commerce by hindering or preventing these sales. This bill would put a stop to that.

    On another front, Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas and I, along with 43 other senators, recently wrote President Obama and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, to oppose ratification of the United Nations’ Arms Trade Treaty that could jeopardize our national sovereignty and restrict the rights of American gun owners.

    Utahns and other Americans won’t tolerate this White House or Congress surrendering our national sovereignty to U.N. bureaucrats so they can dictate to us our liberties and freedoms. As your elected representative, I won’t tolerate it either.

    Read more…

  • Nevada Passes Law Allowing Firearms in State Parks

    The legislative commission in Nevada has repealed a law that prohibited carrying firearms in State parks. The law still prohibits discharge of a firearm in state parks with obvious exceptions. Nevada state law still protects the rights of self defense of course.

    As you know Federal law in regards to National Parks echos that of State Parks where the National Park is located. That means that the carry of firearms inside of National Parks inside of Nevada are also allowed.

  • House Passes National Concealed Carry Reciprocity Bill

    Well, the house finally passed a bill that essentially would make all states who issue concealed carry permits, honor permits from any state. This would take a lot of the guess work out of the national travel problems that current concealed carry holders face.

    Currently only Illinois and DC do not honor any form of a concealed carry permit meaning that your current permit would be valid in the remaining 49 states if this bill were signed into law.

    This still has to go through the senate etc and in an election year like 2012 this bill could be a topic that comes out in some debates!