Anyone who carries concealed for more than a few days finds something that annoys them about toting a gun around all the time. Whether it’s the occasional nostalgia about wild weekends with friends or the way that a particular holster sometimes scratches your side or the uneven pull in a particular pair of jeans. There is always something.
Brushing these small inconveniences aside, I asked myself what things about carrying a gun have been the constant annoyances over the last decade. I compiled my list below as well as the things I’ve done to mitigate these frustrations.
1. Post Office
Unless you wear a particular type of badge, carrying on federal property is reserved for, well, the feds. Imagine my surprise, and subsequent annoyance, when I moved to a town that had an ordinance against mailboxes. Everyone in the town was assigned a post office box, which was the only way to receive mail. This meant daily trips to the post office where my gun was not allowed. In order to avoid committing a felony, I had to find a safe way to store my gun when I went to get my mail.
Seven years and three kids later, I still make the daily trek to the post office. Whether that means a quick trip sans gun or stashing the gun in the lockable glove box or in a mobile safe, it’s something that must be done to stay within the law. It’s annoying, but short of legislation amending the restriction on carrying in a post office and on other federal property, I do what I must to stay legal.
[Editor’s note: It is not legal to bring your gun onto post office property, even if you leave it in the car. Melody parks on a city street for her visits to the local post office.]
2. Signs and Schools
Lucky for me, I live in the state of Iowa where the majority of “no gun” signs do not carry the weight of law. I can waltz past them with my greatest fear being a trespassing charge if I fail to leave the premises when asked. Other states are not so lenient so keeping an eye out for signs, and having to remove and store my gun safely and securely, can be a hassle. My state does have some strange restrictions as to where we can carry guns, and not all of those are posted clearly. I have to know the laws and remember them when going about my day, which can be difficult and frustrating for a busy, often distracted, mom. Additionally, the debate as to whether or not one can pick up their children from school in my state while armed continues to rage in concealed carry classes.
For those who are properly trained and responsible, the constant removal and temporary storage of their firearm in places like vehicles in parking lots are far more dangerous to the general public and increases the potential thefts than the continued carry of a firearm into these prohibited places.
Having holsters that allow me to quickly and safely remove the holstered gun that can then be stashed in a lockable, portable safe or glove box has been my go-to answer for these moments, but to avoid the hassle and additional danger, I try to just stay away from any place I am prohibited from carrying my firearm.
3. Different State Laws
Individual states have sovereign say on what they will and will not allow as to their carry laws. While we could enjoy a lengthy and passionate conversation about what the 2nd Amendment provides for US citizens in regards to a national right to carry wherever, as it stands right now, the states have the supreme authority to tell us where we are legally permitted to carry firearms and where we are not.
In one state, you may be permitted to carry to church while in another you are not. In some states, you can carry in a bar but not consume alcohol. In other states, you can carry and consume but are cautioned not to get drunk. In other states, you may only carry if you have a permit while other states have adopted permit-less carry.
If you never travel outside your own state, this frustration is limited to your understanding of your state’s laws. If you travel like I do, however, the constant juggling of state laws and reciprocity can be exhausting. Additionally, conversations with others as to what is allowed and where can be muddled when people are advising based on their own state laws, forgetting that these laws vary depending on location.
Resources like handgunlaw.us and the CCW app (for iPhone or Android) can be indispensable resources for those who need to know the carry laws of other states in a hurry.
4. Putting It All Back On
With all the “taking off” that goes along with concealed carry laws comes another constant annoyance: putting it all back on. This is particularly frustrating when sitting in a parking lot, attempting to be discrete, vigilant, and safe.
Most days I carry a Glock 19, a spare magazine and/or flashlight, and a fixed-blade knife. The flashlight and knife can usually come with me to places where guns are forbidden, but every now and then, it all has to come off and then back on again. It’s always a pain.
A commitment to quality holsters, sheaths, and carriers that allow quick but secure on/off helps in keeping me safe, speedy and mostly discrete unless I’m at home, and then I don’t care.
5. Holes in my shirt
There’s something about those rear sights and cotton t-shirts. They simply do not get along. You might get one hundred days out of a good quality shirt or just one out of a delicate one, but eventually, they will come–those micro-holes in the shirts. While tougher fabrics and more flowing garments can help eliminate the hole problem, sometimes you just have to say good-bye and move on or, if you are particularly committed to your favorite style, attempt a patch job.
6. The Box-O-Holsters
I have a box in my basement that is filled with holsters. It is larger than the box my fake Christmas tree lives in for 11 months out of the year. Next to this box is a canvas bag that is also filled with holsters. Beside it is my range bag that also has a few holsters in it, and that is in addition to the dozen or so holsters that sit in a chest next to my back door that I go to more regularly.
If you’ve carried a gun for any length of time, I can hear you nodding in agreement. The box-o-holsters is real, and it is as heart-warming and nostalgic as it is frustrating when you think of all the money you spent on things that didn’t work.
If you are like me, you keep those holsters for “what if” moments or to use as examples to others. If you want to make a little money, however, you could consider turning to the interwebs and find buy/sell/trade groups that focus on holsters.
7. Flying
I actually like flying. I would like it a lot more if I didn’t have to always check a bag to take my gun. Over the last decade, I have flown probably one hundred times with everything from a single carry handgun to multiple handguns and rifles for classes. While the process to fly with guns is not difficult, it can slow down your check-in time and cause minor hassles if the agents you are working with are unfamiliar with procedures where civilian firearms are concerned. On top of that, because all firearms must be checked, you will always be hit with checked baggage fees, automatically adding cost to your trip.
To make flying with your firearm easy, be prepared with printed copies of TSA guidelines for flying with firearms. Be prepared with the phrase, “I have firearms to declare,” and ask for a declaration slip. Make sure the case your firearms are stored in is a quality, hard-sided case with stout locks. It’s always a good idea to hang around the check-in counter until your bag has gone through TSA and never, ever allow anyone to put a tag on the outside of your luggage indicating a firearm is inside. Justin has some additional tips for flying with firearms in this article.
8. People Telling Me How I Feel
There are people who carry guns and never tell another living soul. Their anonymity protects them from people who are bound and determined to tell them what they are and are not experiencing.
“That cannot be comfortable.”
“You can’t sit down with your holster like that.”
“You are paranoid.”
“You can’t conceal a firearm that big.”
“You can’t carry a gun in that dress.”
For outsiders looking in, it can sometimes be surprising to see the gear and ways that people like myself and others have chosen to carry guns. As long as those methods are safe and sound, it’s always a good reminder that people who say it can’t be done should not interrupt those who are doing it. Also, for those who may have gotten disparaging advice about what you can and cannot carry or wear while armed, keep searching. There is probably a solution out there for you.
9. Huggers
Full disclosure: I am a hugger. I love to show affection to the people closest to me, and it just so happens that most of them also carry guns so gun-bumping is neither awkward or off-putting.
I do, however, have friends and family who are not gun people, and they like to hug. In moments when the presence of a gun can mean the difference between a happy family gathering and excommunication, hugging can be a stressful affair.
This is why I have mastered the art of the under-arm hug or the one arm squeeze. If you immediately dive your arms below the arms of your fellow hugger that will force them to hug high above the waist and away from your gun. One-arm shoulder squeezes can also keep your gun away from handsy huggers and, if you aren’t feeling comfortable with either of those techniques, “Hey, grandma, I think I’m coming down with a cold and don’t want to get you sick,” often does the trick.
10. The Reminder That the World Is Not As I Would Like It to Be
Carrying a firearm has never been something that I have enjoyed doing. I go about it with the same neutrality as loading or unloading the dishwasher, folding laundry, or changing the oil in my car. It’s neither pleasant or unpleasant, at least not if we are truly understanding of what that firearm truly represents. I put on a firearm every day because I understand that the world is not as I would like it to be. There are people in the world who would do me great harm and this thing — this tool that I wear — is meant to stop them when coupled with the appropriate application of my skill. That is a sobering and weighty responsibility and one which I do not take lightly.
Yet, I’m also reminded that life is good and worth defending. The evil I am preparing to defend myself against is only a dim shadow against the brightness of this life and my desire to live it to the fullest. I’ll put up with a few annoyances and frustrations to preserve my life and the lives of those I love.
In my local gun owning and 2A supporting community we call all the states in red in that picture “The Peoples Republic of…” insert city, county or state name if they are basically a bastion of freedom hating people.
A very well written and cogent article on CCW. IMHO anyone who is thinking of becoming a CCW holder (where allowed too) should read this and consider these points.
Keep your powder dry and your faith in God.
Excellent! Your last paragraph captures the essence of carrying; beautifully written!
How about going #2 in a public bathroom.. Disastrous
Why on earth would you do that anyway? Do you not have plumbing at home? People the poo in public are the worse of society.
Well — what about the last day of a seven day trip to teach a course 2000 miles from home? Surely you’re not going to hold it until you get home?
Trust me, you only go in a pubic restroom if you *have* to!!
People that think that are the worst in society. Holding it just to make yourself feel better is disgusting.
Some of us have medical reasons for it. In January 2016 I had my gallbladder removed. Wife and I went out to dinner several weeks later and dinner did not agree with me at all so there I was using a public bathroom with a M9 visible if you’d had looked under the stall.
I fly. A lot. And I have often found that at many of the larger, busier airports, traveling with a firearm in checked baggage can actually be a blessing. Nine times out of ten, I get to skip the long lines and go directly to the special services counter, where only rarely is anyone there ahead of me, and almost always I find myself checked in, bag on its way long before I would have gotten half-way through the regular lines.
But I totally empathize with the post office nonsense.
Scares the hell out of me checking a firearm on a plane. As someone who’s had golf clubs stolen right out of my check bag, I couldn’t imagine ever letting TSA touch my valuables.
u mean like when they do the feelin up check/
I find all this interesting as I conceal carried a small 9mm or .380 for years before most all of what you mentioned made me re-think. Why am I going through all this hassle? I put the guns in the safe and focused on living a more carefree life. Thank God I never once found myself in a situation where I needed a gun and I hope I never will, but man-o-man is it liberating to stop worrying all the time.
“Why am I going through all this hassle?”
To potentially save the life of yourself or your family. Derp.
Then why belong to a concealed carry interest group? Your choice man, but don’t belittle those who think differently. That’s just being a douche.
I’m trying to track where the worry comes in.
Putting my holster on is just part of getting dressed, the only time I feel concerned in my day to day life is throwback paranoia from growing up on overseas DoD bases when I see unattended bags/running vehicles with nobody inside them.
Let’s see, why do I have life insurance, car insurance, health insurance, homeowners insurance, etc. I never plan on needing it, so why have it? Oh Yeah, I could be in line at a convenience store and have some dirtbag decide to rob the place or some other oddball event that you never expect. Nope, I’ll carry and hope I never have to use it.
So what happens someday if you do need it?
frankly i’d just like to get back to the times when a Swiss Army knife wasn’t considered a concealed weapon. i can’t imagine how frustrated Boy Scouts must feel these days.
I am still new to concealed carry and therefore have made no final decisions. But for the time being, in summer when it’s really hot where I live, I like a North American Arms mini revolver in .22 magnum. Only 5 shots and you’d better aim for the belly and be within about 20 feet or so, but it weighs 6 ounces and fits perfectly in a shirt pocket.
No practical carry issues. Plus .22 magnum, while being the Rodney Dangerfield of rounds, will ruin some dirtbag’s day, week, month, and year. Once the weather’s cool enough to wear a coat, I carry a FN Five Seven, so I guess if I’m going to need the heavy artillery I hope that happens between October and April. 😉
p.s.: If you’re carrying in the post office and should happen to need to save a life there, do you really think anyone will complain? I don’t.
If you carry where you aren’t supposed to like the Post Office or at work, I’d take the odds to Vegas that you’ll be prosecuted and you’ll lose your job. I don’t agree with it but I don’t try to deny reality 🙂
I’m retired, but if I saved a life and was a registered concealed carrier do you really think they’d still prosecute me?
Yes
Yes
Yes, and persecute you, as well.
Yes….and stay out of the state of maryland and the District of Columbia. The
‘good old days’ of common sense ruling are long gone.
Worry not about MD and DC, ha ha!
Post office equals an automatic felony, and I don’t think that it will matter very much that you will have perhaps saved a life.
And carrying any pistol in a shirt pocket sounds like a pistol that is just waiting for you to bend over to pick up something from the floor, etc. so that it can fall out and announced its’ presence.
And your choice of caliber leaves a lot to be desired also. To many stories about idiots sucking up numerous rounds of accepted calibers and still doing bad things to justify carrying something so small, but that is your choice. Best of luck to you.
mark, thanks for your comment. Please see my answer to WARRIORI below for a more complete reply to you.
yes they would. You forget that government is chock full of ‘progressives’ ( and is a convenient cover word for communist) and anything that smacks of what the founding fathers stood for is fair game to these rotten bast*rds. Including crucifying you.
Sadly, upon further reflection, I have to agree with you.
Yup!
Yes, they would
I’m sorry, but I disagree.No matter how good your intentions or the outcome, I think you would be charged with a federal crime and thrown into federal prison, simply because you were carrying a gun on federal property. They would prosecute just to make a point. Unfortunately.
Hmm, maybe you’re right.
Not to pile on, but you need to read some of Massad Ayoob’s comments about mini-revolvers. You might be better served with something a little more serious for the intended purpose.
I wrote about this above. There’s a link in the post, which triggers an automatic moderator hold here. I presume it’ll get un-held, so you can see what I wrote if you care.
WOW, with this list, I’d really think you’re trying to get people to NOT carry, considering how difficult you’ve made it seem. I’m sitting quite comfortably in my office chair, wearing a Lobo Leather Deep Cover holster holding a HUGE S&W 629 ‘N’ Frame 44 Magnum and have 2 speed loaders in a velcro holder on the back of my hip… No one notices, no one cares. Flying is the only real hassle. The on and off routine is easy if you have a good holster.
It ain’t rocket science. (And I can attest to that as I used to be a rocket scientist, in the military)
So learn to fly and get your license. No TSA and you get to be your own Air Marshall.
I’m for open carry everywhere, all states. No restrictions.
1. You’d make yourself a target immediately.
2. Kinda goes against the definition of “element of surprise”.
The only people who should know you are carrying are you and the perp that just got shot.
I don’t want to surprise someone who is intent on violently attacking me, I want to give them the option to not attack me in the first place.
Would you choose a victim to rob if you knew they are armed or pick someone who looks like they’re not? There are many great arguments for open carry. Read up on it, you may be surprised and it’ll put you to thinking.
There’s actually a federal appeals court case that says that you would violate Post Office regulations by having your gun locked in your car in a post office parking lot. The regulations literally say no guns on Post Office property ever “except for official purposes.” 39 CFR 231.(i). Bonidy v. U. S. Postal Services. (10th Cir. June 26, 1015). On the other hand, it looks like the violation would be not be a felony disqualifying you from future gun ownership. And it begs the question of how the Post Office is able to mail guns. Because, if you’re bringing a gun to the post office to mail, aren’t you . . . ?
I thought about that a couple of years ago when I was shipping a pistol back to the manufacturer for service. The postal shipping office was at the main airport, and the sign outside said absolutely no firearms. I slipped in quietly, filled out the labels, slapped them on my parcel, got my receipt and got out of there fast.
Doesn’t apply in her case as she parks on a city street, not the post office parking lot.
Ahhhh small town life.
I think the full Federal language exempts firearms carried “for hunting and other lawful purposes”. Arguably, carrying with a permit would be a “lawful purpose”. David Codrea once explored this issue, but unfortunately, it’s never been resolved.
The regulations exceed the bounds of the law. They’re illegitimate.
I always thought you have to watch out for the postal workers lol…
The hole worn in the truck seat from the kidney carry position….oh well. Semper fidelis.
….a Semper Fi here, also.
good piece. i like to pocket carry, and i have a console safe in my pickup; moving my piece from it to my pocket is no sweat. in missouri, carrying in a bar is a no-no, even though i don’t drink. the fine is $100 (if you’re caught), which i think my life is worth!
My biggest gripe about concealed carry is that, here in South Carolina, when we go to church, by SC state law we have to get a pastor’s permission to carry in church. This is so stupid it’s beyond words, and if some people in a Charleston church two years ago had been carrying, a stupid kid would not have been able to kill 9 people and get away from there. SC law needs to be changed but the spineless and stupid legislators have no common sense or desire to change the law in the current atmosphere.
My biggest and only complaint is that in a country (that is supposedly the land of the free) with a second amendment that guarantees our right to bear arms, we still have to ask for permission from our rulers about when, how, or where, we may carry a weapon to defend ourselves and others. All the complaints on the list are Mickey Mouse compared to that one.
I highly recommend living in Arizona. You don’t need a permit to carry any way you like.
Land of the free!? Tell me which freedoms we rank in the top 10 in the world?
The State of Maryland is the absolute worst place to own a fire arm in the country. Highest restrictions on guns and one of the worst homoside rates. What a bunch of fools !
I carry in waistband and weight and size is a big factor. I used to carry a m&p 9c which is a double stack mag. When I switched to a shield ,which is a single stack, it wasn’t as bulky and was much more comfortable when I sat down. Especially in a car. I then have some custom mill work done which reduces that weight and made it even better. Lastly was ammo! I was carrying with lead hollow points but when I switched to nickel coated copper hollow point, it’s as if the gun was empty. Liberty civil defense is insanely light. After all the weight reduction I forgot I even have it. Size and weight makes a big difference when carrying comfortably. Anyone who carries I highly recommend finding a box of liberty civil defense ammo!
Well, I don’t give a rip about no-gun rules or laws. I’m going to conceal everywhere I go unless it’s through a metal detector. Hence I DO NOT FLY. Concealed means concealed. That means nobody knows you have it. If they don’t know you have it, how the hell are you going to get in trouble? And if I NEED to USE it I would rather still be alive and dealing with their asinine laws than be legal and dead.
I use a 38 snuby in the summer time and my Glock 19 is winter. However, I am retired and don’t have to wear all day lonnnngggg:)
There is MORE crime in the summer.
The different state laws, on something as serious as this makes it difficult to stay within the law. I live in Idaho, a gun friendly state. I travel to Washington, Florida and last year, Portland, Oregon for my son’s wedding. Florida is ok, Washington is like going to a different country, Oregon (Portland} is like going to a different continent.
But as I would rather have a court day than a funeral date, I carry. Fred
Do you mean Washington state or DC? If memory serves me correctly, in most if not all of Oregon, one can actually open carry: “Section 27. Right to bear arms; military subordinate to civil power. The people shall have the right to bear arms for the defence [sic] of themselves, and the State, but the Military shall be kept in strict subordination to the civil power[.]” Oddly enough, as in the Federal Constitution, it does not specifically state open, concealed, loaded or unloaded. Therefore, it should be legal to do either with or without a permit. To Bear does not necessarily imply Openly.
Oregon is legally a mixed bag.
Yes, you can open carry without a permit, except in some cities and counties, mostly in the Portland area. But this presents an issue, because if for example you have a loaded gun in your vehicle out in the country, it must be openly displayed if you are stopped. If it’s loaded and concealed in your vehicle, it’s against the law statewide.
In practice, it means that it’s best to get a concealed carry permit. If you do that, you can carry loaded everywhere in the state.
Technically, unless you are an Oregon resident, own property there, or do business (like a sales person/vendor) having a permit is very suspect, even when issued by a Sheriff from Oregon. Reading the Oregon laws regarding acquisition of a concealed carry permit, it states what is required. However, they are still violating the 2nd Amendment . . . 🙁
“Very suspect” in what sense? Oregon issues non-resident permits. I’m going to be getting one this summer, along with an Arizona non-res permit. I already have a WA res permit, so am I “very suspect” already by virtue of having a permit? Exactly what are you trying to scare me about?
As for the second amendment, your opinion + $3 gets me something at Starbucks. The U.S. Supreme Court interprets the constitution, and has made clear in the Heller decision (which at least I have read — have you?) and subsequent cases that a state can require a permit for public carry, concealed or otherwise.
So you might think that Oregon is violating the second amendment, and I might not like their rules either, but neither of us has much say in the matter. I especially despise the rules in the People’s Damn Fascist Republic of California, but there’s nothing I can do about it.
Bottom line: It would help me a whole lot more if you’d spare the histrionics and be specific and practical about your claim that I will be deemed “very suspect” when I get an Oregon non-res permit, and especially what impact this will have on me in the real world. Thanks.
Hmmm, well, go to the Oregon website and what does it say:
“What are the requirements for obtaining a concealed handgun license in the State of Oregon?”
“You must apply for a concealed handgun license in the county in which you reside.”
and then there is this:
Q. How do I meet the residency requirement to apply for a concealed handgun license issued by Clackamas County?
A. You may apply for a concealed handgun license in Clackamas County by meeting one of the residency requirements as stated in ORS 166.291(9):
Possess a current Oregon driver’s license showing a residence in Clackamas County.
Be registered to vote in Clackamas County and have a precinct memorandum card showing a residence address in Clackamas County.
Provide documentation that you currently own or lease real property in Clackamas County.
Provide documentation that you filed an Oregon tax return for the most recent tax year with a residence address in Clackamas.
You are reading the resident permit requirement. I am a WA State resident. There is a different procedure for Oregon non-res permits. Each county sheriff is the go-to, and once you’ve met the state requirement to take a class (which I will do later this month) you go to the county sheriff and apply for a permit.
For Oregon non-res, it’s “may issue,” and some sheriffs flatly don’t issue them. There’s a hassle factor involved that I’m not fully clued into other than to be told it exists. It’s not necessarily political. Example: The sheriff of Grant County, Oregon is highly and vocally pro-2nd, but he will not issue non-res permits to anyone.
I just left the People’s Republic of Seattle and am having a house built in Klickitat County, which is across the Columbia River from Wasco County, Oregon. Got plenty of shootin’ buddies in and near The Dalles, the Wasco County seat. My friends will forget more about all of this stuff than I will ever know.
They tell me that the Wasco County sheriff is fine with non-res permits for people right across the river. Look, I really didn’t want to bite your head off there. I actually listen to what other gunners say. But I have to say that I really, really don’t like having my chain yanked. Just the facts, please. Trust me, I am more than capable of coming up with my own cranky opinions. That is one area where I truly need no one’s help. 😉
My point is this: by Oregon state law, there is Not a Non-Resident requirement. Here is what their law further states about non-res permits: ORS 166.291(8) the county sheriff may waive the residency requirement in subsection (1)(c) for a resident of a contiguous state who has a compelling business interest or other legitimate demonstrated need. In order for someone who lives out of state to apply for an Oregon Concealed Handgun License, they must first write a letter either by mail or e-mail to the sheriff requesting consideration. You will then be contacted by phone and given instructions on how to proceed with the process if you are approved. The letter must include your name, address, date of birth and the reason you would like to be considered for a concealed handgun license. I’m only sharing what I know, through multiple contacts to Oregon Sheriff departments over the past couple years and through internet access to Sheriff websites. So, while there may be work arounds to get a permit as a non-resident, there is not a non-resident permit, such as that offered by Utah and many other states.
Well ya got me there. I assumed it was a separate res and non-res, but you’re correct: It’s the same permit with a different procedure for a non-resident. Gunners who I trust tell me that I’ll have no trouble getting a permit through the Wasco County sheriff.
I know this, I took the Oregon training in 2010. They gave you of list of places where the Sheriff was understanding and against those that would violate/infringe upon our Right To Bear Arms. The WAC (Washington Arms Collectors) used to have an application table for Oregon at their shows. Last time I was at the show, the table was not there? In their June issue, there is a posting about the process being temporarily postponed? It goes on to say, maybe returning in the fall. It had been supported by the Columbia County Sheriff of Oregon.
Yep, I’ve been told that Columbia County’s sheriff readily issues permits. If my buddies are wrong about Wasco County, that’s where I’ll go. But from what I’ve been told, I don’t think it’ll be necessary. We shall see, pretty soon.
>it must be openly displayed if you are stopped.
This feels like a throwback to when rifle racks in trucks were common, and the law is written to permit them.
It’s complicated enough to make me simply get the array of concealed carry permits that I need.
Our rights according to our Constitution have no concealed carry restriction. The “carry” laws are state laws that many among us are happy to comply with, but are only a compromise of a basic right. The radicals of states like NY, Ca. Ill, and others have caused us in normal states to kow tow to practices that we know are not constitutional. We are glad to get a watered down right compared to none at all. Over a 100 ignorant savages were shot in Chicago over the 4th of July. None had any license to have any firearm in that state. Did that help?– well of course it didn’t. In Texas –hundreds of thousands with legal firearms and carry licenses shot no one at all. If there is a news story on one of the networks about firearms over the holiday it will be to condemn the law abiding public in places like Texas.
A postal employee helpfully informed me that he had noticed me several times padlock my carry gun to a chain in my trunk while in their parking lot BUT that the new rules/law prohibited possession on the entire property including the parking lot! I now no longer park in the P O parking lot.
How about the fact that you are in the database once you “sign on” to a ccw permit, so every time you get pulled over or have your license checked you are often (not always) treated as a bad guy by a paranoid officer whether you are carrying or not. I want to get ccw again, but really don’t want to deal with this. constitutional carry must be nice.
I dunno, since I got my CHL, I’ve been 6 for 7 in getting out of tickets when I present my CHL after being pulled over. Last time, talked to the trooper on the side of the interstate for 10 minutes about guns after getting a warning.
The #1thing I hate: sweat. #2: rain.
I simply ignore those stupid ‘gun free zone’ signs, including at P.O. I suppose there’s some risk in this, but I decided there’s greater risk in conforming to the dictates of the those who oppose freedom.
I’m also skeptical that the signs deter real criminals, although I suppose I’m just too cynical.
Heh-heh.
Thanks for the article. I laughed because I could identify with several of your items, especially going to the P.O. I just won’t jeopardize my CHP by ‘cheating’. I also loath leaving a firearm in an automobile anytime. I’ve not checked for security measures that would lessen the possibility of theft, yet. I see just below me Mr. Dan Clark has a ‘console safe’ in his truck. May check it out.
I think a lot of issues could be resolved with a uniform Federal law which would be accepted universally throughout the US, and would allow CCW Carriers to be subject to less confusion. The other issue I have is when you are out of state and advise a Law enforcement officer you are carrying a CCW, and then have to jump through hoops complying with the officers demands!!!!
I carry a copy of the 2nd amendment with me, along with a very sharp knife. Enough said!
Regarding #1. Post Office: A gun in a lockable glove box or in a mobile safe is still against federal law while parked on Post Office property.
Number Six and Number Nine were great… and especially struck home. Though I admit that all were very applicable! Good article, Melody!
I have a mailbox at the UPS store where I get my mail because there are many ways that the Post Office annoys me beyond the GFZ BS.
Gun laws are “extra charge” laws for people already breaking the law. If you are concealed and never provoke reasonable suspicion for a search, you will not be searched, and any charge stemming from a search will be thrown out. Just carry everywhere and don’t stress.
I have another one for you. Having to go #2 in a public restroom without someone seeing the firearm when your pants are down.
Sound like too much of a Whinner, Man-up or don’t carry. Not every thing in life is easy, and to start sounding like the snowflakes makes it that much worst. Regardless of your sex suck-it-up-cupcake!
If one is technically law abiding in what they are doing, and if they are carrying concealed in a truly non-printing fashion; who would know you were carrying in a signed no carry zone, be it a Federal or other infringement of your right zone?
I don’t have any problem with holes in my shirts, What is he carrying and how?
Well written article. My pet peeve is police reactions to minor technical violations. Some states, like Ill Annoy treat them like first degree murder. A technical violation, like an out of stater stepping off his motorcycle at a gas pump, that should be treated with an arse chewing or a warning, is treated as a felony.
We are not the enemy.
Thanks, Terry for the link. I’m headed there now.
A few years back I noticed that they removed all of the firearms prohibited signs from the post offices,
that would lead you to believe that now you can carry there. also Louisiana along with many other states
now have parking lot storage laws now. also in Louisiana all public places must be posted with proper signage if prohibited.
Great article. The real pain with the US Post Office is ones where no real parking exists except in the PO Parking Lot. I have the choice of either parking (probably illegally) at Walgreens a block away and walking across a busy street or not having my firearm all day if I have to hit the Post Office on the way home.
I am exceedingly glad that I and my family do not live in the same State as the cotton t-shirt wearing(!) “Melody”, who feels “she” must carry a loaded firearm AND a knife to go to the post office and whose teenaged grandchildren probably know exactly where the guns are kept, where the ammunition is stored and how to get to both.
Are you saying you’re in doubt of the sex and age of the author? Or whether she exists at all? Either way, those things are pretty easy to verify: http://melodylauer.com/ If you don’t believe she actually wears cotton t-shirts, I’m afraid I don’t have any proof for you on that.
Yes, she looks real, a sort of evangelist of the fantasy. Remarkable that some presumably intelligent people would spend their money, and major sums, too, to feed the fantasy that a handgun would do you any good on the million to one chance your middle class life would intersect with a criminal incident.
I go with the FBI stats. They show what handguns are used for in actuality and clearly it is not for self defense. Pulling out a pistol is how some folks win an argument.
In her slickly produced website, Melody is described as a “mother of three”. Any idea who and where the father(s) might be?
For post office carry, no change to the law is needed, thus no new legislation is needed. Only the code of federal regulations prohibits carry on postal property, and regulations which exceed the bounds of the statutory authority under which they’re enacted are one court challenge away from repeal.
Melody,
I would like to ask you a question that has been bugging me ever since i joined the “shooting community”. Why do people wear their guns inside the waistband in the “appendix” carry? I have only had my permit for a month and I am not the carrying type. My gun stays locked up with a cable lock in my closet and is only fully assembled and loaded at the range. However, I believe that every grown American has the right to own and carry a firearm. But I don’t get the whole appendix carry thing. The first rule the instructor drilled into us was “always keep a loaded gun pointed in a safe direction”. Since when does that safe direction point toward your femoral artery? Or any of the sensitive structures nearby? One is hard pressed to imagine any situation where any type of carry is safe but the appendix carry seems particularly unsafe. Am I wrong?
Will,
That’s a good question. To answer it, first we need to talk about pointing and what that means.
There is what I like to call “active pointing” and “passive pointing.” In one, the firearm is able to be acted upon, in the other it is not.
A gun sitting on a table is passively “pointing” somewhere but it is incapable of firing on its own. Guns sitting in safes or on gun store shelves are all “pointing” at something but because they are not capable of being acted upon they are neutral or “passive.” The same is true of firearms in quality holsters. They are incapable of being acted upon without input from the wearer… which is where we get into “active pointing.”
The moment a hand touches a firearm it is capable of being acted upon… from here on out the direct actions of that action may have life/death consequences. Part of being a responsible gun owner in making sure that your actions limit the ability to for unnecessary injury or death. We do this by making sure we do not point a firearm at anything we do not wish to destroy.
This is why when we holster in the AIWB position we are careful to make sure that the strong-side leg is dropped back and we thrust the hips forward… the firearm is never pointed at any part of the body when it is being acted upon.
Once the gun (assuming it is a well-maintained, quality firearm) is secured in a quality holster, it becomes passive and no more dangerous than a gun sitting in a safe at home.
Guns in holsters are pointing everywhere… guns carried in shoulder holsters are pointing at everyone around them. Guns carried on hips are pointed at feet all day long and any time you climb a stairs your gun is pointing at anyone who might be below you.
This is why we stress quality holsters so much. It is entirely responsible for keeping a firearm neutralized while it is being moved through a busy world filled with people we don’t want to injure…. including ourselves.
That’s why, when I see people being careless about their holster selections it shows me they don’t really understand how careless they are being with their own life and the lives of those around them.
If that helps you understand a little bit more you will see how having a quality firearm in a quality holster carried AIWB is a complete nonissue and no less dangerous than any other carry position.
As to the position itself The reason AIWB is so popular is because of all of benefits to it:
Faster draw times
Easier to defend
Easier to conceal (for some)
More comfortable (again, for some)
to name a few…
I hope this helps answer your question. If you have any other questions I’d be happy to answer them.
🙂
Well written article.
Great Summary.. we all need to know our current laws and find what works for us. Holsters; that’s an evolving process that will eventually settle, until our taste in firearms changes
Wonderful article, just found this site, will be back for more!