Opinions on Legal/illegal carry

[Dmanbass]

I would like to hear thoughts from anyone (especially LEO) on whether people carry concealed without a permit. I do not carry myself here in California because I do not have a CCW but I am very interested to know what others are doing. I know where the courts stand on it but I also know that there are many who believe that in our world there is a higher power than the law which is natural self preservation. Your opinions will be appreciated.
__________________

 

[Darren007]

A good friend of mine was a CO state trooper for about 12 years. He said that its happened more times than you would think. "It" being someone carrying a concealed weapon without a permit. He said that while he understands the thinking, the law the is the law. Interestingly, a lot of the people he found to be carrying illegally were women. His guess was that many of them didnt know/or understand how to go about getting a permit.

 

[Musketeer]

It happens but it would be very irresponsible for anyone here to post that they support it or that they do so themselves. Remember, many people read forums like these and if you should ever have a problem with the law it is a fair bet they will grab your computer, sift through every file and investigate every website you visited.

Never put anything down in writing you do not want in court.

 

[Anchorage]

Remember, many people read forums like these and if you should ever have a problem with the law it is a fair bet they will grab your computer, sift through every file and investigate every website you visited.

over a gun charge ? like they dont need any more evidence, they got you red handed with the gun.

 

[Musketeer]

More like any other charge where they may tear into your computer. Plenty of people who are innocent have their machines grabbed by the authorities in the course of an investigation.

It is just good sense to never write something you wouldn't want to be confronted with later.

 

[brickeyee]

Depending on state (or city/county law) you might find yourself facing a felony charge.
This is the Virginia state law

§ 18.2-308. Personal protection; carrying concealed weapons; when lawful to carry.

A. If any person carries about his person, hidden from common observation, (i) any pistol, revolver, or other weapon designed or intended to propel a missile of any kind by action of an explosion of any combustible material; (ii) any dirk, bowie knife, switchblade knife, ballistic knife, machete, razor, slingshot, spring stick, metal knucks, or blackjack; (iii) any flailing instrument consisting of two or more rigid parts connected in such a manner as to allow them to swing freely, which may be known as a nun chahka, nun chuck, nunchaku, shuriken, or fighting chain; (iv) any disc, of whatever configuration, having at least two points or pointed blades which is designed to be thrown or propelled and which may be known as a throwing star or oriental dart; or (v) any weapon of like kind as those enumerated in this subsection, he shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. A second violation of this section or a conviction under this section subsequent to any conviction under any substantially similar ordinance of any county, city, or town shall be punishable as a Class 6 felony, and a third or subsequent such violation shall be punishable as a Class 5 felony. For the purpose of this section, a weapon shall be deemed to be hidden from common observation when it is observable but is of such deceptive appearance as to disguise the weapon's true nature.

After the first time you will be facing a felony, and then a 'felon in possesion' charge on top of the indicated Class 5 carry violation.
Get a permit or DO NOT CARRY CONCEALED.

 

[davlandrum]

slingshot

OMG, I have to open carry my slingshot!!!!

ballistic knife

Is this a gravity knife?

 

[deanadell]

I don't advocate anyone breaking the law.

I have been a permit holder for years.

If a CCW permit is available in your state, GET ONE!!! Then there is no excuse to be carrying illegaly

Prior to permits being available in my state, I subscribed to the "Better to be judged by twelve than carried by six" school of thought if I felt circumstances warranted a concealed weapon.

 

[Dmanbass]

Very good points..... I think that's about enough for me. After reading these I realize that personal decisions are just that "personal" and better left that way. Thank you for your answers and good advice.

 

[Tom2]

I don't endorse anything, I could possibly sympathise with someone who fudged the law when faced with a SPECIFIC IMMEDIATE GRAVE THREAT, not, hey, I need to pack in case someone wants to steal my crack, or I better pack as I will go against common sense and hang in a bad area at night that is not necessary.....just about anyone with a nonspecific but possible threat should get a CCW license instead of fudging it.

 

[Deegle]

Don't do it! In many states, including mine (PA), carrying without a license is a felony. You do not want to lose your right to possess guns at all because you carried illegally. If you can't carry, buy some strong pepper spray and learn to use it.

 

[AK103K]

Is this a gravity knife?

No, a ballistic knife launches or fires the blade from the handle.

It looks something like this....

A gravity knife is just that, a knife thats blade drops out or open by gravity, like the German Falshirmjager knives, like this...

.....the law the is the law.

The whole problem with the permit system is, your rights have been reduced to privileges, privileges that some small petty bureaucrat now holds over you and can remove at any whim.

A law is a law, now thats a scary thing. To think that many believe that just because its a law, its right. Thats so far from the truth its even scarier.

You have to decide whether or not its worth the aggravation of dealing with the bureaucrats and their enforcers of the rules or do what you think is best for you. If its available, its probably easier to just get the permit. I look at it like a drivers license (another whole different issue ) learners permit. It lets you learn to carry your gun with little fear of reprisal, (although there will of course probably still be reprisals of some sort) if your discovered doing so. This way, when they do take away all our "privileges", you'll already have it down and can continue without the learning curve.

 

[Yankee Doodle]

If you carry illegally, and are caught, you will go to jail, if not state prison. In my opinion, this is how it should be.
Get a permit, or don't carry. You may think that you have to answer to a higher power, but a Superior Court Judge is about as high as you will get to go.
DON"T DO IT.

 

[zxcvbob]

If you carry illegally, and are caught, you will go to jail, if not state prison. In my opinion, this is how it should be.
Get a permit, or don't carry. You may think that you have to answer to a higher power, but a Superior Court Judge is about as high as you will get to go.
DON"T DO IT.

I agree with all of this except the "should be" part. That's got me really confused.

 

[AK103K]

What I dont understand here is, why everyone is so vehement about getting a permit, and being a good little "citizen", and following all the rules that take away their rights, but they wont do anything about their keeping their rights, and allow those who are supposed to be working for us, to legislate them away.

Does it have something to do with feeling special and/or superior for having gotten the permit, and now your one of the special people tha can "legally" carry a gun?

 

[Darren007]

A law is a law, now thats a scary thing. To think that many believe that just because its a law, its right. Thats so far from the truth its even scarier.

What I dont understand here is, why everyone is so vehement about getting a permit, and being a good little "citizen", and following all the rules that take away their rights, but they wont do anything about their keeping their rights, and allow those who are supposed to be working for us, to legislate them away.

Does it have something to do with feeling special and/or superior for having gotten the permit, and now your one of the special people tha can "legally" carry a gun?

WOW!!! Just...WOW!!!!

Wether someone feels a law is right or not, is opinion. Nothing more. The fact is.."the law IS the law"...dont like it??...work to get the laws changed. Thats how a "good" citizen does business. Breaking a law coz you think youre a bad ass, the government is evil or simply dont agree with it, is stupid, ignorant, lazy and ironicly the reason we have so many of these laws.

 

[AK103K]

...dont like it??...work to get the laws changed. Thats how a "good" citizen does business.

Absolutely.

If I remember correctly, any law that violates any of our Constitutional rights, is in fact, null and void.

Care to explain why the "illegal" laws are still in place, and why we follow them?

Or do we just blindly follow all the rules we are told to by those in authority? Seems to me, thats what they teach our kids in the state run schools these days.

 

[zxcvbob]

WOW!!! Just...WOW!!!!

All of this is opinion. Nothing more. The fact is.."the law IS the law"...dont like it??...work to get the laws changed. Thats how a "good" citizen does business. Breaking a law coz you think youre a bad ass, the government is evil or simply dont agree with it, is stupid, ignorant, lazy and ironicly the reason we have so many of these laws.

So when civilian gun ownership is totally outlawed, you will be the first in line to turn them in -- and I mean all of them-- to be destroyed?

Don't answer that, it was rhetorical. For now.

Bob

 

[Deegle]

I hate to have to point out the obvious, but it appears necessary. Permits are necessary because there are people in our society who SHOULD NOT have a gun. I have met several of these people. I deal with convicted criminals on a regular basis. They should not have guns. I also involuntarily commit insane persons as part of my job. Those people should not have guns. By requiring "good little citizens" to get permits, you screen those who should not have guns and prevent them from doing so. Sure, criminals still get guns - we all know that. But at least they can't buy them freely. The government should put every obstacle it can in front of criminals and the mentally ill who wish to procure firearms.

 

[AK103K]

Allright, let me ask this....

If we are all, for the most part, law abiding citizens, why are we punished by having to ask permission to exercise a right?

If someone breaks the law, they should have their rights taken away. Not the other way around. We are all being punished for the acts of those who will break the law anyway.

I just saw something in the news that said that 1% of the population in the US is now incarcerated. So if 1% of the population (I know, they are just the dumb ones what got caught, just humor me here) are the problem, why are the other 99% the ones who have to suffer, and give up their rights?

We didnt do anything wrong. Wouldnt it make more sense to punish those who need to be punished and allow the rest of us to be what we were always told we were, free Americans?