How About Your State?

[Buford57]

IL (which everyone on the forum loves to hate, whether it stands for the land of Lincoln or a hole in the frame) is shall issue. Initial issue requires a 16 hour class plus qualification. Credit for up to half the classroom time is available for certain other training (e.g. NRA basic handgun, hunter safety, LE). Renewal is every five years and requires a 3 hour class and qualification. Any handgun, any caliber. 30 rounds on a B27. 10 each at 5, 7, 10 yards, 70% to qualify. There is no open carry. No reciprocity, but non-resident CCL is available to those licensed in their home state.

At my qualification last year I was the only revolver shooter out of a class of 40. We shot first, then got the legal update. I was pointed out by the LEO instructor as having qualified with a snubby. He seemed in awe. I just smiled, mounted my unicorn and rode into the sunset.

 

[snubbyfan]

In West Virginia, if you can legally purchase a gun, you can legally carry it either concealed or open.
Since I travel to Virginia often though, I still get a a ccw to for reciprocity.

 

[Smoke]

Am I the only one in this discussion who thinks you shouldn't have to qualify to exercise a Constitutional Right?

Colorado is about to pass a law to make you take a class before you even buy certain classes of weapons.

Part of the class is going to have to cover "Victim Empathy".

Once you take the class your name is on the list of registered gun owners for the rest of your life.

Colorado has also added 8 hours of class time and are qualification every time you renew your concealed handgun permit. How many people are not going to be able to renew their permit just because of the financial burden?

 

[Jon651]

All these different qualifying standards make national reciprocity very difficult but hopefully it will eventually happen. Here in VA, once you get your CHP, concealed handgun permit, you can carry anything you want and there is no real qualifying with any of them. I guess we are pretty lucky after seeing some of the above posts.

I don't see national reciprocity coming anytime soon, mostly because there are states like Florida with "minimal to no" requirements for concealed carry yet very high restrictions for open carry, and others states where it is a real exercise in fortitude and patience to get your concealed weapon permit.

There is still no national reciprocity for paramedic and EMT certifications between the states, even though we've been talking about it since before I first became certified in the early 1980s. The curriculums and requirements have pretty much aligned in that time, yet we don't seem any closer to what should be a fairly easy ask.

 

[geeollie]

I have mixed feelings about needing to qualify.
I've had loaded firearms pointed at me by accident/carelessness/not knowing better, at public indoor ranges. Those were legal owners who had little if any instruction.

Many people buy a gun and have never even heard that you should keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot. A little instruction could be helpful.

 

[Muss Muggins]

So if you witness a murder; i.e. woman being attack by her ex with an axe in public; you just go to another Starbucks?

If he ain't attacking me, yes . . .

 

[swsig]

Texas used to have rules for CHL holders - you could qualify on any handgun over .32 caliber, as I recollect, but you could only carry a revolver if you tested on a revolver but you could carry any gun if you tested on a pistol. That's what I recall, anyway.

Then the CHL became an LTC because open carry was permitted to licensees.

Presently, Texas is a constitutional carry state so no LTC is needed.
However, for purposes of state reciprocity and because the police recognize that an LTC holder has undergone a background check and training I encourage folks to get an LTC.

The current rules are that .22 caliber or higher is required, any handgun, pistol or revolver, "the applicant must pass a shooting proficiency test using a B-27 target, firing a total of 50 rounds with a minimum score of 70% to pass; red dot sights are permitted, but lasers are not allowed; no specific restrictions on the type of handgun itself are listed beyond caliber requirements."

So, any gun, any time after you qualify.

I'll add: Renewal is done online, with no retesting or requalifying. They do a background check, and if you're still "legal", they send your new license by mail.

 

[03hemi]

GA is a Constitutional carry state, no CCL to carry concealed.
Getting a license get's certain perks, no wait on a background check when buying, if you forget your firearm in your luggage at the airport when going through TSA, you don't get arrested, you either have to go back and check it, lock it in your car or have someone come pick it up, non CCL holders are immediately arrested.
To get a license all you need is a pulse and pay the fee, no course to take beforehand.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

To quote my last CCW instructor here in NV, "Every bullet you fire has at least $10k in lawyers' fees attached, no matter how much in the right you are when you pull the trigger."

An acquittance of mine's son is doing 15 years to life for 2nd Degree Murder. Still had to pay lawyer's fees too.

The other thing about a shooting is that Case can go for a long time with appeals and such. One of mine was seven years long but that was okay with me since I was a Lawman. I don't think most people can put their life on hold for seven years. No matter how right you are the suspect's family still can sue you in Civil Court.

 

[Wyo]

Wyoming has no formal training requirement though you are supposed to show evidence of some degree of proficiency the first time you apply for the permit. That can be an NRA class, a hunter safety course, a DD-214, or any number of other things. You don't have to show anyone that you actually know how to shoot a gun. After that, carry what you want open or concealed. Longarm or handgun. Carry in your car loaded or not. The legislature just did away with "gun free" zones this year - we'll see if the governor signs off but there are enough votes to over ride a veto. No waiting periods, no NICS check if you have a carry permit. All in all, we're a pretty easy state to get along with if you like guns.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

In 70 years I haven't seen anything like that. Been to quite a few murders after the fact.

Michael Moore, former LAPD Chief when he was a young Lawman he was working as an Armed Security Guard. He was walking the Mall Parking Lot when a woman's ex ambushed her and he witnessed the Murder in progress and shot the suspect. That was in 1984 as I recall.

I stopped a murder and three kidnappings in progress (4 different incidences) just by drawing my revolver or 1911 off duty while in plain clothes. I actually was on Vacation when I saw a pedophile attempting to grab two little boys. Pedophile did not want .45 slugs in his face.

 

[biku324]

Neither of these experiences have happened to me off-duty in the US, SE Asia, Iraq, Bosnia, Croatia, Somalia, or the Republic of Georgia since 1979. If something like this does, I may rethink my position.

Back to the original topic, my CCW intructor/LLC sent my 2-year recertification to the NM DPS CCL Unit - I had to do nothing.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

If the guy I see assaulting a female turns out to be a plainclothes cop detaining a suspect, I am screwed.

Likewise if the person I believe is being assaulted by a violent partner tells a different story when questioned.

Two good points.

The Hillside Stranglers followed a young woman home. When she parked in front of her parent's house they parked behind her. They grabbed her out of her front seat and threw her in their van and took off. The neighbors watched and one said to their spouse she must have an aggressive boyfriend. She was found dead in the morning.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

No matter how right you are the suspect's family still can sue you in Civil Court.

Maybe, but when a civilian literally accomplishes what we call a righteous shoot the criminal's family is unlikely to find a lawyer ready to just jump in and sue. Any lawyer worth his/her salt is going to look really closely at the facts before filing a frivolous wrongful death lawsuit. Lawyer's risk various penalties for doing that.

 

[biku324]

You have far more confidence in lawyers overcoming their willingness to litigate anything, anywhere than do I. If you have no assets, you are a bit more safe from them.

 

[Sgt. Buzzard]

Retired and living in Virginia. I have a VA. CCW permit good for 5 years. I also qualify once a year, LEOSA with two guns a S&W 442 and Glock 42. Those are my regular carry and legal everywhere. I do a lot of MC travel. With the state permit I can carry anything else in my safe. But I don't, except to the range.

In very few conditions I'll carry a Ruger LCP Max because it's so deep cover. But I'm really not comfortable with it. First choice is always the 442. The 42 is next. So I don't really need the VA permit but why not? Since I have three decades OTJ there's no charge here. Fees waived.

BTW, i'm a volunteer RSO at the local range. The qualifications needed for a state permit are ah, underwhelming.

 

[Denverd0n]

No matter how right you are the suspect's family still can sue you in Civil Court.

Not necessarily. Depends on your state's laws. Here in Florida, if a shooting is ruled as justifiable self-defense then you are protected from civil suits.

 

[LVSteve]

Maybe, but when a civilian literally accomplishes what we call a righteous shoot the criminal's family is unlikely to find a lawyer ready to just jump in and sue. Any lawyer worth his/her salt is going to look really closely at the facts before filing a frivolous wrongful death lawsuit. Lawyer's risk various penalties for doing that.

Two things:-

1) I bet that varies from state-to-state with different laws;

2) You've clearly never met a West Coast lawyer.

 

[LVSteve]

An acquittance of mine's son is doing 15 years to life for 2nd Degree Murder. Still had to pay lawyer's fees too.

The other thing about a shooting is that Case can go for a long time with appeals and such. One of mine was seven years long but that was okay with me since I was a Lawman. I don't think most people can put their life on hold for seven years. No matter how right you are the suspect's family still can sue you in Civil Court.

...and this is where judges let us down. If a DA or a death inquiry has cleared the shooter, that should be an end of it.

 

[A10]

State of Washington is a "shall issue" state, meaning if you pass the background check you get your CPL. No qualification, no restriction on which or what kind of firearm you carry.

I would add that the idiots in Olympia hate this and would do away with it if they could.