How many of you carry a concealed weapon?

In lieu of the saddening incident down in Charlestown, Im wondering whether you feel the need to carry (or will now carry) a concealed weapon for your safety?

I wish I could. Unfortunately, having a residence in New York City and Ct., it's nearly impossible. In ct you need to have a conceal to carry license, a license for buy and own long guns and a license to buy ammunition. In New York City I'm scared to even inquire. Also, if you get one in Ct.,it's not valid in New York.

I have, but no longer do or have the need to.

Agreed, East coast cities do make carrying a handgun difficult. Instead I just carry a 3 inch blade pocket knife, legal in all states to carry so no hassle there.

I have a 2 inch muzzle, sub nose 38. I take it with me from time to time. I don't have a license although I've promised myself for years that I would get one. When I go to Fla and PA in July I will take it with me.

I don't feel comfortable not carrying something for protection after all I am an old man. The secret is be willing to use it without taking the time to think about it first.

My two fingers can be a cancelled weapon if you stick them in someone's eyes if you don't take the time to think first. Good thing is they looked like your actual fingers and not weapons.

Only in America.. ;(

Yes I carry. Here in Alabama we can even open carry.

I have had a carry permit in Idaho and Washington for 23 years, I carried for years, don't carry anymore, there are no gangs here.

Open carry in Alabama, but a pistol permit is required for concealed carry. I carry once in while, but it depends on where I am or where I am going, I mainly just carry a pocketknife. California is strick on handguns, and New York, forget about it, but that is New York city and not the state its self.

Jack they are talking about changing that too because they feel the law about us being able to open carry kind of puts us in a spot once we get into a car as then like you said it becomes concealed. Honestly I'd rather just pay my $25 a year and be happy with it so the cops can't give me any shit either way.

I'm not afraid to say I carried on Sandy. It was my first time up North and we were hearing rumors about "how bad" everything was on the way up there. We are not supposed to carry but CEO's are not out in the trenches with us either. But it wasn't nowhere near as bad as we thought and I don't carry up there anymore. A line crew working for DTE Energy in Detroit was robbed the other night, they just made sure my white ass won't ever go to Detroit. To hell with them!

It's 15 a a year for a permit where i live but you can pay up five years in advance but no more over that. 25 a year? I assume you live in Montgomery, that has to be one of the strictest cities in Alabama Imho.
They have been talking about taking that away for a few years now, and I only recently heard they got enough signatures to move it forward, but not to take a vote yet.

I have a concealed carry permit here in AZ. $40, good for five years. A few years ago, the legislature waived the requirement to earn a carry permit. Now, anyone who qualifies to own a handgun--that is, who passes the Federal background check (there's no state background check) can carry openly or concealed. All of us who earned our concealed carry permits hated that development.

Not quite Montgomery, I'm further North but not too much. It differs by county but the 5 year rule is statewide. The sheriff's can set the prices so of course our greedy bastard set it at $25 a year. My cousins that are in Tallapoosa pay the same as you or it might be 10 or 12, I forget. Thing is, our county is not a big one so I don't understand the prices. I could understand if we were in Birmingham or Montgomery, but where we are at? It's freaking crazy!

Sounds like Alabama. We went from a "may issue" state to a "must issue" state where you have to take the applicant to court to prove why they cannot get a permit. So basically anyone can carry here unless you are a felon or have a violent arrest on your record. What sucks for some (and I hate) is that to get a concealed permit you have to be 21. I think anyone 19 or older can carry openly without a permit. Makes sense huh?

concerning the age of 21 to buy a handgun, its a stupid law simply because you at 18 can buy a shotgun 18- 20 inch barrel, and you can buy a ak 47- or a mini 14, those pieces will do far more damage than a hand gun.

its a federal law, and it has absolutely no logic.

and here's another no- brainer from the BATF you cannot purchase a handgun in any state, unless you reside in that state. I sold guns for 20 years, I know about federal laws, that's why I hate the Clintons, because of the brady bill.

my two cents

Honestly I think you should have to be 21 to buy anything, handgun, rifle or shotgun and ammo as well. I know we used to could buy shotgun rounds at Wal-Mart before Columbine when I was about 15 I think and that stopped that for sure. After that my Dad, Mom or best friends parents had to buy our rounds but of course I understand now the headaches behind it. Us normal law obeying folks are the ones to always suffer from this crap.

I don't care if the background checks become more strict because I think it is needed, because I would rather wait a few days and make sure folks are being checked out than to see some ISIS idiot here in country get a hold of a handgun when it could be prevented.

Who needs guns?

when they hit the wtc the news were all over it. Remember Ted Koppel he goes on his show and tells every one how to do an anthrax attack on the NYC subways that would kill 50 thousand people easy. I could not believe that pussy would say that shit. Then the fuck does it again.

This is the way to stop Isis kill every big mouth reporter who says anything that could be used to hurt Americans.

I have a CC in Louisiana but don't really need to carry it with me. The crap that people pull everywhere else doesn't happen down here.

Besides a background check what else do you need to do to get a permit? Do you have to show that you can shoot straight? Do you go to the range to take a test? No one has mentioned anything like that so that's why I'm asking.

Can you tell I have no idea about this subject

California you have pass the background check, then take a class with a certified instructor in handguns. Rifles and shotguns you don't have to, only have to be at least 18 to purchase one. Alabama you just have to pass the background check. NYC I know is a lot more strick with their handgun laws. Someone from New York can answer that question better than me Alfanosgirl.

Thanks GV for the info.

In Ct. You have to pass a written test and receive safety instructions and qualify on the range. Then the background and record check.

Thanks Beans. So you cannot go into NY with your Ct permit? That sucks.

Some states are tough. New Jersey is pretty bad. If I recall some tourist declared their legal to carry gun at the Empire State Building in NY City and was arrested on the spot a few years ago.

Here is an article on carrying Alfanosgirl...

Another NYC Tourist Arrested for Carrying Gun
By Brett Snider, Esq. on September 23, 2013 11:58 AM
A gun-toting tourist hoping to visit NYC's 9/11 Memorial did not have much time to reflect after she was arrested for carrying a semi-automatic weapon in her purse.
According to Gothamist, New York City is one of the stricter cities for concealed carry permits. So even though tourist Ursula Jerry had a valid Wisconsin permit, she was still allegedly violating the city's gun laws.
How can you travel to the Big Apple without your piece getting you in trouble?
Cruisin' the USA, Packin' Heat

The New York Post reports that Urusula Jerry, 41, of Milwaukee, "carried the weapon on the Amtrak train" and didn't intend to harm anyone with her loaded .38-caliber Kel-Tec semiautomatic.
Jerry may have avoided the TSA searching her purse by taking a train, but she should have checked the local laws in Manhattan to ensure that her out-of-state gun permit would be valid.
For any American traveling with a gun, it's important to remember three things:
You probably need a permit to carry a gun in any mode of transportation (car, train, etc.);
You can only carry guns on certain trains and planes (if checked); and
Your gun license may not have reciprocity in your destination city or state.
The last point is what tripped up Jerry; New York state doesn't have reciprocity with any other state, meaning you need a New York license to legally carry a gun while visiting the Empire State. In addition, New York City imposes its own license and permit requirements.
NYC's Concealed Carry Laws

It perfectly legal for some jurisdictions to honor these permits and not others.
Non-residents can apply for a permit to carry a handgun in New York state. But New York City has tightly regulated its concealed carry laws, making it almost impossible for a non-resident tourist to legally carry a handgun in the city.
Even if you are a New York City resident, the permit costs around $430 and can take up to eight months to obtain. So it may not be worth it to take your pearl-handled six shooter to see Lady Liberty.

Thnx for the article. Leave your gun at home when traveling to NYC, understood. I like how they referred to it as The Big Apple lol. That lady definitely had "tourist presence".

I agree. 18 is too young.

Like other states mentioned here, AZ requires a background check (including fingerprints) and a one-day classroom course, with time on a range, to get a concealed carry permit. But, you don't need a permit to carry concealed in AZ--if you pass the federal background check, you can legally carry open or concealed.

My impression is that NYC and NJ (and perhaps other cities and states states) won't issue a concealed weapons permit unless you show an overarching need for one--i.e., you're in private security, or you carry large amounts of cash for business reasons. That requirement is being challenged in a federal court in California (San Diego, I think), on constitutional grounds--i.e., the sheriff or police chief should not have the right to set requirements for carrying.

as far as nyc goes, they have what amounts to a total gun ban for citizens. forget concealed carry, just having a handgun for home protection is out of reach for joe taxpayer. whatever your position on guns is, hopefully you agree that fairness should be across the board. sadly, in nyc the rich and political elite are privy to a different set of rules than the slaves below them. donald trump, howard stern, robert deniro ect all are afforded the right to carry a weapon, even though they enjoy living in the best and most protected areas of the city. a working man who happens to live in one of the many bad areas of the city doesn't get that right, that has long ago been stripped from him by those who know what's best for him.

there are various degrees of concealed carry, be it unrestricted or a business carry, but the reality is that it costs thousands of dollars just to get the process going, with no sure thing that it will even be granted. got a bunch of speeding tickets in your past? that's grounds for denial. got arrested for something petty as a juvenile, again denied even though those records are supposed to be sealed. you have to list every single thing you've ever been charged with aside from a parking ticket, regardless of whether or not it was thrown out and give a detailed explanation of what happened. again, if you are politically connected these things can be overlooked, if not you are at the mercy of a city government content to deny you at all costs. multiple photos of not only yourself but also where you are to store the pistol, fingerprints, references, restrictions on the amount of ammo you're allowed, 72 hours from the time your permit is granted until you buy the gun otherwise you start over. you need special permission from the nypd to transport the handgun outside of nyc, which basically means you don't even own the weapon in the real sense.

as far as long guns, things are a bit more relaxed as far as getting things done if you have the time and money to jump though hoops just to be able to exercise your rights, that's how they do things there. the list of restrictions is so long it's insane, every known semi-auto rifle is banned, there's a 5 round magazine capacity that was passed in some shady city ordinance in 2010 by the yellow toothed gremlin who bought his 3rd term, who by the way has armed protection wherever he goes that are not subject to the same regulations as normal people, which tells you all you need to know right here. a lever action .22, technology that is more than 150 years old, is considered a prohibited weapon, notices where sent out a few years ago demanding that such weapons, as well as the laundry list of others, be turned in, but remember registration never leads to confiscation.

bottom line is that in nyc, unless you;re a millionaire or a member of the political elite, you just aren't afforded the same rights and protections as your slavemasters, totally disgusting and against everything this county stand for. i'd never move there, a city that treats it's citizens like shit imposing gun restrictions more severe in many ways than the poor nuetered sheep that were unlucky enough to be born in the uk, get the hell out of there as fats as you can, you can cook your own italain food some place else where you are allowed the right to protect yourself and your family, pathetic on a real primal level!

forgive me, i'm sure i forgot a ton, this all comes from memory, but it's accurate.

Between Publix and the Internet (for dry goods and canned imports), when we're in Florida, in this day and age there's very little that's only available in New York. It costs a little more for shipping. But compared to New York winters? Pffft.

Ten years ago? Different story. But times have changed. And no one is cooking me a better Italian meal than my wife or myself anyway. So there.

Besides, the Italian restaurants have really caught up down there lately, especially in Palm Beach County. And you've seen pictures of my Sig, FF. It travels well .

That was my impression from what I've read. And, I read an article in the NYTimes a few years ago that proved your point: the people identified with having carry permits are very rich.

Quick hypocritical story: Robert DeNiro---one of the finest actors of all time, but INSANELY liberal---has a full carry permit in New York City. Good enough for him, but not good enough for John Q. Public?

And don't tell me that he needs it. He doesn't travel without an armed bodyguard. This I know for an absolute fact because I know the firm that he uses very well.

I went through Hell to get licensed up here (money, scrutiny, time and paperwork). Getting licensed in Florida was a day at the beach (no pun intended) compared to New York City.

Don't think I've seen it yet. What model? I carry a P220 .45 that is a freaking beast. Was made in the mid 90's and one of the West German versions too. I even found a way to decipher the maker marks and found it was made in Kiel West Germany in 95 I think it was. Bought it from my cousin for $250 He paid the same from an Alabama State Trooper who carried it and they changed guns so he sold it to my cousin for that and I got the same price. Well worth the money! I can pump a box of shells through her and she doesn't even need cleaning.

Jack was right on Alabama's laws. You pass the background you are good to go. No classes or tests here and honestly I wouldn't care if they did or not as I would pass anything they threw at me.

Yes, he's one of those I read about in that article. The Times, which is off-the-charts anti-gun, had a sneering tone in that article.

The high-profile anti-gun crusaders tend to be identifiable as liberals. The high-profile pro-gun crusaders tend to be identifiable as conservatives. But, I don't see firearms as a partisan political issue. Here in AZ, gun owners, hobbyists, people who carry, are all across the political spectrum. It's safe here, too--thanks in part to a well-armed citizenry. If you have a good idea that the other guy's carrying, you tend not to pick fights.

Alfanosgirl, in California they do a background check on you, you take a course and spend some time on the range, and must be at least 25 years of age to purchase a handgun. That use to be how you obtain a CWL in the state, but California keeps changing things, to have tougher gun laws. It has been half a decade since I have been to California, so much has changed.

Truer words have never been spoken.

everybody carries in Idaho.

an armed society is a polite society.

I was introduced to DeNiro in the 80s by Joe Pesci he also lived in the Mayflower hotel back then. I met his driver he was just a young guy I guess was his secretary. Definitely not a body guard. At that time he walked every where close.

I guess he must have had a close call on the street later then he decided to get a real body guard. I don't blame him for getting a gun of his own.

I think a lot of celebrities changed what they did here in NY after Lennon was killed.

Tn appears to be the same as Arizona; background check, one day course, $50 every 5 yrs. I believe this is correct.

Kimber, .45, custom shop. Only carry when I'm traveling. Also, Glock .40, double stack.

Hope I never have to use them.

Kimber custom is one of the most expensive pieces one can buy.

that and a les baer custom.

you have a great pistol.

So you guys ever use it in a life or death situation?

I tell you why even if bobby d had a body guard why he got a gun of your own.

These guys are deterents. Are they stupid enough to step in front of a gun to save your ass ?

I only knew one guy who was stupid enough to do something like that.

What do you mean footreads? Of course I would use my pistol if needed. I hope I never have to as well, but I wouldn't risk my families lives at all and would be quick to pull my Sig if needed.

Yes Binnie, Kimber's are GREAT pistols and very expensive. Hell I got my Sig at 1/4 of the price of a new one. Paid $250 for a Sig P220 with 2 clips, and mine is a West German model as well as I don't think Sig makes them over there anymore or at least not for the U.S. market. I think they are all made in Exeter NH now for the U.S. market.

What is bad is Colt charges the same prices as Sig and Kimber these days. I read where they were filing for bankruptcy not too long ago. What killed them was they quit making revolvers and charging Sig/Kimber prices.

You've never heard of the Secret Service?

DeNiro's a hypocrite. He's a bleeding heart liberal in every way, shape and form. He's anti-gun, except when it comes to himself. He has money for bodyguards and he employs a full-time driver who's licensed to carry himself.

He needs to carry a gun like you need to go off your Thorazine.

people like him and oprah need to shut their hypocritical fucking mouths, but that's unlikely to happen. when you have big money, are able to hire armed bodyguards that likely cost more than most average people make a year, are able to live in gated communities/building with doormen and many levels of security then i don't think you "need" to carry a gun in nearly the same way that dan the bricklayer who lives in the south bronx or joe the roofer who lives in inglewood do. they should be allowed to though, but when the money and political connections allow them perks that people with a genuine need are disqualified from, something's very fucking rotten.

as far as kimbers go, from personal experience as well as what i've read they're a crapshoot, some work great and some are overpriced junk. another mark against kimber, being built in yonkers where again normal citizens are prohibited from owning them ensures that i'll never own one! the 1911 is a very outdated design, if you carry or rely on one for protection you better make sure it's finely tuned, including the ammo. to get anything even resembling glock or sig reliability you're going to have to fork over $3000+ for a real custom job from les baer, ed brown or wilson combat and even then the design itself just can't compete. stay away from models chambered in anything but .45acp and with anything other than a 5in barrel, the farther you stray from the original specs the greater the chance for problems to arise. for a true middle of the road 1911 that have received solid reviews, look at sig's lineup!

You will find a lot people in Los Angeles, even in SF that are like that. It is ok for them to carry a firearm, but not for the average citizen. I prefer revolves.

yes, you are right about colt, they raised their prices a lot , then called their colt commanders "custom shop models" to justify a price hike.

and you are also correct in that they don't make their pythons revolvers anymore, and what is stupid is that hey dis continued their best seller the little 'dick special" one of their all time great sellers.

great company went stupid.

So far all the Kimber's I've come across have been great guns. To me the 1911's are outdated but yes they can be just as reliable as a revolver if you take care of it. My Sig stays "wet" as I clean it and leave a good bit of rust preventive and oil so everything moves smoothly. It still shoots like it did when it was just a few years old when I got it. Only bad thing is the springs in one of my clips have gone bad and it tries to put 2 into the chamber instead of one. Of course I now know which one it is and don't use it. Going to buy some new clips once I get back from this vacation. My buddy out here showed me his Desert Eagle .45 (not the big boys, just the regular 1911 version and it is sweet, I haven't shot it yet though. But it feels pretty damn sweet.

I own an 80's vintage Colt Combat Commander. It's my most accurate-firing centerfire handgun.

I was a body guard as a young kid. You really want to give a shit about the guy your protecting if not. He would be smart to own his own gun.

Do you own a gun that could knock a guy off his feet with one shot if you hit him in a none deadly spot like his shoulder?

if I remember right The guy that shot John Lennon saw him in front of his building. Then he left then came back then shot him. If Lennon had a body guard could he have saved him? When he saw the guy the first time what would have done anything or nothing?

I've long owned Sig Sauers. I upgraded to the P229R:357 Sig model over the winter. If I hit you in the shoulder, you're gonna feel it in the morning. But if you're within forty yards of me, and it's justifiable, you're getting hit right between the eyes. It ain't bragging when it's true.

The problem with that even if it is justifiable you have to think first. Your at a disadvantage. Cops are pretty good shots until their in a gun fight. Then it goes out the window hard to stay calm. You might be different then most people.

Many if not most police forces have gone over to issuing .45 ACP to uniformed cops for that reason. It's the quintessential "big slow round"--maximum knockdown power in short-range exchanges. Most law enforcement will tell you that most good guy/bad guy exchanges happen at seven yards or less, which is why a lot of gun ranges have a lane marker at seven yards.

yes, as I mentioned I sold guns for 20 years, and the 7os or early 80s colt commander were always in high demand, I would put them along with the browing hi-power 9mm as a reliable piece as you will ever find.

however my carry gun is a ruger revolver 5 shot sp101, a great piece built like a bank vault, with my revolver I never have to worry about a jam, in a life or death confrontation.

I have a concealed carry permit in my southern state. I have an assortment of firearms, from basic pistols to semi automatic 9mm's, shotguns and assault rifles. When I was living in New Jersey it was impossible to get a legal permit to carry, but it wasn't in the least bit hard for someone to get get their hands on one (not saying i did).

Formal training (cops, military, gun range) always says "aim center mass", but that's not what they teach you growing up, its always "Aim for the head".

Italianforever, your avatar is making me hungry, on my way out the door, going to pizza hut.

It was a tip of the hat to pizzaboy on father's day. Gets' idea.

that's cool.