Reasons _not_ to get a Concealed Pistol License?

[dragonsden73]

They wont know that you have a CHL until they run your drivers license, not your plates.

Not long after I obtained my permit, I was pulled over because of a tinted license plate cover. The PO got to the left rear of my vehicle and asked "Do you have any weapons with you today?".

They know, as long as the vehicle is registered in your name.

 

[swoop]

More good reasons than not to get one. Just get a small lite hand gun that's easy to conceal and make it part of your daily carry, like your car keys, wallet, comb, ect. soon you will feel naked without it. I carry a PM9 in three holsters for summer..'see show your guns' covers about everything. As for LEO's only pulled over once showed him my CHL and drivers licence together, he asked me what it was, where it was, and how it was..warned me for burnt out licence plate bulb, never asked to see my weapon. Best or luck with your adventure.

 

[USMC1911]

Really? Do they really tell you that they are making a "courtesy check"? I guess I don't totally understand. If/when you say, "Yup, I'm packin'." how do/did they react?

Yes a "courtesy check". Ask for my lic, reg, ins. First question from the officer was "Are you the registered owner of the car?" Me "Yes." Asked me my name, and I told him. Asked if I had my chl and I said yes. Then he asked for my lic, reg, ins. And said it was a "courtesy check." He never even asked to see my chl? I dont no... Only problem I have ever had and really hope its the last time I have to talk to leo about my chl. It hasent kept me from keeping it thats for sure!

 

[treemanx]

Are there any good reasons _not_ to get a CPL? I haven't felt a strong need for one, but there have been times where it would have come in handy. If you're not planning on carrying on regular basis, is it worth it?

Would enjoy your thoughts-

Thanks.

Well, IMO, if you think you might want one then go for it. I have had mine for around 7 years, and got mine while working for a Sheriff's Office in Eastern Oregon. I didnt have to go through all the hoops that most people do, so I cant speak to the rigors of getting one. But I can say that I have NEVER been harassed by any Law Enforcement for having it, and believe that if anyone else has, they were already doing something else wrong.

Honestly, I carried consealed for years prior to getting the CHL, so I havent really noticed any difference in having one besides being legal. Clackamas Counties CHL looks like a bad forgery, so its rarely used as a second piece of picture ID. I actually had a lady at a bank once tell me that while opening an account with them.

Anyhow, I think we as citizens should excerise these rights before we lose them, so mark me down for a "yes, get it" vote.

 

[hightower]

another good point i don't think has been touched, in washington a cpl allows you to bypass the waiting period on handgun purchases. If you fingerprints are already in the system, that is the only real draw back to getting a cpl. My experience with cops is very similar to everybody else's. Act normal, be calm and courteous and you'll be fine. Just remember to renew on time or you could get in some hot water if it expires and you forget.

 

[Rugerbub]

When u live in a smaller town most of the cops would like more people to have a CHL. My Cop buddies always say that we r there first line of help, if they cant get a nother officer to help. Small town cops r alot different than big city cops though.

 

[Artilleryman]

When someone is pulled over by law enforcement, it is quite common for the cop to ask the vehicle occupant if they have any weapons, chl or not. It's a pretty standard question, so I wouldn't necessarily take it to mean they've obtained your info.

 

[MarkAd]

I carry almost all the time. Got stop for speeding. Told the cop, as a courtsy, i was carrying. He ask if I was going to shot him, I told him proasbly not. I ask what he carried. we stated talking guns and ammo. No ticket, but he did tell me to sloow down before he left.

 

[deadeye]

Who cares if the cop knows you have a permit? As to them asking if you are carrying "DUH" why would I get a permit and not be? A little known fact is in Oregon it is legal to caryy concealed going to or coming from a fishing or hunting trip as long as you have a valid license.I do have a CHL and carry everyday but I also have an on board safe in each of my rigs so that I have an adequate storage spot when going to the courthouse or post office etc.

After a while carrying is second nature and you tend to settle into one particular hand gun eventually. It may take several purchases to find the right fit for your personal taste but that is half the fun. I tend to accesarize to what I am doing such as a mellenium 45 for the fit into a leather M/C coat or my Kimber ultra carry in a SOB if it is hot. But for around the shop it's a Taurus 85 ultra light as it is in the pocket, light and cheap so you don't cry if it gets a scratch. Besides you can tell the wife you need to go shopping for a new gun to fit the new coat, pants, boots or whatever..

 

[WhyteCheddar]

Who cares if the cop knows you have a permit? As to them asking if you are carrying "DUH" why would I get a permit and not be? A little known fact is in Oregon it is legal to caryy concealed going to or coming from a fishing or hunting trip as long as you have a valid license.I do have a CHL and carry everyday but I also have an on board safe in each of my rigs so that I have an adequate storage spot when going to the courthouse or post office etc.

After a while carrying is second nature and you tend to settle into one particular hand gun eventually. It may take several purchases to find the right fit for your personal taste but that is half the fun. I tend to accesarize to what I am doing such as a mellenium 45 for the fit into a leather M/C coat or my Kimber ultra carry in a SOB if it is hot. But for around the shop it's a Taurus 85 ultra light as it is in the pocket, light and cheap so you don't cry if it gets a scratch. Besides you can tell the wife you need to go shopping for a new gun to fit the new coat, pants, boots or whatever..

I believe that is incorrect.
I believe the law allows you to transport as long as the ammunition and the weapon are not stored together or readily available. Been a while back but I am pretty sure thats what my CHL instructor told me in class. I have been wrong before though.
I do know that OPEN CARRY is legal in many cities in Oregon. I saw a list once. Will have to see if I can find that.

 

[PlayboyPenguin]

...of my experience of being pulled over while carrying that happened almost 2 years ago to the day.

I drove a friend out to the coast last week to pick up his Jeep from his ex. After dropping him off I took a wrong turn while messing with my GPS system and turned onto a road for the state park there. The park was closed and there was a chain across the road so I had to back down the access road to get back to the main road.

When I got back to the road leading up to the highway a police officer was coming the other way. I waited for him to pass and pulled back onto the road and went on my way. I saw him immediately turn around and come up behind me. He turned on his lights and pulled me over.

He came up to the truck window and said hello and asked to see my license. As I handed him both my DL and my CHP I asked what I did wrong. He said he was just checking me out since he had seen me coming out of the closed park and there had recently been a rash of fires started from people going up there to let off illegal fireworks. I said "no problem." I then explained I had just made a wrong turn. He then told me he would be right back and went back to his car. He did not even say a word when he looked at my DL and CHL.

He came back a couple minutes later and said "Sorry for taking up your time." I once again said "no problem."

Then came the shocking part. As he was handing me back my license he asked me what I had to do to get a CHL in Oregon. My first thought was "aren't you an LEO in the state of Oregon?" but my short time as an LEO taught me nothng if not that you should never assume a cop knows the law. Plus, he was pretty young and probably pretty new to the job. I told him and he seemed pretty interested.

The he asked me if I was carrying right now. I told him I was and that it was on my belt at 4 o'clock. He next asked me if I mind telling him what I was carrying.

It was a cool night at the coast so I was wearing a pair of jeans, a printed t-shirt and a light fleece vst. Therefore, I took advantage of the weather and I was carrying my kahr MK40 Elite instead of my Seecamp.

He said he had never seen a Kahr MK40 before and before I could catch myself I said something stupid. I said "would you like to see it?" To my suprise he said sure. He told me to put it on the passenger seat and he would walk around (which I thought was smart of him).

He was very impressed with the gun. He could not believe how small it was and how well made. He said he was looking for a nice off-duty gun and something like this would be perfect. I also suggested he take a look at the ParaOrd SlimHawg .45acp but he said he liked the .40S&W caliber better. I told him that the kahr was super easy to carry and very accurate. He continued to be impressed and we chatted for a good 5-10 minutes then he said he needed to get to work and off I went.

All in all I would say it is one of the few times I have actually enjoyed getting pulled over.

I also think it is a good example of the fact that if you do as you are required and just tsay cool having a gun on you legally is no big deal during a traffic stop.

 

[NK777]

When u live in a smaller town most of the cops would like more people to have a CHL. My Cop buddies always say that we r there first line of help, if they cant get a nother officer to help. Small town cops r alot different than big city cops though.

FWIW He wasn't asking that question of me. He stated "You have a concealed Handgun license right Mr. R#@$%#$?" But I'm sure he asked everybody that right?

Good story PlayboyPenguin and I agree with you most LEO's are fine with it and do not get on guard or start harassing people who are carrying.

 

[CaughtSteelin]

I believe that is incorrect.
I believe the law allows you to transport as long as the ammunition and the weapon are not stored together or readily available. Been a while back but I am pretty sure thats what my CHL instructor told me in class. I have been wrong before though.
I do know that OPEN CARRY is legal in many cities in Oregon. I saw a list once. Will have to see if I can find that.

From the information I obtained: It is legal to carry concealed while in the outdoors ie: fishing/hunting. As long as it is straight to the grounds and back to home. No stopping for food or gas along the way. I have been doing it for 2 years now and have been stopped by USCG and river/road patrol. *I do not have a CHL. Hope that helps.

 

[CEF1959]

From the information I obtained: It is legal to carry concealed while in the outdoors ie: fishing/hunting. As long as it is straight to the grounds and back to home. No stopping for food or gas along the way. I have been doing it for 2 years now and have been stopped by USCG and river/road patrol. *I do not have a CHL. Hope that helps.

Yup. ORS 166.250 is the statute that makes it a crime in Oregon to carry a concealed firearm. But ORS 166.260 contains a list of exceptions. One is for a person licensed to carry a concealed handgun. But another is for "Licensed hunters or fishermen while engaged in hunting or fishing, or while going to or returning from a hunting expedition."

It's a funny law. Not sure what the rationale would be for that exception. But if you aren't going to get a CHL in Oregon, it would be smart to at least get a fishing license.

"Oh, yes, Officer. About that Mac-10 under the seat. I was just heading down to the river for a little fishing."

 

[Trlsmn]

Yup. ORS 166.250 is the statute that makes it a crime in Oregon to carry a concealed firearm. But ORS 166.260 contains a list of exceptions. One is for a person licensed to carry a concealed handgun. But another is for "Licensed hunters or fishermen while engaged in hunting or fishing, or while going to or returning from a hunting expedition."

It's a funny law. Not sure what the rationale would be for that exception. But if you aren't going to get a CHL in Oregon, it would be smart to at least get a fishing license.

"Oh, yes, Officer. About that Mac-10 under the seat. I was just heading down to the river for a little fishing."

A carrying fishing pole wouldn't hurt either.

 

[glockguy]

Hey PlayboyPenguin you were a cop?

 

[WhyteCheddar]

Yup. ORS 166.250 is the statute that makes it a crime in Oregon to carry a concealed firearm. But ORS 166.260 contains a list of exceptions. One is for a person licensed to carry a concealed handgun. But another is for "Licensed hunters or fishermen while engaged in hunting or fishing, or while going to or returning from a hunting expedition."

It's a funny law. Not sure what the rationale would be for that exception. But if you aren't going to get a CHL in Oregon, it would be smart to at least get a fishing license.

"Oh, yes, Officer. About that Mac-10 under the seat. I was just heading down to the river for a little fishing."

Right, but you are then leaving the definition up to the LEO in terms of what you are actually doing. You could have been hunting yesterday but on your way home today. Does that work? It may have to be decided upon by a jury or a judge.

 

[PlayboyPenguin]

Hey PlayboyPenguin you were a cop?

Yeah, it wasn't something I wanted to do...but at the time I was working towards my masters in psychology and had just resigned my commission in the ARMY. The only teaching gig I could get with my undergraduate degree was not high enough pay to make the bills so I decided to go into the mental health side of law enforcement. The bad thing is that you have to start from the bottom up if you want to get financial help with your degree so I had to attend the regular training camp and become a patrol officer. The job sucked with a capital suck. You see all the worst of society on a daily basis. Plus, things were not as progressive then as now and I was kind of a square peg in a round hole. I have great deal of respect for anyone that can do it long term. I ended up giving up on that career path and switched over to CPS as soon as I finished my degree. In fact, I worked locally for J**** youth when I first came to Oregon.

(Why in the world is this forum filtering the word J A N U S??? It is the name of a local non-profit youth organization for goodness sake.)

 

[Karma]

I have had mine for ten years now. I have been pulled over multiple times during that period of time. For the record only one fix it ticket was issued for window tinting! LOL. For the most part, the police have been fine with it. I did have one rookie from our local county that seemed to have a problem with it. To be fair I had been out shooting with my cousin and the list of weapons in the car was pretty extensive. LOL. I have never had a officer ask to see the gun. They just ask if I had it on me and where it was at.

I would recommend everyone who is capable of controlling their actions and fit to carry a weapon to get the chl. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst. You never know what is going to happen these days where you may be able to make the difference for a friend, a loved one, or even a stranger.

I know that Independence, Salem, Portland, and Beaverton all have laws against open carry. I think there is one or two more. Since there are cities that have laws that could get you in trouble, it is worth having you chl to make sure you are legal.

 

[Beefcake]

FWIW He wasn't asking that question of me. He stated "You have a concealed Handgun license right Mr. R#@$%#$?" But I'm sure he asked everybody that right?

Good story PlayboyPenguin and I agree with you most LEO's are fine with it and do not get on guard or start harassing people who are carrying.

Sort of reminds me of the cop in Bend that pulled me over and asked to see my real estate license. I said, "Sure, but why didn't you ask for my drivers license," and the cop replied, "Well, not everyone around here has one of those!"