My recent concealed carry experience

[evltwn]

You plan on carrying concealed in California? Not a good idea, Buff...the People's Republic of CA frown intensely on ccw, and you could end up in a ton of trouble.

 

[accessbob]

You plan on carrying concealed in California? Not a good idea, Buff...the People's Republic of CA frown intensely on ccw, and you could end up in a ton of trouble.

I second that. You can ONLY carry concealed in California with a California permit and they don't give those out to non-residents. In fact, even being a resident, one is hard pressed to be able to get one.

 

[thewhitebuffalo83]

You plan on carrying concealed in California? Not a good idea, Buff...the People's Republic of CA frown intensely on ccw, and you could end up in a ton of trouble.

No, I didn't explain that well enough. I planned on carrying until the I border and then dropping the mag and putting it in the glove compartment and locking the pistol in in my lock box. I will be checking laws down there after I am finished with finals in two weeks..

 

[MarkAd]

WhteBuffalo says
"and my hip is sore"

You need to adjust the holster, likely moving it a bit forward. Do you have full access to the grip and are able to deploy the firearm with minimal movement of your body? Have you practiced drawing and dry firing from a retention position?
Have you taken a level one or basic self defense pistol class? How much range time do you get per month? Do you train in stress creating settings?
Just packing heat don't mean you are safe from the bad guys out there. You may have to actually use that weapon to be safe and you need to prepare NOW to be ready to take a life if you are forced to. IF you can not say without hesitation, and being honest,, that you can, you need to start praying for the strength and wisdom to make that decision.
Ask yourself these question:
Is it easy to cover someone with a live weapon,
Can I properly pull the trigger and kill someone. By the way, the commandment "Thou shall not kill" is not properly translated. It actually reads "You shall not commit murder."
I learn from my daddy that went I put my sight one something it is now a target and meant to be killed or destroyed. Including people, if I have to pull the trigger.

 

[bikejunkie]

If I were you, I'd stop trying to convert your wife on a daily basis- the longer you beat her over the head with the knowledge the world is an unsafe place and you are going to carry every day regardless of her opinion, the more she will dig in her heels in resistance. Id just keep it to yourself. Don't bring it up, just carry your pistol in confidence.

My wife and I went to the CHP class together, the idea for her getting her permit was if I ever left a loaded pistol in one of our cars or she had rifles in our Element (small SUV- entire compartment accessible to passengers- that's a no-no) she'd be fine. I intended on carrying pretty much every day. She wasn't thrilled with the idea at all, but accepted that I have a deep rooted love of guns, but a deeper love of my family, and want to be able to- should I ever be unfortunate enough to need a weapon in the civilian world, to have access to a means to protect myself, my family, or others. As I started carrying regularly, she noticed that really, very little has changed. I'm still fairly soft spoken. I still avoid confrontation as much as possible. Honestly I really don't even dress very much different. Her trepidation about me always having a pistol with me gradually subsided and now it is a non-issue. She still has no desire to carry herself, but she has grown to love shooting, and if I ever put myself in a position where my pistol is exposed or is printing, she's damn good at subtly correcting the issue. It'll get better most likely

 

[GuyBMeredith]

Oregon's good with open carry so as far as I know you don't have problems with accidental exposure. That is other than in Portland and Salem where you need the Oregon CHL to avoid having to deal with local laws.

Any exposure is open carry. In California a CHL does not give you permission to have an exposed firearm.

For traveling in California just think up the way of transporting a firearm that gives you the least chance of being able to use it when needed and you'll be complying with California law. Basically, firearm must be locked up and inaccessible.

I'm glad to be out of California. CHL in any area I would have found work is nearly impossible without extreme political arse smooching.

 

[thewhitebuffalo83]

WhteBuffalo says
"and my hip is sore"

You need to adjust the holster, likely moving it a bit forward. Do you have full access to the grip and are able to deploy the firearm with minimal movement of your body? Have you practiced drawing and dry firing from a retention position?

I have and I find it difficult in the car the seat belt is in the way no matter how I position it. I can get it out but it is cumbersome and slow.
Have you taken a level one or basic self defense pistol class?
No, I that is one of the things I plan on doing when the money starts rolling on in, if it ever starts rolling on in. I have watch many videos and read alot about basic defensive pistol skills, but I know nothing will come close to live training. I practice a few skills every night after I tuck the kiddos into bed and at least once I week I pull the car in the garage and practice five to ten minute a week.
How much range time do you get per month? Do you train in stress creating settings?
I do not get enough range time every month and that is why I practice every night and I mean every night. I don't really train in stressful settings but I will hit the treadmill hard for five minutes to get the heart rate up and then practice for my trigger pulls and tap rack bangs until my heart rate comes down and I am back to a calm state.
Just packing heat don't mean you are safe from the bad guys out there. You may have to actually use that weapon to be safe and you need to prepare NOW to be ready to take a life if you are forced to. IF you can not say without hesitation, and being honest,, that you can, you need to start praying for the strength and wisdom to make that decision.
Ask yourself these question:
Is it easy to cover someone with a live weapon,
Can I properly pull the trigger and kill someone. By the way, the commandment "Thou shall not kill" is not properly translated. It actually reads "You shall not commit murder."
I learn from my daddy that went I put my sight one something it is now a target and meant to be killed or destroyed. Including people, if I have to pull the trigger.

I am confident that if the situation arose I could do what needs to get done. Is it easy to cover someone with a loaded weapon no, but if the lives or people around me or myself were in danger I would be able to get the job done. My dad taught me at as a young teenager there is no such thing as a fair fight and that if someone ever points a weapon at myself or anyone else than I should do what ever is necessary to end the threat. You never point a weapon at anything you are not planning on destroying/killing/what ever. It doesn't matter what the weapon if others or myself can't get away I was taught to eliminate the threat anyway possible. Now does that mean I hear shots fired and I run towards them pistol in hand, definitely not. But, I will access the situation and take appropriate actions.

This brings me to something that happened to me several years ago. I was a funeral and after the service I was hanging out side with the family while they were having a smoke break. All of the sudden we hear three to five shot go off in the distance. Everyone near me froze and I had to start pushing family back to the funeral home and towards safety about five minutes later we heard the police cars coming. I never found out what happened but had I been carrying that day I would have done nothing different in that situation. We all figured that it was probably something on or near spring water trail as there is a decent amount of homeless people camping near where we were.

 

[thewhitebuffalo83]

If I were you, I'd stop trying to convert your wife on a daily basis- the longer you beat her over the head with the knowledge the world is an unsafe place and you are going to carry every day regardless of her opinion, the more she will dig in her heels in resistance. Id just keep it to yourself. Don't bring it up, just carry your pistol in confidence.

I don't try to convert her on a daily basis, I was just thinking that witnessing the aftermath would be a little eye opening for her. I don't ever bring it up and our recent conversations about it have only come from when I was doing something where I couldn't conceal it from her. One time I put on a shirt and realized it needed to be ironed and she walked in while I was taking care that. Another time more recent I was helping prepare/clean up her Grandpas grave site for Memorial day and I was bent over and there was just no way my shirt would keep it covered. Suffice to to say her whole family knows I carry now, but I was tired of standing around for almost 20 minutes while everyone else was afraid to get there nice clothes dirty. I know most of my wives families stance on carrying, using or even having firearms. The opinions go from one end of the spectrum to the other.

 

[thewhitebuffalo83]

My wife and I went to the CHP class together, the idea for her getting her permit was if I ever left a loaded pistol in one of our cars or she had rifles in our Element (small SUV- entire compartment accessible to passengers- that's a no-no) she'd be fine. I intended on carrying pretty much every day. She wasn't thrilled with the idea at all, but accepted that I have a deep rooted love of guns, but a deeper love of my family, and want to be able to- should I ever be unfortunate enough to need a weapon in the civilian world, to have access to a means to protect myself, my family, or others. As I started carrying regularly, she noticed that really, very little has changed. I'm still fairly soft spoken. I still avoid confrontation as much as possible. Honestly I really don't even dress very much different. Her trepidation about me always having a pistol with me gradually subsided and now it is a non-issue. She still has no desire to carry herself, but she has grown to love shooting, and if I ever put myself in a position where my pistol is exposed or is printing, she's damn good at subtly correcting the issue. It'll get better most likely

This is my hope. I have toned back the firearm rated stuff a lot over the last couple months. My family and I spend a lot of time talking about firearms related stuff because we are passionate about it. I have almost completely dropped talking about that stuff when she is around. The one exception is that several nights a week instead or reading to my kids we go over firearms safety and instruction before tucking them into bed. My five year old knows most of the external parts of an AR15, shotgun, pistol and rifle, and has many of the safety rules memorized. I just started working with my three year old on the safety rules and the eight year old is well first compared to 90% of his peers maybe more than that.


BTW, I just wanted to add this I am still learning and that is part of the reason I am on the forum. I am not a know it all and I have lots of questions. I am not afraid to ask because if I have a question more that likely someone else has the same or similar question, if I have time to do the research I will. However with school three kids and a wife I don't have much research time. And talking with you guys is how I relax after school work or and the busy day.

 

[Mandodoc]

On to another topic.

I was in the car doing a lot of driving the other day for over three hours and my hip is sore. I am not sure if I will be able to carry concealed in the car all the way down to Cali at the end of summer. We are doing a family vacation to Disneyland the week after school starts for our kids. I am going to try and figure something out.

You might want to check into/reconsider carrying to California....

 

[thewhitebuffalo83]

You might want to check into/reconsider carrying to California....

I am going to carry down until just before we cross into Cali and then I am going to drop the mag and empty the chamber and like the piston in a lock box and then I will have the mag in the glove box.

 

[thewhitebuffalo83]

I just picked up a G36 in a trade the other night. I am super excited to get out and check reliability is may become my new everyday carry. It fits in my crossbreed supertuck and is more comfortable to carry around the house and it points more naturally and feels better in hand then my G19 does. Hopefully I can get some self defense ammo for it and can take it out to the range to test it out. It was almost new less than 100 rounds, still has the factory anti seize lube on it. It looks perfect if not brand new looking, bi-color black slide with green frame. I am normally one of those guys that loves glocks but think they are ugly guns. However, this G36 is smoking hot. Still I wouldn't mind trying out a G30, although, I think the G30 maybe to wide for concealed carry. I am going to have to run to keith's to pick up some snap caps saturday or monday.

 

[Swedish K]

If you decide you are definitely going to take one of your guns to CA make sure you don't bring any hi-cap mags - illegal to bring in mags with over 10 round capacity even tho it is fairly common for people to buy "mag rebuild kits" and assemble them they most likely can claim they had them there before the ban - you not being a CA resident can't make that argument. While you might get a pass or beat it in court, better safe than sorry. Remember no warrant no search, but most departments in CA will search any area accessible to passengers as a "safety check" and this has been upheld by CA courts. that does not extend to the trunk unless the seats fold down or there is a pass through from the cab to the trunk.
good luck.

 

[bruzer]

Better to stop by my house before going into the big CA. I've got a nice big safe that your Glocks can hang out in. They'll be much safer that way. I'll even make sure they stay in 100% working order for you.
Mike

 

[thewhitebuffalo83]

My bad I forgot to mention an important detail. I have three ten round magazines I will take with me. The normal capacity mags will sit sadly at home in the safe. I will have to my plus 2 g17 glove compartment backup and leave it home too.

 

[GuyBMeredith]

In California the glove box is iffy even if locked. The firearm needs to be "inaccessable". A safe standard practice in the state is to put the firearm in the trunk in a locked container.

If the glove box is not locked the firearm is considered concealed and definitely frowned upon.

 

[xtratoy]

Washington is an Open Carry State. If you print or your weapon pops out, your covered. Its not illegal. I Open Carry. Its the most comfortable way for me and I take advantage of my legal right too. Good luck with your comfort issue with society. And learn the law. You can loose your Right if you carry where it is illegal too.
Dave

Unless someone who sees it freaks out and calls the police. There was an incident around a year ago where just that happened in Vancouver and the guy with the gun lost that battle. The other person said they felt intimidated. It was on the news and local papers and I don't remember the exact date or names, but he was the loser in that one. From what I recall he was shopping in convenience store. (minit mart type store)

 

[thewhitebuffalo83]

AHH POOPY, I was just cleaning out my wallet and I noticed CHL is damaged. A small piece of the bottom broke off. You can still clearly see my name but I don't know if there was any info below that or not. This sucks as I am leaving for vacation in a couple days and I was planning on carrying at leas to the Cali border and then stowing it before crossing. I have no time to go attempt to get a new card issued and I am sure even if I did, I wouldn't be able to get it in time anyway. This all around just sucks, who knows how long it have been damaged. I know, I was pulled over for accidentally cutting someone off in May or early Just and it was fine then. BTW I was pulled over twice with in a few week period end of May early June and both seemed like good experiences to me. I had been concerned how that would go down but it was no biggie either time.

More of a update here on how my carrying is going.
I have been carrying everyday since my last post and other than my holster still squeaking and that squeak annoying the crap out of my wife its been okay. We have even been in a few situations that made my wife a little nervous and she either asked if I was carrying or happened to either bump into my hip or place her on my hip as to check if it was carrying. We have come to the agreement that she doesn't mind so much as long as she knows its there. She doesn't want the surprise of seeing it or feeling it by accident. She still doesn't agree that I need to carry 24/7 but that's minor and we are working on that. However, I probably forget to mention I am carrying 50% of the time as I put it on as soon as I get up and I often let her sleep in an hour or more most mornings. My carry habits have become very natural and I even started carrying a extra mag on my off side.

Just a little update.

Thanks again for all the kind input and information. This is a great place and I will honestly miss it while I am on vacation. Heck, I have missed it the last couple weeks because of finals.

 

[Darknight]

Unless someone who sees it freaks out and calls the police. There was an incident around a year ago where just that happened in Vancouver and the guy with the gun lost that battle. The other person said they felt intimidated. It was on the news and local papers and I don't remember the exact date or names, but he was the loser in that one. From what I recall he was shopping in convenience store. (minit mart type store)

<broken link removed>

Open-carry gun case ends with diversion deal | The Columbian

 

[RBid]

Interesting read. I'm looking forward to more.

I was decidedly against the idea of people carrying guns for most of my life. I always thought i might enjoy target shooting with a bolt gun or pistol, but I was in the "police will protect me" camp". I had a late awakening, and began researching the realities of carry, gun ownership, etc. I took a couple classes, read all kinds of material, and started looking at pistols. Through all of it, I exchanged notes with a friend whose dad used to be with Portland Police. He had been raised around all of this, and was a great guy to talk to.

The start of this was also around the start of a new relationship, for me. I had two pistols when we started dating, and she knew that going to the range was a hobby for me. She asked to go with me. Before we talked about anything else, we talked safety. Exhaustively. After that, we talked about the pistol she would shoot, starting with basic mechanics, and safety features (and limitations). This was before we ever went. We recapped everything on the day we went.

The first time out, I took her to PSTC in Clackamas, so she could give it a go at 3 yards, and stretch from there. When we got to the check in counter, I asked her if she was nervous. She said she felt safe. The range officer chimed in, saying she was in good hands. That was nice.

I made sure she had a great time. On the way out, she asked when we could go back. I think it helped that she's freakishly coordinated.

Fast forward a month. Things were going great, and since we each have kids, I wanted to have a conversation about my interest in a CHL. I asked her if she had any feedback, questions, concerns, etc. She asked the usual stuff. Why? How often? Etc. I answered everything. We talked about my gun box, storage, etc.

At the end of that, I asked again if she wanted to say or ask anything.

She said, "I think it's sexy."

I said, "That is not what this is about."

She said, "No. I think it's sexy that you're so attentive. You always go out of your way to make sure I'm OK. That makes me feel safe."

Fast forward again.

We live together. I carry every day. My lady shoots with me when our schedules line up. Last week, she fell in love with a Ruger LCR .38 spl. She wants to get a CHL, and we are talking about getting Utah licenses (lots of reciprocity). Her parents have come shooting with us (I got big points for teaching her mom). My brother is looking at pistols. Our kids know how pistols work.

Day to day, we mostly talk about the usual American family stuff. Kids. Work. Friends. Dreams.


At this point, carry just... Is.