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Concealed carry (USA)

(Redirected from Concealed carry)

Concealed carry is the right to carry a handgun or other weapon in public in a concealed manner. Even as the number of states adopting legislation permitting this has grown, it has met with opposition. 37 U.S. states permit adults who have applied, have no criminal record, and (in some cases) meet training requirements to carry one or more handguns in a concealed manner; the police may not arbitrarily deny a permit application. A further nine states have "may issue" laws; typically specific "need" must be established, but in practice, this is generally a mechanism to prohibit most people from carrying. Two states (Vermont and Alaska) allow any non-criminal who has reached the age of 21, in the case of Alaska, or 18, in the case of Vermont, to carry without a permit of any kind. Alaska issues a permit; it is, however, optional.

As of 2005, only four US States: Nebraska, Kansas, Wisconsin, and Illinois have no provision whatsoever that would allow for the legal concealed carry of firearms by "ordinary" citizens. There are currently movements in each of these states to pass concealed-carry laws; in two of these states, legislation was passed in 2004, but vetoed by the respective governors.

Carrying a weapon is an enormous responsibility. Training courses spend a considerable amount of time discussing the many aspects of liability should one actually use a handgun, even to defend oneself. Although state laws vary, almost any use that is allowed is solely as a last resort, when one fears that life is in danger, when escape or retreat are not options, and warnings are given and ignored.

This liability is particularly present if the wearer brandishes the weapon, threatens to use a weapon, worsens a troubled situation (instead of calming it or simply leaving), or is under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Any criminal sanction for use of firearms can apply to the permit-holder as well as to the professional criminal.

Table of contents

Why carry?

There are a variety of motivations people have for seeking a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Historically, judges have often allowed applicants who could prove they had a threatening job to have a permit to carry (including judges themselves, bailiffs, and security guards).

Those who could prove they were personally threatened were also often given permission to carry, such as a spouse threatened by their mate, notable or famous persons, and people who received death threats.

These historical grants of permission rarely included a training requirement.

More recently, with the growth of the concealed carry movement, many more people have sought a permit that would allow them to be armed in public. This could be for:

  • People who travel through high crime areas routinely
  • Families who camp and fish in remote areas (including bear country)
  • Women who feel safer as a trained handgun user
  • People who work in remote areas or late at night
  • People who own or work at businesses where defensive handguns are kept and meant to be used by employees when threatened
  • People who enjoy various shooting sports and need to transport weapons for their sport
  • People who want the training in order to protect their business or property
  • People who simply wish to take reasonable precautions to protect themselves from a general threat of criminal activity

FBI Uniform Crime Report (1992) shows that 70% of violent crimes are committed by 7% of criminals, many of whom are on probation or are given parole and released early. Of incarcerated felons surveyed by the Department of Justice, 34% have been driven away, wounded, or captured by armed citizens; 40% state that they have decided against committing crimes for fear their would-be victims were armed.

The FBI's statistics also concluded: "Violent crime rates are highest overall in states with laws limiting or prohibiting the carrying of concealed firearms for self-defense."

States offer selective reciprocity in this area. That is, a permit-holder in one state may be able to carry or transport a weapon in other states with a reciprocity agreement with the home state. Reciprocity does impose on the permit-holder the responsibility for knowing and understanding the differences in the laws between the states.

Who carries?

Statistics published by the various states give some indication of who and how many people acquire permits to carry concealed weapons. Some recent indicative statistics:

  • Permit-holders are predominantly male

85% vs. 15% female in Florida, October 2004

  • The number of permit-holders is growing

Michigan for example reports 30,000 applications July 2003-June 2004; other states vary but this is representative.

  • The number of permit-holders is significant

Florida has issued over 800,000 permits since adopting the law, and has 289,644 permit holders as of October 2004. State Police Reports show similar numbers: New York 530,000 (1997), Pennsylvania 575,000 (1998), Texas 235,000 (1999).

  • Distribution by age is generally proportionate to the adult population

Florida reports 26% are in the 21–35 age group, 36% are 36–50, 27% are 51–65, and 11% over age 66.

  • The number of revocations of permits is very small.

North Carolina reports 0.2% of their 263,102 holders had their permits revoked in the 10 years since they have adopted the law. Revocation is for any reason (such as DWI conviction) that may or may not involve a shooting incident or even being armed when the infraction occurred.

Of the 14,000 licensees in Oregon, they report only 4 (0.03%) were convicted of the criminal (not necessarily violent) use or possession of a firearm.

Methods of carry

Although some states do not explicitly require concealment, most do, and most permit-holders want to conceal their weapon, if only to avoid inadvertently causing people to make "person with a gun" calls to the police.

Concealment is usually achieved by a combination of a medium or small revolver or semi-automatic pistol, a good holster for the purpose, and sometimes a covering garment. All of these are adapted from police experience.

Preferred weapons for concealed carry

There is such a wide variety of candidates to consider for concealed carry, it is impossible to generalize about a single "best" weapon. Most experts say the criteria for choice should be:

  • Reliability: The chief issue here is reliability in the hands of the user. Thus, one's familiarity and training experience with handguns might mean a 5- or 6-shot revolver is an excellent choice. A more experienced handgunner might prefer a 15- or 16-shot semi-automatic pistol, which offers more shots but more complex controls requiring more maintenance as well. Revolvers are many times more reliable than semi-automatics, and have a definite place in both home defense and concealed carry use. Statistics show that the 5- or 6- shots in a typical revolver are more than enough to handle the typical personal protection incident. Semi-automatics are inherently less reliable than revolvers, and may jam if not kept well-maintained and cleaned. Revolvers will work well in most cases whether they have been cleaned within the last 20 years or not, even if seldom fired. On the other hand, for concealed carry, semi-automatics may have a slight advantage, being smaller, with 'cleaner' designs in many cases that won't catch on clothing. The choice of revolver or semi-automatic largely comes down to personal preference, as well as one's willingness to clean one's guns and practice shooting at the range.
  • Safety: The semi-automatic weapon should have modern features to prevent accidental discharge, and have clear safety devices that require an actual trigger pull to make the gun discharge. These can include a squeeze safety in the backstrap, trigger safety, built-in lock, magazine disconnector, loaded chamber indicator, and a decocking lever. For double-action revolvers, a 6- shot model may have an intentionally unloaded chamber on which the hammer normally rests, making the revolver as safe as a rock even if dropped unintentionally, while still being ready for instant use with an actual trigger pull.
  • Types of deployment: Suggested methods of carry is either with a stiff double action trigger pull with the safety off (such as the Beretta 92), a double action with no external safety (such as the Sig), or a crisp single action trigger pull with the safety on (such as M1911 and HK USP). An alternative is an "action and a half" consistent trigger pull which lies in between a single action and a double action trigger pull, but is consistent on every pull. These normally do not have an external safety or an external hammer, such as the Glock and Walther P99. Imperative to all of these is an appropriate holster and proper training.
  • Fit to the individual's hand, strength, and body size: For example, a 110-lb person may not be able to use a high-recoil weapon accurately and may not be able to easily conceal a large weapon. Such a person might find a .32 S&W Long caliber revolver, well-regarded for its accuracy and low-recoil, to be an especially effective choice despite its reputation for being slightly underpowered. It was the standard police sidearm weapon in New York City from around 1915 until approximately 1934, when it was replaced by the .38 Special revolver. Larger individuals should probably consider a .38 Special caliber, a cartridge with a bullet which actually measures 0.357 inches (9.0678 mm) in diameter, or, equivalently, a 9 mm caliber, as the minimal caliber of choice for personal defence.
  • Sufficient power: Many claim that a 9mm pistol should be the minimal caliber of choice for personal protection. However, shot placement is always more important than the caliber. The caliber is also important to be inexpensive (important to encourage regular practice), widely available, generates controllable recoil, and is fed reliably by most auto-loading pistols. Power is important: those about to use a weapon as a last chance of defense want the power to be sufficient to stop the threat. Police experience shows the 9mm caliber and .38 Special both to be reliable in that regard.

Popular calibers, in increasing power order are .32 S&W Long, .38SPL, .40 S&W, .357 SIG, and .45 ACP.

Concealed carry issues of interest

Training

Most states impose a training requirement that must be completed successfully in order to receive a permit. These usually can be completed in 1–2 days, and almost all have both a classroom and a range component. Classroom topics typically include: firearm mechanics and terminology, concealed carry legislation and limitations, liability issues, carry methods and safety, home defense, and practice methods. At the range, students will practice shooting a target from a standing position, and may practice shooting from cover. Most require a certain proficiency to receive a passing grade.

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