Well one of my buddies is a Cop and my barber, the one cuts our hair, is a huge gun fanatic. Trader and what not. Well he teaches the concealed weapons permit class. He gave us 50% off the class and gave us the shorter version of the 4 hour class.
I'll I need to do now is get my fingerprints done digitally and send in my form with some $$$ and I'll have the license. I've shot a few guns, but nothing crazy. I don't plan on buying a gun anytime soon. I'd rather have the option to easily buy then too wait, but I also like the option of not buying unless I have to. I don't want to keep a gun around, really, just safer in ways of not tempting to use it and always making sure no one is going to steal it or accidently get hurt with it.
Just wondering if anyone has a CWL.

For those that will ask, my Cop buddy can't go in a gun shop and buy a hand gun even though he is a Cop. He would still have to go through the background check and blah blah blah. Now with the license he can walk in, buy, and walk out.

I don't have a CDWL. I have yet to see a need since in KY open carry is legal as is stashing a handgun in your glove box. If I want to bring a handgun with me somewhere I can, without having to pay the fees and time to obtain a license just to conceal it.

Anyway, you're fears of issues with owning a gun are there because you're just unfamiliar with them. They're very safe, just follow a few failsafes:
- Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire.
- Always point in a safe direction.
- Check the chamber each time you pick it up.

Those three things will always keep you out of trouble no matter if you're holding your gun or a buddy hands you one of his.

Temptation offered by a gun is BS, unless you are easily tempted to do other stuff that is wreckless (speed in front of cops, run over pedestrians that tick you off). It's not like they automatically make you want to kill people. BTW, by the time you need a gun, it's too late to say you want to go buy one.

Thanks Jon.
Yah I heard and did all these:
- Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire.
- Always point in a safe direction.
- Check the chamber each time you pick it up.
Many times at the class as long as dealt with the guns he supplied for training.

I want to get one. Havent looked into it at all, though.

i have been wanting to get my CHL since i turned 18 but the extra funds still have not presented them selves for me to get my CHL and a handgun.

the only time Ive had to worry about it, I was traveling from GA to LA. The GSP pulled me over, asked why it was that I wasnt moving, told him, they took care of the .45 I HAD. Asked why, in a non-open-carry state was I openly carrying. Told him Im from AZ and I was unfamiliar with GA laws. he allowed it (with MIL ID) and radioed ahead.

The only other time, I was traveling between AZ/NM/TX. Strap that Sig P239 .40S&W to my thigh, and have at. As long as I dont try to walk into the gas station or Wal-Mart, no one even bats an eye. 'Specially when spotted next to the car with wife and kids along with the ride.

True, I do want the CWL, but that just allows more trouble than it's worth.

Won't happen. Since the legal age for purchasing a handgun is 21, no one issues a CHL unless you're 21. Possession is a different matter, with states varying from the federal limit of 18.

If anyone ever needs advice on firearms, I'd be more than willing to offer. Although I'm not up to snuff on the most current of models. I haven't made a gun purchase in a couple years, so I'm a bit out of date with the latest gadgets and wahoos.

If your only interest in obtaining a CWL is to be able speed the process of purchasing a fire arm you should be OK.

If you plan on using the right to carry concealed, something to keep in mind is the fact that if you aren't familiar with the weapon you carry it could easily be used against you. If you can't brandish and open fire in a respectable amount of time it can be taken from you by the offender and used on yourself..... I don't suggest practicing this maneuver unless you are sure it is unloaded as you could shoot yourself in the process. I do suggest being as familiar as possible with the maneuver in order to apply it appropriately if the time ever comes.

Another thing to remember is that CHL's aren't always reciprocal from state to state. If you plan on traveling, your license may not be valid in a nieghboring state.

i looked at getting a handgun... my dad was gonna put his name on it... i wanted a simple 9mm...

I've looked into it. In Arizona you have to attend a month long safety/shooting course that you HAVE to pass with flying colors. After that there is the typical wait and FBI and STATE background checks. Then you get the sticker for your vehicle and your license.

I've thought about getting my concealed weapons license, but I dont feel the need to carry my gun with me. Plus, there really isnt many places you can legally carry a gun in Michigan. I think I could better use the money that I would spend on the class ($100+) and the license app. ($105) on ammo and range time.

GPGTGuy: My recommendation to anyone looking to buy a handgun for personal/vehicle defense is to get a good frame that easily fits your hand, nothing too big or too small.

The caliber of choice is .40/10mm. Those calibers normally have the bullet AND weapon speed of a 9mm with the knock-down and lethality of a .45.

Also, go ahead and spend the money on a good brand-name weapon like Sig, ParaOrdnance, Springfield, Colt, Ruger, Luger, etc. While pretty much all firearms work the same, the difference is reliability. Especially if you keep yourself current on qualifications and such. Simply going ot the range puts wear on springs and slides and such. I had a Firestorm M1911A1 .45 for a few years. After about 3,000 rounds, the recoil spring wasnt worth much anymore, and the rails had some sizable burrs. My Sig P239 .40S&W has about 4,500 rounds, and NO degredation of performance. The Firestorm cost 330 USD, while the Sig cost 630 USD.

More food for thought: while the revolvers dont look quite as sexy as a handgun, they are MUCH more reliable. The tolerances arent quite so tight and there are significantly fewer parts to go bad. Add to all that: revolvers have been around MUCH longer than handguns, which gives them considerably more time for R&D and "perfection".

Moral of the story: be sure to do LOTS of research, know the role of the weapon, become VERY familiar with the weapon, spend the money on a good weapon, and ALWAYS treat the weapon like it's deadly and about to explode.

Only way to get a conceal permit (Class A) in Massachusetts is to be a cop. My friend had an offer letter from the police department and his home town still made his license contigent on his passing the academy.

1911s can be finicky no matter the manufacturer, a lower end model (like a GI) is generally more reliable because there is more slack in the slides like intended. Best to shoot it and find out the reliability of your specimen.

There are cheaper guns out there, but you have to really research which ones are worth it. I have an EAA Witness in 10mm. It's a hair under $400, but it's been great but it's nowhere near compact. It also gets abused by full-power 10mm handloads. I also picked up a RIA 1911 used for under $300 from a local shop. I had read about how owners loved them when I stumbled on it. I don't know how many rounds its had through it, but it's still in tip top shape and has my own custom touches: commander hammer, beavertail.

I'm not going to tell anyone not to buy a 9mm. People still seem to love them and it's by far the cheapest for ammo when practicing. However, bigger is always better. As Rich mentioned, .40cal is a good medium and .45 has been tried and true. In a revolver, it's got to be .357.

Yah, you want something light and compact to car around. If it isn't light, you won't want to carry it around.

Most polymer guns are pretty light. A glock 19 is around 20oz. I have a Beretta PX4 9mm, its 27oz empty. I have no intention of carrying it, but its fun to take to the range.

If I were going to get a carry gun, I'd get a springfield xd sub compact 9mm. Light, compact, reliable and affordable. Personally I dont think one caliber is better than the other. (9, .40, .45) If you are proficient with your gun you'll be fine.

Just make sure that if you're going to carry you need to be very comfortable and accurate with that gun, otherwise leave it at home.

That reminds me... too light can be a bad thing. Some of the newer revolvers are like feathers using aluminum/titanium technology. The problem is, they buck like a bronco when you shoot them and it makes you less inclined to practice with them.

Perfect excuse to buy two guns of similar type but different weight.... When you get married and into guns, such excuses to the spouse are needed (or so I'm told). They probably don't work though. :p

I'd stay away from Glock. Dont start lecturing me on "well, every cop in every department around the world" crap. The weapons flex ALOT when cold. When warm, they flex even more. When tryin to deal with ballistics and explosions and controlling both with the steel barrel encased in PLASTIC? Yeah. About that. No thanks. tryin to quit.

For most of yall giant-folk ('member, Im but 5'3"), yall wanna go with nothing smaller than a bigger compact or good mid-sized STEEL frame hider.

How do you know when you found a hider? no snag points, very round hammer (if the weapon even HAS a hammer), fits like a glove, and has very fast safeties. normally they're very narrow to hide inconspicuously under most clothing.

I agree with Brown: make sure the weapon fits YOU and not just looks cool. Make sure you can handle the thing and put rounds where you need them. Quickly.

be sure that the blast, flash, noise, recoil, and ejection dont intimidate you. Case in point: I will bever be able to fire a .357 MAG Revolver or .44 MAG revolver again. Same with just about any Desert Eagle. Them things FRICKIN HURT!!!

Just to get yerself ready for a real-world scenario, dont forget to blast off one or two rounds WITHOUT hearing protection. You MUST be ready for when that bad boy starts spittin fire. So you know: .45s are HORRIFICALLY loud when goin off. 9mm/.36s are still pretty loud. about the only thing that doesnt cause instant hearing loss is the sub-sonic .22 Rimfire. Which sometimes has a hard time punching through a 1-gallon water jug.

FWIW....

I was very close to a person that used a 9mm with PDA(Hydra Shock) in self defense at point blank to the mid section of the attacker.
The 1 shot stopped the attack, but that's all it did. The attacker remained standing(in shock) and after a few days in the hospital was released to the local authorities for prosecution. He has since served his time and is back in the world creating havoc.

To those of you that carry a .22 a .380 or even a .38 I would like to persuade you to upgrade if you are truly expecting the firearm to defend you in a life threatening situation.

For self defense I wouldn't recommend anything less than a .38 Special/.357 Magnum(Revolver), or a 9mm(Semi Auto) and PDA(Personal Defense Ammunition) is a must.

Clint, where the hell you been? wb, man.

I agree with all Clint said. those are the minimum lowest calibers you should consider.

There is nothing wrong with polymer frames. They've proven that they work time and time again. Flex is good as well, it absorbs some of the recoil rather than transfering it all to the shooters hand. Glock 20s are one of the few factory autos currently made that can handle fullpower 10mm loads. I'm talking higher pressure than 9mm +P+, pushing 200gr bullets at 1200fps. I have yet to hear of one breaking.

The only Glock issues I have heard are the kaboom tells with the .40 S&W models in particular. Their guns have deeply recessed feed ramps to assist in reliability and with a higher pressure cartridge like the .40, this can be an issue for case head support with reloaded or faulty ammo. Anyway, the case ruptures and vents downward usually blowing the magazine out the bottom. Still yet, with a new magazine the gun is fine work again.

Anyway, the explosion of a fired cartridge is held in the barrel by the steel slide and the cam lock and spring. The slide never opens until chamber pressures have dropped and all the plastic frame does is provide a rail for the slide to move and a stop to it will begin to return forward. At no point does the plastic frame ever have to withstand chamber pressure... that's all taken care of by steel components.

I'm 5'9, but recoil has never been an issue for me. I have a S&W 629 w/ 4" barrel that I can shoot all day without issues. However, grip and gun design come into play. The only gun that ever hurt my hand was a Ruger SBH 7 1/2" barrel. The grip shape with Hogues apparently didn't like me.

Richard, I like ya, but have to raise the B.S flag here. With the internet, you have no excuse to not know the laws in any state. you are a very lucky man you did not end up in jail.

For those wanting info on Concealed Carry, this is one of the best sites and magazines out there.

http://www.usconcealedcarry.com/

My advice to those who may want to carry a weapon is to train, train and train some more. Do we send soldiers into battle with a few days at the range? No! Do we let new Pilots fly high performance jet? No! They get so much training and expoerience that things become automatic. Unconcealing, drawing and firing your weapon should be an automatic motion. One you do not need to think about. If you think, you could be dead.

I also say buy a quality weapon and practice a lot. When I do carry, it is a Wilson Combat SDS .45 or 2" barrel Taurus .357. I do a lot of range time with my Colt 45, Ruger 22 and Taurus .357 (with 38 special loads). I really don't carry much as my job is on a Military base, so I can't take it there. I take my kids to school each day and volunteer there quite a bit, and can't take it there either. The YMCA which is my other home away from home has no concealed carry rules, so I don't carry to or from the gym which usually includes other errands. I do carry 100% when I or my family travels.

That's what I'm doing for my 21st birthday next year: Getting a 9mm Beretta and a CWL. Although if I had plenty of cash, I'd find someone to make those dual custom .45s from the Punisher movie. Those were some BEAUTIFUL pistols...

I find it funny that you can buy a shotgun or AR-15 or whatever at 18, but a pistol at 21... *shakes head*

However, to anyone who says gun kill people, I want to say one thing: Saying that is like blaming my keyboard for my spelling errors here on the forum.

I got this when I was 18. Of course there is a story behind it, since I had to do a pistol grip conversion and it's in .308 and not the typical 7.62x39.

how much you get the polymer Paratrooper stock for? Thats sweet. How many mods to have the AK accept the 16mm longer .308 round?

The stock can be had for $50 from Tapco, but the design has slightly changed.

The gun came from the factory shooting .308, but it had a 'sporter' stock. I had to remove the innards and buy a G2 firing group and move everything forward so it was in a traditional AK position. It involved drilling some spot welds, filing some parts of the fire group and drilling some holes to remount the trigger guard and pistol grip. If you look up a Saiga, it's a common conversion for them.

"Senator Obama supports a national law against carrying concealed weapons, with exceptions for retired police and military personnel." One very good reason not to vote for this man. Those in society who can legally care are level headed, educated, well trained and aren't going to do something stupid so they can not carry in the future. This Scholar needs more education when it comes to gun control. Maybe he needs to leave Chicago and see the rest of the US.

Two Credible Sources:

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/issues/issues.gun.html

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/specials/elections/chi-0404270145apr27,1,3965484.story

Does it really surprise you? If we see a Democrat for president, we'll have gun legislation within the first 6 months of office. I guarantee reinstating the AWB will be #1 on their agenda, without a sunset clause this time.

Come on now Rook, we all know that that gun laws save lives because they keep weapons out of the hands of criminals. GAG, COUGH, VOMIT. Vomit again.

Some recoil issues
Desert Eagle (piece of junk by the way just a big bullett)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QAyqE731bw

a long gun
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EVqT3XEzss

Cry baby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glCFfhclrLI

Never too young to start
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K_oGwbyxnk

A little fun on the range
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCra4qOrjFw&feature=related

Desert Eagles aren't junk, just impractical for pretty much anything except show and hunting. It's one of the few autos that can take larger game (and most people don't know they come in .357 and .44 mag as well as the .50ae).

I cringe at some of those links. If anyone shot one of my guns and dropped it, I'd be running to see how bad they hurt my baby. Especially if it had a wood stock. The kid takes it like a champ, it never even phased him. Two thumbs up for him.

Probably better places to ask, but anyone here know where I can get a long picatinny rail? It needs to be close to 1.5ft long. I'm wanting to make a full length rail for the top of my AK that stretches from the rear cover to the front of the gas tube and mount AR A3 style iron sights on it. In the process I'll remove the rear sight and use that as the mounting point and remove the front sight and replace with a flash suppressor.