CCW Advice Needed

[Bummer]

Indiana doesn't have a concealed carry requirement. Ours is a License To Carry a Handgun. It can be concealed, or right out on your hip. If someone from out of state passes through they have to follow the requirements of their license. If it says concealed the holder must carry concealed. If the individual does not have a license or permit from somewhere, they may not carry a handgun at all - not even disassembled and locked in the trunk, unless it's being taken to or from a repair facility.

 

I had shot black powder on and off (mostly off) for years, and hadn't used a modern weapon since Boot Camp. Then I got robbed at gunpoint in the community college parking lot. Turns out "Gun Free Zone" signs don't impress the bad guys very much. Now I carry either a Taurus 445 stainless with 2" barrel and bobbed hammer in .44 special, or a Colt 1911 Combat Elite in .45 acp.

 

When I got the Taurus I bought a fabric holster and disassembled it. Irene got some black canvas, thin padding, and some lining material. I made a pattern from the holster parts and she sewed a holster into my riding jacket. The left front pocket had developed a hole and needed repair anyway. It became the equivalent of a horizontal carry shoulder holster. We used the thumb break from the fabric holster. Between the thumb break and the pocket snap the Taurus is well secured but available.

 

When I got the Colt I bought a Front-Line vertical shoulder holster. It prints less than the Taurus in the pocket holster. I also prefer it because it points the weapon down and not back. I also like the 1911 better. I think a revolver is a more reliable personal protection weapon, but the 1911 just plain feels better to handle.

 

Because of the size of the cylinder on the Taurus I'm considering a Chiappa Rhino (2") to replace the Taurus. The Rhino has an unusual design which makes it much more narrow. The narrower flat sided cylinder should make it more concealable. It also fires from the bottom of the cylinder to place felt-recoil lower in the hand, and help control the flip experienced in short barrel weapons. I'm not a big fan of .357 mag. I like the .44 special better as a defensive round. I want something that'll stay where it's put and not pass through and endanger others. Still, sometimes compromise is in order.

 

Now, what I'm going to do in July and August when the jacket just won't do, I have no clue. I'll be keeping an eye on this thread, and others on a couple of gun forums, for ideas.

[CaptainJoe]

I believe the most important feature of a handgun is how they shoot, for "YOU".

A friend of mine had a .357 smith and wesson SS that made a believer out of me. It only had about a 3" barrel but at the rifle range at about 50 yrds all you had to do is point the revolver at what you wanted to hit and it did...

That my friend, is not the experience I have had with most revolvers...

They are all different and perhaps this particular revolver had some "work" done to it as the trigger bull was unbelievably smooth. You could shoot it double action and you still got what you aimed at...

just my 2 cents...

[kj4v]

I have a mesh jacket with an inside pocket that a Taurus 38 fits perfect in, and still concealed. Air goes threw it but still has the armor.

[marinakorp]

I believe the most important feature of a handgun is how they shoot, for "YOU"....

 

 

Quoted for TRUTH!

[flb_78]

If the individual does not have a license or permit from somewhere, they may not carry a handgun at all - not even disassembled and locked in the trunk, unless it's being taken to or from a repair facility.

 

This is covered under the Federal Firearms Owners Protection Act in the "safe passage clause".

 

http://www.cjrpc.org/interstate_2.htm

 

In 1986, the 1968 Gun Control Act was revised by the enactment of the Firearms Owners' Protection Act ("FOPA"). Among the various FOPA provisions, the Act added 18 U.S.C. 926A (the "Safe Passage" act) to the Federal Criminal Code. This section applies to any person not prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms. Such persons may transport firearms from any place where they can lawfully possess and carry such firearms to any other place where they can lawfully possess and carry such firearms. For example a Florida gun owner may lawfully drive through Massachusetts to his ultimate destination in Vermont, provided he or she complies with the requirements of the federal "Safe Passage" act.

[Aimhigh]

my S&W .38+ (J-frame) fits nicely in a pocket holster...then in the inside pocket of my vest. I carry because should I ever break down in the middle of nowhere (or on a highway, for that matter) I do not want to be at the mercy of anyone thinking they have easy pickins!

[Bummer]

This is covered under the Federal Firearms Owners Protection Act in the "safe passage clause".

 

http://www.cjrpc.org/interstate_2.htm

 

I haven't checked. Do they mention how many States don't have some sort of licensing/permit requirement? I don't think there are more than a couple. In the end, from both a State and Federal perspective you need to have a permit to transport a handgun in Indiana.

 

Interesting that the article you quoted was from New Jersey. Not long ago they incarcerated an out of Stater who was passing through with hollow point ammo that's illegal in NJ. He eventually got out on appeal. Sure messed up his vacation, though.

[OldBear]

my S&W .38+ (J-frame) fits nicely in a pocket holster...then in the inside pocket of my vest. I carry because should I ever break down in the middle of nowhere (or on a highway, for that matter) I do not want to be at the mercy of anyone thinking they have easy pickins!

 

 

What he said! Otherwise, a flat tire at the side of the road leaves you subject to whoever comes along.....

[flb_78]

Interesting that the article you quoted was from New Jersey. Not long ago they incarcerated an out of Stater who was passing through with hollow point ammo that's illegal in NJ. He eventually got out on appeal. Sure messed up his vacation, though.

 

Is there a link to this? I would be interested in reading the details.

[flb_78]

And here's the actual Federal law that allows us to transport firearms across state lines.

 

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/usc_sec_18_00000926---A000-.html

 

TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 44 > § 926A

 

Interstate transportation of firearms

 

Notwithstanding any other provision of any law or any rule or regulation of a State or any political subdivision thereof, any person who is not otherwise prohibited by this chapter from transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm shall be entitled to transport a firearm for any lawful purpose from any place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm to any other place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm if, during such transportation the firearm is unloaded, and neither the firearm nor any ammunition being transported is readily accessible or is directly accessible from the passenger compartment of such transporting vehicle: Provided, That in the case of a vehicle without a compartment separate from the driver’s compartment the firearm or ammunition shall be contained in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console.

[ragtop69gs]

Well I'll tell ya one thing... I will be polite to everyone I meet at a VR event, seems there will be more fire power there, than most police departments have. Should be the safest place around!

[Tom]

You would be surprised at how many people are CCW holders..we just dont mention it and pray to God we never HAVE to use it. VR folks are some of the nicest people you will meet!

[Redneck]

An armed society is a polite society.

[jointventure]

Yeah, you just never know what some of us have in our garages. ( I did have to give it back) :no-no-no:

[ATTACH]54486[/ATTACH]

[Plains Venture]

Years ago I carried a .357 as my service weapon and a Smith and Wesson .38 chief's special as my off duty weapon. I put Pachmayr grips on the .38 and in made a major improvement in shooting. I now carry a .40 cal Glock both on and off duty.

[Bummer]

Is there a link to this? I would be interested in reading the details.

 

I haven't found a link to the hollow point incident yet. I'll keep looking. The board it was discussed on uses VBulletin but without the more advanced search Don has given us here.

 

I did find these:

 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/01/18/traveling-mans-gun-arrest-appealed-supreme-court/

 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/12/21/christie-commutes-sentence-man-sent-jail-owning-guns/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foxnews%2Fpolitics+%28Internal+-+Politics+-+Text%29&utm_content=My+Yahoo#content

 

I found a link that quotes Indiana law, which contains the Federal law almost word for word. It includes the "legal to own and carry" wording, which pretty much means the bearer needs to have a license.

 

Ultimately my point is that yes, the law does say we can, but having to argue about it could really mess up a vacation.

[flb_78]

Greg Revell's case was one big f...up by the TSA and New Jersey and charges were dropped after 10 days.

 

Brian Aitken's case is murky. There was evidence that he was living in New Jersey since 2008 and had never transferred his DL. If he was living in New Jersey, then he needed to have the proper licenses to be in compliance with state law.

[flyfshn]

I would suggest you contact a few local gun shops/shooting ranges and see if any of them have guns that you can rent and shoot. You will get to handle them to see what feels/shoots best. I have purchased/sold several handguns for CCW because I did not know some of the shooting ranges had guns you could rent.

 

I like the new Ruger LC9 or the S&W bodyguard semiauto for CCW. In my truck, I carry a .357 revolver.

 

It was interesting to read some of the posts. I usually dont carry while riding my bike for fear that I may go down and cause the gun to go off! May try to carry the Bodyguard in my vest.

[Gray Ghost]

I had picked up a book on the rules for all 50 states. When they talked about transporting across states that aren't carry friendly the advice was to have reservations (with print out) for the next state over. The problem, according to them, is that once you stop for an overnight you are no longer just passing through. That is what got the guy who had to overnight in NJ due to flight delays.