Brent Hartman
Regular Member
Since I first started carrying 5 years ago, I've always open carried. I liked being able to exercise my right to bear arms without seeking permission from my government masters. Living in Arizona and Kentucky for most of that time also made it very easy to open carry. I didn't have to worry about wandering into the wrong town like here in Missouri.
Still, there were times and situations that made it difficult to open carry. Keeping my handgun unconcealed while wearing winter clothing was at times a problem, as we're the times I had to wear a suit.
Now that I'm back in Missouri, and with the less friendly "laws" against open carry, I started looking into concealed carry. Open carry isn't a problem in my geographic area of the state, but I occasionally do business in areas that aren't compliant with the state constitution.
In my research I found out right away that a Missouri concealed carry permit was not an option. When I was a teenager I was busted committing the dastardly act of possessing a plant, which resulted in SIS probation. Through further research I found states that had reciprocity with Missouri that wouldn't hold my sordid past against me.
I then started looking at training requirements for the various states, and was pleasantly surprised that my old state of Arizona would accept the hunter safety course I took in Missouri as fulfillment of the training requirement for their permit. That means that my wife and I can both get our Arizona concealed carry permits, which are good for 5 years, for just a little over the cost of one of us to get training here in Missouri. I save money, I get to deal with a state who has not turned CCW information over to the Feds, and I still get to feel like I'm getting one over on the government. That certainly helps with the bitter taste of having to get a permit to carry concealed. Hopefully, by the time my 5 year permit is up, Missouri will have transformed itself into a gold star open carry state. Impossible? Only if you think so.
Still, there were times and situations that made it difficult to open carry. Keeping my handgun unconcealed while wearing winter clothing was at times a problem, as we're the times I had to wear a suit.
Now that I'm back in Missouri, and with the less friendly "laws" against open carry, I started looking into concealed carry. Open carry isn't a problem in my geographic area of the state, but I occasionally do business in areas that aren't compliant with the state constitution.
In my research I found out right away that a Missouri concealed carry permit was not an option. When I was a teenager I was busted committing the dastardly act of possessing a plant, which resulted in SIS probation. Through further research I found states that had reciprocity with Missouri that wouldn't hold my sordid past against me.
I then started looking at training requirements for the various states, and was pleasantly surprised that my old state of Arizona would accept the hunter safety course I took in Missouri as fulfillment of the training requirement for their permit. That means that my wife and I can both get our Arizona concealed carry permits, which are good for 5 years, for just a little over the cost of one of us to get training here in Missouri. I save money, I get to deal with a state who has not turned CCW information over to the Feds, and I still get to feel like I'm getting one over on the government. That certainly helps with the bitter taste of having to get a permit to carry concealed. Hopefully, by the time my 5 year permit is up, Missouri will have transformed itself into a gold star open carry state. Impossible? Only if you think so.
