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To carry or not?

Ric R

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
16
Location
Carrollton, Va
Use to carry, with no permit, but about 15 years ago, I decided I no longer needed to and sold and locked away remaining guns. A recent occurance that put me in a vunerable and helpless state, started me thinking about it again. I found this site by looking for all the information on line that I could find. I have been lurking and reading and have gotten alot of information. I am going to get a CCP and I am taking a two day class next weekend with a lot of range time, but I am still trying to decide if I want to carry again.

If I do carry it would be conceiled. I support the second ammendment, but don't want to draw attention to myself or make a political statement. Like all of you I don't want to have to shoot any one, but I do want to be able to protect my family if I am ever in a situation that calls for it again.

I know guns make LEO's nervous, and I don't want to create a problem for them or myself. So if there are any LEO's here (active or retired), or anyone else with the knowledge, I would like to get your opinions on folks who carry conceiled and how you prefer they should conduct themselves in a routine traffic stop, or any time you might have to approach them?

Also, what is the drill if someone somehow detects I am carrying a weapon and reports it to you? Do you approach and ask for permit, or is it I have to be disarmed and patted down, etc, etc?

Thank you;

Ric
 

Blk97F150

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2010
Messages
1,179
Location
Virginia
Check out www.vcdl.org, they recently have had several 'man with a gun' discussions where police were invited to speak on their policies, etc. The videos of those meetings are here on OCDO as well. If nothing else... sign up for the VCDL VA-Alert emails. They are VERY informative.
 

230therapy

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2008
Messages
279
Location
People's County of Fairfax
Open carry is legal in Virginia. There are very few prohibited places. However, some jurisdictions tend to be heavy handed toward people who open carry.


"Also, what is the drill if someone somehow detects I am carrying a weapon and reports it to you?"

So what? The drill is to smile and walk away.

"Re: Traffic stop"

The police can see that you have a permit to carry a concealed handgun on their computer. You do not need to notify the officer. I think you don't even need to answer if they ask if you're armed.

It's really not that big of a deal in this state.
 

sccrref

Regular Member
Joined
May 11, 2007
Messages
741
Location
Virginia Beach, VA, , USA
According to va code 18.2-308 H. The permit to carry a concealed handgun shall specify only the following information: name, address, date of birth, gender, height, weight, color of hair, color of eyes, and signature of the permittee; the signature of the judge issuing the permit, of the clerk of court who has been authorized to sign such permits by the issuing judge, or of the clerk of court who has been authorized to issue such permits pursuant to subsection D; the date of issuance; and the expiration date. The permit to carry a concealed handgun shall be no larger than two inches wide by three and one-fourth inches long and shall be of a uniform style prescribed by the Department of State Police. The person issued the permit shall have such permit on his person at all times during which he is carrying a concealed handgun and shall display the permit and a photo-identification issued by a government agency of the Commonwealth or by the United States Department of Defense or United States State Department (passport) upon demand by a law-enforcement officer.
 

Dutch Uncle

Campaign Veteran
Joined
May 11, 2006
Messages
1,715
Location
Virginia, USA
Sir,
You have a few preconceived notions that I don't think are correct. You are only interested in concealed carry, which is fine; you can ask permission from the commonwealth to do so, and if you qualify, you will get your permit. Since you will go through all the legal hoops to do so, I can't imagine your carrying a pistol should make a cop "nervous". This is not a relevant concern for you whether you CC or OC. Perhaps a souped-up red sports car makes some cops "nervous", but if I owned one, I would not worry about that unless I intended to break some laws. Same with firearms, Ric. Also, I agree with 230 that you needn't concern yourself if a cop sees you're carrying a pistol. After all, I carry one just about every day, openly as can be, and whenever I see a county Deputy, I just smile and say hello. Nothing beyond that has ever happened. 230 also said some jurisdictions can be "heavy handed". Norfolk used to be that way, but we took care of that a few years ago. I OC all over Tidewater, including Smithfield and other places on your side of the river, but no one has been troublesome to me at all over the last 5 years or so. You said a recent situation made your feel vulnerable and helpless, but you are still not sure you want to carry. I just can't understand that! I went through something like that in my past, and afterward I didn't give a tinker's dam what anyone thought of my plan to defend my life and that of my loved ones!Your concerns all seem to center on the issues that concealed carry bring up for you. Maybe you should just open carry for a few months. By then, you will certainly feel about as comfortable as anyone could regarding carry of a firearm, and then you could switch to CC. Actually, most of us have CCWs and conceal at times, its just that OC has so many advantages, we generally just go with that! You need to deal with your ambivalence about carrying at all before you go any further Ric.

I think you secretly want to OC or you woudn't have spent time lurking on an OC forum! I'm just saying.....

Welcome to the forum.

Dutch Uncle
 

Ric R

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
16
Location
Carrollton, Va
Thanks for all the great input, and clarifications.

Dutch Uncle - I don't have any reservations about being ready to defend myself and plan to proceed with the course next weekend and submit my application. My biggest fear is having a nervous police officer pointing his fire arm at me and telling me to remove my firearm and place it on the gound., etc, etc,. However, maybe I've seen to many cop shows on TV. You are also correct in that at times I may OC, but I believe most of my carry will be CC once I get the permit.

Again, I appreciate all the input.

Ric
 

Ric R

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
16
Location
Carrollton, Va
You KNOW you are on an OPEN CARRY board right? (Yes, but seems both are done here and I originally thought my concerns applied to either method of carry. Seems my concerns were unfounded.)
Which LEO's and how do you know this?
Maybe suposition on my part or from watching to many cop shows. I have no first hand experience with this and was trying to avoid having any. Seems I'm hearing this is a non issue as well, which I am glad to hear. Maybe I should have asked as a question rather than making a statement that I only thought was correct.
 
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45acpForMe

Newbie
Joined
Nov 21, 2008
Messages
2,805
Location
Yorktown, Virginia, USA
Ric,

I have had interactions with Newport News police (who said they supported citizens carrying) as well as York County Sherrif & Deputies that were professional and supportive, Hampton Police and VA Beach Police. The only ones that pulled my chain were the VA Beach police that jokingly asked if I/we had permits for our OC-ed guns. I laughed and said no cause there is none. They were walking past us to go to dinner at the same restaurant we were having a OC dinner at and were waiting outside for others to show up before heading inside. For the most part prior-OC-ers paved the way for us good citizens to exercise our rights and not be molested by LEO's.

As far as CC vs OC I do both. If you ever read self defense encounters in magazines (NRA Rifleman etc) they always say, "The licensed CC person pulled out their gun and defended themselves...". If the person CC-ing had been OC-ing IMHO many of those attacks would have never happened because the criminal would not have pursued an armed individual. So by all means carry is some form. If you really are serious about protecting your family consider OC as a proactive/preventitive means of detering opportunistic criminals. With that said some days I just don't feel like strapping on my primary OC gun and simply run an errand with my normal CC BUG. Depending on my daily schedule I will put on my OC-ed gun first thing in the morning and take it off when I go to bed just like my watch.

Welcome!
 
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2a4all

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2008
Messages
1,846
Location
Newport News, Virginia, USA
Ric,

I have had interactions with Newport News police (who said they supported citizens carrying) as well as York County Sherrif & Deputies that were professional and supportive, Hampton Police and VA Beach Police. The only ones that pulled my chain were the VA Beach police that jokingly asked if I/we had permits for our OC-ed guns. I laughed and said no cause there is none. They were walking past us to go to dinner at the same restaurant we were having a OC dinner at and were waiting outside for others to show up before heading inside. For the most part prior-OC-ers paved the way for us good citizens to exercise our rights and not be molested by LEO's.

As far as CC vs OC I do both. If you ever read self defense encounters in magazines (NRA Rifleman etc) they always say, "The licensed CC person pulled out their gun and defended themselves...". If the person CC-ing had been OC-ing IMHO many of those attacks would have never happened because the criminal would not have pursued an armed individual. So by all means carry is some form. If you really are serious about protecting your family consider OC as a proactive/preventitive means of detering opportunistic criminals. With that said some days I just don't feel like strapping on my primary OC gun and simply run an errand with my normal CC BUG. Depending on my daily schedule I will put on my OC-ed gun first thing in the morning and take it off when I go to bed just like my watch.

Welcome!
LEO Molestation: A law-abiding citizen being interrupted during the exercise of a lawful activity by a LEO for no legitimate purpose.

An interesting concept.:eek:

You may have coined a new term.
 

peter nap

Accomplished Advocate
Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Messages
13,551
Location
Valhalla
You missed the most important thing Ed said....so I'll repeat it.

You KNOW you are on an OPEN CARRY board right? (

You in the habit of asking about baking cookies on an auto repair site?
 

Ric R

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
16
Location
Carrollton, Va
You missed the most important thing Ed said....so I'll repeat it.


You in the habit of asking about baking cookies on an auto repair site?

I responded to Ed's comment at the top of post # 8. Sorry if my question being on this site bothered you in any way. I thought both types of CC were discussed here even though a primany oc site.

However, my wife bakes cookies for our auto mechanic every year and takes them for christmas. He seems quite happy to discuss them and to have them. lol :)
 

Ric R

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
16
Location
Carrollton, Va
I agree now that the answer to the subject line question is, yes. The responses here helped a lot and I thank you again.

I'm sure I will know more and feel more comfortable after taking a few classes.

Navylcdr and 45acpForMe thank you for sharing your actual experiences.

Ric
 

The Wolfhound

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2009
Messages
728
Location
Henrico, Virginia, USA
You must remember that Cop shows......

Are written in New York or California where the rights to carry, much less keep, a firearm are severely curtailed by Virginia standards. Remember first that the "Second Ammendment" was drawn directly from the Virginia Constitution. Though abused and tread upon by govermantal userpers it has never been canceled here. The police rapidly become aware that THE PEOPLE have and exercise THE RIGHT to keep and bear arms here. If they should fail in their training, The various minions of the VCDL will pounce to seek economic redress for their lapse. Round here that is looked upon as a "windfall profit". Go forth and carry.
 

tcmech

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2009
Messages
368
Location
, ,
I'm in Washington. But, I've had two official interactions with police officers while open carrying. One MWAG call (which I handled totally wrong), and one traffic stop where the officer asked me to exit the vehicle. Neither time did the officers disarm me or point their guns at me. Although the cop during the MWAG call interaction did wave his finger at me, tempting me sorely to wave a finger back!

That could have went badly for you if you would have brandished that finger.
 

nuc65

Activist Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2009
Messages
1,121
Location
Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
Are written in New York or California where the rights to carry, much less keep, a firearm are severely curtailed by Virginia standards. Remember first that the "Second Ammendment" was drawn directly from the Virginia Constitution. Though abused and tread upon by govermantal userpers it has never been canceled here. The police rapidly become aware that THE PEOPLE have and exercise THE RIGHT to keep and bear arms here. If they should fail in their training, The various minions of the VCDL will pounce to seek economic redress for their lapse. Round here that is looked upon as a "windfall profit". Go forth and carry.

Don't forget the Lousiana show with Steven Seagal.
 
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