The app is basically a quick pocket guide for concealed carry laws for each one of the 50 states.  It covers the basics (definitely not a comprehensive review of all firearm laws) but captures most of the questions you would like to know when you carry a firearm using reciprocity laws. It has a page for each state CCW laws, then a “Transport Rules” section, and also every Attorney General phone number (an email for each AG would also be nice to have but isn’t currently included).  The navigation is very simple, clean, and easy.

The front page of the app gives you a rating from 1 bullet to 5 bullets (with Illinois and Wisconsin earning head stones instead of a bullet rating!) ranking their friendliness towards concealed carry.  From there you can go to the state you want with each state page including a section for prohibited areas (both state and federal) and any special notes or exceptions–this may include any weird laws or general attitudes that may be different than written laws in the state.  There are two reciprocity maps on the state page as well–first is what states honor the permit of the current state and the second is which state permits the current state will honor (not all maps are currently on there but Legal Heat has confirmed that they will be updated soon).

It would be nice to know if you were required by law to notify a police officer if you are detained (although we recommend doing this even if it’s not required by law). It would also be nice to know what the laws are when carrying a firearm in your car (with or without a permit) for when you are driving through a state that does not recognize your permit and you need to know if you can still have your firearm loaded or if it needs to be locked and hidden.  There are tons of other random things that could be included, but they’ve kept the information simple enough to where you can find the pertinent information at a glance.

From talking to Legal Heat they are really committed to making this the best app for concealed carry.  They just submitted an update yesterday to add reciprocity maps and add clarification on some points. They also have plans for a much bigger update coming next month which will include open carry information and some additional features.  For $1.99 it’s definitely worth snagging.  But before you run to iTunes we’ve got 3  promo codes for the app for free (thanks to Legal Heat and App Ventures) so we’re giving it away to three of our Facebook fans on Monday (March 1st). So make sure that you are a fan on Facebook and let us know that you want a free copy of the app.

Just a state away, the state of Utah prohibits state owned schools from banning concealed weapons, which means that all Utah public colleges, in addition to all public elementary, middle, and high schools, allow concealed weapons. Other than suicide, I can not find any deaths caused by guns on a school campus in the state of Utah. Ever.  The Utah Supreme Court struck down the University of Utah’s attempt to ban guns in 2006. Since then there have been no problems that I know of.

There was a shooting at a mall in Salt Lake at Trolley Square in 2007. It was a posted gun-free zone and the shooter was pinned down after killing 5 people by an off-duty police officer who was carrying a firearm until emergency response showed up.  Nothing like this has ever happened at schools in Utah.

I personally have experience with carrying firearms into elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and colleges and universities in the state. If nothing more than a convenience it isn’t worth banning them when they do not cause any problems. More than once, I’ve unexpectedly found myself on school property with my concealed firearm, and was glad that I didn’t have to turn around or break the law. I’ve never gone crazy and started shooting just because I am on school property. And when you add the benefits of reduced crime and the ability to protect yourself, I feel that every school in the county should allow concealed firearms. We’ve written about this before (specifically regarding teachers, not students) when a school district in Texas passed a law allowing teachers to carry concealed weapons and we haven’t had problems there. We see it over and over again–concealed carry does not lead to wild wild west shootouts and random gun fights.

Now–back to CSU. More compelling reasons to allow concealed weapons.  Here are some graphs for various crime trends (original source here)–note that in 2003 CSU changed their policy to allow concealed weapons.

Across the board CSU crime trends peaked in 2003, then decreased–usually dramatically–until 2009. I’m not sure what else you want to see, but this is convincing enough evidence for me. Guns do have a place at school.

There is so much to be grateful for even during this uncertain time. We have more freedoms and opportunities in this country. We have concealed carry in more states than ever and we are making progress in the other 2 towards CCW. In many states we have shall issue CCW and you can carry a firearm for protection almost anywhere you go.

Even though some gun rights are under attack and the country is headed down a dangerous path we have a great opportunity in America to correct the path. It may not be easy or fast, but we can do it. Continue to fight for our freedoms and for our country and remember all that you have to be grateful for. Happy Thanksgiving.

Read the thoughts of  Sgt. Brian Singer, stationed in Iraq, on gun-free zones. Seems like he understands that when you create a gun free zone you only dis-arm the law-abiding citizens and DO NOT dis-arm criminals. Sounds familiar . . .

“The tragic results of victim disarmament were made real with the shooting at Fort Hood, Texas. If this were a moral and proper world, as soon as the suspect, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, drew his weapon, every person in the building would have had their sights leveled on him.”

See full story here.

Thanks for your support and continued help in the fight for our freedoms and defending the Constitution.

The Illinois GOP debate has recently involved concealed carry. Republican Bill Brady has argued that concealed carry can help save lives. See here for the story.  Concealed carry could be getting close in Illinois (and Wisconsin).

First, know that guns do NOT just go off. They are inanimate objects and need to be acted upon in order to be fired. There are four simple universal firearm safety rules that everyone must know when handling firearms. The wording may vary, but the message is consistently loud and clear. These rules are attributed to Jeff Cooper, who was a Marine in World War 2 and the Korean War.

1. The gun is always loaded. You always treat your gun as if it is loaded.

2. Never point the barrel of your gun at anything that you are NOT willing to destroy.

3. Keep your finger off the trigger UNTIL you have your sights on target and have made the decision to fire your weapon.

4. Identify your target and what is beyond your target. Remember that even if you hit your target the bullet may go through the target and hit something beyond that. You may also miss–so know what is behind your target and identify what you are shooting.

If you follow these rules exactly there is hardly an accident possible when dealing with firearms. Typically you have to break two or more of these rules for someone to get hurt.

There are a few errors commonly made–one of the most common mistakes when people are new to dealing with firearms is to put their finger directly on the trigger when they are just holding the gun. It is natural for someone to want to do this, but it’s a source for disaster if you jerk your finger or trip/stumble at the wrong time. Another common mistake is for people not to assume the gun is always loaded. Often the opposite occurs when people assume that the gun is NOT loaded. This is the source of accidental shootings when people didn’t think that the gun was loaded and was just playing around with it. Bottom line is that guns are not toys and they CAN NOT be treated as such. Follow these rules and be safe.

1. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire

2. Always assume any firearm is loaded

3. Never point your firearm at something that you are not willing to destroy

4. Always identify your target AND what’s behind your target before you fire your weapon

The officer in this situation clearly did not identify his target and pointed his weapon at someone he was not willing to destroy. Now it is obviously a stressful situation when you are called to a home invasion situation, but there were several factors in this situation that could have avoided this tragedy. The homeowner instructed the 911 operator that he had a firearm and was holding the intruder at gunpoint. The homeowners wife had even told one of the three officers who arrived at the home that her husband was holding the intruder at gunpoint. But that information never made its way to the two officers who entered the home. The next mistake was that the officer did not identify the situation nor did he issue any commands. Instead he just shot at the first person he saw, which happened to be the homeowner in his back 6 times.

While this is all tragic, the worst part is that instead of getting help for the injured homeowner the officers drag the man out of his home to try and cover up their mistake.  Police officers are responsible for every bullet that leaves their firearm and it’s tragic that this officer didn’t receive information (that was given to other officers/operators) to help him assess the situation and then made a tragic judgment call (or simply reacted without thinking–both of which are tragic).

While there are many other things to learn from this, I’ll leave you with this last thought. It is always important to hold judgment on a situation until you know what is going on. Walking into a life and death situation halfway through can often be misleading–which can be deadly. While I have a great respect for law enforcement officers, this situation is unacceptable and tragic. It reminds me that when dealing with firearms you have to made the right decision every time.

Step 2
Take a firearms safety course, if needed, and find out the minimum age requirement for your state.

Step 3
Write a letter justifying your need if you are applying in a “may issue” state. Some “may issue” states are nearly “shall issue” and require no more than a generic statement. Others require employment as a security guard or a verifiable threat on your life.

Step 4
Fill out an application and pay the required fees. Many states have an online application and almost every state has an application form you can download and print. Every state requires some sort of criminal background check and most require fingerprints and photos, which usually require additional fees. A photo ID is also usually required.

Step 5
Qualify as a resident, if possible. The requirements and fees are usually lower for residents.

Step 6
Renew your permit before it expires. Most states just require a renewal fee, but some require you to retake a gun safety course. Some states also allow a grace period on the expiration date.

A couple tips should you decide to carry at venues–most of the time they do not search you, or if they do they typically just check your bags and maybe your pockets. If they have metal detectors (very rare) then obviously they are controlling everything that goes in and you should not try to carry your gun into the venue. They also have taken your safety much more seriously than most places and you can feel pretty confident that they can protect you. Before you go, you should try and find someone who has attended the venue to get an idea of how they screen attendants. You can usually find local firearm forums. In Utah, the Utah Concealed Carry forum is a great resource. You can also check the venue website for rules and regulations to see if they specifically ban firearms. A lot do not. Most of the time they’ll have someone inspect purses and bags, but don’t go any further than that. I know of weapons being carried at Energy Solutions Arena, Rice Eccles Stadium, Lavell Edwards Stadium, Sandy Amphitheater, Marriott Center, Scera Shell, Brent Brown Ballpark, the E Center, and David O. McKay Events center–all without any problems. You might want to deep carry–and also be careful of what activities you will be doing. If you are dancing or jumping around you might not want to carry, or carry in a manner that will fit your activities.

While I respect the wishes of private property owners, I also respect my right to self defense. When the property owner can not guarantee my safety–and possibly increase the risk by discouraging lawful citizens from bringing weapons (thus encouraging criminals to bring weapons where there are large unarmed crowds) I take the responsibility for my own protection upon myself.  I am willing to leave any event where I bring a firearm if I am asked to leave. If I would be devastated if I have to leave the venue then I wouldn’t carry my firearm there. But I value my life (and my family’s lives) more than any event that I am attending. This is a decision you need to make for yourself, but if you understand the law then it will help you make an educated decision about your safety. Be safe and make good decisions.