Any reasons "Not" To get carry permit?

[chetrogers]

If i was to get my carry permit would it be worthless to have a gun holstered and not have a round in the chamber? ..Im new to pistols and I have taken a Nra Class that legally is needed in oregon but i wouldnt chamber a round unless i was intending to shoot it right then and there..Thanks for any thoughts or suggestions.

 

[fjolnirsson]

Chetrogers,

Some people advocate empty chamber carry. I am not one of them. If you need you firearm, you need it then and there, most likely. That's why you carry it.
It doesn't take that long to chamber a round, but in a life or death situation, that could be too long. Better to have a round chambered, and use the extra time to get that round in the BG.
If you are worried about having a ND, get a gun with an external safety. Myself, I have no worries about ND with my Glock while carrying. For the simple reason, I leave it in the holster. The kydex covers the trigger.
Of course, YMMV. Carry empty chamber, if you must. You may have time to draw and chamber a round when the feces hits the high speed air moving device.
Then again, you may not.
Stay safe.

 

[itgoesboom]

Chet,

While I won't go so far as to say a pistol without a round chambered is useless, I would say that it defeats the point.

While in many cases just having a pistol is going to stop the situation, if it becomes needed, there are the times where you would have to fire. In those situations, you will need that firearm to work, and to work quickly. You will not want to take an extra second to have to chamber a round, and that extra second may mean the difference between life and death.

Remember, you can only draw your firearm in Oregon if it becomes a life or death situation, your attacker has the Means, the Motive, and the Opportunity to kill or maim you. Drawing your firearm is considered lethal force, whether or not the chamber is loaded.

If you reach that point, I doubt that you want the only thing between you and death to be an unloaded firearm.

I know that someone earlier in the thread commented on liability in case of an ND/AD, but really, you can take precautions to keep that from happening. If you have a quality handgun, and you have it mounted in a quality holster, something fitted to your pistol that covers the trigger, your pistol will not fire while it is holstered. PERIOD.

You will get used to chambering a round prior to holstering, although it feels odd at first. Just use the same rules that apply when you are at the range. Finger off trigger, gun pointed in safe direction, but then just put it in a good holster. When you need to handle the actual firearm, just unload it before you do anything with it.

I think if you are planning on carrying with a the chamber empty you need to rethink why you are carrying a weapon in the first place. If it is for defense, than you really should carry with a chambered round.

I.G.B.

 

[chetrogers]

Thanks for the post "itgoesboom" Mabye i should wait to get my permit or i could get in now and just not carry.Im thinking of getting a DAO gun maybe something with an external safety with my frame size "big" im thinking either pocket carry or shoulder holster.Thanks guys

 

[Moparmike]

Having to buy another gun so that you can find a holster! Buying another gun because its lighter!

Ok, well, I could have a custom holster maker make one for me, but that would probably cost over 1/3 the cost of the gun itself, which is absurd.

I know, I know, buying another gun would be more expensive....

 

[Double Maduro]

Chetrogers,

If you don't feel comfortable carrying with a round in the chamber, Don't.

It is better to have a ccw and have to charge it, than not to have one at all.

I have 4 that I rotate in my carry scheme. I carry a 1911 locked and cocked. I carry my Ruger P90 the most and it is always carried with a round in the chamber and de-cocked with the safety on. Yeah I know, but I use all the safety devices at hand, always. I carry a Makarov in the same condition.

The other one is a revolver.

The point I am trying to make here is that you have to be comfortable with what you do. Don't leave your gun at home because someone said it is "worthless" in the condition you feel comfortable carrying it.

When you get your weapon, take it to the range and get comfortable with it. Make sure it is pointed in a safe direction when you cycle a round into the chamber and when you hit the de-cock button.

Carry in a holster that completely covers the trigger. I like having a thumb break, Yeah I know about the "suicide strap" as it is called by some here.

The thing is I carry for my protection and the protection of those around me. I don't carry to please anyone but myself. So when I carry I set the rules for how it will be done. You should too.

I hope this helps.
DM

 

[Billmanweh]

the only thing I look back on and feel a little funny about was being fingerprinted. I don't know why, it just makes me feel a little wierd to think that my prints are now in the database with criminals, etc.

 

[Diggler]

I think that if you insist on not having a round in the chamber you should get a double action revolver. Then all you'd have to do is pull the trigger twice to get a 'bang'... you never know when you won't have use of your weak hand.

 

[tiberius]

I think that if you insist on not having a round in the chamber you should get a double action revolver. Then all you'd have to do is pull the trigger twice to get a 'bang'... you never know when you won't have use of your weak hand.

The real "advantage" of the revolver here is that you can keep the chamber under the hammer empty but still fire a round with a SINGLE trigger pull.

 

[itgoesboom]

Chet,

Please don't take my post as saying don't carry, because that was not the intent. Carrying can be a very good thing, and you definatly have a right to self defense.

My point is that if you are planning carrying for self defense, I would recommend carrying ready to go. Diggler made a very good point; what if you weak hand is disabled before you can draw? How are you going to rack the slide and get back in the fight?

A better solution would be to try and get comfortable with the idea of carrying "hot".

Many people don't feel comfortable carrying with a round in the chamber when they first get their permit or when they are planning on getting their permit. Its really normal.

So what has been recommended here before, as well as many other places is this.

After you choose your new carry weapon, and you choose your carry method, start to carry around the house, with no round in the chamber, but with the firearm ready to fire otherwise. That is made simpler with your choice of DAO.

After a few days, or a few weeks, you will notice that your firearm never "clicks", the trigger is never pulled, you will start to feel a little more comfortable carrying with a round in the chamber.

Carrying with a round in the chamber can be a little nerve racking at first, the realization that you have a loaded weapon, ready to fire, on your body, and with many types of carry it is facing parts of your body. I don't blame you for being nervous about it. It is just one of those things that takes time to get used to.

But it really is the best way to go. I wonder if you were to go to Thunder Ranch, Front $ight or any of the other training schools if they would recommend carrying unchambered?

I.G.B.

 

[bdhawk]

not necessarily all good reasons but things to keep in mind:

1. you really shouldn't have a couple of big shiner bocks while eating at chili's
2. you really should buy clothes that suit concealed carry, if you carry
3. PITA taking a dump in a public restroom. you have to figure what to do with your gun. don't leave it in your pants on the floor.
4. you have to be a nice guy and defuse your temper.
5. you have to keep in mind not to print or expose your weapon while sitting, bending, reaching, etc. watch the wind to not let it blow open your cover garment.
6. you have to avoid close contact. a hug can give you away.
7. you have to leave your gun in the car to enter certain places. any self respecting bad guy can break into a car and make off with your gun while you are in the post office. you also have to remember which places are legal or not to carry in. no pro ball games, car races, high school games, etc. etc.
8. there are loads of legal ramifications if you have to shoot someone. even if it is justifiable.
9. will your bullet go through the bad guy and hit an innocent bystander behind him that you didn't see in the heat of the moment?
10. you have to decide if you want/need to get involved to go to the aid of strangers in a life threating social encounter, or just be a good witness.
11. is giving up your wallet/car etc. worth escalating the encounter by getting into a gunfight and possibly getting yourself or others shot in the melee? the bad guy may just take the goods and go, you just don't know.
12. i can go on and on. there are countless "what if's" that you have to keep in mind. you also have to make the 'just right', life and death decisions, under a very stressful situation. can you?

concealed carry is a huge responsibility. do not take it lightly.

 

[Third_Rail]

Is open carry in Oregon legal with a CCW?

 

[CleverNickname]

Open carry is legal in Oregon without a license (except for a few cities that have banned it). Open or concealed carry is legal everywhere with a license though.

 

[Third_Rail]

Oregon keeps looking better and better...

 

[Diggler]

tiberius

I was thinking that; but I figured that if someone is paranoid enough to not trust a bullet in the current chamber, they might not want one in the next chamber too in case the trigger 'accidentally' got pulled...

 

[fjolnirsson]

Oregon

The more I learn, the better Oregon looks to me. I can't wait to leave this miserable hel hole, and move back to the U.S.

 

[chetrogers]

Its weired i have never heard anything about open carry in Oregon..For some reason i dont think a person can with or with out a CHL..I could be wrong..

 

[Double Maduro]

When I took my class for the CHL the instructor said that each little area of the state has it's own rules about open carry.

When I was on the Multnomah County Grand Jury, I asked one of the DA's and he said it was legal in the county but I would be so hassled that it wasn't worth it.

I don't know if either of them was correct in their answers so don't take this as gospel.

DM

 

[itgoesboom]

Chet,

Open carry in Oregon is legal.

However, there are a few things you should know before you throw your favorite pistol on your hip and hit the road.

-Open carry is illegal in Portland and Beaverton. Some will argue that you can open carry if you have a CHL, but, for all intents and purposes, don't open carry in Portland or Beaverton.

-You can carry while walking down the street, but you may not enter a store or public building or any business while open carrying. While you will probably not recieve any problems in East Oregon, I wouldn't try it anywhere else.

-If you do decide to open carry, and you aren't in Portland or Beaverton, expect the sheep to cry wolf and have the police show up. You might even get hit with disturbing the peace or some other charge like that.

So yeah, technically, its legal, but its not advisable.

Also, those reasons above are in addition to the normal reasons not to open carry, ie., drawing attention to yourself, letting a badguy know who to shoot first (hey, free gun!!!).

I.G.B.