Dear Friends,

I am a Lifetime Member at Front Sight in Nevada and I can say without hesitation that this facility offers some of the finest defensive firearms training - period.  Whether you are new to firearms, an experienced shooter or a active instructor such as myself, the training you will receive at Front Sight will dramatically improve your skill at arms.

All law-abiding citizens should move quickly to take advantage of the opportunity to take at least one course at Front Sight as soon as possible.  The training is simply that good.

BP

Here are some informative links to articles about Front Sight.


Front Sight
Firearms Training Institute
Nevada

• Front Sight Firearms Training Institute
• Ignatius Piazza - founder of Front Sight
• Ignatius Piazza Blog
• Ignatius Piazza - in Forbes Magazine
• Front Sight - in Black Belt Magazine
• Front Sight - in Icon Magazine
• Front Sight - in The Mail on Sunday Review
• Front Sight - on USA Today
• My Experience at Front Sight
• Ignatius Piazza - in Gun World
• Ignatius Piazza - in Playboy
• Ignatius Piazza - in San Francisco Chronicle
• Front Sight - in Los Angeles Times
• Front Sight - in Cybercast News Service
• Front Sight - in Gun Web
• Ignatius Piazza - in Las Vegas Sun
• Ignatius Piazza - in Small Arms Review
• Front Sight - in Financial Times
• Front Sight - in Sierra Times
• Ignatius Piazza - on World Net Daily
• Ignatius Piazza - in El Mercurio
• Front Sight - on CNN
• Front Sight - in Guns & Ammo
• Front Sight - in New York Times
• Ignatius Piazza - in Times Democrat
• Front Sight - in London Times
• Ignatius Piazza - in Fort Worth Star Telegram
• Ignatius Piazza - in Chicago Tribune
• Front Sight - in Santa Cruz Sentinel
• Ignatius Piazza - in Las Vegas Life
• Ignatius Piazza - in Las Vegas Mercury
• Ignatius Piazza - in Handvapen Guiden
• Ignatius Piazza - in National Enquirer
• Ignatius Piazza - in Las Vegas Review
• Ignatius Piazza - in Washington Post
• Front Sight - in El Pais Seminal
• Ignatius Piazza - on Reform America
• Front Sight - on BBC News
• Front Sight - in US News & World Report
• Front Sight - in Pajaronian Register

This post is intended to help readers navigate through the maze of concealed handgun permits and the associated process of obtaining them.  This information is NOT legal advice!

Obtaining a permit to carry a concealed handgun, and then actually carrying it to protect yourself and your family, brings with it a huge responsibility.  Not everyone is suited for the practice, especially those that are content to be "sheep" and therefore potential or likely victims of a violent crime.

Not everyone who obtains a concealed carry handgun permit, which is often referred to in the vernacular as a "CCW permit", does so in order to carry their handgun on their person at all times.  In some states, it is illegal to have a loaded handgun in your vehicle for protection unless you have a valid CCW permit that is accepted in that state.  Many people use their CCW permit to eliminate the "gray areas" when transporting a handgun to/in their vehicle, while traveling in an RV, camping, etc.

However, for many of us, carrying a concealed handgun becomes part of the daily routine with very view exceptions such as visiting schools, post offices and other prohibited areas which may vary from state to state.  It actually gets down to the level whereby our departure mantra becomes "wallet, keys, handgun" - okay, let's go.

Obviously, no CCW permit holder in their right mind wants to find themselves in a situation where they are forced to use deadly force to defend themselves or a family member.  In most jurisdictions, a concealed handgun may not be displayed or drawn except as a last resort and when there is no other choice except death or serious bodily injury.

Regardless of the outcome of the criminal investigation that follows any defensive shooting incident, there can remain a possibility of civil liability for the permit holder who deployed deadly force depending upon the circumstances and applicable laws.  Even in cases where the physical evidence is obvious, and supporting witnesses abound, the services of a good defense attorney will be needed regardless of whether criminal charges are filed.

Thus, not only is the potential for serious injury or death a good reason to avoid dangerous situations where self-defense with a handgun may become necessary, the specter of paying attorney fees alone should serve as a deterrent.

Quite frankly, carrying a concealed handgun creates a very interesting mental shift and a new mindset whereby the permit holder usually becomes far more aware of their surroundings.  This "situational awareness" often translates into more opportunities to avoid dangerous situations before they fully develop. 

Perhaps this is why there are so very few defensive shooting incidents around the country despite hundreds of thousands of CCW permit holders who may be carrying at any given moment.  This is a good thing! 

Robert Heinlein, the 20th-century science fiction writer and US Naval Academy graduate, coined the phrase "An Armed Society is a Polite Society" and those of us who carry tend to strongly agree.  When the driver of a passing car displays a form of road rage, we do not engage in any way.  A "stolen" parking place invokes a friendly smile and wave as we drive on to the next one.  It simply is not worth it.

Likewise, we are alert when walking to our vehicle in a parking lot - day or night.  We look before stepping into an elevator or stairwell.  When a situation does not "feel" right, we act immediately on that first instinct to alter our path and place ourselves in a safe position.

Compare this to the person that walks down the street with their head down. music blaring in their headphones and consequently unaware of potential threats.  Regardless of the caliber of the handgun that is carried, the most potent "weapon" remains the marvelous brain between the ears provided it is trained to notice what is important. 

The truth is that there are bad guys out there looking for victims.  It has been shown that criminals often select their victims in much the same way as predator animals select prey.  What kind of presentation do you make when you walk down the street?  Do you look like prey?  Do not be the "human gazelle" that is seen to be limping behind the herd in one way or another.  However, you also do not want to appear like a hostile "bull" infringing upon another's territory. 

For those who may not be ready to take on the responsibility of carrying a concealed handgun for protection, and for the rest of us when faced with a situation where we are not allowed to carry, there are some alternatives and various educational programs that can help improve the chances of survival.  For example, there is an excellent national seminar on crime prevention and personal safety called Refuse To Be A Victim which our instructors teach in Colorado that does not rely on handguns in its methodology.  The seminar is taught around the country.

Getting back to CCW permits, the process of obtaining the permit can be anywhere from amazingly-simple to frustratingly-complex or even downright impossible depending upon where the applicant lives.  There are only two states which continue to deny the right to carry a handgun pursuant to a permit - Illinois and Wisconsin. 

About a handful or so of other states are so restrictive that it may be impossible to obtain a permit there even though they have some form of permit program in place.  These are often classified as "may issue" states whereby local or state officials have discretion as to who gets a permit.

Next comes the majority of states that are now "shall issue" states where a CCW permit must be issued provided the applicant meets the stated requirements and clears a background check.  These requirements vary from state to state.  Of the shall-issue states, some issue permits only to their own residents while others will issue to residents of other states. 

Finally, the concept of "reciprocity" enables a permit holder to legally carry their concealed handgun in one or more states other than the state that issued the permit.  Reciprocity is usually a two-way dynamic but some states will accept certain other state CCW permits on a unilateral basis.

All of this translates to a wide range of possibilities.  The reader may find themselves a resident of a state that does not effectively issue CCW permits and may not accept any permits issued by other states.  The state may issue a permit that is valid in that state but in only a few other states. 

There are some CCW permits that are available to residents of any state and a few of these are valid in a large number of states.  In some cases, individuals obtain these "non-resident" CCW permits to enable carry in their own home state under what is essentially a form of "reverse reciprocity."  A few states, such as Arizona and Georgia, prohibit their own residents from carrying in their home state using only a CCW permit issued by another state that would otherwise be valid there when carried by a nonresident.  It is generally best to obtain the "home state" CCW permit and then acquire one or more additional permits from other states to increase the carry-coverage when traveling.

The Utah and Florida CCW permits are veach alid in up to 28 states as of this post when carried by a nonresident.  Most of the covered states overlap except the Utah permit is valid in Washington state and Minnesota whereas the Florida permit is valid in Florida and Pennsylvania.  When carried by a resident of Utah, that permit is valid currently in 31 states.  Florida residents with that permit may carry in 30 states.

The Utah CCW permit costs only $59 for the first five years and renewals are $10 for each five-year period thereafter.  The Florida CCW permit costs $117 for the first five years and nonresidents pay $107 to renew for each five-year period thereafter.  The application process for both permits is handled by mail.  For most people, the Utah CCW permit represents a better consumer value.  More information about these permits, and the required training course, can be found here.

Stay safe.

Taking personal responsibility for your own safety and protection, and that of your family, can be considered a fundamental first-step towards ensuring a positive future for our country and our collective wellbeing as law-abiding citizens thereof.

One only has to read such books as Unintended Consequences by John Ross to understand how important personal firearms ownership is to our fabric of freedom.  We must exercise our rights in order to protect them and remain vigilant as to any potential threat at all levels.

This blog will be an attempt to illustrate the obvious, and perhaps not-so-obvious, benefits of choosing to walk a path that takes more effort.  LTC (Ret) Dave Grossman defines this path extremely well in his writing On Sheep, Wolves & Sheepdogs which can be read here.

I will also do my best to answer reader questions regarding important topics including crime prevention, personal safety and concealed handgun carry permits.

- Bob