# Grab my 12 gague, dear, I'm going to check the mail. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 27, 2006, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grab-my-12-gague-dear-im-going-to-check-the-mail/346326 "2006-02-27T16:50:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2006, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grab-my-12-gague-dear-im-going-to-check-the-mail/346326/1 "2006-02-27T16:50:01Z")
My friend at work brought in an old article about a guy he used to work for many years ago. _"…_(name removed)\* was arrested outside the Dunkin Donuts in Ridge Pike after an off-duty police officer spotted a pistol hanging from a holster in his van. Uniformed officers found a .357 caliber magnum in a holster around _(name removed)_'s back when they frisked him. Later, at police headquarters, they found a loaded .38 caliber derringer taped to his leg. A search of the van the next day turned up _\_ a Browning 9mm automatic pistol; two Colt .38s and a Colt .45; a Browning 6mm; a Smith and Wesson .22 caliber short barreled revolver; a valuable Walther 9mm automatic; a Winchester .32 and an M-1 carbine. In all, _(name removed)_ had brought 12 guns and nearly 3,000 rounds or ammunition on a seven block trip for coffee."\* Philadelphia Enquirer Friday, March 25, 1983 pg. 1-C I could not imagine the pressure that the kid at the counter was under to get this guy’s coffee order correct. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2006, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grab-my-12-gague-dear-im-going-to-check-the-mail/346326/2 "2006-02-27T17:51:36Z")
I guess he was getting Coffee for the A-team. I hope he was getting coffee for the A-team. Actually, I do wonder if he wasn’t stopping for coffee on the way to the shooting range. That would explain why he had so many guns in his car. Two guns on his person is not terribly uncommon for people I’ve known with carry licenses(if the first gun jams, it never hurts to have a backup). On the other hand, he might just be exteremly paranoid. And if he had all those guns just for the coffee trip, yeah, that would freak me out. ---
**Author:** ![Chouinard\_Fan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@Chouinard\_Fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chouinard_Fan)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2006, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grab-my-12-gague-dear-im-going-to-check-the-mail/346326/3 "2006-02-27T18:31:42Z")
> [@HPL](#): > > I guess he was getting Coffee for the A-team. I hope he was getting coffee for the A-team. > > Actually, I do wonder if he wasn’t stopping for coffee on the way to the shooting range. That would explain why he had so many guns in his car. Two guns on his person is not terribly uncommon for people I’ve known with carry licenses(if the first gun jams, it never hurts to have a backup). > > On the other hand, he might just be exteremly paranoid. And if he had all those guns just for the coffee trip, yeah, that would freak me out. I’ve got to agree. It may just be me but _cough_ I don’t see what is so particularly exceptional (besides the sheer number of pistols that is, I guess he was preping to fight the Chinese and from very close range:) If he has the proper concealed carry permit then the two weapons on his person is no real biggie. Unless his state law is REALLY freaky having that many pistols on the way to the range is legal (even in CA!! Well if they’re locked up and seperate from the ammo that is). I would be concerened if he had that many for a paranoid coffee run though(the felons and mentally ill not having weapons is totally fine by me). I just hate to think that simply having a gun is really that big a deal, besides the fact that cars are WAY more dangerous! ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2006, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grab-my-12-gague-dear-im-going-to-check-the-mail/346326/4 "2006-02-27T21:16:27Z")
> [@Chouinard Fan](#): > > I just hate to think that simply having a gun is really that big a deal, besides the fact that cars are WAY more dangerous! That’s kinda what I meant. If he’s going to the gun range with them, that’s not a problem. Driving around with a bunch of guns in your van otherwise is a bit strange. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2006, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grab-my-12-gague-dear-im-going-to-check-the-mail/346326/5 "2006-02-27T21:43:57Z")
Umm… so why did they arrest him if having all those firearms isn’t illegal? ---
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2006, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grab-my-12-gague-dear-im-going-to-check-the-mail/346326/6 "2006-02-27T21:46:51Z")
That article is 23 years old - did Penn have a conceal/carry law then? Do they now? I know my state just got one a few years back. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2006, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grab-my-12-gague-dear-im-going-to-check-the-mail/346326/7 "2006-02-27T22:16:50Z")
> [@HPL](#): > > That’s kinda what I meant. If he’s going to the gun range with them, that’s not a problem. Driving around with a bunch of guns in your van otherwise is a bit strange. It’s not normal to go to the shooting range with a derringer taped to your ankle, is it? That seems more like a contingency plan for when you’re away from your rolling arsenal and someone has managed to get your holstered weapon away from you. (Which happens to me over t’ Horton’s _all the damned time_. I hesitate to enumerate the times I’ve barely gotten out of there with both my Crullers and joe and my skin intact, thanks only to the .45 Model 1 I keep secreted up my butt for such emergencies.) ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2006, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grab-my-12-gague-dear-im-going-to-check-the-mail/346326/8 "2006-02-27T22:24:58Z")
> [@Larry Mudd](#): > > It’s not normal to go to the shooting range with a derringer taped to your ankle, is it? That seems more like a contingency plan for when you’re away from your rolling arsenal and someone has managed to get your holstered weapon away from you. (Which happens to me over t’ Horton’s _all the damned time_. I hesitate to enumerate the times I’ve barely gotten out of there with both my Crullers and joe and my skin intact, thanks only to the .45 Model 1 I keep secreted _ **up my butt** _ for such emergencies.) _Bolding mine._ That give a whole 'nother meaning to the term “accidental discharge.” ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2006, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grab-my-12-gague-dear-im-going-to-check-the-mail/346326/9 "2006-02-28T01:18:32Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Umm… so why did they arrest him if having all those firearms isn’t illegal? I’ll find out tomorrow. The paper is at work. Apparently, the guy was pretty successful in the radio business of SEPA back in the 70’s, and fell on hard times. I think he may have had a breakdown. I really didn’t read the article in it’s entirety. I’ll ask my co-worker tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Nic2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2006, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grab-my-12-gague-dear-im-going-to-check-the-mail/346326/10 "2006-02-28T01:32:51Z")
> [@ExTank](#): > > _Bolding mine._ > > That give a whole 'nother meaning to the term “accidental discharge.” How 'bout _premature ejection_ ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2006, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grab-my-12-gague-dear-im-going-to-check-the-mail/346326/11 "2006-02-28T03:07:31Z")
Guns don’t kill people. Caffeine jitters kill people. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2006, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grab-my-12-gague-dear-im-going-to-check-the-mail/346326/12 "2006-02-28T18:58:29Z")
I notice in the OP that the 38 revolver taped to his leg was found _at police HQ_. I interpret to mean that they drove the guy downtown with him in posession of at least 1 gun they hadn’t found when they frisked him. I should hope that gave them pause…