# MacTech's first Constitutional Carry (concealed carry) adventure! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 17, 2015, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mactechs-first-constitutional-carry-concealed-carry-adventure/734927 "2015-10-17T19:35:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mactechs-first-constitutional-carry-concealed-carry-adventure/734927/21 "2015-10-18T13:22:31Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Congratulations! > > How how many times in your lifetime have you been in a situation where you were a victim or a potential victim and did not have a gun? I’m not the OP, but… …one. Work. And I’ve been a potential victim and did have a gun once. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mactechs-first-constitutional-carry-concealed-carry-adventure/734927/22 "2015-10-18T13:28:16Z")
Missed the edit window… > [@Balthisar](#): > > In some states they have “may issue” versus “shall issue” laws. Yeah; I think Massachusetts is one of those. However, IANAGN\* and don’t have state laws memorized. \*I Am Not A Gun Nut ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mactechs-first-constitutional-carry-concealed-carry-adventure/734927/23 "2015-10-18T13:41:03Z")
First off, there was no “pleading” involved, just stating facts, I carried and nothing happened, as it should be. The following link has the requirements for applying for a [Maine CCW permit](http://www.usacarry.com/maine_concealed_carry_permit_information.html) Basically, Maine is shall-issue, they have to issue a permit as long as you pass, no “at law enforcement discretion” clause like in a “may issue” state $35 for four years, reapply after 4 years The application paperwork is similar to Federal form 4473, and the applicant has to either show that they completed a firearm safety course, or demonstrate to local law enforcement that they are knowledgeable in firearm safety The requirements are not too odious or restrictive, but they are an infringement of a constitutional right, and to head off the inevitable drivers license comparison, driving is not a constitutionally protected right, the right to keep and bear arms _is_ Once again, all this Permitless carry thing does, is allows an open carrier to put on a jacket without breaking the law, and allows one to sit in their car without having to put the gun in the trunk and seperate the magazine from the gun (or unload a revolver) Besides, Vermont has been Constitutional Carry for _decades_ and we all know what a hotbed of handgun crime Vermont is, every day we hear reports of their streets running red with blood, and the air is constantly filled with flying lead! \ ---
**Author:** ![ChickenLegs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@ChickenLegs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChickenLegs)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mactechs-first-constitutional-carry-concealed-carry-adventure/734927/24 "2015-10-18T16:15:20Z")
Originally Posted by ChickenLegs View Post Thanks for carrying, and contributing the safety of society as a whole. I’m not always armed, for one reason or another (many of whom inhabit this board), so I appreciate when others are. Free Rider Problem, and all. [my underlining] > [@septimus](#): > > 😕 are you appreciating the protection he’s explicitly _not_ offering to you? (And, will you explain the underlined clause? 🆒 ) I’m sometimes not armed, because sometimes I’m not legally able to be so, due the laws and influences espoused by many on this board. Examples: - My company has a “no guns on company property” policy. So if I run out for a haircut at lunch time, I’m unarmed. I appreciate that my barber carries a pistol. - Federal law prohibits guns at post offices. So If I walk from my car to the post office, I’m unarmed, and appreciate that there are armed people nearby. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mactechs-first-constitutional-carry-concealed-carry-adventure/734927/25 "2015-10-18T17:25:14Z")
> [@ChickenLegs](#): > > :::: snip ::::: > > - Federal law prohibits guns at post offices. So If I walk from my car to the post office, I’m unarmed, and appreciate that there are armed people nearby. I had my weapon in my tote and one time in an AR post office, it fell out while I was digging around for cash to pay at the counter. The two Post Office employees and the 7-8 patrons that saw it slide across the floor did not even raise an eyebrow. No federal Post Office LEO’s ever came to visit. I was well known in the area & at that post office. Now I am a big crazy looking biker type and still it caused no reaction from anybody. That area has still not had anything with gun violence to speak of unless it is LEO’s shooting at drug runners or meth cookers. ---
**Author:** ![ChickenLegs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@ChickenLegs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChickenLegs)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mactechs-first-constitutional-carry-concealed-carry-adventure/734927/26 "2015-10-18T18:17:43Z")
> [@GusNSpot](#): > > I had my weapon in my tote and one time in an AR post office, it fell out while I was digging around for cash to pay at the counter. > > The two Post Office employees and the 7-8 patrons that saw it slide across the floor did not even raise an eyebrow. No federal Post Office LEO’s ever came to visit. I was well known in the area & at that post office. > > Now I am a big crazy looking biker type and still it caused no reaction from anybody. > > That area has still not had anything with gun violence to speak of unless it is LEO’s shooting at drug runners or meth cookers. I doubt there would be much of a problem at the Wyoming post offices, either. But still, it’s probably not wise to mention your habits. There’s one member on this board that brags about calling the police on people who are legally openly carrying guns, just for harassment purposes. He’s probably have an orgasm if he saw an actual technical crime being committed. ---
**Author:** ![Mithras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mithras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mithras)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mactechs-first-constitutional-carry-concealed-carry-adventure/734927/27 "2015-10-18T18:26:17Z")
> [@GusNSpot](#): > > I had my weapon in my tote and one time in an AR post office, it fell out while I was digging around for cash to pay at the counter. > > The two Post Office employees and the 7-8 patrons that saw it slide across the floor did not even raise an eyebrow. No federal Post Office LEO’s ever came to visit. I was well known in the area & at that post office. > > Now I am a big crazy looking biker type and still it caused no reaction from anybody. > > That area has still not had anything with gun violence to speak of unless it is LEO’s shooting at drug runners or meth cookers. Is the point of this story that even responsible gun owners can lose control of their weapons? ---
**Author:** ![ChickenLegs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@ChickenLegs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChickenLegs)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mactechs-first-constitutional-carry-concealed-carry-adventure/734927/28 "2015-10-18T18:33:16Z")
> [@Mithras](#): > > Is the point of this story that even responsible gun owners can lose control of their weapons? I missed the part about “slide across the floor”. I suggest you reconsider your carry method. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mactechs-first-constitutional-carry-concealed-carry-adventure/734927/29 "2015-10-18T20:31:34Z")
> [@GusNSpot](#): > > I had my weapon in my tote and one time in an AR post office, it fell out while I was digging around for cash to pay at the counter. > > The two Post Office employees and the 7-8 patrons that saw it slide across the floor did not even raise an eyebrow. No federal Post Office LEO’s ever came to visit. I was well known in the area & at that post office. > > Now I am a big crazy looking biker type and still it caused no reaction from anybody. > > That area has still not had anything with gun violence to speak of unless it is LEO’s shooting at drug runners or meth cookers. You, uh, always dropping your concealed firearms on the floor in the public? Tying a string to the finger guard and twirling it around like a windmill sounds safer. ---
**Author:** ![IDtenT\_Error](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@IDtenT\_Error](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IDtenT_Error)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mactechs-first-constitutional-carry-concealed-carry-adventure/734927/30 "2015-10-18T20:37:39Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > You, uh, always dropping your concealed firearms on the floor in the public? > > Tying a string to the finger guard and twirling it around like a windmill sounds safer. [There’s a song for that.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD8EtvWW8nw&t=2m18s) I suspect we’ve found the modern day Irving, here. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mactechs-first-constitutional-carry-concealed-carry-adventure/734927/31 "2015-10-18T21:06:50Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > On Oct. 15, Maine joined the Constitutional Carry crowd, any citizen legally able to own a handgun now no longer needs to apply for a Concealed Carry permit, CCW permits are still available, and give the carrier a few advantages over someone who does not have a permit, but it is no longer necessary to have a permit, Maine allows Open Carry without a permit, so all this law really does is allow an open carrier to put on a jacket without violating the CCW permit system, it basically decriminalizes wearing a jacket when carrying. > > Anyway, I decided to try out Permitless Carry today… > > I grabbed my Glock 17 Gen 4 9mm, slid in a _STANDARD_ capacity 17 round magazine loaded with Hornady Critical Defense 115 grain hollow points, and snapped the gun into my locking Bianchi pancake belt holster, I then grabbed a 33 round Glock 18 mag loaded with Hornady 135 grain Critical Duty hollowpoints, and slipped that into my left front jeans pocket… > > * * * > > Anyway, halfway through the day and the adventure has been successful so far… I get that it’s legal and there may be some dangerous scenarios where it’s necessary to carry, but most of the time there’s this inescapable odor of “I’m armed and ready…yeah!” fetishistic thrill seeking that comes across when people do this. If it’s legal God Bless you but most people are just going to roll their eyes when gun enthusiasts feel they must go armed into non-hazardous situations. It’s the same exhausted eyeroll you see for people who feel they have to put a costume on their cat. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mactechs-first-constitutional-carry-concealed-carry-adventure/734927/32 "2015-10-18T21:23:55Z")
> [@](#): > > I grabbed my Glock 17 Gen 4 9mm, slid in a _STANDARD_ capacity 17 round magazine loaded with Hornady Critical Defense 115 grain hollow points, and snapped the gun into my locking Bianchi pancake belt holster, I then grabbed a 33 round Glock 18 mag loaded with Hornady 135 grain Critical Duty hollowpoints, and slipped that into my left front jeans pocket… That’s the level of detail that makes _me_ hard. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mactechs-first-constitutional-carry-concealed-carry-adventure/734927/33 "2015-10-19T01:23:43Z")
> [@GrumpyBunny](#): > > Yeah; I think Massachusetts is one of those. However, IANAGN\* and don’t have state laws memorized. But you don’t have to be a gun nut to respect other people’s rights. I’m not gay, but I don’t want to take away your homosexuality. I don’t want to see anyone burn the flag, but I will defend your right to do so. I may think you’re crazy to be a Scientologist, but I’ll support your right to be one. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mactechs-first-constitutional-carry-concealed-carry-adventure/734927/34 "2015-10-19T02:10:09Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > First off, there was no “pleading” involved, just stating facts, I carried and nothing happened, as it should be. Yesterday I drove aound with my Big C discount card in my billfold. When I stopped at the 7-Eleven no one noticed that I had the discount card. Zero. As it should be, as I didn’t display them. When I stopped for gas, the attendant looked at me funny, but at no time did I get the impression that he knew I had a Big C discount card. A different attendant came over to collect the money; I don’t think she knew either. I’m pretty sure the lady selling bakery goods didn’t know I had a Big C discount card on me either. I could go on and on, like OP did, but I think you get the idea. Not one single person ever suspected. But the Big C discount card was there the whole time, in case I needed it. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mactechs-first-constitutional-carry-concealed-carry-adventure/734927/35 "2015-10-19T02:13:36Z")
> [@GusNSpot](#): > > Now I am a big crazy looking biker type and still it caused no reaction from anybody. No soccer moms tried to start shit with a big crazy looking biker type dude with a gun? Ya don’t say. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mactechs-first-constitutional-carry-concealed-carry-adventure/734927/36 "2015-10-19T05:10:25Z")
It is fun that people who have hunted for over 30-40 years & never had a weapon drop or fall over in that whole time that pop out all snarky when I relate that I dropped mine once in a PO. Some of the zingers were kinda cute actually. But I noticed no one got smart ass about my post # 12 or made any rebuttals about that post. No snark about my daughter or sister. No saying that not having a weapon was a good thing in their cases? And I am supposed to be affected by these last snarky posts?? What kind of people you are. I wonder if any of you had been in the PO that day with me if you would have said or done anything? _snerk_ Or turn me in or filing a complaint. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mactechs-first-constitutional-carry-concealed-carry-adventure/734927/37 "2015-10-19T05:30:54Z")
> [@Fubaya](#): > > No soccer moms tried to start shit with a big crazy looking biker type dude with a gun? Ya don’t say. You have no idea who was in there. You also don’t know the same soccer Moms I do. Afraid of me & my weapon? Bawahahahha They are more likely to run to me if someone was messing with their kid. They knew who I was & approved. The hysterical city sissy gets the press but country folks are a bit more self reliant and knowledgeable than the current crop of city folk. I think you all been believing the media a bit too much. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mactechs-first-constitutional-carry-concealed-carry-adventure/734927/38 "2015-10-19T06:19:31Z")
> [@GusNSpot](#): > > It is fun that people who have hunted for over 30-40 years & never had a weapon drop or fall over in that whole time that pop out all snarky when I relate that I dropped mine once in a PO. > > Some of the zingers were kinda cute actually. > > But I noticed no one got smart ass about my post # 12 or made any rebuttals about that post. > > No snark about my daughter or sister. No saying that not having a weapon was a good thing in their cases? > > And I am supposed to be affected by these last snarky posts?? > > What kind of people you are. > > I wonder if any of you had been in the PO that day with me if you would have said or done anything? _snerk_ > Or turn me in or filing a complaint. No snark And I read this list last time. It’s fantastic that guns have helped you and your family in such encounters. What I would have to wonder though - how many rapes, home invasions and car jackings have been facilitated by the display of guns? ---
**Author:** ![FXMastermind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fxmastermind/32/7289_2.png) [@FXMastermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FXMastermind)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mactechs-first-constitutional-carry-concealed-carry-adventure/734927/39 "2015-10-19T12:48:36Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > How how many times in your lifetime have you been in a situation where you were a victim or a potential victim and did not have a gun? I’ve never been a victim when I was armed. And twice it saved my ass from either being dead, or wishing I was. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mactechs-first-constitutional-carry-concealed-carry-adventure/734927/40 "2015-10-19T13:19:14Z")
> [@bengangmo](#): > > What I would have to wonder though - how many rapes, home invasions and car jackings have been facilitated by the display of guns? Guns, or legally carried guns? There’s a world of difference. Do I really have to quote the tired cliche about what happens if you outlaw lawful carry? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mactechs-first-constitutional-carry-concealed-carry-adventure/734927.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mactechs-first-constitutional-carry-concealed-carry-adventure/734927.md?page=3)