Carrying Concealed Behind the GFW Curtain...

Alternate title: This ain't erring on the side of caution, this is erring on the side of paranoia...

I've touched on the byzantine laws governing the issuance of firearm permits previously. Carrying the series forward, it might be interesting for those of you living in Free America to see how those of us in decidedly gun-unfriendly states carry concealed. For this exercise, we will consider only legal, sanctioned carriage of arms, as the editorial staff here at MArooned does not advocate the breaking of laws no matter how unconstitutional they may be.

Obviously, the focus will center on the average person here in Mass. I do not claim to be an expert on MA gun laws, let alone those of CA, NJ, NY, or other gun-unfriendly states. So, we'll start where the last post left off: You live in one of these states, and through either sheer luck, determination, or connections have managed to secure an elusive permit to carry.

The million dollar question, then, is: How do you exercise this right without winding up a legal test case or in the klink? The nickel answer is, to bowlderize a phrase from the motorcycling community, carry as though everyone is actively trying to get you arrested (ride like everyone else on the road is actively trying to kill you). This means double- and triple checking your carry rig to make sure there's no chance your firearm could slip; it means repeated trips to the full-length mirror to make sure no part of your firearm is inadvertantly exposed when going through the range of motions; in short, it means you take every conceivable precaution to avoid being "made". I've detailed some of my concealment methods before.

In MA, where one needs a permit simply to possess a firearm, if one were to get "made", it is quite conceiveable that this would result in, at minimum, a revocation of one's permit. This means that every single firearm you possess; every last bit of ammunition; every last speck of powder needs to be removed from your possession immediately upon pain of felony charges. US Constitution, void where prohibited by state law (not coincidentally, this is why I prefer pocket carry in all but the coldest months - there's simply less chance of accidental printing). Worst case scenario is you get charged with criminal threatening or some other bullshit GFW crap that results in you either going to jail or pleading out to a felony charge. And spending a huge chunk of cash on lawyers' fees in any case...

What does this mean if you are carrying a firearm for protection? It means constant vigilance as to the security of your weapon - no $20 cheapo gun show holsters. In a way, it's a blessing, as it removes the temptation to skimp on gear - yes, you might save $30 on a holster, but is it really worth the risk of showing? It means you're always aware of any activity that might possibly cause your CCW piece to be exposed - reaching for an item on a top shelf if you're carrying on your belt; sitting down if you're using an ankle holster; or running/exercising/any form of rapid motion for any cause. In short, you're always in condition yellow or higher. Which isn't always a bad thing. Also, as touched upon above, it means you have the number of an attorney or attorneys who specialize in firearms law on your person at all times (actually, this isn't a bad idea even for those in Free America).

Now, there are some bright sides to carrying in a gun-unfriendly state, and for this exercise I'll use MA specifically. First off, there are no "prohibited" places other than those precluded by Federal Law (schools). There's none of this "no carrying in bars" or "open carry only in establishments that serve alcohol". There's no bullshit about having to expose your carry piece if you're riding in a car. There's no obligation to inform a police officer that you are carrying and the debate about whether one should tell or not as a courtesy is hotly debated. The only advice I'll offer is NEVER lie, and if there is any chance, no matter how remote, that the officer might spot your sidearm, tell them immediately. Cops do NOT like surprises, especially those that could kill them.

Secondly, there's no such thing as "binding signage" - an establishment can put out all the "No EEEEVIL gunz 'R' Allowed" signs it wants, but the most they can do is ask you to leave. Personally, I'm far more concerned about the situation(s) by which they'd know I was carrying, because it's one of two things: Either I got "made", in which case I'm fucked whether there's a sign or not; or I used my firearm to defend my life, in which case all the fucking signs in the world don't mean a warm bucket of spit.

And lastly, and this is the tactical aspect, in a state like MA, where there's less than a quarter million (legal) gun owners out of a some 6.5 million, people just don't expect you to be armed. While the GFW quotient is high, none of them expect to encounter a fellow citizen carrying a firearm. This means that, while one must always be vigilant about printing, the odds are greatly in your favor that, short of your Glock falling out of the holster and landing on the floor, the average person won't notice if the butt of your 1911 makes a bulge in the small of your back.

That is all, although I'm happy to entertain questions in comments...