WT Forums

I resently got off my rather large ass, and submitted the paperwork for my Concealed Carry Handgun permit from the state of Colorado where I live. As you know I also travel quite a bit between here and Wyoming where my wife lives and works, but that's cool because CO has resiprocity with WY and all but 20 of the rest of the states.

Co requires that you have to show compitence with a handgun through either competitive shooting, a handgun safety class, or proof of military service within 3 years, or proof of military service including handgun qualification within 10 years. I'd gotten mine through the last of these, and I was good to go.

The big problem though, is that I had no idea about the Colorado statutes governing the permit, concealed carry or the use of deadly force. I really needed more education on the matter. Likewise, my wife Jo now wants to get her permit. I could have just signed her up for a pistol match, had her shoot and she'd be good. I could have signed her up for an NRA class and she'd be good, however neither of these would give either of us the knowledge of the law neccessary to keep from getting ourselves in trouble.

Luckily, one of my old CATM instructors is currently a Deputy Sherriff in ElPaso County CO, and has started his own school for firearms instruction. He agreed to hire me as one of his instructors to teach his class. His class is not just handgun safety. He covers safety, storage, handgun types and actions, holster typs and the good and bad of each, ammo types and performance, shooting fundamentals, use of lights both weapon mounted and handheld, and most importantly, the Colorado laws governing the carry and use of concealed handguns and other weapons.

He drove up to my house yesterday, and gave both Jo and I a 7 hour class, most of wich covered the law. I've been carrying handguns both as a part of my job in the AF and for personal protection since 1980, and I learned alot.

At any rate, we still have to get Jo a carry gun and holster, or 3, and get her out to the range for her course of fire. I'm hoping to do this within the next few weeks, then get her permit application in. Once that's done, I hope to start running some classes within the next few months.

The bottom line here, and why I'm writting all of this, is that if you carry concealed, or open, or just in your home, you really need to performe some internet searches for your state laws and statutes govering the use of deadly force for protection of yourself, your family, others, and property. You need to know what constitutes leathal force, and when and where you can and can not use it legally. I was really amazed at all the ways I could have gotten into trouble with the law, thinking that I would have been well within my rights of self defence. For instance, under CO law, telling someone that you are armed and willing to shoot is deadly force in and of itself, regardless weather you are armed or not. Also, I found out that if I did ever have to draw a weapon to fend off an attack, and the attacker backs off and leaves the area, that he can call the police and report that I was threatening him, and if he calls to do that before I call to report an attempted robbery, they'll arrest me, instead of him. Criminals nation wide are starting to do this, just to get even for you not allowing them to rob you. So in addition to carrying a weapon to defend my life, I also have to carry a cell phone to defend my freedom.

Do yourself a real favor, and learn the laws of your area before you get into trouble defending your self. These laws can either be your best friend, or your worst nightmare. You have to know them.

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Violence may not be the best option, but it IS an option