Wednesday, September 28, 2016

$125 - Utah, Florida & Arizona CCW License Class - for Illinois residents

$125 - Utah, Florida & Arizona CCW License Class - for Illinois residents


Get three (3) non-resident Utah, Florida & Arizona CCW permits / licenses - together legally and safely conceal carry handgun(s) in over 34 States. 

Location: Teamsters Hall - Bensenville Illinois 
Date: December 10th (9-1PM)

Cost: $125.00

331-642-8110 / www.IllinoisCC.com

Monday, September 26, 2016

Terrorism and Concealed Carry: Some Thoughts

Terrorism and Concealed Carry: Some Thoughts

Terrorism and Concealed Carry: Some Thoughts

I woke up yesterday morning to the news: Terror attacks in Brussels, Belgium have left dozens dead and scores more injured. I’ve watched the story evolve since it happened; it seems that the Islamic State/Daesh has taken credit. These are the latest in a string of suicide bombings, mass shootings, and other forms of ideologically motivated violence across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. At home in the US, the San Bernardino attackers were inspired by IS, with a similar attack thwarted in Milwaukee by other sympathizers.

The goal of terrorism, in part, is to create a feeling of helplessness and vulnerability. If an attack can happen anywhere, anytime–the Metro station bombed in Brussels was blocks away from the European Commission’s headquarters–then none of us are truly safe. That’s the theory, anyway.

And it’s nonsense. Don’t get me wrong: the danger is there, and it’s real. These jerks strike without warning, often using methods that are difficult to counter–one cannot reason with a suicide bomber. However, there are steps we can take to keep ourselves safe and be proactive in dealing with these lunatics.

By the numbers:

Practice situational awareness, everywhere, all the time.

Educate yourself on what to look for: the signs of a concealed weapon, a hidden explosive device, or other indicators that something might be about to go down.

Keep your CCW on you and ready to go.

Hone your shooting skills every chance you get, and drill the tactics you’ll need to survive and armed encounter. I hold that the CCW community can be an effective deterrent to many attacks, especially mass shootings. Let’s make sure we’ve got what it takes.

In the wake of an attack, immediate care for the wounded is vital.

Learn first aid, and go a step beyond by learning the basics of trauma care. After the bombings in Boston, a lot of lives were saved by the quick intervention of folks with the right training and gear. Be ready to be that kind of hero.

Learn when to shelter in place, when to bug out, and make sure you’re prepared for both contingencies.

In Belgium as I write this, an entire nation has been told to stay home. Most public institutions are closed, and I have to imagine that transportation is a nightmare. A resident of Brussels who I interviewed online described the situation as “chaotic” nationwide . At times like this, help might take a long time to get to you. It might not show up at all. You’ll need to be able to care for you and yours.

Your mind is your greatest weapon, so use it.

The causes of this conflict are complex, with roots in the First World War. There are a lot of players involved, and their motivations are complicated. It’s a bit of work, but it gives you an edge.

We the people are powerful, and we have what it takes to stand up to this nonsense.

We can’t give in to fear or paranoia. We can’t turn on each other when we need to be united against our foes. And we can’t give up.

As a final thought, I encourage you to remember that while these events are sickening to us, they’re a fact of day to day life in many places around the world. Spare a thought for all afflicted, and please stay safe out there.

 http://www.usacarry.com/terrorism-concealed-carry-thoughts/

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Handling police and armed citizen encounters

Handling Police and Armed Citizen Encounters

inShare 

Some states require CCW holders to notify police they are armed on contact with them. Many more states do not have such a requirement, but is it a good idea anyway?

It’s great to live in a country free enough to allow law-abiding citizens to carry concealed pistols for personal protection.

I’ve lived in places, both here and abroad, that don’t do that, and I can tell you from personal experience that what we have for concealed carry is better! However, there are times when being legally armed can raise some interesting questions, such as when we interact with police.

Many people go a lifetime in the United States and never do more than encounter police, literally, in passing. For many more, their only encounter with police is a traffic stop or accident, with or without a ticket. While we all worry about being victims of crime, it is still relatively rare, statistically speaking, for the average law-abiding citizen to be a crime victim and encounter police in an investigatory capacity. Since CCW holders are among the most law-abiding of citizens, the most likely police interaction for them is the traffic stop.

Some states require CCW holders to notify police they are armed on contact with them. Many more states do not have such a requirement, but is it a good idea anyway? The answer may vary depending on whom you ask, but regardless of what state I’m in I err on the side of caution and tell law enforcement officers (LEOs) that I am carrying. My reason is simple: I have yet to meet the cop who likes surprises. I prefer to tell them I’m carrying, rather than have them find out on their own.

Thinking back to my own time in blue, I encountered people who had CCWs and I appreciated their telling me they were armed. I did not appreciate the few times I had to find out about it on my own! Besides, most cops don’t know who we are when they encounter us in their official capacity as guardians of public order and safety. Anything I can do to demonstrate good faith is good for both me and the officer.

Cops are like us; they want to go home after work with their moving parts intact and no extra holes in them.

Consider the respective roles in interactions between police and armed civilians. That of the police is to enforce the law and maintain order among a citizenry that has a range of legal rights and privileges that police are obliged to respect and protect in the course of their duties. At the same time, police must protect their own safety and that of the public. For their part, legally-armed citizens are entitled to exercise their Second Amendment rights, and are also obliged to exercise those rights responsibly. The cop knows himself to be a good guy, but he does not necessarily know that those he encounters in the course of his duties are good guys.

Add a gun to the equation, and the cop’s danger radar goes to instant high alert. Police are bound by their duty to the public, and their duty to their own survival, to take precautions when encountering people with guns. All this taken together makes sensible courtesy and sober caution the order of the day when we find ourselves armed in the presence of police. It also means we should give some leeway to police when we encounter them while we are armed.

Depending on their agency’s policies, police may have less operational discretion in encounters with armed people than I did when I enforced the law. They also often operate in an environment that is more forgiving when officers use deadly force against what they reasonably perceive to be threats from armed citizens, even when those perceptions later turn out to be wrong (such as the Amadou Diallo incident in New York City, where Diallo was shot 41 times by NYC Police after they mistook his wallet for a weapon).

This means if police know you have a gun, and think you are a threat to them or others, you are more likely to be shot. We can argue all day about whether this is good or bad, but I submit it is a fact of life, and that both sides of the badge will be better off if the armed citizen errs on the side of caution and behaves prudently, politely, and respectfully when encountering police while armed.

Cops are like us; they want to go home after work with their moving parts intact and no extra holes in them. Cops also deal with the full spectrum of humanity for a living, often in adversarial and hazardous circumstances. While most of that humanity is honest and law-abiding, and the vast majority of police-citizen interactions benign, a small minority is sufficiently dangerous to have feloniously killed an average of 62 police officers nation-wide annually in the 14 years between 1996 and 2009, and to have injured on average 56,405 police officers in those same years (according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports). There’s a reason most cops, especially the good ones, are suspicious. They must bring that suspicion to bear in every interaction they have, and they must be especially careful when guns other than their own are present.

Handling police and armed citizen encounters

Just because YOU know you’re the good guy doesn’t mean the cops do.

Every situation is different, but here’s what I do: First, I lower my tinted windows, and if it’s a night-time traffic stop, I turn on my interior lights. I tell any passengers to let me do the talking, to keep quiet, and to keep their hands in plain sight. My hands stay in full view on the steering wheel, and I make no sudden moves. I present my driver license and CCW to the officer when he approaches me. With my hands in plain sight, I tell the officer, calmly and politely, that I have a CCW, that I am carrying and where the pistol is, and I ask what they want me to do.

The last time I did this, the Nevada State Trooper returned my CCW saying he didn’t need it, and then went back to his car to write me a speeding ticket. He brought the ticket back to me, asked me to sign it, returned my driver license, and we both went on our way. He said not a word about my gun. Alternatively, you can take Massad Ayoobs’s advice of handing over your CCW with your driver license and let the officer take it from there, and answer any subsequent questions politely and honestly.

If it’s a non-traffic interaction, I politely and calmly tell the officer at the first opportunity that I have a CCW, that I have it on me and where on my body I have the pistol, and ask what he wants me to do. If the situation permits, I provide my driver license and CCW, as in a traffic stop. In any event, I answer questions politely and honestly; I do what the officer says, slowly and carefully; and I keep my hands in plain sight, without making any sudden moves.

Your experience may vary by jurisdiction and their policies (both written and unwritten) about citizens with guns, and by the attitudes of individual officers. Some LEOs may take possession of the gun until the contact is over, returning it at the end of the encounter. Some officers may prone you out, handcuffed, until the end of the contact or until they are satisfied you are not a threat. Some may react like the Nevada State Trooper I encountered, while still others may want to talk about guns and carry gear. The one constant is that both parties are armed, and like it or not, police will likely view you with suspicion and caution until they are satisfied that you are not a threat or that the threat is neutralized.

If you have used a gun in a defensive situation and police are arriving, make sure the gun is not in your hands.

I recall a traffic stop I made one summer night. I approached the vehicle cautiously, flashlight in my weak hand and my strong hand on the butt of my pistol, checking the car’s interior as I approached, and keeping my light on the driver’s hands while asking for his license and registration. My light followed his hands as he opened his glove box to retrieve his registration, and the light caught the butt of a pistol.

I shouted for him to “Freeze!!” while my service revolver came out of its holster and went up against his ear. I ordered him to slowly grasp the butt with thumb and forefinger and to very slowly bring it out of the glove box and give it to me ever so carefully! It was a tear-gas pistol. We had an interesting discussion about cops getting jumpy when they see guns, especially at night during a traffic stop. I also suggested he might consider alerting officers to its presence to keep from having revolvers stuck in his ear–or worse!

Police-citizen interactions are not a good time to debate the legal merits of concealed carry and police attitudes thereto. We armed citizens know we are good guys, but the cops don’t know that. Granted, some cops can be heavy-handed, even badge-heavy, but in my experience, many, if not most, are pro-gun and pro-concealed carry, and will be as nice to you as you and the situation will let them be. Still, some cops don’t like armed citizens, and some can misunderstand and misinterpret (or even ignore) laws regarding concealed carry.

Having been on both sides of the badge, my advice is to be polite, be cooperative, obey the officer’s order, and don’t argue with them. Even if you are in the right and the officer is in the wrong, arguing can be interpreted as being hostile and uncooperative at best, and as resisting police at worst. If you think the situation was handled wrongly, get the officer’s name and take it up with police management after the fact.

If you have used a gun in a defensive situation and police are arriving, make sure the gun is not in your hands. If you must stay pointed-in to maintain control of the bad guy(s), be still and obey police commands to drop the weapon. Don’t argue, just drop it immediately.

Five Stay-Alive Tips

The good guy syndrome

Cops see themselves as the good guys. They are sworn to protect, serve and arrest; they are trained and experienced; they have uniforms, badges, and guns. A legal presumption of good intent and proper action cloaks much of what they officially do. As legally-armed citizens, we know we are certified good guys, too, because we went through training and at least two criminal background checks to get our guns and carry permits. We can unconsciously bring that “good-guy” attitude into our interactions with police. I think we need to be careful with that. The following story will illustrate why.

In the summer of 2010, Eric Scott went shopping with his fiancée at the Costco in the Summerlin area of Las Vegas. He had a CCW and was armed while shopping in the store. Costco has a corporate no-guns policy, although this Costco was not posted to that effect. During the course of his shopping, an employee noticed he had a weapon.

Interacting with police while armed doesn’t need to cost you your life.

The employee alerted store management, who called police to report a man with a gun. Three officers responded and ordered the store evacuated so they could wait outside the store entrance for the man with the gun to come out. A store employee waited with them to point out the man in question. When Scott and his fiancée left the store, police ordered him to freeze.

Details about what happened next are murky, even after a lengthy and thorough police investigation. It does not help that the several store surveillance cameras were not working that day. Witnesses reported seeing and hearing different things. At least one witness reported hearing Scott say, “I am disarming.” Seeing him move his hands and thinking he was reaching for a gun, the three officers shot him dead. A coroner’s inquest found the shooting justified.

I live in the Summerlin area, and regularly shop at that Costco (it is still not posted for guns). I wasn’t there, but based on the press reports, I surmise Eric Scott fell tragic prey to the good-guy syndrome, in that he knew he was a good guy, and unconsciously assumed police would understand that he was acting safely and responsibly to defuse the situation by peacefully disarming. Instead, it cost him his life.

Interacting with police while armed doesn’t need to cost you your life. Keep your hands off your gun, be polite, keep your wits about you, use common sense, give police some leeway, and it should be a non-event for you and them.

https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/handling-police-and-armed-citizen-encounters/

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Illinois Concealed Carry Weapons (CCW) License Class

$250 - Illinois Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW/CCL) License Training Class

VETERANS / MILITARY QUALIFY FOR THE (8 HOUR) CLASS - $100

Get your Illinois Conceal Carry License... Plus get 3 other CCW's licenses FREE! (Utah CCW, Arizona CCW & Florida CCW) - together safely and legally conceal carry a handgun in over 37 States...!!!

Price: $250 (NO other class fees), 
price includes;
1. Range fees ($25)
2. Illinois Livescan digital fingerprints ($70)
3. Utah & Arizona ink fingerprints ($25)
4. Passport photos ($15)
5. CCW application paperwork 
6. Assistance with CCW application paperwork 

Class Date: October 22-23rd (16 hours)
Location: Elmhurst, Illinois 

331-642-8110 / www.IllinoisCC.com


Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Carrying a defensive handgun in urban environments...

Carrying A Defensive Handgun In Urban Environments

by Rick Ector - Monday, August 18, 2014

A violent crime can occur anywhere at any given moment. However, it should not be a surprise to anyone that violent crime occurs more often in urban environments than in suburban or rural communities. A person venturing into a well-populated city for business or recreation would be well advised to conduct some pre-trip planning to ensure a safe stay. Accordingly, persons who are concerned about big city crime may wish to legally carry their firearms for personal protection during their visit. Appropriate arrangements should be made to ensure a hassle-free and safe experience.

Statutorily Defined Firearm Concerns

The first consideration for carrying a firearm in the city is to ensure you are aware of any local ordinances regarding firearms. In some states, such as Michigan, firearm laws are "pre-empted" at the state level. As such, firearm laws are uniform and the same all across the state. However, in other states, such as North Carolina, gun laws may vary depending on what county you are visiting. Furthermore, different cities within a county may have varying laws at the city level. Failing to know the laws of the city you are visiting is not a legally valid excuse of running afoul of them.

You should be aware of the statutorily defined "gun-free zones" in the city you are visiting. In addition, you should also research all of the businesses on your itinerary to see if they have any company-specified bans on carrying firearms for visitors. If your plans involve traveling to and entering these areas, you must decide upfront what you are going to do with your gun. You may elect to leave your firearm in your vehicle, if local law allows you to do so, but please be mindful that criminals frequently prowl parking lots of "gun-free zones" looking to steal firearms from unattended vehicles. Thus, if you must leave your gun in your car, it would be wise to secure it in a car safe.

If the risk of having your firearm stolen from your vehicle is too great for comfort, you may want to have it secured in a safe in your hotel room or in a safe at the hotel's front desk. Do not just leave your firearm unattended in a hotel room, despite how well you think you can hide it. If there are no safes available at the hotel or you can't securely store your gun in your vehicle, you're best bet may be to leave it at home.

Soft Personal Protection Tips

A great way for visitors to stay safe in urban environments is to always be aware of their surroundings. Large cities offer many visual distractions that can prevent visitors from identifying potential threats. As such, activities performed in public—such as talking on a cell phone, taking tourist photos and reading maps—can signal that a person is "safe" to victimize. A defensive firearm has no practical benefit if the carrier is not paying attention to his environment.

A predator prefers an unaware target because the victim won't see the attack coming, which ensures the bad guy's safety. As such, visitors should always be aware of the people around them and what activities they are performing. The tasks strangers are conducting should be congruent to that specific environment. Strangers should not be allowed to violate a visitor's personal space. Crime is a personal affair—it requires the assailant to be physically close to the target. Any variety of ruses can be employed to close that gap, such as requests for assistance, submission of personal questions or attempts to return something you allegedly dropped. Never allow a stranger to encroach and violate your personal space.

Furthermore, a visitor can also enhance his personal safety by confidently and briskly traveling to his destination with a full head of steam. The visitor knows exactly where he is headed, because he did his research online and mapped out his route ahead of time. Accordingly, he can't be easily taken off course by any ruses and doesn't have to depend upon the kindness of strangers to help him make it to his destination. More importantly, he does not appear to be a hapless tourist by any attending predators. The best form of protection is avoidance facilitated by prior preparation.

The Bottom Line: Knowing The Law and Having A Plan

Carrying a defensive firearm for personal protection in an urban environment requires more preparation and active attentiveness than doing so in suburban and rural communities because the risks of being a crime victim are higher. There are more criminals present in the city who are enabled by an even higher number of visual distractions. As a consequence, the defensive-gun carrier should engage in pre-trip planning to ensure a smooth and safe visit to the city. Requisite tasks include conducting firearm-law research and planning an itinerary with travel directions. Moreover, once the visitor has arrived in the city, it is imperative for him to be actively aware of his surroundings and to jealously guard his personal space.

http://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2014/8/18/carrying-a-defensive-handgun-in-urban-environments/

Saturday, September 17, 2016

Everyday Carry Essentials...

Everyday Carry Essentials

People choose to carry concealed weapons for various reasons, but one common thread is that these people want to be prepared to handle an emergency situation, and protect themselves and others. A firearm is a great tool for this in certain circumstances, but it is not the only tool a person may need. We can’t fix every problem with a handgun, but by choosing our everyday carry items carefully, we can become better prepared to handle a multitude of problems that life may throw at us.

It should come as no surprise that I am going to suggest a reliable handgun be part of your everyday carry gear. Find a quality holster that is made for your handgun of choice that retains the handgun securely and keeps the trigger covered. A spare source of ammunition should be carried as well. A quality magazine or speed loader holder will keep your ammunition in a consistent location for ease when reloading. If you are required to have a permit to carry a concealed firearm, get one and carry that also.

Carrying The Load

Ares Gear Enhanced Aegis Belt.

Ares Gear Enhanced Aegis Belt.

Let’s discuss some other items that will help us be self-sufficient when things go wrong. I have found that a component of a concealed carry firearm system that is sometimes not given enough consideration is the belt. The width of the belt should match the width of any mounting slots on your holster, and the belt should be firm enough to prevent the weight of the firearm from pulling the grip away from the body. This will keep the firearm from moving on the belt and rubbing against the user. An uncomfortable holster will lead to the user reaching down and adjusting it regularly. This indicator can communicate to others that you have a concealed firearm. My current belt is the Ares Gear Enhanced Aegis Belt. The belt consists of same 1½-inch proprietary scuba webbing, but it doesn’t look out of place with jeans, tactical pants or a suit. This solid platform will help carry some of the other gear we will be discussing.

First Aid Fixes

Dark Angel Medical Pocket Kit

Dark Angel Medical Pocket Kit

The importance of having some type of emergency medical kit on your person cannot be under estimated. As a firearms trainer for law enforcement and responsible citizens, I have run across a few people who have had to use a firearm to protect themselves or others. However, I have run across far more people who have encountered some type of traumatic event traveling on the road, at a child’s sporting event or even around their own home. My current daily carry kit is the Dark Angel Medical Pocket Kit. It mounts directly on your belt or can be carried in a pocket. It is purpose built to have the supplies you need to survive a traumatic injury without the extra stuff that you don’t need. “Simplicity under stress” is the Dark Angel Medical motto.

Communication Is Key

iPhone 6

iPhone 6

Most everyone carries a cellular phone these days. Keep yours on your person, and as highly charged as possible. If you have to draw your firearm to protect yourself, whether you have to fire or not, one of the first things you should do is report that you are the victim of a crime. If you draw your firearm and the bad guy flees the scene, he may decide to call and report to the police that you are the criminal. Additionally, the phone can be used to summon medical aid and can help law enforcement with navigation in some circumstances if needed.

Maintain Your Edge

Zero Tolerance 0350 folding knife.

Zero Tolerance 0350 folding knife.

A knife is the most basic of tools and one that we should have on our person any time it is legal to do so. Besides the obvious application of being a weapon capable of inflicting deadly force that never runs out of ammunition, a good blade can handle a multitude of mundane tasks like opening boxes, cutting para cord or even removing a splinter. For my preferences, Zero Tolerance is the right brand for me. This company makes quality knives that are not the cheapest on the market, but they also do not come with a price tag that encourages you to keep it in a collector’s case. My daily carry is a Zero Tolerance 0350 with a partiallyw serrated blade. The knife comes with a clip that can be configured to be carried tip up or tip down on either side of the blade. This is a great feature if you want to carry the knife to be accessed with your support hand for weapon retention purposes.

Lighting The Way

SureFire EB1 Backup, SureFire

SureFire EB1 Backup

If you are interested in self-protection, a quality flashlight should be part of your daily carry gear. You may need it to identify a threat or evacuate a building. A flashlight can also make a great improvised weapon in areas where firearms are not allowed, such as when you are flying commercial airlines. My daily carry flashlight is a SureFire EB1 Backup. At under 4.5 inches in length, this LED light can produce 200 lumens if I need a lot of light to reach out and light-up someone, or 5 lumens of light if I just need to navigate through my living room during a power outage. To further increase this light’s utility, I added a Thyrm SwitchBack Backup to my light. The SwitchBack is a ring that mounts on the rear of some models of flashlights that allows the user to hold a firearm in a standard two-hand grip while being able to control the function of the flashlight. For those users who prefer crenellated bezels on their lights, check out the new SureFire E1D LED Defender flashlight.

Tactical Travel

First Spear Comm Packs.

FirstSpear Comm Packs.

Sometimes I am forced to dress in a manner that makes it difficult to conceal all the gear I want to have available to me. For those times I have set up an “everyday carry pack” in order to have the additional gear I desire close by. The company 5.11 Tactical makes a couple of packs ideally suited to this purpose. The Rush 12 Backpack is large enough to carry what you need to get to work and back, but not so large that you end up carrying more than you need. If you want a pack that looks less tactical, try the 5.11 Tactical Covrt 18. This pack is slightly larger but made to not appear to be tactical at all, with a total lack of visible MOLLE straps or Velcro fields.

Another example of a pack that is designed to blend into an urban environment is the FirstSpear Comm Pack. This pack’s urban appearance helps to prevent others from guessing that you are a concealed carry holder. Anytime I can’t carry the above listed items on my person, I make sure I have them in my “everyday carry pack.” Other items I include in my pack are the cables I need to charge my phone, as well as a portable charger to recharge my phone when power is not available. I always have a water bottle on board and a pouch with more medical gear, including routine things like prescription and non-prescription medications, spare contact lenses, a multi-tool and other small gear.

Concealed carry holders like to be prepared. With a little planning your everyday carry gear can help you be prepared for all of what life can throw at you.

For More Information

5.11 Tactical
866-451-1726http://www.511tactical.com

Ares Gear
518-966-2737http://www.aresgear.com

Dark Angel Medical
720-836-7150http://www.darkangelmedical.com

DeSantis Holsters
631-841-6300http://www.desantisholster.com

FirstSpear
636-349-4820http://www.first-spear.com

SureFire
800-828-8809http://www.surefire.com

Thyrm
408-444-5734http://www.thyrm.com

Zero Tolerance
800-325-2891http://zt.kaiusaltd.com

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Carrying A Defensive Handgun In Urban Environments...

Carrying A Defensive Handgun In Urban Environments

by Rick Ector - Monday, August 18, 2014

A violent crime can occur anywhere at any given moment. However, it should not be a surprise to anyone that violent crime occurs more often in urban environments than in suburban or rural communities. A person venturing into a well-populated city for business or recreation would be well advised to conduct some pre-trip planning to ensure a safe stay. Accordingly, persons who are concerned about big city crime may wish to legally carry their firearms for personal protection during their visit. Appropriate arrangements should be made to ensure a hassle-free and safe experience.

Statutorily Defined Firearm Concerns

The first consideration for carrying a firearm in the city is to ensure you are aware of any local ordinances regarding firearms. In some states, such as Michigan, firearm laws are "pre-empted" at the state level. As such, firearm laws are uniform and the same all across the state. However, in other states, such as North Carolina, gun laws may vary depending on what county you are visiting. Furthermore, different cities within a county may have varying laws at the city level. Failing to know the laws of the city you are visiting is not a legally valid excuse of running afoul of them.

You should be aware of the statutorily defined "gun-free zones" in the city you are visiting. In addition, you should also research all of the businesses on your itinerary to see if they have any company-specified bans on carrying firearms for visitors. If your plans involve traveling to and entering these areas, you must decide upfront what you are going to do with your gun. You may elect to leave your firearm in your vehicle, if local law allows you to do so, but please be mindful that criminals frequently prowl parking lots of "gun-free zones" looking to steal firearms from unattended vehicles. Thus, if you must leave your gun in your car, it would be wise to secure it in a car safe.

If the risk of having your firearm stolen from your vehicle is too great for comfort, you may want to have it secured in a safe in your hotel room or in a safe at the hotel's front desk. Do not just leave your firearm unattended in a hotel room, despite how well you think you can hide it. If there are no safes available at the hotel or you can't securely store your gun in your vehicle, you're best bet may be to leave it at home.

Soft Personal Protection Tips

A great way for visitors to stay safe in urban environments is to always be aware of their surroundings. Large cities offer many visual distractions that can prevent visitors from identifying potential threats. As such, activities performed in public—such as talking on a cell phone, taking tourist photos and reading maps—can signal that a person is "safe" to victimize. A defensive firearm has no practical benefit if the carrier is not paying attention to his environment.

A predator prefers an unaware target because the victim won't see the attack coming, which ensures the bad guy's safety. As such, visitors should always be aware of the people around them and what activities they are performing. The tasks strangers are conducting should be congruent to that specific environment. Strangers should not be allowed to violate a visitor's personal space. Crime is a personal affair—it requires the assailant to be physically close to the target. Any variety of ruses can be employed to close that gap, such as requests for assistance, submission of personal questions or attempts to return something you allegedly dropped. Never allow a stranger to encroach and violate your personal space.

Furthermore, a visitor can also enhance his personal safety by confidently and briskly traveling to his destination with a full head of steam. The visitor knows exactly where he is headed, because he did his research online and mapped out his route ahead of time. Accordingly, he can't be easily taken off course by any ruses and doesn't have to depend upon the kindness of strangers to help him make it to his destination. More importantly, he does not appear to be a hapless tourist by any attending predators. The best form of protection is avoidance facilitated by prior preparation.

The Bottom Line: Knowing The Law and Having A Plan

Carrying a defensive firearm for personal protection in an urban environment requires more preparation and active attentiveness than doing so in suburban and rural communities because the risks of being a crime victim are higher. There are more criminals present in the city who are enabled by an even higher number of visual distractions. As a consequence, the defensive-gun carrier should engage in pre-trip planning to ensure a smooth and safe visit to the city. Requisite tasks include conducting firearm-law research and planning an itinerary with travel directions. Moreover, once the visitor has arrived in the city, it is imperative for him to be actively aware of his surroundings and to jealously guard his personal space.

http://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2014/8/18/carrying-a-defensive-handgun-in-urban-environments/

Sunday, September 11, 2016

$125 - Utah, Arizona & Florida CCW Class - for Illinois residents

$125 - Utah, Florida & Arizona CCW License Class - for Illinois residents


Get three (3) non-resident Utah, Florida & Arizona CCW permits / licenses - together legally and safely conceal carry handgun(s) in over 34 States. 

Location: Knights of Columbus - Elmhurst, Illinois 
Date: October 22nd (8-Noon)

Cost: $125.00

331-642-8110 / www.IllinoisCC.com

Monday, September 5, 2016

Conceal Carry In Your Car...


Concealed Carry In Your Car

So you have worked out a method of carrying your defensive handgun that conceals well for you and allows you to make a quick-draw response should trouble raise its angry head. My guess would be that, for most of you, this involves wearing the handgun somewhere near your waistline. Hip holster, inside the waistband, pocket holsterthe method doesn't really matter as long as it works for you. But now I am going to throw a monkey wrench into the whole defensive equation.

When you get behind the wheel of your car and buckle up your seat belt, you quickly discover that your defensive handgun is no longer quick and easy to access. That steering wheel and seat belt become instant barriers to a quick draw. Because of this problem, some people take their handgun out and stow it nearby in the vehicle. Others have a second gun that stays in the car at all times and is located so that it is much handier than the one they are wearing on their person. While a designated car gun is certainly a good idea, it is also an idea that is fraught with challenges for the responsible defensive carrier.

Wherever you decide to stow that car gun, it must be out of sight for a number of reasons. Anyone, including law enforcement officers, should not be able to see the gun by just a casual glance into the car. Obviously, having the gun in plain sight will very likely encourage a car burglary. And, when stopped by law enforcement, you don't want them to see the handgun until you have handed them your concealed carry license and indicated a sense of cooperation.

Another consideration regarding car guns is that they should not be readily accessible to passengers, especially children, who are not authorized or trained in their use. Curiosity can get people hurt. And you may have friends who don't understand or don't approve of such practices. If they don't see the gun, unwanted injuries and uncomfortable discussions are far less likely to result.

So the question is not really about carrying a defensive handgun in your vehicle, but how to keep it secure and yet readily available. Ideally, it should be in a location that allows you to access it with one hand because your other hand may be busy performing a number of other tasks. But it should also be secure enough that it doesn't go flying in the case of an accident or your car being rammed on purpose. 

Because there are so many different kinds of vehicles, it is difficult to suggest one or two places that the defensive handgun should be kept. It is best to just study your own vehicle and determine where the best and most secure locations might be. Alongside the steering column, under the dash, the driver's side of a console, and under the driver's front seat—all might be good locations to begin your search for that handy spot. Fortunately, there are a number of products that can help make your determination a bit easier.

One of my favorite products is the RAM Mount from Crossbreed Holsters (www.crossbreedholsters.com). Crossbreed mounts one of their Kydex holsters to a RAM unit that can be positioned just about anywhere in your vehicle by just drilling two screw holes. Under the dash or low on the side of the console leave the handgun readily available, even when you position it so that the handgun is hidden from casual view. 

Other products are the numerous gun safes that are made especially for being mounted in a vehicle. Using Google, one can quickly find a large number of vehicle gun safes; even Amazon carries them. While those that require a key to open are the most secure, I would avoid them for the obvious reason that fumbling with a key during a stressful situation is not going to be very fast. Those using a touch pad, or other quick opening device, are much preferred.

Actually, keeping a defensive handgun in your car is not much different from keeping one in your home. You want it to be out of sight, secure, yet as readily available as possible. You spent some time going over your home to find just that right location, and the same holds true with your vehicle. Study your particular vehicle, study the products that are available for vehicle carry, and work out what is the best bet for your situation.  Using your own imagination is a critical part of any serious personal defense plan.

http://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2015/10/19/concealed-carry-in-your-car/


Friday, September 2, 2016

10 Commandments of Concealed Carry!

Massad Ayoob’s 10 Commandments Of Concealed Carry

By Massad Ayoob, Personal Defense World

COMMANDMENT I: 

If You Choose To Carry, Always Carry As Much As Possible 

Hollywood actors get to see the script beforehand, and nothing is fired at them but blanks. You don’t have either luxury. Criminals attack people in times and places where they don’t think the victims will be prepared for them. It’s what they do. The only way to be prepared to ward off such predators is to always be prepared: i.e., to be routinely armed and constantly ready to respond to deadly threats against you and those who count on you for protection. It’s not about convenience; it’s about life and death.

COMMANDMENT II: 

Don’t Carry A Gun If You Aren’t Prepared To Use It 

The gun is not a magic talisman that wards off evil. It is a special-purpose emergency rescue tool: no more, no less. History shows us that—for police and for armed citizens alike—the mere drawing of the gun ends the great majority of criminal threats, with the offender either surrendering or running away. However, you must always remember that criminals constitute an armed subculture themselves, living in an underworld awash with stolen, illegal weapons. They don’t fear the gun; they fear the resolutely armed man or woman pointing that gun at them. And, being predators, they are expert judges of what is prey and what is a creature more dangerous to them than what they had thought a moment ago was their prey. Thus, the great irony: the person who is prepared to kill if they must to stop a murderous transgression by a human predator is the person who is least likely to have to do so.

COMMANDMENT III: 

Don’t Let The Gun Make You Reckless 

Lightweight pseudo-psychologists will tell you that “the trigger will pull the finger,” and your possession of your gun will make you want to kill someone. Rubbish. The gun is no more an evil talisman that turns kindly Dr. Jekyll into evil Mr. Hyde than it is a good talisman that drives off evil. Those of us who have spent decades immersed in the twin cultures of American law enforcement and the responsibly armed citizenry know that the truth is exactly the opposite. A good person doesn’t see their weapon as a supercharger or excuse for aggression, but as brakes that control that natural human emotion. The law itself holds the armed individual to “a higher standard of care,” requiring that they do all that is possible to avoid using deadly force until it becomes clearly necessary. Prepare and act accordingly.

COMMANDMENT IV: 

Carry Legally 

If you live someplace where there is no provision to carry a gun to protect yourself and your loved ones, don’t let pusillanimous politicians turn you into a convicted felon. Move! It’s a quality of life issue. Rhetorical theory that sounds like “I interpret the law this way, because I believe the law should be this way”—which ignores laws that aren’t that way—can sacrifice your freedom, your status as a gun-owning free American and your ability to provide for your family. If you live where a CCW permit is available, get the damn permit. If you don’t, move to someplace that does. Yes, it is that simple. And if you are traveling, check sources such as handgunlaw.us to make sure that you are legal to carry in the given jurisdiction. Don’t let the legal system make you a felon for living up to your responsibilities to protect yourself and those who count on you. If you carry, make sure you carry legally.

COMMANDMENT V: 

Know What You’re Doing 

Gunfights are won by those who shoot fastest and straightest, and are usually measured in seconds. Legal aftermaths last for years, and emotional after-maths, for lifetimes. Get educated in depth in the management of all three stages of encounter beforehand.

COMMANDMENT VI: 

Concealed Means Concealed 

If your local license requires concealed carry, keep the gun truly concealed. The revealing of a concealed handgun is seen in many quarters as a threat, which can result in charges of criminal threatening, brandishing and more. A malevolent person who wants to falsely accuse you of threatening them with a gun will have their wrongful accusation bolstered if the police find you with a gun where they said it was. Yes, that happens. Some jurisdictions allow “open carry.” I support the right to open carry, in the proper time and place, but I have found over the decades that there are relatively few ideal times or places where the practice won’t unnecessarily and predictably frighten someone the carrier had no reason to scare.

COMMANDMENT VII: 

Maximize Your Firearms Familiarity 

If you ever need that gun, it will happen so quickly and terribly that you’ll have to be swift and sure. If you don’t, you’ll still be handling a deadly weapon in the presence of people you love. Making gun manipulation second nature—safety as well as draw-fire-hit—is thus doubly important.

COMMANDMENT VIII: 

Understand The Fine Points 

Don’t just read the headlines or editorials, read the fine print. Actually study the laws of your jurisdiction. What’s legal in one place won’t be legal in another. Cities may have prohibitions that states don’t. Remember the principle, “ignorance of the law is no excuse.”

COMMANDMENT IX: 

Carry An Adequate Firearm 

A motor scooter is a motor vehicle, but it’s a poor excuse for a family car. A .22 or a .25 is a firearm, but it’s a poor excuse for defense. Carry a gun loaded with ammunition that has a track record of quickly stopping lethal assaults. Hint: if your chosen caliber is not used by police or military personnel, it’s probably not powerful enough for its intended purpose.

COMMANDMENT X: 

Use Common Sense 

Common sense—encompassing ethics and logic and law alike—must be your constant guide and companion when you decide to carry a gun. Not idealism, not rhetoric. When you carry a gun, you literally carry the power of life and death. It is a power that belongs only in the hands of responsible people who care about consequences, and who are respectful of life and limb and human safety—that of others as well as their own.

Thursday, September 1, 2016

Concealed Carry in Your Car...

Concealed Carry In Your Car

So you have worked out a method of carrying your defensive handgun that conceals well for you and allows you to make a quick-draw response should trouble raise its angry head. My guess would be that, for most of you, this involves wearing the handgun somewhere near your waistline. Hip holster, inside the waistband, pocket holsterthe method doesn't really matter as long as it works for you. But now I am going to throw a monkey wrench into the whole defensive equation.

When you get behind the wheel of your car and buckle up your seat belt, you quickly discover that your defensive handgun is no longer quick and easy to access. That steering wheel and seat belt become instant barriers to a quick draw. Because of this problem, some people take their handgun out and stow it nearby in the vehicle. Others have a second gun that stays in the car at all times and is located so that it is much handier than the one they are wearing on their person. While a designated car gun is certainly a good idea, it is also an idea that is fraught with challenges for the responsible defensive carrier.

Wherever you decide to stow that car gun, it must be out of sight for a number of reasons. Anyone, including law enforcement officers, should not be able to see the gun by just a casual glance into the car. Obviously, having the gun in plain sight will very likely encourage a car burglary. And, when stopped by law enforcement, you don't want them to see the handgun until you have handed them your concealed carry license and indicated a sense of cooperation.

Another consideration regarding car guns is that they should not be readily accessible to passengers, especially children, who are not authorized or trained in their use. Curiosity can get people hurt. And you may have friends who don't understand or don't approve of such practices. If they don't see the gun, unwanted injuries and uncomfortable discussions are far less likely to result.

So the question is not really about carrying a defensive handgun in your vehicle, but how to keep it secure and yet readily available. Ideally, it should be in a location that allows you to access it with one hand because your other hand may be busy performing a number of other tasks. But it should also be secure enough that it doesn't go flying in the case of an accident or your car being rammed on purpose. 

Because there are so many different kinds of vehicles, it is difficult to suggest one or two places that the defensive handgun should be kept. It is best to just study your own vehicle and determine where the best and most secure locations might be. Alongside the steering column, under the dash, the driver's side of a console, and under the driver's front seat—all might be good locations to begin your search for that handy spot. Fortunately, there are a number of products that can help make your determination a bit easier.

One of my favorite products is the RAM Mount from Crossbreed Holsters (www.crossbreedholsters.com). Crossbreed mounts one of their Kydex holsters to a RAM unit that can be positioned just about anywhere in your vehicle by just drilling two screw holes. Under the dash or low on the side of the console leave the handgun readily available, even when you position it so that the handgun is hidden from casual view. 

Other products are the numerous gun safes that are made especially for being mounted in a vehicle. Using Google, one can quickly find a large number of vehicle gun safes; even Amazon carries them. While those that require a key to open are the most secure, I would avoid them for the obvious reason that fumbling with a key during a stressful situation is not going to be very fast. Those using a touch pad, or other quick opening device, are much preferred.

Actually, keeping a defensive handgun in your car is not much different from keeping one in your home. You want it to be out of sight, secure, yet as readily available as possible. You spent some time going over your home to find just that right location, and the same holds true with your vehicle. Study your particular vehicle, study the products that are available for vehicle carry, and work out what is the best bet for your situation.  Using your own imagination is a critical part of any serious personal defense plan.

http://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2015/10/19/concealed-carry-in-your-car/