were you ever checked for a handgun

[slim rem 7]

 i know i carried 30 yrs an it never came up at traffic stops an stuff. recently i got in a little scrap at walmart.. the whole thing happened with police an everything..all that time,, my gun was in my pocket.. nobody ever checked ..but i have a permit now anyway..slim

[Brett]

Don't know how the laws are in your state but in NC if you are addressed by a LEO you must state that you are a permit holder then it is up to them how they want to proceed.  Some will ask if you are carrying a gun on you and where.  Some will even request that they hold the weapon until the stop is completed then return it to you. 

The few times I've been stopped in one of our drivers license checks I just handed the LEO my CCW along with my drivers license.  They didn't make any kind of a deal out of it they handed me my stuff back and said "Okay have a good day."     

[Mohawk]

  +1 on what Brett said.

[jimster]

In Michigan it's the law if it's a traffic stop, you have to tell the officer your carrying right away (if you have one with you)...but other than traffic stops, you can be right next to police officers in public and are not obligated to offer any info on you carrying.  Bottom line is here they already know you have a permit in a traffic stop before you tell them anyways.  I would suppose if you were involved in a rucus somewhere and they showed up,  it's up to them to ask, but after they get your name and run it, they will know you have a CCW then anyways,  then they would probably ask if your carrying if they thought they needed to.  Every state has different laws,  and not even all the leo's in the state know the laws that well in some cases.  If I get pulled over I make sure the window is down before I stop and when stopped,  I have both hands in very plain sight, first words that get spoken are "I am carrying a concealed weapon officer, how do you want me to proceed."  They seem to like that a lot and are very friendly after that.  Only been pulled over a few times in the last several years,  couple times were for a light out somewhere, and one for speeding,  got a bit of a break on the speeding, I was going rather fast that day.  

[oldhunter]

Several years ago, I was in line at a roadblock that was checking tires, registration, inspection, etc.  When I finally got to the lady NYS Trooper for questioning, she asked if I had any guns in my truck and I told her that I had a Bersa .380 under my seat and it was licensed.  She quickly became very alert and asked me to keep my hands on the steering wheel while she opened my door and removed the pistol.  She unloaded it and then asked to see my NYS pistol permit.  After inspecting it, she returned the gun and permit, thanked me and waved me on.  Very professional, not rude but the mention that I had a handgun in my vehicle got her attention.

oldhunter

[Gun Runner]

3 times I have been stopped and each time notified the LEO I had a weapon and a CCW
1st time by a CHP for speeding, he got all flustered and took the weapon out of my fanny pack and set it on the floorboard of the truck I was driving. (he walked up on the passenger side of the truck) got a ticket anyway.
2nd time was by a city PD (rookie) for a head lite that had gone out on my way into work(2 a.m. in the morning). Told him I had a CCW. He got all flustered and had his hand on his weapon and asked where my weapon was. Explained it was in the fanny pack on the seat. Ordered me out of the truck and to stand in front of his patrol car. Then calls his dispatch and says the following " I have a man with a gun" 2 more units hit the parking lot at full speed, first LEO that arrived knows me and knows I have a CCW. He call in its code 4. Then takes the rookie aside and has a long talk with him.

3rd time S.O. stops me because tail light is out. Rookie and FTO rideing togather. Rookie gets all excited when I tell him I have a weapon. Explain its in the fanny pack on the seat and I have a CCW. Out of the truck, stand in front of it. Rookie takes weapon out to check it. Trys to unload it, finally explain to him remove the mag then clear the round in the chamber. He pulls the slide back takes the round out of the weapon and then removes the mag. Explain to him the weapon is still loaded. About this time FTO takes the weapon away from him before he shoots a hole in my truck. FTO checks my Lic. and permit gives me everything back and tells me to have a nice morning.

Sometimes they can make you wounder if THEY are safe out there.

Gun Runner

[mechanic]

At every license check I approach, I take my pistol out and lay it on the dash in plain sight.  Only once has anyone questioned me about it.  In Ga. if its in plain sight in your vehicle, its legal with or without a permit.

[Lawndart]

Seems to me that (if I was 'the law') I would be more worried, if they didn't tell me about the gun.....

[coyotejoe]

Agreed, but that is common sense, I guess they think I'm going to tell them I have a gun before I pull it out and shoot them, or more likely they just don't think at all.
A county mounty stopped be 50 feet from my driveway because I had lost my front license plate. I handed him my CCW along with my license. He asked if I had a gun with me and I explained that it was on the floor next to me. He didn't want to see it but he took a VERY long time checking my license and permit.
 Cops today are way too spooky about guns because they are instructed that "your life in on the line every moment" which is a crock of bull, statistically a construction worker is many times more likely to be killed on the job than is a cop. Cops watch far too many cop TV shows, for that matter there are far too many cop shows on TV which gives the public the image that a typical cop gets into two or three shoot outs a week and the wife is always under stress because she never knows if her cop hubby will come home alive. Check the stats, it is far safer to be a cop than a miner, truck driver, farm worker, fisherman, construction worker or just about any other non-office job.

[diggdug]

Ya right, it may be statistically more dangerous doing those other jobs, but deaths in those occupations are usually accidents. Cops have to worry about someone trying to kill them, and they are highly trained to always be ready and expect the unexpected. Don't take offense just because an officer wants to put the odds in his favor, he does it every day, it's not personal!

[jimster]

"Don't take offense just because an officer wants to put the odds in his favor, he does it every day, it's not personal!"

That's why my hands are in plain sight if I get pulled over.  Right in front of me on the top of the steering wheel,  if I ever get pulled over at night, this might sound funny,  but they are going behind my head.  The LEO knows I have a permit already, I'm going to make him feel in control as much as I can right away.
Last thing I need to do is have my hands down in my lap or bending over, I don't need to cause him any worries.  Plus they might be a little thankful for your thoughts about putting them in control from the start, you might get a small break if it's noticable your trying to let them see your hands until they get up there. 

[williamlayton]

I have been stopped from Texas too Montana---Louisiana doesn't count because they don't care---and I always present my CCW with the DL.
It has never been an issue and no one ever got excited. Only one asked me where it was----and that was a Texas State trooper and a rookie---he looked in my vehicle and his first statement was what is thah--a CB??. Yessir. Hummm, never seen one in a car before. Got the ticket for 82 in a seventy.
Looked at my options for the ticket---They just wanted the money, didn't want a court appearance, plea of guilty, just give us the money and we put you on probation for 30 days and there is no record, deferred ajudication.
HUMMM---Blessings

[KAYR1]

I stopped, I always roll down the window and put my hands on the wheel. The first words out of my mouth are "I have a CCW and a handgun in the car".. Believe it or not, I have never gotten a speeding ticket While carrying and informing the officer that I was.

[diggdug]

Concerning the comments about Cops knowing you have a CCW permit: Most cops radio your tag number to dispatch and then make immediate contact with the driver, therefor they DO NOT know about your permit right away. It comes up when they run your driving record, which is usually after initial contact. So be sure to volunteer the fact that you are carrying right away. Most cops in my neck of the woods are Pro-carry, Pro-NRA, and Pro-hunting, so just be honest with them and they should treat you with respect.