Thoughts on CCW handguns...

[williamlayton]

NOT to deride you, infuriate you, ask you what neigborhoods you frequent, or anything that would even appear to slander you---HOWEVER---You have already used your weapon in self-defense when you expose it.
Have you thought about that ?
You have already exposed yourself to all the consequences you bring up when you brandish.
Blessings

[LMM]

My first thought was time to move.  Sounds like a dangerous area you live.  

In Indiana:

IC 35-47-4-3
Pointing firearm at another person
     Sec. 3. (a) This section does not apply to a law enforcement officer who is acting within the scope of the law enforcement officer's official duties or to a person who is justified in using reasonable force against another person under:
        (1) IC 35-41-3-2; or
        (2) IC 35-41-3-3.
    (b) A person who knowingly or intentionally points a firearm at another person commits a Class D felony. However, the offense is a Class A misdemeanor if the firearm was not loaded.
As added by P.L.296-1995, SEC.2.


IC 35-47-3
     Chapter 3. Disposal of Confiscated Weapons

IC 35-47-3-1
Disposal of confiscated weapons in accordance with chapter
     Sec. 1. All firearms confiscated pursuant to statute shall, upon conviction of the person for the offense for which the confiscation was made, be disposed of in accordance with this chapter.
As added by P.L.311-1983, SEC.32.


IC 35-47-3-2
Application of section to firearms not required to be registered in National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record; return of firearms to rightful owners; disposal procedure
     Sec. 2. (a) This section applies only to firearms which are not required to be registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
    (b) Firearms shall be returned to the rightful owner at once following final disposition of the cause if a return has not already occurred under the terms of IC 35-33-5. If the rightful ownership is not known the law enforcement agency holding the firearm shall make a reasonable attempt to ascertain the rightful ownership and cause the return of the firearm. However, nothing in this chapter shall be construed as requiring the return of firearms to rightful owners who have been convicted for the misuse of firearms. In such cases, the court may provide for the return of the firearm in question or order that the firearm be at once delivered:
        (1) except as provided in subdivision (2), to the sheriff's department of the county in which the offense occurred; or
        (2) to the city or town police force that confiscated the firearm, if:
            (A) a member of the city or town police force confiscated the firearm; and
            (B) the city or town has a population of more than two thousand five hundred (2,500) and less than two hundred fifty thousand (250,000).
    (c) The receiving law enforcement agency shall dispose of firearms under subsection (b), at the discretion of the law enforcement agency, not more than one hundred twenty (120) days following receipt by use of any of the following procedures:
        (1) Public sale of the firearms to the general public as follows:
            (A) Notice of the sale shall be:
                (i) posted for ten (10) days in the county courthouse in a place readily accessible to the general public; and
                (ii) advertised in the principal newspaper of the county for two (2) days in an advertisement that appears in the newspaper at least five (5) days prior to the sale.
            (B) Disposition of the firearm shall be by public auction in a place convenient to the general public, with disposition going to the highest bidder. However, no firearm shall be

transferred to any bidder if that bidder is not lawfully eligible to receive and possess firearms according to the laws of the United States and Indiana.
            (C) All handguns transferred under this subdivision shall also be transferred according to the transfer procedures set forth in this article.
            (D) Money collected pursuant to the sales shall first be used to defray the necessary costs of administering this subdivision with any surplus to be:
                (i) deposited into the receiving law enforcement agency's firearms training fund, if the law enforcement agency is a county law enforcement agency, or into a continuing education fund established under IC 5-2-8-2, if the law enforcement agency is a city or town law enforcement agency; and
                (ii) used by the agency exclusively for the purpose of training law enforcement officers in the proper use of firearms or other law enforcement duties, if the law enforcement agency is a county law enforcement agency, or for law enforcement purposes, if the law enforcement agency is a city or town law enforcement agency.
        (2) Sale of the firearms to a licensed firearms dealer as follows:
            (A) Notice of the sale must be:
                (i) posted for ten (10) days in the county courthouse in a place readily accessible to the general public; and
                (ii) advertised in the principal newspaper of the county for two (2) days in an advertisement that appears in the newspaper at least five (5) days before the sale.
            (B) Disposition of the firearm shall be by auction with disposition going to the highest bidder who is a licensed firearms dealer.
            (C) Money collected from the sales shall first be used to defray the necessary costs of administering this subdivision and any surplus shall be:
                (i) deposited into the receiving law enforcement agency's firearms training fund or other appropriate training activities fund; and
                (ii) used by the agency exclusively for the purpose of training law enforcement officers in the proper use of firearms or other law enforcement duties.
        (3) Sale or transfer of the firearms to another law enforcement agency.
        (4) Release to the state police department laboratory or other forensic laboratory administered by the state or a political subdivision (as defined in IC 36-1-2-13) for the purposes of research, training, and comparison in conjunction with the forensic examination of firearms evidence.
        (5) Destruction of the firearms.
    (d) Notwithstanding the requirement of this section mandating disposal of firearms not more than one hundred twenty (120) days

following receipt, the receiving law enforcement agency may at its discretion hold firearms it may receive until a sufficient number has accumulated to defray the costs of administering this section if a delay does not exceed one hundred eighty (180) days from the date of receipt of the first firearm in the sale lot. In any event, all confiscated firearms shall be disposed of as promptly as possible.
    (e) When a firearm is delivered to the state police department laboratory or other forensic laboratory under subsection (c)(4) and the state police department laboratory or other forensic laboratory determines the laboratory has no further need for the firearm in question, the laboratory shall return the firearm to the law enforcement agency for disposal under subsection (c).
As added by P.L.311-1983, SEC.32. Amended by P.L.209-1986, SEC.2; P.L.57-1992, SEC.7; P.L.48-1993, SEC.7.


IC 35-47-3-3
Application of section to firearms required to be registered in National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record; return of firearms to rightful owners; unreturnable firearms; registry of firearms; disposal
     Sec. 3. (a) This section applies to firearms that are required to be registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
    (b) Firearms shall be returned to the rightful owner at once following final disposition of the cause, if such return has not already occurred under the terms of IC 35-33-5, and if such owner remains lawfully entitled to possess such firearms according to applicable United States and Indiana statutes. If rightful ownership is not known, the law enforcement agency holding the firearm shall make a reasonable and diligent effort to ascertain the rightful ownership and cause the return of the firearm being held, providing the owner remains lawfully entitled to possess such firearms.
    (c) Firearms that are not returnable under this section shall be at once delivered to:
        (1) the sheriff's department of the county in which the offense occurred, unless subdivision (2) applies; or
        (2) the city or town police force that confiscated the firearm if:
            (A) a member of the city or town police force confiscated the firearm; and
            (B) the city or town has a population of more than two thousand five hundred (2,500) and less than two hundred fifty thousand (250,000);
following final disposition of the cause.
    (d) When firearms are sent to a law enforcement agency under subsection (c), the law enforcement agency may upon request release the firearms to the state police department laboratory or other forensic laboratory administered by the state or a political subdivision (as defined in IC 36-1-2-13) for the purposes of research, training, and comparison in conjunction with the forensic examination of firearms evidence.
    (e) The receiving law enforcement agency or laboratory shall

cause the registry of such firearms in the United States National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record within thirty (30) days following receipt from the court.
    (f) The court may order such firearms as are not returnable destroyed, specifying the exact manner of destruction and requiring the receiving law enforcement agency or laboratory to make due return to the ordering court the time, date, method of destruction, and disposition of the remains of the destroyed firearm.
    (g) No portion of this section shall be construed as requiring the receiving law enforcement agency or laboratory to retain firearms which are inoperable or unserviceable, or which the receiving law enforcement agency or laboratory may choose to transfer as public property in the ordinary course of lawful commerce and exchange.
As added by P.L.311-1983, SEC.32. Amended by P.L.209-1986, SEC.3; P.L.57-1992, SEC.8.


IC 35-47-3-4
Unlawful delivery of confiscated firearm
     Sec. 4. A person who knowingly or intentionally:
        (1) delivers a confiscated firearm to a person convicted of a felony:
            (A) involving use of a firearm; and
            (B) which is the basis of the confiscation;
        (2) delivers a confiscated firearm to another with knowledge that there is a rightful owner to whom the firearm must be returned; or
        (3) fails to deliver a confiscated firearm to the sheriff's department, a city or town police force, the state police department laboratory or a forensic laboratory under this chapter, the state under IC 14-22-39-6, or for disposition after a determination that the rightful owner of the firearm cannot be ascertained or is no longer entitled to possess the confiscated firearm;
commits a Class D felony.
As added by P.L.311-1983, SEC.32. Amended by P.L.209-1986, SEC.4; P.L.57-1992, SEC.9; P.L.1-1995, SEC.77.

[AZ223]

If you ever have to pull the trigger in defense, what you're going to go through in the legal system after that is likely to be enough that getting a $600 handgun back won't be at the top of the list. There are other threads pointing out the "what happens afterward" scenario better than I can, but the bottom line is, I doubt that the thought of losing my P12 or any other firearm will be of concern to me if it ever comes to that. If you're going to carry, the weapon you choose should fit what you intend to use it for, regardless of the price. You're life is worth far more than the $600 you paid for it.

[44 Man]

I'm going in a different direction here.  As you said yourself, there is nothing quite so handy and easy to carry as a J-frame .38.  Amen to that!  I have gone from .45's to .38s to nines back to .45's and back to .38s again.  The bigger firepower in comforting, but it is heavier, bulkier, harder to conceal and just generally not as easy as a .38 snub.  Snubs just carry easy, still have a reasonable amount of power, and are there when you need them.  The .45s kept getting left at home and I would grab the .38 again.  I have made an acceptable compromise lately.  I now carry an old Charter bulldog.  The original slim barrel in .44 spl.  ALMOST as light and handy as a .38 snub, but more power, and a lot easier to carry than a big auto.  If you look at this gun laid on top of a Kimber Compact Pro, they look the same size.  But I find I can hide the rounded profiles (cylinder, grips) of a revolver much easier than the blocky profile of a big auto.  Plus it only seems to weigh about 2/3 as much.  (when you consider a gun's weight for carry, always weigh it loaded.  You'll find that 5 rounds of 200 gr. .44s weigh much less than 8 rounds of 230 gr .45s!)  Don't sell that snub when you buy that auto you are looking at.  You may find yourself right back using it again!  44 Man

[Bikenut]

I'm sure everyone who has gone through the trouble and hassle of getting a CCW has put quite a bit of thought into the entire thing, from "What do I do if....?" to "What is going to happen afterward?"

As far as my carry gun(s) were concerned price took a back seat to reliability, concealablilty in a caliber powerful enough, and comfort of carry. I have some "beloved" guns but those aren't the one's I carry since I know for a fact that if a carry gun is used it will be confiscated... perhaps only for a short period of time, perhaps never to be seen by me again. Therefore they are "expendable" even though they were "expensive". After the "incident" the gun used and how it is treated just isn't anything I'm concerned about.

If the gun saves my, or an innocent victim's, life I'll either get it back or go buy another... or if things go terribly wrong I'll be in a cell with "Bubba" and have to worry about being shot by a different kind of gun every night.

[6Shooter]

I'm going in a different direction here.  As you said yourself, there is nothing quite so handy and easy to carry as a J-frame .38.  Amen to that!  I have gone from .45's to .38s to nines back to .45's and back to .38s again.  The bigger firepower in comforting, but it is heavier, bulkier, harder to conceal and just generally not as easy as a .38 snub.  Snubs just carry easy, still have a reasonable amount of power, and are there when you need them.  The .45s kept getting left at home and I would grab the .38 again.  I have made an acceptable compromise lately.  I now carry an old Charter bulldog.  The original slim barrel in .44 spl.  ALMOST as light and handy as a .38 snub, but more power, and a lot easier to carry than a big auto.  If you look at this gun laid on top of a Kimber Compact Pro, they look the same size.  But I find I can hide the rounded profiles (cylinder, grips) of a revolver much easier than the blocky profile of a big auto.  Plus it only seems to weigh about 2/3 as much.  (when you consider a gun's weight for carry, always weigh it loaded.  You'll find that 5 rounds of 200 gr. .44s weigh much less than 8 rounds of 230 gr .45s!)  Don't sell that snub when you buy that auto you are looking at.  You may find yourself right back using it again!  44 Man

 I have been carrying a Charter Arms bulldog .44spl since 1992. I have the 2.5'' barrel 5-shot with a speed loader. I also put pacmayer grips on for comfort which makes the grip bigger but just as concealable. It's my everyday gun. I carry a .45 Springfield and a .357 S&W 4'' bbl from time to time but, I always seem to go back to the Bulldog. It's just very easy to carry. I think some people get too wrapped up in all that is out there and get confused with what they want and/or need when it comes to buying guns for CC or any other purpose for that matter. I say keep it simple when it comes to a tool that your life may depend on. This of course is my humble opinion.

[dogngun]

One difference between the CCW holders and the bad guys is that we (CCW types) do think about being responsible for our actions, even in a self defence situation. I assure you, "responsibility" is not a concept that lives in the minds of the bad guys.
I think there is a beginning of an era of common sense regarding CCW and self defence, as more people in more states are carrying firearms responsibly.
It seem that way to me, anyway. What do you think ?

Mark    

[leverfan]

Jeesh.  5 years of living in a terrible neighborhood in Seattle, with a dangerous job, walking or taking the bus everywhere, and I still didn't need to pull my gun out as often as that!  Sounds like it's time to rent a u-haul.

I buy the best guns I can afford, and I don't worry a dang bit about having the cops take one away if I use it.  I've got spares, and I've got spares to the spares in other locations, should all my guns be taken as "evidence" in some unlikely situation.

When that new 45 ACP Kahr rolls into full production, maybe I'll get two, just to have another spare!

If I'm ever forced to use a firearm again, what happens to my gun will be so far down my list of priorities, it just doesn't even register.  If the cops keep it, or if they give it back all rusty and banged up, that's just the way it goes.  After all, you don't stuff a used airbag back in the steering column and use it again, do you?  Nope, it's just money well spent, and you replace it if it's lost while performing its function.

[Savage]

Amen!! Leverfan.
Savage

[rockbilly]

:roll: Leverfan hit the nail right on the head.  I too have spares for the spares, all quality firearms.  I can't see any reason why anyone with any common sense would place themselves in harms way with a piece of trash in their pocket.  A guy I know carried a Jennings 9mm, about two rounds and he got a stove pipe.  He carried it because it was cheap and he could afford to lose it.  The problem here, the way it jammed/stovepiped his life was on the line if he ever had to pull it.

As for the cops taking a CCW holder's gun, this would depend largely on where you are located.  Here in West Texas, they would most likely take it, but I'd bet I would have it back in a few days.  In the big cities it may be a different story so I would just go ahead and kiss it good-by when they took it.

[Mikey]

Chris:  get yourself another snubbie, just like the first one, and learn to shoot two handed or use it for a spare.  Both revolvers together will probably weigh less than a fully loaded 45 and you can carry and conceal them in two different places.  

Out here we refer to that technique as the 'New York Reload'........ Just a thought.  Mikey.