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Dodge DeBoulet · January 17, 2010, 10:05 PM

(Also posted on THR . . . sorry if you've seen this before)

I have a few handguns . . . 3 to be exact. Two Smith & Wesson M&P .40's; one's a full-size, the other a compact. The third is a Desert Eagle Mark VII .44 mag I bought from my brother-in-law in a moment of weakness (sure is fun to shoot, though).

Leaving the self-defense issue aside for now, my main purpose for getting the guns was to have fun. I like to shoot, I shoot a lot (somewhere between 2K-3K rounds since the end of October 2009), and I've discovered the joy and economy of reloading.

For no reason other than hearing that it was "a good thing to have," I took a firearm safety course and applied for a Maine resident CFP. I wasn't exactly sure what benefits it provided, and now that I actually have the permit, I'm still not really sure. The pamphlet issued by the State of Maine was not very helpful in defining what having this permit actually means.

I know I can now carry a loaded firearm on my person, concealed (obviously). I also understand that there are certain places where I'm not allowed to carry it at all.

I think it means I can transport my guns in my car, concealed, loaded and accessible to me. Although I can't find anything on-line that tells me what restrictions were in place before I got the permit, I think I was required to somehow keep my guns stored somewhere inaccessible to me and any passengers . . . difficult when your daily drive is a pickup truck with an open bed. I believe the guns were also to be kept unloaded, and ammo stored separately (again, can't find anything that clearly states this though).

I know that the rules of engagement for a routine traffic stop are now somewhat changed due to the fact that the officer will be forewarned that I am authorized to have a gun accessible to me in my vehicle. The thing is, I probably won't be carrying most of the time, and I will likely only have my guns with me in the truck when I'm headed to/from the range (or relatives in the country where I can shoot).

And the last thing I know (or maybe a better word is "suspect") is that the permit may make it more difficult to take my guns away from me if our government decides to revise the Bill of Rights.

But I haven't found anything that clearly identifies what it is I can do now that I couldn't do before. And while I suspect the rules vary from state to state, I'm sure there are some things that are pretty universal across the US in states that allow concealed carry.

The Handgunlaw.us web site would seem to be the logical place to find definitive answers but it seems to be a bit out of date. Some of the links on the Maine page are broken, and there's not much detail.

I think I've done the sensible (and ultimately convenient) thing by taking the safety training and obtaining the permit. The extra margin of personal safety afforded by being armed notwithstanding, what "conveniences" does my $35 get me? Or have I already figured out everything there is to figure out?

January 17, 2010, 10:05 PM	#1
Dodge DeBoulet Senior Member Join Date: December 8, 2009 Posts: 181	"Benefits" of Having a CFP (Also posted on THR . . . sorry if you've seen this before) I have a few handguns . . . 3 to be exact. Two Smith & Wesson M&P .40's; one's a full-size, the other a compact. The third is a Desert Eagle Mark VII .44 mag I bought from my brother-in-law in a moment of weakness (sure is fun to shoot, though). Leaving the self-defense issue aside for now, my main purpose for getting the guns was to have fun. I like to shoot, I shoot a lot (somewhere between 2K-3K rounds since the end of October 2009), and I've discovered the joy and economy of reloading. For no reason other than hearing that it was "a good thing to have," I took a firearm safety course and applied for a Maine resident CFP. I wasn't exactly sure what benefits it provided, and now that I actually have the permit, I'm still not really sure. The pamphlet issued by the State of Maine was not very helpful in defining what having this permit actually means. I know I can now carry a loaded firearm on my person, concealed (obviously). I also understand that there are certain places where I'm not allowed to carry it at all. I think it means I can transport my guns in my car, concealed, loaded and accessible to me. Although I can't find anything on-line that tells me what restrictions were in place before I got the permit, I think I was required to somehow keep my guns stored somewhere inaccessible to me and any passengers . . . difficult when your daily drive is a pickup truck with an open bed. I believe the guns were also to be kept unloaded, and ammo stored separately (again, can't find anything that clearly states this though). I know that the rules of engagement for a routine traffic stop are now somewhat changed due to the fact that the officer will be forewarned that I am authorized to have a gun accessible to me in my vehicle. The thing is, I probably won't be carrying most of the time, and I will likely only have my guns with me in the truck when I'm headed to/from the range (or relatives in the country where I can shoot). And the last thing I know (or maybe a better word is "suspect") is that the permit may make it more difficult to take my guns away from me if our government decides to revise the Bill of Rights. But I haven't found anything that clearly identifies what it is I can do now that I couldn't do before. And while I suspect the rules vary from state to state, I'm sure there are some things that are pretty universal across the US in states that allow concealed carry. The Handgunlaw.us web site would seem to be the logical place to find definitive answers but it seems to be a bit out of date. Some of the links on the Maine page are broken, and there's not much detail. I think I've done the sensible (and ultimately convenient) thing by taking the safety training and obtaining the permit. The extra margin of personal safety afforded by being armed notwithstanding, what "conveniences" does my $35 get me? Or have I already figured out everything there is to figure out? Last edited by Dodge DeBoulet; January 17, 2010 at 10:12 PM.