Arizona to allow carry with no training.

[walton6467]

Packing heat in AZ to become easier soon

The Wild West is about to get wilder - on Thursday, Arizona will join Alaska and Vermont as one of the states with the country's most liberal gun laws.

Senate Bill 1108 removes the requirement that gun owners must be trained and licensed to carry a concealed weapon.

Arizona already allows for "open carry" - anyone not legally prohibited from possessing a firearm, such as convicted felons or those adjudicated mentally incompetent, can carry firearms in public as long as they are clearly visible. After Thursday, the requirement that weapons be displayed openly will be dropped, and anyone who is not a "prohibited possessor" will be able to carry concealed weapons.

The new law will not remove restrictions on places where it is forbidden to carry weapons, including schools, hydroelectric or nuclear power plants, polling places, federal buildings or businesses that have posted specific signs prohibiting weapons. Establishments that serve alcohol will still be "no-carry" zones for those without a concealed-weapons permit, and gun owners will not be allowed to drink alcohol while carrying a weapon.

Also, anyone who carries a concealed firearm over the state line will need a concealed-weapons permit to avoid violating other states' handgun laws.

Despite the caveats, the new law enhances Arizonans' freedom, said Charles Heller, a radio talk-show host.

Heller is a concealed-weapons course instructor and secretary of the Arizona Citizen's Defense League, a group whose efforts are directed at "expanding the rights of law-abiding gun owners." He says the freedom to carry weapons and defend oneself from attackers is at the heart of the law.

Once the law takes effect, he said, "Innocent people aren't going to be harassed because their purse got set down on a car seat (and accidentally covered an openly displayed weapon) or their shirttail came out" and covered an openly carried weapon.

Heller said the law also removes a barrier to people who might want to carry concealed weapons but don't have the time or money to invest in a training course. Currently, a CCW - carrying a concealed weapon - course costs about $80 plus another $60 to the Department of Public Safety to issue the permit.

There are nearly 160,000 active concealed weapons permits in Arizona, DPS statistics show. About 26,000 of them - 16 percent - are held in Pima County.

DPS spokesman Bart Graves said the agency expects a decrease in applications for concealed-weapons permits once the law goes into effect. But he, along with many supporters of the new law, said he hopes people who want to carry weapons will still seek out some form of training.

Josh Katz, owner of The Armory on Pima, says he supports the new law because it strengthens the Second Amendment. But he urges people to get education and training in the use of their guns and their rights and legal responsibilities as gun owners.

"Let me be clear - I'm not opposed," he said. "The law passing is good, but people need to have some of the education involved in training for the license to carry concealed."

Local gun owner Dan Demer is licensed to carry a concealed weapon, and said he wouldn't mind more regulations on the process.

"I would feel safer if everyone was required to take courses," he said. "Most people that have gone through the classes are conscientious about handling weapons - it's a big responsibility."

Part of that responsibility is knowing what the law says about self-defense, Heller said. For example, the threat or use of force is not justified "in response to verbal provocation alone" or "if the person provoked the other's use or attempted use of unlawful physical force" in most cases.

The state laws that address the justifications for use of deadly force in Arizona can be found in ARS 13-401 through ARS 13-421 at Arizona Revised Statutes

Brian Malte, state legislation director at the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, said easing the prerequisites for carrying concealed weapons is a risky proposition. He's especially concerned about population density. Vermont and Alaska, the other two states that allow concealed weapons without a permit, each has fewer than 700,000 people. Arizona's population is about 6.5 million.

"Having loaded guns in crowded situations - on public transit or on crowded streets - is not a good idea," he said.

Tucsonan Mark Reinl-Bautista said he fired guns as a child but prefers not to own one now. He said he is concerned about the presence of guns in the community in general.

"I don't know if it makes them (people who carry guns) feel safer," he said, "but it doesn't make me feel safer."

Contact reporter Clayton R. Norman at cnorman@azstarnet.com or 573-4142.

[Kenstaroni]

This would be a good deal if it was every state, however other state's will not honor the AZ HCP, meaning it's only good within the state. People in GA have this issue as SC won't honor thier permits because they don't have to go through a training course. This is pretty inconvienent for those who travel.

[Smith]

Good law. However, it will be inconvenient for AZ residents to travel to other states.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

It didn't say anything about quitting the CCW. It's just

an extension within the state. There shouldn't be any

reciprocity problem.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Kenstaroni]

I stopped at a gun shop in GA off I-85 about two months ago. One of the guys said that because GA doesn't have a training course requirement for thier permits, South Carolina doesn't honor the GA HCP. It's just because there is no training course, even though they do have to go through a background check, etc. to get a permit in GA.

[Oh Shoot]

Good law. However, it will be inconvenient for AZ residents to travel to other states.

AZ will still issue a permit.

So does Alaska.

But I understand that Vermont does NOT, so that is a real drawback to the oft touted 2A freedom there.

- OS

[Oh Shoot]

I stopped at a gun shop in GA off I-85 about two months ago. One of the guys said that because GA doesn't have a training course requirement for thier permits, South Carolina doesn't honor the GA HCP. It's just because there is no training course, even though they do have to go through a background check, etc. to get a permit in GA.

Yep. States can pick and choose, for whatever reason.

TN and (pretty sure it was) VA got into hissy fit a year or so ago, something about not being able to verify a permit's validity 24/7 or some such, best I remember.

- OS

[Mike.357]

I am glad that while in AZ people can carry without paying taxes for the right to do so.

Sounds like what it is supposed to be about.

[Guest Lathe guy]

The liberals out here were all upset. They thought for sure that there would be a bunch of people killed in drunken gun fights.

None so far, however after SB1070 got blown up today.......who knows. People are pretty mad.

[K191145]

The liberals out here were all upset. They thought for sure that there would be a bunch of people killed in drunken gun fights.

None so far, however after SB1070 got blown up today.......who knows. People are pretty mad.

With federal judges ruling that illegals can cross the border and roam freely to commit crimes in the state, I hope everyone in Arizona, except the liberals, buys a handgun and carries it. I wish we could have a Governor with the cohoonas that your Governor has.

[Oh Shoot]

... I wish we could have a Governor with the cohoonas that your Governor has.

Our next governor wouldn't even sanction licensed HCP carry in his town's parks.

- OS

[Guest jackdm3]

With federal judges ruling that illegals can cross the border and roam freely to commit crimes in the state, I hope everyone in Arizona, except the liberals, buys a handgun and carries it. I wish we could have a Governor with the cohoonas that your Governor has.

I hope they do go heels. Let hypocrisy sink in and maybe the nation can win some more level-headed converts.

[Guest bkelm18]

Our next governor wouldn't even sanction licensed HCP carry in his town's parks.

- OS

But...but...but Haslame-o supports our rights. He even quit Bloomburger's club since he supports our rights so much.

[Oh Shoot]

But...but...but Haslame-o supports our rights. He even quit Bloomburger's club since he supports our rights so much.

Yeah and is a lifetime NRA member.

That membership taken out AFTER his run for governor started.

- OS

[Mike.357]

Yeah and is a lifetime NRA member.

That membership taken out AFTER his run for governor started.

- OS

this two faced slime ball is going to be on HHH's radio show this morning. I wish I was able to call in. I would love to ask him why he quit MAIG and then when he gives his vanilla answer to press him for specifics. Then ask when he joined the NRA and why he joined at that point.

I hope he gets lit up, but he is the local homeboy and most everyone around here thinks he is infallible.

[Fallguy]

This would be a good deal if it was every state, however other state's will not honor the AZ HCP, meaning it's only good within the state. People in GA have this issue as SC won't honor their permits because they don't have to go through a training course. This is pretty inconvienent for those who travel.

If you get an AZ permit then you have gone through the course, so I don't see any reason why any state that honors an AZ permit now won't continue to honor it.

An AZ resident (as can anyone) without a permit can still OC in several states that allow OC without a permit and CC as well in AK and VT.

As already mentioned AK issues permits even though it is not required for carry their...AK permits are honored in the same states that TN permits are honored.

So I think this is great for several reasons.

Good law. However, it will be inconvenient for AZ residents to travel to other states.

Again as already said, if they want to travel and carry out of state, they can simply get a permit still.