Throwing in my 2 cents into this discussion. For newbies into the realm of gun ownership, or more specifically pistols. I suggest getting a revolver. Some folks tend to "limp wrist" semi-autos which require an opposite force to the recoil to move the slide back and feed another round into the chamber. A revolver is consistently reliable. True they hold fewer rounds than a magazine of a semi-auto. For someone who wants a conceal carry weapon who doesn't shoot very often, a revolver is the way to go.

Good advice. Thanks for chiming in. Wheel guns are great for new shooters.

I am no expert, and I do not know it all, so if anyone has something to add, please do. I learn something new every day, and I error just like everyone else.

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The National Science Foundation announced the following study results on U.S. military recreation preferences:
1. Sport of choice for Marines: bowling.
2. Sport of choice for Sailors: football.
3. Sport of choice for Soldiers: baseball.
4. Sport of choice for Coast Guardsmen: tennis.
5. Sport of choice for Airmen: golf.
Notice how the farther down the list you go, the smaller their balls get.

Huh. I would have thought purse carry would be popular.

I suppose if your purse gets snatched your out of luck that way. Is that the problem?

Something else, which is more relevant to why I've never actually looked that hard into concealed carry, is that many states/ municipalities etc etc etc have fairly rough laws. And if you don't want to get in trouble there are a range of other laws you have to know as well. Best to ask someone who would already know in your area I'd think.

At any rate don't just stick a pistol in your pants and if people somehow see it be prepared to have a chat with some police.

Well I suppose that it getting taken would be a problem, and purse carries are popular. But when a bad guy comes to mug you, and has a weapon, it takes time for you to get into your purse, and most of the time they are going to simply tell you to give them your purse, they are not going to ask you to get into your purse and give them your wallet. So you digging around in your purse makes them jumpy, better to be able to quickly draw from your belt line than have to fumble around in your purse. Also, if you carry in your purse, and he tells you to give him your purse, and he is only armed with a knife then you just gave him a gun. Better to toss your purse at him, and let him get away, than arm him. Odds are once he has your purse he is going to beat feet out of there. That is a good thing. You can replace everything that was in it, and most people will not be carrying more than a hundred bucks anyway. So you are not out much.. But if he decides he wants something else after having your purse, then you are still armed and able to defend yourself. .

Yes, you do not want to carry unless you have a permit to do so. Different states differ, and as we all know some states are almost impossible to get a CCW.

There are a number of resources on line that can answer most of your questions on legalities. But here is a quick reference guide. Wiki is not the best source. But it can give you enough information to get started, and you can always walk on down to your Sheriffs office and ask them what the laws are.

Just out of curiosity, and if you do not mind answering. What state do you live in?

If you do have your CCW, make sure you always carry your permit on you. That way if someone does tell the cops that you are carrying, all you have to do is keep your hands in plain view, tell him you have a CCW permit, and ask the cop if it is ok for you to get into your purse to retrieve the permit. Always ask before you move. It makes them feel safe, them feeling safe is good. It keeps you alive.

If he says no he wants to get it then let him.

But always ask for identification before handing anything over. If you do not feel comfortable, most states allow you to request that he call in his supervisor in before you do anything further. If you are involved in a shooting, always talk to an attorney before talking to them. That does not make you look guilty, it makes you look smart, and that is advise that I have gotten from several LEOs.

__________________
The National Science Foundation announced the following study results on U.S. military recreation preferences:
1. Sport of choice for Marines: bowling.
2. Sport of choice for Sailors: football.
3. Sport of choice for Soldiers: baseball.
4. Sport of choice for Coast Guardsmen: tennis.
5. Sport of choice for Airmen: golf.
Notice how the farther down the list you go, the smaller their balls get.

Very interesting post with alot of good info. I would just like to say one thing.

I would not worry too much about the type of bullet used making the court case more difficult. If you have a liberal DA they are going to try to paint you as the bad guy nomatter what type of rounds you used. So go ahead and use whatever you find to have the best terminal effects.

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“It is anomalous to hold that in order to convict a man the police cannot extract by force what is in his mind, but can extract what is in his stomach.”

You can empty 10 handgun mags into a bear and its going to have little effect. You should basically just start running unless you have a .44 magnum or something better.

In Canada, I see the Marlin 1895GS "Guide gun" in 45-70 Govt is a popular choice for bear defense by people who work in the bushes. The economical route is to go with a short barrelled shotgun (14 inch or less) loaded with slugs. That usually does the job.

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"Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives." — John Stuart Mill

So, I am planning on getting my non-resident CCW from New Hampshire sometime this year. Not many states offer CCW to foreigners, but if you can get the NH one then you are good to go in many states.

My question is, if a non-US resident, say a tourist, intervenes in say a rape, attack, or mugging, and the criminal surrenders, would that foreigner/tourist be allowed to put that criminal under a citizens arrest? Because technically if I am not a US citizen, or a citizen of any US state, what authority do I have?

The criminal might be able to sue me for unlawful arrest/detention.

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"Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives." — John Stuart Mill

That depends on where you live.

Say the south. A .357 sig is generally accepted as a good protection weapon against black bear. Move on up to Canada and anything less than a .44 mag is suicide.

Ten mags worth of well placed shots will do more than hurt any normal sized bear. Can you empty a hundred rounds into a bear before they close with and destroy you? Not so much.

My personal preference for a large game gun? .338 Lapua mag. Hand gun? I aint going to carry a hand gun in bear country.

Now what does this have to do with the OP?

__________________
The National Science Foundation announced the following study results on U.S. military recreation preferences:
1. Sport of choice for Marines: bowling.
2. Sport of choice for Sailors: football.
3. Sport of choice for Soldiers: baseball.
4. Sport of choice for Coast Guardsmen: tennis.
5. Sport of choice for Airmen: golf.
Notice how the farther down the list you go, the smaller their balls get.

You best go for Fl. Their CCW is honored in more states than any other (IIRC anyway).

That really depends. And it is a real hard thing to give a solid answer on. I guess it would also depend on the state.

Please someone correct me if I am wrong, but some states see good citizen acts, some do not.

As far as I know, you do have a duty to help your fellow man, without putting yourself at risk.

I will push this question to a few of my buddies to see what the legalities are.

If it were me?

I would rather spend a lifetime in jail than walk on by and let someone be victimized because of my inaction.

__________________
The National Science Foundation announced the following study results on U.S. military recreation preferences:
1. Sport of choice for Marines: bowling.
2. Sport of choice for Sailors: football.
3. Sport of choice for Soldiers: baseball.
4. Sport of choice for Coast Guardsmen: tennis.
5. Sport of choice for Airmen: golf.
Notice how the farther down the list you go, the smaller their balls get.

Flordia is one of the states impossible for foreigners to get. I think the only states are Utah, New Hampshire, Maine, and Pennsylvania that there is a way for Canadians to get a CCW. I think Utah currently suspended giving foreigners permits and its under review. So that leaves the other three.

Basically, to get the NH permit you need a permit from another state. Maine is the easiest state for Canadians, because the Canadian Restricted Firearms Safety Course, which is mandatory to get the handgun license in Canada, will satisfy their training requirements. So you send that in to Maine with a letter of good conduct and driver's abstract, and you should beable to get the Maine permit. Maine doesn't have good reciprocity though which is why its useless, buts it is needed for the NH which is a much better permit.

After that, you photocopy the Maine permit and send it to NH and they should issue the NH non-resident CCW permit. Hopefully Utah resolves there issues and starts issuing to Canadians again because that was a pretty good CCW in terms of reciprocity from what I hear.

It would be great if Canadians can get more CCWs from different states but it doesn't look like its gonna happen. I think its a fluke we have them as it is, and its no surprise that its mostly from states like NH, Maine, and PA that border Canada and are pretty dependent on Canadian tourists for their economies.

True, I would probably intervene in any case. Worry about nationality later, I doubt it will be a problem. But the legalities are interesting nonetheless.

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"Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives." — John Stuart Mill