ok so. i want to buy a handgun and im new to this. i want to be able to take it to a shooting range and eventually get a permit to carry in the state of PA. but as far as just going to the place i know its a 48 hour wait for an application. How hard was this to obtain and the application process.

first, register at PAFOA.org

then, read this: Obtaining a PA LTCF

read as much as humanly possible, then post if you have any questions about something not covered already. i know i preach about PAFOA a lot, but it really is the only place to go for info on weapons in PA.

getting a LTCF in PA really couldn't be easier. depending on what county you live in, you might have to wait up to 45 days, or you could be like me in Berks Co. and be in and out within 9 minutes with your freshly printed license.

Uhh, what 48 hour wait? If you are of age (21) you can go into a gun shop and buy a gun in a few minutes. A little bit of paperwork, the dealer runs a PICS check and if that is approved you are on your way. Unless it is some weird rule of the place you went to...

It is very easy to buy a firearm in PA. Getting a LTCF in PA can be pretty easy or a bit of a pain depending on your county. In Chester County I applied and had my LTCF in less than two weeks.

PAOpenCarry.org has good info, too.

Emptied my pockets after going out with some buddies. Thought it was an inspiring shot for anyone who was thinking about getting their ltcf.

Brian- "dude can you bring your gun in a bar?"

me- "the bar is still in America isn't it? I'm all legal unless the business owners state otherwise."

I'm currently sitting in an airport on my way to Chicago and I have never felt so naked before in my life. <3 my full-size.

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n...e/b0405680.jpg

Just a cool thing for me but... I held a M1 Carbine tonight that my uncle carried in the Vietnam. Even had a banana clip in it!! Also, I held his dads marine issued special edition .45 cal hand gun. His dad was in the first wave of soldiers to land on guadal canal during WW2. pretty FN cool

My AR with a few new parts....

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i2...s/DSC00692.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i2...etargets-1.jpg

Zeroing the Red Dot

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i2...s/DSC00693.jpg

Nice, I bought mine about a month ago. I wanted duo tone like yours, but I saw the black and loved it.

Waiting on my LTCF and Crossbreed Supertuck holster. I don't know how well I'll be able to conceal this in just a regular shirt, but it should be easier with some heavier clothes.

My Springfield XDm 9mm:

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/a...405-0241-1.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/a...00405-0242.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/a...00405-0242.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/a...00405-0243.jpg

wow i really like that.

Nice man!

I just bought but I obviously have to wait until my permit comes in..

http://www.ghostinc.com/product/GHO_STH/GI-STEALTH.html

That's a nifty holster

The crossbread is suppose to be really comfortable. Let us all know how you like it. I've been debating picking one up for my G26

No problem. I should get it sometime this week.

:bigeek: nothing covering the trigger?? that's just asking for trouble.

Well since the gun is double-action only and there is no safety, I will not be walking around with a round in the chamber. It only takes me two seconds to pull it out and rack in a load.

Hopefully you'll have the use of both your hands if/when you ever need to draw your weapon and rack in a load. :roll:

This. The only way to carry is with one in the chamber, otherwise you have a worthless club.

hmm. i had a feeling that was coming. not trying to be a dick here, but you might want to do some serious rethinking about that one. to carry a weapon in anything other than 'condition one' isn't too bright.

many people who have yet to carry say the same thing as you, that they believe they can rack it fast enough. after you (hopefully) research the subject, you'll realize that you'll probably be afraid to carry without one in the chamber.

There's nothing unsafe about carrying a weapon with a round in the chamber if you're using a quality holster with some form of retention. plus, your gun has TWO safeties, the grip and trigger. you have to actually grip the gun and pull the trigger in order for it to fire. BUT, that still doesn't make it okay to carry in a holster that doesn't cover the trigger. look at all quality holsters for all guns. every one of them covers the trigger.

read this entire thread... right from the guys who know your weapon the best: http://www.xdtalk.com/forums/ccw-tal...-question.html

I read the entire thread and I don't disagree with what they have to say, its just that I don't see the point with carrying with one in the chamber. It takes me 3 seconds, sometimes less, to draw my gun and rack in a load. Unless somebody is standing there pointing a gun at me, there is no situation where this wouldn't work. And besides, if I ever found myself in that position, I'm pretty sure that any sudden movement would result in me getting shot.

you both have good points. i have a glock 23 .40 cal and it doesn't have a safety per say, but it does have the mechanism on the trigger. when i first got my permit, i left the gun unchambered to get acquainted with carrying, but now i won't go anywhere without a round in the chamber and a full mag. im more confident in myself with concealing and if caught in a bad situation, those '2 seconds' of racking the gun could mean life or death.

It takes the average human being less than 3 seconds to cover 21 feet. Are you going to be able to pull out your gun, rack a round, and engage effectively? I doubt you'll put rounds on target and even if you do there is the possibility that the person will keep coming at you due to adrenaline or drugs unless you hit them in the CNS. Seriously rethink your plan of attack to carry a firearm. Go get training to make you more comfortable with carrying while having one in the chamber.

The point of carrying with one in the chamber is to have a weapon that is effective in engaging a target. Why else would you carry a gun? It being unloaded is similiar to having a fire extinguisher that isn't charged and then saying you'll charge it when there is a blaze going on in your bed room.

Go somewhere that rents handguns and shoot a few, see what fits you best and is most comfortable to you.

Get something that is vetted and considered reliable:

Glock
HK (p30 is really nice)
Smith & Wesson M&P line
Sig
etc...

Because a weapon without a chambered round is nothing more then an expensive striking weapon.

As stated, a grown man can cover 7 yards in under 3 seconds. If you really think you can draw, chamber a round, and achieve good hits sufficient to stop the threat in that time without being stabbed, shot, hit with a brick, etc....

New toy...

Glock 17 Gen 4, front sight is an AmeriGlo ProGlo (orange "LumiNova Glo" dot with green Tritium insert)

Shoots great, really digging the texture on the grip. Would love to try a more aggressive texture at sometime...

http://www.msprotege.com/members/tur...cksidefull.jpg

http://www.msprotege.com/members/tur.../glockgrip.jpg

http://www.msprotege.com/members/tur...ock%20side.jpg

http://www.msprotege.com/members/tur...topofslide.jpg

http://www.msprotege.com/members/tur...k/sightpic.jpg

the point of carrying with one in the chamber is that in the time it takes you to recognize the threat, draw your weapon, chamber a round, grip properly, aim (or at least point), and fire enough shots to stop the threat... you'll already be dead.

how exactly do you envision self defense shootings happening? slow.. planned.. comfortable.. just like at the range? if you pull the trigger under those circumstances it's not called self defense, it's called murder. not that i've ever had any personal experience (thank god), but real SD shootings are fast and ugly. the only time you ever draw your weapon, it will be under some condition where you are attacked by someone with a weapon of their own, or a time where you wholeheartedly believe that you are otherwise in grave danger. it's "i shoot this person NOW or i'm dead." THAT is self defense, and in a SD shooting, you will not have time to chamber a round. period.

study and practice the Tueller Drill. it takes what the other guys have already said about the average human needing only 3 seconds or less to cover 21 feet and puts it into real world practice. not to mention, without a doubt the majority of SD shootings happen well below the 21 foot distance. simply put, if you shoot someone any further away, you could have easily evaded the threat and therefore will NOT be considered SD. you go to jail. my point is just that in the real world you'll never have enough time to chamber a round.

here's a few examples:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQKqg-zcte4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWqQZ...eature=related

^Point taken.

So instead of that dinky little Stealth clip, how about this for a carry holster? I will feel much more comfortable carrying with a round in the chamber with this...


http://www.gunnersalley.com/product/H715


Or this one...

http://www.xdtalk.com/forums/tenness...d-holster.html

Its a little pricey, but I figure I spent money on a good gun so I might as well shell out some extra bucks for a quality holster.

This holster has gotten nothing but great reviews. It conceals well, and is supposed to be super comfortable. I'm waiting for mine as we speak:

Crossbreed SuperTuck Deluxe

neither of them look too bad. Don Hume is a good name in leather holsters. at the moment i carry my M&P40C in a cheapo Blackhawk nylon IWB holster ($15) with a single clip. i'm still waiting to order my MTAC until my friend is ready to get his. the Blackhawk nylon holster isn't nearly as bad as i thought it was going to be, but it's definitely not a permanent setup. it moves around like crazy, no matter how much i tighten my belt. i prefer to carry at about the 3 to 4 o'clock position with a lot of forward cant. getting a single clip zero cant holster to do that and stay where i put it is nearly impossible. i can only imagine the two that you linked to would do the exact same thing. then again, it's all about how you prefer to carry. i tried on a friend's MTAC one time and was sold instantly... no movement and very comfortable. i can't want until i get mine.

http://www.comp-tac.com/catalog/prod...products_id=95

the crossbreed supertuck mentioned above is the only competition to the MTAC. i've heard the MTAC is a little bit nicer of a product overall, but both are said to be incredible holsters.

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup::thumbup: :thumbup::thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup::thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...TACHolster.jpg

X10 its like trying to stab someone with a sheath on your knife! IIRC my ex-military roommate told me if there are two threats coming at you (one with a knife and one with a gun), you neutralize the one with the knife first... reason being: knifes don't jam, knifes generally dont miss, and knifes dont need to be reloaded)

not that that is really even on topic, but if you dont have a round chambered and a threat is moving fast enough you will be SOL unless you do have one loaded.

very nice! i'm not too fond of full size guns in general, but my dad's G17 was a nice gun to shoot. if only it was as easy to install night sights on my M&P as it is on your glock i'd have a nice set of Trijicons already!

also forgot to mention i was at CP for a few hours today, put 3 or 400 rounds through the two glock 19's and the baretta 9mm. my roomate also purchased ANOTHER ar (yes he now has 3 or 4 of them) we really need to set up a day when we can all meet up and shoot!

Yeah I keep hearing about this holster but tbh, its is too large for me and wayyy too expensive.

Maybe when I'm not a full time student I could afford something like that.. haha

WTF??? :mad:

Thank you. I don't have a problem concealing a full-size, and wanted to try one of the new Gen 4 Glocks (my first Glock) and they don't as of yet make a Glock 19 Gen 4. I think I am going to pick up a 26 eventually too.

M&P was the other pistol on my list. Like yours?

wait.... did someone actually say they don't leave one in the pipe when they carry?

where's that picture of the lol wut pear when I need it

On one hand, I can see why a first time guy may be a little intimidated carrying with a round chambered, but that is what WE are for. Once we bully him into the right method, he will realize that it is the right thing to do. :)

Concealed carrying unloaded for self defense is silly. The only thing an unloaded gun might do is be a visual deterrent if you were open carrying. Save money for a good holster. :) Cheap, crappy holsters are as pointless as the unloaded gun you'd be carrying :wink:

I suppose I should thank you then.

haha

Look into Kholster. They make knockoffs of the crossbreed for about 1/2 the price.
www.kholster.com

They have a sale for $39/shipped.

LOL @ Crossbread :-p

Listen to Julz! She has absolutely no experience with what she speaks. :bigeek: :roll: :rofl: