This day has been a long time coming. Illinois is the last state in the union to recognize the right of its citizens to keep and bear arms. And rather than face a judicial mandate that would have made the Land of Lincoln a no-permit, shall-issue 2A heaven, legislators instead conjured a permitting process that’s about as painful and tedious as possible. Even so, around 46,000 people have applied and been approved for a concealed carry permit so far. And now word comes that the first 5,000 concealed carry licenses have arrived in the mailboxes of applicants . . .
At 12:46 PM local time on Saturday, the first post of someone unwrapping his concealed carry license appeared on an Illinois-based forum. From what the local papers are reporting, the state police are cranking out the licenses as fast as they can and the first wave should be appearing Monday in mailboxes across the state. From the Sun Times:
Illinois’ first concealed carry licenses were being sent out Friday and could arrive in mailboxes as early as Monday, Illinois State Police officials said.
[…]
The blue-and-red licenses — about the same size as a driver’s license — are good for five years.
All approved applicants passed both criminal background and mental health checks, Maton said.
State police have so far rejected some 300 applications from people who are prohibited by statute from having one of the new cards, including, for example, people who have two or more DUIs or a domestic violence arrest within the last five years, Maton said. Another 2,800 applicants submitted either incomplete or inaccurate information, and officials are delaying approval until they can check out that information, Maton said.
If the gun control advocates are right, Illinois streets will be running red with blood any second now. Then again, since the former gun control utopia is home to some of the worst gang violence in the United States, if the war zone predictions come to pass, would they even notice?
No matter — every other state that has made this transition has had the wild west scaremongering pronouncements proven to be as fictional as the movies on which they were based. Illinois will be no different.
AS it has happened in every other shall issue state crime will go down. It will take some time though. And because IL is in the media crosshairs there will be plenty of media folk dissecting each and every DGU. Be ready for the cries to repeal while the dust settles.
Yep, no matter how clean and justified the shoot the folks in charge are going to try to fry the ccw holder involved.
It all depends where. Central Illinois, where I grew up? Not so much. Cook County, where I live now? May God help the poor soul involved in a DGU.
I’m hoping the first CCW license holder who has to use their pistol in self-defense is a woman defending herself from rape or a beating. It would be even better if it was a black or Hispanic woman. Why? Because that would utterly destroy the script that Dart (Cook County Sheriff) and McCarthy (Chicago Police Superintendent) have written, that this is going to bring out the nuts. How do you vilify a woman who is defending herself from rape?
a white perp would be preferable as well. Completely wreck their playbook.
Hurrah! Hurrah for a teeny tiny baby step in the right direction that I can’t take advantage of because of age discrimination on the government’s part. Yay.
Fortunately, age is just a temporary condition.
Does the state have an exception for military members? I know mine does (even national guard).
I drink a toast for this victory. I know these times are tough for the AI, but this is the sweet fruit yeilding from the tree of liberty.
That is one happy looking man.
Praise the Lord!
Some people can have a few with no problem. Some people try to open the airplane door at 30,000 ft. because they took the first one. Texas lets the individual decide. Personally, I would rather that people not carry if they are consuming alcohol but that is not a decision I can make for anyone but myself.
Meanwhile back in what used to be the Constitution State………
Got to shoot a stunningly beautiful Sako with a mannlicher stock in .375 today.
Now I have to buy it. It was love at first bang.
The original ammo comes with it.
Price tag still on the ammo $9.99.
I live in Texas, but I will MOST CERTAINLY drink in honor of this.
Seriously, this is the kind of thing parties are thrown for.
It seems that the article here went off track when talking about CCW versus gun ownership laws. Right in here:
“Finally H-Jeb brings up their ultimate objection:
In addition, a number of lesser crimes don’t limit an individual’s ability to own a gun, but they do prohibit someone convicted of those offenses from obtaining a concealed weapon permit. If Bright’s bill were passed, people who break those laws would be legally able to carry weapons.
The only problem is, as far as I can tell from an intensive perusal of the relevant statutes, blogs and discussion threads, H-Jeb is simply flat out wrong (another case for Mandatory Factual Safety Education legislation). The statutes, SC SLED site and application all state that if you can’t possess a firearm under federal or state law you can’t get a permit. In other words, people who break “those laws” would not be able to legally carry a weapon[2]. The only possible exception I can find is a footnote from a SC CWP class website which states:”
H-Jeb is regretting the idea that people who do qualify for gun ownership but not CCW because of “lesser crimes” would be entitled to their right to carry in they manner they prefer under the new laws. He is arguing that rights are good and fine until you want to exercise them, since at that point the state needs power to relegate those rights into privileges. All are equal, but some are more equal. In other words the status quo in most states.
H-Jeb’s assertion is wrong, but his statement to support his assertion is correct. People formerly denied CCW but not ownership would in the future be allotted the full measure of their rights.
I feel your pain JeffR. I too live in Cook County,Illinois. Not in a big hurry to get cc.They’re NOT done screwing us. Still a big victory.
I have a friend who is getting his CCW. We sat down and added up all the cost involved for a person seeking one. Add up the cost of the license, the cost of the training involved (16 hours), the cost of ammo, the charges for the application and other costs and you are in excess of $500.
Myself, and a lot of people, got credit for 8 hours of previous training.
Military veterans, plus those who’ve taken NRA Basic Pistol/Personal Protection Inside the Home/Personal Protection Outside the Home get 8 hours. I can’t remember if you can stack 4 hour classes such as Hunter Safety, AZ/UT training, etc., to make 8 hours.
My 2nd 8 hour class was $150 (I had Basic Pistol a few years ago) + $150 application fee + $60 for fingerprints + $23 for ammo for live fire qualification
Yes, of course, Marie, but that’s not the point.
If you have no such previous classes or qualifications you are going to pay through the nose for the “right” to carry concealed in IL.
Stinks.
This is fantastic.
Congratulations to those smiling folks in Illinois.
Can’t believe this day has come. Anxiously awaiting mine to arrive.
“To better serve all of our valued customers, we will limit you to 3 boxes of .25 caliber pellets per purchase, per customer, per day.”
I carry a 357 snub-nose and a lcp380 as a back up.
So first I will shoot someone 6 times with my 357 and then I can unload a 380 hollow point slug on them.
Do you think I have enough stopping power?
Ive had a 45c for almost a year. Gun shoots low with most ammo and haven’t been able to fix this even with different sights. A 200 grain bullet @800 ft/sec shoots to point of aim (pretty close) but anything hotter and it starts going low, sometimes real low.
Trigger was a nightmare when I first got the gun and I was thinking about the APEX kit. However, with several hundred rounds the trigger has really smoothed itself out. It’s not great but it sure isn’t bad either.
The changeable backstraps are nice, I just can’t find one that really fits. They all feel like the are trying to push my hand down from the bore axis of the gun, don’t like that feel.
After all this I still like this gun. It is so accurate, not uncommon to cut one ragged hole from 15 to 20 yards….just shoots this great group really low. The gun, even with hotter ammo feels great, it absorbs recoil much better than my Kimber Crimson Pro Carry, I just wish it shot to POA. This is a very reliable pistol, no hiccups, nice and light, like the polymer frame, it would be a great gun if it shot to POA. I wouldn’t mind if it shot high but I hate a gun that shoots low. Still, I think Smith has a winner here.
Jerry Miculek is clearly a cyborg sent from the future. No human can do the things he does.
“It’s been said before, but a good belt might even be more important than a good holster in a carry rig. A quality belt can make even a crappy holster acceptable, while a crappy belt can make it uncomfortable to wear the best holster in the world.”
A quality gun belt (double thickness or rigid) is the most important part of the carry system, it’s the foundation.
Yes, the Great Ammo Shortage is over…….except for .22. None around these parts.
An Ares Ranger belt was one of the best investments I’ve ever made in regard to firearms. Frickin belt is amazing. Ordered a Ares Aegis and patiently waiting for that to arrive.
Doesn’t surprise me about AF Security losing 40 mm rounds. Long before any of you were born, in the Army, we had to police up empty casings and we stayed until the numbers added up to what was shot.
So I worked at an Airbase and the SP’s would always lose ammo on the flightline. I thought this seemed odd but the Commanders just blew it off. They were more interested in making sure the grass was cut, the base signs were painted and/ or well lit and their special parking spot at the Club had better be well marked. Don’t start me on the Commander who was in Toastmasters, all the suck ups joined and every month at the Club they sucked up. A month after he left, Toastmasters folded, so did the Burger another Commander had named after himself on the Club menu (last name), gone too the month he left.
They DO have their priorities, they just don’t include managing and supervising who handles 40 mm rounds.
Just sayin’
Since they’ve ignored Chicago violence so far, they can stay blaming it on the new policy.
Ran into THE great man Miculek at the NRA meeting a few years ago. He is as laid back and friendly as you see on his videos. But I do think of the late Bob Munden and Tom Knapp every so often. More good guys !
Btw I always find it ironic that most homilies focus around self help and the helping of others. Help the poor, help the homeless, help your fellow man, help your wife, help your children. But for the love of everything that is holy, do not seek help in protecting any of the latter.
“Should TTAG Use the Term “Slave State”?”
I would, which probably means probably not. 😉
In the recent article “CT POLICE READY TO GO DOOR TO DOOR”, I commented that the State of CT would not launch a planned campaign to seize “illegal” weapons and magazines and arrest their owners (made felons by law/fiat), but employ other means to force compliance and/or confront “violators” piecemeal. So, here is Phase 1.
Insofar as Civil War 2, that’s not likely because Civil War 1 was an entirely different situation where you had whole States (both populous and political) united in one purpose, with contiguous borders of like-minded States opposing the Federal Government. It’s not like Armies of Arms Owners are going to form in some States, then traverse unsympathetic States to attack Connecticut. It just will not happen, moreover, it really cannot happen. We need to stop wasting time on this “Civil War 2” notion and start figuring out how we can really help our Brothers and Sisters in Connecticut. I do not see any good options, but I am sure there are sharper tools in the shed who can. It is/will be very complicated.
Like, déjà vu, man…
DIRK DIGGLER FAN. Great idea.
I have two Glocks, Two Beretta Px4’s. I love all of them. Saying that, I bought a P226 .40 last week used. Had it to the range once. This is a great gun. Little pricy but well worth it to me. I like it being heavier and it fits my hand great. Wasn’t looking at Sigs too much due to the price. I have shot my buddy’s Sigs (he has several models) and really liked them so when I came upon the used one I had to jump. Haven’t had it more than a week and I’m already looking for another. Man, was I missing out.
So when is the big game hunt?
We’ve got some nice sized griz up here in AK- could be a fun trip to blog out…
I think carry near operating MRI’s should be prevented; other than that I don’t care.
Modern might be a relative term, here. The Russians made a big deal about how they were going to do “precision bombing” in Chechnya, then basically carpet-bombed Grozny, WW2-style. In Georgia they rolled a bunch of tanks, artillery and infantry to take over South Ossetia, which is a very small piece of real estate. They’ve sent a small number (the average of the news reports seems to be around 30,000) of troops into Crimea, but eastern Ukraine directly borders Russia so you have to count however many Russian troops are right across the border, which is most of them since Moscow is a day’s drive from Kiev. If they go at it, I predict the result will look more like the Yugoslav wars than Afghanistan.
The parallels to 1936 are eerie, with the showcase Olympics in the dictator’s country followed soon after by military actions that all the educated intellectuals insisted were things of the past that would never happen in the evolved, modern world. I wonder how many Poles are looking up real estate prices in the western parts of their country right now…
Hmmm…..I think COMMA Douchebag would have been more appropriate. The use of PERIOD Douchebag seems as if he is signing his name after his statement.
I wouldn’t take my concealed firearm into any establishment of an owner that refers to himself as Douchebag.
All you whiners go on over to http://www.aclu.org
Perhaps they will make you happy. Then go register and VOTE
A list of impossibles
1 – Morita MK II Advanced Systems Rifle from Starship troopers
2 – Proton Pack from Ghostbusters
3 – The Noisy Cricket from Men in Black
4 – Plasma Caster from Predator
5 – Lawgiver from Judge Dredd
6 – Z-F1 from The Fifth Element
7 – AMR-B5 Repeater from District 9
8 – M56 Smart Gun from Aliens
9 – M95A1 Phased Plasma Rifle from T2
10 – Samaritan from Hellboy
Oh Im sorry is this only suppose to be real guns?
I submitted mine on 5/9/14 and my application # is 000013010 – I wonder if my # Is so low because I accessed the application in January and filled out everything but uploading the certificate and photo…?
Hello i got accepted 06/26/2015 does anyone know when i will receive my ccw ? its 6/28/2015