Concealed Carry Myths Busted [Part 2]

Welcome to the second installment of Concealed Carry Myths Busted. If you missed the first article, you can find it here: 6 Concealed Carry Myths Busted. In the meantime, here are six more myths being perpetrated by internet warriors and well-meaning gun shop hangers-on that it would be best if new gun owners ignored.

Concealed Carry Myths Series

• 6 Concealed Carry Myths Busted
• Concealed Carry Myths Busted Part 2
• Concealed Carry Myths Busted Part 3
• Concealed Carry Myths Busted Part 4
• Concealed Carry Myths Busted Part 5

Leaving Magazines Loaded Will Ruin the Springs

Not really. When you load a magazine, it compresses the follower spring but doesn’t really stress it. Modern, quality magazines are meant to be loaded. It’s not the compression of the spring that causes wear; it’s the action of the spring moving while loading and unloading the cartridges in the magazine that will cause the wear. So, loading and unloading it causes more wear than leaving it loaded, like bending a paperclip back and forth until it breaks. Just leaving a magazine loaded will not cause any appreciable wear on the spring of a quality magazine. Cheap after-market magazines could be a different story, but loading and unloading will also be worse in their case.

What you should be concerned about is making sure your magazines will work well when you need them. To ensure this:

1. Rotate your magazines when you go to the range to ensure they work smoothly. If your magazines have gotten dusty inside or been used in a high-grit environment, it’s a good idea to disassemble them and clean the inside and the spring.
2. Do not lubricate them with oil, as that will attract dust and dirt that will gum up the magazine.
3. If you want to lubricate a magazine, use a graphite lubricant or non-oil-based lubricant for magazines like Pistol Pro Mag Slick.

Many competitors also swear by Slick Mist Speed Wax from Lucas Oil, which is also not an oil-based lubricant.

The 2nd Amendment is the Only Permit I Need

If only that were true. While the 2nd Amendment should be the only permit you need, unfortunately, it probably isn’t a defense that would hold up in court. Even in many states that have permitless carry, there are still restrictions on where you can carry a gun. Schools, courthouses, and hospitals frequently have no-guns rules that are backed up by law. Likewise, the federal NFA restricts many types of guns, such as machine guns and sawed-off shotguns, as well as benign things like sound suppressors. If you illegally carry a gun or own certain types of firearms without the proper government approval, you could be looking at legal consequences. Learn and obey your state’s gun laws if you want to stay out of trouble.

Your Car is An Extension of Your Home Regarding Firearm Laws

Maybe. Possibly. But probably not. This myth has two parts. The first is that any circumstances that would justify using deadly force in your home also justify using it in your car. The second part says that you can store, stage, and possess your firearm in your car the same way you can in your home. Let’s look at each separately.

Some states consider an occupied vehicle the same as a residence in self-defense situations. Georgia and Louisiana are examples. Other states, like Texas, only consider a vehicle the same as a dwelling if it is a “vehicle that is adapted for the overnight accommodation of persons.” The law is worded differently in every state, so the smart thing to do is to know and understand your state’s laws regarding the use of deadly force in a vehicle.

As for the part about carrying and storing a firearm in a vehicle, the laws are even more diverse. In some states, you can only have a gun in plain sight if you have a concealed carry permit. In others, a firearm must be locked in a section of the car where no one in the passenger compartment can access it. Again, learn and understand your state’s gun laws. Never make an assumption based on something you hear or what you think is the case.

If You Shoot Someone in Your Yard, Drag the Body Back Into the House

This one comes back to the justifiable use of force. Shooting someone in your yard may be just as justifiable as shooting them inside your home. It all depends on the circumstances. But no matter what the circumstances were, dragging their body into your house is not justifiable under the law. Doing so will only throw suspicion on you and get you charged with tampering with evidence, even if it was a justifiable defensive shooting. Understanding the law, keeping your head under pressure, and acting rationally is much better. 

No Guns Allowed Signs Are Not Enforceable

There are two kinds of no guns allowed signs, and technically, they are both enforceable. Some no-guns signs are backed up by law. The law banning guns from post offices is an example, as are signs at some schools, airports, hospitals, and government buildings. Being caught with a gun in places like these can land you in jail and have your legal ability even to possess a firearm revoked. 

Signs on private property like malls, cinemas, and doctor’s offices are usually a different situation. In some states, they are backed by the law, and in some states, they aren’t. You can’t be arrested for violating them in states where they are only a policy and not backed by the law. However, if you are confronted about having a gun, you can be asked to leave and then banned from returning. Technically, ignoring the request can get you arrested for trespassing, and although that is a minor offense, it would still be a major hassle. My personal policy is always to obey the law no matter where I go and always to carry concealed to ensure no one knows I have a gun in places where it is not against the law to carry one.

Always Shoot to Kill

The better outlook and phrase would be always shoot to end the threat. While ending the threat may indeed result in the death of your assailant, your legal and moral goal is to protect yourself and your loved ones, not to kill someone. In the inevitable police interview and investigation after even the most justifiable defensive shooting, the last thing you want to say is that you shot to kill. The law enforcement standard is shooting to incapacitate the assailant. That may be voluntary incapacitation, meaning the person stops attacking you voluntarily after being shot, or involuntary incapacitation, meaning they physically can no longer continue the attack. Either way, it doesn’t require shooting to kill, although in some cases, the person may give you no other choice.

Conclusion

The internet and other gun owners can be a valuable source of information. Unfortunately, they can be a source of misleading and even dangerous misinformation at other times. So don’t believe everything you hear or read, and don’t pass along myths. And always verify legal information by actually reading and understanding the law.