Speaking of guns

I found out it's $50 to take the class for the concealed permit. I'm thinking I need to go push a pencil and see if I can budget that it.

"Under North Carolina law, it is unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to sell, give away, transfer, purchase, or receive, at any place in the state, any pistol, unless the purchaser or receiver has first obtained a license or permit to receive such a pistol by the sheriff of the county where the purchaser or receiver resides, or the purchaser or receiver possesses a valid North Carolina-issued concealed carry permit. This requirement to obtain a permit prior to the transfer of a pistol applies not only to a commercial transaction, typically at a sporting goods store, but also between private individuals or companies throughout North Carolina."

So you have to have a purchase permit to buy from an individual, unless you have a concealed carry permit. Of course, there's no way that the state can enforce the requirement that you get a purchase permit if an individual is willing to sell to you, but a person would have to be nuts to sell a handgun to somebody if the buyer doesn't have a permit.

I don't know now, but when I lived in NC the sheriffs had a great deal of discretion in issuing purchase permits. I went to get a purchase permit and was told they would have to run a background check on me, not only in NC but in the previous state I lived. This would take several days and I would have to pay for the check. I said that I thought this was ridiculous, given that at the time I held a DOD security clearance. I was asked if I knew anybody in the sheriff's department. I said "sure", I know deputy so-and-so. The sheriff gave the deputy a call and and then said, "no problem, the clerk will issue you a permit". No background check.

There are a number of reasons to get a concealed carry permit, even if you don't intend to carry a pistol. You're pretty much guaranteed that you won't be bothered if, for example, a police search of your vehicle turns up a gun. On the other hand, the penalties for violating the terms of a concealed carry permit (for example, drinking while carrying) are severe in most states.

As far as moving to another state, the requirements for bringing a gun into another state vary from state-to-state. Most states allow you to bring your guns with you when you move, but may require you to buy permits when you do.

Most states with concealed carry permits have reciprocal agreements with other states. So if you have a carry permit in your home state, you are legal to carry (or, more importantly, have a gun in your vehicle) in other CCW states.

• North Carolina firearms laws.

• Hobby farm

"An unconstitutional act is not a law; it confers no rights; it imposes no duties; it affords no protection; it creates no office; it is in legal contemplation as inoperative as though it had never been passed." NORTON V. SHELBY COUNTY, 118 U. S. 425

The right to self-defense is a natural right, given to us by the Creator, it then naturally follows that if we have the right to self-defense then we have the right to use any tools at our disposal to help in our defense. The Declaration of Independance states quite clearly that the government's only legitimate purpose is to protect the people's rights. "...when government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it..."

Furthermore, the bill of rights states that "...the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." Any attempt, no matter how small or trivial it may seem, by government to regulate or restrict the right to keep and bear arms in any way shape or form is a violation of the Constitution. When government violates the law it was sworn to protect, it becomes a criminal government and must be dealt with accordingly.

"It is not true that the legislator has absolute power over our persons and property. The existence of persons and property preceded the existence of the legislator, and his function is only to guarantee their safety. It is not true that the function of law is to regulate our consciences, our ideas, our wills, our education, our opinions, our work, our trade, our talents, or our pleasures. The function of law is to protect the free exercise of these rights, and to prevent any person from interfering with the free exercise of these same rights by any other person." Fedric Bastiat

There's probasbly some better sites (not necessarily forums) you could google up to get you some better information.

Private purchase laws vary from state to state. Carry (concealed or open) likewise. Vehicles only complicate things. And transit through another state is a whole other can of worms.

Just to give an example. I lived in Maine. Then in NY for a few years, then in Ohio, and am now back in Maine. Handgun ownership in NY is so odious a proposition that I left mine with a friend in Maine while I was there. I wanted them with me in Ohio. The quickest route between ME and OH takes you through Massachusets. They have a one-year-in-the-slammer rule for possession of an unauthorized handgun and do not issue transit permits. NY isn't much easier to deal with, but they won't send you to jail. So I took a path out of Maine and across NH and Vermont. Even at that, I had the frames packed in the trailer with padlocks through or over them, and the cylinders and slides in the truck. Might just have easily had them shipped between federally licensed dealers on both ends.

New York's restrictions are a real bite in my opinion. Their geography cuts off New England. They stretch from the salt water to the Canadian border. There is no way to get out of New England and out to the rest of the country without crossing New York or (fuhgeddaboutit with a handgun) Canada.

Say you're in NC. You need to check out the laws on private gun sales in NC. Say you get a permit for concealed carry in NC. That ain't necessarily valid in any other state.

Do some googlin'. Start with NRA's site and follow the links. Just beware that it's the web, and there's a lot of not-so-good info out there, too.