Question:  What states will honor my Michigan CPL? 

Answer:  Currently, these states will recognize your Michigan CPL:

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming.  Vermont does not require any type of permit for legal carry.

Question:  What happens if I am traveling to other states? 

You may carry your gun to any state as long as it is unloaded, in a case, separate from the ammo, and in the trunk of your vehicle.  If you do not have a trunk, it must be as far from the driver as possible.

Question:  Can I take my gun on an airline flight?

Yes, your gun must be in a locked, hard case separate from the ammo and must fit in one of your suitcases.  Obviously this must be checked luggage.  This is a federal law but each airline has some subtle differences so check with them before you fly.

Question:  What type of handgun do you recommend? 

Whatever works for you (ie.,reliable, fits your hand, controllable, accurate).  For revolvers; Colt, Smith & Wesson, Ruger, and Taurus are very good.  For semi-autos; Colt, Glock, SIG and Beretta are recommended.

Question:  What type of gun do you carry? 

On duty I carry a full size Glock 17 in 9MM, off duty I carry the compact or mini Glocks in either .357 SIG or .40 S&W.

Question:  What type of ammo should I use for self defense? 

For 9MM I like the CorBon 115 JHP +P, for .38 Special the Winchester 130 +P SXT or Speer 135 +P Gold Dot, for .40 S&W the Remington 165 Golden Saber, for .357 SIG the Remington Golden Saber Bonded, and for .45 the Federal 185 Hydra-Shok.  These are my favorites, you need to make sure that whatever ammo you choose it is reliable, accurate, controllable and has low muzzle flash in your specific gun.

Question:  What types of holsters do you recommend for concealed carry?

For belt slide holsters I like the Kramer belt scabbard, for IWB (in the waist band) holsters the Milt Sparks Versa-Max 2, for ankle holsters the Alessi ankle holster (make sure you give it a full week of wear before you give up), for shirt holsters the Kramer Confidant, for belly bands the Bianchi or Gould and Goodrich, for shoulder holsters the Galco Miami rig, and for pocket holsters the DeSantis Nemesis.  In general I don’t like nylon holsters (they are too cheap), plastic holsters (too noisy and can break), small of the back holsters (too much chance for spinal injury) or paddle holsters (the holster and gun tend to come out together).  The only paddle holster I’ll wear is the MSP by Kramer.

Question:  What should I do if I am stopped by the police while carrying? 

Here are my basic recommendations for dealing with this type of stop.

1.)  Put on your turn signal, and pull over slowly and smoothly to the shoulder.  Do not pull over on a curve, hill, area with guardrails or other dangerous spot.

2.)  Turn off the ignition, place your hands on the steering wheel, switch on your emergency flashers, and turn on the dome light at night.  Never exit the vehicle unless the officer asks you to.

3.)  Be polite, be courteous, and comply with all of the officer’s demands.

4.)  Remember to immediately inform the officer that you are a CPL license holder and that you have a gun with you.  This is the law in Michigan, and the officer will find out anyway when he or she runs your license through the law enforcement computer.

4.)  Hand the officer your drivers license, registration, proof of insurance and your CPL.  Do not say something like “I have a gun!” as this may be construed as a threat.  Do not carry your papers in the same place as your gun, such as in the glovebox.  If you carry your gun close to your wallet, inform the officer of this and ask how you should proceed.

5.)  If the officer requests to take possession of your gun during the stop (and this is rare), tell him exactly where it is, what condition it is in, and ask how to proceed.

6.)  Even if you are not carrying your firearm with you, hand over your CPL and inform the officer that you are not carrying. 

Remember that carrying a pistol and driving are considered privileges and you should obey all gun and traffic laws.  Your attitude and cooperation  will go a long ways in making the stop uneventful.

 

           Ó Eagle Personal Protection 2002