CCW permit

[PulsatingBeaver]

Hey everyone

Im 18 so i cant get a handgun until i turn 21 so i wanted to get my CCW. Do i have to be 21 to get a CCW. I mainly want one so that i can conceal a knife over the 3 inches or maybe a fixed blade. Also could i do this in VA?

Thanks for the help

[OakRidgeStars]

You must be 21 to get your CHP in Virginia.

[Jakeiscrazy]

No you cannot get a CHP.

You MAY conceal a knife over three inches. The length of the knife has nothing to do with whether you can conceal it or not. These as things you cannot conceal.

§ 18.2-308. Personal protection; carrying concealed weapons; when lawful to carry.

A. If any person carries about his person, hidden from common observation, (i) any pistol, revolver, or other weapon designed or intended to propel a missile of any kind by action of an explosion of any combustible material; (ii) any dirk, bowie knife, switchblade knife, ballistic knife, machete, razor, slingshot, spring stick, metal knucks, or blackjack; (iii) any flailing instrument consisting of two or more rigid parts connected in such a manner as to allow them to swing freely, which may be known as a nun chahka, nun chuck, nunchaku, shuriken, or fighting chain; (iv) any disc, of whatever configuration, having at least two points or pointed blades which is designed to be thrown or propelled and which may be known as a throwing star or oriental dart; or (v) any weapon of like kind as those enumerated in this subsection, he shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. A second violation of this section or a conviction under this section subsequent to any conviction under any substantially similar ordinance of any county, city, or town shall be punishable as a Class 6 felony, and a third or subsequent such violation shall be punishable as a Class 5 felony. For the purpose of this section, a weapon shall be deemed to be hidden from common observation when it is observable but is of such deceptive appearance as to disguise the weapon's true nature.

Even if you could get you CHP it only allows you carry a handgun concealed.

Since you are 18 you MAY open carry(clearly visible) anything you can legally own(including a handgun).

[PulsatingBeaver]

thanks a lot for all of the help

[Jericho01]

Hey everyone

Im 18 so i cant get a handgun until i turn 21 so i wanted to get my CCW. Do i have to be 21 to get a CCW. I mainly want one so that i can conceal a knife over the 3 inches or maybe a fixed blade. Also could i do this in VA?

Thanks for the help

Remember: it's not CCW (Concealed Carry Weapon) but CHP for Concealed Handgun Permit. The permit is specifically for handguns.

[monkymate]

You seem to have a misconception here. Being 18-20 years old means you cannot purchase a handgun from a FFL dealer. It does not mean that you cannot purchase one from an individual and legally own it. We have hashed this one out over on vaguntrader.com. Now after you get one you can carry open carry in VA but there are some places where open carry is not allowed but CHP carry is.

[PulsatingBeaver]

You seem to have a misconception here. Being 18-20 years old means you cannot purchase a handgun from a FFL dealer. It does not mean that you cannot purchase one from an individual and legally own it. We have hashed this one out over on vaguntrader.com. Now after you get one you can carry open carry in VA but there are some places where open carry is not allowed but CHP carry is.

Im 18, so i can legally purchase a handgun from an individual and open carry it?

[OakRidgeStars]

Im 18, so i can legally purchase a handgun from an individual and open carry it?

Yes

[PulsatingBeaver]

Im 18, so i can legally purchase a handgun from an individual and open carry it?

Yes

YES, i was saving for an ak but now that i found this out a 357 revolver sounds good!

[OakRidgeStars]

Sounds like a good choice. The .357 Magnum makes an excellent all-around cartridge, and it can be used in rifles as well as handguns.

[PulsatingBeaver]

Sounds like a good choice. The .357 Magnum makes an excellent all-around cartridge, and it can be used in rifles as well as handguns.

haahah yea, im so excited

[zephyp]

Sounds like a good choice. The .357 Magnum makes an excellent all-around cartridge, and it can be used in rifles as well as handguns.

I think someone needs to ask PB how experienced he is. A .357 mag is simply not a good choice for a beginner planning to carry. Way too much gun. You are correct Jay, but your statement needs to be qualified.

Pulsatingbeaver - unless you have some decent experience behind you with handguns I strongly recommend you get something else especially if you plan to carry.

[PulsatingBeaver]

Sounds like a good choice. The .357 Magnum makes an excellent all-around cartridge, and it can be used in rifles as well as handguns.

I think someone needs to ask PB how experienced he is. A .357 mag is simply not a good choice for a beginner planning to carry. Way too much gun. You are correct Jay, but your statement needs to be qualified.

Pulsatingbeaver - unless you have some decent experience behind you with handguns I strongly recommend you get something else especially if you plan to carry.

I agree, but im not going to carry unless its concealed. So im going to get my chp when i turn 21, but im still going to get a 357 mag to keep at home and practice with it at the range.

[Jakeiscrazy]

Sounds like a good choice. The .357 Magnum makes an excellent all-around cartridge, and it can be used in rifles as well as handguns.

I think someone needs to ask PB how experienced he is. A .357 mag is simply not a good choice for a beginner planning to carry. Way too much gun. You are correct Jay, but your statement needs to be qualified.

Pulsatingbeaver - unless you have some decent experience behind you with handguns I strongly recommend you get something else especially if you plan to carry.

I agree, but im not going to carry unless its concealed. So im going to get my chp when i turn 21, but im still going to get a 357 mag to keep at home and practice with it at the range.

I would recommend you rent a revolver or shoot one somewhere just to make sure your "a revolver guy". I personally find them difficult to shoot well even in single action do to the way the grip interfaces with the frame.

[mk4]

agree completely, Jake.
i've shot s&w and ruger .357mag revolvers and they'd be my last choice as a carry gun. 1st choice, for me, is my sig p239 chambered for 357sig. 2nd choice is my p229r chambered the same. if the shtf, i'll just pair 'em both up with my mossy 12g slung over my shoulder.

[zephyp]

I would recommend you rent a revolver or shoot one somewhere just to make sure your "a revolver guy". I personally find them difficult to shoot well even in single action do to the way the grip interfaces with the frame.

Good advice Jake. I can shoot a revolver fine in either mode but not as well or fast as a pistol. I think it might even be fair to say that eons ago revolvers were the norm and pistols were specialized. Now it seems to be the other way...pistols are the norm and revolvers are specialized.

If I were going to carry a .357 mag it would be a DE. Easier, better, quicker. Just more expensive but a gun for SD should not be skimped.

[monkymate]

It is not which gun you will pick that I worry about. It is the excitement you are showing that you can carry. Carrying is a very big responsibility and open carry even more so. You also need to research the law and understand where you can and and cannot carry, what the possible outcome may be from carrying, and take a really good look inside to see if you have the maturity to carry responsibly.

I both open carry and concealed carry. When I open carry I use it as a conversation starter to speak to people about the 2nd amendment and our rights. There is no cool factor to carrying. The outcome from carrying can be escalating an encounter to a higher level than it should have reached with either the police or another person. These events can result in loss of money to defend your right to carry, loss of the firearm, and possibly loss of your life or liberty due to jail time EVEN IF you were following the law.

I am in no way saying that due to your age you do not have the maturity to carry. Age has absolutely nothing to do with it. There are many young and old people I know that shouldn't carry BUT in our country they have the right to and I do support that.

Take care and be safe and responsible.

[PulsatingBeaver]

i want to conceal carry so ill wait to get my chp

[oldnavy]

No matter what you do, nice job in researching and asking advice from people experienced in these matters.

[TenchCoxe]

You MAY conceal a knife over three inches. The length of the knife has nothing to do with whether you can conceal it or not.

I agree the statute does not expressly say you can't conceal any knife over three inches in length, but let's be careful with the general statement that the length of the knife doesn't matter. It *can* be a factor a court would consider in determining whether you violated the statute.

The statute forbids concealed carry of "any dirk, bowie knife, switchblade knife, ballistic knife, machete" as well as "any weapon of like kind as those enumerated." There are Virginia court cases in which the court had to determine whether a knife found in a guy's pocket or backpack was a "dirk" or "bowie knife" or "weapon of like kind." The statute doesn't define the term, but the courts look at the generally-accepted definition of a dirk as a long"ish" fighting knife - more specifically, the Virginia Court of Appeals has indicated its understanding that a "dirk" is "any stabbing weapon having two sharp edges and a point, including daggers, short swords and stilettos." The court also stated that "A "bowie knife" or weapon of like kind is any stabbing weapon having a single sharp edge, a dull or serrated flat edge and a point, such as a hunting knife, a fishing knife or a survivalist's knife." The court also has stated that "The determination of whether a particular knife falls within the meaning of a term used in the statute is a question of fact determined by the trier of fact according to the circumstances of the case."

One factor the court likely would consider in determining whether a knife is of the type meant to be prohibited by the statute from being concealed is the length of the blade and whether it's a fixed or folding blade, etc. In fact, I seem to recall reading a case in which the court did consider the fact that a knife had a blade longer than 3" as an indication of the knife's intended use as either a "fighting knife" or a more innocuous pocketknife. I'll have to look for that one...