If licensed to carry, will the Feds come get my gun?

[TXlaw1]

As I've been talking with folk about getting a Concealed Handgun License, I'm being asked questions like this --

If I have a CHL, the Feds will know I have a gun and come first to my house to confiscate it and put me in jail.
If I don't have a CHL, I'll not be their target. What should I do?

So how are you answering such questions? I want some good responses to convince my friends of the benefits of being licensed and carrying their guns concealed away from their homes to protect themselves and their loved ones and others.

Thanks for your help.

[TheArmedFarmer]

I thought the Texas DPS won't share the CHL information with anyone else. Why would they give this information over to the feds?

[sjfcontrol]

Ummm, seems to me if your NOT licensed, and you're carrying, the police will confiscate your gun and throw you in jail.

As for the Feds, sounds like tin-hat lunacy to me.
The Feds already KNOW everybody in Texas has at least several guns. They going to throw the whole state in prison?

[sjfcontrol]

I thought the Texas DPS won't share the CHL information with anyone else. Why would they give this information over to the feds?

DPS only shares that info with law-enforcement agencies. Presumably that would include the Feds. They don't share with private individuals or companies.

[G.A. Heath]

Have you bought a gun from a gun store/dealer in the last 20 or so years? if so there is a paper trail leading straight to you.

[seamusTX]

The people in the black helicopters have X ray machines that can see through walls. They already know who has guns. Also, if you have an American, Texas, or Confederate flag, they will come for you first.



Seriously, for the past 40 years (since I was old enough to pay attention) I have been hearing about the "new world order," race wars, communist invasion, U.N. takeover, secret detention camps, etc.—also the imminent Second Coming.

I'm still waiting.

- Jim

[cougartex]

Ummm, seems to me if your NOT licensed, and you're carrying, the police will confiscate your gun and throw you in jail.

As for the Feds, sounds like tin-hat lunacy to me.
The Feds already KNOW everybody in Texas has at least several guns. They going to throw the whole state in prison?

[duckhead]

[AEA]

I thought the Texas DPS won't share the CHL information with anyone else. Why would they give this information over to the feds?

DPS only shares that info with law-enforcement agencies. Presumably that would include the Feds. They don't share with private individuals or companies.

They do give the CHL info over to the Feds indirectly on every CHL application by way of the fingerprints. So, I would guess that the Feds do in fact know that you at least applied for a CHL.

As to if you would be targeted...........
If it goes that far, you can be assured that there are many other things you should be worried about. One of which is that you should have plenty of ammo on hand.

[G26ster]

I know every time I fill out a 4473, within hours there are military helicopters flying low over my house. My wife says it's because we live near Bell Helicopter, but I'm not so sure that's the only reason. Also, at every gun show, I see people turning their weapons over to the cops at the door!! Not sure what makes them do this, but it's suspicious if you ask me! And, to make it worse, I also note that the table where the cops are is usually very close to the NRA booth that's just inside the main entrance!

Airports bother me even more. When I go through security I know for a fact that I am getting closer scrutiny by the expressions on the TSA people's faces. Even if I have taken my meds that day, I can feel it! Just the other day, I had one of my guns returned to me from the manufacturer after repair. Right there on the box was the manufacturer's name and address, and even more scary was my name and address too! And, to top it all off, they now have my signature to confirm it!

I'm so concerned about this, sometimes I just sit at home and shake

[The Annoyed Man]

The people in the black helicopters have X ray machines that can see through walls. They already know who has guns. Also, if you have an American, Texas, or Confederate flag, they will come for you first.

You forgot the part where they take away your birthday and secure your heartbeat.

[cope]

An attempt to confiscate guns is already underway, but it is happening incrementally through legislation and regulation (see Chicago).

It is happening in blue states right now, and will eventually spill over into blue cities within red states (i.e. Austin), through local ordinances.

Deny it all you want, but it is happening right before our eyes.

[baldeagle]

An attempt to confiscate guns is already underway, but it is happening incrementally through legislation and regulation (see Chicago).

It is happening in blue states right now, and will eventually spill over into blue cities within red states (i.e. Austin), through local ordinances.

Deny it all you want, but it is happening right before our eyes.

No offense, but that's baloney. The attempt to take away citizens' guns began in the 1830's and got progressively worse until 1994, when the "assault weapon" ban was signed into law. Since the 1980's the pushback has increased until it culminated in two Supreme Court cases (Heller and MacDonald) that declared that the RKBA is a fundamental right. This means that for governments to infringe on that right requires what is called "strict scrutiny". A state must have a compelling interest, narrowly defined and not resolved through less restrictive means, before an anti-gun law will pass constitutional muster.

In the future you will see more and more Supreme Court cases concerning the 2A that will define exactly what states can and cannot do with regard to gun control measures. It goes without saying that it is now impossible to ban handguns without having the law struck down. It remains to be seen whatever measures will fail as well, but I think anything that is applied unequally or unfairly will surely fail to pass muster. (So look for "may issue" states to lose in court. May issue states are clearly discriminatory, in my view.) You may also find that CHL fees will be required to be "reasonable" and requirements to obtain a license may be required to be 'not onerous". Chicago's new proposed handgun ordinance (now that their ban has been found unconstitutional) will probably also be found unconstitutional in the breadth of its restrictions. The new DC ordinance, passed in the light of Heller, is already being challenged in the courts by Heller and may make it to the Supreme Court.

In short, the days of draconian anti-gun laws are gone, although some bitter clingers may continue to try until the Court slaps them down a few more times.

[seamusTX]

If the political will existed to "ban guns" in the U.S., the powers that be would not go door-to-door confiscating them. After about three days of trying that, the job would prove so dangerous that no one would do it.

The late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan realized in the 1970s that the way to destroy the right to keep and bear arms is to tax ammunition prohibitively.

At ten cents per round (a box of .22 LR costing $60-70), recreational shooting becomes effectively unaffordable except for wealthy shotgunners. Ranges shut down for lack of business. Then there is nowhere legal to shoot except hunting preserves. The population of firearms owners ages out until only a few fanatics remain.

However, not even Cook County, Illinois, could pass such a tax when it was proposed.

- Jim

[Bart]

As I've been talking with folk about getting a Concealed Handgun License, I'm being asked questions like this --

If I have a CHL, the Feds will know I have a gun and come first to my house to confiscate it and put me in jail.
If I don't have a CHL, I'll not be their target. What should I do?

Maybe we're all better off if somebody like that doesn't get a CHL.

My viewpoint is the Second Amendment has not been repealed. Exactly the opposite. Recent court cases (Heller, McDonald) have affirmed what we knew. Guns are "arms" and "keep and bear" means own and carry.

Besides, as an NRA member, I was on "the list" before I got a CHL.