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I don't know if this subject has been discussed any where else. if so, please direct me to that and I'll hopefully get the answers.
Question: what is the general opinion in the legal arena of modifications made to a CCW? How what would a prosecuting attorney view modifications to my CCW?
Will those mods hurt my defense in court?

feltoncorbett wrote:I don't know if this subject has been discussed any where else. if so, please direct me to that and I'll hopefully get the answers.
Question: what is the general opinion in the legal arena of modifications made to a CCW? How what would a prosecuting attorney view modifications to my CCW?
Will those mods hurt my defense in court?

It has been discussed before, but been a long time. I think it will depend on the modification. Enhanced sights, lasers, better grips, etc that are commonly seen on a self-defense weapon these days should be a non-issue. Silencers/suppressors might be a different story as I am sure an overzealous prosecutor that was looking to make a case would try to paint you as a wanna-be 00 spy with a license to kill.

I too wonder this since I'd really like to remove the magazine disconnect in my HI-Power. Been reluctant to do it because of this concern.

mojo84 wrote:I too wonder this since I'd really like to remove the magazine disconnect in my HI-Power. Been reluctant to do it because of this concern.

honestly i doubt the average officer much less prosecutor would even be aware that it was originally meant to be there.

ive read elsewhere (might have been defensive carry forum) that there is no real legal reason to be worried that a modified trigger or a lightening of the slide, etc would be held against you. It doesn't enhance the prosecutors case when they have to prove the facts and intent beyond a reasonable doubt. and again, i would highly doubt any of them would even know the trigger pull was half a pound lighter or smoother.

Keith B wrote:

feltoncorbett wrote:I don't know if this subject has been discussed any where else. if so, please direct me to that and I'll hopefully get the answers.
Question: what is the general opinion in the legal arena of modifications made to a CCW? How what would a prosecuting attorney view modifications to my CCW?
Will those mods hurt my defense in court?

It has been discussed before, but been a long time. I think it will depend on the modification. Enhanced sights, lasers, better grips, etc that are commonly seen on a self-defense weapon these days should be a non-issue. Silencers/suppressors might be a different story as I am sure an overzealous prosecutor that was looking to make a case would try to paint you as a wanna-be 00 spy with a license to kill.

on the positive, its very hard to see how you would have a suppressor on a CCW...

Cedar Park Dad wrote:

Keith B wrote:

feltoncorbett wrote:I don't know if this subject has been discussed any where else. if so, please direct me to that and I'll hopefully get the answers.
Question: what is the general opinion in the legal arena of modifications made to a CCW? How what would a prosecuting attorney view modifications to my CCW?
Will those mods hurt my defense in court?

It has been discussed before, but been a long time. I think it will depend on the modification. Enhanced sights, lasers, better grips, etc that are commonly seen on a self-defense weapon these days should be a non-issue. Silencers/suppressors might be a different story as I am sure an overzealous prosecutor that was looking to make a case would try to paint you as a wanna-be 00 spy with a license to kill.

on the positive, its very hard to see how you would have a suppressor on a CCW...

It would add some length to the fiream, but overall would not be that big if done on a subcompact. Silly, yes, but it could be concealed in a shoulder holster or IWB holster for someone who is tall.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXP86A2xwW4[/video]

I have a 3.5 lb trigger connecter on both my carry guns. I doubt anyone would even notice.

Will those mods hurt my defense in court?

possibly. Maybe in a country like NY or NJ.

Its not something I worry about here in Texas.

The modifications should help you in court. You can claim that because of the modifications the gun went off all by itself so it's the guns fault instead of yours. Then you can sue the manufacturer of the parts used in the modification. This is how America works now after all.

The only way I think it could hurt is if you lightened your trigger, and then negligently fired it on accident.

If it was a good shoot, but you told police that you accidentally pulled the trigger, you may be on the hook.

If it was a bad shoot, it would potentially hurt your case if prosecutors learned that you modified the trigger to lighten it. This would require you telling them you lightened it, or they would have to test the trigger pull themselves, which I find unlikely they would do on every case.

Moral of the story: Don't tell the cops anything (other than you are the victim and where the evidence is) until you speak with your lawyer. Keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to fire.

As long as your modification didn't look like this, you should be OK:




Or this: