Concealed Carry Permit Badges
There are many websites and magazine advertisements that are selling Metal badges that are designed to be carried along with your State or County issued Concealed Handgun Permit or CCW card. At Colorado Handgun Safety LLC we do not recommend these badges. In our classes we actually discourage our students from buying them.
Carrying a badge along with your card is not a good idea. Most police officers will not be impressed when you flash your badge and CCW permit. There is one ad that states: "This badge may save your life". Nothing could be further from the truth. The only way this badge could save your life is if it stopped a bullet, when you foolishly brandished it.
One needs to ask the question, "Exactly when would I have a need to show this badge?" If you were confronted by a hostile individual and thought maybe showing the badge would get him to back off, you are wrong. By showing the badge, you have just informed the individual that you have a gun. All of the advantage you had is now gone. Showing the badge may in fact make the situation worse. Not only does the bad guy now know that you have a gun, he also may have figured out that you are unwilling or unprepared to use it. At this point he may escalate the aggression and even challenge you to show him your gun. Now what are you going to do?
There should be no reason for the bad guy to know you have a gun unless or until he is looking down the barrel. The ad I mentioned before also has the letter "CHP" on the bottom of the badge. That is supposed to stand for Concealed Handgun Permit. I don't think the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will appreciate their letters on your badge.
Possessing a metal concealed handgun permit badge is unlawful in the state of Utah. There are already too many badges on the street from Private investigators, Security guards and Bail enforcement agents. All these extra badges blur the lines between citizens and police officers. The bottom line is CCW badges are illegal in some states and stupid in all states.
Brandon Kirk
NRA Training Counselor,
NRA Pistol Instructor,
NRA Chief Range Safety Officer
Colorado Handgun Safety LLC.
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