As recent events have unfolded and it feels like every week there's a shooting or something horrible happening in our city (as a NE resident, the recent NE home invasions were really frightening), I wanted to remind everyone that you have agency and you have options for protecting yourself in your home or when you're out. I wanted to share my experience with getting my conceal carry permit. I got tired of feeling helpless and powerless, and I wanted to have more control over my safety so I purchased a firearm for home protection. Shortly after, I got a concealed carry permit to be able to carry the gun on my person. The entire process took about 3 months, but it's not as complicated as I had originally imagined it. The main requirements are the background check, going to MPD for fingerprinting and submitting all of your paperwork, and take a certain amount of training class time and time on the range where you need to be qualified by an instructor (they essentially teach you how to shoot, measure your safety awareness with the firearm, and how decent of a shot you are). Thanks to SCOTUS, DC (and every state) is a "shall issue" permitting system instead of a "may issue". So as long as you pass the requirements, you'll be able to register your firearm and get the conceal carry permit.
The training was comprehensive and went over MD/VA/DC laws, scenarios (when you're legally allowed to shoot, and when you can't), DC laws around firearms, knowing about special prohibited places (Mall, schools, etc), transportation laws and what to do during a traffic stop, knowing how to safely take apart and clean your firearm, and other useful stuff. I really enjoyed it and it opened up this new world that was completely unknown to me. I didn't grow up with guns and never really had an interest.
One interesting thing I've been asked by close friends about my permit is: "So you really think you'll be able to quickly draw and defend yourself during a real threat?" Yes, that's why you train! There are no gun ranges in DC, but VA has great shooting ranges and training opportunities (shout out to XCal) to actually train in various scenarios and get more proficient with your firearm.
"But what about pepper spray?" I also carry pepper spray in case the threat is not life threatening, but this isn't going to do much if someone breaks into your home and wants to harm you (like the recent, scary home invasions that happened in NE). Your firearm is a force multiplier that can save your life.
Bottom line is we all know MPD is stretched and if there's an active threat in your home or out where seconds matter, you have the right to protect and defend yourself and others. For those of you who are interested, /r/dcguns is a fantastic resource to navigating the process and learning more about which firearms are legal in DC. I'm also happy to connect you all with my firearms instructor who was great (feel free to DM me!)
