TexasCHLforum.com

strogg wrote:Yup. Don't ask, don't tell. If they ask something, I will answer the question and only that question. If they ask me to do something simple like take out my ID, I'll do it. If they ask if it's OK to give up my rights (like to search my vehicle), I will respectfully decline unless they have a darn good reason. Fortunately, I've never been asked that before. My experience is that if you respect LEOs, they will give you equal respect back. It may not be the most pleasant kind of respect (it is their job to flush out criminals at traffic stops after all), but it's respect nonetheless.

Now I'm just thinking. Let's say I do get detained for a crime that doesn't exist, like having a Shockwave in my truck. Well, I'll just let it ride out. If the LEO believes that it really is against the law, then arguing with him otherwise will only invite trouble. Sure, I'll let him know, but I'm certainly not going to have a heated argument over the matter. Hopefully someone else on duty knows otherwise and informs him. It'll be hard to get mad at the LEO for trying to do his job. Sure, we are darn near experts at gun laws on this forum, but we can't expect LEOs to be. They have a whole ton of other stuff they need to know about, and no one is perfect at knowing all enforceable laws.

I also have a whole ton of other stuff that I need to know about. Like stuff related to my actual job. Things are legal unless there is a law saying otherwise. If a LEO doesn't know of any law that makes something illegal, they should just default to it being legal.

Now in the case of a Shockwave, it would more likely be a case where the officer thinks there is a law making that firearm illegal, because he/she mistakenly thinks it is something else (like a SBS). That would at least be understandable. Hopefully they would check with another officer before actually issuing a citation, though.

Personally, I would hand the officer my DL and LTC together. I would also be carrying a handgun, likely on my hip, but definitely also in the console of my vehicle, because one lives in there 24/7 (a CZ 75 compact).

Now this might lead to a different issue if the officer asked me where the "gun" was located. I would likely honestly answer that I have a 1911 on my hip (though he should be able to see it unless he comes to the drivers window), another gun in my center console and a third gun in that bag in front of the passenger's seat. Unless he then wants to take all of the aforementioned guns into his possession, or wants to get into a friendly gun conversation, I think it would probably end there.

On days when I am going to the range, like today, I would also have 2-3 other handguns and/or long guns in the car, so it might end up being a longer discussion. I'm not afraid of a discussion along these lines.

And BTW, I decided not to bring my Shockwave on my recent road trip through NM, AZ, and NV, in part because I didn't want to take the time to research those state's take on this particular weapon.