GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — Guns continues to divide from the dinner table to the highest level of government. One facet of this debate - concealed carry.
First off, Delta County Sheriff Mark Taylor says concealed carry and open carry are very different things. Colorado is an open-carry state, meaning you don't have to have a permit to wear a gun visibly.
Several committees are currently reviewing proposed House Bill 1174, which aims to create standards for concealed carry permit tests.
President for Colorado Ceasefire Eileen McCarron tells Western Slope Now this bill is a step in the right direction. According to her, she counted 252 gun-homicides in our state last year, and of those, 25 of them were altercations.
Eileen says this bill could keep several simple arguments from turning lethal.
She references a recent Denver shooting at a house party, resulting in six people shot.
But Sheriff Taylor says there are times citizens legally carrying concealed guns helped.
For instance, a concealed carry holder stopped an attempted mass shooting at an Indiana Mall.
So how easy it right now to get a concealed carry permit in Colorado? Sheriff Taylor says each county has different rules, but for Delta, all you have to do is fill out an online application, then pass a background check.
House Bill 1174 would require in-person registrations, live-fire exercises, and even a refresher class.
Firearms instructor Micah Galvin with Grey Wolf Protective Industries teaches two-day concealed carry classes with 140 rounds fired on the range the second day.
Sheriff Taylor says if someone does end up using their firearm, whether they are the good guy or not, they will have to prove themselves in court.
Owner of Aspis Armament Daniel Mendoza has had a concealed carry permit more than a decade. He also brings up a more controversial way to carry - one in the chamber.
In semi-automatic pistols, you must pull the slide back to load the first bullet into the chamber. The rest of the rounds will automatically load as you fire.
He says carrying one in the chamber allows one to act faster without having to pull back the slide when preparing to shoot the first shot. Daniel also adds - however you are going to carry, keep it that way consistently, so you don't have to think when time counts the most.
Some businesses and agencies don't allow concealed carry, for instance - court and schools. One place it is legal to store your firearm though, is your car. Sheriff Taylor says a vehicle is an extension of your home.
But Eileen says you better think twice. According to her, in Denver, 1220 firearms were stolen in 2023. 915 of those were from vehicles.
Some might argue, 'how would a thief know the gun is in the car if it isn't in sight?'
She says bumper stickers supporting the second amendment or something of that nature could also lead them to look.
Eileen may disagree… but when it comes to the second amendment, Daniel, Sheriff Taylor, and Micah all tell me they believe the constitution is clear.
"The second amendment definitely wasn't just meant for hunting or anything like that, it was absolutely intended for the civilian population to protect and defend itself from any threat, foreign or domestic." - Micah