Pulled over in VA, cop asked for my gun.

[DoubleTapDrew]

It sounds like a lot of the "I must disarm you for my safety" cops are not into guns like we are and are now handling a loaded firearm that they aren't the least bit familiar with.

Follow the gun safe handling rles and there's no worry about this. Chances are he'll be more cautious with an unfamiliar model than he would with his own. Safety is his primary concern at that point.

Yes I certainly hope he/she does. But my point is once you take it out of the holster you are endangering both of us. I'm not going to draw it, and the very fact that that someone volunteered the info that they are carrying should be enough.
Think of it like this: You tell someone you just met at a lunch meeting (who may, or may not be very familiar with guns) that you are carrying. He says it makes him nervous. He then proceeds to tell you he wants to hold onto it while you are hanging out, he draws it from your holster and proceeds to attempt to clear it. Sorry but that doesn't make me feel safe for either of us. Just leave the sucker in the holster.

 

[carpettbaggerr]

Speed limits are there for a reason, not just because someone didn't have anything better to do that day.

Yes, but they were set quite some time ago. If 55 or 65 was safe in a Hudson Hornet, 70-80 mph is safe in today's cars.

 

[RealGun]

If a cop stops you for speeding when you weren't, you'll know that if he asks you to disarm, you should refuse, with extreme prejudice.

One shouldn't be a cowboy. The way to address the problem is to lobby for the police to stop requesting guns from those who volunteered that they were bodily armed. At the very least there should be a well known procedure for disarming as safely for both parties as possible in such a scenario. I still haven't read a suggestion from a real policeman about exactly what that procedure should be.

Method of carry is so variable, I would think the first order of business would be to get out of the vehicle in order to stand up, but that would not be while having a gun pointed at you. I would bet that after getting into outlining a procedure one would have to concede, you know what...let's just leave well enough alone. Never mind.

 

[Bill St. Clair]

One shouldn't be a cowboy.

Too late. What we need is 100,000 cowboys. People who aren't cowed by "authority", and are willing to defend their rights. With deadly force when necessary.

 

[NineseveN]

Too late. What we need is 100,000 cowboys. People who aren't cowed by "authority", and are willing to defend their rights. With deadly force when necessary.

Over being temporarily disarmed during a traffic stop? You’ve got to be kidding me.

Look, I don't like the whole 'disarming someone for the officer's safety' routine either, I think it's silly, and thankfully I've never had to deal with that, but I fail to see what offense the officers are committing by temporarily disarming someone during a traffic stop that rises to the level that would dictate a lethal response.

It's no different than being cuffed and placed inside the back of a police car during a call to a fight or confrontation until the police sort the issue out, which is also legal. If you don't like the actions of one officer, call and complain to their supervisor, every time. Huffing and moaning on the internet and/or inciting violence over such a petty issue isn't going to get any traction.

There are some police actions that may rise to the level that dictates a lethal response, briefly disarming someone during a traffic stop just ain't one of them.

 

[RealGun]

I agree that the ninja response should not represent THR. The general sentiment is appalling to this subscriber.

 

[Bill St. Clair]

I said, "when necessary." I didn't define that, and I couldn't if I wanted to. As with many things, ya gotta be there.

By the way, the American Revolution was fought over confiscation of weapons. And rightly so. If a cop takes my gun at a traffic stop, how do I know it will be temporary?

 

[RealGun]

I might protest or suggest otherwise, but I am not going to shoot anyone or risk losing the showdown and getting shot myself. Tomorrow is another day. I might be insulted but am not being threatened, at least not yet. I also am not interested in going to jail or being executed over my hurt feelings.

 

[Creeping Incrementalism]

If you do the math, you'll discover that an extra 10 or 15 mph saves you very little time on trips shorter than three or four hours.

80 MPH for 30 miles per day equals .375 hours per day. 65 MPH for 30 miles per day equals .462 hours per day, an advantage of .087 hours per day. Multiply that by 5 days a week, 52 weeks per year, by, say, 40 years, comes to 900 hours, or 37.5 24-hour periods. Considering that we are awake only 16 of very 24 hours, multiply 37.5 24-hour periods by (24/16) and you get 56.25 days. So speeding every day over your life adds to being like months of vacation.

Life is too short NOT to speed. And speed limits are set with the lowest common denominator in mind, so it isn't dangerous, unless you are incompitent, really tired, or driving a vehicle that really can't handle the speed.

 

[tyme]

At the very least there should be a well known procedure for disarming as safely for both parties as possible in such a scenario.

Either the driver has to hand over the gun (very unsafe for the officer if the driver intends any harm), or the cop had to reach for the gun (also very unsafe for the officer of the driver intends any harm).

There is no assurance that that's the only gun accessible to the driver.

Disarming drivers who announce they're armed is a dangerous and unwise exercise in paranoia.

Unless there's cause to pull the driver out and search him face-down on the pavement, any guns present should be left alone. CCWers will be happier. Police will generate more revenue with their speeding tax, because they'll spend less time on average on each stop.

Life is too short NOT to speed. And speed limits are set with the lowest common denominator in mind, so it isn't dangerous, unless you are incompitent, really tired, or driving a vehicle that really can't handle the speed.

In which case you should stay in the right lane and let people with decent cars, decent tires, and decent awareness use the left lane(s).

I am also totally sick of cops violating traffic laws that they expect others to follow. Almost every time I see a cop car, it's doing something wrong. Either it's speeding, failing to signal lane changes, or (just recently) going the WRONG way down a row of cars in a parking lot. In the rare case the cop car isn't doing anything wrong, it's going exactly the speed limit, in the middle lane, backing up traffic and generally causing everyone's stress level to go through the roof.

Speeding isn't half as dangerous as closely-packed traffic, and GUESS WHAT HAPPENS when a cop car decides to set a "good" example? That's right... closely packed cars for at least a quarter of a mile.

 

[Ezekiel]

I agree that the ninja response should not represent THR. The general sentiment is appalling to this subscriber.

"Agreed."

Yet it is so widespread on this forum.

I attribute such to Gun Mentality(tm).

 

[RealGun]

Life is too short NOT to speed. And speed limits are set with the lowest common denominator in mind, so it isn't dangerous, unless you are incompitent, really tired, or driving a vehicle that really can't handle the speed.

There is no right to drive as fast you want to, and speeding can produce very unfortunate consequences if faster than conditions and the vehicle really allow safely. Hopefully, an attitude adjustment will occur before harming others, losing your driver's license, or even losing your license to carry legally.

 

[Creeping Incrementalism]

There is no right to drive as fast you want to, and speeding can produce very unfortunate consequences if faster than conditions and the vehicle really allow safely. Hopefully, an attitude adjustment will occur before harming others, losing your driver's license, or even losing your license to carry legally.

License to legally carry? Ha! Do you know where I live?

By the way, I'm not slowing down, because it will only get me run over by the other millions of Californians who are also speeding. (I don't speed to the point it really is unsafe, I'm only saying it is not unsafe to regularly go 75-80 in a 65 on a freeway in good conditions.)

 

[BigO01]

I wonder if this guy disarms fellow LEO's when he stops them ?

Cops do commit crimes too ya know .

 

[JohnBT]

"I said, "when necessary." I didn't define that, and I couldn't if I wanted to."

Huh? Then why bring it up? Big talk, but meaningless?

John

 

[Art Eatman]

Wandering about in the justification for speed, speed and more speed? And arguing over it?

Naw...

Art