Welcome back to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we talked about some of the top personalities in the concealed carry space. You guys did a great job in the comments section, so be sure to watch for part two. If you happened to miss that article be sure to click the link here to check it out. This week, I wanted to talk about a common issue that I see both in person and on the web. There are a number of people I know who will have a drink or two while carrying concealed. They often times say it’s no big deal and dismiss anything I say to them. There are some real issues with drinking while carrying not only legally but ethically as well. Let’s take a closer look at the risks of carrying and drinking.

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The Fundamental Problem

The biggest issue when looking at drinking alcohol while carrying a concealed firearm is the ethical issue that guns and booze just don’t mix. This all started while I was at a 4th of July cookout with friends and saw someone I’ve talked to in the past open carrying his handgun with a rum and coke in his hand.  I ended up saying something because this isn’t the first time I’ve seen someone do this. Even with states setting minimum limits for alcohol consumption, it’s best to remain completely sober if you decide to carry a firearm.

In certain situations, it may seem tempting to just have one and be done, I get the idea it may be a pain to head to your vehicle and unload your gun, but part of your personal responsibility as a concealed pistol carrier is doing the right thing even if its a pain in certain situations. In previous articles, I have talked about how we all need to hold ourselves to a higher level of accountability than others who don’t carry concealed weapons. The best policy is to avoid putting yourself in situations where you either need to drop your handgun off or avoid the situation entirely. Part of the deal when strapping that handgun onto your body in the morning is the fact you hold more responsibilities as a person because of that unfair advantage you hold over others in dangerous situations.

Legal Issues

One of the scariest things about drinking when carrying your handgun is the fact you lose almost every advantage legally if you get into an altercation with someone and end up having to use your firearm. The fact you will have alcohol in your system means that you will violate the limits of your permit and will violate the stipulations of carrying with your permit. Most permits often have limitations on the back where you are allowed and prohibited from carrying. My personal card says “any bar or tavern where sale and consumption of liquor is the primary source of income.” This is a fairly vague interpretation and I think this is purposefully by the state.

They want to have more leeway with what can be seen as the primary source of any given establishment. At the end of the day, if you violate the terms of your permit, you are just as guilty as the aggressor when looking at it through the eyes of the court. There’s no reason to put yourself at that kind of risk to have a drink while carrying. If you want to have fun then just unload and drop your gun in your vehicle before you head into the bar and that solves everything.

Loss of Capabilities

Probably the biggest thing that personally discourages me from drinking in general but especially with a firearm is the fact you lose a significant amount of cognitive and physical capabilities once alcohol enters your system. The problem-solving part of your brain is almost immediately affected by alcohol so the more you have, the longer it takes for you to solve various problems that would normally be incredibly easy. Imagine being under the influence in a dangerous situation, you’re going to be significantly slower than you would be sober which just puts you at a disadvantage.

Many of you may be thinking I’m completely against drinking, which isn’t the case. I enjoy going out with friends for a beer or mixed drink fairly often but there are always rules when I do. I try to stick to nicer bars so I don’t have to worry about getting into a confrontation. Most of the time just talking and being friendly with people will be enough to defuse the situation. I don’t typically go out alone and usually have at least one other friend to do the “buddy system” with. The biggest advice I can give anyone is just to use common sense and think about what you should be doing before even heading out. Leave your gun at home and just be smart when you head out to have fun.

Overall Thoughts

I think the topic of alcohol and carrying should be something we can all agree on. There will always be people out there who either disagree or just get lazy at the moment and decide to just risk it. Not only is it questionable to say the least ethically in the community, but can also land you in a fair amount of legal trouble if you’re caught drinking with a concealed firearm. Even people online will post a picture or video of them with a mixed drink handling their firearm. There’s really no excuse for it and as a community, I think we should really hold each other accountable for this because it’s up to us to be the best possible versions of ourselves.

What do you guys think? Do you think guns and alcohol ever mix or do you think it’s acceptable in moderation? Let me know down in the comments below but just remember to keep it appropriate. If you guys have questions about carrying concealed or firearms in general, free free to shoot me a message on Instagram @fridgeoperator. Stay safe out there and we will see you next week for another edition of Concealed Carry Corner.

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