There has been a lot of excitement in the past few weeks about the House of Representatives’ passage of H.R. 38, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. Some who are contemplating applying for a concealed carry permit may be waiting for passage in the Senate and signature by the President, with the idea in mind of applying for a non-resident permit in a state that requires applicants to take the shortest and least expensive firearms training course. These folks would then rely on national reciprocity to enable them to carry in their home jurisdiction. Many residents of the District of Columbia are likely contemplating precisely that approach, and who could blame them, in view of the substantial amount of time and money required to get qualified for a permit in the District. However, if that is your approach, you may be waiting for a very long time before you can legally carry concealed.

The Senate is now split between 52 Republicans, 46 Democrats, and 2 Independents who caucus with the Democrats.

With only 39 Senators currently signed on as sponsors of the Senate version (S. 446), there is no guarantee that another 12 supporters will be found in the Senate anytime soon. If you have a genuine safety concern that is motivating you to obtain a concealed carry permit, it would be wise to bite the bullet and press ahead in your home jurisdiction with your application for a permit. The marginal amount of time and the money you might save by waiting for national reciprocity will not save you from a deadly force attack, but your concealed carry firearm just might.