I make my living teaching self-defense. Self-defense laws – when can you use force? – are pretty homogeneous nationwide. Gun laws are something else entirely –what can you have and where can you have it? – and no two states are exactly alike in that respect. The fifteen-round magazine in the Glock 19 I happen to carry as I write this, and the spare fifteen-round mag on the opposite hip, are legal in the state where I’m writing this but would be two separate felony counts on me if I had them in New York State.
Know the gun laws where you are, or where you’re going. My wife and I consult the excellent website handgunlaw.us whenever we cross a state line.
I wish every state had its own book on the gun laws there. A classic example is “Florida Firearms Law, Use & Ownership” by attorney Jon Gutmacher, now in its umpteenth edition (2026-2027) to keep up with recent changes in law and caselaw.
Florida is one of the most gun-friendly states, but there are still details which gun owners and especially pistol-packers need to know. The “antis” don’t call Florida the “Gunshine State” for nothing. But did you know that if you commit a crime with a gun whose magazine holds twenty or more rounds, there’s a mandatory enhanced penalty over what you’d get for committing the same crime with a six-shooter? Details, details….
Attorney Gutmacher has more than done his homework: he’s done the trials. Like me, he has learned that “say nothing to the police after a self-defense shooting” is sub-optimal. He recommends explaining the active dynamic which led to the shooting, something like “This man attacked me with a deadly weapon” or whatever it was. He recommends pointing out evidence before it gets overlooked, such as injuries you’ve suffered at the hands of the attacker, your clothing that he tore, et cetera. This strategy helps to establish your claim of self-defense from the first responding officer onward.
If you live in Florida or ever visit there, you would be wise to order “Florida Firearms Law, Use, and Ownership” by Jon Gutmacher.
