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.

12 COMMENTS

  1. This is especially true for those who travel extensively in recreational vehicles. The guns, magazines and ammunition that are fine in most states may be felonies in the one state you have to drive through. I’ve recommended revolvers and/or pump shotguns as primary self defense arms to several acquaintances who are full time RVers.

  2. I’m vacationing at a wonderful resort in Marbella today. Just a moment ago a nude African man arrived off the beach without invitation and jumped into the pool. It was an obvious mental health crisis situation, the guests immediately cleared out of the pool and the lifeguard and security went to work. They were clearly not getting in the meter deep water with this man for the risk of being drowned or otherwise hurt. Instead they waited it out while he frolicked around enjoying the entire pool to himself.
    Eventually they coaxed him out of the water and he trotted back to the beach with a team of security and a hotel worker carrying 4 towels to cover the critical part of his anatomy after the takedown. And yes, it was a 4 towel job which added so much more to the situation, pun intended.
    Hotel guests then congregated along the stone wall overlooking the beach to watch the takedown and they brought their drinks with them like a sporting event.
    Anyway, it made me think that none of the baton techniques the security guards were trained in had a water contingency.
    Sounds like curriculum for MAG 240: dealing with a nude man with a foot-long weapon jumping into your pool party uninvited.

  3. Checking other state’s laws before you get there is a must. I recently learned that while my carry permit is good in North Carolina, if stopped by LE, I MUST advise them immediately that I’m armed. Some states require this, some don’t. Failure to do so may be expensive.

    BTW: the best way to do that is to state that you have a carry permit and are carrying. NOT “I have a gun.”

    I live in a former Crown Colony and there are some weird statutes still on the books. No clue if they’ve been affected by case law, but one holds that only written threats are valid.

  5. The only problem with a book is currency. I took your advice, Mas. Years ago! I consult apps and websites every time I travel.

    Books are great. Excellent in regard to this post. But remember: Laws can change with little notice. And case law, or how the laws are interpreted by the courts, candidates make sudden changes as well.

    It is especially frustrating for me, as I drive from FL to places like the Seattle area and NH and most all places in between. Often, I simply can ot take a firearm with me because I will be staying or visiting in a hoplophobic state like NY, NJ or MA.

    I tried to get a MA FOID back in the mid 1970s when I lived in RI. I was on the URI Rifle Team and an adult team at a local club. I was told I could not get a Massachusetts FOID. The Fall River police officer told to show up at a police station 30 days in advance of an approved competition for a permit, for each and every event! I was shooting weekly on multiple teams. Plus, I often had travel through MA (A no go before the federal response legislation under penalty of a 1 year mandatory jail sentence, mens rea be damned). Common sense, smh.

    Love ya, Mas. You are the best!

  6. Dear Mas,

    Thanks for this reminder. I live in Oregon (yes, weep for me). Do you have a recommendation for a similar book for our state?

    TIA,
    Roger Payne

  7. A great reminder to both re-examine the laws in my native state of California and to review the 5 point checklist and put it to memory. Thanks again and always Mas.
    -Tony

  10. if you are ever visiting maryland (or a resident) be aware, it is lawful for you own, use and possess a magazine that can hold more than ten rounds FOR ALL LAWFUL PURPOSES. if you are in a defensive situation, and are charge with a crime, every round past ten is a class III misdemeanor additional to the felony charge.

    my student was hit with assault with a deadly weapon as the police didn’t look for/find the exculpatory evidence (shotgun by the bad guy). student had 17 in the gun, 16 in the back up magazine and was charged accordingly. long story short, the judge chastised the police for not looking for the shotgun when the witnesses attested under oath that the bad guy was the aggressor and did have a shotgun. charges dropped, but it took my student almost 2 years to get his guns and ammo back (they cleaned out his safe after charging him)…

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