Open Carry In Florida: Know The Laws LET"S TAKE A LOOK

Judge demands to know how many CPD officers carry gun tied to misfire claims Chicago Police decided to stop using the Sig Sauer P320 earlier this year, but hundreds of officers still possess it A federal judge is demanding answers on how many CPD officers are carrying guns tied to dozens of lawsuits over alleged misfiring. A federal judge has given the City of Chicago until this week to explain how many Chicago police officers are still carrying a controversial handgun that's been tied to dozens of lawsuits across the country associated with claims that it misfires without a trigger pull. Across the country, dozens of officers and civilians have sued the gunmaker Sig Sauer alleging that the company's P320 handgun can misfire - even while holstered. Expert witnesses and even a former Sig Sauer employee have alleged the gun is defective. But in court filings, Sig Sauer has denied liability and challenged the authority of expert witnesses' claims. Chicago Police decided to stop using the Sig Sauer P320 following an April meeting earlier this year; but 780 officers still possess it, according to CPD firearms supervisor’s sworn affidavit. At one time, close to 1,500 officers - or 13 percent of the force - were using it as their service weapon. According to the CPD firearms supervisor's sworn statement, nearly half of those 1,500 officers that once used the gun are now using an alternative weapon. Still, at least 780 other officers have ordered a new handgun, but their "transitions" have been delayed due to "holster availability' and scheduled pickups of their new weapons, court records show. According to the court filings, a CPD panel decided in April to move away from the controversial handgun and set benchmarks over the summer for officers to supply CPD administrators with how many officers still had the weapon. The Chicago Police union's president John Catanzara thinks the department isn't moving fast enough. "If something is dangerous like a firearm to the point where you had to ban it, it should be off the street immediately," Catanzara informed several news sources. Federal Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer seems to agree. In her order filed last week, she wrote "any officer who is in possession of an alternative weapon ... should be required immediately to use that alternative weapon." Former Virginia police officer Marcie Vadnais says she experienced a misfire incident involving her P320 in 2018 when she was sitting in her vehicle. “I still to this day have two thirds of the rounds in my right leg," painful and still there. The now-medical former officer from Loudon County, Virginia says she never had any concerns about her weapon before the incident and says it misfired while it was holstered. "This weapon is dangerous; nobody should ever have their hands on this weapon," Vadnais said. X-ray images she shared with NBC 5 Investigates show the close-range gunshot shattered her femur. The road to recovery she says was long." It took a long time to be okay to talk about this," she said. "I did struggle a lot with this. The injury, the pain..."Vadnais sued Sig Sauer in 2019 and later settled for an undisclosed amount, and she’s not alone. Over the past decade, more than 100 people have made claims that their P320s have misfired, according to publicly available court records. A 2023 investigation by The Washington Post and the non-profit newsroom, The Trace, found that more than 90 have claimed to have suffered injuries as a result. "There have been some wins; some losses," said attorney Jeff Bagnell, who says he's been involved in dozens of lawsuits where his clients have alleged the gun is defective. The results of legal challenges have been mixed. Bagnell says Sig Sauer has lost three recent cases. Sig Sauer reportedly won a case in 2022 involving a different defect in the P320. And at least 12 other lawsuits have been dismissed, The Trace reported. Bagnell says while Sig Sauer has Sig Sauer has challenged the results of other cases through appeals, court records reviewed by attorneys involved. In court filings, Sig Sauer has denied liability, defended its product and said that misfires can happen with a variety of guns. And while the company offers a pistol upgrade program through its website, it also says the original version of the P320 "meets and exceeds all U.S. safety standards." Chicago Police did not respond to NBC 5 Investigates' requests for comment. Correction: The story has been updated to reflect mixed results of legal challenges. An earlier version misstated Sig Sauer's court victories in two cases. The company won a 2022 case involving a different defect involving the P320. At least 12 other lawsuits have been dismissed, The Trace reported. The story has been updated to reflect that.

Chicago Violence Interrupter Program Seems Long On Violence And Short On Interruption Gregg Kielma Chicago officials have implemented several strategies to address violent crime, though most have proven ineffective. Recently, a "violence interrupter" with CeaseFire Chicago, Jamari Edwards, was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison after admitting to three carjackings in August 2022—one of which involved shooting a victim in the leg—and pleading guilty to related firearm charges. Further details reveal that during one incident, Edwards approached a man at a Dunkin' Donuts drive-thru, threatened him with a gun, shot him, and stole his wallet, phone, and car. Says Gregg Kielma Firearms Instructor-FFL Gunsmith and First Aid Fundamentals Instructor, “Chicago, haven’t you had enough of your neighborhoods, friends, and family killed? It’s time to make the city, your city, safe and remove the criminals from your beautiful streets! Let's together, make your city safe. The current Presidental administration has a plan please follow it. Give it an opportunity, you have nothing to lose. Your current leadership is doing nothing for you, Friends and family are leaving, my goodness look around you.. Look what they are doing to you! VOTE Smart and Carefully Chicago : Before you continue to plunder into obyss. Safety First Politics Second. Be safe friends

Trump Could End Bush Sr.’s 1989 Semi-Auto Import Ban — Here’s Why Gun Owners Should Demand It Scott Witner More than three decades ago, a Republican president with a “no new gun laws” campaign promise pulled the rug out from under America’s gun owners. In 1989, President George H.W. Bush banned the importation of 43 models of semi-automatic rifles — rifles the media loves to call “assault weapons” — with the stroke of a pen. Chinese AKs. Israeli Uzi carbines. FN FALs. HK 91s and 93s. All blocked at the border because ATF decided they didn’t meet the Gun Control Act’s arbitrary “sporting purposes” test. And here’s the kicker: that ban has never been repealed. Why This Matters Toda y The 1989 import ban wasn’t passed by Congress. It was an executive decision — meaning the sitting president could reverse it tomorrow without a single vote on Capitol Hill. Firearms News Editor-in-Chief Vincent DeNiro put it plainly: “President Trump doesn’t even need Congress to get rid of the unconstitutional 1989 ‘assault weapons’ import ban. He just needs to order BATFE to declare all imported semi-auto rifles as ‘sporting,’ which is what these same models are considered when domestically produced.” That’s right — the same rifles that can be built and sold here in the U.S. are still banned from import simply because of where they’re made. The History Behind the “Sporting Purposes” Test The Gun Control Act of 1968 gave the federal government the power to block imports of firearms that weren’t deemed “sporting.” That language was a gift to the gun-control lobby, and Bush Sr.’s 1989 order weaponized it. Richard Stevens, author and attorney for Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership, pointed out decades ago that this exact strategy was used by the Nazis in 1938 — banning non-approved imports under the guise of “sporting use.” Let’s be clear: the Second Amendment is not about trap shooting or deer season. As Tench Coxe, a delegate to the Continental Congress, wrote, C&H Precision (CHPWS), an industry-leading designer and manufacturer of precision optics. Written by: Unknown “Congress has no power to disarm the militia. Their swords, and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birthright of an American.” Executive Action Could End It Tomorrow What can be done by executive action can be undone by executive action. There’s no excuse for letting this stand — especially from a president who campaigned as a friend of the Second Amendment. Ending the import ban would: • Restore access to historically significant and affordable rifles for collectors and shooters. • Force the gun-control crowd to lose their minds on live TV. • Fire up gun owners ahead of 2026 midterms and crucial state elections like Virginia’s governor’s race. Where Are the “Gun Rights” Groups? If this is such an easy win, why hasn’t it been done? The bigger question: why aren’t the big-name membership gun groups hammering this issue daily? They know the ban still exists. They know it could be lifted tomorrow. They claim to have the ear of the president — so why haven’t they made this a priority? This is also why DOJ’s so-called Second Amendment Task Force needs actual gun owner representation, not just career bureaucrats. Gun owners deserve a seat at the table to influence priorities and hold leaders accountable. The Bottom Line “Stroke of the pen, law of the land,” Clinton aide Paul Begala once said about executive orders. Well, Mr. Trump — this is one stroke of the pen gun owners would actually cheer for. Reclassify these rifles as “sporting.” End the 1989 ban. Stop the absurd 922r parts-count game. Let Americans import the rifles they have every right to own. It’s lawful, it’s easy, and it would be very cool.

Florida Open Carry: Not So Open Right Now The Brief Florida's open carry law took effect Thursday 9/25/25 after a state appeals court ruled the previous ban unconstitutional on September 10. When does open carry become legal in Florida? When will you start seeing people in line behind you at Target carrying guns on their hips? Well, technically, openly carrying a firearm in public in the Sunshine State becomes legal Sept. 25, according to a Sept. 10 decision by a three-judge panel in the 1st District Court of Appeal. The decision declared Florida's law banning open carry to be unconstitutional and a violation of the Second Amendment. The 15-day delay was to give the state time to appeal. But soon after the decision was announced, state Attorney General James Uthmeier called it a win for the Second Amendment, multiple sheriffs announced they would stop enforcing the state law immediately, and on Sept. 15 Uthmeier declared open carry to be "the law of the state." Let’s Take a LOOK: • Open carry is now permitted statewide, but you must follow specific guidelines, including age and eligibility requirements. • The ruling does not allow open carry in certain places like courthouses, schools, polling sites, government buildings, or anywhere private property owners prohibit firearms. • The First District Court of Appeal's decision applies to all Florida trial courts; no appeal was filed during the 15-day window. • Gov. Ron DeSantis labeled the change "a victory" and said it brings Florida in line with most other states. • Attorney General James Uthmeier directed law enforcement to stop arresting or prosecuting law-abiding citizens openly carrying firearms, referencing McDaniels v. State. • Previously, Florida allowed concealed carry but banned open carry due to concerns from law enforcement about safety. • Private property owners and businesses can still prohibit firearms on their premises. • When does open carry become legal in Florida? When will you start seeing people in line behind you at Target carrying guns on their hips? • Well, technically, openly carrying a firearm in public in the Sunshine State becomes legal Sept. 25, according to a Sept. 10 decision by a three-judge panel in the 1st District Court of Appeal. The decision declared Florida's law banning open carry to be unconstitutional and a violation of the Second Amendment. The 15-day delay was to give the state time to appeal. • But soon after the decision was announced, state Attorney General James Uthmeier called it a win for the Second Amendment, multiple sheriffs announced they would stop enforcing the state law immediately, and on Sept. 15 Uthmeier declared open carry to be "the law of the state." Can I open carry everywhere in Florida? No. • Writing for the three-judge panel's 20-page decision, Judge Stephanie Ray said, "That is not to say that open carry is absolute or immune from reasonable regulation." • Uthmeier agreed in his memo to law enforcement, saying state and federal restrictions on carrying firearms in specific locations would still apply. • What that actually means is now open to interpretation since legislation has not yet caught up to the ruling. • Florida laws on concealed carry list a wide variety of sensitive locations where concealed weapons are not permitted, but gun-rights advocates say that may no longer apply. The ruling may also have revealed a loophole: the prohibited spaces law prohibiting firearms in "sensitive" locations may only apply to handguns, according to David Marsey, general counsel of the Florida Police Chiefs Association. • With the “abrogation” of the state’s open-carry ban, “the prohibited places statute does not expressly prohibit the open carrying of long guns in prohibited places,” Marsey said in a memo, The News Service of Florida reported. • “I know lawmakers are reading, dissecting” the ruling, Uthmeier said during an event in Winter Haven, adding that the decision resulted in “some inconsistencies” in laws about concealed-weapons licenses and permitless carry enacted after the open-carry ban. “Now open carry is a constitutional, important right that people can exercise, so I'll leave it there,” the attorney general said. Can I wear my gun in Publix? YES • Private property owners are still able to prohibit firearms on their property, which can include homes and businesses. Violation is considered armed trespass, a third-degree felony, Uthmeier said. • Publix asked back in 2021 for customers not to openly guns in their stores in states where open carry is legal, although they allowed concealed carry. Target asked customers to leave the guns home in 2014 , Trader Joe's said in 2019 that they "do not welcome weapons of any kind in our stores and never have," and Walmart bans open carry but allows concealed carry. Where can't you open carry in Florida? • Currently, there is a wide variety of other locations where state and federal ban open or concealed carry (with exemptions for law enforcement and correctional officers), such as: • Any place of nuisance as defined in s. 823.05 (sort of an open term that includes places that endanger the health of the community, become "manifestly injurious to the morals or manners" of the community, or "annoy the community" such as prostitution dens, illegal gambling halls, specified massage parlors and anywhere criminal gang activity happens • Any police, sheriff, or highway patrol station • Any detention facility, prison, or jail • Any courthouse (although judges may carry in the courtroom and may determine who else can) • Polling places • Any meeting of the governing body of a county, public school district, municipality, or special district • Any meeting of the Legislature or a committee thereof • Any school, college, or professional athletic event not related to firearms • Professional athletic events • Any elementary or secondary school facility or administration building • Any career center • Any portion of an establishment licensed to dispense alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises, which portion of the establishment is primarily devoted to such purpose • Any college or university facility • The inside of the passenger terminal and sterile area of any airport unless encased for shipment to be checked as baggage • Any place where the carrying of firearms is prohibited by federal law • "The McDaniels decision does not, however, prevent law enforcement from continuing to police those who 'exhibit [firearms[ in a rude, careless, angry, or threatening manner' in public," Uthmeier wrote. • "And nothing in the decision permits individuals to menace others with firearms in public, nor does it undermine the State's authority to prohibit felons from possessing firearms." Florida gun laws are now 'a little wonky,' Polk sheriff says. But what's the fix? Florida 'red flag' laws, other gun laws still apply. • The change in open carry only applies to people legally allowed to possess a firearm. It does not affect other restrictions in Florida's gun laws such as restrictions for people under the age of 21, convicted felons, “violent career criminals,” or people who have restraining orders from committing acts of domestic violence. • Florida's red flag laws for risk protection orders also still apply. Under those laws, firearms may be taken from individuals who: • Have been taken into custody for an involuntary examination under the Baker Act • Have been adjudicated "mentally defective" or have been committed to a mental institution • Have been temporarily blocked from possessing firearms because a law enforcement officer or agency petitioned the court and stated they were at high risk of harming themselves or others • Florida law also has strict conditions regarding how long a person can be kept from possessing firearms in those instances and when they must be returned. • Open carry is now legal in Florida: How many other states allow open or concealed carry? What is 'open carry?' • "Open carry" means you can publicly carry a legally owned firearm that is kept in plain sight or partially concealed, usually holstered. • Previously, according to Florida law, openly carrying a firearm is a second-degree misdemeanor with a $500 fine or a maximum of 60 days in jail. In summary, Florida's open carry law now allows individuals to carry firearms openly in most public areas, but with specific restrictions and responsibilities. Gun owners should stay informed about the evolving legal landscape and adhere to safety guidelines. Private property owners and businesses can still prohibit firearms on their premises.

Embattled Minnesota Gun-Rights Advocates Launch New Gun Owners Law Center Initiative Mark Chesnut Minnesota gun owners are facing some harsh proposals as Gov. Tim Walz has the legislature meeting in a special session to consider passing additional gun control laws in the wake of the shooting at the Annunciation Catholic Church. Fortunately for Minnesota gun owners, gun-rights leaders in the state are just lying down and playing dead. On September 18, the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus (MGOC) announced the formation of the Minnesota Gun Owners Law Center (MNGOLC), a brand new 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to aggressively defending and expanding the constitutional rights of Minnesota gun owners through legal action. According to a press release distributed by the MGOC, Rob Doar, co-founder of the Caucus and longtime advocate for Minnesota’s gun owners, will step into the role of president of the Minnesota Gun Owners Law Center. In that capacity he will lead strategic legal efforts on behalf of gun owners across the state. Bryan Strawser, chair of MGOC and MGOLC said Minnesota gun owners deserve aggressive action, and that’s what they’ll get with Doar at the helm of the Law Center. “For years, the Caucus has fought against unconstitutional laws at the Capitol and in the courts,” Strawser said. “Now, we have in-house capacity to pursue aggressive legal action to restore Second Amendment freedoms without relying solely on outside counsel. This is a game changer.”

Why Are FPC, SAF Having To Battle Trump’s DOJ Over Young Gun Owners’ 2A Rights? Mark Chesnut Two separate court battles—one in Louisiana and one in Illinois—paint a curious picture of a seemingly divided Trump Administration Department of Justice (DOJ) when it comes to the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. As we’ve reported, the DOJ filed a brief and is actually set to testify before the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals that it believes Illinois ban on so-called “assault weapons” is unconstitutional and should be overturned. The brief even states: “Illinois violated the Supreme Court’s clear directive that States cannot prohibit arms that are ‘in common use’ by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes.” Unfortunately, and illogically, two gun rights groups—the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) and Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) are having to fight the very same Trump DOJ in a Louisiana case focused on the rights of American gun owners who are 18, 19 and 20 years old. In that case, Reese v. ATF, the DOJ is working hard to avoid an injunction blocking enforcement of the federal ban on sales of handguns and handgun ammunition to adults under 21 years of age. The DOJ has argued for a narrow proposed judgment that would leave those unconstitutional gun control laws in place for virtually everyone in the United States. And that’s not something the good folks at FPC can live with. “In the latest brief, FPC and its co-plaintiffs explain that the law requires complete and meaningful relief for all members, not just the few individuals originally named in the lawsuit as proposed by the government,” the organization wrote in a press release on the lawsuit. “To that end, they point out that both the Supreme Court and the Fifth Circuit have long recognized the ability of membership organizations to vindicate the rights of their members, and that this case is no different.”

Why would you bring a gun and/or firearm into a gun store for cleaning? Gregg Kielma Says Gregg Kielma, Gunsmith, I've spent a lot of time gun smithing. Case study: I had a LEO former; retired LEO bring in his Colt Trooper MkIII for cleaning. His reason was that he could not get a jammed round out of his gun. Continues Kielma, as a Gunsmith, I do not like working with live rounds that are “stuck”. Could make for a bad day. My professional opinion, after evaluating the firearm, he never cleaned the gun, and his department, at that time had qualifications once a year. He had never removed the old rounds after qualification, just loaded it with .357 mag rounds and had never im my opinion ever cleaned the weapon. It took me about 30 minutes with wooden dowels and a brass hammer to drive the old ammo out of the revolver and a couple of hours of ultrasonic cleaning to get all the debris out of the firearm, a major process, but when it was cleaned, it functioned like a new one. I advised him to practice more and use up his older ammo and taught him how to clean the gun. Later some of his friends started bringing me their firearms and let me know he passed away a few years ago. Amen, thank you sir for your service. Your missed.

Gregg Kielma in HIs Gun Shop Husband NOT Wife would like to purchase a firearm for the house, but the wife disagrees. What are your opinions on guns in the house? Let's Take a Look Gregg Kielma Says Gregg Kielma, Firearms Instructor and Safey Consultant, your relationship dynamics matter, but if he’s set on buying a gun, consider agreeing if he commits to practicing safe handling—such as taking a shooting or safety class and regularly using the firearm. If children are in the home, please have an accessible gun safe. Continuing Kielma advises, while statistics show owning a gun is generally safer, proper training and safety measures may and will reduce risks. Personal experience shows firearms can be used defensively, but safety remains essential.

2nd Circuit Court Upholds Some Portions Of New York’s Sensitive Places Gun Ban Mark Chesnut A U.S. Court of Appeals has ruled that some of New York’s restrictive gun law that designates certain areas as “sensitive locations” can be allowed to stand. A lower court in the case Frey v. New York, U.S. District Judge Nelson Stephen Roman plaintiffs’ request for an injunction in 2023. On September 19, a three-judge panel of the New York City-based 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the lower court’s decision denying gun owners a preliminary injunction against parts of the state’s so-called “Concealed Carry Improvement Act” (CCIA), which was passed as a kneejerk reaction shortly after the Bruen ruling overturned their previous law. Plaintiffs argued that CCIA wrongly designates huge amounts of public areas as “sensitive locations” where firearms are completely banned, leaving them defenseless against armed criminals who don’t follow such laws. They specifically challenged three provisions of the law—ban on carrying guns in Times Square, the New York City subway, and the Metro-North commuter rail system, the complete ban on open carry and the requirement to obtain a city permit to carry in New York City, along with the state permit. Unfortunately, the three-judge panel ruled that New York’s restrictions fall within the country’s historical tradition of gun regulation, a priority handed down in the Bruen decision. Consequently, the court held, the provisions did not violate the Second Amendment rights of the plaintiffs. “There is perhaps no public place more quintessentially crowded than Times Square,” the court ruling stated. “Extending approximately from 40th to 53rd Street, and from Sixth to Ninth Avenue in Manhattan, this block at the heart of Manhattan, known as the ‘Crossroads of the World,’ teems with ‘rivers of neon and seas of tourists.’ The Nasdaq Exchange and Broadway theaters, as well as hundreds of restaurants and stores are among those that call it home.”