Among the most significant advances in upholding the Second Amendment has been the spread of Constitutional Carry (CC).  Circa January 2024, 29 states allow CC:

Louisiana and South Carolina have joined 27 other states in recognizing Constitutional Carry. The others on that roll are: Alabama; Alaska; Arizona; Arkansas; Florida; Georgia; Idaho; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Kentucky; Maine; Mississippi; Missouri; Montana; Nebraska; New Hampshire; North Dakota; Ohio; Oklahoma; South Dakota; Tennessee; Texas; Utah; Vermont; West Virginia; and Wyoming.  

Graphic: Glock 17, Author

Generally, constitutional carry laws allow citizens not prohibited from gun ownership, such as convicted felons or those judged mentally ill, to carry firearms without government vetting or permits. Usually, such laws specify concealed rather than open carry, though some states allow both.

When concealed carry laws began to spread, anti-liberty/gun cracktivists wailed there would be rivers of blood in the streets as unstable gun nuts shot it out everywhere for no reason at all. Crime would be rampant, dog and cats living together, Donald Trump elected President! None of that, with the exception of Trump’s dual elections, came to pass. In fact, concealed carry license holders have proved to be unusually law abiding. The same hysteria has accompanied the even more rapid spread of CC states, and again, streets have remained blood-free.

While CC’s recognition of American’s unalienable right to self-defense is welcome, millions of Americans continue to get state-issued permits. In some states, CC is extended only to residents despite reciprocity laws. To carry across state lines, a permit is often required. But as one might expect, the number of permit holders is declining:

A report from the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC) released on Nov. 29 indicates that for the second year in a row, the number Concealed Carry Permit holders in the United States fell. “The figure now stands at 21.46 million—a 1.8% drop since last year,” it states. “A major cause of the continuous decline is that 29 states now have Constitutional Carry laws after Louisiana allowed permitless carry, effective July 4, 2024.”

Nearly half of the citizens in the United States—46.8 percent of the population or 157.6 million people—live in states that now recognize Constitutional Carry. In all, 67.7 percent of the nation’s landmass allows some version of the permit-free carry for law-abiding citizens of age.

Concealed carry permits are, for most states, limited to those at least 21 years of age, and fees, education and training requirements vary. There is also no way to know how many Americans have always carried concealed handguns regardless of the law, but it’s surely a substantial number. They operate under the assumption they’d rather be judged by 12 than carried by six.

Donald Trump has promised to sign a national concealed carry reciprocity bill, and there seems to be some congressional enthusiasm, but Republicans have shown little follow through in the past. There is also some enthusiasm for de-listing suppressors    so they’ll no longer be treated as machineguns with their $200 tax and lengthy and intrusive federal licensing requirements. During Trump’s first term, Republicans held both houses of Congress, but bills of this sort languished because Congressional leaders felt “the time wasn’t right.” Will that be the case in 2025?

Despite the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision some states persist in doing everything possible to keep law-abiding citizens from going armed. A variety of lawsuits are making their way through the federal courts on everything from magazine capacity, “assault weapon” bans, and attempts to make entire states “sensitive areas” excluding concealed carry. 

It seems any attempt at national CC would go nowhere, even with Republicans holding both houses and the White House. It’s no coincidence the same people who ignore federal law by establishing sanctuary cities and states would suddenly develop new respect for the 10th Amendment and file lawsuits opposing nationwide CC.

Still, the number of CC states is likely to increase, and the first step of establishing national concealed carry reciprocity might eventually lead to national CC. The devil, as always, will be in the details. And as always, it’s up to informed Americans to stiffen congressional Republican’s spines in this, and much else. Donald Trump’s mandate will have a two-year expiration date unless Republicans can, for once, avoid being the stupid party and stand firm against socialist/communist Democrats and media.

Democrats don’t oppose Second Amendment advances because they’re concerned about public safety. Their coddling of criminals over the last four years has made that plain. They oppose those advances because they don’t want Americans to have too much liberty. Americans might get used to it, and that would be bad indeed for Democrats. It’s time to convince Congressional Republicans failing in that endeavor would be even worse for them.

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Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.