VIDEO: Newsman Chris Davis gets gun instruction from Cliff Cargill
JACKSON, Miss.–Buying a gun in Mississippi is a fairly easy process and with the upcoming Sportsmen’s Tax-Free Holiday this weekend, you may be thinking about making a purchase. There are some things you should consider, says a Mississippi gun rights attorney.
First, if you’re buying a handgun for protection, you should get trained on using the firearm.
“People will put the cart before the horse and they’ll go get a gun, then they’ll get a permit and start carrying it. They won’t go get training and they won’t know what the actual law is as to when you can actually use your firearm,” said attorney Steven Stamboulia.
In Mississippi, there are two levels of carry permits. You have the concealed-carry permit, which allows you to carry a concealed weapon, but not in places that have a sign that says you may not have a firearm, not in schools, and not in federal buildings.
There’s also the enhanced-carry permit, which lets you carry in many more places.
Mississippi also has the “Castle Doctrine” law, which says you have a right to defend yourself and your property from an intruder, and you have a right to use a gun if they intend to do you bodily harm.
But, these are very general descriptions, and Stamboulia said you should take the proper training courses and get well-versed on when and how to use your weapon.
“A concealed-carry is a good idea, but you need to be trained on the firearm, and you need to be trained on when to use it. If you use it in a situation that’s not as clear cut as you thought it was at the moment, you could be indicted.”
He said another good idea is to have an attorney that knows gun rights law on speed dial, just in case.
