Concealed Carry and CPAP

[Birddog]

I've been renewed 3 times on the permits and am an advocate of Concealed carry. With the armed home invasions at night running rampant here in florida, i feel much better to sleep with a 9MM within reach as it is not as quick a reaction hooked up to this machine to retrieve a firearm to defend yourself. You can bet if i ever have to go to court in my defense, I'll strap on the hose and mask on the stand and you can bet the jury will be on my side that anyone in a similiar situation would have done the same to protect themself and the family.The wife is fully trained and has many range hours also. CPAP has made me more aware and awake to carry a weapon,much less daytime sleepiness

I have carried on the job many years and never had a confrontation with anyone and never let anyone know i carry.

The criminals are not the ones getting a legal permit to carry,They don't follow the law.

[SleepyT]

Hoze,
If you found yourself in a life or death situation, I'm betting your adreneline would kick in and help you be more alert. Nothing wakes a person up like being threatened!I wouldn't worry about it. Whether you feel 100% or not...you have the right to defend yourself and your family. I have my permit too...and would not consider not carrying when I go hiking...sleep apnea or not!

T.

[5aces]

Hoze-zay,by reading your post I detect a concern for 'repercussions' of a spilt second decision.

The concern seems based on how effective your Cpap use is at the moment.

The gold standard for evaluating current sleep efficiency is a Maintenance of Wakefulness test.

I would take this test to quantify wake tendencies.

www.pubmed.gov:
MWT appears to be a useful procedure in differentiating groups with normal daytime wake tendency from those with impaired wake tendency and in identifying individuals with pathologic inability to remain awake under soporific circumstances.

Certainly this would go a long way to ease your conscience and confirm your ability to carry.
Definitely would be useful in a court setting.Take care.

[Hoze-Zay]

Hoze-zay,by reading your post I detect a concern for 'repercussions' of a spilt second decision.

The concern seems based on how effective your Cpap use is at the moment.

The gold standard for evaluating current sleep efficiency is a Maintenance of Wakefulness test.

I would take this test to quantify wake tendencies.

www.pubmed.gov:
MWT appears to be a useful procedure in differentiating groups with normal daytime wake tendency from those with impaired wake tendency and in identifying individuals with pathologic inability to remain awake under soporific circumstances.

Certainly this would go a long way to ease your conscience and confirm your ability to carry.
Definitely would be useful in a court setting.Take care.

I will start checking to see if anyone gives it where I live. I don't expect to find it but I am sometimes surprised.

[Velbor]

While any information is potentially useful, I would again point out that focusing on "sleep" may be too narrow a view.

The original concerns, well expressed, were not about wakefulness, but about clarity of thought.

This is what is sometimes referred to as "Executive Function" issues.

More to the point might be testing by a psychologist, for such things as attention to and discrimination of detail, reaction times, eye-hand coordination, and appropriate responses to stimuli. Speed, accuracy and consistency of judgement based on incomplete information.

Sleep issues certainly affect "Executive Function". The question here is not, how well you are sleeping now (though that is certainly of interest) but rather, how well are you functioning now.

[OwlCreekObserver]

Actually, Hoze-Zay, now that you're being successfully treated with CPAP, you're more likely to be like this guy.

[Hoze-Zay]

Actually, Hoze-Zay, now that you're being successfully treated with CPAP, you're more likely to be like this guy.

My wife would certainly agree with that, she is always looking at me and saying, "I can't believe you remember that".

[5aces]

I am not familiar with the weapons permit process in Arkansas.

In Canada,applicants are screened with the requirements of the 1995 firearms act.

A licence to acquire and possess any guns, plus permits for restricted firearms, both of which require extensive background checks are needed.

While Ottawa produces the application forms, five provinces including Quebec have taken on responsibility for administering the law in their jurisdictions.

Applicants must provide a personal history, including whether they've been charged with a criminal offence in the last five years, been subject to a peace bond, dealt with a range of psychological problems or had any kind of personal crisis such as a divorce, bankruptcy or job loss.

Besides providing two personal references, they must also supply the name of a "conjugal partner,'' who is supposed to be informed of the gun application.

Police don't routinely contact the applicant's references unless computerized checks turn up anything suspicious.

They don't call each individual that is in the application if there isn't any indication in the background checks that we should be verifying further.

However, they do follow up with spouses and girlfriends, the people most likely to know if there's a propensity for violence.

The forms include a toll-free telephone tip line that either spouses or references can call if they have reservations about the would-be gun owner but don't want to challenge them face-to-face.

This process is the psychological fitness component of the weapons permit process,I gather.

If a gun is fired by a Sleep Apniac and the matter is before the courts,I am certain that 'effective' Cpap use would be a primary concern,along with the psychological state of mind.

Hoze-Zay,if I were in your shoes that MWT would be the first thing on my list.

[Gerald]

Hoze-Zay.......

In my opinion, the purpose of a concealed carry permit is to allow one to legally have a firearm on one's person....for protection....in a way that doesn't make other people apprehensive. In other words, if people don't know you're carrying, you....and your firearm.... are not a center of attention.

Carrying a pistol is only for your own protection....for that once in a lifetime situation when you will die if you have no way to defend yourself. If you stay away from locations where you're likely to come face to face with death, you'll likely never to have to draw your gun.

I will only carry when I have to go into a dangerous area....and there's no reasonable way for me to avoid going there. Even then, I limit my exposure to danger by applying "street-smarts" to the max.

Finally, if you're mentally sharp enough to post a message with the style and quality that you exhibited, I think your wife has it figured correctly.

Gerald

[jdm2857]

Reading this thread makes me glad that New Jersey makes it almost impossible to get a concealed carry permit unless you have a very specific situation that requires one.

I'm also glad that congress did not pass the bill that would have required the states to cross-honor permits.

And now I should probably duck!

[6PtStar]

now I should probably duck!

Naaaa, you are entitled to your opinion and I am entitled to mine. As long as you don't try to force your opinion on me you are good to go!! Here in Texas we will honor your Concealed License from NJ even if you won't honor mine when I come to visit.

Jerry

[timbalionguy]

Even before I started CPAP, I would not hesitate to carry when I need to, because those are going to be situations where you are going to be alert anyway. (I am finding as I read other people's accounts of what it was like before CPAP that i must have been very lucky in that I was not 'fuzzy minded' all the time despite having severe apnea.)

I work in a field where I must go to unattended transimtter sites in remote areas, often at night. In recent years, copper theft has become a real problem at RF sites because there is so much copper in and around a high power broadcast facility. (Transmission lines for broadcast transmitters are basically copper water pipe in sizes ranging from 3 to 8 inches in diameter. Most facilities make liberal use of 4 inch wide copper ground straps as well as very heavy copper power wiring and bus bars.) I can conceal or open carry here in Nevada. And although I practice 'street smarts' as much as possible, you never know who or what might show up while you are at a site. While the mere act of being present at a site usually keeps troublemakers away, some of these folks have used a lot of force to get into buildings and steal copper. Who knows what they are 'high' on. I hope I never have to use it, but the gun at your side gives a little more confidence when you usually have to have your mind heavily focused on the task that brought you to the site at odd hours.

I, too would like to get involved in competitive shooting, but have too many other irons in the fire right now. I am still working (when I can afford it!) at being as proficient as possible at the basic use of a firearm. The most important part of being an armed citizen is knowing when not to use the weapon. The shooting part is considerable easier. In any case though, any situation where you feel you might be in harm's way is going to have your senses on high alert, anyway. So for a lot of people here, I bet the use of CPAP makes little difference on how they would deal with the extreme stress of being attacked.

Home defense is a problem with or without CPAP. If you are wakened out of a sound sleep by a burglar, etc., you are going to be at least momentarily disoriented. At that point, the mask and hose get in the way. It might be good thing to practice acquiring and drawing your firearm with the mask on. Hopefully, in a real life situation there will be enough time to hit the 'off' button and disconnect the hose. But you never know. No two situations are the same.

One thing is for sure: I you ever do get in a defensive shooting situation, do not tell anyone about your use of CPAP unless specifically questioned. They lawyers for the perp will use anything and everything to disqualify your legal use of lethal force.

[Hoze-Zay]

Reading this thread makes me glad that New Jersey makes it almost impossible to get a concealed carry permit unless you have a very specific situation that requires one.

I'm also glad that congress did not pass the bill that would have required the states to cross-honor permits.

And now I should probably duck!

NO need to duck! I said to not make it political but you did. That means you can't follow instructions which means you probably don't need to be carrying because you have to follow instructions to get a license. Just Kidding
Having said that I suggest you read the following. It kinda sums up the way we people who carry think.
http://mwkworks.com/onsheepwolvesandsheepdogs.html

[jdm2857]

Reading this thread makes me glad that New Jersey makes it almost impossible to get a concealed carry permit unless you have a very specific situation that requires one.

I'm also glad that congress did not pass the bill that would have required the states to cross-honor permits.

And now I should probably duck!

NO need to duck! I said to not make it political but you did. That means you can't follow instructions which means you probably don't need to be carrying because you have to follow instructions to get a license.
Having said that I suggest you read the following. It kinda sums up the way we people who carry think.
http://mwkworks.com/onsheepwolvesandsheepdogs.html

So does carrying a concealed weapon mean that you get to set the rules, or is it because I disagree with you that makes my opinion political?

[Hoze-Zay]

Hoze-Zay.......

In my opinion, the purpose of a concealed carry permit is to allow one to legally have a firearm on one's person....for protection....in a way that doesn't make other people apprehensive. In other words, if people don't know you're carrying, you....and your firearm.... are not a center of attention.

Carrying a pistol is only for your own protection....for that once in a lifetime situation when you will die if you have no way to defend yourself. If you stay away from locations where you're likely to come face to face with death, you'll likely never to have to draw your gun.

I will only carry when I have to go into a dangerous area....and there's no reasonable way for me to avoid going there. Even then, I limit my exposure to danger by applying "street-smarts" to the max.

Finally, if you're mentally sharp enough to post a message with the style and quality that you exhibited, I think your wife has it figured correctly.

Gerald

Amen to your words and thanks for your support. If people only knew how much time concealed carry people spend making sure they never get into a situation it would amaze them.