Should I conceal and carry? The Protection Project is a series of interviews with the expert staff at Buchheit who are educating me on handguns for the novice. Rhys is the department manager for the Sporting Goods Department of the Greenville, IL store.
The first thing Rhys asked before I could examine a gun was to see my current FOID card. FOID stands for Firearms Owners’ Identification. To legally possess firearms or ammunition, Illinois residents must have a FOID card, which is issued by the Illinois State Police to qualified applicants. It’s like a pre-check or first screening used by state officials in the vetting process for gun and ammo purchases.
In Missouri, a Firearms Owners’ Identification (FOID) card is also required to purchase and own rifles, shotguns and handguns but no permits are required to carry rifles and shotguns, but a FOID card is required to carry a handgun. No one under age 18 can possess a handgun or a concealable firearm.
Rhys recommendation for a handgun for the newer gun owner was the Bersa Thunder 380. He likes this gun for beginners because this concealable lightweight platform (that’s tech talk for a small handgun) is loaded with safety features. The Bersa Thunder 380 was created in Argentina where gun ownership is not universally guaranteed. There are limits on caliber which is meant to restrict the number of large caliber handguns in the public’s hands. The barrel of the Bersa Thunder is in a fixed position and has a smaller feed ramp because it is blowback operated, as opposed to the floating barrel found in recoil operated handguns. This gun has less recoil than a 9 millimeter gun. The Bersa Thunder is packed with safety features like the safety selector lever that doubles as a decocking mechanism. Being able to decock the gun (taking your hand off the trigger and allowing the gun to not fire) after chambering a round is an invaluable safety benefit. Another great feature is the firing pin safety that ensures the gun won’t fire if dropped. It also has an optional key activated trigger lock. The added layers of safety features allow the owner to manually lock in the safety with a key. The magazine disconnect feature will not allow the handgun to fire if a magazine is not fully inserted. The Bersa Thunder 380 really is designed with safety in mind.
Can you tell that Rhys is concealing a firearm on his person in this photo?
Another firearm he suggests for the first-time gun owner is the Ruger 380 LCP which is the model Ruger he has concealed in his front pant pocket.
He also showed me the pocket clip Taurus 380 which clips onto a pocket. It has a flashlight, a laser site and curves for an easy fit when concealed on your person.
I enjoyed spending time at the Greenville Buchheit learning more about concealed carry options. Hope you are finding this series helpful! Be blessed today! Sincerely here to help! Anne May
