Guns With Grady holds monthly enhanced carry permit classes
David Grady has been teaching people how to safely handle guns, and state laws around conceal carry since 2019.
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – If you can legally have a gun in Mississippi you can conceal carry without a permit.
But that ability ends when you leave the state.
That’s why some gun owners take advantage of Mississippi’s enhanced carry permit.
An enhanced carry permit is an expanded conceal carry permit that requires an 8 hour course from a certified instructor.
David Grady, a firearms instructor with Guns With Grady shares why he teaches the course.
“Right now there’s over 12 million people carrying nationwide,” Grady said. “That means 12 million people are walking around in public armed. And you get to thinking, ‘will these people know when they can use deadly force and when they’re legally not supposed to? Are they safe or are they pointing firearms at people?’ So you don’t know. So it’s kind of like my way to give back to the community.”
The Mississippi enhanced carry permit allows someone to conceal carry in 36 different states.
It also loosens a couple of other state restrictions.
Grady said there are three main benefits to holding an enhanced carry permit.
“If you’re out traveling on vacation you’re legal in a Big blanketed area of the country,” Grady said. “Also it removes a lot of the restricted locations where you can legally carry in the state of Mississippi. And the third reason is the Mississippi permit takes the place of an FBI background check when you go to a firearms dealer to buy a firearm.”
Experts say when traveling with a gun it’s important to know the gun laws in the states you’re in.
An added benefit of the course is a chance for attendees to learn about firearm safety.
Grady said gun safety is emphasized in the class.
“Safety is always important,” Grady said. “You might save someone’s life, keep someone from getting injured, keep property from getting damaged.”
Clevelend Carlisle, an attendee, said why gun safety is important.
“Gun safety is important because it keeps someone from going out doing something stupid,” Carlisle said. “Yeah, but everyone should have training.”
The organization hosting the course, Guns With Grady, holds monthly classes across North Mississippi.
