Why get a CHL?

You never know when you or a family member might encounter a life threatening situation.

Happily, most people never will. Just as most people will never need any of the insurance they carry on themselves, their house and car, but unfortunately a large number of people do find themselves in need of insurance and personal protection every year.

If you own a handgun, or are thinking of owning one, then having a CHL makes a lot of sense independent of self defense purposes. It doesn't mean that you have to be carrying a firearm every time you leave the house, but it does mean that when you do, even if the firearm is not concealed, you are much better protected against falling foul of any one of dozens of federal, state and local laws.

Even though Oregon has a preemption statute, which means that state law supersedes local law in most instances, there is still scope for localities to enact valid laws on possession of loaded firearms in public areas. In virtually every case, the possession of a valid Oregon CHL overrides those local laws, meaning that you are less likely to break some law that you didn't know about, and which would not have affected you fifty yards down the street over the city border.

Most trainers go well beyond the minimum requirements that the state imposes for the issue of a CHL, and even if you have handled firearms all your life and are perfectly comfortable with them, that extra safety training is always a good idea. A refresher where safety is concerned is never time wasted.