Book Review: The Ohio Guide to Firearms Laws

By Jim Irvine

Attorney and Buckeye Firearms Association Legislative Chair Ken Hanson has done a magnificent job
with the second edition of “The Ohio Guide to Firearms Laws.” This is the definitive book on Ohio’s firearms laws, including concealed carry. It is updated to reflect the changes HB347 made to Ohio’s laws, as well as some real
“Gotcha’s” that have come to light because of poor drafting of Ohio’s original concealed carry law.

It is written in simple enough terms that anyone can understand the issues, and it contains enough fine points that every instructor or attorney who instructs others on these rules should read it.

If you have a concealed carry license, or keep a gun in your home for protection, or ever transport your gun between your home and a range, club, hunting or a store, you need this book. The past few years have seen many people facing charges that would strip them of their rights to even own a gun. While no book is a substitute to competent legal advice, this one is the cheapest, easiest and most likely steps you
will take to avoid getting yourself into a spot where you need a good attorney to reclaim your life as you now know it.

Many people don’t want to spend the money and time to buy and read such a book. They don’t want to bother. I have taken many phone calls from good people who find themselves looking for help after accidentally breaking a law they did not fully understand. Being threatened with prison time is not the time to realize you should
have understood the rules better.

Click on 'Read More' for the entire review.

If you own a gun, you simply must know the rules. Because the rules change, you must do some work to stay informed. If you’re busy, this is the least time investment to learn what you need to know.

Hanson sums up the problem facing Ohio gun owners exceptionally well:

There is a tremendous amount of bad information on Ohio Concealed Carry in circulation, coming from any number of “authoritative” sources. Part of the problem is that there is a shortage of attorneys who have made the investment needed to become thoroughly familiar with this subject matter. Part of the problem is that any number of persons are giving what amounts to legal advice, without being qualified to do so, and without knowing the Golden Rule of Lawyers: “Know when to say I don’t know.” The final part of the problem is that the law is very complex, and by its very
nature, is difficult to understand, and even more difficult to summarize and convey to others.

Even being involved in the entire legislative process for many years, and reading each bill many times, I still learned important things reading this book. No matter how much you know, you never know everything. Ohio’s firearms laws are not user friendly, and in some situations they are the worst in the country. There are plenty of innocent actions people make every day that can lead to criminal charges. Don’t get yourself into a situation where a paying $1,000 and pleading guilty to a misdemeanor for something you “knew was legal” becomes a great deal. Buy, read, and understand Hanson’s book today.

This book is available as a gift for those who donate to Buckeye Firearms Association.

It is also available directly from the author at http://www.ohiogunlawguide.com/.

About the author: Ken Hanson is an Ohio attorney who has represented many Ohio gun owners who failed to understand the many traps for the unwary that are hidden in the myriad of words that comprise Ohio’s firearms statutes. He has also been involved in lobbying the legislature for change to the worst of these laws. He has probably represented more “good people” for violations of “bad law” than any other attorney,
compiling an impressive record, including a win at the Supreme Court level. He has donated significant amounts of his personal time and money to protecting your rights.