Nonmetallic Weapons

Non-permissive environments (NPEs) are a common roadblock for those of us who carry weapons for self-defense. This category includes any environment which attempts to restrict or prohibit you from carrying traditional weapons — for example, guns, knives, or even pepper spray. Of course, the actual enforcement of these restrictions varies wildly. Some may simply post a worthless “gun free zone” sign, others will threaten legal action against anyone seen with a weapon, and a few actively search every individual with pat downs and/or metal detectors. The final category is the most difficult to deal with and leads us to the subject of this article.

Keep in mind that carrying a weapon in any NPE is risky at best and a federal felony at worst. Either way, willful disregard of posted regulations isn’t a decision to be taken lightly. However, there are also countless examples that