There's An App For That

Well, maybe.

Smartphones are the ideal platform for a concealed carry application. So far, I've found two written for Android, Right2Bear (formerly iBearArms) and CCW-USA. I would consider both of them to be a good start, but not quite ready for prime time.

Both are paid apps rather than free, and have no trial versions. I test-drove them both, but in each case uninstalled them for refund during the 24-hour grace period. The reason was simple: neither one was accurate enough for me.

Keeping track of reciprocity is the main reason I want a CCW app on my phone. Both apps failed badly in that regard for a Nebraska resident. CCW-USA's list of states that recognize a Nebraska permit was incomplete. Right2Bear listed the states that Nebraska recognizes where the states recognizing Nebraska should have been, and stated that Nebraska has no "formal" reciprocity agreements with anyone. That is incorrect, as a quick check of websites like Handgunlaw.us and Pack-N-Go will verify.

Right2Bear seemed to have better information for other states. I liked CCW-USA's GPS-based notification option that warns you when you're entering a state where you aren't legal.

CCW-USA had an annoying slide-racking sound effect that I couldn't find a way to disable.

Neither app can handle multiple permits so far.

CCW-USA costs $1.99 and Right2Bear costs $2.99. You can only uninstall once for refund. After that, if you reinstall the application, you can't get your money back.

Bottom line: Both applications have their good and bad points, but neither is good enough for my purposes to pay for right now. I will be watching the Android Market for updates to both apps and the comments from people using them.

If anyone knows of any other concealed carry apps for Android, please let me know. Thanks.