It might not be quite as bad as the people who thought it would be a good idea to carry loaded weapons to Toys “R” Us on Friday, but Plaxico Burress‘ decision to tote a loaded weapon to a Manhattan club that night is not high on the list of smart moves.

So, even though he’s already pulled a Cheddar Bob and shot himself, the physical wounds might not be what keep Plax out of the lineup for the rest of this season…and beyond. And Burress isn’t the only Giant who might find himself in legal trouble over the incident.

The NEW YORK POST points out that it’s a felony in New York to carry a concealed weapon around without a permit, which Burress does not have. He does have a permit to carry the gun in Florida, but it expired. And it wouldn’t have mattered even if the permit was valid:

“New York has the most restrictive pistol-licensing system in the United States,” said Thomas King, president of the New York Rifle and Pistol Association. “It recognizes absolutely no out-of-state permits. An out-of-stater never has the authority to carry [here].”

Criminal possession of a loaded weapon is a felony in New York, punishable by up to a year in prison.

The NY DAILY NEWS’ Ralph Vacchiano, meanwhile, says that Giant teammate Antonio Pierce was with Burress during the shooting and actually attempted to hide the gun:

• Burress told Pierce (and others at the club) not to call 911 after he was shot, and he didn’t go to the hospital for two hours, until 2 a.m. when his wife, Tiffany, and a friend finally took him to New York-Presbyterian Hospital.

• Pierce agreed to cooperate with police if they agreed not to immediately charge him with a crime. Cops are still planning to get a warrant to search Pierce’s car.

Vacchiano goes on to say that “Pierce’s attorney was frantically trying to save him from criminal charges late last night.”

Despite all of this, Pierce is apparently not in any trouble with the team and will play today against the Redskins.

Vacchiano also contradicts the POST and claims that Plax would be facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 3 1/2 years in the slammer if convicted of carrying a concealed weapon.

Sal Paolantonio has just reported on ESPN that Burress has hired lawyer Ben Brafman, who represented Diddy during his weapons issues a few years back when I think he was still called Puff Daddy.  So Plax clearly expects to be facing charges, which probably puts his NFL career in jeopardy.