Forums / Off Topic / OPEN CARRY

we just talked about it at the range today.

Florida already has open carry in certain situations

On your way to, during and from Camping, Hiking, Fishing and Hunting you can carry a firearm openly and you are not breaking any laws.

http://www.gunslot.com/forum/open-carry-gets-pass-florida

All but 3 states allow Open Carry and it isn't the Wild West or cause any problems.

3 States that do not allow it yet
Florida, Illinois, Texas

35 States that allow it out right:
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
STATES THAT

12 States that require a permit
Connecticut, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee

our most knowledgable members. These postings are available in the history files, for all who are interested.
SEE: "Let's talk open carry[OC] versus concealed carry [CC], AGAIN!"
1Year and 6 weeks ago.

In any discussion of the states--it is useful to distinguish between unrestricted open carry, versus restricted open carry.

From an earlier post:
http://www.gunslot.com/forum/open-carry-0

My opinion is two-sided. I believe free citizens should be allowed to carry openly. Not to mention that restricting this would be infringing the right to keep and BEAR arms. Which is unconstitutional, right?
But on the other hand, I do like the concept of concealed carry. For handguns, anyway. The reason I say this is because it makes more sense in the sense of firearms as crime deterrence and self defense. The great thing about conceal is that the a-holes don't know who is armed, and they have to be afraid.

I love it because, I get to see all the different weapons people have.Also like concealed carry because it makes the bad guys nervous as to whos going to shoot them.

unrestricted open carry should be allowed everywhere.concealed carry should be allowed also.my opinion,everyone should be allowed to conceal,or openly carry everywhere but court,and places like that.

Open carry should be allowed. I think it would be wrong to tell the American people that you can't open carry at all. There are always instances where you may not be able to carry or places you can't. Like schools, courthouses, government buildings. But for the most part I agree with this 100%.

"The right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed".
That's about as plain as white bread.
Open, concealed, loaded, cocked, locked, whatever.

Frankly speaking I think there is a time and place for it. But eveyday walking around with a pistol on your hip and 4 extra mags at the waste is moronic.

Just like the dipshit that took and slung an AR over his shoulder and went to Obamas Town Meeting or whatever it was. That was not the time to play like that, IMO it only showed his ego and arrogance....

I could open carry if I wanted to but I think its a bad idea in my view. Reason being is people would look at me like "Mr.Tough Guy Carrying a gun in view just to show off or look for trouble" and well I dont want that kind of attention. When I start to carry I want to conceal my firearm and only present it under threatening situations. I dont want anyone knowing until a threat occurs. Thats my humble opinion.

* There is no law against a law-abiding citizen openly carrying a firearm, therefore it is legal and no permit or license is required.

* "Open carry" is the carrying of a firearm that is not concealed. Virginia defines concealed as "hidden from common observation" and "a weapon shall be deemed to be hidden from common observation when it is observable but is of such deceptive appearance as to disguise the weapon's true nature."

Open carry in Illinois.....hell we can't even get concealed carry. Maybe this year. Hopefully.

we can open carry here,but it must be unloaded,and i guess there is a precedent saying even magazines and ammo must be visible(or you have a cocealed weapon).legal to open carry unloaded on public,and private property(without knowledge of a gun free school zone).loaded open carry on private property(without knowledge of a gun free school zone)or at your home or temporary residence such as campsite/hotel.....the major problem is gun free school zones are any area within 1000 ft of a schools property,and some dickhead judge has ruled that private property open to the public is not private property at all.this COULD be interpreted to mean your place of business is not a legal place for you to have a loaded weapon!below i list another overlaping section of law 12026(b)that says it is legal,you kinda take your chances i guess.

12026. (a) Section 12025 shall not apply to or affect any citizen of the United States or legal resident over the age of 18 years who resides
or is temporarily within this state … who carries, either openly or concealed, anywhere within the citizen's or legal resident's place of
residence, place of business, or on private property owned or lawfully possessed by the citizen or legal resident any pistol, revolver, or
other firearm capable of being concealed upon the person.

(b) No permit or license to purchase, own, possess, keep, or carry, either openly or concealed, shall be required of any citizen of the United
States or legal resident over the age of 18 years who resides or is temporarily within this state … to purchase, own, possess, keep, or carry,
either openly or concealed, a pistol, revolver, or other firearm capable of being concealed upon the person within the citizen's or legal
resident's place of residence, place of business, or on private property owned or lawfully possessed by the citizen or legal resident.

bassicly they make it impossible or very difficult to understand the law,and where a(gun free zone) is.in my town there are schools everywhere,and to carry a gun legaly you must stay outside 1000 ft of their property.this can be extremely hard to do,especialy when they are sometimes within that distance to one another,and a few schools are actually located in shopping areas,and id assume by school they mean anywhere school activities take place,so id stay away from anywhere R.O.P regional occupational training takes place too.this is really limiting,and hard to keep track of.

open carry law are important, because lets say you carry concealed and you bend over and your sidearm shows for whatever reason someone calls the cops, they come and you have to show that your legal to carry but if they are no open carry laws in the state your in you chould get in troble for just that reason I stated above.

i met a guy who was arrested,and had his gun destroyed for a similar type of situation as mentioned above.guy walking down the street(licensed to carry concealed) was carrying his pistol in his waistband under his shirt,when a gust of wind blew it up above his piece.a concerned citizen with the very best of intentions im sure called it in.the cops arrived and had him on the ground with guns drawn and the whole bit.he showed his permit to carry,but they arrested him for carrying open while loaded.his gun was destroyed and he lost his gun rights.WELCOME TO CALIFORNIA,the go fuck yourself state!

Assume for a minute, that I'm traveling around the country visiting family and friends. I let you know that I'm going to be passing through your area on a certain day and we agree to meet. You suggest a place and I show up. Unfortunately for me we are within 1000 feet of a school, but I didn't know about it. We decide to go to your place to have a couple of beers, but as I'm pulling onto the street, I have a minor traffic violation and get stopped. I have my pistol concealed under the seat and show the officer my concealed carry permit from Texas. I inform him that I have a weapon concealed under the seat and obey all his commands. I learn about the school when he tell me that I was within 1000 yards of a school and therefore violating the gun free zone. I apologize and inform him that I had just arrived and was not aware of the school as I was just visiting a friend and had never been to Redding. What are the chances I go to jail and lose my gun in the process?

Mush of what they do is on a discretionary based opinion. If you live within 1000 feet of a school and you own firearms they can not tell you that you have to move nore that you can not put them in your car and go to the range and or hunting.

Everyone knows the saying "Ignorance of the law is no excuse" , though it would be ignorance of location in this instance, which is true enough but it is a mitigating factor none the less.

I'd call it a 50 / 50 crap shoot...

kids were arrested for not following instructions and leaving the park.it was a church sponsored event with appropriate licenses and everything.the da later droped all charges,cops hat to issue a public apology. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viHU3igaUfI

this is one of our worst ones cop rapes girl... http://www.copblock.org/295/cop-rapes-a-woman-in-the-back-of-his-patrol-... http://www.redding.com/news/2011/apr/21/anderson-names-acting-police-chief/

By Tim Hearden, Record Searchlight
July 20, 2005
Shasta County has reached a $390,000 settlement with the family of a 23-year-old Redding man who died last year while in the custody of a sheriff's deputy.
The amount is far less than the $1.4 million first sought by Songka Philapandeth, whose son, Khamhane Philapandeth, was asphyxiated during a struggle with former deputy Gregory Dean and security guards at Win-River Casino.
The family settled for the lower amount to avoid a jury trial and be assured of a lump-sum payment rather than installments paid over years, said Chris Mathews, a Los Angeles-based attorney representing the family.

cant find the ones from a while back where they beat a man to death by the train tracks because they thought he was a bumb,and he didnt cooperate,and couldnt find where they almost killed an old lady by shooting her window out of her car because they thought it was the same car they were chasing either.ill be on the lookout though.

I belive we should have both in the state of florida. I really do hope the open carry law goes into effect

it should be legal everywhere!i agree jeffashbyjr.

But it's the one's that just want to use it any time and do not know how!!!! some one cut's them off they start shooting and do not know how so other's are hurt,killed.There is no right wrong answer train every one at lest once a year on a weekend make them train for a day if they want it that bad!!!! Hell I
I'll go for the training in the woods every weekend lol TY

STOP! right there, I feel you are a dire threat to my health and well being if you continue to advance upon me I will defend myself and you will be shot. Turn around and LEAVE NOW!

They keep coming or go for a weapon, they called the tune so it's their dance....

Why not change the law so that only rubber bullets could be "open carried"? Yeah you won't kill the aggressor, but it would give you a chance to run.
Don't get me wrong here though. If your going to carry a weapon, you better be ready to use it. Likewise to any idiot out there that wants to approach you AND knows your carring. They better be ready to get shot. Personally I think it would be a good idea to have your first shot a rubber (or beanbag) shot. If the dipshit gets up and continues......The next 7 or more are real.

1. If it comes out of a working firearm, it is lethal force. If someone pulls an actual gun, regardless of whether it's full of hollowpoints or Skittles, it's lethal force and will be responded to, prosecuted as, and viewed publicly as such.

2. 'Rubber bullets' typically do not function well in any standard sidearm, nor do plastic or other less-lethal projecticles. Likewise, mixing rounds of widely varying weights/velocities will induce malfunctions in many firearms. It's a lousy, hardly workable idea.

3. A majority of actual less-lethal cartridges have a very real possibility of serious injury to the receiver. If you're going to gouge out eyes, break ribs, avulse facial features, etc., you may as well use actual antipersonnel ammunition and stop them.

4. Handgun-caliber less-lethal cartridges are very unlikely to stop a person's aggressive actions.....hell even actual/real ammunition is a lousy way to stop a committed adversary. Plenty of folks get a handful of bullets in them and don't even feel it--they're sure as hell not going to stop b/c a single .35-45cal LL projectile dings them.

Less-lethal projectile weapons are a very specialized, narrow force option, only beneficial when a person is contained, outnumbered, and needs to be apprehended. Even 12ga LL is not a great 'stopper'....40mm yes, 12ga/pistol, not so much. That, and plug someone with a LL handgun cartride with zero training (there is zero training available for the system b/c no one actually uses it) and see how your criminal trial or civil lawsuit goes.

If you're not ready to seriously injure or kill someone, don't use a firearm.

No way I would trust LL rounds in a life threatening situation. The only situation I would even think of it is if I had an aggressor with a non projectile weapon and I had plenty of space and time. Then it would be nice to give him some OC, rubber slug or tri-dent buckshot or whatever, but I would only do that if someone else had me covered with live ammo.... I hear people talk about loading a LL round first for home defense. Their idea is that they want to try to stop the aggressor without applying deadly force if possible. The problem, as TX said, there's a good chance that it won’t cycle properly, especially in an auto. Then you're SOL when you piss him off. If anything, maybe try regular OC or a taser, but have your primary weapon on the target at all times. Even then, it’s risky. The whole idea of having to draw your weapon is to stop a threat that is going to cause you or someone else severe bodily harm and/or death. The quickest way to stop the threat is live defense ammo.

As far as home defense goes. Thats all out, no holds barred, kill'em all let God sort them out. I just thought it would be a nice thing for those people that are affraid of killing someone. Although Reaper your right "having to draw your weapon is to stop a threat that is going to cause you or someone else severe bodily harm and/or death." Given that statement and TX's "That, and plug someone with a LL handgun cartride with zero training (there is zero training available for the system b/c no one actually uses it)" perhaps you two should get together and start a LL training school. Just imagine all the liberals that would be lined up out your door. Please remember where you got the idea.

rubber baby buggy bumpers.reaper and txl are right this is a bad idea for so many reasons already stated above.additionaly some states(california) i know for sure dont allow less lethal,or flachette rounds at all,so they certainly wouldnt want you carrying them around all the time.as mentioned above by txl,defending yourself in a court criminal or civil,you would be accused of trying to mame and injure and probably end up going down for assult with a deadly weapon with intent to do great bodily harm.

I think it should pass because it would keep the honest man honest and provide protection to everyone. It would also make an on the fence crook think twice about who they try to assault. I carry one anyway. I would rather the cops catch me with my gun than have a criminal catch me without it.

As the bad guys have it any ways and if some one has one and can use it to stop the bad guy I'm all for it but do not go LOOKING for the moment. TY

It'd be good $$, but I refuse to train hippies....if someone doesn't want to hurt someone in defense of their person, then they shouldn't be armed with anything at all. Or, just never leave the house .... hippies in their own hovels and/or unarmed suits me just fine.

Now just get it for the rest of the nation instead of forbidding us our 2nd amendment rights.

I live in Maine. I have a concealed carry permit. Maine also has an open carry law. If i carry open and loaded am I breaking the law?

Elderly Widows who have a number of fire arms which their dead husbands owned and have no clue what to do with them (read collectibles, collectibles and junk).

Lorcins, Jennings and other pot metal grenades

Throw downs and collections handed down through the family until it gets in the hands of some mamby pamby Libber who is so afraid of the word *gun* they can not wait to do their part and destroy a chunck of Americana and American History....

Why hide the fact that you're packing? I live in a rural, agricultural area, and seeing people with firearms is not a big deal here. It's not even unusual to see a couple of kids walking down the road carrying .22's, or shotguns. They have to unloaded, of course, and generally the only Law Enforcement Officers who might take the time to check them out would be an EnCon Officer. All depends on where you live I guess; the same scenerio may not play out quite as casually in the Bronx, or downtown L.A.

There’s a lot of sides to this but, as far as I’m concerned, open carrying makes you the first target, the bad guy always has the advantage of knowing when stuff going to go down. If they see you with a gun, you’re the first target because you have the capability of stopping them.

O, and welcome.

agree

There are plenty of half wits out there that would be making gun grabs all the way from joking around to deciding it was time to go postal. Open carry has it's place, in populated areas I do not see where it has any benefit and many possibilities for it turning into a tragic disaster.

Florida was smart enough to keep weapons concealed, but to make it not against the law if a weapon is accidentally displayed. Such as when transferring your weapon from holster to glove box or vise versa. Or the wind blows your shirt up and your weapon is seen in it's holster on your side. Before they could actual fine you and pull your CCW and it would take an act of congress and loads of money to fight to get it back.

Basically it was Officers Discretion and many of the newer ones have a hard on about fire arms as it is.

Unfortunately most of the avid shooters are better trained and have a higher skill level with handguns than most of the Police. They older guys/gals went on the force when it was understood that one of the Hats they wore at work was Gun Fighter. The Newer ones taking up the Job, seem to think that they are going to get away with rolling in the dirt or swinging a baton.

Hell the proof is there each and every time they get on the range and can't hit crap. It is so bad it is not only shocking, but down right scary.

Exactly, my sisters boss called the cops last year for a deer, that had been hit by a car and was suffering. Well the cops got there and didn’t know what to do , he actually asked her boss (who is a hunter) what do I shoot it with? He then answered what do you have lol

isn't it... *best bugs bunny voice*

Telling ya, not all but a good number of them think it is just a cool job....

If not for the fact that they get to tell some female in a bar "I'm a Cop" I don't think some of them would be....

I wont say all either but I think it’s a power thing for most, you have to do what I say cas I’m a cop. No disrespect to any cops out here, I just think the police force could be run different. Not just handing out seatbelt tickets. I sat on the side of the road for an hour , had a friend on the way with parts I needed to fix my truck but I watched two cops drive by and not even stop to ask if I needed help.

not sure of all states, but here in cali city cops dont have to stop.the only time city cops ask if you need help is if you look like you might be an arrest,or a ticket waiting for them on the side of the road.lol. highway patrol on the other hand must stop,even if pursuing a speeder they must stop and offer asistance iv heard.dont know how true the second part is but i know chp must stop and help motorists.as far as open carry goes,i think it should be legal everywhere,if you choose to not practice open carry thats your choice.

I know they don’t have to but I look at it as protect and serve. To me that means help people, I do when ever I can help someone on the side of the road. Just to make sure they have a cell to call someone. Hell in the winter I love getting out the big old farm truck and driving around in snowstorms, just to find people stuck and pull them out. Witch by the way is illegal here in Michigan

i'm a firm believer in having open carry i think a would be thief, thug or whatever might have second thoughts if he walks into a place where 2/3rds of the room is packing seen a comment about the wild west was the crime rates as high then? only problem i could see is law enforcement knowing bad guys from good guys there job is tough enuff

I think its ok

Open Carry is a great idea and I think more people should do it. There are too many idiots on the streets that think they are bangers. They need to be reminded that yes, law abiding citizens have guns and we are not afraid to use them if your thug life ass gets reckless. People are more polite when your hip is rocking a shiny 45. Also if the common folks get used to seeing our proud law abiding citizens with weapons, they won't be as afraid and will feel much safer with time.

All states should be open carry,,,,, let the bad guys know what there up againts.

I personally prefer to carry concealed. There have been a few times though that it's simply more convenient to open carry. Fortunately here in Michigan, both are legal. There is even a group called Michigan Open Carry that has picnics where the members openly carry their handguns on their hips, etc. The reason I prefer to carry concealed is because I don't want someone knowing if I have a weapon on me or not. I prefer the element of surprise. I still believe that open carry is our right and that by not exercising that rights, we run the risk of losing those rights. What I'd be interested in finding out is do any of you open carry and concealed carry at the same time?

I prefer conceal for myself to prevent a potential attacker from knowing the playing field. That being said, this makes sense for urban and suburban areas but, as is often the case, the rural areas are not considered in this decision. I've heard arguments about open carry and they are centered around the assumption that the carrier is in a population dense area (city).
But once again, the country folk are not considered. Why the hell would I need to conceal my arms when I am in the country? I would carry it open. If I encountered a stranger, my hand would be on the handgun, ready to draw. Just my thought.

Just to put it out there, the "wild west" is BS for liberals and idiots. You were more likely to be shot in Baltimore in 2008 than in Tombstone, AZ in 1881. There was no "wild west" like people think, thats all movies and hollywood. The averger death(murder) per year was around 2 or 3 per territory, not like the 100's we have in some cities today, and they carried openly back then, and even kids had guns. But the people we smart. People are too stupid to carry openly now days, I love concealed, nobody knows I pack and noone needs to know, but will find out the hard way if they choose to take that route around me and my family.

Using a weapon is not necessarily considered lethal force. There are all sorts of different levels of assault and someone who shoots a guy with sim rounds or some sort of less-lethal weapon would likely be charged with aggravated assault, not necessarily assault with a deadly weapon or whatever the individual state's term for it is.

The open carry thing has been beat to death on this site, but so have most legitimate gun-related topics which helps explain why there are so many off topic threads and the "girls" section. I remember when I first joined the site, there were seemingly endless new topics about guns to discuss (Ah, the good old days).

In a nutshell, my thoughts on open carry. In a group, good. By yourself, not good. The only real good that comes from open carry law is that if you accidentally expose your concealed weapon by sweeping your jacket to the side while reaching for your wallet or reach for an item on a high shelf with your gun hand, the open carry law takes effect and prevents you from getting busted for brandishing a weapon or similar charge.

Weapons carry whether open or covered is everyones right as a law abiding US citizen. I feel the fear is in the populous. I have to pay for concealed carry, and risk breaking the law if its exposed. Open carry is a right and we have to be able or refuse to explain ourselves if approached by LEO's. Its a catch 22 situation IMHO. I can walk around all day minding my business and carrying. With open carry I get the looks like "why is he carrying a firearm"? its my right, but they don't understand and know thier right. Not until they need it in a criminal offense situation. Open carry should not disuade us or anyone else from exercising our right to self defense. I believe that if the situation presented itself that i was to exercise my right and save a life then the outlook on open carry or concealed carry would change. We are not fighting the right to carry but the perception of carrying. Just my 2 cents...

On the money, we have CC here in AZ. Where we retired is rural enough that open carry is pretty common, but still invites the "look".. either good (most always) or the occasional lib who does a 1930 over acted hand to mouth gasp.. ok maybe not that bad, but..

The CC thing is great.. ON a related note.. One of our Cali members mentioned recently that CA is redoing its open carry.. You know of course that they had a barney fife sorta deal, you can carry but no bullets.. sheeesh.. now there stopping that..

CA is one of the worst places and needed places to carry open or concealed. I love the area but hate all the legal constraints they place on law abiding citizens based on historical criminal offesenses. I hope they do change where you can carry loaded and chambered. the law abiding public must defend itself, inspite of what the LEO's or government thinks they can do to help or assist. Unfortunetley, the LEO's do a good job but are not always there when we need them. To have to take the extra minute to load and charge could mean the life and death of an innocent citizen. i personnally, would like to be proactive and react instinctivly to a threat, not get shot, cut or beaten before my self preservation instinct kicks in... hope they change it for our Cali brothers and sisters.

you find in more situations than not that the average citizen calling in the LEOs to come find out why you, mr/mrs citizen is carrying a firearm and what you intend to do with it, is more of a waste of time and takes them away from thier real job. We should be able to simply walk down the street, have a cup of joe, or mail a letter at the post office all while carrying and minding our own business. It makes no sense at all to harass innocent folks for acting normal, doing normal things but carrying a weapon. If we all called the LEO every time we saw something suspicious, they would never get anything done. Problem, the way i see it is that there is no trust or integrity anymore, everyone is paying more attention to what everyone is doing rather than what they are doing. Please don't get me wrong, i appreciate my law enforcement and support them. but they are limited and faced with cut backs and draw downs the same as the rest of us. Now this may be a topic for a different time and forum, but imagine if everyone started carry, concealed or open. Wow, chaos... would arise from the government. They would not be able to police or control. they would spend more time checking to see if you were legal than preventing crime. Also imagine if everyone carried how the crime rate would drop, for fear of the armed citizen. They would have to plan their moves harder and longer. Not the impulse offender. The more firearms are promoted the more fearful the criminal becomes, IMO being afraid or fearful of the average citizen. That sounds like a win, win to me...

There is nothing wrong with open carry. If the concern is someone using the weapon for criminal activity, remember a criminal will probably get his weapons by illegal means in the first place. He will also have no problem with concealing the weapon illegally, which will be his carry of choice. Open carry is for the rest of us law abiding citizens who can legally own firearms and simply do not want to, or need to conceal a weapon legally.

art_eld
SFC US ARMY (RET)

Enjoy the site.

I sincerely hope Florida goes to open carry and sooner rather than later.

i am in favor of open carry we need to be able to protect ourselves .

Absolutely Yes! to open carry. There would be no question that Florida would be a much safer place. People tend to have much more respect to one another when we all carry. Open carry should be the law of the land. In Michigan I open carried for years. As well as other citizens. You didn't see Rouge Police Officers hassling open carry persons either.
The Cops that hassle persons that open carried for no good or FABRICATED REASON usually was fired after an investigation.
At fist people who don't respect firearms and the Constitution make a bunch of noise. But when that dust settles it is fine. Crime rates are Statistically lower in States that permit open carry. PERIOD! It Works!

The Aurora Massacre I think shows that open carry is something that should be allowed, unfortunately I'm pretty sure it's the reason it'll never happen. Again, I am kind of a cynic and pessimist, so hopefully this is just me being gloomy.

We have to be of good cheer since we do have concealed guns on our hips in most jurisdictions. It's not been so long ago that carrying any kind of gun for self protection was against the law in a good many locations across the U.S., goes to show we can win a few skirmishes.
Openly carrying guns is problematic. I like having the advantage of most people not knowing I have a gun under my shirt, inside the waistband, front sight hung up on the elastic of my underware making it tough to draw not to mention the lint stuck to the front sight.

Anyway, I stop at the local Rob & Run C-store for a slurpy, bad ass comes in for his extemporaneous payday. He sees my chrome plated Raven .25 with plastic mother of pearl grips hanging on my hip and decides I am a threat to his payday & his life, he shoots hell outta me then goes on to rob the store grabbing my Raven .25 on his way out the door 'cause it's totally cool.
This scenerio is absolutely probable. If your gun is out of sight you'll have a chance to draw and use it.
Does that sound right to you?

When I was a kid I lived in a small town in Washington state that used to hold biker rallys like Sturgis every summer. I remember that some of the bikers carried openly and even went into the local taverns that way. Never had a shooting as long as I can remember. As kids we all carried our 22s around, bought ammo at the local hardware store,. When I was 16 I would go bird hunting with my 12 gauge in a scabbard strapped the forks of my Motorcycle. Never any problem. No one in town ever got shot in all the time i lived there. But today I think attitudes have changed and people would freak out at the sight of someone walking down the sidewalk carrying a gun. I think concealed carry is the only smart way to carry nowadays.

The good old days are gone. The reality is that open carry broadcasts that you have a gun. The bad guy can just wait until your guard is down. With concealed carry, then you have a greater control over the situation. What the bad guy doesn't know works to your favor.

They will listen CAREFULLY to what Copper and Daisy have opined, above. "Macho" behavior in this kind of case makes the odds against you escalate greatly. The element of your judgment, and control of considered actions, is much more effective when multiplied by the element of surprise.

How about require open carry. If wearing a jacket or coat then outside the coat, maybe even require a bright orange vest like hunters wear.

If you are going to let your guard down, then leave your weapon at home. If some bad guy can kick your butt and take your weapon you don't deserve one.

What about the rights of people to know who is armed in their presence?

I'm sure that you're trained and responsible, but what about the other guy, the nut, the criminal?

As a corollary to open carry, anyone , other than law enforcement, carrying a concealed weapon faces mandatory sentencing guidelines.

If a criminal carries an unlicensed weapon and gets caught, they are gone.

So are you against concealed carry? As far as people knowing if I'm carring or not, it's not their business. Does the public have a right to know if I even own a gun? I'll keep as much privacy as I can.

It is almost impossible to even buy a pistol, let alone carry one. We were led to beleive the new governer would help out with that. I can't wait to retire, to get the heck out of this state.

I've been had a CC permit for about a year and a half. It took me a while to get used to the idea but now carry all of the time, even in my home. I live in a suburban east coast area where open carry is not popular, in fact CC is slowly just getting popular. I decided that I don't want people seeing my gun for all of the same reason that have been stated previously. Most of my friends and relatives don't know that I carry. I don't really try to hide it but I don't advertise it. Some would not be comfortable if they knew I was carrying while with them. Most wouldn't care but unless the subject comes up, I am quiet about it. The anti gun lobby has been effective in scaring a lot of people who just get upset seeing a gun. If anyone would ask, I would tell them. I just don't like the idea of being a possible target for assault or just plain draw attention to myself when in public.

As far as open carry, I guess I don't have a valid opinion, I'm not against it but I won't do it.

same here,i have good friends that never know i'm packing,no need to show off.

headed post, thanks.
What gun(s) do you have?