Open carry

[Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001]

well the one ya see , most likely AIN"T the one that is gonna put holes in ya 

 

 CB 

[Utah Bob #35998]

15 hours ago, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said:

Since I can't think of any way to put it delicately, I'll just be blunt.  Pretty much for the reasons others have stated, I have no desire whatsoever to open carry myownself.  And I surely don't want to see any others doing so, largely as a matter of geography and demographics:

 

If I was in a place like Arizona or southwest Colorado, or even parts of Texas, I wouldn't think anything beyond mild amusement at seeing someone in the local Walgreens buying toothpaste with a 1911 or Glock 19 strapped on.  Pretty confident the individual is an honest, law-abiding citizen exercising his or her God-given rights.

 

However, in places like @Subdeacon Joe mentioned, or even (especially!) where I live in central california, I don't want to see it.  If I walk into the local drug store and spot someone openly "heeled," I'm leaving.  Forthwith.  In this area, a person displaying a firearm would more likely be a gang-banger type (or worse) than Honest Bob from the local Cowboy club.

 

It just would not work here.  Not that there's any danger of the clods in Sackamenna ever allowing it anyway.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have never seen or heard of a gang member openly carrying a firearm. The bulk of them are convicted felons and that would be immediate arrest if a cop sees it. They conceal or have their ladies carry in their bags. 

[Pee Wee #15785]

I have carried for 68 years, started at 8 years old.  Most of those years it was a 1911 in .45 ACP.  In 1967 I stopped carrying mine and started to carry Uncle Sam's till 1975 then I started carrying mine again.  When I was employed I canceled carried at work which had a no carry policy.  Would do presentations and the CEO never once seen my 1911. Day I retired I started open carry again.  I carry a 2011 STI 10mm with a 6" barrel.  Have only had one time that I know of the someone did not like it.  At a coffee shop a soccer mom (sticker on her car) took mine and my son's pictures and hurried left the shop.  The reason I open carry is  Rheumatoid Arthritis.  My movement is limited so moving covering garments can hurt though the movement to pull an open carry is not painful.  Most people never notice my gun.  I use dark horse hide leather by Kramer and most don't see the gun they see a cell phone holster.

[watab kid]

i always cringe at these threads , then i respond , multiple times and then i always enjoy the comments , perhaps one day ill stop cringing , when we tended to carry heavy firearms i could understand the open/comfortable carry , these days the compacts make it so simple to conceal even for a little guy like me m my take is always "why advertise" but i get it if sometimes thats not relevant , 

[Smuteye John SASS#24774]

The only place I open carry is in the woods.

 

Ain't got nothin' to prove, don't want to make a 'statement' and don't have the time or the patience to deal with the bed-wetters and hand wringers calling the cops because of a gun on my hip looking 'scary' to them.

[Linn Keller, SASS 27332, BOLD 103]

A wiser man than I observed, "You pays-a you money and takes-a you choice."

So it is here.

Each has a reasoned and reasonable argument.

Each is valid.

And as often happens with posts here and elsewhere, I learn by reading.

To one and all, my thanks!

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

On 4/9/2022 at 7:13 PM, Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438 said:

On 4/5/2022 at 11:41 AM, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said:

Open carry is against the law in Massachusetts.

 

 

H.K:

 

I'm not sure that that is correct.  Technically, I do not believe that there is an express legal prohibition against open carry in MA.

 

That is another one of our laws that are somewhat vague.   Technically, the LTC (License To Carry) is just that, a license to carry a firearm.   Concealed or not is not specified.   That being said, I have been told by more than one police officer that carrying open would be construed as "brandishing a weapon," which is against the law.   Your mentioned "disturbing the peace" is another possibility I'd not considered, but it makes sense.   I'm sure you've heard the occasional story of someone from Massachusetts calling the cops in NH because someone is "carrying a gun," only to be told by the cop when they get there that it's legal to do so up there.  

And yes, a lot of it does depend on where in the state you live.  You are probably 100% assured of being arrested for *something* if you tried to open carry in Boston itself, but might very well be ignored out in the smaller town of 413 land.   (The western half of the state.)

At least the LTC no longer has a "reason for issuance" and the ridiculous Class A Large Capacity/Class B non-Large Capacity has been done away with.   There is still a "Restrictions" space, but in recent years it seems to be almost automatically say "None" for everybody.