Open Carry signed into law SC

[dockmurgw]

We have had nearly the highest violent crime rates in the lower 48 chronically.

"New Mexico's violent crime rate of 856.6 incidents per 100,000 people is the highest in the contiguous 48 states and second highest nationwide."

I would imagine that isolated pockets skew your state numbers? For what it's worth, NM is my favorite business trip state...enjoy every trip I make there.

 

[biku324]

I had to laugh - the isolated pocket is Espanola through Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and Belen, where most of the state"s population lives. The desert areas with low populations have little crime, except along the border (Las Cruces and the valley specifically).

 

[steelslaver]

We have had nearly the highest violent crime rates in the lower 48 chronically.

"New Mexico's violent crime rate of 856.6 incidents per 100,000 people is the highest in the contiguous 48 states and second highest nationwide."

I can see your concern. BUT, Montana has a violent crime rate of 404 less than 1/2 of New Mexico's. Plus, Montana has more lacks gun laws. It went permit less, but the only time you needed a permit before was in town when carrying concealed upon your person. Wyoming comes in at 217 and it has had permit less concealed carry for years. Vermont which has had concealed carry with no permit forever has a rate of 202 4 times lower than New Mexico. California has a violent crime rate higher than Montana's and almost no one can get a permit there. DC has the highest crime rate in America and I guarantee "everybody" can't carry there and nobody but LEOs can open carry. So, it is hard for me to believe it is the gun laws

You Really want to seriously lower violent crime rates?? Outlaw cities over 200,000

 

[biku324]

I was only answering Steelsaver's (your) question on crime rates.

Hard to get it both ways - very open gun laws like NM (high violent crime rates) or very open gun laws, like MT and SD and low crime rates. Guns don't cause most violent crimes, but guns in the hands of drunk, angry, crazy, scared or mentally ill folks certainly can make an otherwise bad situation worse. The research that has NOT been done, to the best of my knowledge, is to find out how many violent crimes and/or accidental killings are committed by folks otherwise completely (legally) qualified to own firearms.

 

[RCL-09]

Exactly. I conceal carry every day from the time I get up until the time I go to bed. But I am not a fan of open carry.

Where ever I go, with concealed carry I don’t make people feel uncomfortable. That’s a good thing. Some folks might think making people uncomfortable with open carry is ok, but they need to look at the bigger picture:

1) if you make a business owner’s customers uncomfortable and they leave or stop patronizing his business entirely, that costs that business owner money.

2) It also provides incentive for that business owner to act on the provision under the law to post his business as a no concealed or open carry establishment. That provision reads as follows:

“(C) In addition to the provisions of subsection (B), a public or private employer or the owner of a business may post a sign regarding the prohibition or allowance on those premises of concealable weapons, whether concealed or openly carried, which may be unique to that business.

Open carrying of weapons

SECTION 5. Section 23-31-235 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 23-31-235. (A) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, any requirement of or allowance for the posting of signs prohibiting the carrying of a concealable weapon, whether concealed or openly carried, upon any premises shall only be satisfied by a sign expressing the prohibition in both written language interdict and universal sign language.

(B) All signs must be posted at each entrance into a building where a concealable weapon permit holder is prohibited from carrying a concealable weapon, whether concealed or openly carried, and must be:

(1) clearly visible from outside the building;

(2) eight inches wide by twelve inches tall in size;

(3) contain the words ’NO CONCEALABLE WEAPONS ALLOWED' in black one-inch tall uppercase type at the bottom of the sign and centered between the lateral edges of the sign;

(4) contain a black silhouette of a handgun inside a circle seven inches in diameter with a diagonal line that runs from the lower left to the upper right at a forty-five degree angle from the horizontal;

(5) a diameter of a circle; and

(6) placed not less than forty inches and not more than sixty inches from the bottom of the building's entrance door.

(C) If the premises where concealable weapons are prohibited does not have doors, then the signs contained in subsection (A) must be:

(1) thirty-six inches wide by forty-eight inches tall in size;

(2) contain the words 'NO CONCEALABLE WEAPONS ALLOWED' in black three-inch tall uppercase type at the bottom of the sign and centered between the lateral edges of the sign;

(3) contain a black silhouette of a handgun inside a circle thirty-four inches in diameter with a diagonal line that is two inches wide and runs from the lower left to the upper right at a forty-five degree angle from the horizontal and must be a diameter of a circle whose circumference is two inches wide;

(4) placed not less than forty inches and not more than ninety-six inches above the ground;

(5) posted in sufficient quantities to be clearly visible from any point of entry onto the premises.

(D) Nothing in this section prevents a public or private employer or owner of a business from posting a sign regarding the prohibition or allowance on those premises of concealable weapons, whether concealed or openly carried, which may be unique to that business."

——-

Read that twice and take all the time you need, especially the bit in bold. The law makes no distinction between open and concealed carry when posting a business. The provision not just allows but requires posting against all concealable weapons - open or concealed. This open carry law will consequently and inevitably result in fewer businesses that allow concealed carry.

3) Those folks who are uncomfortable with people carrying guns also vote and when those folks see people carrying guns openly every day in places like the grocery store, then tend to remember that at the polls and vote accordingly. In contrast those same folks are not even aware of you when you carry concealed and are not motivated to vote for anti gun issues or candidates.

4) I’m also in the camp that views open carry as bad tactics.

——

Sadly there will be a small percentage that see open carry as an opportunity to “own the (insert whatever here)”, they’ll do a great deal of harm to the pro gun cause and they will be so tone deaf they’ll never even realize it.

When Texas passed open carry I was tasked with community outreach and training and made many presentations to groups and organizations, chambers of commerce, hoteliers, tourism bureaus etc.

Part of the presentation consisted of informing people that concealed carry had been a fact in Texas for 20 years and informing them that they have had people carrying in their establishments for two decades and didn't know it because it was concealed. The point being that those carrying were not a threat or problem.

Yet the unintended consequence is that many, many businesses banned both concealed and open carry. Open carry had brought, lets say, less than positive attention to the CCW.

 

[Beemer-mark]

Whats the assumption that violent crime happens with a gun??

 

[bigwheelzip]

Yet the unintended consequence is that many, many businesses banned both concealed and open carry. Open carry had brought, lets say, less than positive attention to the CCW.

I'd not be surprised to see that happen here in SC. I've only carried here in upstate SC for 7 years, but I've never seen any area establishment posted off-limits, other than the government, education, and medical facilities already banned by law. It will become obvious if that changes suddenly.

 

[SchemaEnigma]

....Guns don't cause most any violent crimes, ....

I think you may have mis-typed.

 

[cowboy4evr]

" A gun is just a tool no better no worse than any other tool . A gun is as good or as bad as the man using it " . That's basically the quote from the movie " Shane " . I like it . Regards Paul

 

[rosewood]

Just remember - 'everybody' does mean 'everybody.' These laws are a bad idea, IMO.

I went to a new church Sunday - in a group of maybe 80 congregants, 4 were open carrying. I'll find another church.

Did you ever consider those 4 were maybe the security team??

 

[ladder13]

OC for SC residents is for those with a permit, is that correct?

So how does “everybody” now get to OC? Maybe “everybody” will conceal carry but how did this new law change that?

 

[shell627]

OC for SC residents is for those with a permit, is that correct?

So how does “everybody” now get to OC? Maybe “everybody” will conceal carry but how did this new law change that?

We have a winner!Someone who actually read post.

 

[biku324]

Did you ever consider those 4 were maybe the security team??

There is no security team, formal or informal.

 

[biku324]

OC for SC residents is for those with a permit, is that correct?

So how does “everybody” now get to OC? Maybe “everybody” will conceal carry but how did this new law change that?

SC is a "shall issue' state.

 

[bigwheelzip]

SC is a "shall issue' state.

After an extensive full-day course, and fingerprinting.

 

[RCL-09]

OC for SC residents is for those with a permit, is that correct?

So how does “everybody” now get to OC? Maybe “everybody” will conceal carry but how did this new law change that?

Since open carry started in Texas I have seen four people doing so.

 

[ladder13]

Since open carry started in Texas I have seen four people doing so.

So why all the hysteria?

 

[Jon651]

Gov. Henry McMaster has signed open carry into law in South Carolina.
-permit is still required
-$50 permit fee is now waived

Law goes into effect in 90 days to allow time to "educate" law enforcement, etc. There has been discussion elsewhere on the forum that the SC legislature passed the bill, but no prior mention of it being signed into law.
More details:

https://www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/article251471048.html

Now we all get to see where the line will be drawn between "open carry" and "reckless display"...

 

[ladder13]

SC is a "shall issue' state.

With a permit OC is legal, not “everybody”

If you pass a background check and meet the SC standard. That’s not “everybody”. Felons are not included. Now I know your usual out is gangbangers and drug dealers without arrests can carry.

They already do.

 

[ladder13]

We have a winner!Someone who actually read post.

Words have meanings as they say.