I wasnt aware that open carry was allowed in as many as 45 States

[bgrone]

OC in Ia

Here in Iowa we have shall issue with OC being legal, I appreciate not having to worry about a brandishing charge if my jacket blows open or my shirt rides up. As others have noted in this thread OC is seldom seen here. The only people I have seen OC in Iowa are LGS or pawn shop owners. One neighbor is known to OC but he would be an oddity in any state.

 

[Mainsail]

Very few people would open carry in Ohio, anyway, as nutcases that call 911 when they see ANY gun would cause police to respond, or, worse yet, some yo-yo shooting at you because he thought you were "a threat".

EDC with a CCW permit is the way to go, as the gun-grabbers and panic-stricken neighbors don't have you hassled as a "terrorist/whacko" when you OC.

So what if someone calls the cops- you don't have to talk to them if you don't want to.

 

[rattlesnakedaddy]

It's legal in New Hampshire, although not if you get in your car (need a CCW for that). Kind of stupid, but the current law. Mostly, nobody bothers with people who OC as far as I've seen.

When I was a manager at a retail store, I remember a few people from Mass who came to me worrying about customers open carrying. Had to explain a few times that it was perfectly legal.

 

[powrguy]

OC in Ohio

So what if someone calls the cops- you don't have to talk to them if you don't want to.

Good luck with that in the REAL world...

 

[Mainsail]

Good luck with that in the REAL world...

I don't need luck, and I have several times while openly carrying walked away from a police officer "investigating" my open carry.

LEO: Sir, may I see some ID?
ME: Am I being detained?
LEO: No
ME: Have a nice day officer.

It is illegal for a police officer to detain you without reasonable articulable suspicion that you are involved in a crime. Look up "Terry stop".

Open carry is a lawful activity here- the police cannot detain us for lawful activity. They can, as can anyone, engage you in a conversation, but unless he can articulate a crime and your involvement therein, you don't have to talk to him.

Even if you carry concealed you really should know things like Terry stops. What you say voluntarily can be used to put you in jail.

 

[CajunBass]

Open carry is legal here in Virginia. I see people doing it from time to time, most recently in a busy Toyota dealers waiting room. I think I was the only person who noticed it, which makes me wonder how many times someone goes by and I don't notice it.

I have open carried myself a number of times. Usually it's just because I'm too lazy to put my cover garment back on while running into 7-11 or something for a cup of coffee. The only reaction I've ever gotten are questions like "Can I do that too?" or comments like "nice gun." I did have one fellow at a gas pump ask me if I knew the hammer was back on my gun. Gave me a chance to explain "cocked and locked" carry of a 1911 to him. His response..."Thanks, I didn't know that."

I've open carried on at least three occasions in front of police officers with nary a comment on the gun. Once when I crashed my motorcycle, once when he pulled up and asked if I had seen someone he was apparently looking for, and another time standing in line at a burger doodle place. No comment at all.

I understand police dispatchers here are trained to handle "man with a gun" calls by asking "What is the subject doing?" If the answer is something along the line of "Walking down the street" or "Shopping at the grocery store" the reply is to be "Nothing illegal there. Thank you for your concern."

 

[powrguy]

If you live in a "gun-friendly" neighborhood, good for you.

I have better things to do with my time than answer questions, get on the ground, or be scaring the **** out of widows, children, etc., while LE's respond to "man with gun" calls....

Just depends on where you are, and common sense.

I don't even have to mention the Tamir Rise case in Cleveland.

 

[Gamecock]

CajunBass, decades ago, when I lived in Chesterfield County, I occasionally saw a man in Ukrops on Hopkins Road wearing a gun. It was before I got into handguns, and I didn't know what the law was. At the time, I assumed he was an off-duty officer. Which I assume most other people would do now if they saw a non-uniformed person wearing a gun, and they looked reasonably clean-cut. Prolly not a good idea to look grody and carry a gun.

I remember taking my Remington 1100 to a gunsmith in Richmond, pretty much downtown (around 6th & Main?). Walking down the city street carrying a shotgun; no one said a word.

Down here in Suckalina, I'm required to keep my gun cased/bagged/covered between my car and the gun dealer/gunsmith. Probably a good idea, but it shouldn't be the law.

 

[Bill Bates]

Here in Utah open carry of a sort has been legal for as long as I can remember. When I say of sort it means this: you openly carry if the weapon was deemed unloaded. Unloaded means two action required to fire. For a revolver that means nothing under the hammer and the next cylinder empty; so, you six shooter becomes a four shooter. For semi auto that means nothing in the chamber but the magazine can be full; so racking the slide is one manipulation and pulling the trigger is two manipulations. It would be the same for a bolt rifle or pump shotgun: magazine full and nothing in the chamber. Out on the trail I suspect a lot of handguns had a round or two end up where they didn't belong. I have asked someone that works for fish and game. I asked him about carrying loaded out in the big lonesome. He said he had a bit of don't ask don't tell attitude with most people he encountered that had a holster gun unless he had some reason to rake them over the coals (contempt of cop comes to mind)

To carry loaded has required a permit. For years that weapon had to stay concealed. A few years ago the passed legislation that allowed permit holders to carry a loaded firearm openly.

Other than more rural areas and the back country it was rare to see someone carrying openly. It still pretty rare but you do see people carrying openly from time to time. Pretty much they get ignored by the public.

I live in the wild west but even with open carry and concealed carry allowed in schools the blood hasn't been running in the streets. It isn't the Wild West the anti crowd is always telling everyone will happen if firearm laws are more relaxed.

 

[Mainsail]

If you live in a "gun-friendly" neighborhood, good for you.

I would bet Seattle or Bellevue are less gun friendly than pretty much anywhere in Ohio, but again, the law is what counts.

I have better things to do with my time than answer questions, get on the ground, or be scaring the **** out of widows, children, etc., while LE's respond to "man with gun" calls....

As mentioned, you don't have to answer questions about lawful activities. You may choose to, but you don't have to.
Why would you have to "get on the ground"?
In over ten years of OC I have seen two people that were not happy (one was angry but only at the police because the dispatcher was telling her they weren't going to send an officer out to investigate), one that wanted to debate private firearms ownership, and ZERO people that were scared. Why do you believe "widows, children, etc" would be scared?

Do you believe these things because you've experienced them personally while carrying openly? If not, then why do you believe it to be true? Think about it.

Yesterday my wife and I stopped at Hop Jacks to split a Black&Blue burger and I was carrying concealed (it was 38 degrees). When we got to the table I took off my overcoat and my concealed carry became open. Nobody was scared, nobody called the cops, and nobody cared.

 

[LimaCharlie]

Oregon is a constitutional open carry state, but allows local governments to regulate it. One county and several cities ban loaded open carry. The law that created the Oregon Concealed Handgun License preempts local governments from regulating it. The theory is if you have a OCHL, you can open carry a loaded handgun in the county and cities that ban loaded open carry.

I conceal carry in urban areas where liberals get the vapors and faint at the sight of a gun. I open carry in rural areas where it does not raise an eyebrow.

 

[wsr]

Very few people would open carry in Ohio, anyway, as nutcases that call 911 when they see ANY gun would cause police to respond, or, worse yet, some yo-yo shooting at you because he thought you were "a threat".

EDC with a CCW permit is the way to go, as the gun-grabbers and panic-stricken neighbors don't have you hassled as a "terrorist/whacko" when you OC.

Lots of people OC in Ohio and you dont hear of a lot of bad cop/OCer interactions and certainly not OCers getting shot at buy do gooders LOL...

Good luck with that in the REAL world...

Its very simple, first know your laws... Ohio is not a stop and ID state, second be respectful but direct and firm, third keep going about your business

I have better things to do with my time than answer questions, get on the ground, or be scaring the **** out of widows, children, etc., while LE's respond to "man with gun" calls....

refer to above...know your laws and your rights

I don't even have to mention the Tamir Rise case in Cleveland.

Not even remotely in the same realm of discussion just try a emotional tug

In all my years of open carry I have never seen a kid get scared of a OC handgun...either curiosity or indeference

From old ladies I have got a couple dirty looks, but they have never been frightened enough to vacate the place we are at let alone the immediate area
I usually get them asking about it and saying they will stay next to me if something happens

Most of the negative comments I have got come from soccer mom/hipster group but thats usually a look or maybe a OMG and scamper away...or believe it or not the most vocal and out of touch reponses come from other gun owners, either hardcore fudd types or CCers spouting the silliness about getting shot first or getting your gun stolen and all the scarw the women and children nonsense

 

[gwpercle]

Open carry, without the need for any permit, is legal in Louisiana. A local café will give you a 10% discount when you open carry in their establishment ! If you show them your concealed carry firearm at the register you will also get the discount !
There are also several places you can concealed carry without a permit, the powers what be don't want that info getting out . I found out about those places when , after being shot by an armed robber in my office, a kind police Lieutenant explained all the places I could legally concealed carry and not need a permit. He said he was sorry but the police couldn't protect me, that I was going to have to protect myself. All they can do is , after the shooting and crime is committed try and figure out who did it. Very honest statement..."you have to protect yourself"
Gary

 

[powrguy]

Try open carry in Cincinnatti, Cleveland, or other metro areas if you wanna play that game....

Common sense, again, dictates to CC, likewise an invitation for the inner-city tribal parasites to gang up and grab a gun is only sport for the short-lived fool-hardy who "know their State Laws" and "know their RIGHTS"......

Walk the talk, or go home.

 

[the ringo kid]

Didn't Whataburger say some time ago that they wouldn't allow OC?

I don't know, but as far as I know, they haven't said anything locally, against it. However, one that I'm near about four days a week, has lots of LEOS eating there and all carrying with zero customer complaints. Many aren't in uniforms either.

 

[Muss Muggins]

So what if someone calls the cops- you don't have to talk to them if you don't want to.

LEO's have a funny way of forcing that issue . . .

 

[the ringo kid]

Very few people would open carry in Ohio, anyway, as nutcases that call 911 when they see ANY gun would cause police to respond, or, worse yet, some yo-yo shooting at you because he thought you were "a threat".

EDC with a CCW permit is the way to go, as the gun-grabbers and panic-stricken neighbors don't have you hassled as a "terrorist/whacko" when you OC.

And I'm sure that 911 folks will kindly remind them of the law and that calling 911 making bad claims may get them arrested. They already told local 911 to be ready for calls.

 

[CajunBass]

CajunBass, decades ago, when I lived in Chesterfield County, I occasionally saw a man in Ukrops on Hopkins Road wearing a gun. It was before I got into handguns, and I didn't know what the law was. At the time, I assumed he was an off-duty officer. Which I assume most other people would do now if they saw a non-uniformed person wearing a gun, and they looked reasonably clean-cut. Prolly not a good idea to look grody and carry a gun.

I remember taking my Remington 1100 to a gunsmith in Richmond, pretty much downtown (around 6th & Main?). Walking down the city street carrying a shotgun; no one said a word.

Down here in Suckalina, I'm required to keep my gun cased/bagged/covered between my car and the gun dealer/gunsmith. Probably a good idea, but it shouldn't be the law.

That would have been "The Richmond Gun Shop", on Main Street, between 5th and 6th street. Long gone now, as the owner retired, and I believe his son moved the shop out to one of the counties, but I can't swear to that. I was told a couple of the used S&W's I owned in the past had belonged to the old man and his son. I know they had GREAT triggers.

I used to work downtown, in the early 70's, at the the CNB building on 3rd and Broad. Many a time I'd walk down the street and over to Main, just to stop in and look. That old man had the most i nteresting stuff you've ever seen on the racks (I remember a Spencer Carbine). I was just a teen-age kid, and nobody paid much attention to me, but I soaked up whatever I could.

I remember seeing men in suits walking down Main from the parking deck carrying a shotgun or rifle many times.

That might have been me you saw at the Ukrops. I shopped there quite often. Worked at the store in Fredericksburg for a year or two after I retired from DuPont. I remember seeing open carriers in there too. Nobody blinked at them.

 

[the ringo kid]

Good luck with that in the REAL world...

Simply threaten or file a harassment lawsuit. Out States AG, already said he'll back the complainant. That's likely by Austin P.D. said they aren't going to ask.

 

[Mainsail]

Try open carry in Cincinnatti, Cleveland, or other metro areas if you wanna play that game....

Common sense, again, dictates to CC, likewise an invitation for the inner-city tribal parasites to gang up and grab a gun is only sport for the short-lived fool-hardy who "know their State Laws" and "know their RIGHTS"......

Walk the talk, or go home.

One more time; are you speaking from experience or even empirical evidence, or are you merely speculating?

If you're only speculating; why do you believe that over the years of experiences of people that OC, and despite the complete lack of evidence those thing ever happen?