Open Carry Observations

[Ameer]

You're right. We went to a gun show in Charlotte circa 1992-1993. There were alot of OC people there. Did you ever see the movie, "DELIVERANCE"?

That's the same type of sterotype the Brady Campaign makes for all gun owners.

[GaryAdrian]

My wife and I vacationed in Montana and Wyoming this past May and every where we went, I saw NO ONE OC'ing. I did for about 5 min. just for pictures.
I believe we should support OC just to make sure that if we get tagged CC'ing by a gust of wind, we won't have to worry about someone calling police just because of an accedental exposure.

It's up to each person on how he'she carries but I'll take bets that most will not OC and those who do will do so only for a brief time.

[anygunanywhere]

I have open carried in West Virginia and Kentucky when working there and never had any issues. I never saw anyone else OCing.

Most folks could care less.

My opinion has always been that that is how it would be here in Texas. There are so many CHLs now that people knowing people who pack is very common. I know more people who do not pack that do. Most of them know my fondness for firearms, and a lot of them know that if I am in their presence, I am packing. It is flat not an issue.

I also do not have the opinion that 30.06 signs would increase, because the law is public knowledge, and if those who really wanted firearms prohibited they would post the proper signs. This is why so many hospitals have the proper signs. Also they have attorneys.

Anygunanywhere

[OldCurlyWolf]

I go to Virginia quite often for work. Was there all of last week, in fact.

In my many travels to Virginia I have seen exactly zero people open carrying. I even asked my customer about it. He's lived in Virginia most of his adult life and he said he can't remember ever seeing anyone openly carry a firearm except for police or someone heading out to hunt.

I'll bet if OC passed in Texas, we'd see a flurry of people doing it just because it would be new and shiny, but after a while it would be as rare as a good idea in Congress.

I don't think even Hen's Teeth are that rare.

[Tamie]

I don't think even Hen's Teeth are that rare.

In other words, the people opposed to legalizing it are using scare tactics not grounded in reality, based on what forum members see in states where it's legal to openly exercise the civil right .

[Oldgringo]

Bart and Oldgringo, you folks need to continue your disagreement in PM's not here on the open forum.

Chas.

Right you are, Chas.

FWIW, we've been back and forth between rural NC and VA for the past two weeks and have yet to see any handgun OC except on LEO's. I did see a guy in a ghilly suit with a bow and some arrows in VA.

We had a sausage bisquit yesterday at the crowded Hardee's in Jefferson, NC - YUMMO! No OC either there or in Wal-Mart.

everybody!

[BrianSW99]

I also do not have the opinion that 30.06 signs would increase, because the law is public knowledge, and if those who really wanted firearms prohibited they would post the proper signs. This is why so many hospitals have the proper signs. Also they have attorneys.

The law is public information, but the requirements of 30.06 are not common knowledge outside of the CHL community. I think with the news coverage and publicity that would come if OC were to be passed it would cause more people to become aware of the 30.06 rule or more motivated to find out about it if all the sudden they're seeing guns come into their business.

[chasfm11]

FWIW, we've been back and forth between rural NC and VA for the past two weeks and have yet to see any handgun OC except on LEO's. I did see a guy in a ghilly suit with a bow and some arrows in VA.

We had a sausage bisquit yesterday at the crowded Hardee's in Jefferson, NC - YUMMO! No OC either there or in Wal-Mart.

everybody!

Interesting. We were in Jefferson NC from 9/25-28 having been in VA a few days before that. I, too, looked for OC and didn't see it any place. I asked my wife's relative if she had ever seen OC in town and she told me no.

We didn't find anyplace, including Roses to be crowded.

[boba]

Thanks for the reports. It sounds like open carry is not causing any problems in states where it's legal. There may be gun owners who remind some people of the movie Deliverance, but they don't cause any problems either.

The people hung up on appearances should be more tolerant, and judge a man not by the color of their skin or the cut of their clothes, but by the content of their character.

[anygunanywhere]

The law is public information, but the requirements of 30.06 are not common knowledge outside of the CHL community. I think with the news coverage and publicity that would come if OC were to be passed it would cause more people to become aware of the 30.06 rule or more motivated to find out about it if all the sudden they're seeing guns come into their business.

How can something be public information and at the same time not common knowledge? The sign requirements are clearly stated in the law.

Anygun

[cbr600]

deleted

[C-dub]

How can something be public information and at the same time not common knowledge? The sign requirements are clearly stated in the law.

Anygun

Yes, but not everyone knows where to look. Some still think that a gun-buster sign is all they need.

There is a lot of information available to the public for which I and most people are totally unaware.

[anygunanywhere]

Yes, but not everyone knows where to look. Some still think that a gun-buster sign is all they need.

There is a lot of information available to the public for which I and most people are totally unaware.

Those individuals who are totally unaware of the 30.06 requirements are not, as a rule, going to go ballistic if we are allowed to OC and start posting more signs, and those that do have various non-compliant signs are not going to go and update their signs. It will not be important enough to them to warrant any action.

I just don't see it happening.

The biggest issue, IMHO, of OC in Texas will be that those who are already rabidly anti-gun and anti-CHL will be the ones spouting off about OC. The anti-CHL LEOs, mayors, legiscritters, those who think that their title or other assumed prominence over us ordinary citizens with rights granted us by our Creator will attempt to continue to spread their lies.

I don't see OC in Texas happening anytime soon. I do see it eventually, but only after we make more progress in areas such as campus carry, resolving the parking lot restrictions by employers, removing all of the restrictions we CHLers currently must comply with and others. As we chisel away at the restrictions and, and increase our numbers so that we are truly a force to be reckoned with, it will improve.

The recent supreme court decisions and future decisions where the obvious constitutional infringements are eliminated adds to the awareness that we have the right to obtain what we want.

Anygunanywhere

[BrianSW99]

If someone has a non-compliant sign now, they don't have a good way to measure whether its working or not since guns have to be concealed. They may also be assuming that the sign is enforceable if an issue came to their attention, but just haven't had the opportunity to test it.

Once they see guns come into their store despite the sign and find out the sign they have has no legal bearing, then I think they will be more likely go and figure out what they need to do to have an enforceable sign. Again, I think that many businesses just aren't aware that there are legal requirements to have a valid sign. It's not information you automatically get when you open a business..you'd have to go looking for it.

I also think it's likely we'll see businesses that may be fine with concealed guns, but feel that openly carried guns might alarm their customers and post a sign just for that reason. If it's the same 30.06 sign as Charles has said it would likely be, then you can't prohibit OC without also affecting concealed carry.

[TexasRedneck]

I can still recall the flurry of 30-06 signs when CHL initially passed. I can also remember 2 automobile dealerships that took 'em down after I refused to enter their premises to buy a new vehicle. A lot of it is education - folks have no idea of just how many guns walk past 'em every day.
For me, the OC issue is one of my rights. If I do something wrong, fine - nail me to the wall. Until then, leave me alone, and allow me to exercise ALL options to defense available to me.