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[wideglidejoe]

The thread "Do you carry?" prompted me to start this thread instead of highjacking the "do you carry" thread.

Some of you are sure to live in open carry states.  Oklahoma has a new open carry law that goes into effect on Nov 1.  You still have to have a permit to carry openly.  Now instead of being called a concealed carry permit, it will be called a gun permit, and cover both open and concealed carry.

I've had a concealed carry permit for 18-20 yrs (however long it has been legal in Okla.  We won't talk about concealed carry before it was legal!).

So here's the question: If you have an open carry law in your state, do you carry open or concealed?  And why?

In states that have open carry, how many businesses post signs stating "no weapons allowed"?

Just curious.  I'm strongly leaning towards staying concealed, but since it is an option, I was just wondering.

Thanks in advance for your comments.

Joe

[Keats]

Pennsylvanians do like their guns.........."we cling to our guns or religion"

PA has a weird system.   You need a CCP  to carry a concealed weapon but that implies you do not need a permit to open carry and that is how the law is written.

Many have challenged the law and basically they win the case but lose lots of money and time trying to get back their property.


open carry in PA, even though legal is not a viable option.

[Cat Eye]

PA has the same gun law that you described.....I open carried one time and it is not worth all the looks and uneasiness it seemed to create.

[krypto2011]

NH has similar law to PA. You must have a ccw permit to carry concealed, however it is legal to carry openly without any permit. I have had a ccw permit for years and carry quite regularly. I have never carried openly in public, only when hunting in the woods. I do know people that have open carried and they also get many looks and comments from people. It seems as though people are a little uneasy about jq public open carrying in our area at least. On a different note, our neighbors in VT have no ccw law and open carry is also legal. Anyone can carry a concealed weapon on their person without a permit and it is legal. Resident or non-resident doesn't matter.

[2harleys]

I live in an open carry state, but IMO you are crazy to open carry in the world we have today. The looks you would get from others and those that would undoubtedly call the local law officials because they are sure you are up to no good.  Just imagine walking into your local bank to do a deposit with a weapon showing. Walk into your local 7-11 at midnight with a 9 MM, and see what transpires. Also those that want to do harm to you would have the upper hand, as they can see you are carrying and could easily react knowing you have a weapon on your hip. You loose that element of "surprise" with an open carry. If you are in a group of people and someone is going to commit a violent crime with a gun, and they see you are obviously carrying  ----  who would you guess would be the first person to "go down"?? Again that is my opinion only, and I will continue to conceal carry. But I also feel a little easier in my open carry state knowing if I bend over to wash my truck at a car wash, or riding down the interstate on the bike, and my weapon does become exposed from under my shirt, I am in no trouble with the law.

[Keats]

open carry in Philadelphia and you will be arrested and detained.

and will take months to get your gun back.

so you better carry a cheap gun, so you do not have to spend thousands to get the Taurus back

[1sharprdkg]

X2 agree with 2harleys 100%.

[wideglidejoe]

2harleys,

The event you described as "unintentionally showing" is why I'm glad Okla will now have an open carry law.  Up until now, even if you have a CCW in Okla, if the wind blows up your shirt and exposes your weapon, you are now illegal, OR if you are carrying concealed and it "prints" or shows a bulge or outline, you are still illegal, even if you have a CCW.  At least now with the open carry law and if it accidentally shows, you are OK.

In Okla we have a chain of convenience stores named Quik Trip or QT.  Their corporate HQ's are right here in Tulsa, OK, but they are expanding to semi-national; Dallas, Phoenix, Atlanta, Kansas City, etc.  Since QT has stores in AZ, and AZ is open carry, QT is already used to it, and their corporate spokesman stated in the Tulsa newspaper today that they won't have any problem with open carry once it happens in Okla on Nov 1.

I was in AZ this summer on vacation, and I saw several guys riding their HD's, and they were carrying openly.

Bank of America has come out against it, but Bank of Okla, which is fairly large (and has ties/same owners as Bank of Arkansas), has said that they are OK with open carry in their premises.  

Several years ago I was in Dallas and WalMart was posting signs on their doors forbidding concealed carry.  They got so much backlash, that they reversed their decision.   A few years ago, during Christmas shopping season, one of the larger malls in Tulsa posted signs banning CCW's.  The other malls jumped all over that and said that CCW's were welcome in their malls!  But I imagine that it will be different with open carry.  I think the coming months will be interesting, to watch businesses and see which side they position themselves.

 



 

[Keats]

PA has the same gun law that you described.....I open carried one time and it is not worth all the looks and uneasiness it seemed to create.

cat eyes,   looks like you can walk to the "movie tavern"  from where you live

[digga25]

I live in NH an open carry state.When I ride I open carry.When I dont, I conceal.Never get opposition from law or otherwise.I have seen very few signs negating weapons from  places of business. Only a few bars say no colors or weapons.

[Bowman1836]

Texas has conciel carry law I have carried for years and have my permit to do so. You can bet your sweet ass if we ever get the open carry law I will be one of the first to do so. The right to bare arms is one of our constitutional laws and if you don't like it well don't do it but don't f it up for the others. It's not the guy that has a permit the honest man you need to worry about a criminal has a gun no matter the law and you can bet your sweet ass if open carry passed crime rate goes down. Just look at the states that have it already. I can't figure out why people are so freaked out over this the right to protect you and your loved ones should never be wrong. Ok I said my opinion. Next

[North Georgia Hawg]

Here in Georgia you must have a permit to carry - and you can carry either openly or concealed with it. But I ALWAYS carry concealed, and I carry EVERYWHERE except the places where it is forbidden by law. "Bars" are included on the forbidden list, unless the owner gives you permission. The definition of a "bar" here is an establishment where the primary business is serving alcoholic beverages, and the serving of food is only incidental. If is see a sign forbidding weapon carry, I will not enter that establishment... period.

What's the point of tipping a bad guy off to the fact that you're armed? He's obviously up to no good, and I want the element of surprise in the admittedly unlikely and unwanted event that I ever have to drawn down on anyone. I also do not want to freak people out upon seeing "a man with a GUN".

But if I ever have to draw down on anyone and fire - I feel pretty confident that my .40 cal S&W Chief's Special with 180 grain Speer hollow points will make the bad guy have a REALLY BAD DAY... in part because he had no idea my weapon was even there...

[2k]

open carry in Philadelphia and you will be arrested and detained.

and will take months to get your gun back.

so you better carry a cheap gun, so you do not have to spend thousands to get the Taurus back

A Taurus that is worth "Thousands"? Haven't thought about it in 'bout 25 yrs, but they used to be Sat Nite Spls

[King Glide]

Louisiana is open carry, concealed with a permit but the unusual thing is that your car is considered like your house, you can have your weapon loaded and concealed under your seat leagaly. If someone sticks his arm in your car you can blow him away and walk away free because he is trespassing and threatening you. If you are stopped for a ticket you don't even have to advise the cop that you are armed.

Glad I was a cop in Calif. and not here...

[wideglidejoe]

Interesting comments, thanks to all for posting! 

As I stated in my original post, I've had a CCW permit for 18-20 yrs, and will probably continue concealed, but since Okla law is changing to a choice of open vs concealed carry, I was curious about everyone's opinions and their local/state laws.

More comments?

Be safe!