Has anyone ever open carried a rifle or shotgun in public?

Back in the 90's I bought an AK at the gun show in downtown Dallas. I had parked about half a mile away and carried it to the truck. The only people I saw were a couple of hispanic guys. They were very startled but I just smiled and kept walking.

History: In 1967 the Week of the Detoit and other city riots. I carried my 12 guage from my car, several blocks uncases to the downtown store I worked at. This was in Flint. They also had riots but not well known as Detroit. Not one person or the police said anything. Of course that was 1967.

I carried a long gun through an outdoor shopping mall (fancier than a strip mall, mostly cafes and fancy shops) earlier this year. The mall is basically across the street from a university too.

Why? The mall has a gun shop. Since I couldn't park right in front of the shop, I had to carry my new-to-me gun from the store. It was too big for a bag. I was reassured by the shop that the local PD rarely got calls about their customers.

Tejas can be weird.

I used to bring my marlin model 60 on the school bus when I was a kid. I would go to a friends house after school and we loved to go out rabbit hunting. I remember my 2nd grade teacher, Mrs Gerdes, would say "Bryan, be sure your rifle is unloaded and safely stored next to your book bags in the corner." I miss the old days.

I live in Ma. If I carry a long gun on the side of the road or in a vehicle without it being in a case, I get arrested. On the other hand, If I carry my 9mm concealed,I am okay. If I carry it on the back seat it is out of my control and I get arrested. If it is in the glove compartment, unlocked, it is not under my control and yup you guessed it , I could be busted. A long gun in the trunk is okay as long as it is unloaded but a handgun? The leo I talked to wasn't sure about the legallity, loaded, unloaded etc. When I was in high school, a lot of students brought their shotguns to school and left them locked in the trunk. That way we could go hunting right after school. Many, if not most, carried knives also. Sometimes pocket sometimes sheath knives. Nobody even really noticed. Or cared.
Nowadays, not a chance.

Yes, and in a foreign country

Nope.

i never knew he was black, i guess he can't be called racist for doing that then.

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While it's neither here nor there, you might be surprised to learn you're wrong (about the bolded portion of your sentence)

Some friends recently saw a young man carrying a rifle as he walked down the street in our medium size southern city. Open carry is legal in our state.

They also saw a policeman stop, get out of his car, draw his weapon, and address the fellow.

Not sure what happened after that. My friends kept rolling.

Many times while going back and forth to the range on the bicycle and always while hiking. And pretty much as needed. Never had any problems, just abide by the usual safety issues of keeping the rifle slung or in its scabbard. If I go into a store I'll usually sock it and stow it in the cart.

YMMV, but I don't live in a war zone and the advantages afforded by a rifle would be dramatically outweighed by its interference with my mundane daily tasks.

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It's not difficult to carry around at all. Easier than a handgun in many respects.

Well, I don't suppose it counts, but there used to be a gunsmith shop in downtown Richmond, on main street, right in the middle of the financial district. Probably been there since Richmond fell to the yankees. I used to go in once in a while just to look around at the stuff on the racks.

It was pretty common to see people carrying rifles and shotguns up and down main street to/from his shop.

I'm sure it's been gone for a long time though.

I was on the high school rifle team back in the late 70's. I use to carry my Savage Anschutz .22 to school in a soft case. Can't even imagine doing that now! They no longer have the rifle team. Pretty sad. That was a great sport for teaching responsibility.

It's not difficult to carry around at all. Easier than a handgun in many respects.

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I doubt it's easier than shoving a J-frame .38 in my pocket. I also doubt it's as quick into action from that rig in your photo.

amazing

It amazes me about some posts.this is aimed at Mass NH and Maine posters.
My high school had a rifle club it was in the top three contenders in the country.80 boys and 40 girls.the instructer was a mechanical drawing teacher MR. Carl Taylor.I called a few yrs back and they did not know what I was talking about.I went to go hunting and my car threw a rod so I ended taking a bus.put my K43 in rack and then bus stopped and picked up a boy with a shotgun and he rode for few miles and was dropped off to continue hunting.I continued on to Waldaboro.so you must be real young not to have seen any one walking with a rifle in NH.
to those in Mass.look up the "Permit to Carry".it does not say a thing about HOW to carry.you can carry open,but I would not.and look up the state constitution about arms you are required to have.

Yep, and fairly recently, too. I was carrying a Marlin levergun in .45-70 while hiking in the mountains outside of Boulder, CO, about three years ago during a time when there were quite a few mountain lion attacks on horses and other livestock in the area. We hiked right into Nederland, CO, which is a town due west of Boulder, around noon to grab some lunch, and I kept my rifle right where it had been on my back. Walked into the Katmandu Nepalese restaurant in the middle of town, set my rifle down against the wall next to me, ordered some food, ate with the friends I was with, and walked on out again, nary a word said otherwise!

It's not something you can do everywhere, but it's wonderful that it still can be done.

I doubt it's easier than shoving a J-frame .38 in my pocket. I also doubt it's as quick into action from that rig in your photo.

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Actually you'd lose that bet. I've traveled both ways--with a DS in my pocket and the Big Bore on my back. Both by bike and foot the pocket carry is ultimately more irritating. Esp. on the trail or road. The Big Bore rides very nice in the scabbard and draws as fast as I can reach up and grab it. I can't say I've timed it against a pocket draw with a snub, but there isn't much difference. Maybe a second or two, maybe not. I came up with that particular arrangement with the scabbard after a great deal of trial and error for trail guns. It's set up so I just reach up and my hand fits easily over the wrist and through the loop, thumb on hammer. I then hoist up, pull to full cock and I'm on target instantly.

With larger rifles I carry across the front, muzzle down with a quick release sling. That's also real fast.

Pocket draw with a snub can be very, very fast, especially if you have your hands in your pockets. The element of surprise is probably unmatched by any other carry method, if you are in a position to draw the gun at all.

However, it can very slow or awkward, too. Pocket draw really depends on your body position. Sitting in a vehicle, it can be almost impossible to draw from certain pants, for example.

Here in Idaho they carry them, rifles on the back window on a rack, especially during hunting season which is now, about everyone carries here in Emmett, about 25 NW of
Boise, mostly the older folks carry hand guns in their car, I have a lube shop and it is amazing how many of the vehicles that come in have a weapon either on or under the seat.

Ron

Only when I was a young lad in the 60s.... I walked down a Seattle sidewalk with a Winchester Model 94, on my way to a gunsmith's shop. If I did that today? I suspect there would be quite an uproar.

Last week I saw a guy on a motorcycle with a tactical shotgun slung over his back though, riding north on I-5, up north of Seattle. It didn't look like anyone cared... but I don't think anyone cut him off, either.

A guy did carry his AR15 at an Obama speech not so long ago IIRC. Funny part is, he was dressed like a respectable man, minding his own business in the crowd.

I never open carried in public, my location will tell you why, but we (gun owners) planned a few "open carry on parliament hill" days... never happened tho...

Yes, I've carried a shotgun or rifle in my truck's gun rack for years.

And I have walked along public roads carrying a firearm on my way to a hunting site.

Thank the Lord I live in the South!

Carrying a long gun from a shop or show to the car or down the road hunting or similar isn't what I'd really call OC of a long gun. OC of a long gun would be carrying one in town in place of a CC or OC handgun. Most of what has been described in this thread could be more accurately described as openly transporting a long gun.

yes. I used to carry my groundhog rifle slung over my shoulder while on my motorcycle. The rifle was a Remington 700 with a 4x12 scope and a 26inch barrel. Never had a problem.

I walked into a Micky D's in Kingman AZ after a hunting trip with my Marlin 30-30 over my shoulder.

The help was used to people coming in with all sorts of armament, but the two old snowbirds weren't. They looked at me, scruffy beard, Kaki pants and shirt, and this rifle slung over my back, and decided it was time to beat a hasty retreat!!

Mostly carried the '94 or the 520 Stevens, and the ever present .44. Never got used to carrying the SXS hammer Gun.

I don't really live in a town as such. We have a post office and a bar and a gas station.

Attended college in Indiana in the 60's.

The head of the dorm was an asst. dean. I told him I had a pistol and a shotgun. His advice was to keep them in my closet and don't let anyone else know so they wouldn't be stolen.

In Indiana at that time no permit was required if a pistol was open carried, so I'd strap my Ruger Single Six on, and carry my shotgun openly from my dorm room through the campus to my car to go hunting. No one batted an eye.

The following year the dean asked if I would leave the guns at a room near the front desk and pick them up when I wanted to go hunting. Oh, the terrible restriction!

One can only imagine the result today of strolling through a campus like that.

Many years later I was a state peace officer in Queens NY and took a guy into custody for doing the same thing. He was dressed in full camo and walking down the street in the very urban Jamaica section (high crime and drugs) carrying a scoped high power rifle and looking very out of place. As they say in real estate, "location, location, location".

He walked into a store and I questioned him (after removing the rifle from his possession). No ID, no required permit. No explanation as to why he was carrying the gun. I didn't think he was on route to go hunting, at least not for game.

I didn't have the time for an arrest, so I called 911 for backup and handed the collar over to the plainclothes NYPD anti-crime squad guys who responded.

They were glad to get it, "collars for dollars", i.e., overtime for an arrest. And a gun arrest was always a good one on your resume for promotion.