CoRoMo
Member
Every year, on more than one occasion, I'll carry a long gun on public land. But that probably doesn't count at being 'in' public, because I'm either hunting or hiking.
Has anyone ever open carried a rifle or shotgun in public?
- Thread starter FIVETWOSEVEN
- Start date
- Status
THE DARK KNIGHT
Member
That can mean life or death in a situation that requires a firearm.
I admit I did not read this whole thread but, to look back on happier, more reasonable, times.
As teenagers, that's many years ago, we would end a days shooting in the fields by dropping in at the local bar for a soft drink. It was the only place you could get a soft drink late in the day (by the time we reached the bar it was often after dark) and, for the same reason, it was also allowed to serve non-drinking age customers.
We cleared the shotguns on leaving the fields and stacked them against the wall of the bar, among the coats hanging on pegs just inside the door, when we entered the bar. We ordered our drinks, drank them, and picked-up our guns as we left. In a rural setting nobody thought this was particularly unusual.
The place, now unbelievably, rural England.
As teenagers, that's many years ago, we would end a days shooting in the fields by dropping in at the local bar for a soft drink. It was the only place you could get a soft drink late in the day (by the time we reached the bar it was often after dark) and, for the same reason, it was also allowed to serve non-drinking age customers.
We cleared the shotguns on leaving the fields and stacked them against the wall of the bar, among the coats hanging on pegs just inside the door, when we entered the bar. We ordered our drinks, drank them, and picked-up our guns as we left. In a rural setting nobody thought this was particularly unusual.
The place, now unbelievably, rural England.
I've done it on the way to and from our camping spot in central Idaho.
There is an open air flea market outside city limits just south of Cascade, Idaho, and I've open carried there many times.
No one has given me a problem, and nobody really notices .... and if they did notice, they really didn't mind.
Kris
There is an open air flea market outside city limits just south of Cascade, Idaho, and I've open carried there many times.
No one has given me a problem, and nobody really notices .... and if they did notice, they really didn't mind.
Kris
Hitchhiking
I had to hitchhike once carrying a lever action 30 30 and a shoulder holstered 1911.
I was deer hunting and got turned around after a bullet hit a tree I was leaning on, next to my right ear. I thought I got hit but it was only the bark hititng my ear. It pissed me off and I instinctively pulled my .45 and emptied the magazine, as I swept from left to right, and slapped in another one to go see who the idiot was. All I heard was someone running/crashing through the woods. Following the person turned me around. Didn't know where my truck was. (pre GPS) but knew the main road ran north to south. Headed west and 6 hours later hit the road. I was surprised how easy it was to get picked up (I was in Northern Maine). Old timer in a old ford truck, was the 2nd to pass me in the 1/2 hour I was walking, picked me up and said "got turned aorund did ya young fella". I said yes and he took me to my car, which was a 45 minute drive.
You know, you do hear it coming. Whoever shot at me must have been close cause I heard the bullet a fraction of a second before the bark hit my ear. I imagine you would not hear it if the shooter was at a greater distance.
I had to hitchhike once carrying a lever action 30 30 and a shoulder holstered 1911.
I was deer hunting and got turned around after a bullet hit a tree I was leaning on, next to my right ear. I thought I got hit but it was only the bark hititng my ear. It pissed me off and I instinctively pulled my .45 and emptied the magazine, as I swept from left to right, and slapped in another one to go see who the idiot was. All I heard was someone running/crashing through the woods. Following the person turned me around. Didn't know where my truck was. (pre GPS) but knew the main road ran north to south. Headed west and 6 hours later hit the road. I was surprised how easy it was to get picked up (I was in Northern Maine). Old timer in a old ford truck, was the 2nd to pass me in the 1/2 hour I was walking, picked me up and said "got turned aorund did ya young fella". I said yes and he took me to my car, which was a 45 minute drive.
You know, you do hear it coming. Whoever shot at me must have been close cause I heard the bullet a fraction of a second before the bark hit my ear. I imagine you would not hear it if the shooter was at a greater distance.
armedbutnotdangerous
Member
IMO shooting off a whole mag of .45 at something you haven't seen might not be the best response. Maybe the shot that hit the tree was from somebody that was out of sight over a hill... I was trained to never shoot at a something I couldn't see. Also, shooting because you are "pissed off" is seldom a good idea, either.
Joe Demko
Member
Man, there's just so much wrong all in a pile that it's hard to know where to even begin.
blakeci
Member
everyone says that, but until you have bullets coming at you, it is hard to make judgements. it is the whole "flight or fight" instinct.
armedbutnotdangerous
Member
Yes, "everyone says that," but having been confronted in the woods at shotgun point while on land I believed we had permission to hunt, and having had slugs pass near me several time while hunting, I never "instinctively pulled my .45 and emptied the magazine..." I realized that more shooting wasn't necessarily a good idea. Slowing down, looking at things and talking got me out of the first situation, and hitting the ground and waiting got me out of the second. I was armed both times. Tactics that sound good when discussed on internet forums will often get you in trouble in real life. I don't know your experience, blakeci. Have you had "bullets coming at you" before?
toivo
Member
For a short time in the late 60s, there was a guy in my hometown (upstate New York) who open carried a Winchester 94 everywhere he went. He said it was because his life had been threatened by someone. IIRC, he didn't get arrested, but the local cops talked him out of continuing the practice. I think he may have had a few chemical dependency issues and finally decided that the perceived threat wasn't worth the extra police scrutiny.
Erik M
Member
From a gun show back to the cabin, thats about the only instance i can think of. The 'public' range I go to is about 10 miles from civilization so the term 'public' is used loosely.
In the 80s I used to walk (too young to drive) about 2 miles (each way) through town with a Remington 11-48 to get to my squirrel hunting spot and back home. No one ever said a word.
We also used to shoot clay birds from our front yard in town. Our front yard was 30 yards from the Ohio river. My neighbor was on the rifle team so I hate to guess how many 22 rounds we shot on our "professional" range by the river.
Even more interesting, a neighbor up the street used to have big parties and they shot a lot of clays. You would walk up the street and there would be cars on either side with multiple shotguns laying on each hood. Needless to say they were doing a little drinking as well but there were never any accidents.
Our house was about a 1/2 mile from the courthouse as the bird flies.
I don't think I could do any of that now without a problem of some sort.
We also used to shoot clay birds from our front yard in town. Our front yard was 30 yards from the Ohio river. My neighbor was on the rifle team so I hate to guess how many 22 rounds we shot on our "professional" range by the river.
Even more interesting, a neighbor up the street used to have big parties and they shot a lot of clays. You would walk up the street and there would be cars on either side with multiple shotguns laying on each hood. Needless to say they were doing a little drinking as well but there were never any accidents.
Our house was about a 1/2 mile from the courthouse as the bird flies.
I don't think I could do any of that now without a problem of some sort.
- Status