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what is the general reaction by cops for open carry. im filing for ccw but would still like to carry mine. state allows open carry, but im wondering if i would just be harrased all the time?:evil:
 
Arizona= not a problem. But that info doesn't help you much if you live elsewhere.
 
Whilst people who know the laws are busy chiming in, what about KY?

Or even a sticky, stating the regulations of the various states about it, so it's out in the "open"? (Hey, I thought it was kinda clever :p )
 
in english plz! lol

all im asking is how cops react to open carry i dont feel like being harrased every time i decide to carry, until i get my ccw :)
 
I don't think anyone can tell you what reactions you might receive from open carry. Being legal doesn't always mean your not going to be hasseled by an LEO or anyone else for that matter.

Some area's of the country are more used to seeing open carry - even that doesn't give you a 100% gaurantee you won't run into some LEO that doesn't like it, or another citizen who calls the police to check you out because your carrying.

No guarantee's on human behavior .
 
How can you expect anyone speak to the mindset of every LEO in an entire state? :rolleyes:

On an Internet forum you will receive opinions. Do you want facts?

Go talk to some local LEOs. Talk to the Chief, if possible.

Visit the sites posted.
 
I would say to use that gray matter between your ears to make the decision whether to open carry or not. What do you think a cop is going to do if he sees someone open carrying? Just asking the question means you probably already know the answer to that.
If I were you I would open carry if I were hiking or doing whatever in the woods. If you are walking around downtown Charlotte or Raleigh I would say keep it concealed.
I personally am not a big fan of open carry. I don't want people to notice me. I don't like unwelcome disparaging comments by people I don't know. I don't care if I impress anyone that would be impressed by my open carry. I don't want to portray that I am a cop in plain clothes. I don't want any one to know when, where and what I am carrying.
If you really want to open carry and it is legal, why get a CCW?
 
I drew the shortest straw

[email protected],

Jurisdictions and political tone are just part of the considerations of Open Carry.

Now I personally cannot Open Carry in MY state. Even if I could, I would still carry concealed as I have for years. On private property , on the "back forty", sure, I, landowners, other guest have our guns "open" while we do whatever, be it shoot targets, work on the property or whatever - NOTE - I still keep a gun concealed even when I shoot on a range, or am doing this work.

Reality is, one never knows the where or when of next encounter-CRSam
Meaning, BGs can show up, and have, and disarmed folks with guns.
They have and do follow folks home, and rob them of guns. Recently a thread shared a robbery of guns from folks returning from a range.

Cops.

I know uniformed officers that carry openly - because they are in uniform and that is what they do.
Concerns of folks seeing this, and thinking "he has a gun, so he / she must have others".
Just because someone is in Law Enforcement, does NOT someone will NOT break into the home.
I mean a Cop is not home 24/7/365. Don't matter if he/ she is single, or married. BGs pick homes when folks are gone, BGs pick homes and overpower family members.

Good buddy of mine, LEO, worked uniform for years, then went Undercover.
His first house got robbed while he was away during a training - including guns.
He moved, started working UC, and got hit again, this time the BGs got some of his sentimental guns, his dad having passed on, and all his dad's guns, and his guns his dad gave him as a kid.

He had Cops babysitting the house/ keeping watch. BGs took note of seeing him, as a regular citizen going hunting ( which was exactly where he was heading out to do).
Neighbor - BG - just watching his neighborhood for "opportunities" and reporting all this to his other BG buddies.
None of these BGs ever suspected this UC being a Cop, or any of the folks babysitting this house as they were Never in uniform or in any kind of car that even looked like a cop car.

Advertising gets more folks in trouble. Guns, flashy jlry, computers, TV, Audio ... I mean it does not take a Rocket Scientist to figure out a empty Plasma Screen TV box in the trash can in front of a house means "hey, this house got a new Plasma Screen TV!"

Making the choice to get a CCW permit is a huge responsibility. The firearm itself is only part of this responsibility - there is whole lot more to the Carrying of a Firearm, concealed or open, be one a citizen or LEO, or Military

Many LEO I know/ have known actually preferred it when they went to Plainclothes Detective, or UC and carried concealed.

They were not advertising. Oh not just because of the "Job", also because they felt by keeping as low a profile as could, the home, the family, everything more secure.


Where I reside and other parts of the country have a new "concern" - Knives with Pocket Clips.

BGs read forums, BGs "read" people for victims. BGs see a pocket clip for a knife on a person.

Now the BGs - in greater numbers - watch this person with a knife with a pocket clip. They figure "he must be CCW-ing, and catch this person in a vulnerable spot.

They just follow him home "Person with knife clipped to pocket might have cool firearms and other gear to steal" so they watch the house.
Does this person have stickers on on his/her car, how about fake bullet holes, hunting club sticker, vanity plate with "forget 911 I call .357" ...did they exit or enter with a range bag, logo gun case...etc.

Open carry is fine and dandy if one can in respective jurisdictions and such.

I drew short straw to remind us all :
Huge responsibility to choose to get a CCW, and to actually carry a firearm - concealed, or open, no matter if JQ Public, a LEO or in Military.

There is more to responsible firearm ownership than guns-sm
 
if you are getting a CCW permit, then why would you want to open carry???? the "ooooh he has a gun" coolness factor?

if you can carry conceild it should not even come to mind to carry it out. even a loose T-shirt untucked over a pistol will cover it enough so most
people have no idea.

if you have no ther option then open, you do what you have to do, but if you have a CCW permit then open carry is asking for trouble.

You WILL get questioned by LEO's, not necessarily hassled, but questioned, and many businesses will ask you to leave, which they have a legal right to do. why open yourself to that, when coving the pistol keep it out of sight-out of mind.

and as far as BG's, unless you are a weapon retention expert, a bad guy coming up behind you has a better then avarage chance of taking your weapon... he already knows where it is, can see what type of holster you have it in and you have no idea he's there...

if you have a ccw permit, there is no logical reason to carry it open. Besides of course the "look at me" factor..:rolleyes:
 
Here in Kentucky......

It's like a lot of other places, carry one open in Louisville, better have a badge clipped next to it or you'll be cuffed for something..usually disturbing the peace or flourishing a weapon, they have city ordinances aginst it. In some parts, like where I live in the country, OK on your property (totally legal to open carry in public) but off private property into town, best not even though it's legal, although I have seen it done. Now in some parts of Eastern Kentucky and far western Kentucky, I've seen 'em worn open even to funerals, although I thought all the fueds were over :cool: . Basically, as a retired officer, I'd suggest you just ask one of your local officers and get to know them, they really aren't unapproachable as long as you seem sincere and not overly gung-ho about it.
 
Open Carry?

You cannot predict how an individual law enforcement officer will react to a moving violation in a motor vehicle. I got a ticket for five over in a 65 zone, got a pass for 35 in 20 mph school zone (used up a lifetime of ticket karma on that one.) So asking how any one officer will react to seeing you openly packing heat is impossible to answer.

I asked a friend who was a deputy sheriff about the laws concerning carrying a large folding knife, intending to use the information in an article I was writing for a Harley Owners Club newsletter. His answer was a good one. He said "It depends if you're on your way home from hunting with a gutted buck in the back of your truck, or hanging around the ATM machine at 2 am wearing a ski mask."

It's called officer discretion, and that has more to do with what happens next than the letter of the law, or what the Chief of Police says when you ask. In most jurisdictions open carry is asking for a visit from a cop who just got "a man with a gun" call. He will be in condition red, and an inappropriate response from you, intentional or not, could get you shot.

And I agree with those who said you don't want to advertise that you are carrying/owning/transporting firearms because the bad guys want to know.

For convenience, I carry openly on my private property in Colorado and Wyoming (about 3000 unpopulated acres). Otherwise, always concealed, even if hiking or fishing in remote areas of public land. If I need a firearm, I prefer its presence to be a surprise to the goblin.

Coyote3855
 
thx

thankyou for everybodys comments! Iwould like to respond to one though. i dont want to open carry for the wow factor. its simply that i dont take my class for another month and it could take up to 30 days for approval of ccw. Iwork in constuction and i work in not the most plesent places SOMETIMES. i sure there is someone out there that knows the feeling of having to watch your tools all day, as well as your back!
 
what is the general reaction by cops for open carry.
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I can tell you here in Ohio it is legal to open carry. I worked the inner city for many years and only saw one guy carrying a holstered handgun on the outside. It was a very high crime area and I didn't stop him. But, that is NO guarantee others will not. As one member stated, you may get questioned, but probably not hassled. Honestly, I don't understand your train of thought regarding open carry. My goodness, the cops are the least of your concerns, assuming it is legal. Every private citizen, businessman will be calling the police...hey there's some guy walking down the street carrying a gun. If you choose to carry in such a manner, get your mindset tuned into being stopped and questioned frequently. With the types of shootings occurring nowadays, can you blame someone for being concerned. Good luck cowboy.
 
i sure there is someone out there that knows the feeling of having to watch your tools all day, as well as your back!
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"Watching your back" is one thing. But other than that a potential thief might be less likely to try and take tools from under the nose of an armed person, you have to be aware that deadly force is only for the protection of life.
While I might tend to agree with "Better to be tried by twelve than carried by six," why put yourself at risk of any heartburn from "legal matters"? I'd suggest waiting until you complete the required training, then carry concealed once you're licensed.
I like to think that that's just better for society in general, if the bad guys can't tell who might be armed. I know that not being able to guess whether an intended victim could draw down on the BG usually won't deter said BG's criminal behavior. But I really enoy thinking about the look on the BG's face when it's happened.
As the one member's tagline says, "Looks like you broke into the wrong rec room!" :evil:
 
In view of the recent Philadelphia and Salt Lake City shootings, I don't
think open carry would be a wise idea; unless of course you are some
kind'a LEO? The average person is paranoid right now about firearms
in general. Us gun savy LEO's would think nothing of you going armed
openly; but there are plenty of ROOK's in all departments that just
might think differently?

BTW, on your OWN PROPERTY there would not be a problem~!;)
 
Advice

There's no better element than the element of surprise in any war.
I personally think open carry as well as carrying in the back under shirt is a bad choice. And asking for trouble. There's a lot of predators out there looking for guys with guns sticking out of their back that will make an easy target.
 
I've given a lot of thought to this subject after reading so many people talk in favor of open carry. I used to think they were out of touch with the political, social, and legal realities of the world.

Now, without changing my mind at all on those subjects, I've decided that I like the idea of having as many people as possible carry openly wherever I am.

That way they generate occasions for defending their principles while I am left to go about my business, which at the moment is looking for the perfect corned beef sandwich.

It did occur to me to boycott all food manufacturers for the noticeable decline in the quality of this essential food group, but my wife told me that they would think I'm crazy if I did. I'm still considering it. I am trying to find a principle I can stand behind. Corned beef might be the one.
 
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