History of open carry?

[chris in va]

Being fairly new to CCW, I just have a nagging question about OC.

I live in VA. OC is legal here, but how did that happen exactly? Was it always legal, did a law against it never get written, or did someone fight to get a restriction repealed at some point?

I try to OC when I can but people don't seem to appreciate it much. Frankly I'm suprised there hasn't been a law written to make it illegal considering how many people are shocked and horrified to see me carrying openly. It's as if I'm walking down the sidewalk sans pants.

Not once in 3 years has anyone made any positive comment about my OC. It's been more of a nervous friendly reaction, or flat out shock.

 

[W.E.G.]

There has never been a state law prohibiting it.

Several localities forbade it while they were permitted to do such things.

The localities were stripped of that authority by the preemption statute. I forget when exactly the stripping happened. It was definitely in recent years.

http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+15.2-915

 

[longwatch]

http://www.virginia1774.org/History4.html That site has some pretty good info on the history of open carry in Virginia. The crib notes version goes that for free whites OC was legal until reconstruction when code prohibiting it was enacted. When the Va code was rewritten in 1950 for whatever reason the OC prohibitions were left out. There were some various local restrictions on OC until all those were preempted in 2004. In this decade OC has seen a revival driven at first as a way around the restaurant concealed carry ban and as an educational tool. Of course before and now there are some who do it and view it as an expresion of their right to bear arms.

I will say I have had several more positive comments when I OC than negative, only one of those really. Most people really don't notice or care.

 

[chris in va]

See, I don't understand what's going on around here. You'd think being partially away from the DC influence people would be more likely to accept someone carrying a firearm, but the opposite is true. Nobody OC's here at all, and I'd be suprised to find more than a handful of CC.

 

[Cosmoline]

There has never been a state law prohibiting it.

That's pretty much it.

 

[tinygnat219]

It's kind of a mixed bag. It's certainly a smaller percentage of the gun carrying population. I have seen people doing it, and haven't noticed any real adverse reactions, like "why are you open carrying?", but I have noticed people seem to give whomever is open carrying a wide berth.

Personally, I don't see much point to it especially since I have a Concealed Handgun Permit for a reason. However, it's legal and it's your right to do so.

 

[1911ONR]

There are several reasons to OC in VA. First is to desensitize people to the "Man with a gun" syndrome. Second, if you want to keep your gun on your person in a restaurant that serves alcohol, you cannot CC. Third is that one might not have a CC permit for whatever reason. And forth, that it is my right and legal in VA.

 

[748]

In Hampton, VA I all ways Concealed Carry when out and about. When in my yard I all ways OC. If I am cutting grass or removing brush and OC I get that "you must be a cop" look form people passing by.
I get a few looks from people, then I'm sure the cops get a call with some one going and I bet the cops tell them to go :banghead: .

 

[Well Regulated]

This post in no way endorses the acts of the Confederacy it only explains the history.


The reconstruction ban on Open Carry in Virgina was an invention of the Yankees. They brought their Self-righteous puritanical ways and enforced them on Virginia. It was impious to carry, shoot or hunt on Sunday according to the Yankee man. It used to be required to bring your firearm to church on Sundays as a means to train the Virginia milita. The Yankee man did away with Virginia's 200 year old militia system that worked quite well. Just ask the beaten Yankee Generals.


The Yankees realized that the idea of every man being armed and trained in Virginia was very effective. The Yankees decided that since they couldn't shoot well and got whipped so many times when they had superior forces, they decided to start an organization called the National Rifle Association.


All real Virginians love to fight. They love the sting of battle. And hence when Colonel George S. Patton was killed at the Third battle of Winchester, the family moved to California. General George S. Patton Jr. was raised on stories of the Virginia Milita and especially the cavalry and the exploits of John Mosby.

 

[RioShooter]

They brought their Self-righteous puritanical ways and enforced them on Virginia.

To the Victors go the spoils; and the imposition of their culture on the defeated. Thus is the history of man.

 

[Prince Yamato]

The reconstruction ban on Open Carry in Virgina was an invention of the Yankees.

Umm... I'm pretty sure that it was an invention by the South to prevent former black Union soldiers from "having" guns. It also provided a nice way for KKK sympathizing judges to prosecute blacks who defended themselves whilst letting law-breaking whites off the hook.