General Geoff said:
Don't believe everything you're told. I wouldn't trust the word of an instructor about a law, until I read the statute (and relevant case law) with my own two eyes.
Normally I would agree, I didn't think my class was that extensive on law, and I wish they went into more depth rather than spending time showing the difference between a revolver and a pistol. However the instructors were county sheriffs, off duty, and cited Iowa court cases that the issues came up in.
Not to mention, again, I wouldn't like it at all to have to map out the grey areas of Iowa gun laws in a court room. Anyone else have that money, time, and desire come on to Iowa please and go for it, keep me updated.
I am pro gun all the way, I would rather open carry be a common and open practice wherever you go in any state.
But the fact is, it is not, and gun ignorant people would get nervous if they are not used to seeing it, and some would probably think it was illegal.
Even I am more alert and cautious when I know someone else around me has a firearm, and I don't know who they are. There have been plenty of morons out at the range I go to that I have had to be very aware of what they were doing, at times I have just left the range or moved to another section. One girl comes to mind that was on the bench next to me where she had a dangerous habit of waving her barrel all around with her finger on the trigger of the rifle while she was chatting. However if everything seemed ok with someone I wouldn't give it another thought after a few minutes.
So I can just imagine what gun ignorant people would do or say.
I think if I could open carry I still wouldn't, just because it seems like a pain in the ass. I wouldn't want to have to explain to every person that sees my weapon when in my state I can just conceal it in and move on in my day as normal.
If there was a huge movement to open carry, not just pockets in your sate, or at least to educate about peoples rights, I would be all on board. But too many people stay stupid today and live on about 15mins worth of "news" if any at all.