unconcealed while not in uniform

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Vitrophyre

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How come some people like gun dealers (saw one at a gun show) and "dressed-out/plain clothed" LEOs can wear a pistol on their hip? It's never startled me because I always immediately think "oh, he must be a cop." But I know if I wore a weapon on my hip I'd probably get tackled by the first LEO that saw me. I remember seeing it a lot when I lived in waco.
 
How come some people like gun dealers (saw one at a gun show) and "dressed-out/plain clothed" LEOs can wear a pistol on their hip?
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Because Texas law does not prohibit open carry while on your own property. A police officer is still a police officer when he is not in uniform.
 
It really depends on which state you are in. In NH you can "open carry" just about anywhere (other than federal buildings, property posted "no firearms", hospitals, etc.) without any kind of permit needed.

NH issues a "pistol/revolver" lic. for CONCEALED weapons. That is to say pistols and revolvers ONLY can be concealed with this lic. There is NO exception for long guns EVER. Also, you CANNOT "open carry" in your vehicle. Even if it's in plain view up on your dash, the fact that it's in the interior of the veh. makes it concealed by nature. Otherwise, you're good to go....
 
It's never startled me because I always immediately think "oh, he must be a cop." But I know if I wore a weapon on my hip I'd probably get tackled by the first LEO that saw me.
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Isn't it possible others will assume "oh, he must be a cop" too?

Where I live if a LEO tackled me for openly carrying a handgun and no other reason I would have a very large law suit against them.
 
I open carry around the house/shop/yard here all the time, Missouri is an open carry state as long as local statutes don't restrict it. I cc when I am out and about though, would hate to get the worry-warts all dialing 911 at once thinking there was a crazy man out on a rampage...
 
But I know if I wore a weapon on my hip I'd probably get tackled by the first LEO that saw me. I remember seeing it a lot when I lived in waco.
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Somehow I doubt you saw a lot of people getting tackled by cops for open carry in Waco. Since open carry is not legal in Texas for non-LEOs (except on private property as noted), you aren't going to see very many people open carrying who aren't cops.

I don't know the law in Texas for cops open carrying, but it may be law or department regulations that say the cop must be displaying his/her badge when doing so.

Where I live if a LEO tackled me for openly carrying a handgun and no other reason I would have a very large law suit against them.
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You know, that just isn't going to happen. Cops are not in the habit of tackling people without preceding verbal communication unless the situation warrants such a use of force to stop some serious crime happening at the moment.
 
Concealed carry in Virginia requires a concealed handgun permit. Open carry is legal and doesn't require a permit, but may attract a lot of unwanted attention from the police, depending on where you're at.
 
In Arkansas you sometimes see off duty LEOs or plainclothes open carrying, but they always have their badge hanging next to their pistol. Probably because Arkansas has no open carry option except for LEOs that they display their badge next to the pistol, since not every local police officer is expected to know everyone on the their force let alone all the different departments.
 
Here in TX., most gun show operators require that weapons be unloaded while on the premisis. The exception is LEO. If a dealer or patron is carrying a weapon, either open or concealed, then it must be unloaded and strapped with one of those plastic thingys.

Some dealers will cut the plastic ties to demonstrate or evaluate a weapon but never load.

There was a feller, at one time, that was making a good business with casting and selling bullets. He was caught carrying a loaded firearm and banned from the shows and went out of business
 
Concealed carry in Virginia requires a concealed handgun permit. Open carry is legal and doesn't require a permit, but may attract a lot of unwanted attention from the police, depending on where you're at.
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Hasn't happened to me yet, and I've been open carrying for years. I will admit that I don't get down toward tidewater too often, which is where I hear about it most often. Even they seem to be getting gthe message a little more, these days.
 
You know, that just isn't going to happen. Cops are not in the habit of tackling people without preceding verbal communication unless the situation warrants such a use of force to stop some serious crime happening at the moment.
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I was trying to get across it wasn't going to happen.
 
If you mean Waco, Texas, well, peace officers in Texas are not required by law to conceal their weapons. Some PDs/agencies require their officers to conceal, to varying degrees, if not in uniform. It has long been socially acceptable in most parts of Texas for non-uniformed peace officers to open carry, but most conceal because being a walking information booth gets old really quickly.

Gun dealers are carrying on their own premises, or premises under their control, which has always been legal.

A gun show basically falls under the umbrella of a sporting event in which handguns are a part of the event, which covers the private citizens carrying and otherwise possessing handguns, unconcealed.

This is all right there in the Penal Code, and was true before the CHL law was passed.
 
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You don't have your current residence listed in your profile. There are many states in which open carry is legal w/o any permit. And concealed carry by civilians is legal with a state issued license. However in Vermont, Alaska and Arizona anyone may carry openly or concealed and no license is required. Although some residents of Alaska and Arizona continue to have concealed carry licenses simply because other state have reciprocity with them and they want to be able to carry in those states also.
 
PA is one of those States where it's not illegal to open carry. Notice I didn't say it was legal, only that it's not illegal. You can because there is no law preventing you from doing so although there are parts of the State where the local LEOs will harass you for doing so.

Here you must have a "License to Carry Firearms" to carry concealed or in your vehicle. There is no requirement to carry concealed if you have a LTCF like in some states.
 
I have worked at airports, autoparts stores, car dealerships, john deere dealerships and now a honda kawasaki shop. I can say I have seen more people excercising their right to open carry at this job than anywhere before.
 
IN TEXAS
IANAL YMMV

A gun show basically falls under the umbrella of a sporting event in which handguns are a part of the event, which covers the private citizens carrying and otherwise possessing handguns, unconcealed.
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This.

You can carry a handgun openly in your hand if you are walking around selling or have bought a handgun at the gun show, right? If you have a CHL you can't carry concealed at any gun show I've been to. Therefore, when at a gun show, I tuck my shirt behind my (zip-tied) holstered pistol and open carry although I am not LEO or a dealer. My understanding of the penal code suggests that this is perfectly legal open carry in a public place in Texas. See Penal Code Chapter 46.15(b)(3)

I am not a lawyer. The cited law is a TEXAS statute. Open carry at a gun show at your own risk
 
Rexster I:...A gun show basically falls under the umbrella of a sporting event in which handguns are a part of the event, which covers the private citizens carrying and otherwise possessing handguns, unconcealed.
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Not true. Even by the most liberal possible interpretation of the law a gun show is not a professional sporting event. It's a gun show.

I thought it was pretty much common knowledge that gun show "30.06" notifications carried ZERO weight if the facility was government owned. Of course the show promotor is within his rights to remove you from the show if you break one of his show rules- but there is no criminal penalty.

Sec. 46.035. UNLAWFUL CARRYING OF HANDGUN BY LICENSE HOLDER. (a) A license holder commits an offense if the license holder carries a handgun on or about the license holder's person under the authority of Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code, and intentionally fails to conceal the handgun.

(b) A license holder commits an offense if the license holder intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly carries a handgun under the authority of Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code, regardless of whether the handgun is concealed, on or about the license holder's person:

(2) on the premises where a high school, collegiate, or professional sporting event or interscholastic event is taking place, unless the license holder is a participant in the event and a handgun is used in the event;
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Tom, that's not the same "sporting" reference.

Sec. 46.15. NONAPPLICABILITY. (a) Sections 46.02 and 46.03 do not apply to:

(b) Section 46.02 does not apply to a person who:

(3) is engaging in lawful hunting, fishing, or other sporting activity on the immediate premises where the activity is conducted, or is en route between the premises and the actor's residence or motor vehicle, if the weapon is a type commonly used in the activity;
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Sections 46.02 and 46.03 refer to prohibited places to carry.

http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/docs/PE/htm/PE.46.htm

NOW THEN. The above three statutes, 46.02, 46.03, and 46.15, have had dozens of changes to them over the years. You should consult a qualified legal professional either in private defense practice, in your local district attorney's office or from the state attorney general for current legal opinions. Don't take the opinion of some dude on the intarwebs, your CHL instructor, or the friendly cop you met at the donut shop as law.
 
rhubarb Tom, that's not the same "sporting" reference.
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I know. The poster I quoted used a term found only in the CHL statute when commenting on open carry at a gun show.

There is a difference between using the term "sporting event" as found in
Sec. 46.035.b.2 on the premises where a high school, collegiate, or professional sporting event or interscholastic event is taking place, unless the license holder is a participant in the event and a handgun is used in the event;
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vs.

the term "sporting activity" as used in
Sec. 46.15.b.3 is engaging in lawful hunting, fishing, or other sporting activity on the immediate premises where the activity is conducted, or is en route between the premises and the actor's residence or motor vehicle, if the weapon is a type commonly used in the activity;
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Sorry, that was lost in the tough talk about how you would sue them.
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Double Naught Spy,
You got this all wrong and there's no reason to talk like that. When I said there would be a law suit it was to get across if a LEO did something so unlikely as tackling someone the lawyers would have a field day. There was no tough talk there, you got it wrong...
 
When I said there would be a law suit it was to get across if a LEO did something so unlikely as tackling someone the lawyers would have a field day.
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For some reason, your statement just does not seem to have any indication of anything other than your willingness to sue.

Where I live if a LEO tackled me for openly carrying a handgun and no other reason I would have a very large law suit against them.
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You know, I really don't think lawyers file suits based on the likelihood of illegal assaults. They file them because the assaults are illegal, not because they are rare.
 
For some reason, your statement just does not seem to have any indication of anything other than your willingness to sue.
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Maybe it is just me, but I think if a LEO tackles you for no reason other than you are legally carrying a firearm, and you do nothing to hold him accountable to his actions, you do the RKBA community a disservice.
 
For some reason, your statement just does not seem to have any indication of anything other than your willingness to sue.
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If he's criminally assaulted by an LEO for something that's not a crime, what would YOU recommend he do? Challenge the cop to a duel?
 
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