walmart open carry in pa.

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eastbank

eastbank

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yesterday i saw a man with his wife and two children open carrying in walmart, know one that i saw raised a eyebrow including me. as it was relief day there was a large amount of rough looking people there. eastbank.
 
Open carry is legal in WV, though in 14 years of living here I've never seen anybody doing it. A few cases of printing, that's about all. I've been tempted to try it just to see if anybody would really notice. I'm pretty sure I'd notice someone OCing, but I was an LEO so maybe I just look more closely at people.
 
One of my favorite parts of coming home to PA is seeing people OC. I don't do it myself but it's definitely one of those little things that always makes me think "yep I'm home again."
 
I never saw open carry in PA where I lived (Pittsburgh, State College) for a combined 10 years.
 
I lived in Pittsburgh for two years and never saw any open carry either. There is a rather active open carry "culture" on the pafoa board however. You should check it out if you are more intersted.
 
I'm going to be traveling to Gettysburg National Cemetary later this month. ( I was born and raised in Erie, but haven't been in PA. since 1984) I hold a Florida carry permit. I plan to carry conceiled, just as I do every day in FL.

I believe Pa. has reciprocity with Fl. how does this effect open carry if I choose to?

Can I enter the National Cematary armed? (I really don't want to leave my carry piece locked in a rental car, if I don't have to)

I can't seem to find the answers on line, would one or more of you PA. residents help me out?

Thanks, Paul
 
In PA you can open carry with or without a license/permit as long as you aren't in a car. (Or one of the few places off limits.)

With your permit, you're covered in the car, too.

The national battlefield park is part of the National Parks System, and so carry there is exactly the same as carry in the rest of the state, EXCEPT you can't carry into any building where there are federal employees. (So not into the FABULOUS new visitors' center, etc.)

Now, carrying on the battlefield, openly, might get you some attention. I don't know. I've never seen anyone do so, nor heard of any response from local LEOs or park folks, so you're on your own with that. I'd not expect any trouble, but there's lots of tourists around (bunch of Marylanders! :D) so you just never know.
 
I've lived in PA all my life so far (Pittsburgh area). My dad OCs, I CC. I've never heard of anyone giving him problems over it.

I've noticed there's a lot of people who carry in the area, but normally in cities you'll find concealed carry. I've seen quite a few people OC in the countryside.
 
yesterday i saw a man with his wife and two children open carrying in walmart, know one that i saw raised a eyebrow including me.
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I saw a man walking through the Walmart just outside of Selinsgrove, PA a few years back, and he was drawing a lot of attention to himself, just walking around. I was next in line at the pharmacy counter when the phone rang, and the pharmacist quickly walked out in front of the counter, looking around, and then saying to whom I assumed was security on the phone, "yea, I see him and hes headed towards...." He also had a couple of Walmart employees following along kind of behind and off to the side as he went by.

Personally, not the kind of attention I like, but hey, to each his own.

Other than that guy, Ive not yet seen another person open carrying in the seven or so years we've been out here. For that matter, Ive never personally seen anyone doing it in any of the other places we've lived in PA since the mid 70's, and they were mostly rural areas.

Its not like Im oblivious either, Im pretty observant. Over the years, Ive spotted numerous people carrying "concealed", or so they thought. Some people dont seem to understand "dressing around the gun". That, and why shoulder holsters are a bad idea, for so many reasons. :)
 
I've got a neighbor here who OC's every day. Also, the local gun store employees all open carry. Some of them were recently asked to leave a restaurant because they were carrying. They complied, but noted that they will not be bringing the visiting factory reps there to eat again during their big sales.
Personally, when I carry it's as concealed as I can make it unless I'm out in the countryside. Then I don't care.

No need to alarm the townfolk or rub my rights in their face. But the rest of ya'll can do what you want.

Did they run out of capital letters in PA?
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NOPE. GOT PLENTY OF THEM.
Some of us have some manners too. Not as many as some southern folk, but we've got them.
Food for thought.
 
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I OC daily all over the Lehigh Valley area.
Been to many a different Walmart without issue. Everywhere else too. Including my bank and local bar to pick up take out.
I was only ever asked to leave one place. Giant food. They have an anti policy not posted. Never had a bad LEO experience either while out. I say just say hello. They say hi back.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
 
I see folks OC'ing here in Virginia all the time and i try to thank them for it. I'd rather CC but i appreciate anyone exercising their right. I miss home(Texas) but i really like the gun laws here in Virginia.
 
goon said:
No need to alarm the townfolk or rub my rights in their face. But the rest of ya'll can do what you want.
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Why is open carry equated with rubbing anything in anyone's face? That is like equating concealed carry with being cowardly.
 
goon wrote:
No need to alarm the townfolk or rub my rights in their face. But the rest of ya'll can do what you want.
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If you have to conceal your exercise of a Constitutional Right, the problem isn't you. And simply exercising the Right does not constitute "rubbing your rights in their face".
 
I was up at Music on the Mountain yesterday here in Tucson, Arizona. Saw two O.C.ers wandering around, one with a belt-holstered 1911, the other had some double-stack handgun a drop-leg rig. This is one of the most liberal regular local gatherings in the area. And it seemed to cause absolutely no concern or emotional constipation. I wanted to stop and talk to the pair, but was on an urgent drink and bathroom mission and didn't get the chance.

Normally I'd have been carrying myself, but chose not to that day due to wardrobe requirements (full motorcycle armor).
 
I've seen open carry twice this year in Virginia in Walmarts. Maybe its more common than I think because I don't often go in public myself. Those two people I saw open carrying could have believed that no one noticed, but refraining from commenting is not the same thing as a failure to notice. I see open carry in public in Virginia as more of an assertion of rights rather than as a statement of a need to be armed to defend oneself. Maybe open carry becoming more common is a sign of a change for the better.
 
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