Open Carry/No License

[BarryBobPosthole]

We have a bill up in front of our legislature to allow open carry with no training, no license. I was wondering how you guys feel about that.

I know its been done in other states, and most of the time not much changes from a standpoint of who carries and who doesn't.

I like the training that CCPs offer, but should it be required for everyone?

Interesting, but not earthshaking either way, just wondering.

And yes, with over a billion dollar budget shortfall in Oklahoma, this is what the legislature thinks is a priority.

BKB

[quercus alba]

Not a big fan of open carry. It's one thing to have a pistol laying in the seat of your truck and something different for some goober packing a 45 standing in the line behind me at Walmart.

[Big Skyz]

We are open carry here, never had an issue. Folks that carry openly know everyone is aware they have a firearm and neither side tends to make a big deal out of it. It's very common to walk into a small town café here in Montana and see someone with a pistol strapped to their waist. If anything I hope it sends a message to any not-so-do-gooders that perhaps robbing that café would be a very bad idea.

[Chicken Dinner]

It's always been legal here in Virginia and never been an issue as far as I know. If a business doesn't want you to open (or concealed) carry they just need to post a sign. Personally, I'm not a fan as I'd rather not advertise my business.

[BarryBobPosthole]

I do recall that Bubbles and Hard Rock open carried all the time. She told me once that most folks just thought they were cops. I'd forgotten about that and I guess always just assumed their CCPs covered open carry too.

Its probably the no training/no certification thing that would worry me most about it.

BKB

[Thumper]

Here, you have to take a training class OR be military or ex-military (or LEO) to get the permit. I will say the training course is VERY basic, but it's better than nothing. I've never been a fan of open carry, but in someplace like rural Montana (for example), I could see where it could pretty much be the norm. I've seen small towns in West Texas that are like that, but open carry kind of "fits" in those type of areas.

P-hole, I remember one time Bubbles and Hard Rock had been out with a large group at a shooting range someplace and she told the story here about them all walking into a restaurant for lunch (or dinner?) and all were carrying openly. The whole post was a total turn-off to me because it seems there was a bit of bragging going on while explaining the looks they received from all the patrons. I took it as a bit of an "in your face" move and it just rubbed me the wrong way.

[Big Skyz]

BBP, your state is already full of untrained locals packing firearms. Open carry just makes it more visible.

[Chicken Dinner]

I'm not a fan of needing training and certification to exercise my constitutional rights. We do have to do training and get a certificate to get a CHP and it's a complete joke. There are some good courses out there like the NRA basic pistol safety course. But, you can get the required certificate by taking an hour course in the Internet and passing a 20 question test that anyone with any common sense could pass easily. No live fire required. It's a complete charade. And, once you get your VA permit you've got reciprocity in something like 30+ states.

[Chicken Dinner]

Bubbles and HR were part of a RKBA group that open carried all the time to prove a point - specifically to be in your face. Not for me personally, but I respect why they felt it was important and their right to do so.

[BarryBobPosthole]

BBP, your state is already full of untrained locals packing firearms. Open carry just makes it more visible.

And that is a damn good point. I'd imagine there's lots of folks carry protection in their vehicles, which I guess would be considered concealed carry. I don't see that this law will change much for those folks. In fact, I don't expect to see, at least not after the initial law is enacted and a lot of folks just do. it to try it out in public, much of a change at all.

The jury is out on whether it'll impact crime. The irony is, the sponsor of the bill never once mentioned public safety in his press release of the bill. Its very openly more about rubbing it in the 'federal government's eye', specifically Obama's than it is about anything else. I mean, Arizona did it, so little Tea Party Oklahoma brother as to do it too. That seems to be the only bills in our legislature to get passed these days, ones that mimic the ideology. We haven't worked on real problems here in Oklahoma in a decade. But that's another story.

BkB

[LJ3]

I like the idea of mandatory training for open and concealed carry. It's an easy concession for gun owners to make. If someone (like me) uses the term "responsible gun owners", seems like making sure people that carry them however they prefer have some sort of elementary training is just good marketing and may prevent a negligent discharge or two.

[DeputyDog]

In Indiana there is no distinction between open or concealed carry. You need a permit to do either. You can transport uploaded an out of the passenger compartment in a vehicle or have on your own property or at your workplace without a permit. If you are carrying outside of the conditions stated above and don't have one, you are headed to jail.

[Thumper]

We have pretty liberal carry laws here, but it's still a "concealed carry" state. Actually, the open carry option is now going through our state legislature, so we may be getting open carry here also. Believe it or not, the proposed open carry law is sponsored by our "Florida Sheriff's Association" (FSA). Here's where we stand right now ...

In Florida, firearms owners may:

Openly carry a firearm in their home and on their property;
Openly carry a firearm at their place of business in accordance with the business’s rules;
Openly carry a firearm to and from a recreational activity including hunting or target shooting;
Carry a firearm concealed in a vehicle without a permit; and
Carry concealed with a concealed carry permit from the State of Florida.