Liberal 9th Circuit backs right to carry firearms in public

[SKSears]

It has been awhile, but if I remember correctly, a person can legally open carry in the state of Florida if you are traveling to or from or in the process of hunting or fishing and have a valid fishing or hunting license. Hunting season has a limited time frame but you can be in the process of fishing year round! Please chime in if you have any info on the law.

[gale155]

I was a cop for a total of 30 years, and high-end armed security for 10 following that. I'm in Missouri, where open carry has been legal for quite a few years, but personally I've only seen it twice (that I recall). Having said this, I don't think open carry is a good idea, and I have never done so out of uniform.

When I'm out in public with a lot of other people around, I don't want anyone to suspect that I'm carrying a gun. For this reason, I'm even careful about what I wear...no Glock or NRA t-shirts/caps for me, nor any other item of clothing that might signal that I'm armed. To do so, IMO, would be a signal to a bad guy to shoot me first. Open carry, of course, would remove any doubt that I'm armed, and would be an open invitation for that first bullet. If I ever find myself in a self-defense situation, I want every tactical advantage in my favor, and the element of surprise would be one such advantage.

Open carry is also an open invitation to any bad guy who might want to take your gun away from you. Unless you're carrying in a security holster, and are trained in weapons-retention tactics, you're asking for trouble IMHO.

Another reason I don't like open carry is that it's going to cause the sheeple to burn up the lines to 911. As we all know, there are many people out there who are terrified of guns, and believe they are pure evil. Others, for purely political reasons, believe that all guns (except for police and military) should be banned and confiscated. These are the people who will be calling the police when ever they see someone open-carrying, and believe me when I tell you that they will call. After a while, governments are going to take notice, and start thinking stricter gun control...and we all know what that means. Why stir the pot? When it comes to government, at all levels, it's best to "let sleeping dogs lie".

I am as pro 2nd Amendment as anyone in the country, and have a gun strategically located in every room in my house. Although violent crime is virtually non-existent where I live and frequent, I've always got a gun in my pocket when I leave home. While I believe that open carry should be legal anywhere in the U.S., I just don't think it's a good idea...tactically or politically.

[berettabone]

I live where open carry has been in place forever. Conceal carry since 2011. Rarely do I see open carry. I have carried and carry both ways, but usually when I open carry, it is in the northern part of the state where this is more readily accepted and usually people don't blink an eye. In the big city, I don't open carry because of your last reason. I don't feel like getting face planted, or stopped and questioned.

[Bawanna]

Well said gale, I too never open carry. I like that's it's legal in case I have a wardrobe malfunction and my gun happens to peak out but I don't purposely open carry for all the reasons you mentioned. Same with shirts etc. I do wear a gun hat now and then.

I even find myself shocked and alertness level increases immensely when I see open carry. I'm all for it but I'm as much a gun guy as anybody and it's still rare enough that it gets my attention.

We get calls whenever someone is seen open carrying. Usually they are a group of 2 or more with kind of an in your face attitude to cops.
We've even in the past located them and strategically placed a bunch of officers in plain clothes blatantly open carrying to pass them or intercept them without any contact. Usually they are videoing the whole time hoping to get a cop all tied up.
Doesn't work for us, they are usually shocked when they see us just walking by like business as usual.

But you'll get contacted a lot while open carrying, makes the sheeples and even some gun people kind of alarmed.

[gale155]

Well said gale, I too never open carry. I like that's it's legal in case I have a wardrobe malfunction and my gun happens to peak out but I don't purposely open carry for all the reasons you mentioned. Same with shirts etc. I do wear a gun hat now and then.

I even find myself shocked and alertness level increases immensely when I see open carry. I'm all for it but I'm as much a gun guy as anybody and it's still rare enough that it gets my attention.

We get calls whenever someone is seen open carrying. Usually they are a group of 2 or more with kind of an in your face attitude to cops.
We've even in the past located them and strategically placed a bunch of officers in plain clothes blatantly open carrying to pass them or intercept them without any contact. Usually they are videoing the whole time hoping to get a cop all tied up.
Doesn't work for us, they are usually shocked when they see us just walking by like business as usual.

But you'll get contacted a lot while open carrying, makes the sheeples and even some gun people kind of alarmed.

I've only been retired for a little over a year, and am therefore still bored. As a result, I've occasionally thought about open carrying in one of the sleepy little towns close by, just to see what would happen. Fortunately, I've come to my senses before actually going through with it. With my luck, I'd be contacted by some rookie cop with his finger on the trigger of his Glock. I'm about 40-minutes away from downtown Kansas City, Missouri, and wouldn't even think about open carrying there. As berettabone alluded to, I'm not interested in being face planted. Cops are jumpy and nervous nowadays, and who can blame them?

[Bawanna]

Another Missourian. Our highly respected Administrator and his side kick and myself are Missourian's. I'm displaced against my will to the NW but often long to return. Born in Bowling Green, although my momma always claims she found me under a rock and often wished she'd put me back.
Guess I should feel bad about that.

Your right that cops are jumpy now days. Total lack of respect for the badge now days.

The one profession where you can do everything right and loose your job on hearsay. Tough now days.

I'm just an office puke but I see what the officers go through every day. Not like the old days.

I think we'd be a lot better off if they'd go back and make it PC to profile.

[gale155]

Another Missourian. Our highly respected Administrator and his side kick and myself are Missourian's. I'm displaced against my will to the NW but often long to return. Born in Bowling Green, although my momma always claims she found me under a rock and often wished she'd put me back.
Guess I should feel bad about that.

Your right that cops are jumpy now days. Total lack of respect for the badge now days.

The one profession where you can do everything right and loose your job on hearsay. Tough now days.

I'm just an office puke but I see what the officers go through every day. Not like the old days.

I think we'd be a lot better off if they'd go back and make it PC to profile.

Profiling used to be considered to be good police work, but as you say it's now politically incorrect. The reason, of course, is liberals and attorneys.

I retired from police work in 2005, and from security in early 2017...in the current environment, I'm very happy to be completely done with both.

[berettabone]

It's funny how just a bit of distance makes all the difference. Up nort where we have a place, there is a guy I've seen at the gas station several times who carries some kind of revolver on his side with what I would swear is a 10" barrel. No one even blinks an eye. In the city, they would wrestle him down immediately. A few years back, a guy near my neighborhood was out mowing his lawn with an open sidearm. Someone called and he was surrounded, put face down on his lawn and detained. He had been doing nothing illegal, so nothing ever became of it, but the guy was pi$$ed just the same.

[gale155]

It's funny how just a bit of distance makes all the difference. Up nort where we have a place, there is a guy I've seen at the gas station several times who carries some kind of revolver on his side with what I would swear is a 10" barrel. No one even blinks an eye. In the city, they would wrestle him down immediately. A few years back, a guy near my neighborhood was out mowing his lawn with an open sidearm. Someone called and he was surrounded, put face down on his lawn and detained. He had been doing nothing illegal, so nothing ever became of it, but the guy was pi$$ed just the same.

Environment makes all the difference, which is why I'm perfectly content carrying my .32 Seecamp, or my new CW380. I would never sue an individual police officer unless it was for something totally egregious, but if I were put down and detained for open carry on my own property, I'd sue the pants off the law enforcement agency involved...which in my case would be the sheriff's department.

[Mike_usn_ret]

It has been awhile, but if I remember correctly, a person can legally open carry in the state of Florida if you are traveling to or from or in the process of hunting or fishing and have a valid fishing or hunting license. Hunting season has a limited time frame but you can be in the process of fishing year round! Please chime in if you have any info on the law.

You are correct SKSears...That alone shows how stupid gun laws really are. If I am going or coming from the range...fishing or hunting or hiking I can open carry my handgun. For everyday use....(going to get gas or a burger...NOPE) it has to be concealed...of course with a concealed carry license. However back to Open carry during the events I described above...NO license is required...same as having a handgun in a boat or car.