Concealed carry & Open carry & ??????? carry

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MrSharp

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You have concealed carry and open carry, but isn't there an option kind of in the middle. Where the firearm might not be 100% concealed but it's also not 100% in the open.

Is there a term for having your firearm not concealed but not completely in the open?
 
I never heard of any third option. It's either concealed, totally, or it's open where it can be seen that you're carrying a gun. Just because an open carry may be partially concealed by a holster, it's obvious to a reasonable person that you're carrying a gun. And just because one may inadvertently partially reveal a normally concealed firearm, doesn't make it an 'in-between' or open carry.
 
As far as terms of carry, it is either concealed or open carry.

Having said that, I live in Tennessee where open carry is legal, but choose to sort of cover my gun leaving the holster partially exposed. This gives me the advantage of avoiding curious questions from folks around me. also there is no certainty that I do in fact have a gun under there, cell phone or some other device. Also a little less noticible.

But, to answer your question, there is no middle ground.

Bob Wright
 
Your state laws may vary, but Nebraska state law defines concealed carry as having absolutely no part of the gun visible. If there is any part of it visible, even if it is not easily identifiable as a gun, it is being carried openly, according to Nebraska state law.
 
If any part of the firearm can be seen, it's not concealed. There is no category or classification for "partially concealed" or "partially open," so if it's not concealed you are open carrying.
 
I normally carry concealed but occasionally carry like how I think Bob Wright does. I may carry in an OWB holster and with a short jacket that may not cover the entire holster. I sometimes carry like this when I don't plan on going anywhere public except maybe to stop and get gasoline or a cup of coffee. It doesn't scream GUN and most will never see it even if looking at it. But if someone does, no big deal. Open carry is legal here and I have a CCL.
 
wild west here....

Welp, on July 1 this year, here in Beautiful kansas, Conceal carry is open to anyone, permit, training or not. This causes me to assume that every idiot stumbling around the street is as likely to be packing as anyone.

i don't disagree with the Law in its entirety, and my only concern about any increase in violence is due to ignorance and/or stupidity. i don't see an uptick in evil violence due to the law, but of course that possibility always exists.

It will save the cost of the annual fee, and it will have no effect at all on people that legally carry, or illegally carry. The only ones that worry me are those who are waiting for that date, so they can arm-up...and these are stupid people i speak of...in a town of 4,500, i know 95% of the ones that could cause real mayhem out of their Meth addled minds, and outright idiocy.

Well, i am prepared.

Be Well,
—h
 
You mean like, own holster, but under a jacket?
I suppose it's concealed carry when the jacket is buttoned and open carry when the jacket's open.
It's my winter carry option, but I have a cc permit, and my state shows open carry.
 
I've heard that in Douglas County here in Colorado, the term would be 'here's your citation for disturbing the peace, and you can pick your weapon up at the Sheriff's office at the end of the day".

Here in El Paso county, I think someone might say 'make up you mind', but little else. I'm not going to test that, though.
 
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My CZ 82 came with a military flap holster. I've never carried it, other than in the glovebox of my car, but the gun is not visible when inside the closed holster. In my state open carry is kosher, and I have a CPL, so if I were to carry my 82 in its holster on my belt, shirt tucked in, no jacket, am I carrying openly, because the holster is showing, or am I carrying concealed, because the gun is concealed inside the exposed holster?

If I remove the gun from the holster and use it as a first-aid kit, would I be violating any law anywhere by openly carrying the resulting first-aid kit on my belt?
 
MrSharp said:
...Is there a term for having your firearm not concealed but not completely in the open?
Click to expand...
No, there is no term for that.

There are really two dimensions to the question: (1) social; and (2) legal.

I. Social Issues.

The social issues with concealed and open carry revolve around the reaction of onlookers to the fact that you are obviously carrying a gun. In some places, it's not an issue. In other places various member of the public will find the fact that you're obviously armed to be very disturbing. (Whether or not that matters to you is another question.) And there is the theory that being obviously armed is a deterrent to criminals.

In any case, if the gun is only partially concealed the fact that you are armed will be apparent to at least some others and probably have the same social impact, if any, as a gun that is not concealed at all.

Legal Issues

Where open carry and concealed carry are both legal without any permit, partial concealment probably won't matter one way or another.

Where open carry and/or concealed carry is legal with a permit, and if you have the appropriate permit, partial concealment probably won't matter one way or another.

Where open carry is legal without a permit, concealed carry is legal with a permit, and if you don't have the appropriate permit, you will now need to do some serious legal research. It's possible that statutes or court decisions in the jurisdiction have clarified whether or to what extent partial concealment is either open carry or concealed carry. If those statutes or court decisions have defined your partial concealment to be open carry, you're fine. If those statutes or court decisions have defined your partial concealment to be concealed carry, since you lack the necessary permit you're violating the law. And if there are no statutes of court decisions clarifying the matter, it's a crap shoot.

Sometimes things can get complicated. For example, in Arizona, someone with a permit may carry concealed in a place which serves alcohol as long as it's not posted and he doesn't drink. But while open carry is generally legal in Arizona, open carry in a place serving alcohol is not. If your partial concealment is considered open carry, you need to stay out of places which serve alcohol.

Another wrinkle, in some States in which open carry is not legal but concealed carry is the law specifically provides brief, accidental exposure of a concealed gun is okay. I doubt that would apply to a gun which is being carried partially or poorly concealed.
 
Unless open carry is your only option, I'd just conceal it.

Open carry makes people uncomfortable in most locations. Many open carriers don't care, but it does no good.

I don't like seeing someone open carrying at the buffet with both arms full of plates of food. Anyone can snatch it.
 
People are either aware of the fact that you have a handgun or they are not.
If open carry is legal you can do either. Concealed carry is required then fully conceal it. I guess in an open carry state you could do sloppy concealed carry but what is the point of that?
 
Conceal a gun or dont conceal a gun but thats about as far as I go with trying to qualify a method of carry. There are far to many instances of the word hybrid or modified being applied to the issues that are just not worth overthinking. Each person will likely decide what lawful mode of carry affords them the best options to stay safe and then go with that.
 
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