Do ccw's require concealed mags?

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Okie47

New member
In Alabama, I'm not sure anyone knows for sure, but, assuming I have a CC permit and am carrying, do my spare mags have to be concealed, no print, etc.? For that matter, if I remove my pistol to go into the bank, but do have a mag on my belt is that a no-no? Will appreciate your thoughts/opinions.:confused:
 
Why don't you read the laws of the state that you are interested in knowing about?

They are written in English, and are available online for every one of the 50 states.


Willie

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Not Alabama, but I have licenses/permits from four different states. They all pertain to "Firearm," "Weapon," "Pistol," and/or "Revolver." None of the laws of the respective issuing states defines a magazine as a "weapon" or a "firearm," so carry of magazines is unregulated in those states.

I suspect it is the same in Alabama.
 
WS's post...

Willie's post is a tad harsh. :rolleyes:

I wouldn't worry over a magazine holder or white light/knife but its better in general to keep them concealed.
I prefer the covered style magazine/knife holders. It protects it better & is not obvious to the casual bystander.
New concealed carry garments & vests have started up since the late 1990s. 5.11 Woolrich SIG-Sauer Blackhawk etc can aid you in wearing firearms & carrying spare mags w/o problems.

Clyde
 
Willie, that's pretty harsh. I've spent at least two hours on researching the laws and couldn't find anything related. When I first got my permit I asked if there was at least a brochure or something to refer to. The clerk said, quite politely, "just use common sense".
 
You want to figure out what the state laws are called. For my state its RCW.. so I search RCW Washington Concealed Pistol License, and I have a link to the actual state laws show up in Google. Go Here And search for concealed pistol. Should get you all the laws you need.
 
I would generally recommend you keep them concealed or at least hidden well enough that nobody can tell what they are. If it's in too obvious a mag carrier they might assume you have a firearm they can't see.
 
I appreciate both of your answers..JimD you lead me to the site I had read and I didn't see anything on mags this time either. Did learn though that air guns are mentioned. Weird you can mail them around w/o FFL, etc. Techno...you're right, why take chances. I just like to be informed. So I read the whole 15 pages twice cause it was in American. lol :):):)
 
Open carry is legal in Alabama so there is no legal problem whatsoever with exposing the mags. Or the gun. From my understanding open carry is legal but not too common so there is a bit of misunderstandings with some police. I researched this pretty heavily as I just moved out to DeKalb County to (eventually) marry a gal. :)

The real point to ponder is what happens in states where open carry is banned, such as Florida or Texas or a few others? I would strongly recommend concealing the mags. Police in such states tend to take an extremely dim view of what they percieve to be illegal open carry, as they consider it a "mark of a police officer" and get highly irate when their view of their "private privileges" are displayed in any fashion by "the peasants".

Mind you, from what I've read on the Alabama open carry forums, some AL cops feel the same way, but they lack any legal leg to stand on.
 
They are written in English, and are available online for every one of the 50 states.
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My esteemed friend they are not written in English as is regularly proved in any discussion of the Bill or Rights or anything having to do with lawyers... They are written in lawyerese that normal mortals cannot successfully read or so Ive been informed....

This is not to belittle the profession but it seems laws are anything but English or at least the common tongue of it..
 
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Jim..if you scoot to page 3 "Alabama rules" relates. I've heard a couple of real nightmare stories of nice guy citizens getting major hassles. You won't catch me carrying open.:)
 
Some laws *can* be hard to read, but you'll find that if you try to re-write them in "Plain English", while maintaining the same meaning and level of specificity, they'd be even longer than they already are.

The U.S. Constitution only has 7,641 words in the whole thing, and that's including the signatures and the amendments. But as a result, it's vague; so much so that we've been arguing over it since it was written, and we have an entire permanent court that does little else but interpret it.

In contrast, the motor vehicle laws in your state are probably several times longer than the Constitution, but they're probably pretty specific, and not too hard to read or understand.
 
if I remove my pistol to go into the bank
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Why would you do that?

On topic, it seems silly to me to carry a concealed handgun and leave any extra mags exposed. Kind of like wearing a sign that says "I'm carrying a gun, can you find where it is?"
 
banks: FDIC, concealed carry...

Banks are NOT considered US govt or federal property!
Many citizens see the FDIC signs & think it means it's federal property. It just means that business or bank is insured. You can carry a loaded concealed firearm there if you have a valid license/permit. Check with your local city/state laws too.

I had a co-worker in NW Florida drone on & on about carrying weapons into the BoA branch while doing a storm recovery detail in 2004. Just be cool & mature and no one will say anything.
Now a USPS location is different, they do have no firearms laws. If you are packing heat there, you could face a federal arrest & conviction. :o

Clyde
 
Aguila Blanca said:
That which is not illegal is legal.

If the statutes don't mention magazines -- magazines are not regulated.
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Don't you think there are some anti-gun DAs and courts that would prosecute someone for failure to conceal due to visible magazines? The argument would go like this:

Since nobody (except the odd activist trying to make a point) is going to carry magazines without an accompanying gun, visible magazines are accompanied by a gun. If the gun is not visible, it must still be there somewhere.

Concealment laws are not just about whether the gun is directly visible, but whether someone could infer with high accuracy that you are carrying a gun. That's why printing is not good. Presumably the legislatures are worried (unreasonably, but still) that awareness of gun carry causes angst among the general urban population.

I think laws against open carry and laws against printing are stupid, but I don't see how to argue that open carrying magazines is legal when printing isn't.
 
Willie, that's pretty harsh. I've spent at least two hours on researching the laws and couldn't find anything related.


We really ought to have this stuff in the FAQ's... sorry if I came off as harsh.

It all goes back to researching aand knowing your own state laws. I always recommend that people read the law for themselves. It's a good education, and is free for the cost of your time invested. If you read the entire firearms section and cannot find anything regarding the subject, it's not a regulated area. Second, you should use the resources of a local or state shooting association. Every state has one. Lastly, if you are still not satisfied, hire a lawyer and ask for his opinion. The last place in the world where you want to seek legal advice is on an open internet forum where the responses may be made by 14 year old kids posing as experts.


Common sense: If you hide your gun, you should hide your ammo.

Common sense: Folks rob banks. Carry your pistol there.



Willie

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regardless...I would keep them concealed as why would I want any attention brought to it. Conceal carry for handguns means just that..out of sight. Exposed mags would just get some jokers attention and bother you with unwanted comments and conversation.
 
tyme said:
Don't you think there are some anti-gun DAs and courts that would prosecute someone for failure to conceal due to visible magazines?
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No, I don't.

And I live in a state where open carry has for many years been of questionable legality. (Our side says it is legal, but the State Police and the police academies teach the cops that it isn't.)

Before it gets to a prosecutor, there has to be an arrest. A police officer can't make an arrest if he doesn't have a law to write you up for violating. If there is no law saying that concealed carry of a firearm magazine is illegal ... there is nothing he can change you with.
 
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