Noobie question

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BigPapa4147

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What exactly is Open-Carry? I was under the impression that carrying around a firearm without a CPL was illegal, and that displaying even with a CPL was illegal.
 
...and it also depends on whether or not the individual police officers you may or may not bump into knows if it's legal or not

as you say, its just assumed that doing it is illegal to many people; police are human
 
...and it also depends on whether or not the individual police officers you may or may not bump into knows if it's legal or not
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Check this out:

http://www.examiner.com/x-2782-DC-G...cannot-detain-people-for-openly-carrying-guns

On September 8, 2009, United States District Judge Bruce D. Black of the United States District Court for New Mexico entered summary judgment in a civil case for damages against Alamogordo, NM police officers. The Judge's straight shootin' message to police: Leave open carriers alone unless you have "reason to believe that a crime [is] afoot."
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And sometimes it gets a bit more complex. Oregon is an "open carry" state. You may openly carry a firearm anywhere "except" Portland and Beaverton which are two urban metro cities. However, concealed carry is legal in both. Just got to learn the territory.:eek:
 
To pop the top on a can of worms, many people, myself included, believe that open carrying a handgun in public is basically just asking for trouble. It makes people uncomfortable, johnny law may not be too familiar with the laws and may try to detain you or just harass you in general, and then someday you'll wander into a weird town with an ordinance against open carrying and get a ticket or worse.
 
while it may be legal in your locality, there might be a stigma about it.

Like in certain places that have open carry, when you open carry, noone looks twice, while in other places where they have open carry, but it isnt widely practiced, people get nervous
 
you'll wander into a weird town with an ordinance against open carrying and get a ticket or worse.
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For example: Open carry is legal in NC, except "to the terror of the people". No one has really figured out what that means, but it's a catch-all that could be used to disarm you. In addition, individual counties and municipalities can enact open carry prohibitions (I believe without posting signs to that effect). Surprise - you're illegal!

Some states require a permit to carry any handgun, some don't.

Check the specific laws in your state, and maybe talk to your county/city prosecutor about it before parading into Wally World packing open heat. Keep in mind, as others said, the street cop doesn't always know the law as well as they should - and they'll usually overreact.
 
im Michigan,from what I understand,you do not need a CPL to open carry a handgun,but you lose a few rights a CPL holder has,like,you can't drive or sit in a vehicle with your gun,and it must be kept in a case seperate from ammo while traveling,but once you get out,you CAN legally open carry your gun without a CPL.I don't have a CPL and live in Michigan and have thought about open carrying mainly "just because I can",but haven't tried it out yet being afraid of,like others have said,making people uncomfortable and cops not knowing the laws.My advice is to test it out open carrying where you are 99% sure that not many people are around or would even notice your gun,like a walking trail at night or something.I have looked into the laws a few times,and I am 99% sure open carry without a CPL is totally legal,but you should still do a little more research before trying it out,since there may be other rules that go along with the "no driving" rule.
 
I found this question on mcrgo.org about open carry.

Q: You were quoted as saying 'open-carry' was still legal in Michigan. I am in possession of a CPL, now but I cannot find any reference to open-carry in my copy of the Michigan Firearms Laws. Please clarify. What is open-carry? When does it apply as compared to my CPL?
A: In the 19th century, Michigan outlawed the carry of concealed weapons. The rational was that a person could use a concealed pistol in a fight and surprise his or her opponent. That is, a person had a right to know if the other person was armed before getting in a dispute. Michigan has forbidden the carrying of a pistol without a license in a motor vehicle, whether concealed or not, for much the same reason. Poachers who would hunt from cars may very well be the reason that we can only carry our long guns cased or in the truck of an automobile (MCL 324.43513). There are other laws that forbid the carrying of pistols with an unlawful intent (MCL 750.226), and the brandishing of a firearm (MCL 750.234e). Since there are no laws that forbid it, the open carrying of a pistol or other firearm, without unlawful intent and without brandishing, outside of a vehicle is legal.
 
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