G27owner

I was just wondering if anyone from Rowan County, NC had any advise on open carry?

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"Shotgun bullets are bad for your health"
-Ice Cube

automatic slim

Apparently while OC is legal in NC each jurisdiction can exercise a certain amount of restriction to it. I would check opencarry.org and familiarize myself with the myriad of rules.

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chiefjason

NC has preemption on firearms laws. Local Governments can only enact laws on their property. Most cities only enact laws for buildings or parks though. In general you can OC on any private property, ie. stores that you would be shopping in. Call city hall and check for local ordinances. I second OCDO. Any specific questions?

Statewide uniformity statute

GS_14-409.40

G27owner

Well specifically... what if I were encountered by a LEO? And what kind of stores are we talking about here? Can anyone legally walk into a Walmart, or Concord Mills Mall for example while open carrying?

__________________
"Shotgun bullets are bad for your health"
-Ice Cube

chiefjason

As far as LEO, KNOW THE LAW!!!!!!!! Unfortunately there is no law in NC allowing OC. But there is no law making it illegal, it is legal by default. But the NC Supreme court has attached the right to OC to sec 30 of the NC Constitution, so I tell folks it is my constitutional right in NC. That's the way the NCSC sees it. So you need to know the circumstantial evidence so to speak.

Sec 30 of the NC Const allows the people to keep and bear arms.

NORTH CAROLINA STATE CONSTITUTION

State v Kerner interprets "bear arms" to mean that the state cannot restrict OC.

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs/usr/wba...e_v_kerner.txt

Now study the GS codes, particularly the 14 criminal codes section. Find the firearms laws and know them.

North Carolina General Assembly - General Statutes Table of Contents

Check here or at the city hall for any odd local ordinances you need to know.

Municode.com |Online Library

Have a few answers for the usual questions. Are you a cop? Is that real? You can carry a gun like that? Why do you carry a gun? As much as some folks may not like it you become a 2A ambassador when you OC. It's the entire gun communities reputation on the line with the person you are talking to. Learn as much as you can about why and how you can OC.

Where can you OC. Anywhere not prohibited by law. The CC scope of permit covers most of those spots with 2 exceptions. You can OC in a bank and you can OC with alcohol in your system. I neither condone nor encourage either, that's your decision. You can OC in any store. However, the store is private property and they can ask you to leave. If you do not you will be trespassing. The no CC signs do not apply to OC, however, I refuse to spend my money at those places anyway. Most malls have a no firearms policy. Most free standing big box store do not. I would be pretty certain that Concord Mills mall has a no firearms policy, but Bass Pro is OC friendly. They sent a memo to OCDO recently.

Check out the NC section of OCDO.

North Carolina - Stories From The States - OpenCarry.org - Discussion Forum

Anything else, just ask. i did a lot of research before deciding to strap a handgun on my hip. No problems so far. I have dealt with 2 troopers and 2 local LEO while OC'ing. It was a non issue. No problems from the public either.

G27owner

Wow! That was all the information I needed right there! Thanks a lot Chiefjason

__________________
"Shotgun bullets are bad for your health"
-Ice Cube

Stoble

I grew up there. Nice place. I have never seen any citizen OC in Rowan in the 27 years I lived there. You will get attention and some will fear you not understanding. When I am in Rowan Co. I conceal because it is a tactical advantage. The BG doesn't pay me anymore attention than he does anyone else. If he sees I am carrying I will be his first target so he can get on with the crime. You may also get made fun of by again those that don't understand. They figure you are different and can't do anything about their making fun. It is not the attention one would call enjoyable. Just my belief because I want to blend in unless the SHTF.

chiefjason

Find just one instance of that actually happening. It does not. Even if you found one, it would be statistically insignificant. Occasionally folks get some flak over OC, but shot for it? Most criminals are looking for an easy target, and an armed target is not an easy one. They will look elsewhere.

All the attention I have gotten has been good. Some great conversations about rights and your ability to OC in NC. I have educated quite a few folks about OC.

nn

The discussion was good; but, there is Chapel Hill NC do not open carry there.

chiefjason

There is only a size restriction. Can't OC an easily concealable pistol, under 6" IIRC.

Cary, on the other hand, does not allow OC on city property. And they have taken the hard nosed stance that the road and sidewalk is city property for their ordinance. Not sure it would hold up to the state preemption, and no one has tried that yet as far as I know. Most towns limit their ordinances to buildings and their parking lots only.