[Tenncvol]

I live in Tennessee and I remain confused by all the changes we are undergoing concerning carry permits. Let me add that I am all for reducing limitations and applaud the legislation for trying, however it is making it hard to know exactly is is/not allowed.The most recent proposal is to change the Enhanced Pistol Carry Permit to Enhanced Firearms Carry Permit. The enhanced permit requires the 8 hour course and allows concealed and open carry of pistols in most places except restricted areas. The proposed change, if I understand correctly, would allow open carry of long guns. Open carry of pistols here is becoming much less noticed by people in general, of course some still object.

My question is for any members who live where open carry of long guns is allowed. What is it like? Is it common to see ARs slung over shoulders in line at McDonalds? Are the non-gun populations fearful when they see this?

 

[CWOUSCG]

I've lived and worked all over the country and cannot ever remember seeing anyone carry a rifle, AR or otherwise, whilst doing errands.
As far as general population reaction, I would imagine it would vary depending on where you are.

 

[Cornhusker95]

I've lived and worked all over the country and cannot ever remember seeing anyone carry a rifle, AR or otherwise, whilst doing errands.
As far as general population reaction, I would imagine it would vary depending on where you are.

I have only seen open carry twice...once was in passing and the other was a person with me and what a mess that turned out to be.
Perfectly legal but not the most pleasant experience
When the police showed up after numerous calls of a guy carrying a gun.
I guess it all boils down to how much your time is worth when people freak out.

 

[Pete63]

Legal in Texas. Common: NO. A few years back, a group up in North Texas (SMALL), did, to make a point. They have faded into the woodwork. There are times, when I have "more" than my daily carry, BUT, short of security patrol of a property (private), I did a while back, I see no need for it.

About as likely as me carrying one of these!

SIG SAUER XM250/M250 6.8x51mm Belt-Fed Light Machine Gun (LMG): How Good is It, Really? Well, Garand Thumb Certainly Likes It! – DefenseReview.com (DR): An online tactical technology and military defense technology magazine with particular focus on the latest and greatest tactical firearms news (tactical gun news), tactical gear news and tactical shooting news.

 

[retired deputy]

LEGAL YES......
common.....no with a long gun

have yet to see a long gun carrier oc locally....and most of the time in Texas i see the long gun folks on the tv news either making some sort of political statement....or the aftermath of panic calls......

 

[forester58]

I have lived in many pro gun states and I have never seen someone open carry a long gun except out in the field actively hunting. I would treat someone doing that downtown the same as I would someone with face tattoos or wearing their hoodie up in warm weather. Condition orange.

 

[Bozz10mm]

It is legal in Texas. I just have not seen it done. With the mass shoo....er, events of late, you are very likely to have the police called when open carrying a long gun, especially if that long gun is an AR.

 

[ShooterGranny]

I live in Tennessee and I remain confused by all the changes we are undergoing concerning carry permits. Let me add that I am all for reducing limitations and applaud the legislation for trying, however it is making it hard to know exactly is is/not allowed.The most recent proposal is to change the Enhanced Pistol Carry Permit to Enhanced Firearms Carry Permit. The enhanced permit requires the 8 hour course and allows concealed and open carry of pistols in most places except restricted areas. The proposed change, if I understand correctly, would allow open carry of long guns. Open carry of pistols here is becoming much less noticed by people in general, of course some still object.

My question is for any members who live where open carry of long guns is allowed. What is it like? Is it common to see ARs slung over shoulders in line at McDonalds? Are the non-gun populations fearful when they see this?

TN gun carry laws are so messed up! I don't know if they still have the carry permit you can get on line or not, but that one had all kinds of limits on where you could carry vs. the classroom one. When they changed the classroom one to "enhanced" it meant that one could be used when you went to other states which probably did not honor the on line one. OK so far? Then they passed the no permit concealed carry bill and it has even more restrictions. It is amazing that people are not arrested right and left for violations because hardly anyone knows the difference.

In fact, one woman I know declared that the on line on was better because some guy on "Next Door" told her that. AARGH! You really need to study the laws on line to learn the differences, and they are written in legalese, so not all that clear.

As far as I know, the "enhanced" permit always allowed open or concealed carry of pistols, although hardly anyone carries openly. I don't see how allowing open carry of long guns would make a difference in reality. Some people will still freak out at the sight of a gun of any kind. The farther west you go in TN the more likely this is, but TN is attracting a lot of snowflakes and even east TN is not quite what it used to be.

Its a bit of a mess.

 

[bc22wm]

I guess it all boils down to how much your time is worth when people freak out.

JMHO that's 99.99% 0f what open carry of a long gun is all about. It's all about LOOK AT ME, I'm tactacool, special, do what I darn well please with in the law and screw everybody else. They can explain with a 1000 reasons why they did/do what they are doing and all I hear is gums flapping from lying Jack-in-apes. I'm about as pro 2nd Amd. as they come, however if the Mrs. and I are in Wally world and someone comes strolling around the a long gun slung over their shoulder WE ARE OUT OF THERE, and ya just might want to be slow and careful about ya moments till we're gone. I'm not letting ya shoot first. Now having said that, the situation make a difference also. If your salmon fishing in Alaska with a rifle or shotgun slung over a shoulder, or out camping in the willywaggs, a have a long gun close to hand, I wouldn't bat a eye. And please don't anyone bring up " but hunting". Grow up. Open carry and hunting have nothing to do with each other, in this context, and you know that.

 

[Bad Bob]

Having served in the military and I HAD to carry a rifle or machine gun (M-60). I don't carry a rifle unless I am doing something that requires a rifle. I humped 110# of gear and it gets old FAST.

I have no use for attention seeking clowns.

 

[FUSSY]

My opinion;even if legal; you may well waste a lot of time dealing with the cops.
And why anyway?
Open carry of pistols may happen in FL and in some counties it will produce a lot of "man with gun" calls.
Many places may ask you to leave and if you don't,you have trespassed and the cops WILL come.

 

[ctr]

What is legal and what is good are not necessarily the same.

Never seen open carry of long guns outside of hunting, the range, or the gun store. Most folks around here have more common sense and manners than to to something so stupid.

 

[SouthernBoyVA]

From July 2007 to January 2015, I openly carried my sidearm daily and on a regular basis when out and about, though never a long gun under the same circumstances. During the entire time I OD'd, I only had one negative encounter with someone. That was in a crowded MacDonalds on a Saturday morning in August 2009. The guy claimed he was a retired LEO but judging from his accent, he was definitely NOT native to Virginia. That was the only time and never with any Virginia police, be they local or state.

As for people OC'ing long guns, I have been present and around many of them several times. Hundreds of them to be more precise. These times were our Lobby Day events in our Capital of Richmond and we even went in our state legislators' offices to meet with our representatives while armed (as I said, I only had a sidearm). Other than that, there was only one other time I saw openly carried long guns in my state out in the public, and I did the same. This was going into a restaurant for breakfast prior to heading into the mountains to hunt.

 

[19Kvet]

Open carry of long guns includes a lot of behaviors that aren't what we here on DC typically think of. As a child I saw people harassed by LE for 'open carrying' of guns because they were walking down the sidewalk from the store to the parking garage with a non-cased firearm- sometimes they were just given rides, sometimes a summons. It depended on the mood of the LEO and how they wanted to enforce the OC ban.

Funny enough, the gun store was more than willing to sell people a cheap but overpriced soft case.

 

[SouthernBoyVA]

Open carry of long guns includes a lot of behaviors that aren't what we here on DC typically think of. As a child I saw people harassed by LE for 'open carrying' of guns because they were walking down the sidewalk from the store to the parking garage with a non-cased firearm- sometimes they were just given rides, sometimes a summons. It depended on the mood of the LEO and how they wanted to enforce the OC ban.

Funny enough, the gun store was more than willing to sell people a cheap but overpriced soft case.

In Virginia, the mere open carrying of a handgun on your person and in its holster does not constitute RAS or PC for an officer to stop and/or detain you. If he were to say something like "Excuse me sir, can you come over here so we can talk?", you do not have to answer and can continue on you way as though nothing happened.

 

[19Kvet]

In Virginia, the mere open carrying of a handgun on your person and in its holster does not constitute RAS or PC for an officer to stop and/or detain you. If he were to say something like "Excuse me sir, can you come over here so we can talk?", you do not have to answer and can continue on you way as though nothing happened.

In 2008, a man in Loveland, CO was detained for OCing (pistol). The 2 LEOs disarmed him and talked to him for something like 30 minutes- he sued and the city had to pay him $15K for violating his rights. Today, instead of the taxpayers having to pay that, the two LEOs might have to pay him out of pocket.

When I lived in VA (about 12 years ago) I didn't see much OC of any kind but that was in the Tidewater area (VaBeach).

 

[ugh762x39]

North Carolina requires a permit to carry concealed. No permit required for Open Carry, which is not uncommon in my part of the State. Pistols I have seen regularly. Long guns, aside from carrying into and out of the gun store…, never seen one.

 

[FUSSY]

I do not understand why anyone would open carry a long gun.
In FL,which may have OC of pistols soon,it will produce a lot of "man with gun" calls to the police in some counties.
Many places will ask you to leave when they see a pistol.
If you refuse,you are committing criminal trespass.

 

[Erich1B]

Wnen I was the FNG to the rifle squad in the early 80’s I got stuck humping the pig…

Having served in the military and I HAD to carry a rifle or machine gun (M-60). I don't carry a rifle unless I am doing something that requires a rifle. I humped 110# of gear and it gets old FAST.

I have no use for attention seeking clowns.

 

[DownInTheDark]

You can open carry where I live. Working for the Sheriff's Office I got a call from the local truck stop of a guy who walked in with an AR15 to buy some soda. I talked to the store employees, then to the guy who was now in his truck. I told him you are welcome to shop in the store, but since it is private property they don't want you in the store with your rifle. He said he was 19 and couldn't buy a handgun. I told him to check out the gun show in a few months as you can buy one from a private party, or have a parent buy one for him.

I asked if I could see his AR15, and explained it's way nicer than any I own, shook his hand, and we both got on our way.