Open Carry Handguns

The same constitution that applies to the police with regard to the open carry of firearms is the same constitution that applies to you carrying firearms openly. Do you think that the government can do whatever it wants to do and that ordinary, every day productive members of society are only allowed to do whatever the government says they are allowed to do? Well, the government is supposed to be run by the people and not the other way around. The last man to rule Americans was the King of England prior to the American War of Independence.

Everyone has a pre-existing right to be armed if they so choose and the US Constitution states that no law shall be written which shall infringe upon that right.

"A well-regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed."

- Second Amendment
to the U.S. Constitution

Many states in the US allow (or rather, do not forbid) a citizen from carrying a firearm on their person openly. (e.g. Virginia and Arizona among others.) But even while you have a right to carry a firearm openly in public, and even while the law may not make any attempt to prevent you from open carry, there are some very strict rules you should follow:

1.) Check your local laws. Don't ask the police what are the laws as your sole reference point. Many of them don't know the law very well. Go to your law library or take a look at your state's web site and find out for yourself. There are many states that have illegal laws on the books that infringe upon your right to keep and bear arms. (e.g. Michigan, New York City, Maryland, Chicago and others.)

2.) Never attempt to carry openly anything other than a comon handgun. No rifles, no shotguns, no asault rifles. Just wear a loaded handgun on your hip like the cops and don't mess with it unless your life is in danger. Touching a loaded handgun on your belt can be interpreted as a threat towards anyone who sees you do this.

3.) Be prepared for a lot of talkin' to by the local police. Here's how it works. Almost nobody carries a firearm in the open. Therefore most people have never seen someone carry a firearm in the open. Therefore, most people assume that is illegal to carry a firearm in the open solely because they don't ever see anyone carry a firearm in the open. Therefore, an ignorant bypasser will see you carrying a firearm on your hip, dig out their little cell phone, call 911 and say something like this... "There is a man with a gun!!!!!" The cops will not have any idea that you are not breaking the law and are well within your rights until you provide your side of the story from out of the side of your mouth that is not pressed into the ground by the first patrol officer on the scene.

4.) Perhaps you will be better off just getting a concealed handgun permit. It is not advantageous to draw attention to yourself while you are carrying a firearm. You, me, everyone just wants to go about their business peacefully without beiing bothered.

5. Visit www.opencarry.org for additional information.