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 common handgun. No rifles, no shotguns, no assault 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" from 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.) Prudence dictates that you will be better off just concealing a handgun. It is not advantageous to draw attention to yourself while you are carrying a firearm. As much as possible, you, me, everyone, should just want to go about their daily business peacefully without being bothered with the hassle with comes with undue attention.
5.) Your presence while carrying an openly visible firearm can be considered a threat if you deviate in the slightest from "minding your own business". For example, don't walk up to a cop who is dealing with a situation which doesn't involve you and start sticking your nose where it doesn't belong. Unless a police officer requests your assistance, stay out of it and mind your own business.
The important key to remember here is MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS! We point this out because there is at least one idiot out there on the Internet who deliberately wears a handgun on his person in plain sight of everyone and then approaches law enforcement officers while they are busy conducting law enforcement operations of one sort or another. The afore mentioned idiot runs the risk of being charged with interfering with a police investigation, obstruction of justice or just creating a public disturbance.
5. Visit www.opencarry.org for the latest information on the subject of open carry.
