Any Advice on Carrying Openly for the First Time?

[22-rimfire]

As for waiting, I just can't do that. That's another 3 years away. When I turn 21, I'll CC, but until then, I am going to do what I can.

When I was 18, I would have said the same thing. Youth. I loved it and hated it. Be aware that not everyone will automatically assume you know how to be safe or handle a firearm. You will be watched, scrutinized, judged, and criticized. Be prepared and like others have said know the laws as they apply to you. Just remember when you carry, it can NOT be concealed even for a moment (read the actual statute on this) and pay attention to the requirements when inside a vehicle in your state.

 

[Conan1]

We can open carry in KY but its not something I do on a regular basis due to having my CDWL. I would rather no one know I'm carrying to being the one first targeted by someone that might want to break the law. On the other side is your legally in the right to carry but can't get a concealed permit them by all means carry openly. The main thing is to CARRY! LOL

 

[Girodin]

Dress nicely. Reactions will probably vary anyhow based on where you live and the general attitudes towards guns. However, I have found that if I am dressed nicely and going about my business people seem to not bat an eye. Perhaps they think I am cop, perhaps they just not notice, or maye they just aren't worried. I will admit if I see a clean cut guy with a gun it gives me less pass than if the guy dresses like tu pac.

I am guessing an 18 yr old doesn't wear slacks and a dress shirt so the degree to which this works might be lessened but I would imagine being clean cut and well kempt would still get you more postive reactions.

 

[Blue Brick]

I am fully legal and I wear whatever I want. I don’t concern myself in making a good appearance to others. No one will bother you or give you a second look except foreigners. I am a native Arizonan, and if they don’t like our laws then they can go back where they came from, namely California, Illinois, New York, and all of New England!

 

[LubeckTech]

You need to know the laws concerning firearms and motor vehicles in your state. Open carry laws and firearms in a vehicle can be quite different so don't violate either. Be ready for ANYTHING just because you follow all the laws, cross all the "t"s dot all the "i"s and lower case "j"s does not mean you won't wind up in jail. Have the number of a good attorney willing to repersent you and don't rely on the court appointing a Public Defender that will properly repersent you. The Good Guys don't always win - don't learn that the hard way!

 

[Blue Brick]

There are very little laws here.

 

[6.5x55swedish]

All of New England? Never heard of a state called Vermont which has absolutely no gun laws of their own other than what the fed imposes on them? You can carried concealed or open, loaded or unloaded, no permits required. New England states are some of the least restrictive in the country, contrary to popular opinion.

 

[Erik M]

Know your rights know the local laws by heart, stay confident in yourself. heres a slap on the back for having the desire and drive to open carry

 

[cleardiddion]

I'm sure it's come up before but one of the key things that I've found out through experience is to look confident. It helps tons and tons, not only in Oc'ing but in other areas of life too.

Oh, and try not to listen to any negative comments on you excercising your right, they're just being silly.

I started open carrying this past summer as I made my way across country going back home to CO. Yeah, it was pretty nerve wracking at first but eventually I got used to it. Generally, the reaction that I got was that of curiosity and mild surprise since most people didn't know that it was something that was legal for an average Joe to do. I think the only negative comments that I got about the issue was actually here on THR.
And on another positive note, it got my girl a lot more comfortable around guns and I don't see anything wrong with that

 

[Cards81fan]

Not trying to rain on anybodies parade, but it is unlawful for anybody under the age of 18 to possess a handgun or the ammo for one unless 1. they are employed as a law enforcment officer or military. 2. it is temporary possession related to farming or ranching, shooting training etc.

Sounds to me like the OP's doing a whole lot of training

 

[Cards81fan]

Dress nicely. Reactions will probably vary anyhow based on where you live and the general attitudes towards guns. However, I have found that if I am dressed nicely and going about my business people seem to not bat an eye. Perhaps they think I am cop, perhaps they just not notice, or maye they just aren't worried. I will admit if I see a clean cut guy with a gun it gives me less pass than if the guy dresses like tu pac.

I am guessing an 18 yr old doesn't wear slacks and a dress shirt so the degree to which this works might be lessened but I would imagine being clean cut and well kempt would still get you more postive reactions.

+1000

I know there's all kinds of styles now, from prep to emo (w/ girl jeans and all ) to skater to whatever, but dressing like you're straight out of the J. Crew catalog would certainly help.

I'm 28, so I'm not all that removed from younger clothing styles, but if you really want to be taken seriously (gun owner or not) dressing nicely is best.

Most days I'm in stylish jeans with funky thick-banded watches and my arms are all tattoo'ed up, but people don't really mind; if you got on a nice pair of shoes and button-down or polo, you'll gather much more respect from the average bystander.

Not saying it right or wrong, but just the way it is...

 

[Blue Brick]

My bad.

 

[Blue Brick]

By Doug Little on Dec 3, 2008 in AZ CCW Questions, Federal Firearms Laws, Kids and Guns, Legal Issues

Question: I am 18 and interested in purchasing a handgun from a private seller. I was told by a police officer and a gun shop that I cannot buy or a have a handgun unless I am 21 regardless of who I got it from (private seller or federally licensed firearms dealer). They also told me that I could only use a handgun at the range or when I am hunting and must be accompanied by an adult. Is this true? If not, can I open carry where it is legal to carry a firearm? Where can I find clear law about this situation? I also called the BATF and the man I spoke to said I needed to have a written letter of consent from a parent who could own a handgun, but he was unsure. Is that true as well?
Answer: Wow…lots of questions here, some of which I have answered in a previous post. Something that becomes very clear from this question is that there is a lot of misinformation and confusion regarding the laws surrounding handgun ownership between the ages of 18 and 21.
First, the comments that you got from the police officer and gun store were partly true. You must be 21 years of age to purchase a handgun from a federally licensed firearms dealer. Many people think that the same age limit extends to private party sales. It does not. You can legally purchase a handgun through a private party sale at age 18.
Second, the comments about having to be accompanied by an adult are based in fact. For a person between 14 and 18 years of age, they can be in possession of a firearm under a set of limited circumstances, but must be accompanied by an adult. If they are not, they must be in possession of written permission from a parent or guardian stating that they have the gun with permission. This permission can only be granted by the parent or guardian if they can legally own a firearm. So you see, the answers you got from BATF, the police officer and gun store were correct, except they have the age wrong. Those rules only apply if you are not yet 18 years of age. The specific details of the law are covered in the link to ARS 13-3111 below.
Third, since you can legally own a handgun at age 18, you are also permitted to legally carry it openly in Arizona. This open carry only applies in places where it would be legal for you to have a firearm. You cannot carry concealed and cannot get a concealed weapons permit until you are 21 years old in Arizona. By the way, while I encourage legal open carry, you might want to be a little circumspect about where and when you openly carry. As you can see from the confusion about the law that you have already encountered, you may be opening yourself up to conversations with law enforcement about your age and ability to legally possess a firearm.
If you’d like to take a look at my previous post, I think you might find some good information there. Here is the link:
http://arizonaccwpermit.com/2008/05...na-between-the-age-of-18-and-21-years-of-age/
Finally, you asked about the specific law. It is
ARS 13-3111. Minors prohibited from carrying or possessing firearms; exceptions; seizure and forfeiture; penalties; classification

 

[Blue Brick]

By Doug Little on May 31, 2008 in Firearms Training, Legal Issues

Question: I am 19 years old and I’ve been thinking of purchasing a handgun from a private seller. Of course, everything would be done legally. I understand I have the right to carry a gun, but will it get me into any problems if it is not registered? Is there a way I can get it registered with out getting into trouble? Also any other advice would help a lot.


Answer: First, let me clarify Arizona and Federal laws on this subject. In Arizona, it is perfectly legal for a person 18 years of age or old to own a handgun.


However, Arizona will not allow anyone under the age of 21 to carry a concealed handgun. You must be 21 years old before Arizona will issue you a concealed weapons permit.


Federal law also requires that you be 21 years old to purchase a handgun from a Federally licensed gun dealer.


The only way that someone between the ages of 18 and 21 can legally purchase a handgun is from a private party. In order for a private party sale to be legal, the transaction must be face-to-face between two residents of the same state. I strongly recommend that any private party transaction include a bill of sale with the price, the model and serial number of the gun being transferred, the full name and address of the buyer and the full name and address of the seller. I would also strongly advise that both buyer and seller check the other’s driver’s license to verify identity and age.


As an 18 year old, you can carry your handgun openly, as long as you are in a place where it is legal for you to carry a firearm. I would recommend that you consult the Arizona DPS Concealed Weapons Permit page for information places where concealed or open carry is not permitted. Another resource is the “Arizona Gun Owners Guide” by Alan Korwin. You can find copies at most gun stores or online at http://www.tacticaldirect.com


In Arizona it is not necessary to register your firearm. Federal gun dealers are required to record the transaction using ATF Form 4473. They are also required do a background check, although this can usually be completed while the purchaser waits.


Private party transfer do not require either of these steps.


My only other advice to you is to use extreme discretion where you carry you firearm and make it a point to understand the law regarding where you can legally carry and when you could legally use your firearm for self-defense. Carry your gun in the wrong place or use it inappropriately and you can end up in serious legal trouble and if you’ve done something serious, you could even lose your right to own a firearm at all.

 

[Ltp0wer]

Blue Brick, 6.5x55swedish was talking about minors possessing firearms.

 

[22-rimfire]

Good luck Ltp0wer. I hope it works out for you and it's a good experience.

 

[Ltp0wer]

Good luck Ltp0wer. I hope it works out for you and it's a good experience.

Well, earlier today, the decocking/safety lever of my gun snapped right off after I dry fired it (with a snap cap chambered D.

Luckily, my father has the same gun as me and will let me open carry his. The only problem is that he doesn't really know much about guns and doesn't want me to put more than 20 rounds through it at the range. He thinks that it will damage his gun. I'll respect his wishes though. I'll be too busy shooting my new mosin nagant anyway.

I am going to call my favorite gun store and see if they have any suggestions on getting it fixed. I might have to call S&W on monday and see if I can get them to fix it.

Do any of you have any experience in getting guns repaired? I have no idea what to do. The safety lever just snapped right off.

 

[22-rimfire]

Talk to the gunshop. May mean a trip to S&W unfortunately.

 

[Ltp0wer]

I have another question. Is there any chance of my background check going wrong when I buy my gun on thursday? I have never been charged of convicted of any crimes. Do they deny people at random sometimes, or do they have a legitimate reason for all of the denials?

 

[mp510]

I have another question. Is there any chance of my background check going wrong when I buy my gun on thursday? I have never been charged of convicted of any crimes. Do they deny people at random sometimes, or do they have a legitimate reason for all of the denials?

You should be fine, unless there is a clerical error somewhere.

 

[6.5x55swedish]

Sounds to me like the OP's doing a whole lot of training

That is all good and fine for joking around purposes, but it is no joke in real life. There was a court case a couple of years ago were charges where brought against a guy who had a assault rifle for sale and he borrowed it to a guy who was interested in buying it so he could take it to the range and fire it. Anyway the gun miss-fired a three round burst and then jammed. Somebody called the police because of full auto fire at the range and the owner of the gun received a 5 month prison term for transferring a machine gun illegally. It didn't matter that he did not modify the gun, it was a mechanical defect, it also didn't matter that he never sold the gun, just borrowing it to the other guy was considered a transfer.

In an effort to preserve our rights we need to be responsible gun owners. For every millions of guns fired in this country without killing somebody, it only takes one to turn a whole group of people against guns. And contrary to popular opinion, this country is majority rule.

There was a concealed carry case in Ohio last year where a store owner was being robbed and pulled his concealed and killed the masked robber. Well the robber turned out to be a kid and the kid killed the store owner before he himself died. That stirred up a huge media storm. Now the antis have a case where a concealed weapon cost the owner his life and killed a kid.... So now they can stand back and say...Look it doesn't work. It only takes one bad outcome to move their cause forward.... despite the 100s of good outcomes per year.

 

[luigi]

Something to consider

You may wish to contact your local Open Carry organization, find out when their next meeting is and make THAT your first time OC-ing. You can almost guarantee no police hassles and you won’t feel like such a sore thumb.

Just something to consider

 

[22-rimfire]

Is there any chance of my background check going wrong when I buy my gun on thursday? I have never been charged of convicted of any crimes. Do they deny people at random sometimes, or do they have a legitimate reason for all of the denials?

As said, you should be fine. Makes me nervous everytime I have the NICs check done. I would suggest you record your social security number on the Form 4473 as it helps identify you just in case there is somebody with the same name and a criminal background.

 

[TheProf]

Many here have commented that one's demeanor and dress matters a lot on the public's perception of our OC... I agree!!!!

For those that say, "as long as I'm legal...I'll dress any way I want...." , remember that we must win "hearts and minds" to retain our rights to carry. That new person from out of state that does not understand our OC laws or that ignorant anti... will ...one day, speak their mind in the voting booth. Open Carry is intimidating enough for many, let's not make it more intimidating by "looking like a criminal slob" that OC.

Make sense? (Before someone gets upset... I'm on your side. I really love the idea of Open Carry, Concealed Carry, or Both. Heck...carry your whole collection for all I care.)

 

[Cards81fan]

That is all good and fine for joking around purposes, but it is no joke in real life. There was a court case a couple of years ago were charges where brought against a guy who had a assault rifle for sale and he borrowed it to a guy who was interested in buying it so he could take it to the range and fire it. Anyway the gun miss-fired a three round burst and then jammed. Somebody called the police because of full auto fire at the range and the owner of the gun received a 5 month prison term for transferring a machine gun illegally. It didn't matter that he did not modify the gun, it was a mechanical defect, it also didn't matter that he never sold the gun, just borrowing it to the other guy was considered a transfer.

There's a completely different set of circumstances and laws at place here. This is a 17 year old permissively posessing a firearm in home of his parents. Referencing a questionable prison sentence for someone who "illegally transferred" an automatic firearm is not an argument relevant to the original poster possessing a firearm.