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No, it should be ilegal.
If you have a lic. for CONCEALED handgun,, you should have it CONCEALED..
But I must say,, I am pro-guns,, I think the constitution is clear in this subject...
And I think everybody should have a gun if they want... but if the law requires you to have it concealed, then you should have it concealed....
I think out in the open it can be seen by others which could prompt:
1. Someone to instigate a fight just for the fun of seeing what you'd do.
2. Someone to call the cops because "a man has a gun"
3. A bad guy knows you're armed and could grab your gun.
Concealed carry enables the element of surprise for a person in a self defense situation. It also causes bad guys to wonder who, if anyone, might be armed...which might hopefully lead them to reconsider if they're thinking of doing something evil.
The people who have a license to carry do not worry me. It's the ones who don't have the license and carry.
So no, I don't think they need to have the weapon in plain view.
I remember a story from several years ago about someone who had an open-carry pistol, and walked into a restaurant in an area not really known for that type of thing. Within a few seconds, someone ambushed the guy and smacked him upside the head with a wine bottle, believing he was some kind of "gunman."
The cops came, took him to the hospital, interrogated him, and eventually let him ago after determining that no actual crime had been committed.
So, you open-carry at your own peril, even when it is legal. You can't control people's reactions to you, and if you shoot them for trying to "stop" you, you'll probably be charged with murder anyway.
There is an effort about to pass an open carry law in Texas, but it isn't likely to happen. For one, online petitions are worthless. Secondly, there is a huge difference between concealed carry and open carry, and I am not talking about the physical differences but the reaction of the public.
Obviously, with concealed carry, no one should know you are armed. With open carry, it is blatantly obvious that you are carrying, and that will cause a myraid of reactions. It is better no one knows who is armed, that way the criminals can't determine how condusive the environment is. Secondly, concealed carry forgos all the public phobia on guns.
We are lucky to have the laws we have, and if anything, more effort should be applied to reducing the restrictions in place.
Many places its legal to open carry. Tho the police & citizens might not know it.
In CT I have a "Permit to carry pistols & revolvers" nothing about it being concealed on the books either. But if you cause alarm you can lose your permit. Many people would consider it brandishing.
What I'd like to see is protection from frivolous prosecution if someone spots your gun & tarts out. If you are licensed to carry then someone noticing simply should not matter.
There is an effort about to pass an open carry law in Texas, but it isn't likely to happen. For one, online petitions are worthless. Secondly, there is a huge difference between concealed carry and open carry, and I am not talking about the physical differences but the reaction of the public.
Obviously, with concealed carry, no one should know you are armed. With open carry, it is blatantly obvious that you are carrying, and that will cause a myraid of reactions. It is better no one knows who is armed, that way the criminals can't determine how condusive the environment is. Secondly, concealed carry forgos all the public phobia on guns.
We are lucky to have the laws we have, and if anything, more effort should be applied to reducing the restrictions in place.
Cheers! M2
Just because it is open carry doesn't mean everyone will be open carrying. Some will still conceal for various reasons. So the claim that criminals will able to tell who is and who isn't really isn't a valid position.
I see it more as an issue of getting rid of the phobia of guns. If you know the laws on concealed here in Texas, they are very strict about visibility of your concealed weapon. Even a faint showing through your clothing is considered a violation of the permit.
I don't care if a law abiding citizen is carrying open or concealed. Though if it is open, it could be nice as a conversation piece to ask them about the weapon they are carrying (how is its weight, feel, accuracy, etc...). Then again, Ive never been afraid of guns. /shrug
Not sure if Im totally for or against it, but if you are going to have it open and visible to the public, you should also have to do the same with the license, kind of like a fishing license in some states where it has to be displayed on your person while you are fishing. So displaying it on a holster w/the gun or whateve would be a way to address the concern of others reacting to it.
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