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And the sky did not fall (saw OCing in Boston)

crazymjb

crazymjb

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I only post this because a large contingent of NES swear up and down that OCing in Boston will land you in jail despite being legal.

My buddy works on the p-town fast ferry and got my wife and I tickets. My mother drove us in and my father to work friday AM. Sitting in traffic by the wharf there were two crotch rockets in front of us. One of the guys had an OWB holster and wheel gun worn outside is gear.

This was in moderate stop and go traffic. A few things are important to note. 1, despite them being in front of us for a couple minutes neither of my parents realized. 2, it never made the news.

Again, I don't think this is a big deal, but the more evidence to show the tinfoilerss among us that OCing is not a go directly to jail card the better.

Mike

Sent from my cell phone with a tiny keyboard and large thumbs...
 
the sheeple will assume the OC'er is an LEO.

if that guy got off his bike, took off his helmet and showed the sheeple his dark skin or tattoos, then yes the sheeple will call 911 and scream.
 
You at least need that "cop look" or military contractor look or something. I am a thin computer geek, clearly not someone they might approve to have a gun. It would not go well for me in Boston.
 
I was eating breakfast at a deli in Boston a while back and a guy walked in with a OWB over a tucked in t shirt. Boots, black pants, black t shirt, so he might have been a detective or something but no badge, no cuffs. No one seemed to even notice. No one sheltered under a table. No one screamed.
 
As Prepper said, I think that if you have that "cop look", most people won't give it a second thought and just assume you're a LEO. I think it also depends on where you are in Boston. If people happen to notice someone OC'ing in places like Chinatown / South Boston / more industrial areas, they probably won't react the same way people might if they saw someone walking down Newbury St OC'ing.

I often wear my P30 OWB when I have to drive into Boston at night to pick up my wife from work. I generally don't get out of my car on these trips, and if I do for any reason, I just pull my shirt over the gun and have a huge bulge. I prefer carrying in the ol' Serpa paddle for trips when I stay in the car because it would be much easier to draw this way than if I were IWB.
 
With the appropriate censoring effect employed to protect their identities, it would be more convincing to see pics of purported OCers in Boston.
 
kalash said:
I was eating breakfast at a deli in Boston a while back and a guy walked in with a OWB over a tucked in t shirt. Boots, black pants, black t shirt, so he might have been a detective or something but no badge, no cuffs. No one seemed to even notice. No one sheltered under a table. No one screamed.
Click to expand...

As long as nobody says anything and the person isn't OC'ing an AR like a retard, generally nobody will. But, all it takes is one person to say something or react and then you get the "crowd mentality" where everyone forgets how to think for themselves.....
 
If, say, MDA gets wind of people doing this on any scale in MA, they will promote an opencarry911 policy to their followers. I would assume once one gets _caught_ carrying legally in MA, one's suitability is in jeopardy.
 
While I am one of the people that does not OC, the OP's post is valid, in that someone open carried, and nothing happened.

While it is a useful data point, I would not say that it's proof that OC is not an "issue" within 128.

Again, it comes down to choice. If you want to do something legal, feel free.
 
As OP mentioned, most people don't notice and those that do are likely more interested in what you're carrying. I've never been hassled.
 
I have witnessed open-carry in several north of Boston cities and towns in the last few months. Mostly at gas stations and quickie marts and once, a guy standing near Rte. 60 in Malden. It was not evident that these people were police; they all looked normal however you define that. Some had off duty cop look; some had security guard look; some had plainclothes cop look; some had regular Joe look. One guy had jeans, Polo shirt, and that's that. I think the key, is in being normal-looking, and making it as normal as having an iPhone holster on your hip. Control what the audience sees. A holstered firearm on someone who looks normal, acts normal, etc. and most people won't care. Some won't even see it. An AR brought into Target, though, and people are going to flip.

All that said, I have come to believe that there is a moonbat problem and not a gun problem. A legally owned, holstered firearm does not disturb the peace. A moonbat with a bedwetting problem disturbs the peace. Of course, MA is full of moonbats and the MA politicians feed the animals. Therein lies the problem.
 
daveshrews said:
I often wear my P30 OWB when I have to drive into Boston at night to pick up my wife from work. I generally don't get out of my car on these trips, and if I do for any reason, I just pull my shirt over the gun and have a huge bulge. I prefer carrying in the ol' Serpa paddle for trips when I stay in the car because it would be much easier to draw this way than if I were IWB.
Click to expand...

Isn't it technically illegal to open carry in a car? Or maybe that just means it can't be hanging in the back window.
 
FormerlyIndifferent said:
I have witnessed open-carry in several north of Boston cities and towns in the last few months. Mostly at gas stations and quickie marts and once, a guy standing near Rte. 60 in Malden. It was not evident that these people were police; they all looked normal however you define that. Some had off duty cop look; some had security guard look; some had plainclothes cop look; some had regular Joe look. One guy had jeans, Polo shirt, and that's that. I think the key, is in being normal-looking, and making it as normal as having an iPhone holster on your hip. Control what the audience sees. A holstered firearm on someone who looks normal, acts normal, etc. and most people won't care. Some won't even see it. An AR brought into Target, though, and people are going to flip.

All that said, I have come to believe that there is a moonbat problem and not a gun problem. A legally owned, holstered firearm does not disturb the peace. A moonbat with a bedwetting problem disturbs the peace. Of course, MA is full of moonbats and the MA politicians feed the animals. Therein lies the problem.
Click to expand...
Much truth there^, but I would not be as confident an unassuming look while OCing would keep one out of trouble in MA--especially considering what a tiny percentage of the MA population has LTCs allowing carry at all. I agree with the concept of getting people accustomed to seeing holstered handguns and not enabling hoplophobia while at the same time not going out of one's way to antagonize the hoplophobic public and test the limits of their fear.
 
Varmint said:
Isn't it technically illegal to open carry in a car? Or maybe that just means it can't be hanging in the back window.
Click to expand...

no. In Mass, if you're properly licensed, OC (on your person) in a car is fine, as it's under your direct control.

An unloaded non-large capacity long gun in the back window is lawful, though not Massprudent. A handgun not under your control must be secured per MGLs.
 
Varmint said:
Isn't it technically illegal to open carry in a car? Or maybe that just means it can't be hanging in the back window.
Click to expand...

Not to my knowledge. As far as I know, loaded handguns can be carried with LTC-A as long as it's "under your direct control." A holstered handgun is under my direct control, regardless of whether it's concealed or not. Although in my case, my gun was still concealed even though it was OWB. My shirt was over it and it would have been concealed to anyone who saw me.

If anyone has any interpretation otherwise, I'd be interested to hear it though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
As a country boy, I went to Boston for the first time in a year this weekend, sox game. Left the carry piece at home and left it up to Marsha to protect me. Got wanded at Fenway. They check bags too, however they let my little girl keep the water in her bag, she could have blown the place to bits if it was liquid explosives!!! shame on them!

Saw no one OCing. Out of shape fenway cop next to us was carrying a M&P45. I only got nervous one time when a Towel head followed us to the top of the Pru. Call me racist I guess.

Best part of my Boston trip this weekend (besides the bevy of insanely hot chicks at Jerry Remy's sports bar) was, you know how you get wicked drunk and you're always thinking "Damn, I can't get too drunk because I'll forget my hotel room number.....I'll be wandering the halls stupid drunk for hours"

yea, no. My room number this time was 556. [smile]
 
daveshrews said:
Not to my knowledge. As far as I know, loaded handguns can be carried with LTC-A as long as it's "under your direct control." A holstered handgun is under my direct control, regardless of whether it's concealed or not. Although in my case, my gun was still concealed even though it was OWB. My shirt was over it and it would have been concealed to anyone who saw me.

If anyone has any interpretation otherwise, I'd be interested to hear it though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...


all interpretations, no matter how correct, are subject to suitability.

this makes all correct interpretations also incorrect....just my 2c.
 
another damned open carry thread... hey, how about quitters leaving MA for "free states" start open carrying in MA the last week you're here, report back on whether your license gets pulled or not.....
 
Last edited:
DispositionMatrix said:
... I would assume once one gets _caught_ carrying legally in MA, one's suitability is in jeopardy.
Click to expand...

Had to wrap my head around that one for a bit... Caught, doing something legal [rolleyes] Welcome to MA, lol.

Question: with the new law(s) going into effect and CLEOs having to give written reasons for denial or restriction, are we taking bets that OC gets easier with regards to suitability determination? I've no real desire to OC generally, but how many folks would it take appearing in court explaining that they lost their LTC based on suitability for doing something...legal?
 
MisterHappy said:
no. In Mass, if you're properly licensed, OC (on your person) in a car is fine, as it's under your direct control.

An unloaded non-large capacity long gun in the back window is lawful, though not Massprudent. A handgun not under your control must be secured per MGLs.
Click to expand...

According to this, open carry is illegal for long guns in Mass, but there's a lot of conflicting info on the web about this:

http://smartgunlaws.org/open-carrying-policy-summary/
 
DispositionMatrix said:
Good question. In my state sitting in a car while OCing == CCW. A P&R license gives legal cover for that here.
Click to expand...

Not quite. It's having a loaded handgun in a vehicle. If it was just "CCW" there would be a way to satisfy the law without unloading the handgun. There isn't. RSA 159 says NOTHING about "concealment in a vehicle". It just mentions "vehicle" period.

159:4 Carrying Without License. – No person shall carry a loaded pistol or revolver in any vehicle or concealed upon his person, except in his dwelling, house or place of business, without a valid license therefor as hereinafter provided. A loaded pistol or revolver shall include any pistol or revolver with a magazine, cylinder, chamber or clip in which there are loaded cartridges. Whoever violates the provisions of this section shall, for the first such offense, be guilty of a misdemeanor. For the second and for each subsequent violation of the provisions of this section, such person shall be guilty of a class B felony, provided such second or subsequent violation has occurred within 7 years of the previous conviction.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure where this "concealment in a vehicle business" originated WRT NH law, but I just wish it would die a horrible death. The main problem is that it induces / leads people to use deductive reasoning to make a bad conclusion.

I realize it sounds like I am being pedantic here, but this distinction is important. Suggesting that a "loaded handgun in an MV is concealment" suggests that there is a way of complying with the law (in that specific scenario) without having a P/R license. There isn't. There are at least one or two states in the US where this concealment business is an issue, and the law can be satisfied by having the gun in plain view even if it is loaded. (I think TX is one of them, but I forget offhand). I know this myth has gotten serious legs because I've had a half dozen people (including 2 from NH!) claim to me that it's OK to have a loaded handgun in a vehicle in NH as long as its visible. " they just about shit their pants when I tell them, "WTF? seriously? no, it's not, read the law".

-Mike
 
Many years ago I was in a big box computer store in Framingham. There was a normally dressed guy in a black polo shirt, with the shirt covering the grip of a gun carried OWB, but the holster clearly visible. No badge or other indication he was a LEO.

What amazed me more than anything was that nobody seemed to have noticed. He just walked around without attracting anybody's attention.
 

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