I open carried in Boston today

JGreen said:
I have just reached out to the MBTA asking for a MGL or CMR prohibiting the possession of a firearm by an individual who holds an LTC on/at MBTA property. Stay tuned.
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If there isn't one, they will more than likely make one up incorporating a gray area in an already gray area statue. I wouldn't waste my time with any useless government entity. I'd rather spend more of my very valuable time here on NES!
 
Rockrivr1 said:
Good for OP and to each their own. I personally wouldn’t do it as I don’t want to chance it plus to me carrying means concealed. It’s nobodies business that I’m carrying and what they dont know won’t hurt them.

Though in all seriousness I fully support the OPs ability to open carry as dictated by law.

Though I alway thought it was illegal to carry in Boston on the common. Not sure where I picked that up. B
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You are correct.

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Open carry threads always bring out the authoritarian in people, or at the very least, the dumbest and worst arguments.

If open carrying was really so stupid, then he wouldn’t have been able to open carry without anyone caring. This argument is dumb and always pushed by people with no actual experience open carrying.

I tend not to open carry much anymore, but have done so regularly before, and like the OP, nobody cared. The only time anyone ever even mentioned it was once when I was hiking in the White Mountains. And lots of hikers are the tree hugging crunchy liberal types. And even that person didn’t wasn’t concerned.

It seems the only people who actual care are people who conceal carry and have to prove to themselves that what they do is best and anyone who carries differently is dumb. Which I find ironic.

If you don’t want to open carry, don’t open carry. But pretending like it’s a terrible and dangerous thing that nobody should do is quite the antithesis to supporting the right to keep and bear arms.
 
LTCRN said:
If there isn't one, they will more than likely make one up incorporating a gray area in an already gray area statue. I wouldn't waste my time with any useless government entity. I'd rather spend more of my very valuable time here on NES!
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This is always a danger.

Just look at what happened in pre-Bruen days when we had "reason for issuance" on LTCs, thus providing at least some basis to argue that it was a reason for issuance of the LTC, not a restriction. GOAL pushed on the issue with the obvious hope the answer would be "yeah, it's not really a restriction". The state responded with "We're changing 'reason for issuance' to 'restriction' on LTC.

NES already has a policy of not allowing postings of "Can I carry at <insert facility or business>" since it can alert venues that they have a "problem to be solved". There is currently no crime problem with LTC holders on MBTA facilities, so this sleeping dog is best not woken.
 
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Just so everyone is on the same page.
Regarding massachusetts, it is illegal to Open Carry in public correct?

I've seen regular folks open carry in NH and always thought it was very cool. Not something I've ever seen in Massachusetts.
 
Berrymac65 said:
Holy Shit... if it's legal, how come we don't see it frequently?
I learned something today.
And yes. Mass gun laws are pathetic
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Because:

1) until recently your LTC was subject to your chief of police determining whether you are suitable. Would you carry openly if your police chief could then decide that you were not suitable?

2) just because it’s legal doesn’t make it smart. Search you tube and you’ll find more than a few open carriers having their guns stolen out of their holster, pocket, or waistband.


View: https://youtu.be/qxY8ZunAHDo?si=38dacYMw1mIwAMAx
 
M1911 said:
Because:

1) until recently your LTC was subject to your chief of police determining whether you are suitable. Would you carry openly if your police chief could then decide that you were not suitable?

2) just because it’s legal doesn’t make it smart. Search you tube and you’ll find more than a few open carriers having their guns stolen out of their holster, pocket, or waistband.


View: https://youtu.be/qxY8ZunAHDo?si=38dacYMw1mIwAMAx
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All great points.
I don't even tell coworkers about firearms. Unless it's a close friend. Good lessons are learned on this forum. No need to introduce any ideas to others. Element of surprise is key. Don't need to attract any attention
 
Berrymac65 said:
Holy Shit... if it's legal, how come we don't see it frequently?
I learned something today.
And yes. Mass gun laws are pathetic
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Because as soon as it's noticed by a Rep/Senator, or someone who calls them, it will quickly become "THE" focus of a new gun law. And it will pass, and it will stand up to a court challenge. And I can see the MA courts extending a "no open carry" law to include printing.

You CAN kick the sleeping bear, it's just not a good idea
 
Knob Creek said:
Police always have the catch all "Causing a Public Disturbance" to arrest someone open carrying.
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Not since a few years back. Their panic over a displayed firearm is not the concern of the person displaying the firearm.

➡️

v. (2013) | FindLaw

Case opinion for MA Supreme Judicial Court v.. Read the Court's full decision on FindLaw.
caselaw.findlaw.com caselaw.findlaw.com
 
Berrymac65 said:
Holy Shit... if it's legal, how come we don't see it frequently?
Click to expand...

Probably a few reasons not just limited to these:

People carrying for self defense often like to have the element of surprise from concealed carrying.

It could make you a target of a crime.

It may cause reactions from libtards that get the police called on you.
 
I'm not surprised nobody cared, OP.

MA folks are conditioned that if they see a holstered gun on an otherwise non-threatening-looking person, dressed reasonably decently, they will assume it's a cop or some other sort of "authorized" person.

It's one of the reasons I stopped caring, early on, about whether I was printing or if my shirt rode up a bit, or whatever. People will rationalize whatever they need to in order to make them happier. If they have to believe it's fine for the OP to be carrying open, they'll invent a reason that makes it fine for the OP to be carrying open.
 
avsterbone said:
For all the rumors, stories, and Fuddlore that surround the topic of "open carry in Massachusetts", I wanted to see for myself exactly what would happen. The results will bore you:

View: https://x.com/avsterbone/status/1778630094770032769


That's right, NOTHING! The thousands of rich white liberals I passed by in the Financial District couldn't give two shits about the sight of a punk 22-year-old walking around with a Glock strapped to the side of his hip. Nor did any of the many businesses I visited, the cops I walked past, etc.

Frankly, it makes complete & total sense. You'd have to be an idiot to violate gun laws and be public about it. Humans, including cops, intuitively understand that and as a result, it is their default assumption. "Hmmm, I don't usually see people in shorts and a T-shirt openly carrying a handgun but if it were illegal he probably wouldn't be doing it sooooo."

Bonus Info-P.S. While researching Massachusetts Gun-Free-Zones it turns out the MBTA explicitly bans the possession of firearms on all of their property. I saw conflicting information on here concerning this point so I figured I'd clarify that as well for everyone.

Riders cannot bring the following items into MBTA vehicles and stations:

  • Dynamite
  • Gasoline
  • Gunpowder
  • Fireworks
  • Hoverboards
  • Propane tanks
  • Pure alcohol
  • Uncovered oil or grease containers
  • [B]Weapons or firearms[/B]
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That is a change of policy about firearms on the T, when I worked there it was allowed for passengers, but not employees unless you were a T Cop, Money Room person out on the trucks ( you got a 38 Spl revolver to carry) or you had to have permission from on high, like from the GM

But I never liked to play by the rules...
 
Berrymac65 said:
Holy Shit... if it's legal, how come we don't see it frequently?
I learned something today.
And yes. Mass gun laws are pathetic
Click to expand...

Because people are big scared.
42! said:
Because as soon as it's noticed by a Rep/Senator, or someone who calls them, it will quickly become "THE" focus of a new gun law. And it will pass, and it will stand up to a court challenge. And I can see the MA courts extending a "no open carry" law to include printing.

You CAN kick the sleeping bear, it's just not a good idea
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“Don’t exercise a right because a tyrant will make it illegal.”

And the terrible arguments continues.
 
ProGun said:
You travelled all the way from the Motor City just to do that? Not worth the aggravation of getting hassled IMO. No thanks, I'll stick with concealed.
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I will too, but the OP didn't have any aggravation and he didn't get hassled.
 
Open carry never interested to me. With the recent advent of the microcompact 9mm doublestack 10rd category, it's hard to argue that conceal carry is a burden. Pocket-carry 9's are more accessible than ever. As a personal rule, I veer towards staying under the radar of unwanted attention.
 
nstassel said:
For what? So you will get attention? Part of being mature is not wanting to draw attention to oneself. When there is not one good thing that can come from a behavior but only negative things the mature intelligent course is to avoid it.
Click to expand...

I dunno. I got a little tingly in my loins reading this. [laugh]
 

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