Open Carry in MA?

[LukeIronSight]

I've opened carried several times around my town and surrounding areas (I'm right near the city too like greater metro Boston areas, I'm not in the bum****s) I am mostly in business/dress clothing and I'm pretty tall and of athletics build ( my girl says I look like a cop) maybe that's why I have never noticed people even bat an eye. I get asked very frequently at a check out line by the clerk if I'm a police officer.


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[M1911]

I see no advantage for open carrying in MA and plenty of possibilities for it to go wrong in a big way (police reacting badly, chief pulling your LTC, someone claiming you threatened then, perp trying grab your gun, etc).

It seems to me that some of the open carry activists are attention whores who get a boost in their ego when others know they are carrying.

 

[M1911]

What's the concensus on printing?

I try not too, but the reality is that most people are oblivious and won't notice.

 

[drgrant]

What's the concensus on printing?

Most gun carriers overthink this.

Unless your print is a full on square-ish outline of a gun most people will never notice it.

-Mike

 

[drgrant]

This is the primary reason I carry concealed. That, and, if I was a bad guy entering a place or situation intent on creating mayhem, if I saw someone with a gun I'd shoot him first. Keeping it concealed is a tactical advantage which might save my life.

I think the actual tactical timmy bullshit is overblown (advantage, getting assaulted for gun, surprise, etc) but I agree with Rob in the respect of the legal circus bullshit- if someone sees you with a gun, you get into a verbal spat with them, if they're a douchebag they will rat you out to the kopsch and lie about the encounter. That stuff happens all the time.

-Mike

 

[robjax]

I see no advantage for open carrying in MA and plenty of possibilities for it to go wrong in a big way (police reacting badly, chief pulling your LTC, someone claiming you threatened then, perp trying grab your gun, etc).

It seems to me that some of the open carry activists are attention whores who get a boost in their ego when others know they are carrying.

for these reasons alone a gun owner should be convinced that open carry isn't the best decision. But as the law indicates whoever wants to open carry certainly may. Just be aware of the risks you open yourself up to...

 

[Gak44]

I have sort of open carried, just transporting one of my unloaded firearms to the range a couple of times. That's if I don't have to make any stops. But I do not do that much now. The strange thing is that even at the range, almost no one open carries.
Anyway, I would like to try OC just once, if there was not hell to pay.

 

[ProGun]

I have sort of open carried, just transporting one of my unloaded firearms to the range a couple of times. That's if I don't have to make any stops. But I do not do that much now. The strange thing is that even at the range, almost no one open carries.
Anyway, I would like to try OC just once, if there was not hell to pay.

Spend a day in NH or ME.

 

[Knuckle Dragger]

Jesus, I hate these threads. There's seems to be some equilibrium in this thread between good information and fear mongering, so I'll throw in my two cents and maybe it can get locked. We'll leave aside the question of whether open carry is a good idea in terms of practicality, and focus instead on the issue of whether it's legal and whether you can suffer any adverse consequences for open carrying a handgun.

You may not be charged with causing panic, but panic may ensue and you may lose your permission slip based on the all-powerful Suitability clause.

I wouldn't risk the brandishing a firearm charge. Its the equivalent to open carrying an AR15 in other states lol.

Not illegal, but not a prudent thing to do in MA if you value your LTC.

Who would open carry in Massachusetts ? You would have to be insane to do something like that. And I don't care what the law says, open carry and you can kiss your LTC good-bye.

• Regardless of what decision one makes about this topic, one should know that law and understand what their rights are.
• Open carry IS legal. Hard Stop.
• per Simkin open carry is not a legitimate suitability disqualifier. 1) You're doing exactly what your license entitles you to do:
  

  we suspect that the average Massachusetts resident may become "alarmed" on learning that someone other than a law enforcement officer is carrying concealed weapons in his or her presence. However, Simkin is not responsible for alarm caused to others by his mere carrying of concealed weapons pursuant to a license permitting him to do exactly that.

  2) A licensing authority's ability to make suitability judgements is not without limits:

  "This is particularly the case where the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security or its designee has not promulgated any regulations governing suitability, and therefore has provided applicants and license holders with little guidance on what it means to be a "suitable person.""

• 'Brandishing' is not a criminal offense and the mere act of carrying a firearm is not 'brandishing' (whatever 'brandishing' is)
• The police CAN demand to see your license if they see you carrying a firearm or suspect that you are. At that point absent any other reasonable suspicion, the inquiry should be over.
• The only way you're going to lose your LTC for open-carrying (and I don't mean ass-hole open carry) is if you fail to assert your rights.

I wouldn't risk it just because of ill-trained cops with twitchy finger bangers.

I'm pretty satisfied that the issue of open carry is adequately covered in the recurrent training that Massachusetts police officers should be receiving. Whether they actually receive that training or whether it sticks may be another issue.

Mike,

It was Joe Landers, in Dedham. He lived there, was carrying pizzas from the store across from the PD (both are in Dedham Square) when his jacket blew open and officer queried him about the gun. Officer wrote a report of the encounter (no arrest, all legal) and the Dedham chief (Joe lived in the same town) pulled his LTC. It took many years (Atty Langer assisted and sued the town, court ruled for the town) and a new chief before Joe got his LTC back (restricted). Joe came on here and posted about the experience and then disappeared.

Here are two links to the story from our archives (Google is your friend):

https://www.northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/archive/index.php/t-299.html
https://www.northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/archive/index.php/t-10681.html

So open carry at your peril if you wish. Times were that nobody would blink, but in today's society inside Rte. 128, I'd bet on revocation of LTC for this is the norm.

I know Joe as well. His problem was a long time ago, before Simkin, etc. His experience should NOT be used as the template for what would happen today. A police chief simply cannot sustain a suitability renovation based upon someone (including a police officer) seeing that you're carrying a gun and getting upset.

What's the concensus on printing?

I try not too, but the reality is that most people are oblivious and won't notice.

Most gun carriers overthink this.

Unless your print is a full on square-ish outline of a gun most people will never notice it.

-Mike

I live in a pretty hard core moon-bat part of Boston. I've open carried, but not on the street here. However, I don't make a huge effort to conceal my firearm. I print like a 3D printer. Holster peeking out under the t-shirt or a big bulge is not uncommon. No one notices (other than the barbers) or no one says anything.

 

[drgrant]

Per KD's suggestion (which sounds like a GREAT idea) I'm closing this one.

-Mike