Open Carry MA Experiences

Nameless said:
Was once behind a woman in the supermarket who's clothes effectivly made her open carry despite the revolver being at 6oclock IWB... The reason this was exposed is the same reason i noticed it :emoji_blush: still... No one freaked out while i was there... And it was quite exposed!
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we've had this discussion here before. i've been carrying for so long, stupid, unintentional peek-a-boos don't get me worked up, granted not the same as open carry. i reach up in the supermarket, shirt rides up, and there it is. sometimes i notice, sometimes not. i've been in the yard with just a tee shirt on, it's there for the world to see. if someone calls the police they are gonna respond. police have to take all calls seriously. i probably know every cop in my city and all the old time neighbors know me, i've invited most of them to shoot at one time or another.

and i've said the first reaction of most people if they see a holstered gun, they think it's police. but if someone open carried i would expect some people to freak out. it's the way it is now. no one is going to change that. things aren't the way they were back when i got my first ltc and i've accepted it for what it is. and i certainly wouldn't open carry to prove a point in my daily life.
 
I just remembered another:

I was at Scottis Drive In, Leeds, sitting at a picnic table having some burgers and fries. A red necky hill folk guy rolled up in his truck and got in line. He had a large stainless revolver tucked in his waist about 4 o’clock, no holster, grip facing forward. It was bizarre looking. He picked up his to go order and drove away and nobody saw. That experience proved to me that almost no one notices.

I actively look for printing and I’ve seen only 4-5 I think, 2-3 certain sightings.
 
enbloc said:
The smart money is to keep a stout hideaway in a place where you can get to it fast, draw it and fire it accurately, and than practice all three in a mirror starting so slowly that you can count "the hares on your hand"
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whacko said:
Only timemive ever seen open carry in mass was last summer at an ice cream stand in amesbury. Guy in the line with his kids had a 1911 open carried. Definitely did not appear to be a cop.....nobody said shit. Nobody cared.....nobody died lol
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Yahbut did they let him move to the front of the line?

drgrant said:
Rob Boudrie said:
Carry, even with an LTC, is banned on the surface of the ocean within 500ft of Logan Airport.
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Apparently though if you're scuba diving down there, as long as you stay under water you can lawfully carry your handgun... [rofl]
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SeaHunt08_FC.jpg


Broccoli Iglesias said:
What if your head is above water, but your waste is below water?
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diffusercap.jpg

JayMcB said:
This is why people should consider an orange vest and hardhat in their kit....intentionally a little worn/scuffed.
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Vest is in the trunk.
Helps imitate a civil engineer or geologist when prospecting at roadside ledge.
Hardhat is in the back bedroom,
for when you know ahead of time that you're stopping at ledge.
 
MisterHappy said:
It is unlawful to carry a loaded long gun, or an uncased long gun, loaded or unloaded, on a public way, unless lawfully engaged in hunting (and some other stuff), see link:

General Law - Part IV, Title I, Chapter 269, Section 12D

So, if you're hunting, and you come to a road, and have to walk down it, make sure it's empty (no hunting within 150' of a road), and you're good to go, WRT MGLs and Hunting regs. Don't forget to wave politely to the people with the Hildebeast and Bolshie Bernie and AOC stickers! [wave]
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This x1000

Unload and walk where you have too. If your hunting legally.....licensed.....in season....don't worry about it.
 
StevieP said:
I see open carriers all the time down here in NC. I have also seen quite a few concealed carriers who don't care if anyone knows.

It seems to work OK and nobody freaks out.

I always carried concealed in MA, and other than LEOs, don't think I ever saw an open carrier.
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Fellow NC Transplant here. So true. Nobody bats an eye at OC. The only time any got in trouble was a soldier from Bragg that thought it wise to got get pictures taken at a mall in full battle gear.
I have never seen anyone OC with a drop leg holster. But plenty of OWB. I will OWB my FNX45. But CC my subcompacts.
 
I'm down in Georgia visiting family. In two separate dining establishments I saw people open carrying (one employee, one patron). It was totally unremarkable, as it should be.

So refreshing.
 
I work in a hospital, wear scrubs.
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I used to see William Bartell in the mid 80's in a gun shop in the Rochester, NY area. I still have the Milt Sparks summer special he sold me way back when.

He was probably the only Rochester officer who was published in the American Journal of Rotegenology. As an MRI worker and gun person, you should find his article interesting:

Article

The article also proves that a Series 80 1911 can indeed discharge with the thumb safety engaged.
 
greencobra said:
we've had this discussion here before. i've been carrying for so long, stupid, unintentional peek-a-boos don't get me worked up, granted not the same as open carry. i reach up in the supermarket, shirt rides up, and there it is. sometimes i notice, sometimes not. i've been in the yard with just a tee shirt on, it's there for the world to see. if someone calls the police they are gonna respond. police have to take all calls seriously. i probably know every cop in my city and all the old time neighbors know me, i've invited most of them to shoot at one time or another.

and i've said the first reaction of most people if they see a holstered gun, they think it's police. but if someone open carried i would expect some people to freak out. it's the way it is now. no one is going to change that. things aren't the way they were back when i got my first ltc and i've accepted it for what it is. and i certainly wouldn't open carry to prove a point in my daily life.
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I agree almost 100%... but concealed is concealed... if your gunna print or be partial exposed for what ever reason...weather, type of firearm, location of carry.. depending on the situation... you might aswell assume/get comfortable with OC.. the ultimate irony is with everyone looking at their cellphones/social media.... you could walk around with an AR-15 and most people would be oblivious...

I honestly think CC carry is like being a closet homosexual....”no body knows”.... grow up and come out of the closet..
 
I never OCed in Mass.

Here in NC, I don’t think I’ve yet walked into a Walmart and not seen at least one person OCing. More often than not, multiple people can be spotted.

Guns in this part of NC are ubiquitous. They’re boring and commonplace. As it should be.
 
Without even knowing NC laws, I would guess they have more CCW prohibited for the little people places than MA and perhaps binding signage. This sort of thing goes along with shall issue and common open carry. The fact that it flies under the radar in places like MA and NY results in a much smaller banned area list. (Upstate NY carry permits are readily available in many counties).

Update: Just read up on it. NC has a very long laundry list of prohibited places for persons who do not hold a public position such as Commissioner of Deeds (WTF?) as well as binding signage. So the "Acceptance" and "As it should be" for NC has a long way to go.
 
MGnoob said:
I honestly think CC carry is like being a closet homosexual....”no body knows”.... grow up and come out of the closet..
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I'll respectfully disagree!
I had to OC for 17 yrs as a police officer and was never comfortable with unknown persons anywhere near me. A year or so ago I spooked an officer by walking around a table (they were checking bags) to talk with him . . . until he recognized who I was, he didn't know if someone was sneaking up on him to grab his gun or not!

CC gives me the advantage of deciding to draw or not if SHTF, it doesn't make me an obvious target (if a bad guy sees one OC'g, guess what? You are his first target). I CCW to protect ME and my WIFE, I owe no obligation to anyone else at the risk of my own life and LIBERTY (remember MA doesn't approve of self-protection).

That said, I was in a restaurant in NH the other day and a guy was "partially" OC'g (shirt didn't cover all of the holster and was form-fitting to the gun making it obvious what he was carrying. Nobody cared.

I respect others who choose to OC, I just (for the hundredth time) outlined why I don't and won't OC in public.
 
Rob Boudrie said:
Without even knowing NC laws, I would guess they have more CCW prohibited for the little people places than MA and perhaps binding signage. This sort of thing goes along with shall issue and common open carry. The fact that it flies under the radar in places like MA and NY results in a much smaller banned area list. (Upstate NY carry permits are readily available in many counties).

Update: Just read up on it. NC has a very long laundry list of prohibited places for persons who do not hold a public position such as Commissioner of Deeds (WTF?) as well as binding signage. So the "Acceptance" and "As it should be" for NC has a long way to go.
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You are correct that there are many places that don’t allow guns at all. And signage is binding.

Don’t go to those places.

And we do have much work to do. We only got a D from the anti gunners for our laws. We’ll get to F eventually. This governor is a one termer. Because his R predecessor was so damn corrupt.
 
I saw a guy open carrying the other day and I assumed he was a detective or something. The only reason I made that assumption is because he was open carrying and had a radio but I would have still made the same assumption even without the radio.
 
I'll respectfully disagree!
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I will have to agree with Lens disagreement.

OC has some problems, particularly in MA:

1. You lose the tactical advantage.

2. In a minor confrontation, it's seen, and going to be handled, as a "man with gun" or "gun present conflict". If you don't have immunity, it can be a major hassle.

3. Once the other party knows you have a gun, they are in control of your legal fate if you don't shoot. All they have to say is "he threatened to shoot me" or "he asked me I was feeling lucky today punk" and you will be charged, and almost certainly cop a plea to something (if only a CWOF). The other party will not be punished for false accusation.
You are correct that there are many places that don’t allow guns at all. And signage is binding.
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It is ironic that I would have to get used to being much more limited in where I can carry if I were to move from MA to NC. Besides binding signage, their list of prohibited places is MUCH longer than the one in MA. Extra limits are set when there is the perception that commoners can carry.
 
Len-2A Training said:
I'll respectfully disagree!
I had to OC for 17 yrs as a police officer and was never comfortable with unknown persons anywhere near me. A year or so ago I spooked an officer by walking around a table (they were checking bags) to talk with him . . . until he recognized who I was, he didn't know if someone was sneaking up on him to grab his gun or not!

CC gives me the advantage of deciding to draw or not if SHTF, it doesn't make me an obvious target (if a bad guy sees one OC'g, guess what? You are his first target). I CCW to protect ME and my WIFE, I owe no obligation to anyone else at the risk of my own life and LIBERTY (remember MA doesn't approve of self-protection).

That said, I was in a restaurant in NH the other day and a guy was "partially" OC'g (shirt didn't cover all of the holster and was form-fitting to the gun making it obvious what he was carrying. Nobody cared.

I respect others who choose to OC, I just (for the hundredth time) outlined why I don't and won't OC in public.
Click to expand...

I totally agree. About two years ago I went into a very small convenience store with confined space. Two persons in line ahead of me to pay for stuff. I line up behind a police officer. He immediately put his hand down near is weapon, not so as to draw it but kind of in a protective way. I was not at all offended. He did not know me.
 
JenkkiMike said:
I saw a guy open carrying the other day and I assumed he was a detective or something. The only reason I made that assumption is because he was open carrying and had a radio but I would have still made the same assumption even without the radio.
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In CostCo, polo shirt + ham radio => customer questions about where to find items.
At NASA/KSC, NASA logo polo shirt => tourist questions about how rockets work.
At parade, orange Communicator vest + ham radio => spectator questions about porta potty locations.

60% of the time it happens every time.
 
I often see private security (securitas) OC in very public areas. Is there some statute to separate them from general public or do they just do it?
 
ManOnTarget said:
I often see private security (securitas) OC in very public areas. Is there some statute to separate them from general public or do they just do it?
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It's legal to OC in MA. The only question is how much hassle your issuing police chief would put up with before invoking "suitability".

People expect a security guard to be allowed to carry, so they aren't going to call the cops and there won't be any hassle to the issuing authority.
 
I was in a downtown Lowell hotel - can’t remember which - when I saw either an armed security guard or PD in plain cloths acting as security with his jacket off walking around the hotel lobby like he owned the place with an IWB revolver sticking out of his waistband. His badge, if any, must have been in his jacket rather than on his belt.

I was so ticked off, having gone through all the BS for a MA Nonresident LTC, that I went to a payphone (this was around 2000, when there were few cams or smartphones) and called 911 to report a man with a gun at the Lowell Hotel (whatever it was). I hung up, went out the door and walked away. Dunno what happened.

Was I an arse? Yeah. But I don’t regret it. If I can’t OC then cops/armed guards can’t either w/o a uniform or badge visible.
 
MaverickNH said:
I was in a downtown Lowell hotel - can’t remember which - when I saw either an armed security guard or PD in plain cloths acting as security with his jacket off walking around the hotel lobby like he owned the place with an IWB revolver sticking out of his waistband. His badge, if any, must have been in his jacket rather than on his belt.

I was so ticked off, having gone through all the BS for a MA Nonresident LTC, that I went to a payphone (this was around 2000, when there were few cams or smartphones) and called 911 to report a man with a gun at the Lowell Hotel (whatever it was). I hung up, went out the door and walked away. Dunno what happened.

Was I an arse? Yeah. But I don’t regret it. If I can’t OC then cops/armed guards can’t either w/o a uniform or badge visible.
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You showed them! That sure moved the needle for our cause. Nineteen years ago too. Thanks.
 
Heard him talking to the desk clerk - cop or security. It was that smug look he gave me when he walked right over next to me and interrupted to ask about when somebody else was on shift at the hotel. I gotta gun and you don’t.
 

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