Open Carry MA Experiences

[daekken]

I partially disagree, there's still a level of malice AND stupidity, on the part of cop calling moonbats, period.

The fact that a bunch of the population have defective groupthink mentality about firearms should not hold everyone else hostage.

I mean lets face facts here, if mr. Bandit had been carrying a sledgehammer, a pitchfork, or even a machete in a holster, calmly in and out of that
house he was at, do you think that mary/joe moonbatl douchebag kravitz hairnet would have called the cops?

The reason they called the cops is obvious. They see the "man with the gun" as a "problem" and they want the cops to show up and "get rid of the
problem. " He wasn't banging on his friends windows with his gun or something "interesting" like that.

I don't expect laypersons to be detectives but absent other behavior, these calls are based on an irrational fear of guns, not concern over potential
criminal activities. These calls are like 10 steps below "I see two people in the yard arguing, and one has a gun on his belt".

This also makes me wonder how many times hunters get the cops called on them, but during the season in rural communities the cops just
blow them off. Maybe they need to start blowing off mary hairnet that can't come up with anything but "bbbbbut he has a gun!" These people should
be prosecuted for misusing emergency services if they dialed 911, amongst other things. I just don't think the dispatchers have the training or
want to make the effort to gently interrogate the callers. "Ma'am so this man with the gun, what is he doing with it?" etc. Also a BOLO, that's still just
mind numbing.

I agree that "swatting" is something else, that's clearly over the top malicious (basically, it's orchestrating a potential manslaughter, murder, or assault by manipulating the police) and full retard, but my point is mary hairnet/kravitz not liking guns and calling the cops on you is still on the same line of horseshit (abusing public
resources for their own desires) just on the lower end of the scale.

-Mike

There was a situation, I want to say 2-3 years ago, that was recorded in a police blotter--I want to say Methuen, but I don't recall precisely.

A nosy neighbor called the police when she saw one of her neighbors in his house with a gun. The cops asked her if he was doing anything threatening with it, and she said "no." The blotter then recorded, to paraphrase, "The officer then advised the caller of her neighbor's Second Amendment rights."

Unfortunately, there's absolutely nutcases who think the mere sight of a firearm merits a call or that it's somehow prima facie evidence of malice. I guess they don't really think about how people need to clean them, inspect them, prepare them for transport, etc.

I often wonder, when out and about, how people I interact with's reaction may be different if they knew I was carrying. I was actually at a brewery once after a USPSA match and I was wearing a magpul t-shirt. The bartender asked me "what the logo was" and I replied, "oh, just a polymer company." He then said he thought it was a superhero logo of some kind.

 

[TLB]

Just make sure you are more than 500ft from Logan or avoid stepping on the surface of the ocean.

What is the significance of this part?

 

[drgrant]

What is the significance of this part?

There isn't one, it's just printed that way in the law....

-Mike

 

[TLB]

There isn't one, it's just printed that way in the law....

-Mike

Just when I thought I heard it all!

 

[Rob Boudrie]

What is the significance of this part?

Carry, even with an LTC, is banned on the surface of the ocean within 500ft of Logan Airport.

 

[drgrant]

Carry, even with an LTC, is banned on the surface of the ocean within 500ft of Logan Airport.

Apparently though if you're scuba diving down there, as long as you stay under water you can lawfully carry your handgun...

 

[Toast]

Carry, even with an LTC, is banned on the surface of the ocean within 500ft of Logan Airport.

But I wasn't on the surface of the ocean. I was in the hahbah!

 

[citoriguy]

I’m in the “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should,” camp, especially here in MA. You may get more leeway out in Western MA, Northampton notwithstanding, but I don’t know if I’d take the chance. Like others, I’ve done it inadvertently, but I’ve corrected it as soon as I became aware.

I carry IWB if that makes any difference.

 

[MGnoob]

I think a lot of people get caught up on the the idea of how OC relates to defense against 2 legged animals...

OC just can be more practical then CC.
Often I carry for protection against domesticated or wild animals while working my land... which oviously no one will see me doing, but then you have to run out for supplies, equipment, fuel, or food..... to me it just doesn’t make sense to leave a firearm in a vehicle or what every... or change my mode of carry....
When I carry I try and handle my firearm aslittle as possible... constantly messing with a side arm IMO leads to ND and lost or stolen firearms.. when you can just as easily go about your business OCing.... sometime you need to use your judgment and atleast half conceal it....
In winter it’s a lot easier to conceal a full sized pistol the the summer while still haveing immediate access to it.

 

[Mark from MA]

I get the point of your post here, but in MA there is no such thing as a "concealed carry license". It's a license to carry, period. There is no method dictated under the law in any circumstance. This state is pretty retarded but there was never any distinction under MGL wrt "concealment" with the exception of the stuff that applied to the now long defunct LTC-B license class. (LTC-Bs could not carry a handgun loaded and concealed simultaneously or somesuch).

-Mike

Totally correct and valid point.

My conversation with my chief basically this, he said open carry is legal, however we prefer you conceal, and the license covers that as well, you'd be doing me a favor not have to take calls from crybabies and scared citizens. I basically told him I like to conceal anyway, but sometimes print. He said, no big deal......

Now....I understand I don't have to do him any favors, and he works for me, and all that. Honestly he is a friend of one of my best friends who is a Chief in another town. So yes...its not a big deal to me to help him out, if he thinks that helps him out. I wouldn't want to have to deal with fruitless calls over nothing either, even though technically that is the job, I have some sympathy.

My good friend who is the Chief in another town doesn't give a hoot and will answer calls on that all day. Doesn't care. Tells people OC all you want. Its legal if you have the permit, He says most people still CC though.

Would it be better if they just told citizens open carry is legal and deal with it, and stop calling.....absolutely, but it would have to be a statewide policy, and it THAT would never happen, so it is what it is, and a mish mosh of who the fxck knows. Typical for MA

 

[BTSDOG]

I myself prefer Not to poke sticks in hornets nests.......

 

[enbloc]

OP, if you feel strongly about OC, you should do as you feel. Never let anyone tell you what you Can and Can't do.
We need Pioneers in the state. Who knows, maybe it will become fashionable...

 

[BobR51]

Open carry in MA usually gets for shits than giggles.

 

[M60]

Legal is legal. Open carry if it makes you feel good and don't worry about what the dems think. They don't worry about what you think. Besides, it would do them good to get use to seeing guns being open carried. After a while, it become no big deal. That can't be bad for us.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Legal is legal. Open carry if it makes you feel good and don't worry about what the dems think. They don't worry about what you think. Besides, it would do them good to get use to seeing guns being open carried. After a while, it become no big deal. That can't be bad for us.

The Black Panthers tried this when open carry of long guns was allowed in CA. The state responded by criminalizing such carry.

 

[mikelawtown]

I open carried during the Gas explosions around here for a few days and nobody cared especially all the cops from 5 towns that were working around me

 

[01906]

Never have probably never will. But I would check with your local police chief before doing so.

 

[rudiewhitebwoy]

I do it at work almost every day after we close. I get customers banging on the door or calling me to see if they can pick up something even though we're closed. I don't mind as I'm here anyway. About half of them don't say anything, the other half will say "What's with the gun?" or "Why are you carrying a gun today?" I tell them I carry a gun every day, but I'm wearing an open, untucked button down shirt over my wife beater, and my gun.
About 5 years ago I stopped into the Agawam Diner on my way to work for breakfast. I sat at the counter with the regulars as I always do on the only stool that was available. To my left there were this two big dudes. They looked like Linebackers or Wrestlers. Their Tee Shirts were like two sizes too small. I looked over at the guy sitting to my left and I could almost make out the serial number on his gun, and the bottom half was protruding like a Turtle Head. I nudged him and said, "Hey your printing", he gave me this confused look so I said "Your gun, it's outline is showing through your shirt and it's sticking out a little bit. You know, supposed to be concealed." at which point I swept back my shirt exposing my Glock 21, and said "Concealed". He reached in to his Tee Shirt and pulled out his Badge on a chain and kept eating. I don't know what Agency they were with, but the story I heard later was they we there to over see the liquidation of a business that had been Federally Padlocked for non payment of taxes.

 

[TheRoland]

I ran into a group of cowboys open-carrying in a small town west of 128, before I knew what CAS was. At the time, I assumed the Vaqueros weren't real and it was some sort of period-convention.

Other than that, what Rob said. The perception is that only the politically connected get CCW permits in MA. Best to not remind legislators that not all towns are like Boston.

 

[MGnoob]

Legal is legal. Open carry if it makes you feel good and don't worry about what the dems think. They don't worry about what you think. Besides, it would do them good to get use to seeing guns being open carried. After a while, it become no big deal. That can't be bad for us.

I been saying this for a long time.... lots of people are anti-OC.... since most people carrying won’t actually need to use their firearms..... it has two effects.... OC when enough people do it deters violent crime and has the added bonus effect of desensitizing people to guns..

I guess it has a Third effect..... pissing of snowflakes and informing the public that guns are legal, not evil, and not somthing that should instill fear.

 

[M60]

The Black Panthers tried this when open carry of long guns was allowed in CA. The state responded by criminalizing such carry.

So, he can carry until they criminalize it. Have some fun guys.

 

[M60]

I been saying this for a long time.... lots of people are anti-OC.... since most people carrying won’t actually need to use their firearms..... it has two effects.... OC when enough people do it deters violent crime and has the added bonus effect of desensitizing people to guns..

I guess it has a Third effect..... pissing of snowflakes and informing the public that guns are legal, not evil, and not somthing that should instill fear.

Yeah. Kinda like a topless beach. You get use to it.

 

[Coyote33]

I want to know who on here remembers when you HAD TO carry with a part of the gun exposed (I guess you'd call that "open"), because it was considered illegal and "hiding it" if you had it concealed. I remember my father doing this, and saying he always had to leave the butt sticking out if he wanted to be legal. This had to be in the 70', maybe early 80's. Anyone? I think Len was able to confirm this. Len?

 

[amb]

This isn't like NH where the kopsch are just going to drive past and go "oh, he's not waving it around or shooting anybody, this is stupid".

Who was it that made a point of going around his town in NH carrying openly and documenting each police interaction in a thread here? No arrests (I think), but he sure talked to the cops a lot. They eventually stopped caring, which I think was the idea.

It was a while ago, but if anybody can dig it up the thread it was interesting reading.

 

[sig shooter]

After a training course, I accidentally OCd in Rochester MA. No one batted an eye

Rochester is a very pro second amendment town! However, I’m not ready to subject myself to the scrutiny involved when open carrying.

 

[CatSnoutSoup]

Very few people know the time and effort Alice Pierce went through in make-up to achieve that look.

Here is a photo of her-off set...

No, but there is this...

However here is Joey Heatherton two years ago at 72, so I guess Alice gets the last laugh after all bless her heart...

:emoji_tiger:

 

[Broc]

I was told that although open carry is legal in MA you shouldn't for obvious reasons. Are there any open carry friendly areas/towns/communities though? If you do open carry what is your experience? Thanks.

You should be fine as long as you look professional. Clean pants and shoes a polo shirt, sun glasses and a clean haircut and shaved. (That just disqualified 90% of NES).

How many times have you walked down the road, seen a guy dressed as I described above with a gun and sometimes what appears to be a badge? ... and the sheep just walk by him and feel safe because he looks like he might be a cop?

It's like those guys on YouTube that wear a safety vest with a hard hat and walk around with a clipboard and can get into almost any building because everyone assumes they are supposed to be there.

That being said, I think open carrying, even if acceptable and legal, is not a good idea. I like to lay low and not call attention to myself, specially if someone is planning to do something stupid.

 

[Broc]

Do I plan on OC? Hell no.

Then why are you asking?

 

[Broc]

Apparently though if you're scuba diving down there, as long as you stay under water you can lawfully carry your handgun...

What if your head is above water, but your waste is below water?

 

[Rob Boudrie]

It's like those guys on YouTube that wear a safety vest with a hard hat and walk around with a clipboard and can get into almost any building because everyone assumes they are supposed to be there.

Did this in college when we wanted to look around the physical plant. We got caught, told the workers we were doing a feasibility study and asked for a map of the tunnel system. We didn't get the map, but we didn't get kicked out either.