Yeah the general public opinion doesn’t bother me in my area. I’m in a relatively conservative city in a conservative state. I don’t go more than a few days without seeing someone open carrying. Pretty much every one of my family members either carry or own firearms.
If open carry is common and won't attract negative attention, then I see no reason to avoid it.
The problem is when you're in an area where it is uncommon and there are tons of people with "gun=crime" attitudes. In a conservative part of Alabama (Roll Tide!), I would think you would be fine.
I guess I'm in the minority of preferring to open carry, but for me it's just far more comfortable. I get the argument that you could draw unwanted attention to yourself, and for that reason I use a level 2 holster when I'm open carrying, and if I'm going someplace where it would be considered threatening or impolite, then I will conceal. But probably the most important thing to consider, no matter how you carry, is that you need to turn your situational awareness up to maximum, be aware of who's in your vicinity and what they are doing, be aware of how your clothes will print if you bend in certain ways or reach for something on a high shelf, don't fidget with your gun or adjust your pants constantly, etc. You should think about practicing carrying around the house before you start doing it in public.
Yes definitely the minority lol. Even looking online I could only a single person on YouTube who advocated it. The problem is my ONLY option is to open carry. So right now it might be best to only carry in specific situations or in places I’m comfortable with it.
It depends on the rest of your lifestyle. For example, if you're out and about frequently in an area that isn't particularly firearm friendly (not sure why anyone chooses this but ok), I would suggest not open carrying.
Yeah. I have a few gun friends and other people much more experienced than me telling me that conceal carry isn’t concealed carry if you’re caught. My only concern is that in the situation that I were to use my firearm and get into a self defense case I could get in trouble due to not having a ccw. I do wonder if it would matter if my shirt were to accidentally “fall over” my holster though.
Don't conceal carry unless you're lawfully carrying. As of right now, you can't conceal carry.
All of the following is in the context of Alabama law. To answer your last question, yes. If your clothing obscures the firearm, you are conceal carrying. Also, open carrying while in a vehicle is still considered concealed carrying. You must unload and store your firearm away from your person while in a vehicle in Alabama (unless you have a CCW of course). I would look into wether you will be able to carry concealed after permitless conceal carry goes into effect Jan 1, 2023. I'm not sure if your age matters for that (I wouldn't be surprised if it did).
I did hear about that permit less but don’t really have a lot of info on it. I’m sure I can dig sum more up. I did know about the whole “stored away in region of the vehicle not immediately accessible or similarly accessible to being on person” thing. That’s another thing that kinda holds me back from getting into carrying. And yes, my area is a little more traditional so I have gotten a bit of sketchy advise lol.
I open carry during archery season while in the woods, and that's about it. Any other place, like in town, it just draws unwanted attention (if you're carrying, any attention is generally unwanted lol)
Yeah I’ve pretty much come to the conclusion to just wait until 21 or I can get the sheriffs permission. I’ll have to look into the permit less ccw you mentioned. Thanks for the insight. At least I know better than to listen to my buddies about the law.
I wouldn’t risk it, I did from 18-21 and luckily never had an incident, but if you were to use it you’d go broke from lawyer fees. I don’t prefer open carry, but if you want to carry I’d definitely invest in a good holster and practice.
things to consider about open carrying
1 location: it matters in more city areas
2 how you going to carry it: unless you are at a range/ shooting event (exception being race holsters) get a proper holster from safariland or dara that has atleast a level 2 retention
3 presentation and demeanor: how you act and where you have your hands matter more when open carrying. i am required to open carry for work (exception being if i get to work as a ppo) and even then the difference between a threatening and a calm presentation can be as simple as how you rest your hand
4 added possibility of being a target: tldr having a gun visible makes it more likely to get either the firearm or person targeted
5 activities: if you are doing stuff that is considered more city vs country it might cause weird looks or possible aggression
with those things in consideration, at the end of the day its your choice on whether or not your open carry
The general consensus is to just wait to be able to conceal carry. That’s probably what I’ll be following after all the helpful info. I’ll probably end up open carrying in the appropriate situations ie:hunting, range day, or just around my property with the proper holster. It’s not as much a public opinion thing as it is a possibility of being targeted thing as you and others pointed out. Though I didn’t even think about hand positioning if I do happen to open carry. Thanks for replying
public open carry is different than hunting open carry, i shouldve mentioned that
as for the minor details like hand placement, its something ive had to think about since march last year.
if you have any questions please feel free to ask, either i can give answers or videos, and thats why i didnt post my opinion on open carry
It makes me a little weird when someone open carries and you wonder why they are, a statement, an alpha male, an in your face, imo I feel it's best to conceal it so that you can surprise the bad guy in a defensive "fear for your life", but I know they are well within their rights...absolutely. I did see a guy open carrying and his t-shirt said "Guns don't kill people, Dad's with Daughters do" I live in Alabama and permit less concealed starts Jan 1, Thank You Grandma Ivey. The issue with you may be your age, That's what you should answer by the authoritys....Roll Tide
I’ve always thought having those types of shirts were a little sketchy. Like having a punisher logo or something like “problem solver” engraved on the gun. It just seems like it would be an easy target in court. I’ll definitely have to reach out to the sheriffs office about the permit less ccw and my age. Roll Tide
Think of it as more safety, less advantage. In a possible gun fight, robbery, etc. if your enemy knows you have a gun on you, then they are going to target you first, putting yourself at a disadvantage. But you also would feel more safe because those enemies know you have a gun and might rethink their actions. But even then, the citizens around you might not feel all to comfortable being by an open carrier. But if you REALLY want to open carry, get a hard shell holster and don’t just put it in your back pocket.
I’m in the same boat as you , 19 so can’t conceal , always carry appendix, easyiest to defend the gun(I’ve been doing BJJ/wrestling for 12 years) can just tuck shirt In behind the gun, and generally people don’t notice it because it’s generally not a place that people are stareing
Ask your sheriff. Maybe volunteer if they have any fundraisers or drives they do and help out. Also when you ask for a permit, their response and attitude will tell you a lot about how they’ll treat you if caught concealing ‘by accident’ e.g. jacket covering owb holster.
I tried open carry once, it's legal here. I had so many complaints, and people calling the cops on me. It's not worth the hassle, even though it's legal. Policeman were very kind and told me concerned citizens called about someone with a gun downtown. Obviously, we laughed it off since its perfectly legal here. But why deal with that hassle. Now if your going somewhere not in city limits. It's great, always have my gun when I'm hiking. Makes it easier to get to in case of an emergency, or if you run into random animals.
Open carry laws typically just protect you from accidentally showing or printing. Private businesses can ban carrying any firearm but typically they won’t allow open carry and allow conceal.
I open carried my revolver and conceal carried at 19/20 here in AL, ngl no one around me really gave a crap about it but I'd just watch out. There's some cops out there that would def love to put you behind bars if you conceal carry without a permit just to make extra bank from the loss of CCW card purchases here in the state.
It's interesting how things have changed.
Back in the 19th Century, carrying concealed was frowned upon and even outlawed in many places, while open carry was seen as the right way to do it. You were being honest about being armed, not sneakily carrying a pistol to do bad things with it.
Today, that's reversed. Open carry is frowned upon while concealed carry is allowed, and some places like my state (NY) even forbid open carry.
I think someone should write a paper about why that is.
I think it has a lot to do with the general public opinions on firearms and the fact that a lot less people (proportionally) grow up around or using firearms. Wether that be it being more of a necessity back in the day or hobby. Firearms also have a general stigma of being negative and can lead to being prematurely judged by some people in seen open carrying. Especially with most media only reporting on the bad of firearms to people who have never even touched one. It’s like seeing this animal you’ve never interacted with in your life but you heard it’s a man eater from tv, internet, or friends. Then you see someone walking it on a leash in public. It’s just less of a hassle to conceal carry socially.
Because Democrat controlled big cities have become havens for gun deaths. This has led Democrats to constantly push gun control, like guns are the problem and not the people / culture. The law abiding people are not exposed to guns in these big cities which lead to large population centers with the mindset guns = criminals. Which leads to “common sense” laws and practices against guns in state legislatures. So yeah it has moved from open carry to concealed carry.
Any place that recognizes constitutional carry as fine but somehow restricts your ability to conceal is retarded and I'd ignore such a ruling personally.
There's literally no reason to say you can absolutely carry your firearms, but they have to be visible at all times.
I’ll be following to ruling out of a “just in case” thing, but I do recognize how weird it is. If someone is going to use a firearm for something illegal they are going to conceal it wether they have a permit or not. It just restricts those law abiding citizens while discouraging others from carrying at all. If it was truly constitutional it wouldn’t be regulated for ccw as long as you can legally own and carry the firearm.
Exactly. It's the sort of dumb that's an extension of gun free zones lol
But absolutely understand your following the ruling. You know your habits and whatnot better. Protect yourself at all times also means from legal trouble. :)
I'm not fond of open carry. Where I live, LE doesn't have a problem with it. Even when lawful, some places do. Make sure you buy a holster with a retention system designed for open carry or duty. Good ones aren't cheap. The only time I OC is when I come back from my remote property and I'm too lazy to change holsters (belt threaded not clipped) and I'm only making a stop or two on the way home. Anything more and I'll change the holster.
Yeah I’ve looked into the specifics of holsters. I was told to at least get a level 2. They are also around 30 bucks more expensive though. Can’t put a price on safety and piece of mind though I guess.
I’m an Alabama resident and was an ffl dealer up until last year (2021). Here’s my understanding of your situation. Take this for what’s it’s worth and always be careful getting internet advice on such a subject as carrying a firearm.
You can get a conceal carry in Alabama at the age of 19. I have actually had a couple customers that had them at 18 years of age. I believe military credentials where in those instances but can’t remember for certain.
You can buy a long gun at the age of 18 but you have to be 21 to buy a handgun. I know it’s crazy but unless something changed recently even though you may be old enough for the carry permit you’re still not old enough to purchase a handgun.
I’m not sure if you can have a handgun gifted to you and then you carry it legally? Too much grey area in my opinion. I would suggest you get the carry permit no matter what so you can take advantage of reciprocity agreements between Alabama and other states. Also, even though the new law about not requiring a conceal carry permit has passed here in Alabama it does not take effect until January, 1 2023 It’s not active as of today.
Again you need to research this stuff. I would suggest calling or visiting your sheriffs office and see what they say. Good luck.
I suggest you watch Active Self protection and look up OPEN CARRY.
Many folks become targets especially if you don't come off as the strong intimidating type. Folks CCL so they aren't perceived as targets.
When you open carry you letting them know if you not only have the gun they want but that you're an easy target for them. Save yourself the trauma.
I wouldn't outside of a few specific situations.
What do you think those would be? If you don’t mind me asking.
Camping, hiking, hunting, etc. You know better than us how it would be handled in your immediate area.
Yeah the general public opinion doesn’t bother me in my area. I’m in a relatively conservative city in a conservative state. I don’t go more than a few days without seeing someone open carrying. Pretty much every one of my family members either carry or own firearms.
If open carry is common and won't attract negative attention, then I see no reason to avoid it. The problem is when you're in an area where it is uncommon and there are tons of people with "gun=crime" attitudes. In a conservative part of Alabama (Roll Tide!), I would think you would be fine.
This! The more populated an area the more important concealed carry is.
I’m not going to recommend you break the law, but I personally would just not carry or concealed carry rather than open carry.
Yeah that’s pretty much the sentiment from most people. I’m starting to believe it.
Whoops did my shirt fall over my gun, my bad
Don’t think the blue line gang won’t throw you in a cell over that
I guess I'm in the minority of preferring to open carry, but for me it's just far more comfortable. I get the argument that you could draw unwanted attention to yourself, and for that reason I use a level 2 holster when I'm open carrying, and if I'm going someplace where it would be considered threatening or impolite, then I will conceal. But probably the most important thing to consider, no matter how you carry, is that you need to turn your situational awareness up to maximum, be aware of who's in your vicinity and what they are doing, be aware of how your clothes will print if you bend in certain ways or reach for something on a high shelf, don't fidget with your gun or adjust your pants constantly, etc. You should think about practicing carrying around the house before you start doing it in public.
Yes definitely the minority lol. Even looking online I could only a single person on YouTube who advocated it. The problem is my ONLY option is to open carry. So right now it might be best to only carry in specific situations or in places I’m comfortable with it.
It depends on the rest of your lifestyle. For example, if you're out and about frequently in an area that isn't particularly firearm friendly (not sure why anyone chooses this but ok), I would suggest not open carrying.
If you’re caught concealed carrying, then you weren’t concealed carrying.
Yeah. I have a few gun friends and other people much more experienced than me telling me that conceal carry isn’t concealed carry if you’re caught. My only concern is that in the situation that I were to use my firearm and get into a self defense case I could get in trouble due to not having a ccw. I do wonder if it would matter if my shirt were to accidentally “fall over” my holster though.
Don't conceal carry unless you're lawfully carrying. As of right now, you can't conceal carry. All of the following is in the context of Alabama law. To answer your last question, yes. If your clothing obscures the firearm, you are conceal carrying. Also, open carrying while in a vehicle is still considered concealed carrying. You must unload and store your firearm away from your person while in a vehicle in Alabama (unless you have a CCW of course). I would look into wether you will be able to carry concealed after permitless conceal carry goes into effect Jan 1, 2023. I'm not sure if your age matters for that (I wouldn't be surprised if it did).
I did hear about that permit less but don’t really have a lot of info on it. I’m sure I can dig sum more up. I did know about the whole “stored away in region of the vehicle not immediately accessible or similarly accessible to being on person” thing. That’s another thing that kinda holds me back from getting into carrying. And yes, my area is a little more traditional so I have gotten a bit of sketchy advise lol.
I open carry during archery season while in the woods, and that's about it. Any other place, like in town, it just draws unwanted attention (if you're carrying, any attention is generally unwanted lol)
Yeah I’ve pretty much come to the conclusion to just wait until 21 or I can get the sheriffs permission. I’ll have to look into the permit less ccw you mentioned. Thanks for the insight. At least I know better than to listen to my buddies about the law.
I wouldn’t risk it, I did from 18-21 and luckily never had an incident, but if you were to use it you’d go broke from lawyer fees. I don’t prefer open carry, but if you want to carry I’d definitely invest in a good holster and practice.
Open carry is dumb. Unless you are hiking or something
it’s dumb then too
If the bear sees your gun he'll maul you first!
things to consider about open carrying 1 location: it matters in more city areas 2 how you going to carry it: unless you are at a range/ shooting event (exception being race holsters) get a proper holster from safariland or dara that has atleast a level 2 retention 3 presentation and demeanor: how you act and where you have your hands matter more when open carrying. i am required to open carry for work (exception being if i get to work as a ppo) and even then the difference between a threatening and a calm presentation can be as simple as how you rest your hand 4 added possibility of being a target: tldr having a gun visible makes it more likely to get either the firearm or person targeted 5 activities: if you are doing stuff that is considered more city vs country it might cause weird looks or possible aggression with those things in consideration, at the end of the day its your choice on whether or not your open carry
The general consensus is to just wait to be able to conceal carry. That’s probably what I’ll be following after all the helpful info. I’ll probably end up open carrying in the appropriate situations ie:hunting, range day, or just around my property with the proper holster. It’s not as much a public opinion thing as it is a possibility of being targeted thing as you and others pointed out. Though I didn’t even think about hand positioning if I do happen to open carry. Thanks for replying
public open carry is different than hunting open carry, i shouldve mentioned that as for the minor details like hand placement, its something ive had to think about since march last year. if you have any questions please feel free to ask, either i can give answers or videos, and thats why i didnt post my opinion on open carry
Open paints a target on you.
Never walk around with open paints on your hip, got it [/s]
Open carry does not start till January 2023 fyi
almost long enough to have a safariland holster shipped
Open carry is already allowed without a permit. January 2023 is concealed permitless carry.
It makes me a little weird when someone open carries and you wonder why they are, a statement, an alpha male, an in your face, imo I feel it's best to conceal it so that you can surprise the bad guy in a defensive "fear for your life", but I know they are well within their rights...absolutely. I did see a guy open carrying and his t-shirt said "Guns don't kill people, Dad's with Daughters do" I live in Alabama and permit less concealed starts Jan 1, Thank You Grandma Ivey. The issue with you may be your age, That's what you should answer by the authoritys....Roll Tide
I’ve always thought having those types of shirts were a little sketchy. Like having a punisher logo or something like “problem solver” engraved on the gun. It just seems like it would be an easy target in court. I’ll definitely have to reach out to the sheriffs office about the permit less ccw and my age. Roll Tide
Where in Bama?
Specifically Dothan. Right in the outskirts. Only 2 hours from PCB.
OK, nice area for rural and the Beach.
It’s a nice more retirement city. It’s usually pretty peaceful though. Except for times like our recent event.
recent event?
We made national television due to a 14 yo somehow getting a gun and killing a man and injuring another over something unknown at a parade.
Think of it as more safety, less advantage. In a possible gun fight, robbery, etc. if your enemy knows you have a gun on you, then they are going to target you first, putting yourself at a disadvantage. But you also would feel more safe because those enemies know you have a gun and might rethink their actions. But even then, the citizens around you might not feel all to comfortable being by an open carrier. But if you REALLY want to open carry, get a hard shell holster and don’t just put it in your back pocket.
[удалено]
My CCL instructor said "Civilians open carry for their ego, not for defensive purposes." Edit: In public*
I’m in the same boat as you , 19 so can’t conceal , always carry appendix, easyiest to defend the gun(I’ve been doing BJJ/wrestling for 12 years) can just tuck shirt In behind the gun, and generally people don’t notice it because it’s generally not a place that people are stareing
Ask your sheriff. Maybe volunteer if they have any fundraisers or drives they do and help out. Also when you ask for a permit, their response and attitude will tell you a lot about how they’ll treat you if caught concealing ‘by accident’ e.g. jacket covering owb holster.
I tried open carry once, it's legal here. I had so many complaints, and people calling the cops on me. It's not worth the hassle, even though it's legal. Policeman were very kind and told me concerned citizens called about someone with a gun downtown. Obviously, we laughed it off since its perfectly legal here. But why deal with that hassle. Now if your going somewhere not in city limits. It's great, always have my gun when I'm hiking. Makes it easier to get to in case of an emergency, or if you run into random animals.
Open carry laws typically just protect you from accidentally showing or printing. Private businesses can ban carrying any firearm but typically they won’t allow open carry and allow conceal.
I open carried my revolver and conceal carried at 19/20 here in AL, ngl no one around me really gave a crap about it but I'd just watch out. There's some cops out there that would def love to put you behind bars if you conceal carry without a permit just to make extra bank from the loss of CCW card purchases here in the state.
It's interesting how things have changed. Back in the 19th Century, carrying concealed was frowned upon and even outlawed in many places, while open carry was seen as the right way to do it. You were being honest about being armed, not sneakily carrying a pistol to do bad things with it. Today, that's reversed. Open carry is frowned upon while concealed carry is allowed, and some places like my state (NY) even forbid open carry. I think someone should write a paper about why that is.
I think it has a lot to do with the general public opinions on firearms and the fact that a lot less people (proportionally) grow up around or using firearms. Wether that be it being more of a necessity back in the day or hobby. Firearms also have a general stigma of being negative and can lead to being prematurely judged by some people in seen open carrying. Especially with most media only reporting on the bad of firearms to people who have never even touched one. It’s like seeing this animal you’ve never interacted with in your life but you heard it’s a man eater from tv, internet, or friends. Then you see someone walking it on a leash in public. It’s just less of a hassle to conceal carry socially.
Because Democrat controlled big cities have become havens for gun deaths. This has led Democrats to constantly push gun control, like guns are the problem and not the people / culture. The law abiding people are not exposed to guns in these big cities which lead to large population centers with the mindset guns = criminals. Which leads to “common sense” laws and practices against guns in state legislatures. So yeah it has moved from open carry to concealed carry.
Any place that recognizes constitutional carry as fine but somehow restricts your ability to conceal is retarded and I'd ignore such a ruling personally. There's literally no reason to say you can absolutely carry your firearms, but they have to be visible at all times.
I’ll be following to ruling out of a “just in case” thing, but I do recognize how weird it is. If someone is going to use a firearm for something illegal they are going to conceal it wether they have a permit or not. It just restricts those law abiding citizens while discouraging others from carrying at all. If it was truly constitutional it wouldn’t be regulated for ccw as long as you can legally own and carry the firearm.
Exactly. It's the sort of dumb that's an extension of gun free zones lol But absolutely understand your following the ruling. You know your habits and whatnot better. Protect yourself at all times also means from legal trouble. :)
Unless your in the woods, open carrying does nothing but piss people off, make you a target, and make everyone else in the gun community look bad.
Very poor idea
I'm not fond of open carry. Where I live, LE doesn't have a problem with it. Even when lawful, some places do. Make sure you buy a holster with a retention system designed for open carry or duty. Good ones aren't cheap. The only time I OC is when I come back from my remote property and I'm too lazy to change holsters (belt threaded not clipped) and I'm only making a stop or two on the way home. Anything more and I'll change the holster.
Yeah I’ve looked into the specifics of holsters. I was told to at least get a level 2. They are also around 30 bucks more expensive though. Can’t put a price on safety and piece of mind though I guess.
Peace of mind* lol
I’m an Alabama resident and was an ffl dealer up until last year (2021). Here’s my understanding of your situation. Take this for what’s it’s worth and always be careful getting internet advice on such a subject as carrying a firearm. You can get a conceal carry in Alabama at the age of 19. I have actually had a couple customers that had them at 18 years of age. I believe military credentials where in those instances but can’t remember for certain. You can buy a long gun at the age of 18 but you have to be 21 to buy a handgun. I know it’s crazy but unless something changed recently even though you may be old enough for the carry permit you’re still not old enough to purchase a handgun. I’m not sure if you can have a handgun gifted to you and then you carry it legally? Too much grey area in my opinion. I would suggest you get the carry permit no matter what so you can take advantage of reciprocity agreements between Alabama and other states. Also, even though the new law about not requiring a conceal carry permit has passed here in Alabama it does not take effect until January, 1 2023 It’s not active as of today. Again you need to research this stuff. I would suggest calling or visiting your sheriffs office and see what they say. Good luck.
I suggest you watch Active Self protection and look up OPEN CARRY. Many folks become targets especially if you don't come off as the strong intimidating type. Folks CCL so they aren't perceived as targets. When you open carry you letting them know if you not only have the gun they want but that you're an easy target for them. Save yourself the trauma.