TexasCHLforum.com

Liko81 wrote:

frankie_the_yankee wrote:If we had unlicensed open carry, previously convicted criminals and other disqualified persons could openly carry guns and, since no license was needed, the fact that they did not have one would not trigger an arrest in the case of an incidental contact with LE. When a cop runs your license he will get info on any open wants or warrants, but he will not get info on what closed convictions a person might have.

Horse hockey. Any convicted criminal is in the system as such, at the very least for the state in which he was convicted. Where do you think NICS comes from? If you have a rap sheet, they'll know about it, especially if you're on parole but even if not.

In any case it's nonsensical; if you are carrying a weapon, you are assumed to be doing so lawfully. It's part of the whole "innocent until proven guilty" thing that makes our judicial system so great. That holds whether the carry is concealed or open. In fact, I fail to see how you would think OC puts a criminal at LESS risk of being caught. When carrying concealed and being subjected to "incidental LE contact" (whatever that means), the LEO has to first DISCOVER the person is carrying. They then must assume that the person is carrying legally if they are doing nothing else wrong. It's only if there is sufficient articulable reason to detain (and simply carrying is not sufficient articulable reason) that the LEO can then ask for credentials and the criminal is in trouble. With OC, the risk of a criminal being caught is greater if they OC, if for no other reason than the LEO doesn't have to look real hard to spot an OCer's sidearm. They do still have to assume legality, but if a criminal who is OCing is detained by an LEO for articulable reason, the first thing that happens is that the LEO asks for ID, and calls it in asking for the subject's arrest record. If there is a single black mark on the subject's record they can sort it out at the station.

NcongruNt wrote:*sigh*

frankie_the_yankee wrote:

Charles L. Cotton wrote: However, it is very rare for anyone to be seen open-carrying in the larger cities like Salt Lake. Even though it is lawful, on the rare occasions when people do, the police almost always get a "man with a gun" call and they have to respond. If no crime is being committed, then the person is allowed to leave, but they were temporarily detained nonetheless.

I have traveled extensively throughout the country for 25 years or so and I can count on one hand the number of people I have seen open-carrying without a badge on their belt. Yes, it is legal in a number of states, but it sure doesn't seem to be commonplace. There is a reason for that.

Chas.

I hope you don't get flamed, dumped on and shouted down like I did when I made essentially the same observations based on my fairly extensive travel across the USA.