Strangest Law

[asleepatthereel]

Get's me how each state has it's own laws, would be nice to get all states the same one day.

Be careful what you wish for...

And who you vote for.

[KD5NRH]

So............how did you like carrying openly?

Duh, he's obviously making this up. We've already discussed this here, and it has been determined that there is no possiblity that open carry will result in anything other than a bloodbath as half the criminals sneak up behind him to take his gun and the other half shoot him on sight.

Or is it that the collective explosion of all the soccer moms' heads within 37.5 miles will set off a chain reaction that destroys the planet? I forget.

[bdickens]

Get's me how each state has it's own laws, would be nice to get all states the same one day.

Be careful what you wish for...

... because you just might get it!

[nils]

Just a thought...if you were exposing your holster to the officer/public, wouldn't that be considered Open Carry if it wasn't concealed??? Does the entire gun need to be exposed....how much of it???

[zach]

Just a thought...if you were exposing your holster to the officer/public, wouldn't that be considered Open Carry if it wasn't concealed??? Does the entire gun need to be exposed....how much of it???

That is what has been bothering me about the encounter since. I have talked to a few people, and although it would be technically open carry cause the bottom of my holster was sticking out, people generally don't know what it is. For the OC in gun free zones thing to work you usually have to OC openly enough that everyone knows for sure that you are an evil gun nut.

[Purplehood]

Wear a shirt announcing Open Carry, and watch out for old ladies...

[seamusTX]

That is what has been bothering me about the encounter since. I have talked to a few people, and although it would be technically open carry cause the bottom of my holster was sticking out, ...

There have been cases in open-carry states where a police officer arrested someone for carrying concealed without a license, then testified in court that his probable cause for stopping the defendant was that he could see some part of the handgun. Judges have thrown out those cases on the basis that the handgun is not concealed if the officer can see any part of it.

This is only fair, as police can search and arrest on the basis of seeing any part of some contraband (like a bag of pot).

Of course, getting arrested and having to go to a hearing is no fun, especially when you are traveling away from home.

As I said, you were lucky that the law is what it is, and the officer was very reasonable about it.

- Jim

[Furyataurus]

I know I wouldn't have a problem with "open carrying" instead of concealed carry.

[TEX]

IF IT COULD BE SEEN, THEN IT WASN'T CONCEALED - WAS IT?

[KBCraig]

In Mississippi, open carry is technically protected by the state constitution, but the law says that a gun is concealed if "any portion" of it is covered. Meaning, if you carried it by dental floss tied through the trigger guard, it would be "concealed" by the strand of floss.

[NcongruNt]

In Mississippi, open carry is technically protected by the state constitution, but the law says that a gun is concealed if "any portion" of it is covered. Meaning, if you carried it by dental floss tied through the trigger guard, it would be "concealed" by the strand of floss.

I guess you'd have to carry it on a lanyard.