Jumping Frog wrote:You have no duty to keep your firearm hidden in your own home.LadyLightening wrote:Thanks for all the comments! Especially the ladies that chimed in! :) Everyone's contributed to things I hadn't even thought of.I have a quick question though. I had some young guys (very early 20s...if that) come to the door selling magazine subscriptions. I had been working in the backyard coming and going into the house every so often and the front door was unlocked. Doorbell rings and stupid me answers the door halfway with my gun in hand on the side that wasn't supposed to be visible. Once I realized I shouldn't be in "threat" mode, I told them to hold on and I closed the door and put my gun on the hallway table. One of the guys was pretty country and he asked me what kind of gun I had and if it was pink.... Pink holster!! They saw through it through the glass in the middle of the door. So I apologized a million times and decided to buy magazines that were ridiculously overpriced after I gave them an idea of why I answered with a gun. They were cool with it and laughed, asked to come into the house and finish paperwork and I let them in. Can I get in trouble for them seeing it? I know absolutely I would if I was outside my home but I was inside. I know I shouldn't of let them in either but I didn't come to my senses until after the fact.
There are people who will debate either way an openly carried handgun on your property. People like to parse the definition of "public" and "manner calculated to alarm". Me? I have no problem with an openly carried handgun in my front yard.
As info, I simply do not answer the front door to anyone selling door to door, unless we are talking about 10 year-old girl scouts or equivalent. I most defintiely would never have answered the door to a couple of young men.
I would like to add letting them in your home was a HUGE mistake, anything could have happened, but more importantly they now saw what you own and where it is at.