Lawmaker wants to ban open carry in California ...

[spin]

Lawmaker Wants Law to Ban Carrying Unloaded Guns Openly in Public
By Amita Sharma

March 15, 2010

SAN DIEGO — A local assemblywoman is looking for support for legislation to stop people from wearing unloaded guns openly in California. The proposed bill will get its first hearing later this month.

***snip***

She is backing legislation that would prohibit people from openly carrying weapons in public places. John Pierce, co-founder of OpenCarry.Org says people would not wear the unloaded guns if California allowed citizens to carry loaded firearms. Pierce says Saldaña is trying to score political points.

"Knowing full well that there is not support for it in the legislature," Pierce said. "The legislature could not even get enough votes to override Governor Schwarzenegger's veto of loaded open carry in unincorporated areas."

Pierce said if a person is open carrying, chances are he's a good guy. The bad guys, he put it, don't carry their weapons on holsters.
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2010/mar/15/lawmaker-wants-law-ban-carrying-unloaded-guns-open/

[shadowrider]

1. Good

Carrying an UNloaded gun in public could result in the catastrophic statement, "STOP or I shall say stop again".

:sarcasm:

[Glassunion]

2. How do you?

Carry on a holster? Wouldn't it be carry in a holster?

Pierce said if a person is open carrying, chances are he's a good guy. The bad guys, he put it, don't carry their weapons on holsters.

Just sayin...

[SoCalNative]

3. Good

other than posturing what good does it do to carry an unloaded gun?

[PavePusher]

5. An unloaded gun can be loaded in less that 3 seconds.

Beats hell out of a a lot of the options.

Posturing? Who's doing that?

[shadowrider]

7. Quicker, with practice

[spin]

20. I carry concealed and my firearm is loaded ...

Since I carry a snub nosed 38 caliber S&W Model 642 in a Bianchi pocket holster in my front pants pocket, If I find myself in a potentially dangerous situation, I can reach into my pocket and be ready to draw in less then one second.





Three seconds is an eternity in a fight.

If I lived in California, I would push for "shall issue" concealed carry "castle doctrine" and "stand your ground" laws.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

8. Seems about as harmless as carrying around any other piece of metal, IMO.

Why legislate to ban harmless unloaded guns?

In a free society, the onus is on the side of restriction to justify it's existence/merit.

[spin]

28. Personally I'd rather carry a fixed blade knife ...

than an unloaded handgun.

I could be wrong, but I believe that is legal in California.

State California allows for concealed carry of the folding knives and there is no limit to the blade length. As long as the knife is not banned by PC 653K it is legal. 653K does not make Assisted Openers(AO) illegal. However, depending on the particular AO mechanism and other details some AOs may fall under switchblade category. Kershaw Speed Safe is not one of them, it is perfectly legal, details further down. As far as the state law goes, fixed blades must be carried openly, in the sheath, on the waist. I can't find where does the law ban either double edged blades or dirks and daggers. As the wording is, those are ok for open carry. No knives longer than 2.5"in the school, but folders are ok in the Universities and Colleges. Unless, they were banned by local authorities. No knives longer than 4" in public buildings or buildings open to public meetings, e.g. courts, city halls, police stations, city council meetings, etc.
Penal Codes
http://zknives.com/knives/articles/law/caknifelaws.shtml

I would probably carry something like this Benchmade Nimravus.

[SteveM]

21. Umm, help the open-carry movement? Defeat more Democrats?

[theoldman]

4. I have discussed this issue with several friends.

We think a concealed gun is just as effective as a gun shown out in the open. Only a person with a big ego would want to show that they have a gun. Farmers and ranchers who use a gun rack in their truck are in a different category.

[shadowrider]

6. In my opinion

concealed is better because, if a bad guy is intent on doing harm, he's going to go after any threat first (If you open carry, it could be you). It's why security guards in banks are quickly neutralized (shot or tied up).

Carrying concealed, the bad guy has no clue you can get him (chances permitting).

[theoldman]

11. That's the way I look at it.

Why make yourself a target.

[SteveM]

22. I lean this way as well, but that's personal.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

9. Sometimes, my 1911 seems tough to conceal - so I wear it on my hip.

I carry my glock 19 (compact) but sometime feel like a classic .45acp (1911)
I usually wear loose button-up shirts that may drape over the piece a little bit... but it is not "concealed.

Are you suggesting my gun ocasionally being visible is somehow to my ego?
If so, can you explain this evident relatinoship between my ego and my firearm? To me, they appear unrelated.

[theoldman]

12. Why would you want someone to know that you are armed?

My brother-in-law was a policeman and carried a concealed weapon for many years. Even in the hot Texas summer he wore a jacket to hide his gun.

[PavePusher]

14. Why shoud I have to be physically uncomfortable...

to exercise my Civil Rights?

If you look around at places where people do O.C., the doom and gloom everyone predicts... doesn't happen.

Much like (O.K., exactly like) the arguments against C.C.

I'm not going to wear a jacket in Arizona in July or August.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

19. Truth is... I don't give a shit if they do (or don't) know I'm carrying.

I carry for the protection of myself and my family. I don't give a shit if nosey-nancy knows I'm packing heat or not.
I might want to keep my gun hidden, I might want it seen, or I might not care. Doesn't matter - it's my civil right and my choice.

Seeing as how open carry for normal people in Texas is illegal... I imagine your cop-BIL was just trying to look civilian.
Not a bad idea with all the wackos out there. Conspicuously identifying yourself as a cop (offduty) is probably a poor choice.

[Statistical]

26. Why doesn't your brother-in-law (and all LEO) carry concealed all the time? n/t

[spin]

23. There are plenty of holsters designed to conceal a .45 auto ...

I would go with an IWB holster with a good gun belt in in pants a size too large. I would cover the firearm with a long tailed T-shirt such as sold by Duluth Trading Company.

I have carried a concealed full sized 1911 style .45acp on occasion. No one was aware of the firearm.

However, to each his own. Open carry in urban areas is not legal in my state.

[PavePusher]

10. There are a lot of reasons to O.C. that have nothing to do with ego.

Ranging from comfort and convenience to not having to obtain Government permission to exercise the Civil Rights of bearing arms and self-defense.

And Civil Rights by geography has been tried many times. It sucks, period.

[theoldman]

13. Civil rights without common sense can be dangerous.

[PavePusher]

16. You are correct.

Please make sure no-one ever sees you reading in public...

See how silly that sounds?

[PavePusher]

18. P.S. Please explain what is "common sense"....

about C.C.? Thanks.

[LiberalFighter]

15. People with big egos are prone to stupidity.

[PavePusher]

17. Who has a big ego? n/t

[ProgressiveProfessor]

34. Lots of pols fall into that category...

John Edwards, Bill Clinton...

[tularetom]

24. Snap judgments whether someone is a "good guy" or a "bad guy" based on open carry

could be fatal.

Mr. Pierce appears to be awfully naive. Does he actually think the "bad guys" are going to keep their weapons concealed when everybody else is walking around sporting a holstered handgun?

"good guys", "bad guys", grow up. The world is more complicated than that.

I don't care if someone carries a gun in their pocket, on their belt, or up their ass. If they want to look silly, that's their own business. There should be no restrictions on ownership or transport of firearms.

[PavePusher]

29. Well, so-called "bad guys" are quite frequently known to local law enforcement...

and to be seen with an exposed firearm would be automatic grounds for arrest for a known prohibited person.

Joe Crack-dealer, arrested 6 times for drug possesion/dealing, known to the local police department, isn't going to buy a Serpa holster to wear his pistol on his belt, while shopping/traveling, unless he's particularly, spectacularly stupid/suicidal.

[tularetom]

30. See, trusting "local law enforcement" is your first mistake

Most of them couldn't catch the clap in a Tijuana whorehouse.

[Statistical]

25. I want to ban lawmakers in California. n/t

[spin]

27. Considering their track record I agree they are moe dangerous...

then those who "open carry".

[rusty_rebar]

31. The reason people open carry in California

is because it is next to impossible to obtain a concealed weapons permit in most counties in this state.

CCWs are issued by the county sheriff, or the Chief of Police (if in a city). In many of the interior counties (read not highly populated) the issuance policy is basically shall issue, however state law states that it is a may issue state. Most counties in populated areas of California (Southern California, SF Bay Area) you need to contribute large sums of money to the sheriffs election campaign, or be famous to get one.

So for the average Joe, who wishes to exercise their right to self defense, or their first and second amendment rights they are left with one legal alternative. That is Open Carry.

It is legal to carry ammunition with you (even loaded into a magazine), it just cannot be loaded into a position in which it can be fired from. In a bad situation you can draw and load the firearm in under 2 seconds (I have seen people do it).

After 2A is incorporated against the states there will have to be a means by which people can carry a loaded firearm. If the California legislature were smart, they would pass Shall Issue and not have to worry about the whole Open Carry thing anymore. Making a CCW available to the average Joe would take the wind right out of the sails of the Open Carry movement. This is because Open Carry is not an ideal solution to the self defense problem. Most people who want to carry, do not want people to know they are carrying. It just causes too many issues.

It is going to be interesting to see how this upcoming SCOTUS decision (McDonald vs. Chicago) is going to impact this issue. I suspect it will not be to the liking of gun control advocates.

[spin]

32. Perhaps Californians could trade open carry ...

for shall issue concealed carry plus a better castle doctrine law and a "stand your ground" law.

[PavePusher]

33. We should not have to "trade" for our Civil Rights.

Open Carry has not been a problem anywhere else it is legal, are Californians made of less stern stuff than the rest of the Nation?

Rhetorical question, of course....

[ProgressiveProfessor]

35. The lawmaker is termed out and this will go nowhere in the remaining time