IF you have (legally) open carried a rifle at a public event (not hunting or @ range) ...

[TXAZ]

Curious as to reasons you have previously open carried a rifle in public / at a public event and not at a range or while hunting.

Not interested in why you would not, politics or "I saw this guy..." but literally why you open carried at a previous event(s).

[Adventurer 2]

Military funeral detail (month long duration) late 80s. Used to fly on commercial airlines boarding the plane in civilian clothes carrying an M-16 - for the record we fired blanks at the funerals. And parades after the first Desert Storm.

[FrankenMauser]

I inadvertently carried a Browning Buckmark rifle at a parade in downtown SLC in 1999 or 2000.
I was buying the rifle and wasting a bunch of time fondling some stuff in the store, unaware that a parade was going on that day. Due to the layout of the store, I didn't really notice things getting busy outside.

Walked out the door into a crowd, while carrying a rifle, and had to walk to my car while everyone stared at me like I was a six-eyed camel. ...And then I sat there until the road reopened.

OC of rifles gets too much attention. You won't catch me doing it intentionally, unless I actually think I may have to use it.

[Twinsig]

Warning: Funny story ahead. (derail)
Years ago I was involved in a "simulcast" video on Independence Day at my old church. As the cameraman, I remained outdoors under the awning when the Veterans fired their garands (w/blanks) once given the que, and the video was displayed in the sanctuary.
I saw a car approaching and knew they would be passing by the front/awning location at exactly the same time the guys were going to Fire!
Now this car was really old, it was big, needed significant repair, not to mention it was really, really dirty.
The poor family, I mean that figuratively AND literally, man/dad w/wife, mother-in-law and 3 or 4 dirty faced redneck country kids JUMPED out of their skin when those 6 Garands went off (about 25' away)! I thought they were going to wreck! We were very fortunate to have that scene recorded on the video and replayed it many times, even for the pastor, who said we aren't going to do that anymore! What great memories!

[jonnyc]

Why would you.......other than to make an in-your-face political statement? Pro-gun guys might think it's cool, but what about the majority "snowflake" demographic??? Lose-lose situation.

[FTG-05]

I'm waaaaay past caring what the "snowflake" demographic wants or complains about. There is no way to placate them.

[jonnyc]

Ok, that's fine, but they get scared and vote. Is that your goal?

[TXAZ]

Johnnyc & FTG
Would appreciate if you’d stick to the thread which is only if you have OC’d a rifle in public.

[rickyrick]

In the army I open carried rifles in public many times. Less often in the USA, but publicly, loaded and chambered, in other countries. Not just on bases and FOBs but in urban public areas and even some light shopping and restaurants... the 90s were a little different for soldiers, outings with a small group into the economy while deployed were common for some units.
As a civilian, I carried either a rifle or handgun openly between the ranch that I worked part time at when traveling to and fro. Had a couple of interactions with law enforcement, but for reasons like having a load and no tailgate.

But I haven’t just carried a rifle openly in public just to do it, aside from the army and ranch work, range and hunting not included.

[jonnyc]

I was in the IDF in the 1980s, and carried my M16 or Galil all the time in public. Everyone in uniform did it, no big deal. The only time I felt weird was while waiting in line at a bank. Nobody else seemed to notice or care.
But that was a different world, and a different time. Here in the US.......nope.

[cw308]

On some occasions I can see open carry but normally no , your easy pickens . Best is being armed without anyone knowing.

[tank1949]

I am a strong 2a person but carrying and exposing long guns in protests gives left wing MSM excuses to label us as deplorables. I realize that most 2s people are pissed off but just be prepared. Never advertise or telegraph to your enemies what you have to protect yourselves. Let POS keep guessing. Just my 2 cents...

[cw308]

I'll make that 4 cents

[Shadow9mm]

Originally Posted by cw308

On some occasions I can see open carry but normally no , your easy pickens . Best is being armed without anyone knowing.

I will second that.

[5whiskey]

Urban patrols in Iraq and Afghanistan? Carrying a firearm in or out of the LGS. Oh a few times responding as LEO. Otherwise no, and I generally do not recommend it. If I lived in Virginia and was around for the protests back in January, when a sweeping semi-automatic firearms ban looked very real, I probably would have then. Snowflakes aside, I think it intellectually dishonest to believe that those peaceful but armed protests had zero impact in how some of those state representatives voted. I think that’s the only circumstance I would OC a rifle as a political statement that I’ve identified to date. Generally I’m not a fan of the practice.

[Swifty Morgan]

Open carry seems to have proven very useful in Dickinson, North Dakota, and some other places where locals showed up to welcome hostile rioters who had been shipped in. Cops coordinated with the gun owners and appreciated what they were doing. These events were the first examples I ever heard of in which the "militia" part of 2A had actually shown its merit.

Here in Florida, open carry is banned. You pretty much have to be at your home or business, and your friends can't give you permission to carry on their property, although some people don't know that. Some Youtube guy carried a rifle while he was fishing, which is actually legal, but the cops hassled him for it.

When the rioters get worse, I wonder what will happen in small Florida cities that get invaded. Without open carry, cops who need civilian backup will be out of luck. People with concealed pistols could show up, but there is no such thing as carrying a concealed rifle legally in Florida.

When you can't display a weapon, the deterrent effect, which is extremely valuable, is gone.

[SIGSHR]

I have marched in my town's Memorial Day parade for years.

[armoredman]

I haven't open carried a rifle in public since using the M9103A3 in drill team, Army JROTC ,a "few" years ago. If I am open carrying a rifle in public today, not hunting, it would be during times of great civil unrest, and I may or may not be in my uniform.

[jdscholer]

Picture a 13 or 14 year old boy wearing hip waders, with a Brittany Spaniel and his shotgun, walking down Main Street in any small town in America. That was me back in the seventies, sometimes with a couple ducks or a pheasant on a strap. It was no parade, and was pretty common back then.

Reason I was often on Main Street was that about six in the evening I could often get picked up by my Dad or one of the neighbors who were on their way home from work.

I've never been one to show up to a parade with my fully semi-automatic military grade assault style high capacity clip fed extra deadly weapon. jd

[TXAZ]

Originally Posted by jdscholer

...

I've never been one to show up to a parade with my fully semi-automatic military grade assault style high capacity clip fed extra deadly weapon. jd

I'm sorry to hear that jd, you must be deprived if you could only afford the ***" extra deadly"*** and not the ***SUPER DEADLY*** "fully semi-automatic military grade terrorist-preferred assault style high capacity clip fed" weapon. Shall we start a go fund me page?

[Machineguntony]

........ (deleted)

[Txagee]

Years ago I decided to go to a gun show at Market Hall in Dallas, with hopes of unloading the stupid 300 ultra super short magnum I was dumb enough to buy. Anyhow, I parked at what I thought was market hall, strung my model 7 (yes, make the ultra super short magnum even a worse idea by putting in into a 6# rifle...I digress) over my shoulder and proceeded to march up to the gun show. Unfortunately I was direction challenged and as I walked up to the building I soon realized I was not where the gun show was, and some pretty frantic looking people there informed me I was at jewelry convention...not a gun show! so I just walked about a mile up to market hall on a Dallas sidewalk with a rifle. Never got hassled.

[langenc]

We will never 'normalize' open carry w/ todays attitudes.

KI watch a few youtubes and the first thing that cops do when they roll up on a open carrier is "do you have ID?" Why ID the person is doing nothing wrong!!

When the uninformed citizen calls in 911 should ask "what is the person doing??" and inform the caller that OPEN CARRYING is perfectly legal. No need tro send 4 or 5 cops to harass the gun guy.

They dont stop someone driving down the road to see his ID or insurance w/out PROBABLE CAUSE...... why are gun guys different--IGNORANCE and news media..

[Tony Z]

PA used to have a program called "SPORT", meaning Sportsmen Policing Our Ranks Together. The premise of it was, that we gun owners, are more in control of public perception of firearms than anyone. Just because we can, does not mean we should. Think for a moment about the protests going on in this country and the public perception of those dressed in black, carrying firearms (some protesting, some not).

About a decade ago, I was at an outlet mall in SW PA, and this guy was walking around, with a longish coat on. On his belt, was a holstered revolver. The guy made a point of using one of his hands to keep the coat pulled back, so all could see the pistol. Legal? Probably. Smart? Don't know his motives. Did he impress others? Probably, but not in the manner he desired.

[Reloadron]

Marine Corps recruiter '72 through '75 Cleveland, Ohio. We covered funeral details. We still were using M 14 rifles. Go downtown to the armory, draw a rifle and blank firing adapter along with blanks. I looked strange in Dress Blues riding a motorcycle with a rifle on my back. That's the only time I traveled in public with an open rifle.

Ron