Will you open-carry on Independence Day?
With Independence Day (aka “The Fourth of July”) just around the corner time is running out for you to prep for your first open-carry day!
First off you’ll need to find out if it is legal to open-carry in your locale, and if so what the restrictions on doing so are. You might even want to find the applicable sections of Codified Law that apply and carry a copy with you, just in case you run into some of our friends in blue.
Second, once you’ve determined the legality of your carry, check where you plan on going to make sure you won’t come within any legal proximities to any school, church, bar, or other potentially prohibited place. You don’t want to be caught 946 feet away from a school while you’re finding a shady spot on the parade route or fireworks display. You might be exempt from such laws, but make doubly sure you are before you go open-carrying.
Third, pick a respectable looking firearm to carry with you. I’d suggest against that AR-15, Uzi, or AK-47. Go with a nice looking (recently cleaned) pistol or revolver.
Fourth, make sure you have a good holster. It should look nice and function even better. I would HIGHLY recommend a holster with some type of retention mechanism, such as the Blackhawk Serpa CQC that I recently reviewed. You don’t want your pistol coming loose at an inopportune time.
Fifth, pick out your clothing. You want to look NICE! Shirt and tie would be fabulous, but you may choose something less casual. Don’t look like a gangster (the old, Chicago mob-boss style, or the newer bejeweled kind either). If you can, you want to look like you could be an off-duty or plain-clothed cop. You are NOT trying to impersonate a law enforcement officer, but you do want to look every bit as neat and tidy as they do.
Sixth, be prepared for a confrontation, either with a civilian or a law enforcement officer. You’re now an ambassador of the open-carry movement and gun-owners in general. DON’T LET US DOWN!
Seventh, carry a camera and voice recorder. If you run into anyone that gives you a hard time, press record. Don’t do it “in your face” rather, do it quietly and secretly. You’ll behave better and keep a cooler head if you know you’re being recorded.
Eighth, and most importantly, be friendly, smile, be nice. These are your friends and neighbors that you’ll be mingling among. Make a good (and positive) impression.
Lastly, report back! Let me know how it went!