A PA Open Carry Must read
Headcase, wrote a great synopsis of Open Carry in Pennsylvania. I would have use his name but in asking permission he said just his PAFOA screenname would surfice.
http://forum.pafoa.org/open-carry-144/59762-open-carry-what-you-should-know-before-you-do.html
So, you have been thinking about OC(Open Carry), and now you think you are ready……
In this Commonwealth, OC is an unlegislated right. Well, everywhere except Philadelphia, where you need to be Licenced to Carry Firearms in order to carry Concealed or Openly. There are many reasons to choose OC as a carry method, not the least of which is, “Because I can.”. If this describes you, please, feel free, but know that there are possible consequences that you really should be prepared for. The choice to prepare is yours. If you choose to prepare, then follow along. I am going to present all the OC knowledge I can in this thread, to help prepare you for the experience. I will be giving general information and advice( I do so from my own research and personal experience- IN NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM, DO I CLAIM TO BE A LAWYER OR THAT THIS INFORMATION AND ADVICE WILL KEEP YOU OUT OF JAIL), and will include links for you to dig deeper. The main points to cover, as far as I am concerned, are Equipment, Training, Awareness, Knowledge, and Interactions.
It is your right to just pick up your firearm, strap it on, and go off about your business OC’ing, if you so desire. BUT, I would suggest you learn all you can before doing so. Start with suggested equipment:
1.) A good retention holster.
2.) A voice recorder (Audio/video taping police in PA).
3.) This flyer. Print off a few, carry them with you, and make sure you understand the content. This is one of the best resources you will find. It has good case law references and a wealth of information. LEARN IT, KNOW IT, LIVE IT!
4.) Your LTCF. While a LTCF is not needed to OC anywhere but Philadelphia normally, the convenience of having one is huge. It allows you to be in possession of your firearm in a vehicle, it allows you to carry during a declared state of emergency, it allows you to carry in a Gun Free School Zone, and God forbid your clothing should accidentally cover your firearm while OC’ing, you’re covered.
Practice with both 1 and 2 until you are comfortable with their operation. Read and understand 3..thoroughly.
This leads right into Training:
1.) Professional training classes dealing with firearm carry are always suggested. The more you train, the better.
2.) OC specific Retention (concerns about a disarm and level of skill?)training is strongly suggested. This should, at the very least, consist of Retention drills. While I personally don’t believe a gun grab is a very likely scenario for a non-LEO Open Carrier, THE POSSIBILITY DOES INDEED EXIST, and the consequences of not preparing to defend against one can be drastic. Basic Retention training can be as simple as making sure you have an unloaded pistol, and having someone come try to sneak up and take it out of the holster. If you are involved in any type of self defense class or martial arts training, simply asking the instructor to go over some techniques could pay enormous dividends. Part of that training is going to touch on Situational Awareness..
Awareness:
1.) Whether, or not, you are carrying a firearm, it is a great idea to be aware of your surrounding.
2.) Open Carrying a firearm is an activity that fairly screams for you to be extra aware of your surroundings. While in the grocery store, you are stretching up to grab the last can of beans, totally intent on what you are doing, when the six year old of the lady gawking at your Desert Eagle reaches up to touch the shiny gun because his mother never taught him to respect others personal space. Awkward situation, no? Dangerous? Well, yeah. Maybe the kid has no shot at activating the firearm, but if a six year old could reach out and grab it with you unaware until it happens, who else could do so? Always be aware of your firearm, and your surroundings.
Knowledge:
1.) If you are going to carry a firearm, OC, CC, whatever, KNOW THE LAWS THAT APPLY. DO RESEARCH HERE. Even if you search the forums and come up empty, ask about what you are looking for and someone here will help you. There are more than a few people here who have been OC’ing for quite a while, who know the answer to just about anything you can think to ask…USE THIS RESOURCE!
2.)SEE #1!
3.) It bears repeating, you have the right to OC, whether you follow these suggestions or not, but please, PLEASE do not go out and OC, get into trouble and then come looking for help after the fact, expecting to be treated with kid gloves, especially if you should have known what to do before hand. If you do your homework, accept the risks and responsibilities, then you will find almost unlimited help here if you have a problem.
Some threads that should be required reading for OC’ers:
http://forum.pafoa.org/open-carry-14…ity-5-9-a.html (Pa. Patriot ARRESTED at the OC dinner @ The Old Country Buffet in Dickson City 5/9)
http://forum.pafoa.org/concealed-ope…nsylvania.html (READ FIRST: Where you CAN and CANNOT Carry weapons in the State of Pennsylvania)
http://forum.pafoa.org/concealed-ope…heres-why.html (Mere carry of a weapon RAS? NO! (Here’s why!))
http://forum.pafoa.org/concealed-ope…ou-can-cc.html (Why OC when you can CC?) (post #9 has a few other links)
http://forum.pafoa.org/open-carry-14…-why-i-oc.html (This is why I OC.)
There are probably a hundred OC related threads here… While the OCB thread is way long, there is a wealth of information starting on page 15
Interactions:
Many people OC everyday with no problems, but there is always the possibility that you will have an encounter, just because someone can see your firearm.
Know the laws. Know your rights. Be comfortable in that knowledge. Be prepared to deal with police, curious people, and hostile people.
Police:
All police officers in Pa., must undergo annual training updates. This year, OC is specifically addressed (2009 MPOETC Mandatory In-Service Training). The specific info is here
The fact of the matter is that just Openly Carrying a firearm, in a holster, absent some indication of criminal activity, is NOT a valid reason for a police officer to stop you, detain you, arrest you, demand ID, or take possession of your firearm. Whether they will, or not, seems to depend on the officer. If they do, no matter how nice, polite, endearing, or childhood friend like, they seem, you would do well to say nothing other than, “Am I being detained? Am I free to go? I do not consent to any of this.”. If they demand that you follow their instructions, comply with them exactly. When you consent to things during a police encounter, you very likely waive your rights. Just don’t do it. Watch these don’t talk to police part1 part2
1.) If you carry a voice recorder, immediately start it as soon as you are aware of a police presence.
2.) If the police approach you, DO NOT TOUCH YOUR FIREARM.
3.) Everyone will react to a police encounter differently, but you really should be firm about exercising your rights. Do not let them bully you into waiving those rights. Remember that if you were not doing anything illegal, then the police have no right to demand, or take, anything from you. Do not volunteer anything.
Some good stuff here (STOP, DETAIN, SEARCH – What CAN an Officer Do Legally (IANAL))
4.) It would be advisable to know a firearm rights attorney’s information.
Curious people:
If you OC as part of your daily activities, you are bound to encounter at least one person who is genuinely curious about why you are carrying a gun out for God and the world to see. While OC ambassadorship is not for everyone, it helps the cause to be friendly when someone approaches you asking about your firearm. This is a great reason to carry copies of the Gun Rights Flyer with you. If you are going to engage people in a conversation about Pa. Gun rights, please, please be knowledgeable on the subject. Don’t pass along any information that you are not sure of, and direct them to this site or Paopencarry.org, for more information. Invite them to do more research on their own. Acting like you know what you are talking about, and perpetuating firearm myths, does about as much damage to our cause as illegal activity does, IMO.
1.) Try to be polite.
2.) Know what you are talking about. If you don’t know something, say so and direct them to where they can find out.
3.) If you have a flyer, give it out.
Hostile people:
You may well also have encounters with people who, for whatever reason, feel that you are the Devil for carrying Openly. Again, while OC ambassadorship is not for everyone, try to be polite. Remember that if you act aggressively toward someone like this, the fact that you have a firearm may work against you. My general advice for non-LEO encounters is to just be yourself. I am not going to preach about turning the other cheek if some asswipe comes up and interrupts your anniversary dinner to tell you that you are a jerk for carrying like that, all I ask is that you remember, for your own good, that if you become a raving lunatic, it is probably not going to turn out well for you when the inevitable “Man with a gun having a fight” call gets answered. This ties in with situational awareness. Know where you are, what your surroundings are, and act accordingly. I have found that anything you do to respond to people like this, will be a complete waste of time, as anyone who is willing to be publicly uncivil toward someone carrying a firearm openly, is not very likely to be swayed by logic.
1.) Try to be polite.
2.) If you must engage in a pissing contest with someone like this, try to do so in a calm, dry tone.
3.) Do not, under any unnecessary circumstance, reach for or imply that you will use, your firearm.
4.) Try complaining about them to the management of wherever you might be at the time. Turn the tables on these guys for once 
5.) Just ignoring them is probably best.
