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Michigan has always had legal open carry for both handguns or long guns. It just wasn't considered "real" until "shall issue" was passed, and people noticed that open carry had been unrestricted since Michigan became a state in 1837. My problem is that every example of open carry I've seen, the weapon was unloaded, and carried as just a symbol. If I wanted to be that stupid, I could do it for less money with a good airsoft handgun.

In every case, I saw an empty magazine well, and no indication of ammo carried anywhere on their person. It's an invisible sign that says, "the gun is real, but useless because I won't load it. Respect my rights anyway." If I carry openly (usually only during hunting season), I make sure I have at least 5-6 loaded mags, with the weapon itself locked and loaded.

That weighs a lot, and is somewhat inconvenient, so I compromise and carry something concealed that is smaller and lighter.

Open carry can be useful, but only if the person has a loaded weapon. It won't take long for the bad guys to figure out what an unloaded weapon looks like, and avail themselves of free upgrades.