Open Carry at the 2016 NRA Annual Meeting in Louisville, Ky

Gun Watch ^ | 21 May, 2016 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

Before the NRA meeting, it was well known that open carry would not be discouraged.  I entered Freedom Hall at the Louisville Kentucky Expo center this morning, as people were registering.  Within a minute, I had spotted three open carriers, and managed to get pictures.  From nraam.org:

Firearms Carry Policy

During the 2016 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits, lawfully carried firearms will be permitted at Annual Meeting venues including the Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC), KFC Yum! Center Arena, and Kentucky International Convention Center (KICC) in accordance with Kentucky law. Firearms and knives will be prohibited in any areas temporarily under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Secret Service. When carrying your firearm, please remember to follow all federal, state and local laws.

Drew and Susan Hebson were happy to have me take pictures of their open carried pistols.  Drew said that when he and Susan had gone out for dinner the night before, they had seen quite a few people openly carrying holstered pistols.  When others commented on it, he simply answered: NRA meeting.

While were were doing the photo shoot by an NRA table, a uniformed police officer was strolling by.  I waved him over, to get another point of view.  The officer said he could not give an official statement, but did not have a problem with an unattributed quote.  He said that he did not have any problem with open carriers, and was seeing more today than at previous events.  He volunteered:

"We (officers) think that if you are going to allow open carry without a permit, you should be able to conceal carry without a permit as well

Drew was an FNH tactical .45, and Susan a Sig 9mm.  Susan normally carried the Sig concealed, but uncovered for the event.

Another open carrier, Brian Mensing, said that he had checked about open carrying before coming to the NRA meeting.  Everyone that he had talked to, starting with the State police and continueing from there, had said that it was not a problem.  He was open carrying a Glock 21.  He said that he expects to upgrade his holster shortly.

In the past the NRA has been criticized as being hypocritical for having their annual meeting at venues that prohibited the carry of firearms, openly or concealed.  Last year, in Nashville, Tennessee, there were rumors that firearms were prohibited.  Those were quickly squashed with plenty of photographs of open carriers at the event.

This year, there seem to be more open carriers. Second Amendment supporters are winning the culture war. Open carry is becoming normalized as the legal exercise of the Second Amendment is being restored.

Texas became an open carry state as of 1 January, 2016.  A legislative attempt to restore open carry rights in Florida was defeated in spite of strong legislative support.  Florida is now one of only five states that prohibit the open carry of holstered pistols in most public spaces.  The other four states are South Carolina, New York, California, and Illinois.

©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch 

[marktwain]

Open carry is strong, protected, political speech.

NRA's critics cannot claim that the NRA is hypocritical about carry at their events any more.

[T-Bird45]

I’ve said it before and shall again: the Virginia tuck, as displayed by the female with the SIG, is ridiculous. It’s no longer necessary in VA, as I understand it, so there’s no common-sense reason for it to continue.

[NorthMountain]

NRA's critics cannot claim that the NRA is hypocritical about carry at their events any more.

It's about bloody time ...

Maybe in the future, the NRA can refrain from endorsing politicians like Joe Manchin.

[Tupelo]

Interesting comment from police officer. Here in Arizona, I have yet to meet a police officer or deputy that anything negative to say about open or concealed carry.

My thought is, this is just one of the differences between street cops and political cops.

[uscga77]

Texas is an open carry state. I have no problem with open carry. But tactically, concealed seems better to me. Am I wrong?

[wita]

Maybe in the future, the NRA can refrain from endorsing politicians like Joe Manchin.

Endorsing any democrat in today’s world is imho shooting yourself in the foot. The NRA has been an organization present for every egregious anti-gun law passed in this nation since 1877 and for that they should feel a great deal of shame, and get on with doing things right rather than trying to appeal to both sides of a one sided issue.

[FXRP]

I’m with you. Concealed carry is a better strategic choice. Open carry is for convenience or making a political statement.

[marktwain]

Open carry and concealed carry both have advantages and disadvantages.

It is best to be able to choose which one you wish based on the circumstances.

[NorthMountain]

Endorsing any democrat in today’s world is imho shooting yourself in the foot.

Very much agree. The democrat party is the gun-ban party. No two ways about it. The "pro-gun democrat" is living in incomprehensible hypocrisy.

[Sasparilla]

... I have no problem with open carry. But tactically, concealed seems better to me. Am I wrong?...

To each his own. Iprefer concealed for several reasons.

Primarily:
Tactical surprise is a major advantage.

[MNnice]

If you live in a rural area and carry a pistol when working outside, it’s helpful to know that you’re within the law when you openly carry.

You shouldn’t have to conceal carry if you’re working on your own property.

[tanknetter]

The NRA has significant financial advantages in having “non partisan” not for profit status.

It doesn’t mean that they have to endorse Democrats. But does mean that their endorsement criteria must be applied evenhandedly and transparently, without consideration of Party.

If a Democrat meets their endorsement criteria, that Democrat will get their endorsement. Regardless of the bigger partisan picture and if only to prevent giving the IRS cause to launch an investigation into their not for profit status

Which explains Manchin.

[ThePatriotsFlag]

Seems to me, if you can be “openly gay” anywhere (physically), and that OFFENDS me, why shouldn’t I be able to open carry ... because it OFFENDS people? It is what I BELIEVE. Gays have rights I don’t have!

[Vermont Lt]

I have no statistics on this, but I imagine that open carry may act as a deterrent to the “impusive” criminal. It I’ll mean nothing to a nut job.

[marktwain]

“Primarily:
Tactical surprise is a major advantage.”

For concealed carry.

Tactical deterrence is a major advantage for open carry.

[Yo-Yo]

I'm sorry, but in my opinion the first couple is wrong. I would never open carry in a public space with a holster that didn't have positive retention. You're just asking to have your gun stolen from you. At home, on your own property, or at the range, fine. But I'd never use a Remora holster or a Kydex OWB holster in public.

This happened in Arizona on April 30: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hs0I6B3n1Nc

Now the second gentleman appears to be using a Safariland ALS holster, and that has a positive locking system that prevents the gun from being removed from the holster unless the unlocking lever is pressed. This prevents the sudden snatch and grab of the weapon from the uninformed who don't know how the holster works.

This is why uniformed police officers only use positive retention holsters.

[uscga77]

It just seems like you might get hit in the head or shot in the back by someone interested in your gun.

[marktwain]

I agree that in a crowded environment, a retention holster is a good idea.

As for the Arizona incident, it was likely a concealed carry failure.

It is likely that the gun stolen out of the back pocked was supposed to be concealed, but the concealed carrier was simply unaware that it was exposed.

Open carriers almost never pocket carry; concealed carriers routinely do so.

This is based on the experience of seeing hundreds of both types, and talking to hundreds of concealed carriers. I do not recall ever seeing someone deliberately openly pocket carry, but I have talked to dozens that deliberately pocket carry concealed.

[bravo whiskey]

I live in the burbs of Denver, actually Jefferson County, and i open carry when doing yard work. Threlow a shirt on to go to store and take it off when i got home. On another note WTH is wrong with South Carolina? They don’t like anybodys ccw permit, no open carry. Won’t be going to a convention that is held there this summer because of that. Having to go to Maryland, the freak state, this summer is bad enough and not by choice.

[wita]

Perhaps less time spent trying to balance on the head of a pin and more time preventing anyone from engaging in activities contrary to “shall NOT be infringed” would be more productive. The lines are drawn, the enemy is known, playing both sides cannot work anymore if it ever did seeing just three major gun giveaways of the Congress in 1934 NFA, 1968 and 1986. Without those acts things might be somewhat reasonable in my mind anyway.