OC Encounter yesterday

[bac0nfat]

Went shopping at Walmart yesterday with my fiance and daughter. I took my daughter with me to the ammo section while my fiance looked at clothes. To my surprise, they had tons of ammo! Ended up with 6 boxes of 9mm and 4 boxes of 12 ga slugs. Anyway while I was waiting for them to open up the cabinet, a young guy (about my age) and his girlfriend walk over and start looking in the amoo cabinet to see what they have. I end up talking to the guy for a few minutes about guns and different types of ammo, etc. He seemed to not even notice that I had my Glock on my hip until about five minutes into our conversation, when he says:

"So let me ask you, are you a cop?"

Me: I guess your asking that because I'm open carrying?

Him: Yea...

Me: No I'm just a regular guy, PA is an open carry state and anyone can open carry, even without a LTCF

Him: Thats cool, I didn't know that

Then I told him about PAFOA.org, and he said he'll check it out. So hopefully we will see him on here, and maybe have another person open carrying. The more people OC, the more guns will seem nuetral to people. After all this, my fiance comes over and it turns out that she knew the guy from high school! Small world, huh?

[Joel Dreggie]

another day at wally world. BTW good job

[jcabin]

+rep for OC'ing and being informative and +rep for your name being bacon fat.

[ungawa]

Bacon rocks.

[LowFlyer]

Me: No I'm just a regular guy, PA is an open carry state and anyone can open carry, even without a LTCF

Well to be even MORE accurate, "anyone" isn't actually correct.

Anyone who can legally purchase or own a handgun "can open carry without a LTCF".

[bac0nfat]

+rep for OC'ing and being informative and +rep for your name being bacon fat.

Haha, thanks. The name is sort of an inside joke between me and some friends, but thats another story!

Well to be even MORE accurate, "anyone" isn't actually correct.

Anyone who can legally purchase or own a handgun "can open carry without a LTCF".

You're right, and I went into more detail in our actual conversation I just didn't post it all here. He had a LTCF anyway so he obviously falls into the catagory of being allowed to OC.

[Drylok]

I was just wondering, because someone just corrected me on this. But if you can open carry any way, but you have to have the license to conceal it, then why isn't the license called conceal carry weapon?

[gnbrotz]

I was just wondering, because someone just corrected me on this. But if you can open carry any way, but you have to have the license to conceal it, then why isn't the license called conceal carry weapon?

Because you also need to be licensed to:

*OC or CC in Philly
*Legally borrow a handgun, SBR, or SBS
*OC or CC during a 'declared state of emergency'
*OC in some other states (IN is one example)
*Transport a firearm in a vehicle (even unloaded) outside of a few limited exceptions

Also, it does not allow you to conceal "weapons" (some states' licenses DO allow this), only firearms.

[Drylok]

Because you also need to be licensed to:

*OC or CC in Philly
*Legally borrow a handgun, SBR, or SBS
*OC or CC during a 'declared state of emergency'
*OC in some other states (IN is one example)
*Transport a firearm in a vehicle (even unloaded) outside of a few limited exceptions

Also, it does not allow you to conceal "weapons" (some states' licenses DO allow this), only firearms.

Wait a minute. You have to have a License To Carry Firearms to Transport a firearm in your vehicle? Ok, so vertually everyone in PA who owns a gun has a LTCF? I mean you'd about have too, cause who owns a gun that they never transport?
Very interesting, I gotta come out there some time. I'd like to find a place in PA on Erie and do some walleye fishing.

[ungawa]

Wait a minute. You have to have a License To Carry Firearms to Transport a firearm in your vehicle? Ok, so vertually everyone in PA who owns a gun has a LTCF? I mean you'd about have too, cause who owns a gun that they never transport?
Very interesting, I gotta come out there some time. I'd like to find a place in PA on Erie and do some walleye fishing.

In the context of the law Greg was referencing, "firearm" means handgun, SBS, SBR, etc. - short barrel or overall length. You need no LTCF to transport longarms, but longarms must be unloaded in a vehicle in either case.

Without LTCF you can transport pistols etc. to the range, gunshop, dog training, etc. Not to Walmart or your friend's house, unless (maybe) they are rally points for target practice.