Been all over the state over the last couple of days with my G19 on my hip.

Made stops in Rural Retreat (rest area), Daleville (gas station), Farmville (restaurant), Midlothian (too many to list), Waynesboro (restaurant), Lexington (rest area), Ft Chiswell (gas station), Abingdon (restaurant).

Not a single second look.  

Only one person commented (in Abingdon), and his comment was a compliment on my taste in pistols.

You probably won't get too many looks in those areas.  So far nobody has hassled me at all when I've open carried up here in NoVA (where the liberal fumes seep out of DC and poison the weak-minded)  .  The only comment was a guy behind the counter at Chicken Out who wondered if my Glock 30 had a 17 round capacity.

I suppose it doesn't hurt that I'm 6'4" either.  

What kind of holster do you use?


I'd start doing it but a)I have a crap holster right now besides my Concealed Carry gear, b)The previous cold weather made for long jackets, and I haven't figured out to open carry in a big leather jacket and c)I'd feel more comfortable open carrying while having my VA CCW (which I haven't applied for yet) in case it got covered up accidently or something.

www.bianchi-intl.com/product/Prod.php?TxtModelID=7

Quoted: What kind of holster do you use? I'd start doing it but a)I have a crap holster right now besides my Concealed Carry gear, b)The previous cold weather made for long jackets, and I haven't figured out to open carry in a big leather jacket and c)I'd feel more comfortable open carrying while having my VA CCW (which I haven't applied for yet) in case it got covered up accidently or something.

Get that CHP, bud.  That will save you a whole lot of grief if you stumble upon a place with some goofy grandfathered laws against loaded weapons in public (as I recall a few cities still have them, ie Bristol), since they don't apply to CHP holders.  Also the federal Gun Free School Zones Act(no guns within 1000 feet of a school) doesn't apply to you if you have a CHP from that state (check Packing.org All Unites States section on laws for the exact wording).  Another fun one is the law that got some open carry folks arrested briefly at Starbucks a while back (the BS law about no loaded weapons in public in a city with a population of a certain size), and this does not apply to you with a CHP.  It didn't apply unless you were carrying something with more than 20 rounds anyway, but this gives you one more way of avoiding a free squad car ride until they discover they were wrong after all, and VCDL gets all up in their grill.  

Note that the GFSZ act doesn't apply, but you still need to adhere to state laws about guns on school property, which for the most part are still along the lines of "you can gun down about as many people as you care to before the cavalry shows up, since none of the responsible adults can be armed."

Quoted: Quoted: What kind of holster do you use? I'd start doing it but a)I have a crap holster right now besides my Concealed Carry gear, b)The previous cold weather made for long jackets, and I haven't figured out to open carry in a big leather jacket and c)I'd feel more comfortable open carrying while having my VA CCW (which I haven't applied for yet) in case it got covered up accidently or something. Get that CHP, bud.  That will save you a whole lot of grief if you stumble upon a place with some goofy grandfathered laws against loaded weapons in public (as I recall a few cities still have them, ie Bristol), since they don't apply to CHP holders.  Also the federal Gun Free School Zones Act(no guns within 1000 feet of a school) doesn't apply to you if you have a CHP from that state (check Packing.org All Unites States section on laws for the exact wording).  Another fun one is the law that got some open carry folks arrested briefly at Starbucks a while back (the BS law about no loaded weapons in public in a city with a population of a certain size), and this does not apply to you with a CHP.  It didn't apply unless you were carrying something with more than 20 rounds anyway, but this gives you one more way of avoiding a free squad car ride until they discover they were wrong after all, and VCDL gets all up in their grill.   Note that the GFSZ act doesn't apply, but you still need to adhere to state laws about guns on school property, which for the most part are still along the lines of "you can gun down about as many people as you care to before the cavalry shows up, since none of the responsible adults can be armed."

All the local laws about open carry are gone as of july of last year.  State law superceded them.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: What kind of holster do you use? I'd start doing it but a)I have a crap holster right now besides my Concealed Carry gear, b)The previous cold weather made for long jackets, and I haven't figured out to open carry in a big leather jacket and c)I'd feel more comfortable open carrying while having my VA CCW (which I haven't applied for yet) in case it got covered up accidently or something. Get that CHP, bud.  That will save you a whole lot of grief if you stumble upon a place with some goofy grandfathered laws against loaded weapons in public (as I recall a few cities still have them, ie Bristol), since they don't apply to CHP holders.  Also the federal Gun Free School Zones Act(no guns within 1000 feet of a school) doesn't apply to you if you have a CHP from that state (check Packing.org All Unites States section on laws for the exact wording).  Another fun one is the law that got some open carry folks arrested briefly at Starbucks a while back (the BS law about no loaded weapons in public in a city with a population of a certain size), and this does not apply to you with a CHP.  It didn't apply unless you were carrying something with more than 20 rounds anyway, but this gives you one more way of avoiding a free squad car ride until they discover they were wrong after all, and VCDL gets all up in their grill.   Note that the GFSZ act doesn't apply, but you still need to adhere to state laws about guns on school property, which for the most part are still along the lines of "you can gun down about as many people as you care to before the cavalry shows up, since none of the responsible adults can be armed." All the local laws about open carry are gone as of july of last year.  State law superceded them.

thats what i thought...didnt want to throw it out there in case i was wrong though.

almost every criminal law class that i have the professor states that when it comes to the counties they can make up their own laws...then stated that it is legal to open carry in VA but not in Alexandria city because of their local ordnance.

after i stated that it is no longer because of the exemption that came up last July(i wasn't 100% sure) that means all these little things like that are invalid now.  he had no idea what i was talking about and said he has never heard of that.

Quoted: Get that CHP, bud.

Gotta get paid first.

Quoted: Always better to have a CHP even if you like to open carry sometimes.

I would agree with that -- at the very least, when you hand it to an officer, they know right away they're not likely to be dealing with a criminal.

Quoted: Quoted: Get that CHP, bud.   Gotta get paid first.

Here in Montgomery County the CHP is only $15

Quoted: Quoted: Always better to have a CHP even if you like to open carry sometimes. I would agree with that -- at the very least, when you hand it to an officer, they know right away they're not likely to be dealing with a criminal.

Last time I checked criminals didn't generally practice open carry.  That being said the reality is you may have a police encounter if you open carry.  I have yet to have one myself and I have walked by police officers several times open carrying.  These occasions were in Fairfax, so it seems to me at least there the officers have been trained on legality of open carry.  Not surprising since it was where the infamous Starbuck's incident happened.  I too am a permit holder and I do find it convenient to have one when I carry, or buy more than one pistol a month, or travel to other states.  On the other hand I admire Jim Snyder the Vice President of VCDL who open carries exclusively because he doesn't have permit.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Get that CHP, bud.   Gotta get paid first. Here in Montgomery County the CHP is only $15

I don't know what Chesterfield's is, but I still haven't changed my residency from PA to VA (I may be moving in a couple months anyway), so it would be $100 for me.

Posted :: 3/11/2006 11:23:33 PM EST Quoted: Always better to have a CHP even if you like to open carry sometimes.

You, Sir, should have been asleep when this was posted!

Open Carry frequently in Chesterfield, Richmond, colonial Heights, Petersburg.  As of yet I haven't had any problems.  Plenty of looks, but little interaction. chesterfields ccw is $50.00.
---------------------

Stay Alert/Stay Alive

I open carry most every day here in occupied NoVa with no issues.

For any interested ... here's a website with an open carry blog (just click "GunBlog") created by my buddy. I can personally confirm a great  percentage on these entries as I was there with him.

www.bighammer.net

I personally open carry often in the summer (Glock 19, no money for fancy conceal holsters due to college, or other smaller pistol) in the Fredericksburg area, and in Radford/Blacksburg/Christiansburg