It’s now illegal for Californians to openly carry an unloaded handgun in a public place. The new law does not apply to unloaded long guns. As TTAG predicted, open carry advocates are there. “A man showed up at a Daly City mall Monday with an unloaded shotgun strapped to his back – and he wasn’t arrested,” sfexaminer.com reports with hyphenated astonishment. “A security guard called police after spotting a man with a shotgun outside Serramonte Shopping Center about 9 a.m., before the mall opened for business, Daly City police Sgt. Michael Barton said. Responding cops located the man, but then released him after determining the shotgun was legally his and unloaded, Daly City police Sgt. Michael Barton said.”
Wow, someone complying with the law not being arrested! Don’t worry, it’s just an oversight, it’ll be illegal soon!
I’m so torn about the Open Carry movement in California. I totally get their point that they should be allowed to carry openly if they so choose, but I wonder if the short term losses they’re taking are worth the long term gain. I can definitely seem them getting all forms of open carry banned in California in the short term, and them maybe winning them back in court in the long term. I just don’t know how long that will really be.
they are simply accelerating the inevitable.
Which is what, Matt?
I really do not think there is, or will be, “a light at the end of the tunnel” in regard to the direction that California is heading.
We still have politicians & administrators pushing hard for the high speed train (and with it, bond issues are on the ballot every season). The people are speaking, a resounding NO, yet the push continues. I do fear the state may go into bankruptcy.
With that being said, I can attest that I am personally too much a chickens#!t to be bold enough to push whatever the state hasn’t yet made illegal; properly carry my weapons in the trunk, with ammo separated and kept in the back seat– straight from home to the range and back. What occurs in my home is none of the states business. Once the youngest is through college, I’m moving from 94590 to 66701; my simple prayer is that college is completed before the fall.
as far as my thought process goes, open carry is/was the only legal response to the state not issuing any CCW’s, and that’s not going to change.
Mixed feelings as well – but if they make everything “open” illegal, I can see the courts requiring shall-issue rather than may-issue in the state. In the meantime, support the local Sheriff that is Pro-2A and a shall issue candidate in the areas you live. I NEVER thought Sacramento would start issuing LTC’s, but with one election of a Pro-2A Sheriff (and a lawsuit, and a third candidate pushing the issue onto the early debates), things change quickly.
Hey Tim, I’m just one county from you, Solano. Don’t have a view of the water from my home (rather, 2 1/2 blocks off of I-80), but no way we’ll either a) get a Sheriff who will go for it or b) be allowed as we’re part of the bay area (ABAG- association of bay area governments), Heck, I’d love to move the 20 or 30 miles to be part of Sac county, but then there’s the part where I work in Oakland, and crossing that many county lines….
Plus, the newer stories here, the police have a certain mindset that “they” are the only ones allowed to pack heat– and I don’t want to turn myself into target practice for them, should I ever need to pull my weapon for self defense.
One of my close friends (he retired 6 years ago), his boy worked his way from deputy to detective within the Sheriff’s dept: he scoffs every time I bring up the subject.
No, a drastic change of zip codes will be my salvation, and my retirement (once it starts) will go a lot farther.
Not sure I understand your concern in crossing counties? Is it the distance or “carrying” that concerns you? Once you have a LTC (CCW), it is good state-wide and surprisingly there are very few places you can’t carry (Federal, Airport Sanitized Area, a few state buildings, and bars, and of course, US Post Offices).
So if that is your concern (that a county or city has a problem), not to fret – it is all good. As for getting shot by the Po-Po in a self-defense situation, I think that is a pretty common concern regardless of where you live. I have thought about it and would go by “Stop the threat”, make sure he is stopped, re-holster. If you see any police, freeze and drop the gun (even that $2500 Wilson Combat) and hope for the best – and know that about 80% of those shot survive, and based on some of the accuracy of police officers, your odds might be better! 🙂 – Had to throw that last line in for our police friends on TTAG.
I will confess that my knowledge is based more on perception rather than fact. I have not, in fact, actually tried to get my LTC/CCW by going to the Sheriff’s office; rather the information I’ve obtained has been through casual conversation with deputies & locals.
Am I right that in order to get a valid LTC/CCW, it must be issued from the Sheriff of the county where I live? (if so, it would be Solano county, if not so- then could I go to the Sheriff in Sac. County & apply there?)
One “issue,” if you will, of why I have not tried more seriously to obtain has been (again) my perception of the rules for issuance– it has always been my understanding that there be a genuine reason for me to apply (ie: carrying a huge amount of cash on a regular basis, or some activity that would deem having a weapon a necessity).
Lately, however, I want one because I want one: because it is there. Something to make me more of an American, if you will, or to ground me personally with the tenants of our Constitution.
hope that didn’t come out too hokey. botttom line is I want one because it’s there, and am willing to accept said & implied responsibilities of such.
I wish there was a group I can join to go open carry near me
Mexico and it’s northern province, California, have a lot in common. In both cases, the inmates are running the asylum.
Agree.
Yeah, ‘cept it’s harder to get out of California.
Don’t be surprised by what people do when you back them into a corner.
Oh, for christ’s sake, Silver. Can’t you drop the adolescent bully-boy posturing?
What’s your prediction for the CA Open Carry Movement? Are they gonna revolt and attack Sacramento?
how do you ban the carry of shotguns? how would you hunt? spears? you people are crazy
Yes. Yes they are.
I’m sure the law will get written in such a way that wealthy political patrons can still go and annoy ducks with their $12,000 Italian shotguns. Something about requiring that they be carried unloaded in locked cases except out in approved hunting areas or what not.