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Open carry questions

NCresident1

New member
Joined
Jun 5, 2012
Messages
2
Location
catawba
I know Im new and all please dont bash me too hard.

I just want to know what are the requirements to openly carry a handgun. I do not wish to conceal carry at all. I am a veteran and I always feel good carrying a handgun, not having one makes me feel naked.

Some questions I have:

Do I need a conceal handgun permit to buy and open carry a handgun?

Where do I get a permit to buy handguns? or do I have to go thru a conceal handgun permit course?

Can anyone open carry with out having the concealed handgun permit?

Can I have the gun loaded while open carry with out concealed handgun permit?

I think that's all the questions I had in mind at the moment.
 

PrestonW

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2012
Messages
37
Location
Newport, NC
I know Im new and all please dont bash me too hard.

I just want to know what are the requirements to openly carry a handgun. I do not wish to conceal carry at all. I am a veteran and I always feel good carrying a handgun, not having one makes me feel naked.

Some questions I have:

Do I need a conceal handgun permit to buy and open carry a handgun?

Where do I get a permit to buy handguns? or do I have to go thru a conceal handgun permit course?

Can anyone open carry with out having the concealed handgun permit?

Can I have the gun loaded while open carry with out concealed handgun permit?

I think that's all the questions I had in mind at the moment.

Welcome. Don't worry about being new, we all start there at sometime. There is a really good flyer in a stickied thread ontop of this sub-forum that I advise keeping at least one on you for informational purposes.

You do not need a CHP in NC to open carry. For buying a handgun, you need to acquire a Pistol Purchase Permit [PPP] from the Sheriff's Department in the county you live in. To open carry in NC you need to be able to legally own a handgun, I believe there is no distinction between a loaded handgun and a unloaded handgun in the law.

My wife and I both open carry now, I have taken the Conceal Carry class but have not filed for a license. Just need to study up on places you cannot carry into.

Also, if you open carry, three essential pieces of equipment needed [In my opinion] 1. The handgun 2. A good holster [I like my Blackhawk Serpa personally] 3. A good quality voice recording device to have on you for CYA purposes.

Check out this link to help start your research http://opencarry.org/nc.html
 
Last edited:

dmatting

Regular Member
Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
445
Location
Durham, NC
Welcome to OCDO.

No need to worry about being "bashed" here for being new to OC or for asking questions about it. That's what this forum is about.

PrestonW already gave some good advice. I would add just a couple of things...

- There are a lot of really good informational threads right here in the North Carolina subsection of this forum. Take your time and go through them. You will get a lot of good info.

- Study up on the applicable laws. You won't find a law that "allows" open carry because laws only place restrictions on a free people. Go to the North Carolina General Assembly's website (http://www.ncga.state.nc.us) and look up Chapter 14 of the General Statutes. I'll help out and give you the link: http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/gascripts/statutes/statutelookup.pl?statute=14. I would suggest studying up on sections 14-415, 14-269, and 14-277

- If you are going to open carry, I would simply state my opinion that carrying an unloaded handgun is about as useful as carrying a rock around. Like PrestonW, I use the Serpa holster which is a retention holster.

- Train, train and then train some more
 

NCresident1

New member
Joined
Jun 5, 2012
Messages
2
Location
catawba
Thank you for the welcomes. Usually other sites would be bashing a newcomer and this site is just awesome already with very great people in it.

Thank you for the very informative advice prestonW and I will read up on those statues dmatting.
 

PrestonW

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2012
Messages
37
Location
Newport, NC
Thank you for the welcomes. Usually other sites would be bashing a newcomer and this site is just awesome already with very great people in it.

Thank you for the very informative advice prestonW and I will read up on those statues dmatting.

You're welcome.

To me, newcomer bashing is counter-productive when trying to educate or discuss topics. Now once/if I get to know you, there might be friendly jesting involved.

Alot of great people and topics here and it has helped me a great deal.
 

Dreamer

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
5,360
Location
Grennsboro NC
Welcome.

In NC, you do not NEED a CHP to buy a handgun--but you do need to get a Handgun Purchase Permit from your Sheriff if you don't have a CHP.

If you have a CHP, it exempts you from needing a Handgun Purchase Permit, and it also exempts you from having to pass a NICS check every time you purchase a firearm--but you'll still have to fill out a BATFE Form 4473.

A CHP is a good thing to have if you travel a lot, or if you like to have the option of concealing, like when you are "dressing up", or in the winter when you wear a long coat.

It also allows you to transport loaded in other states, or to carry on your hip in an OC mode if you are driving a car (because if a cop claims he couldn't see it and it was "concealed", you're legal, because you have a permit.)

Plus the training course for CHPs gives you a log of good legal information, and addresses many of the legal questions that new folks have regarding appropriate and legal use of deadly force in different (sometimes questionable) situations.

Again, welcome. Feel free to ask questions here. There are a lot of very knowledgeable folks on OCDO, and in the NC forum specifically, and SOMEONE will probably be able to answer just about any question you have about OC in NC--from laws to restrictions, to cities that are "trouble spots" for OCers, to exercising your rights, to what sort of holster or ammo to get.

Welcome, and good luck!
 

chiefjason

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2009
Messages
1,025
Location
Hickory, NC, ,
Welcome aboard. Catawba county or town? I OC semi regularly in the Hickory area and I have had no issues with LE or problems with businesses.
 
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