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Open Carry Vacation

ADulay

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 5, 2008
Messages
512
Location
Punta Gorda, Florida, USA
All,

Just got back home from my annual Sturgis motorcycle run and western states vacation.

As I open carry daily here in Florida, but with the usual restrictions, it was a very welcome change to just be able to put the gun on and go about my daily business in the several states that we traveled through.

After "hiding" everything while passing through Illinois, we hit Kansas and I put the gun back on for good.

No problems at fuel stops, food stops or anyplace else we visited.

The Dakotas, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio. All run in full, daily open carry ON A MOTORCYCLE.

This means the hotels, rest stops and restaurants, morning lobby breakfasts, Wal-Marts, motorcycle shops, grocery stores and all that.

Only one single person even asked me about my Glock and it was in New Mexico at a truck stop where we had decided to stop for a real dinner for a change. I believe the reason she asked "for a badge" was to confirm we we're about to get the 50% meal discount!!

I casually explained to her that open carry was lawful in New Mexico and she could ask that state trooper over there (other side of the seating area) and he'll confirm it. She said she didn't know that and was thankful for the answer. She gave us all the discount anyway and I was the only one with the gun!

Gentlemen, I've said it 100's of times before in all of the gun forums. Open carry is the most comfortable way to carry a gun and NOBODY will care that you are doing it, especially if it passes here in Florida and it's all over the news.

My only regret was that I was slightly out of place out west carrying the Glock when I should have been carrying some kind of single action .45 or similar!!!

So, two full weeks of 24/7 open carry and ZERO problems. I even talked with a New Mexico State Trooper at a gas station in Taos and he never even gave it a second look.

AD (full time open carry advocate)
 

RetiredOC

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Dec 21, 2009
Messages
1,561
I feel you man. I recently vacationed to an open carry state and it was crazy how NO ONE GAVE A DAMN - but in my home state of Florida I would have been proned out by the heroes in blue, charged with a crime, and locked up. What's so annoying is this was up north, where I don't mine concealed carry. It's so humid here I just want to wear shorts and a t shirt and be done with it. Not an extra layer of clothes to hide my gun - or cover my gun with my t shirt so I have some tacky budge and a gun rubbing my sweaty body.
 

hammer6

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2008
Messages
1,461
Location
Florida
All,

Just got back home from my annual Sturgis motorcycle run and western states vacation.

As I open carry daily here in Florida, but with the usual restrictions, it was a very welcome change to just be able to put the gun on and go about my daily business in the several states that we traveled through.

After "hiding" everything while passing through Illinois, we hit Kansas and I put the gun back on for good.

No problems at fuel stops, food stops or anyplace else we visited.

The Dakotas, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio. All run in full, daily open carry ON A MOTORCYCLE.

This means the hotels, rest stops and restaurants, morning lobby breakfasts, Wal-Marts, motorcycle shops, grocery stores and all that.

Only one single person even asked me about my Glock and it was in New Mexico at a truck stop where we had decided to stop for a real dinner for a change. I believe the reason she asked "for a badge" was to confirm we we're about to get the 50% meal discount!!

I casually explained to her that open carry was lawful in New Mexico and she could ask that state trooper over there (other side of the seating area) and he'll confirm it. She said she didn't know that and was thankful for the answer. She gave us all the discount anyway and I was the only one with the gun!

Gentlemen, I've said it 100's of times before in all of the gun forums. Open carry is the most comfortable way to carry a gun and NOBODY will care that you are doing it, especially if it passes here in Florida and it's all over the news.

My only regret was that I was slightly out of place out west carrying the Glock when I should have been carrying some kind of single action .45 or similar!!!

So, two full weeks of 24/7 open carry and ZERO problems. I even talked with a New Mexico State Trooper at a gas station in Taos and he never even gave it a second look.

AD (full time open carry advocate)

looks like fun. err, sounded like fun.
 

77zach

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2007
Messages
2,913
Location
Marion County, FL
Just got back from Virginia. I open carried everywhere. Now that I really think about it, it's very strange how no one seems to notice, since it is a pretty rare activity, even where it's legal. I guess if the conscious mind isn't looking for it then the average person going about their business won't see it.
 

rvrctyrngr

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2008
Messages
363
Location
SE of DiSOrDEr, ,
All,

Just got back home from my annual Sturgis motorcycle run and western states vacation.

As I open carry daily here in Florida, but with the usual restrictions, it was a very welcome change to just be able to put the gun on and go about my daily business in the several states that we traveled through.

After "hiding" everything while passing through Illinois, we hit Kansas and I put the gun back on for good.

No problems at fuel stops, food stops or anyplace else we visited.

The Dakotas, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio. All run in full, daily open carry ON A MOTORCYCLE.

This means the hotels, rest stops and restaurants, morning lobby breakfasts, Wal-Marts, motorcycle shops, grocery stores and all that.

Only one single person even asked me about my Glock and it was in New Mexico at a truck stop where we had decided to stop for a real dinner for a change. I believe the reason she asked "for a badge" was to confirm we we're about to get the 50% meal discount!!

I casually explained to her that open carry was lawful in New Mexico and she could ask that state trooper over there (other side of the seating area) and he'll confirm it. She said she didn't know that and was thankful for the answer. She gave us all the discount anyway and I was the only one with the gun!

Gentlemen, I've said it 100's of times before in all of the gun forums. Open carry is the most comfortable way to carry a gun and NOBODY will care that you are doing it, especially if it passes here in Florida and it's all over the news.

My only regret was that I was slightly out of place out west carrying the Glock when I should have been carrying some kind of single action .45 or similar!!!

So, two full weeks of 24/7 open carry and ZERO problems. I even talked with a New Mexico State Trooper at a gas station in Taos and he never even gave it a second look.

AD (full time open carry advocate)

Sounds like a great time, AD. You make it by One Eyed Jack's when you were in Sturgis?
 

10x

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2011
Messages
134
Location
FL
All,

Just got back home from my annual Sturgis motorcycle run and western states vacation.

As I open carry daily here in Florida, but with the usual restrictions, it was a very welcome change to just be able to put the gun on and go about my daily business in the several states that we traveled through.

After "hiding" everything while passing through Illinois, we hit Kansas and I put the gun back on for good.

No problems at fuel stops, food stops or anyplace else we visited.

The Dakotas, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio. All run in full, daily open carry ON A MOTORCYCLE.

This means the hotels, rest stops and restaurants, morning lobby breakfasts, Wal-Marts, motorcycle shops, grocery stores and all that.

Only one single person even asked me about my Glock and it was in New Mexico at a truck stop where we had decided to stop for a real dinner for a change. I believe the reason she asked "for a badge" was to confirm we we're about to get the 50% meal discount!!

I casually explained to her that open carry was lawful in New Mexico and she could ask that state trooper over there (other side of the seating area) and he'll confirm it. She said she didn't know that and was thankful for the answer. She gave us all the discount anyway and I was the only one with the gun!

Gentlemen, I've said it 100's of times before in all of the gun forums. Open carry is the most comfortable way to carry a gun and NOBODY will care that you are doing it, especially if it passes here in Florida and it's all over the news.

My only regret was that I was slightly out of place out west carrying the Glock when I should have been carrying some kind of single action .45 or similar!!!

So, two full weeks of 24/7 open carry and ZERO problems. I even talked with a New Mexico State Trooper at a gas station in Taos and he never even gave it a second look.

AD (full time open carry advocate)

You need to post this story on FCC forum!
 

j4l

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2011
Messages
1,835
Location
fl
Yeah, I''m trying to figure out a good place to post it without looking like some kind of attention hound.

I may add it to one of my older threads or last year's Sturgis thread.

AD


Will be taking my usual trip back up to the cabin in N. Georgia in a couple months, hiking etc. Last yr I went, OC'd EVERYFNGWHERE- with ZERO issues- such a nice change from only OC @ home here. Hiked most of the State and National parks up that way while OC as well. Spoke to several different cops/county-State/Park while OC, and no issue, whatsoever.
Only folks who even mentioned it, or commented on it, were a pair of German tourists at one park. The man thought it was "cool" and "exciting" the wife of the guy, not so much. One Japanese guy commented on it, and proceeded to ask me a million questions about the pistol, the ammo, etc- curious and interested, rather than frightened or any such nonsense.

In fact, I think Im going to make myself a nicer, fancier leather rig for my OC during that trip..
 

ADulay

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 5, 2008
Messages
512
Location
Punta Gorda, Florida, USA
j4l,

I just noticed that I failed to mention the state of Georgia in my list of openly carried states on my trip!

It's always a pleasure to ride the bike through Georgia and not have to hide anything.

As it's a full ride through Georgia in both directions,(north/south) that's a lot of OC time on the motorycle.

AD
 
Last edited:

Nav0341

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2012
Messages
26
Location
Redford, Michigan
I currently reside in MI. Because I am a CPL holder (Concealed Pistol License - not sure what it is called in FL yet) I can OC pretty much anywhere I please, other than Federal buildings, Casinos, Courthouses, Sterile Area of the Airport, or private property where the owners have policies against it. I've even OC'd at a school... yes it is legal here with a CPL.

I am moving home to Florida on September 30th. I am going to miss this luxury! As a poster above mentioned, OC is SOOO comfortable. Especially in the summer time when it gets hot outside. Hopefully FL allows full time OC in the near future. I never really noticed how much of this I took for granted, until I got this job offer in Tampa.
 

ADulay

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 5, 2008
Messages
512
Location
Punta Gorda, Florida, USA
I am moving home to Florida on September 30th. I am going to miss this luxury! As a poster above mentioned, OC is SOOO comfortable. Especially in the summer time when it gets hot outside. Hopefully FL allows full time OC in the near future. I never really noticed how much of this I took for granted, until I got this job offer in Tampa.

Well, welcome to the Sunshine State (and alligators, bugs, hurricanes, margaritas, sunset dinners on the water) among other things!

I'm living just down south of you in the next big inlet of water from the Gulf, that being the Charlotte Harbor area.

When you get settled in and wind up with some gun related Florida questions, I'm sure we'll can get you headed in the right direction.

AD
 

Nav0341

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2012
Messages
26
Location
Redford, Michigan
Well, welcome to the Sunshine State (and alligators, bugs, hurricanes, margaritas, sunset dinners on the water) among other things!

I'm living just down south of you in the next big inlet of water from the Gulf, that being the Charlotte Harbor area.

When you get settled in and wind up with some gun related Florida questions, I'm sure we'll can get you headed in the right direction.

AD

Thanks. It is more of a home-coming for me. I left Florida back in 1998 to become a US Marine. Then for some reason I moved to Michigan haha. It's my wife that has to get used to alligators, bugs, hurricanes (or hurricane parties), etc.
 
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