How do I carry?

Can an 18 year old open carry a handgun in Arizona?

Can an 18 year old purchase a handgun through private sales in Arizona?

Welcome to OCDO.

Moved the thread to the Arizona sub-forum because the question(s) relates to the laws applicable to Arizona.

Generally an 18 yo may OC with certain limitations applying to all.
http://www.opencarry.org/?page_id=186

Under 21 yo may not purchase from a FFL/dealer, but may buy from a private party or be gifted.

Sure that locals will respond shortly and cite as necessary.

Thank you for the reply.

F1ber0ptik said:

Can an 18 year old open carry a handgun in Arizona?

Can an 18 year old purchase a handgun through private sales in Arizona?

Click to expand...

Short answers = YES & YES!

source from this very site
http://www.opencarry.org/?page_id=186

SNIP -
Summary Arizona is one of our “Gold Star” open carry states. There is complete state preemption of all firearms laws, open carry is common and law enforcement is well educated as to its legality.

NOTE:Tribal reservations have their own laws and should be avoided or researched prior to visiting.
Legal Disclaimer We make every effort to provide correct information on this site. However, the legal landscape surrounding open carry is fluid and subject to a myriad of political influences in the various states. Therefore, any and all information you glean from this site should be independently verified!
Forum To read real open carry stories from Arizona or to contribute your own, click here
State Constitution Article 2 Section 26

The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself or the state shall not be impaired, but nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing individuals or corporations to organize, maintain, or employ an armed body of men.
Minimum Age to OC 18
Preemption Complete preemption of firearms laws except localities may still limit firearms possession in parks or preserves to persons who possess a concealed weapons permit.

NOTE: Almost all states allow local regulation of the discharge of firearms
Open Car Carry You may open carry in a vehicle.

Now some things to consider

1. KNOW THE LAW! I highly suggest you get this book and read it front cover to back. It is worth its weight in gold.
http://www.gunlaws.com/AGOG_Contents.htm

2. Join AZCDL they are responsible for many of the firearm freedoms we enjoy here in AZ.
http://www.azcdl.org/

3. Get as much training as you can! It will pay for itself a thousand times over should you ever have to defend your life.
http://www.trainmeaz.com/

4. (a)Try as many pistols as you can before buying. Once you find ones that fit your hand and feel good, try to rent them and shoot them at a range. DO NOT listen to the caliber guru's - A huge gun does you no good if you miss BIG with it. Buy what you can shoot well with.
(b) Get a GOOD GUN BELT & HOLSTER.

5. Practice SAFELY (unloaded) drawing your pistol in private - so much that it becomes a fluid natural motion. A SHTF situation is no time to figure out your draw stroke.

6. Try to setup a meet with friends/family or better yet other open carriers your first few times out. It can greatly reduce your level of angst and make getting started easier. One young guy sitting alone in a restaurant looking jittery with a gun = nut getting ready to flip out in many peoples minds. A group of people & that person(s) armed having a nice time together = no big deal.

This is just my 2 cents from several years of Open Carry. Take it for what it cost you.

Thank you so much for your well informed reply, I appreciate the sources used. very helpful.

Anytime - always a good thing to help a new carrier get off to a good start.

Hello F1ber0ptik, welcome to OCDO.
I can sympathize with having been 18 and not knowing about firearms purchases. You seem to be squared away on all accounts so far, except that no one has yet mentioned how invaluable an impartial witness can be should an anti-freedom, anti-gun call the police and spin a tale rivaling that of Homer's epics, or Congress .
Really, I'm surprised FreeInAZ hasn't mentioned it yet. Because you probably LOOK young (or young-ish), and may be subjected to more scrutiny because of it, I'll recommend carrying a small video recorder to record any and all interactions (as I said, and has become apparent on this forum, gun-grabbers have been known to make the Devil look honest). FreeInAZ should know what the best recorder is if you more funds; as a university student, I can really only afford recorders like the Veho Muvi Pro, which I have had for about a full month now and can vouch for (in that price range).
You can buy it used for about $35-45 on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Veho-Muvi-Pro...UTF8&qid=1374886330&sr=8-2&keywords=muvi+veho).

AT THE VERY LEAST, carry a voice recorder. Applicable law for voice recording can be found in ARS Title 13 Chapter 30 (Eavesdropping and Communications). I just bought a voice recorder that I also use for lectures, so even though the VIDEO recorder may seem exaggerated, the voice recorder is mighty handy outside of OC.

It may be a large up-front cost, but keep in mind that even a $200 video recorder will seem cheap compared to learning about the entire long, drawn-out, EXPENSIVE, and devoid-of-logic process that is our legal "justice" system firsthand.

Other than that, a good holster and tucking in your shirt to avoid accidental concealment, I imagine you're good to go. Keep us posted on your experiences (the "Open Carry experience thread" stickied at the top).

Also, avoid looking like a hoodlum, be aware of personal hygiene, and try to keep the "walking mural" and "pincushion" look to a minimum.

@Rusty -I didn't want to scare him. BABY STEPS YOU KNOW...

For a new carrier OC can appear to be an elephant. Trying to eat it all in one bite usually ends up badly. Honestly, this is why 95% + of the AZ population who carry at all, now choose to carry discreet (aka CC) vs OC. :uhoh:

@ OP - Rusty's points are valid. Don't worry about it though until you have your pistol/gear and are trained/practiced enough to carry it confidently.

When in doubt contact Doug Little, he is a great guy and an absolute expert in this area of law. You can either google Doug Little, or go to armedpersonaldefense.com. He is also very good about answering in a timely fashion.

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