My PA open-carry journal

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Hey guys! My name is A.J. and I figured I would start a journal of my new experiences (got the idea from Pa.Patriot)as a New Jersey guy open carrying in Pennsylvania on a weekly basis. I thought it would be good to share and get feedback from you experts. This will probably be where I ask my newbie questions too. I just had my first open carry day this past Friday and as you guys have probably known for a very long time... it was quite liberating and felt great! I didn't have my Sig226, I had my Thunder 5 .45LC revolver (large hand cannon and very obvious) and I was very nervous because I've never seen anyone OC in the Wilkes-Barre area before but heres my rundown:

Friday 4/18:

Sheetz in WB - 5 minutes, went in at lunchtime for powerball tickets and a hotdog- no problems/no evil looks.
Friendlys in WB - 1 hour, went for dinner withbrother - no problems but lots of evil looks considering it was full (15 min wait) of oldpeople and mothers with their children.


Saturday 4/19:

Francis Slocum State Park in Kingston - 1 hour, took my nephew - did not OCbecause I'm not entirely sure of what the laws on OC ina state park in PA are.
Casual Male XL in WB - 10 minutes, went for new belts - no problems/no evil looks.
Blockbuster in WB -2 minutes, return a dvd - no problems/no evil looks.
Outside ofBlockbuster -40ish man and wife walk by, I overheard the woman say "look at the gun" and the man say "yeah, he looks a little young doesn't he".
Ollies Outlet in WB -10 minutes, just browsing - no problems/no evil looks.
Best Buy in WB - 45 minutes, buying dvds and mp3 player - no problems/ lots of smiles and hellos from customers and employees.
McDonalds in WB - 5 minutes, went inside because drivethru was packed - no problems/no evil looks.
Wachovia bank in the square in WB - ATM machine - no problems/ but lots of evil looks as there was a Hillary Clinton rally going on in the square at the time and there were alot of people (supporters?) milling around.
Neighborhood where my family lives in WB - 1 hour, went for walk to burn off the 2 Big Macs and fries - no problems/no evil looks.

Sunday 4/20:

Sheetz in WB - 5 minutes, powerball ticketsand a burger- no problems/no evil looks
Neighborhood where my family lives in WB - 1 hour, went for walk to burn off the burger - no problems/no evil looks.

A.J.

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Wait wait wait.... stop the presses! You open carried and the world didn't come to a end? That just can't be... can't be...



Have fun!

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Welcome to the site. May all of your experiences be as uneventful as these.

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Excellent report. Glad I have some more company in WB area

You'll have to try and make one of our group lunch/dinners.

Next one is May 9th up at Old Country Buffet:
http://www.pafoa.org/forum/conceale...er-old-country-buffet-dickson-city-5-9-a.html


Well, Gotta go get ready to go out for lunch and take the wife shopping (All OC of course)

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Hey Pa. Patriot, hope to run into you in WB sometime. I will definitely try to come to a future group lunch/dinner... the May 9thget-togetheris a no go for me as I am having dental surgery that morning. Do you guys ever have a general meet-up or run group errands in areas or stores that seem OC unfriendly? You know, like a powerin numbers type of thing?

This weekends rundown:


Friday 4/25:

Sheetz in WB - 5 minutes, powerball tickets - no problems/no evil looks.
Smokey Bones in WB - 1 hour, dinner with sister, brother-in-law and nephew - no problems/no evil looks.
WalMart in WB -30 minutes, potting soil for my sister'splants - no problems/no evil looks.
Neighborhood where my family lives in WB - 1 hour, went for walk - no problems/no evil looks.

Saturday 4/26:

Francis Slocum State Park in Kingston - 2 hours with nephew and brother-in-law - did not carry at all. Was advised that afternoon by a fish and game officer that OC/CC is not allowed onSlocum park property or fish and game property located adjacent to Slocum.
Loews in WB - 30 minutes, picked upmiracle growfor my sister's garden - no problems/no evil looks.
Ruby Tuesday's in WB - 1 hour, dinner with nephew and brother-in-law - no problems/no evil looks.
Blockbuster in WB - 5 minutes, looked for dvd - no problems/no evil looks.
WalMart in WB - 30 minutes, bought external hard drive for computer - no problems but lots of evil looks from the hoodlums that pack into that store to wander around at 10pm on a saturday night.
Neighborhood where my family lives in WB - 1 hour, went for a nice night walk before it started to rain- no problems/no evil looks.

Sunday 4/27:

Lonestar Steakhouse in WB - 1 hour, lunch with nephew and brother-in-law - no problems/no evil looks.
Kirby Park in WB - 2 hours,carnival with nephew and brother-in-law - did not carry at all. Parking lot was full and they were directing people to park at the Wilkes University lot. As I am notfamiliar with theuniversity's stance on firearms on their property, I left it locked in the trunk.
Neighborhood where my family lives in WB - 1 hour, went for a walkto burn off the horrible carnival food that my nephew begged us to have for dinner- no problems/no evil looks.

A.J.

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Hi there... new guy here... as a fellow New Jerseyan, I'm a little confused. As an NJ resident, you don't have (and can't get) a PA non-res LTCF, so to transport the firearm in your vehicle, you're disarming and locking it in the trunk, then getting out, and re-arming, every time you go somewhere?

Is that legal under the PA UFA? Section 6106 seems to state that it's illegal for someone with an LTCF to simply drive around with a firearm in the vehicle.

Am I reading that wrong?


Edit: Maybe I'm an idiot... FL permit?

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Tom488 wrote:

Hi there... new guy here... as a fellow New Jerseyan, I'm a little confused. As an NJ resident, you don't have (and can't get) a PA non-res LTCF, so to transport the firearm in your vehicle, you're disarming and locking it in the trunk, then getting out, and re-arming, every time you go somewhere?

Is that legal under the PA UFA? Section 6106 seems to state that it's illegal for someone with an LTCF to simply drive around with a firearm in the vehicle.

Am I reading that wrong?


Edit: Maybe I'm an idiot... FL permit?

Click to expand...

I've been advised that it is illegal to have a handgun in your vehicle even if it is unloaded and locked in the trunk, and the only exception is if you have proof that you're going to and from a range or gunsmith.

There's enough vagueness that it could be argued that transport is legal, though if you were ever charged with it, you'd need a decent lawyer to try prove that.

Loaded long guns can never be transported in a vehicle, whether or not you have a LTCF.

Also take note that any LTCF/CCW/CHP from any state, res or non-res, allows you to open carry in a vehicle. However, open carry in Philadelphia isn't allowed. But who wants to go there anyway?

Unfortunately, even though Pennsylvania is technically an unlicensed open carry state, the vehicle restriction and the Philadelphia restriction essentially make it a de facto licensed open carry state.

Edited because PP caught a mistake of mine...

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imperialism2024 wrote:

LOADED Long guns can never be transported in a vehicle, whether or not you have a LTCF.

Click to expand...

I fixed it for you (bold red)

As for unloaded transport to from places excepted in 6106 (range, gunsmith, etc) no "proof" is mentioned in the law.

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mystery_man wrote:

Hey Pa. Patriot, hope to run into you in WB sometime.

Saturday:
Loews in WB - 30 minutes, picked upmiracle growfor my sister's garden - no problems/no evil looks.

>snip<
Sunday:

Lonestar Steakhouse in WB - 1 hour, lunch with nephew and brother-in-law - no problems/no evil looks.

Click to expand...

Heh, we were at Home Depot Sat afternoon I almost went to Lowes but decided on HD.
Sunday we were out too.

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Hey Tom... welcome to the board! To answer your questions: I'm a NJ resident with a FL license who spends just about every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in PA. When I leave my home in NJ, my firearm isstored unloaded in its case in the back of my truck. When I cross the Delaware River into PA (the land of freedom), I stop at a rest stop and put my firearm on.

Pa. Patriot... I'm usually at Home Depot sometime on a Saturday afternoon. Only went to Loews because my sister requested some things that Home Depot didn't have. I'm starting to wonder if maybe Loews might be better than Home Depot...

A.J.

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Pa. Patriot wrote:

imperialism2024 wrote:

LOADED Long guns can never be transported in a vehicle, whether or not you have a LTCF.

Click to expand...

I fixed it for you (bold red)

As for unloaded transport to from places excepted in 6106 (range, gunsmith, etc) no "proof" is mentioned in the law.

Click to expand...

Fixed it... whoops. Though if Philadelphia had its way...

And as for "proof", that's why I said "I've been advised"; I just forgot to add in the part about how I was advised by people who are absurdly scared of breaking firearms laws.

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Please correct me if I'm wrong but Open Carry in Philadelphia is technically legal for ANYONE carrying a CCW/LTCF or any other name they're called as long as the issuing state has reciprocity with Pennsylvania. Will you get arrested, maybe, but the statute does not mention anything about "Open Carry", therefore it can not be construed as illegal. Any license issued from ANY state that has reciprocity with PA carries the same "weight" as an LTCF issued from PA, REGARDLESS of the residency status of the license holder. Meaning, you can live in New Jersey and have a CCW from Florida. Just my opinion.





6108. Carrying firearms on public streets or public property in Philadelphia.

No person shall carry a firearm, rifle or shotgun at any time upon the public streets or upon any public property in a city of the first class unless:

1. such person is licensed to carry a firearm; or (PA license or ANY other respected license) This is MY OWN NOTE!! Jersey Ron
2. such person is exempt from licensing under section 6106(b) of this title (relating to firearms not to be carried without a license).

Jersey

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Jersey Ron wrote:

Please correct me if I'm wrong but Open Carry in Philadelphia is technically legal for ANYONE carrying a CCW/LTCF or any other name they're called as long as the issuing state has reciprocity with Pennsylvania. Will you get arrested, maybe, but the statute does not mention anything about "Open Carry", therefore it can not be construed as illegal. Any license issued from ANY state that has reciprocity with PA carries the same "weight" as an LTCF issued from PA, REGARDLESS of the residency status of the license holder. Meaning, you can live in New Jersey and have a CCW from Florida. Just my opinion.

Click to expand...

That is correct. The AG posted on the website a while ago that residency is no factor in reciprocity. An LTCF is an LTCF, in Pennsylvania's eyes.

I've found it easiest to explain Pennsylvania's carry laws by looking at what you "can" do with and without various licenses:
-With no license whatsoever, and over age 18: Can open carry on foot only, outside of Philadelphia city limits, and further than 1000 feet from K-12 schools.
-With any LTCF/CCW/CHP/misc. carry permit from any state: Can open carry on foot and in vehicles, concealed in vehicles only, outside of Philadelphia city limits, and further than 1000 feet from K-12 schools.
-With any LTCF from a state Pennsylvania has reciprocity agreement with: Can open or concealed carry anywhere in the state, but only outside of that 1000 foot radius around K-12 schools.
-With PA (res or non-res) LTCF: Can open or concealed carry anywhere in the state.
***Take note that carrying in courthouses is illegal regardless of what licenses one has, but courthouses are mandated by law to provide secure storage for firearms***

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Hey guys!This past weekends rundown:

Friday 5/2:

Tony Di's in WB - 1 hour, dinner with nephew and brother-in-law at all you can eat salad, pizza, pasta and desert place - no problems/no evil looks.
Sheetz in WB - 5 minutes, powerball tickets - no problems/no evil looks.
Neighborhood where my family lives in WB -1 hour, went for a walkto burn off thebuffet food - no problems/no evil looks.

Saturday 5/3:

Neighborhood near where my family lives in WB -1 hour, it was a beautiful day so I went for a nice afternoon walk -had my 1st encounter with police - http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum46/10535.html
BP gas station in WB - 5 minutes, stopped for gas - no problems/ but had an off duty cop watch me like a hawk the whole time I was there.
Police Department HQ in WB -5 minutes, did not carry.
Tony Di's in WB - 1 hour, dinner with sister, nephew and brother-in-law at thisvery tastyall you can eat place - no problems/no evil looks.
Walmart in WB - 1 hour, shopping with the family - no problems/no evil looks.
Neighborhood where my family lives in WB -1 hour, went for a walkto burn off the buffet food that I've now eaten two days in a row - no problems/no evil looks.

Sunday 5/4:

Neighborhood where my family lives in WB -1 hour, went for a walk- no problems/noevil looks.
Police Department HQ in WB -5 minutes, did not carry.
Wachovia bank in the square in WB - ATM machine - no problems/no evil looks.
Police Department HQ in WB - 10 minutes, did not carry.
Burger Kingin Kingston - 30 minutes, nephew asked for BK forlunch - no problems/no evil looks.
Walmart in WB - 1 hour, shopping with the family - no problems/no evil looks.
Neighborhood where my family lives in WB - 30 minutes, went for walk with my nephew before dinner - no problems/ lots of smiles and hellos from people in the neighborhood.
Dinner at home with the family.
Neighborhood where my family lives in WB - 1 hour,went for a nice after dinner walk - no problems/ lots of smiles and hellos from people in the neighborhood.

A.J.

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Beware in the PA State Parks. Bad mojo.

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Hey guys! Now that I have my firearm back, I will be posting an open-carry journal update very soon!

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Where did it go?

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I spent the 4th in the Pocono Lake area. Went to a flea market in Blakeslye, day trip to Dorney Park, and back to Thornhurst. I was carrying concealed, except at Dorney, and I kept my eye open for open carry. Didnt see anyone carrying openly. Looked for bulges at the waist lines / ankles, nothing. Even my relative who had previously carried religiously wasnt packing. I was a little disappointed. I did openly carry on private property just so I could say, see I did it ! Maybe next trip there I will see some open carry and then I will join in. :dude:

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DT4E31 wrote:

I spent the 4th in the Pocono Lake area. Went to a flea market in Blakeslye, day trip to Dorney Park, and back to Thornhurst. I was carrying concealed, except at Dorney, and I kept my eye open for open carry. Didnt see anyone carrying openly. Looked for bulges at the waist lines / ankles, nothing. Even my relative who had previously carried religiously wasnt packing. I was a little disappointed. I did openly carry on private property just so I could say, see I did it ! Maybe next trip there I will see some open carry and then I will join in. :dude:

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well, i hope you weren't looking for anyone in dorney park. they have a very strict no-carry policy. i was lucky to get away with a knife and OC. on the other hand, they have a dedicated security staff, who are pretty well-trained, as much as any LEO is. still, i was prett uncomfortable walking around. it was the first time i was without a gun in a over a year.

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I've been open carrying the last few days also . . . in and around Pittsburgh.

Giant Eagle, Lunch @ Penn Brewery, Natural Foods Store in the Strip . . . I did cover up in Walmart, post office and the bank, but then uncovered again and went to a work clothing store, lunch at Moe's Southwest Grill, a few other stores and nobody said a word or really even looked at me funny.