new to oc

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So i am now to this whole thing and have been reading some of the forums and im nto clear on 2 things #1i dont have my cwl yet my apointment is tomarrow can i still open carry? #2 i talked to my brother in law who is a respected police officer about all this and he said it is legal but be careful because even if i am just walking around and someone feels threatened i could potentially get introuble. any advice would be great.

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thefirefighter wrote:

So i am now to this whole thing and have been reading some of the forums and im nto clear on 2 things #1i dont have my cwl yet my apointment is tomarrow can i still open carry? #2 i talked to my brother in law who is a respected police officer about all this and he said it is legal but be careful because even if i am just walking around and someone feels threatened i could potentially get introuble. any advice would be great.

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#1 Yes you can, Except you must unload when you enter a vehicle of any kind.

#2 He is totally wrong and does not know the law. If it is legal, how can you get in trouble for having a holstered gun? Even Washington State courts have found that a holstered gun is a threat to no one.

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Bear 45/70 wrote:

#2 He is totally wrong and does not know the law. If it is legal, how can you get in trouble for having a holstered gun? Even Washington State courts have found that a holstered gun is a threat to no one.

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He is not totally wrong he at least is aware that it is legal to do so, but other than that, yeah he is pretty much wrong. You might get harassed by several individuals, but there really isn't much they can do except ask you to leave. So far as the intimidation thing goes, bear is right, Washington State courts have said that carried in a holster it is not considered intimidation.

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+1 Shy panda. I thought the worst place to OC would be in Tacoma at the court house. Went there today to get the wife her CPL. Went to the front entrance and was told they can't check weapons their and I needed to go to the back entrance. Went in and had to wait for a deputy to get me gun. No one said a thing. I had 4 cops drive by when I walked around. Stating to feel more at ease OC'ing.

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dlnwoody wrote:

Went to the front entrance and was told they can't check weapons their and I needed to go to the back entrance.

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Servants and gun owners use back entrance. Wouldn't want to be seen with the important folk.

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Good one Heresolong. The only bad thing is I think the important folk use the back entrance. When I went to the front there were a lot of bums and people that should not be around there, i mean the people that should be there but in the court room.

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heresolong wrote:

dlnwoody wrote:

Went to the front entrance and was told they can't check weapons their and I needed to go to the back entrance.

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Servants and gun owners use back entrance. Wouldn't want to be seen with the important folk.

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So, from dlnwoody's account, it sounds like you've got it right, but only if by servants you meant "Public Servants", as in LEO's and Gov't.

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thefirefighter wrote:

So i am now to this whole thing and have been reading some of the forums and im nto clear on 2 things #1i dont have my cwl yet my apointment is tomarrow can i still open carry? #2 i talked to my brother in law who is a respected police officer about all this and he said it is legal but be careful because even if i am just walking around and someone feels threatened i could potentially get introuble. any advice would be great.

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1. Open carry requires that you be at least 21 years of age and no criminal history that would bar you from possessing a firearm. There is no license required to open carry. The weapon must be secured out of reach when transporting it in a vehicle.

2. This depends on your definition of "trouble". Most cops know that OC is legal in WA but there are still some who don't, and there are a few others who just don't like it and will attempt to intimidate/harass you into not doing it. If your definition of "trouble" means getting cited/arrested/jailed for an offense, then no. If your definition includes having your day interrupted and being ridiculed by an uneducated or cranky LE, then the answer is "maybe". That really depends on the responding officer.

In the event that some sheep calls the police to report a "man with a gun" they will usually respond and quite possibly make contact with you. If they do, your behavior during the encounter will have a major impact on the outcome of that meeting. A mature, responsible gun owner will be polite and courteous at all times, and will end up walking away a free man. Somebody with an attitude may very well not.

Hope this helps!

Oh, and here they call it a Concealed Pistol License (CPL) rather than a CWL or CHL or CHP. Sometimes it seems like every state has its own acronym for the same thing.

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3/325 wrote:

1. Open carry requires that you be at least 21 years of age and no criminal history that would bar you from possessing a firearm. There is no license required to open carry. The weapon must be secured out of reach when transporting it in a vehicle.

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The gun has to be unloaded, not necessarily out of reach.

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While I do not disagree with anything posted above (well, one minor tweaks below), remember that we are not lawyers. While there is abundant information here, I encourage you to read a lot on your own. You will find many links here to applicable state laws (RCW) and some regulations (WAC) that may apply to you, particularly if attending school, and court cases. Becoming familiar with these will make you more confident when you carry. When you are confident in your position, you will present yourself better to the general public, business owners/employees and LEO’s. This takes time and I don’t think there is a way to shortcut this. MRSC is a great resource, check under Legal Resources. At least give RCW 9.41 chapter a read. A good read would be Dave Workman's Washington Gun Rights and Responsibilities.

1. Open carry requires that you be at least 21 years of age and no criminal history that would bar you from possessing a firearm. There is no license required to open carry. The weapon must be secured out of reach when transporting it in a vehicle.

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If you're 18 - 21, you can own a gun, but cannotpurchase it from an FFL (this leaves inheritance, FTF sale, etc).You cancarry it, just not outside your own property or fixed business. RCW 9.41.240.

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so hypitheticaly speaking i could have my pistol on my waist unloaded in my vehicle driving and i would be fine? I am heading up to levenworth tomarrow with my buddy and our girlfriends and him and i are going to oc im not gunna lie im a little nervious but im gunna get some cards and brouchers printed just as something to refer to in the event of someone questioning it.

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one more thing if you have a pistol in your vehicle unloaded can you still have ammo in your clip?

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I'm not a lawyer, and I don't play one on tv. But I believe for a car it needs to be unloaded and the firearm needs to be in an opaque (sp?) case.

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David.Car wrote:

I'm not a lawyer, and I don't play one on tv. But I believe for a car it needs to be unloaded and the firearm needs to be in an opaque (sp?) case.

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Thats if you are gonna leave the vehicle parked and go elsewhere with your person. The powers that be don't want and attractive nuisanceby having it visible for outside the vehicle.

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so i can have a loaded clip but not a loaded weapon in my vehicle (i am in the waiting process for my cpl)

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Thefirefighter

Are you talking when you are driving or when the car is parked.

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driving

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Bear correct me if I'm wrong but if he (thefirefighter) is driving doesn't it need to be in a case and unloaded.

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dlnwoody wrote:

Bear correct me if I'm wrong but if he (thefirefighter) is driving doesn't it need to be in a case and unloaded.

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No it does not. 9.41.050 simply requires it to be unloaded.