OC in Eastern Shore

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Hey guys!

I'm new to the board and OCing. I have yet to have my first OC experience. I'm looking forward to it, but I must admit that I'm a bit nervous. I was wondering if there's anyone on the board that OC's on the Shore.

And I've heard mention that you guys carry cards/papers with OC information. I was wondering if someone could give me a little more info on such things. Our LEOs are not the kindest in the world and I figure being overprepared can't hurt.

Any and all suggestion for my first OC are greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Airi

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Ok I thought of another question already.

Is there like a guide for first timers? Like a list of common interactions and how to handle them, tips/tricks for positive OC experiences, etc.

I could've sworn that I saw something on the opencarry.com website that mentioned things such as dressing nicely. But for the life of me I can't find it now.

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Here is some information that may help you:

If you want something you can carry with you today, go to the VCDL site ([url]http://www.vcdl.org)[/url] and click on Newsletters. The newsletters all have a section on pages 5-6 that you can cut, fold, and stick in your wallet.

Look here:

[url]http://www.vsp.state.va.us/Firearms_Transporting.shtm[/url]

Virginia does not require firearm registration nor is it necessary to obtain a permit before carrying a firearm or other such weapon openly about the person except where prohibited by statute. Pursuant to §18.2-308 of the Code of Virginia, resident concealed handgun permits are issued by the circuit court of the jurisdiction in which the applicant resides, and nonresident concealed handgun permits are issued by the Virginia State Police.

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I have never seen anyone else OC on the shore. I occasionally OC, but when I CC I don't worry about it being seen.

John



P.S. The county is Accomack. Accomac is the town/County Seat.

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Wolf_shadow wrote:

I have never seen anyone else OC on the shore. I occasionally OC, but when I CC I don't worry about it being seen.

John



P.S. The county is Accomack. Accomac is the town/County Seat.

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Thanks Regal!

John, I went back to try to edit my typo and couldn't figure out how to. Haha! So do you suggest I just go ahead and get the CHP and keep it under wraps? The reason I've considered it is with the shooting at FL and some unsavory characters showing up at the farm. I have to go to my farm at dusk to close up greenhouses and coops, and I do it by myself. It makes me a little nervous sometimes.


ETA:

§18.2-308 -

Prohibits the carrying of any pistol, revolver, or other weapon designed or intended to propel a missile of any kind by action of an explosion of any combustible material; any dirk, bowie knife, switchblade knife, ballistic knife, machete, razor, slingshot, spring stick, metal knucks, or blackjack; any flailing instrument consisting of two or more rigid parts connected in such a manner as to allow them to swing freely, which may be known as a nun chahka, nun chuck, nunchaku, shuriken, or fighting chain; any disc, of whatever configuration, having at least two points or pointed blades which is designed to be thrown or propelled and which may be known as a throwing star or oriental dart; or any weapon of like kind by any person hidden from common observance about his person. Any of the enumerated weapons shall be seized and forfeited to the Commonwealth. A weapon shall be deemed to be hidden from common observation when it is observable but is of such deceptive appearance as to disguise the weapon's true nature.

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Interesting. So do you have to take your firearm off your belt and put it on the passenger seat? I would think that if you leave it on your belt and sit to drive then it would be considered 'hidden.'

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Airilith wrote:

Wolf_shadow wrote:

I have never seen anyone else OC on the shore. I occasionally OC, but when I CC I don't worry about it being seen.

John



P.S. The county is Accomack. Accomac is the town/County Seat.

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Thanks Regal!

John, I went back to try to edit my typo and couldn't figure out how to. Haha! So do you suggest I just go ahead and get the CHP and keep it under wraps? The reason I've considered it is with the shooting at FL and some unsavory characters showing up at the farm. I have to go to my farm at dusk to close up greenhouses and coops, and I do it by myself. It makes me a little nervous sometimes.


ETA:

§18.2-308 -

Prohibits the carrying of any pistol, revolver, or other weapon designed or intended to propel a missile of any kind by action of an explosion of any combustible material; any dirk, bowie knife, switchblade knife, ballistic knife, machete, razor, slingshot, spring stick, metal knucks, or blackjack; any flailing instrument consisting of two or more rigid parts connected in such a manner as to allow them to swing freely, which may be known as a nun chahka, nun chuck, nunchaku, shuriken, or fighting chain; any disc, of whatever configuration, having at least two points or pointed blades which is designed to be thrown or propelled and which may be known as a throwing star or oriental dart; or any weapon of like kind by any person hidden from common observance about his person. Any of the enumerated weapons shall be seized and forfeited to the Commonwealth. A weapon shall be deemed to be hidden from common observation when it is observable but is of such deceptive appearance as to disguise the weapon's true nature.

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Interesting. So do you have to take your firearm off your belt and put it on the passenger seat? I would think that if you leave it on your belt and sit to drive then it would be considered 'hidden.'

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I do not recommend just laying it on the seat. If you have to brake suddenly or swerve it could be thrown on the floor and slide under the seat. I would recommend you keep it holstered on you, or strap a holster to the passenger seat in easy access.

I also do recommend you get a CHP. not that hard at Accomac Court Clerks office.

I'll send you a PM

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There are some things that all newbies should do:

1) know the laws - this means read them, read about them, keep up with changes. This forum is a good place to learn alot but often opinion is stated as fact. It is your responsibility to verify. Some good starters are at vcdl.org (join vcdl by the way & get their email alerts), http://opencarry.org/maps.html, http://www.nraila.org/statelawpdfs/VASL.pdf, http://vaguninfo.com/documents/VirginiaGunRights.pdf, http://gunowners.org/fs9611.htm

2) know how to handle yourself - safety-safety-safety, avoid being a goof-with-a-gun (like the drunk that shot some ducks in front of some child at a beach last year), know when NOT to talk to police: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4097602514885833865#, read through the forums to see how others have done, a good voice recorder can save your butt.

3) I recommend a CHP because it void's the federal gun free school zone legislation. If you do not have a CHP your gun has to be unloaded in a locked container (separately from ammo) if you come within 1000 feet of school "property" not just the building. Failure to do so makes you a felon. Try driving through town without passing a school or dozen. By having the CHP you can ignore the GFSZ and simply comply with the Virginia law (which bans guns on school property unless you are concealing (with CHP) and never leave your vehicle).

4) Get or print some "Virginia OC Info Cards" to hand out to curious people. Many people approach you not because they are afraid but because they are interested. Most people don't know the laws or "remember" laws from where they lived in the past. Sometimes people from other states will get all flustered because they don't know VA law. There are a couple versions of cards floating around and they will be changing July 1 with the new laws.

5) Join an OC dinner sometime to meet others and talk. Many questions can be quickly answered face to face plus it is fun talking to other gun fans. My family's eyes glaze over after about 2 minutes of gun talk. An OC dinner can score you 2 hours of gun talk. (Although other subjects very often come up other than guns)

Others can chime in with whatever I forgot. On July 1, 2010 the new gun laws go into effect so at that point you can "secure" your gun in a center console, glove box, or simply OC it on a seat, holster, etc. I like that change since I never thought a gun sitting on a seat was very safe. I either keep it in my holster or if I know I am going somewhere I won't be able to take it, the center console. Also if you get a CHP you will be able to OC or CC at restaurants that serve alcohol. I like to cc a back up gun so I won't have to remove my BUG everytime I go into a restaurant after 7/1/2010!!!

Welcome and read-up! PS: I have a pre-7/2010 OC info card template if you want it, or you can PM ED and have him send you some.

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45acpForMe wrote:

There are some things that all newbies should do:

1) know the laws - this means read them, read about them, keep up with changes. This forum is a good place to learn alot but often opinion is stated as fact. It is your responsibility to verify. Some good starters are at vcdl.org (join vcdl by the way & get their email alerts), http://opencarry.org/maps.html, http://www.nraila.org/statelawpdfs/VASL.pdf, http://vaguninfo.com/documents/VirginiaGunRights.pdf, http://gunowners.org/fs9611.htm

2) know how to handle yourself - safety-safety-safety, avoid being a goof-with-a-gun (like the drunk that shot some ducks in front of some child at a beach last year), know when NOT to talk to police: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4097602514885833865#, read through the forums to see how others have done, a good voice recorder can save your butt.

3) I recommend a CHP because it void's the federal gun free school zone legislation. If you do not have a CHP your gun has to be unloaded in a locked container (separately from ammo) if you come within 1000 feet of school "property" not just the building. Failure to do so makes you a felon. Try driving through town without passing a school or dozen. By having the CHP you can ignore the GFSZ and simply comply with the Virginia law (which bans guns on school property unless you are concealing (with CHP) and never leave your vehicle).

4) Get or print some "Virginia OC Info Cards" to hand out to curious people. Many people approach you not because they are afraid but because they are interested. Most people don't know the laws or "remember" laws from where they lived in the past. Sometimes people from other states will get all flustered because they don't know VA law. There are a couple versions of cards floating around and they will be changing July 1 with the new laws.

5) Join an OC dinner sometime to meet others and talk. Many questions can be quickly answered face to face plus it is fun talking to other gun fans. My family's eyes glaze over after about 2 minutes of gun talk. An OC dinner can score you 2 hours of gun talk. (Although other subjects very often come up other than guns)

Others can chime in with whatever I forgot. On July 1, 2010 the new gun laws go into effect so at that point you can "secure" your gun in a center console, glove box, or simply OC it on a seat, holster, etc. I like that change since I never thought a gun sitting on a seat was very safe. I either keep it in my holster or if I know I am going somewhere I won't be able to take it, the center console. Also if you get a CHP you will be able to OC or CC at restaurants that serve alcohol. I like to cc a back up gun so I won't have to remove my BUG everytime I go into a restaurant after 7/1/2010!!!

Welcome and read-up! PS: I have a pre-7/2010 OC info card template if you want it, or you can PM ED and have him send you some.

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That would be great 45! I'd really appreciate it if you could send the template my way.

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I had replied to wolf_shadow in a PM:

I uploaded them to a forum thread: http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum54/11009-4.html look for the OC-Card-Front-biggerfont.pdf and OC-Card-Back-biggerfont.pdf

Ed has his own version so you can use whatever one you want. The laws are changing July 1st so I will probably update mine (using whatever Ed changes).

If you can't edit the pdf file send me an email address and I can send you the powerpoint files I used to generate the pdf. You can get cards printed at vistaprint.com. For a first time user I got 1000 cards for $35. After that it costs about $55. (That is why I suggest different people print them each time)

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I live on the Eastern Shore as well. I've been following this site for nearly a year, but I've just recently joined.

I have been open carrying around the house and while walking the dog for the past year or so. I never really go in public with my .357 though. I've open carried at the car wash twice so far. That's the most I've carried in public.

I've lived here my whole life and I've only seen 1 person open carry on the shore. I don't know exactly what the police around here would think about open carry. I've been asking most of the law enforcement officers that I've seen about gun laws in general, and only 1 in 5 or so even come close to knowing the laws about open carry. Most think it's illegal to possess a handgun under 21. 1 officer I asked even said it's illegal to open carry without a permit!

I would open carry a lot more if I had a CHP. I'm under 21 still, so plainly in sight is the only legal method of carry for me. I wish open carry was more common around here.

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It is common for people to lurk/read the forum for a time before joining. I read for about six months before joining in on the discussions. So assume there are others on the Eastern Shore reading than just the posting members.

Maybe wolf shadow and yourself can post a lunch or dinner to see if anyone else wants to get together.

Welcome! (and for those who haven't joined yet, what are you waiting for?) ;-)

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Lethal Overdose wrote:

I live on the Eastern Shore as well. I've been following this site for nearly a year, but I've just recently joined.

I have been open carrying around the house and while walking the dog for the past year or so. I never really go in public with my .357 though. I've open carried at the car wash twice so far. That's the most I've carried in public.

I've lived here my whole life and I've only seen 1 person open carry on the shore. I don't know exactly what the police around here would think about open carry. I've been asking most of the law enforcement officers that I've seen about gun laws in general, and only 1 in 5 or so even come close to knowing the laws about open carry. Most think it's illegal to possess a handgun under 21. 1 officer I asked even said it's illegal to open carry without a permit!

I would open carry a lot more if I had a CHP. I'm under 21 still, so plainly in sight is the only legal method of carry for me. I wish open carry was more common around here.

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Welcome to the forum, Lethal!

Your observsations about LEOs generally not knowing handgun carry laws is well founded. Many do not, and need to be educated. Unfortunately, because of your age, attempts on your part to do somay not be taken seriously, so be polite and don't become argumentative when talking to cops. As an example, if you encounter the LEO who said that a permit is required to OC, politely inquire of him/her how you go about getting one. Above all,don't smirk, and don't reveal that no such permit exists.

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45acpForMe wrote:

It is common for people to lurk/read the forum for a time before joining. I read for about six months before joining in on the discussions. So assume there are others on the Eastern Shore reading than just the posting members.

Maybe wolf shadow and yourself can post a lunch or dinner to see if anyone else wants to get together.

Welcome! (and for those who haven't joined yet, what are you waiting for?) ;-)

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Haha! I did just that! He's a great guy, and talked me through everything. I'm an OC newbie myself, but I'm always up for meeting new people

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Welcome to the board Aitlith.
There isn't much I can add to what's already been said except.....Get a permit ONLY if you want to carry concealed. The School Zone scare tactic is just that IMO, and to my knowledge, no one has ever been prosecuted for driving past a school.

The name of this board is OPEN CARRY.ORG, not get a concealed handgun permit so you can exercise your right to open carry. org.

The members that continue to push the Perks4Permits agenda are no better than Dick Saslaw!:X

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peter nap wrote:

Welcome to the board Aitlith.
There isn't much I can add to what's already been said except.....Get a permit ONLY if you want to carry concealed. The School Zone scare tactic is just that IMO, and to my knowledge, no one has ever been prosecuted for driving past a school.

The name of this board is OPEN CARRY.ORG, not get a concealed handgun permit so you can exercise your right to open carry. org.

The members that continue to push the Perks4Permits agenda are no better than Dick Saslaw!:X

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Peter, I agree with you in principle but the scare tactics are pretty effective when you are considered a felon at first offense. No one has volunteered to be the first test case to sit in jail for ten-twelve years while it works its way through the courts and hope that the Supreme Court is made up of Constitutionalists by the time it gets there.

There are other things as far as worrying that your coat accidentally covered your gun and being charged for sillyness like that.

I fully agree that the GFSZ is bu!!hockey but my mortgage, house, kids future are riding on my ability to provide for them.

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45acpForMe wrote:

peter nap wrote:

Welcome to the board Aitlith.
There isn't much I can add to what's already been said except.....Get a permit ONLY if you want to carry concealed. The School Zone scare tactic is just that IMO, and to my knowledge, no one has ever been prosecuted for driving past a school.

The name of this board is OPEN CARRY.ORG, not get a concealed handgun permit so you can exercise your right to open carry. org.

The members that continue to push the Perks4Permits agenda are no better than Dick Saslaw!:X

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Peter, I agree with you in principle but the scare tactics are pretty effective when you are considered a felon at first offense. No one has volunteered to be the first test case to sit in jail for ten-twelve years while it works its way through the courts and hope that the Supreme Court is made up of Constitutionalists by the time it gets there.

There are other things as far as worrying that your coat accidentally covered your gun and being charged for sillyness like that.

I fully agree that the GFSZ is bu!!hockey but my mortgage, house, kids future are riding on my ability to provide for them.

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If enough people feel that way, the right to carry a gun in Va is finished. We can join Maryland and beg for the privilege.

A CHP is a personal decision and I don't care if someone wants one, that's fine by me...but for Gods sake, don't encourage people that don't know they DON'T have to have one, to avoid an unenforceable law.

Test case?
I and tens of thousands of others have been carrying guns of every description on a daily basis....past schools. Has ANYONE ever been charged.

Why?

Because a big chunk of that fool law has been killed off by the courts and they know this can't pass muster either.

Telling him he should get a CHP because he drives past schools is like telling him he has to show ID when told to do so.

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Well, I try to be a "law abiding" citizen as much as possible. If the laws are bad I work to get them changed. There are people sitting in jail because of bad laws and the gubbermant seems to have a hard on for gun laws these days so I don't want to be one of their victims.

I understand that some/many won't want to "ask-permission" from the state to conceal carry and that is their choice. In the mean time I did ask and received permission to CC until as such we can get that process changed. I will also work to get the GFSZ laws changed any way we can, except sitting in jail.

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45acpForMe wrote:

Well, I try to be a "law abiding" citizen as much as possible. If the laws are bad I work to get them changed. There are people sitting in jail because of bad laws and the gubbermant seems to have a hard on for gun laws these days so I don't want to be one of their victims.

I understand that some/many won't want to "ask-permission" from the state to conceal carry and that is their choice. In the mean time I did ask and received permission to CC until as such we can get that process changed. I will also work to get the GFSZ laws changed any way we can, except sitting in jail.

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I understand that and fully respect your right...funny how so many things come back to rights, to depend on a CHP.

But why are you here?

There are many boards dedicated to CC only that feel the same way you do.
I was born in Virginia and plan to die here. I have no intention of letting other gun owners that have decided it should be a permit state, do so quietly.

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Peter, I CC and OC. If I am OC-ing I usually have a BUG CC-ed.

I am not saying that everyone has to get a CHP, I was simply offering advice from my personal experience where the advantages of a CHP seemed to greatly outway the loss of privacy by asking the state for permission.

I don't understand why so many government officials have trouble understanding the subclause, "shall not be infringed" and hope to return our rights fully someday.

When you read all the laws and realize all the possible penalties for breaking them (directly or inadvertantly) I would think that most would take them seriously. The government doesn't play and unless it gets to the point where we have no way to change the system and open revolt is necessary I will continue to live within the law.

I also have no intention on leaving VA (although Alaska and Arizona would be good choices for gun rights).

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Thundar....You just might be right about the 1st.