My opening post - Took the plunge in CO...

Apologies ahead of time for a long post

Been a long time resident of Texas, Army type, only recently pulled the trigger on ETS and took up the parents on an offer of a free roof overhead while I get back on my feet and get a job sorted out around Denver. Texas being not exactly open-carry friendly, I've been used to a '03 Dodge Ram being my holster of choice up 'till this point.

Well, having moved to Colorado and it being my new home for the forseeable future, I decided it was high time that I started the process to get my concealed carry permit. Living in Killeen for as long as I had, I was constantly cursing myself for not having a CHL in that ghetto, I wasn't about to put it off anymore. As soon as a job was secured, CHL was priority one.

Then I got an idea, "wonder if this state is any different from Texas for open carry?" I recalled running into OC.org a long time ago when I did my original research of Texas OC laws, so I hit it back up. A look at the map shows CO in the orange, OC Friendly, but with stipulations? Glance at the verbage of the law, that's Greek to me, so I bounce over to this section of the forums and do some reading and research.

Good to go except Denver and Federal buildings, sounds fair enough, I needed to get some shopping done for a computer desk today, so I decided to give it a go.

STI Spartan .45 strapped firmly into some Galco gunleather, I tucked a spare into my back pocket and hopped into the truck with the girl. I reckon she's calmer than I am about this point!
Pulled up to the local Thornton Super Target, hopped out and went inside, nobody around the front door to hassle me, we beelined for the back of the store to assess their meager selection of computer desks. No bueno. Headed back the way we came and stopped off in the clock section to get some ideas for home decor, I banter with one of the employees there, caught a glimpse at my piece from her but otherwise she acted normally. I relax a bit as we make our way back up front.

Come out of the isle back onto the main cash register line, another employee glances my way from a few isles down and speaks rather urgently into a radio, I'm pretty sure I'm about to get thrown out, but we stop off at the Starbucks up front, order our coffees, and saunter outside without further issue. Sidearm is weighing my belt down quite a bit and causing it to dig into my left hip, but "it's supposed to be comforting, not comfortable." We hop in the truck and head across the parking lot to Staples.

Stroll through the door to Staples and don't get a second glance, about 30 minutes of shopping nets us a desk and desired chairs, I have to flag down an employee to get another box from the back, no sweat, I get help from two employees and the cashier and not a second glance at my obviously armed person all around, goods get loaded up in the Dodge and the employee helping me is more concerned about me cutting my hands on the straps around the box than he is my weapon, thanked him for his kindness, closed up and went home without an issue. I'll call that a positive experience for my first time OCing. Now I just need to get my hands on a more comfortable holster as well as mag carrier.

Anyway, thanks for a great resource of information and anecdotal evidence to support this awesome habit.

Welcome, both to the forum and to Colorado! OCing gets easier the more you do it. Seems like you're aware of the no-OC-in-Denver, that's definitely the biggest issue here.

Welcome to Colorado! Good experience. Even the non-reaction after the store clerk spoke frantically in the radio. The manager's response was hopefully something along the lines of "well is he threatening anyone?" "No." "Then ignore him." Even if it did cause the manager to get on the phone with the police, hopefully their response was "then ignore him - it's legal."

As for a sagging belt, they have leather and nylon-covered metal-band belts which will not sag for between $40 and $60 at most of the local gun stores. I've tried one, and it was great! I just can't see my way clear to spending $50 on a belt. The leather one I have sags a bit, but I just cinch it in a notch and it does the job. If I were going to be walking or hiking a lot with a firearm on my hip, I'd definitely spring for the metal-band belt.

As for desks, I'd try Office Max and Office Depot. There's also an oak furniture store on the south side of I-470 a few miles west of the I-25/I-470 intersection. Great selection, but their prices are through the roof. If you're looking for economy, try GoodWill. I have one near where I live, and I've found some great furniture at outstanding bargains. Just have to keep your eyes peeled and snag the best stuff before anyone else does.

I've been used to a '03 Dodge Ram being my holster of choice up 'till this point.

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Good one!

Very cool bro and welcome to CO from a fellow Texan as well

Welcome, Rack. Thank you for posting a positive experience. I wonder if the *$ presence in the Target had anything to do with a more aware staff? Either way, give yourself a point for adding to that employee's education. Is it the one at the Orchard at 144th and I-25?

That's the one, I'm not even sure the employee's reaction was to me, for all I know she was handling a stock issue and looked at me at a convenient time, either way, the trip was uneventful.

Had to disarm at Daveco Liquours today, they were posted no hazardous weapons, to include knives greater than 3.5 inches, firearms were not expressly mentioned but I wasn't going to push the issue at the liquor store. Disarmed and did my business. Only thing that concerned me was the authority cited on the sign, apparently Thornton city ordinance prohibits any hazardous weapons on businesses serving alcohol.

Rack-N-Roll said:

Only thing that concerned me was the authority cited on the sign, apparently Thornton city ordinance prohibits any hazardous weapons on businesses serving alcohol.

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That's concerning. I'll have to look into that as I go to that Daveco and Chili's pretty regularly. As a technicality, Daveco doesn't "serve" alcohol for on site consumption. The Costco took down their no weapons sign, but they also started selling alcohol.

From Sec. 42-156, looks like this is the required verbiage:

"Warning! A fine of up to $1,000.00 and imprisonment up to one year may be levied on any person convicted of carrying or possessing any prohibited, or dangerous weapon, including knives with over 3½-inch blades, into or onto any liquor or beer licensed premises."

http://library.municode.com/showDocumentFrame.aspx?clientID=12183&docID=2

IANAL, but I'd say the keyword is "prohibited". A legally owned OC'ed firearm or CC'd with CHP is not "prohibited". The only thing I can see is the list of prohibited weapons, which does not include firearms:

http://library.municode.com/HTML/12...8LAENOFTR_ARTVIIOFAGPUPESA_DIV2WE_S38-239PRWE

I don't even see that the law has a more severe penalty than elsewhere. I.e., AFAICT, the liquor licensee has to post the sign, but the penalty the sign cites for "carrying or posessing...into or onto any liquor or beer licensed premises" are the same as possessing those prohibited weapons anywhere else. IOW, it's an inapplicable scare tactic to discourage thuggish types.

FWIW, 42-157 covers behavior of naughty bits on the premises of alcohol establishments.

ETA: Dangerous weapons do include firearms. But there are exclusions for legally carrying them.

Welcome to Colorado and the forum.
I shop at the one at 120th and Washington quite a bit.
I also do my fair share of shopping at DaveCO, and have never noticed a sign there, but have never OC'd there either.
Been into a bunch of places around Thornton/Broomfied/Westminster and never hassled once. (yet)

mahkagari said:

From Sec. 42-156, looks like this is the required verbiage:

"Warning! A fine of up to $1,000.00 and imprisonment up to one year may be levied on any person convicted of carrying or possessing any prohibited, or dangerous weapon, including knives with over 3½-inch blades, into or onto any liquor or beer licensed premises."

http://library.municode.com/showDocumentFrame.aspx?clientID=12183&docID=2

IANAL, but I'd say the keyword is "prohibited". A legally owned OC'ed firearm or CC'd with CHP is not "prohibited". The only thing I can see is the list of prohibited weapons, which does not include firearms:

http://library.municode.com/HTML/12...8LAENOFTR_ARTVIIOFAGPUPESA_DIV2WE_S38-239PRWE

I don't even see that the law has a more severe penalty than elsewhere. I.e., AFAICT, the liquor licensee has to post the sign, but the penalty the sign cites for "carrying or posessing...into or onto any liquor or beer licensed premises" are the same as possessing those prohibited weapons anywhere else. IOW, it's an inapplicable scare tactic to discourage thuggish types.

FWIW, 42-157 covers behavior of naughty bits on the premises of alcohol establishments.

ETA: Dangerous weapons do include firearms. But there are exclusions for legally carrying them.

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I'd like to make sure this is clear to the others, these are Thorton city codes, not CRS codes.

With that... First linky is broky.

The second link, 38-239, specifically excludes firearms. Section 38-241 specifically prohibits open carry at any city-owned building, property, or park that's posted with a sign.

This is commensurate with the colorado revised statutes. I see no conflict. Do you or does anyoneelse?

Can't probit CC. Full preemption. The rest of it is shaky, imo.

Gunslinger said:

The rest of it is shaky, imo.

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Shakey...shakey, shakey, shakey....SHAKEY SHAKEY!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Kv08xAC35Q

Gunslinger said:

Can't probit CC. Full preemption.

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That's reflected in both the Thorton codes as well as CRS.

The rest of it is shaky, imo.

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How so? Please explain.

since9 said:

That's reflected in both the Thorton codes as well as CRS.



How so? Please explain.

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Municipal codes in violation of state preemption in that they assume more authority to regulate than the state wields. And the part of the code that says "prohibited" cannot apply to legally possessed firearms. The Muni code is usurping powers it doesn't have, imo. And once again, they have zero power to regulate CCW holders except as provided for in CRSA dealing with metal detectors. Would have to read the whole sections to really get a feel for what seems on surface to be codes that are unenforable. But it is shakEy...:>