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Where in the NM statutes does it state that loaded open carry is legal?

shooter505

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Dec 5, 2010
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New Mexico
I keep reading and hearing how it's legal to open carry a loaded handgun in NM.

But, I've scoured the statutes and can't find anything that specifically states it is legal.

Can anyone help?

Thanks!

Shooter
 

KBCraig

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I keep reading and hearing how it's legal to open carry a loaded handgun in NM.

But, I've scoured the statutes and can't find anything that specifically states it is legal.
Scour the statutes all you want, and I'll bet you also won't find anything specifically stating that it's legal to breath, eat fried chicken, or go to church.
 

cloudcroft

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shooter505,

Yes, look as much as you will, you'll find no law/statute specifically stating you CAN Open Carry.

It's very reasonable to assume that some such law IS to be found but in NM, it's a case of "if the laws doesn't say you can NOT do something, then that something is LEGAL." In other words, there's no law against it.

See the NM State Constitution, Article II, Bill of Rights, Section 6, "The Right to Bear Arms" -- it only addresses CONCEALED carry (which is allowed with a permit of course), not OPEN carry. So, OC is legal according to the law-of-the-land in NM, its Constitution. Also, Section 6 has a pre-emption clause so cities/towns/villages can NOT pass any laws contrary to the Constitution...in this case, making OC illegal.
 
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wrightme

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Fallon, Nevada, USA
shooter505,

Yes, look as much as you will, you'll find no law/statute specifically stating you CAN Open Carry.

It's very reasonable to assume that some such law IS to be found but in NM, it's a case of "if the laws doesn't say you can NOT do something, then that something is LEGAL." In other words, there's no law against it.

See the NM State Constitution, Article II, Bill of Rights, Section 6, "The Right to Bear Arms" -- it only addresses CONCEALED carry (which is allowed with a permit of course), not OPEN carry. So, OC is legal according to the law-of-the-land in NM, its Constitution. Also, Section 6 has a pre-emption clause so cities/towns/villages can pass any laws contrary to the Constitution...in this case, making OC illegal.
Do you mean to say Can NOT pass any laws contrary to the Constitution?


Sec. 6. [Right to bear arms.]
No law shall abridge the right of the citizen
to keep and bear arms for security and
defense, for lawful hunting and recreational
use and for other lawful purposes, but nothing
herein shall be held to permit the carrying
of concealed weapons. No municipality
or county shall regulate, in any way, an incident
of the right to keep and bear arms. (As
amended November 2, 1971 and November
2, 1986.)

http://www.sos.state.nm.us/pdf/2007nmconst.pdf


To paraphrase, the NM Constitution Art II(Bill of Rights) Sec6(Right to keep and bear arms) specifically states that municipalities cannot regulate the Right away. But it does NOT specifically allow concealed carry. Which is covered by statute.
 
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shooter505

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New Mexico
Find anything saying it's illegal?

;)

No...but, it just seems wierd that you can do something if it's not specifically prohibited in NM, where other states have statutes that specifically allow something.

For example, in AZ one of the statutes says, "...The defensive display of a firearm by a person against another is justified when and to the extent a reasonable person would believe that physical force is immediately necessary to protect himself against the use or attempted use of unlawful physical force or deadly physical force."

For something as sensitive as the open carry issue is, you'd think that NM would have a statute that says, "Open carry of a loaded firearm is allowed" rather than depend on a form of circular logic centering on "if it's not prohibited, you can do it."
 

AH.74

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For something as sensitive as the open carry issue is, you'd think that NM would have a statute that says, "Open carry of a loaded firearm is allowed" rather than depend on a form of circular logic centering on "if it's not prohibited, you can do it."

It's not circular logic, and it's not the way it is only in NM. It's the way it is everywhere- if it's not specifically stated to be illegal, it is indeed legal.
 

wrightme

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Was my question really that stupid?
No, it wasn't "stupid." But it was uninformed.
No...but, it just seems wierd that you can do something if it's not specifically prohibited in NM, where other states have statutes that specifically allow something.
Only where such act is already prohibited, then allowed through exception.

shooter505 said:
For example, in AZ one of the statutes says, "...The defensive display of a firearm by a person against another is justified when and to the extent a reasonable person would believe that physical force is immediately necessary to protect himself against the use or attempted use of unlawful physical force or deadly physical force."
This looks to be an excellent example of a statute that provides an exception to an act disallowed by statute; for instance, is this an exception to an "unlawful display" of a firearm?

shooter505 said:
For something as sensitive as the open carry issue is, you'd think that NM would have a statute that says, "Open carry of a loaded firearm is allowed" rather than depend on a form of circular logic centering on "if it's not prohibited, you can do it."
No, you'd not think that at all.

Statutes disallow behaviors. If it is not disallowed (made criminal) by statute, it is de facto 'allowed.'

Your view of it is contrary to how it actually operates.
 

aadvark

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There is something known in The Legal World called: DeFacto.
The Word DeFacto most Closely means: That which is NOT ILLEGAL is NOT PROHIBITED.
This Stems from Common Law.
In New Mexico, Open Carry of a Loaded Pistol is LEGAL, so as long as you can LEGALY Own The Pistol, in EVERY Place, except the following Places: 1. Schools, 2. Colleges/Universities, 3. Places that Sell Alcohol, 4. State Parks.
For more Precise Information, Please Contact Mr. Steve Aiken, who is a Professional Firearms Educator and Instructor from New Mexico, and His Colleges.
 

cloudcroft

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Well, I for one would like to see something clearly stated, too. Besides a sometimes dimwit like Yours Truly, I think lots of cops (and DAs who twist things every which way but loose) probably would find something clearly stated in black & white easier to find and remember/check on the street.


OT: Did something happen to the text formatting bar menu and smiley icons (not the "Post Icons") that used to be available for use in our responses here? I don't see them anymore...so I can't use emoticons or bold text, etc...where'd they go?
 

snoball

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Nothing any clearer than this.

NM Constitution and Gun Ownership

CONSTITUTION OF THE
STATE OF NEW MEXICO
ADOPTED JANUARY 21, 1911
(AS AMENDED THROUGH 1974)

Sec. 6. No law shall abridge the right of the citizen to keep and
bear arms for security and defense, for lawful hunting and
recreational use and for other lawful purposes, but nothing
herein shall be held to permit the carrying of concealed
weapons.
 

cloudcroft

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snoball,

It's still not clear enough for me, just like the 2nd Amdenment of the US Cosntitution isn't (apparently) clear enough to MANY people, either, which is one big reason we continue to have a problem there.

We (and I) were talking about STATING in no uncertain terms that open carry is legal -- rather than simply leaving something out (not specifically named) to make it legal (by omission) and only name what is ILLEGAL -- meaning soemething like this (if I may paraphrase Sec. 6 here):

"No law shall abridge the right of the citizen to keep and
bear arms for security and defense, for lawful hunting and
recreational use and for other lawful purposes, and nothing
herein shall be held to prevent the open carry of weapons."

And then add-on a sentence re: concealed carry NOT being permited (except with a permit). Whatever works best.

Anti-gun citizens, media, politicians and law enforcement need it CRYSTAL CLEAR what the law says...there can't be ANY wiggle-room, therefore in cases of something this hugely important (the RKBA) I think something needs to be STATED as legal, not implied due to omission.

[I would use bold type to show my changes to the original wording of Sec. 6 but we don't have those editing tools here anymore]
 
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AH.74

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Cloudcroft,

I understand what you mean. It would certainly be more clear that way.

However, the laws are constructed the way they are. If something is not specifically prohibited in the laws as written, it is legal.

That is the way the laws are written. You can choose to accept that or not, it's not going to change.

Open carry is legal here in NM. You can choose to take advantage of that or not. If not, it's your loss.
 

snoball

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AH.74 is right. We are fortunate that we are an open carry state and as far as I know it has never been questioned. It would be very difficult to change the precedent that has been set. So why do you need more if it is authorized and routinely done? Seems like better things that they could change the laws on that one that currently recognizes open carry even if the wording is not to your liking.
We should be asking for guns to be permitted in our state parks (like we are now permitted in National Parks) and for a Castle Doctrine to protect us in case we do have to use deadly force. Now those are things that do not exist today!
 

Fallschirjmäger

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Cumming, Georgia, USA
Can you imagine the volumes and volumes of law we would have to have to define what is legal? For instance, eating dinner at a fast food place at 2:00 am. No law against it, so it is legal. But if we did go to the system of defining what is legal, then some cop stops you for checking your mail in your bare feet and you would have to search through the volumes of law to find the one that said you could it.

Personally, I like being told only what is illegal.

Amen, I'd much rather try to remember the 100 things that affect me by being illegal than the 1,000,000 things that affect me by being Legal.
 

cloudcroft

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AH.74,

You don't know me, so you don't know that I OC almost every time I go to NM (but with a different (smaller) gun as it's the only OC holster I own...need to get an OC holster for my bigger gun) so there is no "loss" for me to experience (I don't know why you'd say that). In fact, I am getting my car and my stuff ready for my annual Christmas Trip back West (to El Paso, TX, and Rio Rancho, NM) right now. Also, a few of us in the ABQ/RR area are planning to have an OC-outing-get-together. And when I lived in El Paso, I carried every time I went up to Las Cruces (actually, as soon as I crossed the state line into NM -- usually on my motorcycle, I'd stop and OC).

So you miss my point of what I was saying since I was not arguing whether it's legal or not to OC in NM...I go WAY BACK (I'm an older person) so I know that, and know parts of NM better than some of the residents there. Besides, as always, I wasn't just talking about NM, I was thinking of the bigger picture, about all states and their mish-mash of often contradictory laws and/or confusion about them. And even bigger, meaning the 2nd Amendment of the US Constitution...how long has THAT "simple" sentence been argued? [a rhetorical question, no need to respond]


NavyLT,

Yes, you have a good and very logical point there...didn't think of that. BUT again -- and as I keep saying -- I think in cases of gross misunderstanding/misinterpretation -- such as INFRINGEMENT on the RKBA as "clearly stated" in the US Constitution's 2nd Amendment -- something MORE CLEAR needs to be stated to remove all doubt...it does not need doing for EVERYTHING that is legal. Just the "unalienable rights" stuff, especially those NOT enumerated (like the RIGHT of self-defense). And to say CLEARLY what to "bear" arms means. Apparently, some states are don't understand that since they have been UNconstitutional for DECADES (like Hawaii, since it doesn't allow any of its citizens to BEAR arms outside of their homes).

Maybe the talk about changing the Constitution (IF it evers happens) could include rewriting the 2nd Amendment since the Founding Fathers could never have forseen the outright idiocy of politicians/judges (and most so-called Americans) -- and the deliberate anti-gun "disarmament" agenda of those people -- seen rampant TODAY. Things need to be spelled-out for such people.


Now please, enough already...I get everyone's point -- but it's becoming boring and tiresome. We dance now.. (SNL -- "Sprockets").
 
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