Is Connecticut An Open Carry State?
Connecticut is a licensed open carry state (if you legally possess that firearm).
If you are a valid Connecticut Pistol Permit holder, you are allowed to carry pistols or revolvers, you are allowed to open carry your firearm. This means that in places that do not restrict the carrying of firearms, you can safely secure your weapon in any manner that exposes it to the public. On your morning run into Dunkin Donuts, you can have your semi-automatic pistol in a holster on your belt without your shirt covering it and be completely fine within the letter of the law.
Let us keep in mind that Connecticut is different than a state like Texas, where guns are more embraced, carried, and fired. Take a moment to think about the last time you saw someone, in any public place in Connecticut carrying an exposed firearm. How much of your attention or alarm would seeing an exposed firearm cause you to feel? Given recent events around the world, what questions would your mind immediately raise?
Why is that person carrying that gun that way?
Is he a “good guy” or “bad guy?”
Should I call the police or inform management that he has a gun?
All of these are important questions. It would help to take a breath and examine the overall picture. Don’t just assume that there is ill intent here and try not to be too alarmed. It is not only a constitutional right, as we know, to own and carry a firearm, but it’s covered under Connecticut law to have that firearm exposed.
From a law enforcement perspective, I will tell you that we often get alarmed calls from concerned citizens who see a holstered pistol exposed. Let’s say a complaint comes on a Monday morning as kids are waiting for the school bus. The caller is worried that something bad will happen and wants an immediate police response.
Now put yourself in the police officer’s position…You respond to the area and see the person matching the description given by the complainant. You see the secured holstered firearm on his waist. This person is neither breaking the law nor doing anything wrong; in fact, if he had his shirt covering the firearm, everyone would go about their day. You as the officer pull up to the individual and approach him. You explain to him why you were called to the area and ask him to show some identification. He refuses — what can or what do you do next?
Let's say you ask again and explain you are simply trying to identify him to be sure he is not a danger to society and once that’s determined, he can be on his way.
So, wait, is he detained now? Is he being stopped by police illegally? The individual takes out his cell phone and begins to Facebook Live the incident. He explains to his Facebook followers that he is being harassed and illegally detained by the police. A rumble bubbles at the surface, more people join the post, and comments are being made in anger against the police. The individual becomes angrier because he perceives that the officer is now violating his rights, and he walks past the officer to do whatever it was he was doing.
We are getting off on a little tangent here but you can easily see the slippery slope and grey areas that exist. YouTube has these videos everywhere, check them out if you want to get a good feel of the anxiety and “baiting” that goes on.
There are some towns in Connecticut that have created public ordinances banning the open carry law. Furthermore, some local towns and the state police have trained and sent out informational content explaining that open carry is in fact legal and not to “harass” people who carry openly without some other cause.
Whether you are personally considering carrying your firearm exposed or if you read through this simply to have a better understanding of the law, it should raise the question, “Why would I want to expose my firearm?” If you carry your firearm for self-protection, there is tactically no real advantage to open carry, in my mind anyway. To effectively draw from your holster in an emergency situation, you need to practice and you need trigger time. We will do as we are trained. Practice drawing from your holster by moving your shirt or clothing out of the way.
In my opinion, exposing your firearm draws unwanted attention to you in an active shooter situation, and that attention may make you the first target. Think about it for one minute as a bad guy: wouldn’t you want to eliminate the biggest threat to you first before committing the crime you came there to do? The guy with the gun would be my first target.
Imagine yourself as a bad guy, with the belief that life has pushed you around for the last time. Your wife will never cheat on you again. The depression and deep-rooted anger you’ve stifled all your life has bubbled over and now you’ll exact your revenge. You head to your wife’s place of work, bent on killing people, but you need to access that place first. How will it be easier to do that, with your gun exposed or concealed?
I’m not teaching bad guys how to be bad guys, I’m teaching you as the legal gun owner how to think more logically about things. Guns are the most talked about and explosive topic at the moment in our country and with each mass causality incident involving them, it only gets worse. I get that everyone has their own opinions and I’m not here to force mine onto you. But, whichever side of the tracks you land on or come from, just take your time to fully educate yourself and most of all be safe about life. It’s your only trip.
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