Please forgive me for asking... (W&C vs. CCW)

Slackdaddy said:

I have a question about a 4473 form,

When I was a small child sitting grandfather's lap as he whittled small woodland creatures from red cedar branches,, from trees his father had planted when he arrived from Scotland,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

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JamesCanby said:

Perhaps I'm confused. My Permit, both the original and through several renewals, has always been titled as a "Permit to Carry a Handgun." Has the actual title been changed?


In careful review of MD law, I have never been able to find any reference to the mode of carrying -- Open or Concealed. During my travel to and from the Range and during my duty hours there, I am always openly carrying.


I remember stopping at a Dunkin Donut Shop near the Range to get a breakfast sandwich and a coffee. While I was waiting for my order, the customer standing next to me was a MD State Trooper dressed in full SWAT battle-rattle. He saw my handgun, a large S&W M&P9 and asked me where I worked. I told him I worked at the Range just up the road. He then asked, "Do they let you carry like that at the Range?" Told him yes, and that it was part of the job. A few seconds later he asked, "Do you have a Permit for that?" I simply said, "Sure." I expected the next question to be, "Can I see it?" Nope, what he said was, "They're hard to get, aren't they?" The food arrived and we went our separate ways, admonishing each other to "Stay safe."

In all my days of openly carrying in both Virginia and in Maryland, I have had numerous interactions with Police and civilians, and no one has ever confronted me. Some have been curious, but no negative reactions, ever.

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Biggfoot44 said:

I'll eventually parse thru all the topics in the first post , but it's not clear what is the actual question ? But taking a guess ;

Prior to 1972 , Maryland was Open Carry , but no comprehensive system for civilians to be able to conceal .

In 1972 big changes were passed , primarily contained in what is now 4-203 .

High points :

No more general purpose Open Carry.
List of specific exempted activities where handguns are allowed w/o "Permit" , and transporting only to & from such places and activities .

The creation of a "Permit " process for something called * Wear & Carry Permit * , because that's what the General Assembly decreed it would be called .

Outside the above mentioned exceptions , a W&C Permit would be required for handguns , be they Open or Concealed , or combination .

The W&C Permits would default be valid for both Open and Concealed . But rarely was anything actually Default , restrictive language on individual Permits was authorized in the original 1972 statutes , and MSP has always taken that to heart to always have restrictive language . Sometimes that included " Open Only " .

From 1972 to 2013 , violation of restrictions was not criminal per se , but MSP would Administratively Revoke at the drop of a hat .

Along those lines , MSP would actually Revoke , or threaten to Revoke for people w/ " Permits" to actually Open Carry outside of environments that traditionally had exposed firearms . ( ie causing undue alarm to the public ).

Is this warm to the background the OP is seeking ?

Added- Maryland has Never had a document or process titled CCW

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tjaw said:

Yeah, I am aware that MD has no, and has not had CCW. Part if the reason for my question is that from what I have seen and experienced thus far as a holder of MD W&C, is that most of the training and discussion is oriented to CCW. This just seems to be a misperception. I am pointing out what seems to me to be inconsistency in understanding Wear and Carry.

I do not openly carry 'cause Gun! Gun!! Gun!!!, though at some point I might do so just to test the regulation. I am a staunch 2A advocate who believes the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of *Rights* trumps (no pun intended) MD regulation. The Right to keep and bear arms for self-defense and defense of my family is not a *privilege* bestowed on the Subjects of Maryland,

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travistheone said:

there are concealment methods available for any mode of dress from gym shorts and t-shirt on up.

will you carry a big ol' wheel gun on your hip and hide it under a t-shirt? no.

can you carry a glock 19 under a t-shirt appendix in waistband? sure!

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erwos said:

PHLster Engima is the new hotness for this sort of thing... if you can get one. All the concealability and speed of traditional AIWB, and the big downsides (aka, taking your gun off in the bathroom) are gone.

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erwos said:

PHLster Engima is the new hotness for this sort of thing... if you can get one. All the concealability and speed of traditional AIWB, and the big downsides (aka, taking your gun off in the bathroom) are gone.

Click to expand...