Carrying concealed and open carrying an AR pistol in MD .... tested

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  • Bullfrog

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 8, 2009
    15,158
    Carroll County
    Why is it we can't buy pistol ammo and that scary .223/5.56 ammo in Wal-Mart anymore?


    In part, because a 20 year old open carried an AR in a Missouri Wal-Mart, on 8 Aug 2019.



    Which was only 5 days after a lunatic killed 23 people in a Wal-Mart in El Paso; August 3, 2019.


    So Wal-Mart banned open carry and sent a message by removing pistol and some rifle ammo from their shelves, Sept 4, 2019.


    Maybe they would have discontinued the ammo sales anyway, after the shooting. They may have been leaning that way. If so, this incident probably pushed them over the edge. Adding the ban on open carry indicates the young man's exercising of his rights did not have the desired effect.


    Personally, I think anyone legally able to purchase should be able to carry anywhere they are conducting business or personal affairs... including Post Offices, etc. Carry permits and Constitutional carry do not go far enough if I have to worry about stepping onto the wrong sidewalk or parking lot.

    OTOH waving your weenie in people's faces isn't always the best way to excercise, or to expand, your rights.

    The preceeding comment is not directed at the OP, just a thought given the last 6 or 7 posts in this thread.

    I'm glad everything went well for the OP in this incident and I hope it was educational for the officers. I agree they were very professional but it was clear some were not fully familiar with Maryland carry law.
     
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    DC-W

    Ultimate Member
    Patriot Picket
    Jan 23, 2013
    25,290
    ️‍
    9f855fe5b839d059545a0c8d954e625f.jpg
     

    Bullfrog

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 8, 2009
    15,158
    Carroll County
    Kindly give me a break.

    If you go into Lowes, WTF do you need to have a AR strapped on.

    Flat out stupid.


    On the flip side of that, if I am legally transporting an AR and legally able to open carry it, why would I want to leave it in a vehicle where it could potentially be stolen?
     

    TI-tick

    Ultimate Member
    BANNED!!!
    MDS Supporter
    On the flip side of that, if I am legally transporting an AR and legally able to open carry it, why would I want to leave it in a vehicle where it could potentially be stolen?
    Well for starters if it's locked in a vehicle who would know and if you're not sure about that get back to your bunker and secure it.

    In todays time to walk around, in most urban areas, particularly populated areas like Lowes, with an AR, loaded, is asking for trouble.

    Maybe 100% legal but what about the other CCW holder who see's a threat or the LEO who see's this as a threat. And in this case what about the 5-7 LEO's who were on hand to deal with this? Is this the best use of their time?

    Brass balls my ass; moron.
     

    Bullfrog

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 8, 2009
    15,158
    Carroll County
    Well for starters if it's locked in a vehicle who would know and if you're not sure about that get back to your bunker and secure it.

    So any time I have a firearm I need to go directly from the range to my house, with no stops? :innocent0

    In todays time to walk around, in most urban areas, particularly populated areas like Lowes, with an AR, loaded, is asking for trouble.

    Maybe 100% legal but what about the other CCW holder who see's a threat or the LEO who see's this as a threat.
    Do you believe they should see it as a threat?

    I agree that is how it is perceived.

    I would like the perception to change.

    I don't think waving it in their faces is the right way to change the perception.


    And in this case what about the 5-7 LEO's who were on hand to deal with this? Is this the best use of their time?
    How often are they called out on BS calls? I'm sure this wasn't the only one today.

    Maybe if the 911 dispatcher had clarified the manner in which the individual was behaving with the caller they could have resolved it with one or two officers.

    When Del. Smigiel open carried an AR on the street in Maryland a few years ago a single officer responded.
     

    camo556

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 29, 2021
    2,634
    Folks exercising open carry; going back to the Black Panthers in the 60's and others beyond gave rise the the BS CA laws where open carry in CA is verboten and a bunch of BS on transporting. Because you can do something does not mean you should do it
    "I support the second amendment butt"

    brah have you been outside MD?

    What I find crazy about MD gun culture is even the pro gun people are anti gun. like shhhhh dont tell people I have guns. you don't want to scare the Karen's. I've been told this is a symptom of battered gun owner symptom.

    The OP is doing it to educate people on their rights.
     

    welder516

    Deplorable Welder
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 8, 2013
    27,307
    Underground Bunker
    The old argument is why do you have to do that is just that old. Sometimes it takes someone to push against the status quo. WQe need to exercise our rights we will get nowhere by being wallflowers or passive IMHO.

    Maybe we could look at the positives like the police learning and training and also the public. Afterall we should be able to follow the law.
     

    pbharvey

    Habitual Testifier
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    30,158
    Calling in a black Taurus pistol on the same call as calling in a black Taurus car would make a good Abbott & Costello skit.
     

    jc1240

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 18, 2013
    14,795
    Westminster, MD
    I wonder what the officers' demeanor would be had this been in Mont. County.

    Since the state's default carry option is long gun open carry, then that shouldn't be a surprise when someone exercises that right. This "allowance" is why they say they can deny anyone a handgun WC permit for any reason and still be in compliance with 2A.
     

    fabsroman

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 14, 2009
    35,852
    Winfield/Taylorsville in Carroll
    I'm at that Lowes once a week... maybe next time I'll bring the AR pistol ;)

    Well done, OP.
    I'm not at that Lowe's that often, but that is the Lowe's I go to. I am in that area though a couple times a month at least. I am rather happy to see that it went the way it did and he was not put in handcuffs and he was not charged with anything.

    Couple things I did not like about the video.

    The female officer with the body cam was handling a loaded handgun and waiving it around. First thing she should have done when she picked it up was to check to see if it was loaded, and if so, to clear it and lock the slide back. I was taught at a very young age to treat every firearm as if it is loaded, to inspect the firearm to see if it is loaded when it is handed to me, and to never point a firearm at anything I did not want to kill even if I knew it was unloaded.

    The officer fumbling with the AR pistol was a disaster.

    Lastly, the female officer's sarcastic comment that "He can just ride around with all this on him?" is ridiculous. Why shouldn't he be able to drive around and walk around with those firearms on him?

    End of the day though, that is about the best outcome that can be expected in Maryland under the circumstances.
     

    fabsroman

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 14, 2009
    35,852
    Winfield/Taylorsville in Carroll
    Surprised they didn’t demand a Form 1 or 4


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    How are things going with you? Hope they are going great. Definitely great to see a post from you on here. Granted, I have stayed away from the 2A forums for a while now and maybe you post here regularly. Just saw this subject line on the right hand feed and decided to check it out.
     

    teratos

    My hair is amazing
    MDS Supporter
    Patriot Picket
    Jan 22, 2009
    59,775
    Bel Air
    I'm not at that Lowe's that often, but that is the Lowe's I go to. I am in that area though a couple times a month at least. I am rather happy to see that it went the way it did and he was not put in handcuffs and he was not charged with anything.

    Couple things I did not like about the video.

    The female officer with the body cam was handling a loaded handgun and waiving it around. First thing she should have done when she picked it up was to check to see if it was loaded, and if so, to clear it and lock the slide back. I was taught at a very young age to treat every firearm as if it is loaded, to inspect the firearm to see if it is loaded when it is handed to me, and to never point a firearm at anything I did not want to kill even if I knew it was unloaded.

    The officer fumbling with the AR pistol was a disaster.

    Lastly, the female officer's sarcastic comment that "He can just ride around with all this on him?" is ridiculous. Why shouldn't he be able to drive around and walk around with those firearms on him?

    End of the day though, that is about the best outcome that can be expected in Maryland under the circumstances.
    More proof that most cops aren’t “gun guys”.
    Also proof that the firearms training most 5-0 receive is inadequate. I’m sure our children could do better.

    This was virgin territory for these MD LEO. They did their due diligence, and asked the right folks about the points they were unsure of. I’ll bet the next time they encounter this, the interaction will be very brief. They will tell their colleagues about it, too.

    MD LEO better get ready. If this SCOTUS is willing to take on Roe, they aren’t going to be afraid of the “bearing” part of the 2A which clearly states “shall not be infringed”. They are going to be deluged with armed citizen calls in just a few months.
     
    May 17, 2022
    4
    Virginia
    As a disclaimer, I am the OP that posted the video here, but i am NOT the person in the video. I just happened to see the video and thought it would be of interested here :)

    I currently have an unrestricted MD permit so certainly was intrigued. Me personally just dont understand why once they got there ,saw guns, asked if he had a permit, and he said YES (and showed it)...that the officers still did more "investigating" i felt was unneccessary. If he has that permit, then right there should be indication of no crime. Citizens call to 911 all the time for incidents that are not a crime. The permit should have dispelled that notion of a crime for the cops, but it didnt. At that point of showing permit, there was no reasonable suspicion that a crime had occurred since report was just possession of guns, not aiming at people, shooting, etc. He should have been on his way rather quickly after showing the permit, but cops clearly aren't that familiar with permits and what he's allowed to do with guns with it. He basically was held up because cops didnt know the law, and had to wait while the cops started learning while on the job...

    The female cop didnt seem happy that he's legally able to carry guns where he wants and how he wants. I find it absurd she wants his whole application information emailed to her? The other cop wants his social security number and where he works because he broke no law? That's a shame. Now i own a nice expensive car, which im pretty sure a lot of you on here do too. I would have been very upset at them banging metal all up on my car like that. Call me petty, but id probably be cursing if it scratched my paint all up and stuff. Go bang and scratch it on the hood of your police car instead...

    Its 2022 and i would just think that cops (her and others) would have had more experience with people with handgun permits. Permits have been issued by md state police for decades.
     
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    outrider58

    Eats Bacon Raw
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 29, 2014
    49,818
    Question: Did this incident occur before or after Buffalo? I need context.
     

    Dave501z

    Member
    Apr 12, 2022
    55
    Harford County Maryland
    Kindly give me a break.

    If you go into Lowes, WTF do you need to have a AR strapped on.

    Flat out stupid.
    I would not carry it but have you watched the news recently and seeing what happened in Buffalo and where the countless other public tragic incidents. Quite possibly that may influenced him to carry that. It’s also a right. In for a big surprise when The Supreme Court announces their decision and people start carrying openly
     

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