You Can open Carry an AK but not your sidearm?

[Purplehood]

I reread each post and don't see the response. Can anyone give a reader-friendly response?

[dcphoto]

I reread each post and don't see the response. Can anyone give a reader-friendly response?

Ok, sure. You can carry a rifle or shotgun, loaded or unloaded, openly or concealed, in Texas.

[mr.72]

I reread each post and don't see the response. Can anyone give a reader-friendly response?

Sorry Mr. Purple, I should have phrased my response differently. I meant "yes, you can carry a loaded rifle. It is answered in this very thread".

My bad for being unclear.

[Beiruty]

Yep, legal. But you may be pulled over for "checking":

This is a story from a guy on bike:
http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum51/27177.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hi all,

I know we normally use the term "open carry" to refer to a holstered handgun, but I normally sling a rifle across my back when I ride my motorcycle to the shooting range or to show it off over at a friend's house. I've been doing so frequently without any incident in Houston and Austin, TX and have even passed by (and waved) at several police officers while doing so.

However, I live in an urban area near downtown Houston, where most people don't own a gun and many have probably never seen one in real life (except for cops' sidearms), so I recognize that the sight can frighten some people.

Anyhow, this morning I hopped on my motorcycle with my side-folder AK (actually an AMD-65 paratrooper AK) slung across my back and my SVT-40 slung across my chest (so they wouldn't scrape each other). (I also stuck a Tokarev pistol in a concealed ankle holster and my every-day-carry Glock in my wasteband holster). I hopped on the freeway, and passed a couple of cop cars without any problems. I'm half-way to my buddy's house when I see two cop cars flashing their lights at me, so I pull over and kill the engine (leaving my hands on the handlebars and not taking off my helmet). After a few minutes one cop approaches me slowly while the other backs him up with his gun at his side. The police officer lifts the rifles over my head and sets them down, then handcuffs me, then removes my two handguns. I get a pat-down and get led to the backseat of a copcar. I ask them if I've done something wrong, and they say that they got a call about someone with assault rifles and they're required to respond to it and check it out. Two more cops show up.

The first officer asks me where I'm going and if there's any way I can get a bag for my rifle so they don't get called out every time I go to a shooting range. I inform him that I've been doing this for years and this is the first time I've had any problems and that it's completely legal, even without my CHL. This guy is pretty understanding and tries to make sure I'm comfortable, but none of the other three cops knew that it was legal to carry a rifle. They run my plates, DL, CHL several times to see if anything comes up, and then double check with Central to make sure it's legal to carry rifles. All the while they're joking around about never having actually *seen* "Mad Max" riding down the freeway....

Then, because I'm carrying an "evil black rifle" they want to make sure with ATF that it's not Class III (though that wouldn't have affected the legality of carrying it, just owning it, as long as I had the tax stamp).

I have to spell out the makes/models of my rifles and inform the officers what calibers of round they shoot. They record the serial numbers of all of my firearms. I do not give consent to search my saddlebags, which are locked. One officer tugs on the lid to see if they can be opened without a key.
Eventually most of the cops disperse and the first one lets me out of the back of the cop car, unlocks the cuffs, and tells me I can "load up" and go on my way.

All told, I wasted about half an hour, maybe a little longer.
Uggghh.
I just came back from a road trip wherein I open-carried my Glock all across NM, AZ, NV, UT, CO without any problems. Then again, I've been carrying a rifle on my back for years without a problem. I guess there's a first for everything.

[4t5]

Maybe I'll try that here:

Town Hall Meeting on Monday, 08/24/09

WHO: Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee
WHEN: Monday, August 24, 2009
7:00PM - 9:00PM
WHERE: Travis Elementary
3311 Beauchamp
Houston, Texas 77009

[lonewolf]

Let us know how that works out for you........I may be able to figure it out from the news, though....

Good luck!

[Keith B]

Maybe I'll try that here:

Town Hall Meeting on Monday, 08/24/09

WHO: Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee
WHEN: Monday, August 24, 2009
7:00PM - 9:00PM
WHERE: Travis Elementary
3311 Beauchamp
Houston, Texas 77009

Just remember you will be on school property. Your CHL allows you to carry concealed outside the building, but not inside.

Also, you are exempt from the Gun Free School Zone act when carrying a concealed handgun with a Texas CHL in Texas, but I don't believe you can legally carry a long gun inside that school zone period! IANAL

[TLE2]

Great! It is early Altz!

[E10]

Don't ya'll remember gun racks with shotguns in the back windows o' pickup trucks? When was the last time you saw one o' those?

I've been thinkin' 'bout gettin' one for my Ford Ranger, loadin' up my Mossberg 500, and drivin' around El Paso, just to see how long it would take to get pulled over.

♫'Drives a '57 GMC pickup truck,
Got a gun rack,
"Goat ropers need love, too" sticker.'♪

(thanks to Ray Wylie Hubbard)

[barnjoer]

Here in central Texas it is not uncommon to see A pickup with loaded long guns in A gun rack. I myself have 2 in the gun rack & 1 or 2 behind the seat. That is what is nice about small towns, all the LEO know you & go shoot with you. In A bind they may even call on you to help them under circumstances. I have road with the Sheriff and the Deputy's carrying when they need help. I ask the first time it carrying while with them was A problem & they responded, that is why we called you to ride because you do carry!! Small towns do have some advantages.

[geoelectro]

Don't ya'll remember gun racks with shotguns in the back windows o' pickup trucks? When was the last time you saw one o' those?

I've been thinkin' 'bout gettin' one for my Ford Ranger, loadin' up my Mossberg 500, and drivin' around El Paso, just to see how long it would take to get pulled over.

♫'Drives a '57 GMC pickup truck,
Got a gun rack,
"Goat ropers need love, too" sticker.'♪

(thanks to Ray Wylie Hubbard)

My fear is they would possibly get stolen!

Geoelectro

[age_ranger]

My fear is they would possibly get stolen!

That's what insurance is for

[TheArmedFarmer]

I keep a scoped AR-15 in my truck 100% of the time, very visible in the space between the seats. When I'm in town and am going to be leaving my truck for more than a couple minutes, I throw a towel over it so would-be burglars don't get any ideas.

The truck is old and scratched, so it doesn't look from the outside like there would be anything of value therein.

I've often wondered how it would be to strap the AR-15 behind my back while gassing up at the service station. I haven't tried it yet but maybe one day...