Prohibit Open Carry
Prohibit Open Carry
What does this solve?
Carrying firearms visibly in public, known as open carry, is a dangerous policy. It is exploited by white supremacists and opposed by law enforcement and the public. Members of hate groups regularly openly carry guns in a show of intimidation.
Research shows that the presence of a visible gun makes people more aggressive. Allowing guns to be carried openly in public also makes it very difficult to distinguish between the “good guys” and the “bad guys” during an active shooter incident. States should prohibit guns from being carried openly in public.
Myth & Fact
Myth
Regulating open carry would violate the Second Amendment.
Fact
Several states have laws prohibiting or otherwise regulating open carry, such as prohibitions on firearms at demonstrations, that are entirely consistent with the Second Amendment. Restrictions on public carry—including open carry—of firearms trace back to at least the fourteenth century, and have existed throughout the history of the United States.
Featured Resources
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A License to Kill: Shoot First Laws, also known as Stand Your Ground
Shoot First laws distort the public perception of lawful self-defense and encourage people to shoot first and ask questions later.
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Gun Law Navigator
The Gun Law Navigator is the largest historical database of modern U.S. gun laws.
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Armed COVID-19 Protests Exploit Open Carry Loophole
Lawmakers should close the open carry loophole and regulate open carry, particularly at demonstrations held on capitol grounds.
All Resources
Prohibit Open Carry
All Resources
Road Rage Shootings Are Continuing to Surge
Reports of road rage shootings have increased significantly during the pandemic. With easy access to guns, road rage can turn deadly.
Everytown Research & PolicyArmed Extremism Primer: Oath Keepers
The Oath Keepers organize around conspiracy theories and propaganda about the reasonable regulation of firearms.
Fact Sheet
Armed Extremism Primer: Sovereign Citizens
Sovereign citizens fall under the umbrella of the wider right-wing anti-government extremist movement, which can include fixation on guns.
Fact SheetArmed Assembly: Guns, Demonstrations, and Political Violence in America
Armed demonstrations are nearly six times as likely to turn violent or destructive compared to unarmed demonstrations.
Report
Armed Extremism Primer: The Boogaloo
The boogaloo movement has risen to national prominence as a new and dangerous subset of the extreme right in the United States.
Fact Sheet
More Than Brawlers: The Proud Boys and Armed Extremism
Many far-right groups, including the Proud Boys, use fearmongering and conspiracy theories in an attempt to stop any reform of gun laws.
Fact Sheet
The Role of Guns & Armed Extremism in the Attack on the U.S. Capitol
The attack on the U.S. Capitol is the latest demonstration of the danger armed extremism poses to our democracy.
Report
Armed and Dangerous: How the Gun Lobby Enshrines Guns as Tools of the Extreme Right
For decades, the gun lobby has enabled extremists to access guns through its opposition of common sense gun laws.
Report
Guns in Bars
Guns and alcohol don’t mix. There is strong evidence that people under the influence of alcohol are at an elevated risk of violent behavior.
Fact Sheet