Open carry of fake guns.

[cwegga]

I want to post this story because I thought it was interesting and I'm sure many of you don't read the site it was posted on. It looks like Kirkland is unfriendly to open carrying fake rifles...

What really hits me in the gut is how many of the commenters think that everything happened as it should have, that if you don't know what model gun it is that it is fine to call it an AK-47 and that you should call the cops on people legally carrying a gun (or movie prop) down the street, or that even think it is illegal to carry a rifle down the street. :huh:

Anyways here's the link to the story:
http://kotaku.com/5351721/police-swarm-to-bungie-on-weapons-call-during-kotaku-visit

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[PhysicsGuy]

That's one heck of an AK-47!

 

[cwegga]

Yeah, I love how the cops advised them to cover it next time. What are they supposed to do, drape a giant sheet over it?

 

[Nightshade]

nice pics in the back ground,I'm thinking he would have to open carry just where would you conceal that. ok ok don't tell me

 

[wichaka]

I wouldn't say they are unfriendly to open carrying of fake rifles, its just that the people who live and work there probably don't have much exposure to firearms, other than the news and movies.

With all the shootings our country has had this year, this type of response is to be expected.

 

[RVNvet]

Believe it or not, while one can open-carry an unloaded firearm in Beaverton, or even a loaded one if one has a CCW permit, and concealed-carry a loaded firearm with a CCW permit, it is illegal to carry a 'fake' or 'replica,' and there is no exception for a person with a CCW permit! Seems odd to me, but Police Chief Dave Bishop made a strong case for the ordinance at the hearings concerning it, illustrating his point with a number of potentially deadly situations in which his officers had confronted people, usually teens, with AirSoft and similar realistic looking 'toys.' Below is the ordinance, which has now been adopted by several other Portland area cities.

5.08.260 Prohibitions.

A. No person shall possess a replica firearm in a public place.

B. No person shall intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence point or discharge a replica firearm at another person, said other person being located in a public place.

C. No person shall possess on school premises a device that otherwise would be a replica firearm but for the fact that:

1. The device is constructed entirely of opaque materials colored bright red, bright orange, bright yellow, bright green, bright blue or bright purple, either singly or in combination with other listed colors; or

2. The device is constructed entirely of transparent or translucent materials that permit unmistakable observation of the complete contents of the device; or

3. The device is constructed entirely of a mixture of materials described in subsections (C)(1) and (2) of this section. [BC 5.08.260, added by Ordinance No. 4423, 2/26/07]

 

[Searcher451]

Every time I read the title of this thread, it makes me shake my head and think about what a generally bad idea this is, in spite of all of the laws that are (or are not) on the books. If you are going to carry a gun, open or concealed, carry a gun and not a toy. A fake gun can get you killed, and in a lot of ugly ways.

 

[cyclesarge]

A LOT of mis-information in the responses.

I think it is generally better to let the "normal" people think that there aren't as many AK-47's (as well as AR15's,M16's, suppressor's,SBS's,SBR's,etc) as there are. That way the blue-haired old ladies that vote on things like helmet laws and call the cops about a fantasy replica gun, don't vote our rights out of existence.

On a side note my wife (who's not into guns at all) told me that AR's are against the law, everywhere (I own one, and I'm building a second for an SBR) and that machine guns and suppressors are only legal in Idaho (I own one suppressor and having another in process), I guess it's a "let sleeping dogs lie" situation.

 

[markw76]

Look at it from the other viewpoint.

If you were observing that, with all the whack jobs taking shots at people over the years, and the advice still in your head that "if it looks like a firearm, it's a firearm" for the purpose of taking precautions to make sure you go home after the shift is over, wouldn't you assume it's a real gun? Assuming otherwise gets people killed. Keith's in Gresham had a anti-tank rifle sitting in there the other day, just as large as that Halo thing. KPD handled it just fine IMO.

Box it up and transport it that way. People will think you're an IKEA nut instead of a homicidal maniac.