| − | '''Open carry''' laws guarantee the right of citizens to openly carry a gun virtually anywhere, provided they have the right to own a gun. Note that it may be necessary to obtain a permit first. "Open carry" is in contrast with "concealed carry," whereby the gun is concealed from view by others. | + | '''Open carry''' laws guarantee the right of citizens to openly carry a gun virtually anywhere, provided they have the right to own a gun. Note that it may be necessary to obtain a permit first. "Open carry" is in contrast with "[[concealed carry]]," whereby the gun is concealed from view by others. |
| | The vast majority of states in the [[United States]] have open-carry laws, only some of which require a special permit to do it.<ref>https://blogs.wsj.com/numbers/map-where-is-open-carry-legal-1715/</ref> Effective Jan. 1, 2016, Texas became the largest state to legalize open carry. | | The vast majority of states in the [[United States]] have open-carry laws, only some of which require a special permit to do it.<ref>https://blogs.wsj.com/numbers/map-where-is-open-carry-legal-1715/</ref> Effective Jan. 1, 2016, Texas became the largest state to legalize open carry. |
| − | Open carry of firearms is fairly common, and predominantly a practice of middle and upper class residents in the rural regions of many Central American and South American countries, primarily for self-defense. Doing so is legal in most Latin American jurisdictions, but laws on registration and vehicular carry vary widely. Open carry is rare in cities, where concealed carry is more commonplace. These countries include Brazil,<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4368598.stm "Brazilians reject gun sales ban" BBC News online edition]</ref> Colombia,<ref>http://advocacynet.org/wordpress-mu/rgerome/lang/en-us/blog/2009/07/01/spotlight-on-guns-in-colombia/</ref> Ecuador,<ref>http://www.newwest.net/city/article/when_clouds_clear/C8/L8/</ref> El Salvador,<ref>http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1109.html</ref> Guyana,<ref>http://guyana360.blogspot.com/2006/08/degeneration-of-guyanese-society.html</ref> Honduras,<ref>http://lagringasblogicito.blogspot.com/2007/02/guns-everywhere.html</ref> and Nicaragua.<ref>http://www.nicaliving.com/node/737</ref> | + | Open carry of firearms is fairly common, and predominantly a practice of middle and upper-class residents in the rural regions of many Central American and South American countries, primarily for self-defense. Doing so is legal in most Latin American jurisdictions, but laws on registration and vehicular carry vary widely. Open carry is rare in cities, where concealed carry is more commonplace. These countries include Brazil,<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4368598.stm "Brazilians reject gun sales ban" BBC News online edition]</ref> Colombia,<ref>http://advocacynet.org/wordpress-mu/rgerome/lang/en-us/blog/2009/07/01/spotlight-on-guns-in-colombia/</ref> Ecuador,<ref>http://www.newwest.net/city/article/when_clouds_clear/C8/L8/</ref> El Salvador,<ref>http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1109.html</ref> Guyana,<ref>http://guyana360.blogspot.com/2006/08/degeneration-of-guyanese-society.html</ref> Honduras,<ref>http://lagringasblogicito.blogspot.com/2007/02/guns-everywhere.html</ref> and Nicaragua.<ref>http://www.nicaliving.com/node/737</ref> |