Simply put, there is no permit required for concealed carry. Open carry is okay, too; it's up to the individual's discretion. I was reading comments in one of the 1911 forums, last year, and saw a comment by a California Highway Patrolman who said he grew up in Alaska. His comment was that guns in Alaska are like drugs in California: everyone's got some.
That's true. It's also true that nearly everyone carries, most of the time. Some folks choose not to bring them to work; and some employers have banned them inside their buildings. This, of course, varies widely by employer & work conditions. State law does permit the owner of any building to post a specifically-worded sign, prohibiting firearms inside.
I stated yesterday that we could carry in City Hall. That was true when the State enacted its preemption law a couple of years ago, but - according to Anchorage P.D. - the city has now posted "no firearms" signs on its facilities.
Anyone who is 21 years of age & otherwise legally able to purchase a firearm can also carry concealed. We cannot carry:
- While intoxicated or under the influence of drugs.
- On or in any school property or grounds, government building or court building.
- In any place or premise where alcohol is sold for consumption. It is an affirmative defense, however, if possession occurred at a place designated as a restaurant and the person did not consume intoxicating liquor.
- In any place where signs are posted indicating the prohibition of firearms.
- In any private residence without the permission of the owner/resident.
Other than that, carry is practically encouraged. Since there are bears in many of the city parks (they tend to be near streams) and many moose, it's amazing how common concealed carry is. I've seen some guys packing so much concealed hardware that it makes the anti-shoplifting devices at stores flicker a few times as they enter.
Another example: at our church, we were discussing this topic and asked how many people had - right then - knives with blades longer than three inches. Almost every hand in the congregation went up. Then we asked how many people were also carrying firearms. About three-quarters of the hands stayed up. In that group of about 120, that represented around 90 firearms in the room.
The sound man, a rather large fellow, showed me his knife after church; he was carrying a 12" bowie under his sweatshirt. I jokingly asked where his pistol was; he said he had a .454 in his truck. Okay then.
And yet no one was injured or killed. No weapons were brandished; no shots were fired. I know the anti-gunners would probably get the vapors by the sheer volume of shootin' irons ... so here we have a city of 280,000 people, with many more firearms than that. And none of us shot anyone on the way to work this morning.
To sum it up, I was standing in line at the local coffee shop the other day, and a good friend came up from behind and put her arm around my waist. I had a brief moment of anxiety as I knew she could tell my 1911 was there. She looked up at me and said, "I love men with guns."
Eat your hearts out, guys. :)
5 comments:
Good post.
But don't forget. It is illegal to bring arms into a State building or a Muni building now. Or hospitals.... out of respect.
Open carry is not really looked on well, so CC is the way to go. The only real laws up here concerning guns are those that are of class III variety. And right now I would rather just have a AR-15 without having to get a permit from the U.S. Gov to make it fully auto. They don't need to know what I buy.
Also, most guns are registared, if you buy NEW. If you buy older, especially up here at gun shows, you don't usually have to fill out the forms.
FYI.
Yes, the gov't. building restriction is already on the list above. I've not had any problem with open carry, personally, so maybe we just shop in different places. I've wandered through Wal-Mart for an hour, once or twice, without even remembering I was open carrying, and no one even looked at me.
I don't know as I'd say *everyone* carries, at least in town... but the percentage is significantly higher I think than most anywhere else I've been... some parts of Idaho excepted.
Maybe 5-10%? (though that number came from an informal poll of church ladies, so extrapolate out from there for the menfolk as you please. :p)
That said, this *is* the only place I've seen a "take your AR15 to work day" in a plain ol' office for show and tell.
I should explain: "I forgot I was open carrying" means I had been wearing a vest, took it off when I got home, and then ran to the store without putting the vest back on. I knew I was carrying; I forgot that the pistol was uncovered.
By the way, I understand what Upinak said about not carrying at hospitals. However, there is no legal prohibition against carrying there.
I am so jealous of your right to open or concealed carry here in the UK the Police and Goverment would be having kitten's yet as you so rightly point out there is no blood running in the streets or a shoot out on every corner,i have been a shooter for over 40yrs and have never felt the need to shoot anybody nore would i want to,i worked for i Gun Shop for 10yrs and when we opened the Post Office 6 doors up was worried someone would buy a gun from us and come and rob them mind you they soon changed there minds when they saw how much business we brought there way,post office now closed thanks to the Goverment, Gun Shop still there 15yrs later.
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