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Been open carrying now for several days...

Ironbar

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2009
Messages
385
Location
Tigard, Oregon, USA
imported post

...and so far, no hassles whatsoever!

I have my CCW, so I can carry in those cities that disallow open carry. I've been all over the place for the past several days.

  • Home Depot
  • Lowes
  • Parr Lumber
  • Safeway
  • Starbucks
  • Bally Total Fitness
  • Best Teriyaki
  • McDonals
  • Jack in The Box
  • etc
Only a few curious stares, and only one comment from the cute gal at Bally's. It was something along the lines of, "Is that a GUN on your hip?" Why yes, yes it is. Just exercising my 2nd ammendment rights. And the guy behind the counter said, "Good! Wish everyone did!"

No run-in's with LEO's, no panicky people, and requests to leave the premises. So far so good!
 

Autonym

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2009
Messages
115
Location
, Oregon, USA
imported post

Awesome, Iron, good to hear!

How long did it take Washington County to get back to you with your CHL? I have my Glamor Shots/10-card appointment on the 17th of this month.

Once I get my CHL, we should have coffee or lunch somewhere. Are you making it to Bomber's this Thursday?
 

Inspire

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jul 28, 2008
Messages
31
Location
McMiniville/Corvallis, Oregon, USA
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You had to make an appointment for your CHL?!

You're tempting me to open carry more now, I've only done it once with another member here and it was at a 7/11, not even a curious stare from the women behind the counter.
 

Autonym

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2009
Messages
115
Location
, Oregon, USA
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Yeah, every county is a little different.

In Yamhill County, it's a walk-in, but only at a certain time and day. You fill out the form, do the glamor shots and 10-card, pay the fee, and then wait awhile.

In Washington County, they require two references to validate your "mental stability", since one of the provisos of the CHL is that the Sheriff can decide to NOT issue a CHL to a mentally unstable person. So in WC, you fill out the form and send it in, then wait for an appointment to come in to pay the fee and get your picture and 10-card taken. This gives them time to mail out questionnaires to your 2 references and to get them back in time.

My appointment time was set ~2 weeks after I mailed in my application. I don't know how long it will take after my appointment for them to approve and mail out my card. I've asked other WC CHL carriers on here about how long different phases take, but no one's mentioned anything yet.

Yamhill is definitely an easier place to get it done. I tried to get mine done in Yamhill since I own property in the county (off of Bald Peak), but they said no, you need to get the CHL in whatever county the address of what your driver's license says.

Since my mailing address is still Sherwood, in Washington County, I have to go to them for the CHL.
 

Inspire

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jul 28, 2008
Messages
31
Location
McMiniville/Corvallis, Oregon, USA
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Ouch, oh well, atleast you'll still be able to get it and OC in the meantime.

I lived in California for the past two years and oh boy, don't even get me started about the CHL process there. I'll fill you in on that when we do coffee.

Yeah Yamhill was awesome, I got my permit 31 days later in the mail after I filled out the application.

Still waiting on my Washington state CHL (CPL) though, hopefully that'll be here by mid September.
 

Xader

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2009
Messages
70
Location
, Oregon, USA
imported post

Inspire wrote:
Still waiting on my Washington state CHL (CPL) though, hopefully that'll be here by mid September.

You shoulda gone to Goldendale.

A coworker and I were in and out with CPLs in-hand in under an hour.
 

We-the-People

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2009
Messages
2,221
Location
White City, Oregon, USA
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Inspire wrote:
I lived in California for the past two years and oh boy, don't even get me started about the CHL process there. I'll fill you in on that when we do coffee.

My CCW in Taxifornia was easy, filled out the app, paid went to the City PD and paid the fees, two days later got a phone call "Come on down, Chief said to give you a permit". I didn't get it that day but that's all the longer the approval took. As soon as the state rubber stamped it (couple weeks) they called me back in to issue it.

No BS, no interview, NOTHING other than the state required paperwork and the fees.

It all depends on what part of Cali, who you know, and what your background check looks like. I'm sure it helps to have been investigated for a security clearance. When they see that you went through a TS clearance investigation all they have to do is "top off" since the date of that investigation.
 

Autonym

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2009
Messages
115
Location
, Oregon, USA
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Yeah, sadly, it does make a Huge difference where you live in Cali for getting your permit. I lived in the south Bay Area, and could have applied at either the city or county level. No chance at either, despite my TS/SCI clearance.

Thankfully, I don't have to worry about that anymore...
 

We-the-People

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2009
Messages
2,221
Location
White City, Oregon, USA
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Autonym wrote:
Yeah, sadly, it does make a Huge difference where you live in Cali for getting your permit. I lived in the south Bay Area, and could have applied at either the city or county level. No chance at either, despite my TS/SCI clearance.

Thankfully, I don't have to worry about that anymore...

"Shall issue" is a great thing up here. Even in the Portland area where, by their ordinances, it seems obvious they are WAY anti gun, they don't have a choice but to issue unless you're a bad guy.

Strangely, it seems to me that their ordinances are simply causing more people to apply for CHL. Then the anti gun city has no say in whether those people OC or CC. Not to mention they've created an atmosphere where there are people walking around with unloaded OC as well as those with CHL who OC loaded. That seems pretty irresponsible to me as every gun should be considered loaded and you KNOW the cops who come up to someone carrying are treating it as a loaded weapon.

What happens when they shoot some guy with a holstered unloaded weapon because they (cops) have a negligent or other firing incident? I'm guessing if that happens, those ordinances may disappear rather quickly in the face of the lawsuits.
 

Cremator75

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2007
Messages
392
Location
Beaverton, Oregon, USA
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Autonym wrote:
but they said no, you need to get the CHL in whatever county the address of what your driver's license says.

Since my mailing address is still Sherwood, in Washington County, I have to go to them for the CHL.
They always try to tell people that, but if you have two properties it is not true. My buddy just got his 6 months ago. His DL has an address in Yahatts, OR, but his CHL has his address in Tigard. He called them and explained the situation and they let him do it no problem. He showed them his DL address, but mail with his Tigard address and they were OK with it.
 

Autonym

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2009
Messages
115
Location
, Oregon, USA
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Yeah, I tried that. Drove all the way down to McMinnville. The Yamhill County Sheriff's Deputy manning the CHL desk that day refused to give me a CHL and told me to go to Washington County.

My appointment for Washington County is Monday, so... we'll see...
 

Ironbar

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2009
Messages
385
Location
Tigard, Oregon, USA
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Autonym,

Sorry, I hadn't checked in on this thread for a bit.

Took about a month from the day of the appt to the time I got my permit.

In the mean time, if you do decide to open carry, I suggest you view the other thread in this forum about OC ban in certain cities. Most of the Portland Metro area is covered by that ban.
 

Autonym

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2009
Messages
115
Location
, Oregon, USA
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Thanks, Iron.

Yeah, I've scoped out the areas where loaded OC is banned - I even made a map, since I'm still getting used to the area and where things are. There's basically a big red NO GO area around Portland and west to Beaverton and south to Tigard.

My appointment's tomorrow, so... yeah, I guess that makes it T-Minus One Month...

Thanks again

~Auto
 

We-the-People

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2009
Messages
2,221
Location
White City, Oregon, USA
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Autonym wrote:
Thanks, Iron.

Yeah, I've scoped out the areas where loaded OC is banned - I even made a map, since I'm still getting used to the area and where things are. There's basically a big red NO GO area around Portland and west to Beaverton and south to Tigard.

My appointment's tomorrow, so... yeah, I guess that makes it T-Minus One Month...

Thanks again

~Auto

Yeah, my wife and I are planning a trip up to the Portland area. She'll CC as she's not as confident in defending her rights as I am. I'll be OC and ready for any encounters with flyers in hand (containing ORS references and text) as well as TWO audio recorders. Plan is, inform of recording and if I've got a BG LEO who takes it, I'll have the other still running and he'll think he's "free and clear". My new recorder is 17hour digital capability so I thought about just leaving it running but reconsidered because then I'd have to notify everyone I spoke to and don't want to do that. So it will be set up to record quickly. Also, it fits nicely into the magazine holder on my holster and the mic faces up so it will be a great recording. (already tested it out).

I have to keep asking myself "am I doing this because I want an encounter or am I just being prepared". So far the answer is always "just being prepared". When it changes to "I'm not sure" or "want an encounter", I'm stopping the OC until that changes back. Just my personal methodolgy, your mileage may vary.
 

Ironbar

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2009
Messages
385
Location
Tigard, Oregon, USA
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WTP,

I haven't had any encounters with Portland PD while OC'ing, so unfortunately I can'tprovide you with a frame of reference. However, your plan of attack for LEO encounters sounds sort of like...well...an attack.

In a very sane and common sense article once published by Ben Stein called, Seven Mistakes Winners Don't Make, one of the seven points was, that sometimes, in order to get along, you have to go along. Now this doesn't mean caving in every time someone exerts pressure on you, however, my M.O. as far as open carrying is to be as polite & cooperative with LE as possible. These guys are ordinary citizens too. IMO, the more positive impression they have with people who OC the better. It looks better for all of us, and will eventually make it easier to influence our lawmakers that people who carry guns does not automatically = "dangerous person."

Good luck!
 

We-the-People

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2009
Messages
2,221
Location
White City, Oregon, USA
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Ironbar wrote:
WTP,

I haven't had any encounters with Portland PD while OC'ing, so unfortunately I can'tprovide you with a frame of reference. However, your plan of attack for LEO encounters sounds sort of like...well...an attack.

In a very sane and common sense article once published by Ben Stein called, Seven Mistakes Winners Don't Make, one of the seven points was, that sometimes, in order to get along, you have to go along. Now this doesn't mean caving in every time someone exerts pressure on you, however, my M.O. as far as open carrying is to be as polite & cooperative with LE as possible. These guys are ordinary citizens too. IMO, the more positive impression they have with people who OC the better. It looks better for all of us, and will eventually make it easier to influence our lawmakers that people who carry guns does not automatically = "dangerous person."

Good luck!



Oh polite and cooperative with LEO at all times. However, I know how the system works when there is no reliabledisinterested third party witness and there are "bad cops". Don't get me wrong, I know the vast majority are fine upstanding citizens trying their best to do the best job possible.

The flyers I mentioned are intended as educational material for any who may ask as well as to have a handy quick reference in any conversations with an LEO where he's mistaken on the law.

The reason for two audio recorders is that some officers believe that they can refuse to be recorded and if it's a "bad cop" that believes that, I want the encounter on audio.

The purpose of OC, in my mind, is to educate both the public as well as LEO. The main thing they need to be educated in is that there are a LOT of legally carried guns out there on the streets, they just don't see them. Another is that it's legal and that it's legal with a CHL almost everywhere.

I'm not out to find a bad cop and bust him. That's not my job. But I do want to make damn sure that I've taken steps to ensure that only FACTS stand up in any court case resulting from a "bad cop" (or bad policy that a cop is just trying to enforce because he's told to).
 

freak21

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Joined
Jul 23, 2009
Messages
15
Location
, ,
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Took about 3 weeks for my Washington county CHL permit to come in the mail.

Got it back in April.

Have only OC'ed once due to having no choice due to being in uniform. No weird looks probaly due to uniform.
 

Autonym

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2009
Messages
115
Location
, Oregon, USA
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Yeah, I have the "LEO-Look" and so I don't think anyone's been overly concerned yet. I've been OC'ing when going out to lunch or dinner.

Went to Red Robin last night with my G19 on the hip - not one comment. I left one of my "Why I Carry a Handgun" cards in with the bill holder when I left anyway.

Went to Home Depot as well, completely uneventful. I guess it's working, folks!

I was told my CHL would be mailed out in three weeks when I was there for my appointment. Can't wait!
 
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