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We're planning a trip to New Mexico and Colorado this summer. It appears that both of these states allow open carry (with some location restrictions). I'm trying to decide if I should open carry while in those states. Does anyone here have any knowledge or experience with open carry in those states?

I've been to both states multiple times in the last year and I never saw anyone open carrying. I wasn't in big cities either but instead in very remote areas. I have been told by some New Mexico police officers that it is legal but they never saw anyone doing it either. They said it was mostly for people hiking in the mountains and stuff like that.

Having said that I don't think it would be a bad idea. However why use your vacation time to experiment with a new type of carry? I mean is it just for the heck of it? If/when open carry is allowed in Texas I'll be happy to see it. However I don't see myself going out and making a regular practice of doing it. If I do it at all.

We spent 4-1/2 summers (May - Sep) in rural Lake City, CO at Elev 8700 deep in the San Juan Mountains. The last half of the last summer (2009) we traveled across UT, NV, CA, WA, ID and ended up on Flathead Lake in MT for all of SEP '09. To answer your question, we saw NOBODY except the LEO's with an OC in all of that time and all of those miles. YMMV.

Furthermore, we spent last SEP & OCT in rural NC and VA, two more OC states. If you guessed that we saw no OC there either, you're entitled to a free e-cigar.

I have OCed in NM before. The best advice I can give you is to research where you can/can't carry, and keep in mind that OC will be required in order to carry more than one handgun as their laws/regulations allow you to CC only one firearm. Additionally, in order to not stand out, don't act goofy and keep your hands off your gun unless you need it.

I have open carried on vacation in states where it's legal and I never saw Oldgringo in any of those states.

Barbi Q wrote:I have open carried on vacation in states where it's legal and I never saw Oldgringo in any of those states.

Nor I you. Other than the exposed gun, what else should I look for?

Lived in CO Springs for 3 years, saw OC occasionally, now, I will say that when we first spotted it, I thought the men were LEO...but a friend told us about OC...and then we realized what we were seeing, when. Now, last I heard, there is no OC in Denver...and many, many places are posted against CHL's (think San Fran in Colorado, ok, maybe not that bad, but close when it comes to gun laws and I really liked Denver) things may have changed in the last couple of years, I doubt it, but check.

I was primarily interested in OC on the days we will be on ATVs in the back country and during the travel to and from Silverton. I don't think it would be an issue in remote areas but when we are getting ready to leave our accommodations in town in the mornings or returning in the evenings, I just dont want to have any problems if someone notices.

Commander wrote:I was primarily interested in OC on the days we will be on ATVs in the back country and during the travel to and from Silverton. I don't think it would be an issue in remote areas but when we are getting ready to leave our accommodations in town in the mornings or returning in the evenings, I just dont want to have any problems if someone notices.

Your OC shouldn't be any issue up Cinnamon, Engineer, Animas Forks, etc.; however, unless a major change has taken place since the summer of '09, your OC may be a whole lot more welcome in Silverton and Ouray than is your ATV. Check it out.

Enjoy, be safe and good luck!

Oldgringo wrote:
however, unless a major change has taken place since the summer of '09 your OC may be a whole lot more welcome in Silverton and Ouray than is your ATV. Check it out.

Enjoy, be safe and good luck!

Now that has my curiosity up.....what's the issue with ATVs?

Commander wrote:

Oldgringo wrote:
however, unless a major change has taken place since the summer of '09 your OC may be a whole lot more welcome in Silverton and Ouray than is your ATV. Check it out.

Enjoy, be safe and good luck!

Now that has my curiosity up.....what's the issue with ATVs?

From memory and fairly recent experience:

Colorado law does not allow unlicensed vehicles on state and county roads as a rule. Ouray and Silverton seriously enforce, or did, the ATV ban within the city limits. Lake City, not so much but it is still illegal.

There is fantastic ATV riding in the mountains between these three towns; however, riding into town may get you some attention that you probably don't want. Start checking here .

Oldgringo wrote:

Commander wrote:

Oldgringo wrote:
however, unless a major change has taken place since the summer of '09 your OC may be a whole lot more welcome in Silverton and Ouray than is your ATV. Check it out.

Enjoy, be safe and good luck!

Now that has my curiosity up.....what's the issue with ATVs?

From memory and fairly recent experience:

Colorado law does not allow unlicensed vehicles on state and county roads as a rule. Ouray and Silverton seriously enforce, or did, the ATV ban within the city limits. Lake City, not so much but it is still illegal.

There is fantastic ATV riding in the mountains between these three towns; however, riding into town may get you some
attention that you probably don't want. Start checking here .

Thanks for the clarification, we'll be okay as the ATVs will be trailered to/from the trail heads. I wasn't sure exactly what you were referring to. We were there last in '03 and had a great time.

Commander wrote:

Oldgringo wrote:

Commander wrote:

Oldgringo wrote:
however, unless a major change has taken place since the summer of '09 your OC may be a whole lot more welcome in Silverton and Ouray than is your ATV. Check it out.

Enjoy, be safe and good luck!

Now that has my curiosity up.....what's the issue with ATVs?

From memory and fairly recent experience:

Colorado law does not allow unlicensed vehicles on state and county roads as a rule. Ouray and Silverton seriously enforce, or did, the ATV ban within the city limits. Lake City, not so much but it is still illegal.

There is fantastic ATV riding in the mountains between these three towns; however, riding into town may get you some
attention that you probably don't want. Start checking here .

Thanks for the clarification, we'll be okay as the ATVs will be trailered to/from the trail heads. I wasn't sure exactly what you were referring to. We were there last in '03 and had a great time.

We thoroughly enjoyed our Polaris 500 X2 the four summers we spent in Lake City. You might want to comfirm it, but I think the current ATV registration and insurance requirements have been put in place since '03.

Be careful and enjoy.

I OC in the Colorado Wilderness Areas and from my house to the trailheads every day for 5 months every year, and, if I have seen any of you there, I didn't know it. OC is not very widespread. I have been warned that Denver LEOs mostly don't like the laws allowing both OC and CC, and look for excuses to arrest you for disturbing the peace, or whetever it is called now, if someone throws a fit upon spotting the weapon. So, I CC in all towns and cities in Colorado.