I haven't really touched on this matter as I am not that large of an open carry (OC) advocate. I have lived in a couple open carry states where the "Open Carry Movement" has been a big thing, those state's being PA and VA.
Currently open carry is legal in Iowa provided the following:
1: In unincorporated areas you may open carry without a permit while on foot. You may not OC in a vehicle without an Iowa Permit to Carry Weapons.
2: With an Iowa Permit to carry weapons. The Iowa permit is not a concealed carry permit no matter what some ill informed persons try to claim. However issuing authorities can currently restrict permits to being concealed carry permits.
3: Of course while on the range etc. / hunting trapping you can OC.
After the Jan. 1st 2011 the issuing authority will no longer be able to add restrictions. SF 2379 does not change Iowa's status as an OC w/ permit state. What has kept a lot of people from open carrying is that currently issuing authorities can revoke permits almost as easily as denying them outright and many think (and rightfully so) that a "Man with a gun" (MWAG) call from a "concerned" citizen could lead to their permit being revoked by a not so carry friendly Sheriff. While I have not heard of this happening. It's not too hard to imagine.
It should also be noted that any permits issued prior to 1-1-11 can still be restricted and such restrictions would still be legal and valid until either the permit expires or an unrestricted permit is issued. If you live in a county known for jackassedness regarding permits, if you are not in immediate need of a permit, just wait till 1-1-11.
So where does that leave us post 1-1-11?
Many persons that are against shall issue, Sheriffs and other politicians etc. are looking for any reason to balk at the shall issue bill, one of the things they high lighted in a recent article in the local paper in which they spouted off their ignorance thinking that every John and Jane with a pistol and a permit is going to be open carrying and scaring the sheeple. Regardless of the idiocy, they will be looking for examples to direct their FUDness (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) at.
It is the view of the Iowa Firearms Coalition (Formerly Iowa Carry) that we should wait for shall issue to be proven not to be the disaster that the mainstream media (MSM) always says is going to happen (Insert lame sound bite about blood running in the street, living in the old west and people getting shot over parking spaces) prior to partaking in the open carry movement. At current I tend to agree with them. Here's why.
We know that shall issue works, the MSM knows shall issue works, but they are going to try and scare the uneducated masses that it doesn't work. Iowa currently has no amendment in the State Constitution protecting the right to keep and bare arms, and it's rumored that some Sheriff's and legislators are conferring with an Administrative Law Judge to stay, or quash 2379. They are not going to give up so easily. "They" don't want us to be able to carry without their permission. "They" don't like loosing their power. Even Sheriffs that were relatively shall issue in their own practices don't like this bill because it strips them of the power that they are accustomed to having regardless of whether or not they use it in that manner. "They" will be looking for anything to use against shall issue.
Now while Iowa has more Republicans in office, it gives us a little more leeway but let us not forget that in the last session in CA legislation was introduced to prohibit open carry of unloaded handguns because the open carry movement scared the folks at Starbucks. Thankfully we have Heller and McDonald plowing roads for us which may have helped in CA.
I don't think that there's ever been a state that's gone back to may issue after going shall issue, but as Iowa is a little "off" regarding politics I wouldn't be surprised if an attempt was made.
The bottom line is that open carry is legal today, and it will be legal after 1-11-11 but don't expect to see a giant increase in open carriers right away. I've open carried in PA, I've open carried in VA and eventually I'll probably open carry in Iowa, but I think I'll let things settle down first before scaring the natives and I will not be OC'ing a majority of the time.
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