In America, open carry refers to the practice of carrying a firearm in public openly.

Open carry is different from concealed carry, as in open carry, people can clearly see that an individual is carry-ing a gun, while in concealed carry, as the name obviously implies, the gun is hidden from plain view.

In recent years, the U.S. has seen a drastic increase in the open carry practice. This is largely due to the many events organized for the purpose of promoting open carry practices and enhancing public awareness about their right to carry a gun. The pro open carry practice groups highlight the point that law abiding citizens proudly display their firearms as compared to the criminals who typically conceal their weapons. There are many groups, like Free State Project, GeorgiaCarry. org, OpenCarry.org, and The Modern American Revolution, which have promoted this practice, leading to rise in open carry in recent years.

Many other groups have been outspoken about their favor of open carry practice. GOA (Gun Owners of America) and the NRA have been spreading awareness about this practice, along with many more groups. However, there are many other groups who are against this practice and strongly oppose it, including Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and Brady Campaign. They argue that carrying guns openly can promote violence in the society, and if someone is carrying a gun, it should at least be concealed.