Open carry was observed and uncontroversial at the NRA Annual Meeting in Atlanta in 2025. It was a bit more common at the NRA Annual Meeting in Atlanta in 2017, as documented in AmmoLand News then. Georgia passed Constitutional Carry (permitless carry) in 2022.

Permitless carry applies to all lawful weapons carriers, as defined in Georgia code 16-11-125.1.

(2.1) “Lawful weapons carrier” means any person who is licensed or eligible for a license pursuant to Code Section 16-11-129 and who is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing a weapon or long gun, any resident of any other state who would otherwise be eligible to obtain a license pursuant to such Code section but for the residency requirement, and any person licensed to carry a weapon in any other state.

Code Section 16-11-129 defines those who are not “lawful weapons carriers.” The largest group is most people under 21 years of age. The vast majority of adults in George qualify as “lawful weapons carriers.”

A more conventional open carry was observed as this individual was leaving the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) during the NRA Annual Meeting in 2025.

While the holster’s retention features are not obvious, it would be difficult to snatch the pistol from the holster in any direction but upward along the bore axis. The pistol is a CZ 07 in 9mm.

This openly carried pistol in a black retention holster was seen in the hallways of the GWCC. It is a customized Glock in .45 GAP and is in a level two retention holster.

What is in his back pocket? The outline looks a bit like a five-shot revolver.

Also seen at the 2025 NRA Meeting in Atlanta, this correspondent recalls this customized rig and pistol as 9mm. It appears to be a Vertec variant of the Beretta 92, with a light, a customized trigger, and a skeletonized retention rig. Perhaps an alert reader can tell us the make of the rig which uses the stylized T-Rex head as a trademark.  It does not appear to be T.REX.

This more conventional 1911 stainless pistol in a leather rig was seen on the display floor.

This correspondent was able to talk to most of the open carriers. A couple of contacts were rushed due to time constraints. The consensus was that the successful passage of permitless (Constitutional Carry) in Georgia in 2022 lowered the incentives for open carry. In this correspondent’s opinion, the primary purpose of open carry is to make a political statement. That statement becomes less important once Constitutional Carry (permitless) carry becomes the law of the land.

None of the people openly carrying at the NRA Annual Meeting in Atlanta, in 2025, were the subject of unusual attention or even quizzical looks, that this correspondent could discern. Open carry has become normalized at NRA Annual Meetings.  Many activists and long-time readers of AmmoLand News will remember when the carry of any defensive firearm, openly or concealed, was banned at most NRA Annual Meetings.

This correspondent observed a few concealed carriers “print” holsters and handguns, although, with so many people carrying electronic and medical devices under shirts, it has become increasingly difficult to be certain.

Innumerable people were observed carrying pocket knives with the ubiquitous clip. Knives are arms with protection equal to that of firearms, under the Second Amendment.

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About Dean Weingarten:

Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.