I've open carried by myself around Conway a few times and I don't think anyone except my barber has even noticed.
So far I've been to Wal-Mart, Dicks, Radio Shack, Best Buy, Harps, and a couple of gas stations and had no issues.
I lived in Arkansas for most of my life, and have been on the board for Arkansas Carry for a few years now. In May, I moved to Virginia where OC is both clearly legal and well accepted.
My personal position on Arkansas law is that it's entirely clear that there is no law prohibiting the mere carrying or possession of a weapon. Prosecution under 5-73-120 ("Carrying a weapon") places the burden upon the arresting agency to prove that the citizen's intent was to employ the weapon unlawfully. I'm not a lawyer, and obviously some Arkansas law enforcement and prosecuting attorneys disagree with what I believe to be the clear language of the law.
I traveled today from about an hour East of Memphis to Harrison, AR. During the course of this travel, I carried my Glock 31 in a Blackhawk SERPA retention holster just as I do every day in Virginia. I was wearing blue jeans and a brown t-shirt; I also have a leather jacket that covers the butt of the gun and most of the holster. Activities included:
* I stopped on the side of I-40 near Forrest City where the traffic was backed up due to construction. I got out of my vehicle to get my infant in the back seat and pass her up to my wife so she could breastfeed her. Once she finished, I got back out of the vehicle and carried the baby back to her car seat and secured her. I wore no cover garment.
* I stopped at a McDonald's just West of Maumelle. I wore my jacket open, and my firearm was clearly visible from the front. No issues.
* I stopped at a small gas station about 7 miles East of Conway, to use the restroom. I again wore my jacket open, no issues. We idled in the parking lot for another feeding session, and this time when I got out to put the baby in the back seat, I may have concerned a middle-aged lady getting into her car in the next spot. I made a point to send a friendly nod of recognition her way as I held my door from hitting her car, but I saw her expression change and she hit the automatic locks. I was wearing no cover at the time, and this is the only response that was even remotely negative i've had so far.
I plan to continue to carry in this way, just barely concealing when I'm in a store or on private property that isn't posted. Otherwise, I default open carry as I've grown accustomed. I'll do what I can to keep this thread up to date.
I'll be in the Harrison area until Christmas Day, when I'll head back toward Memphis. I went to church with the county sheriff here for years, and we are casual acquaintances. I called their office in July when I was in town, and they weren't able to tell me if any training had been provided to officers after the passage of the law. I don't intend to call them again to confirm what I believe to be my right, but based on the previous statements supporting firearms freedoms by Sheriff Moore, I don't anticipate much of an issue.
I've heard that the Harrison Police Chief has said in the past that he would order his officers to arrest anyone open carrying in their jurisdiction. I've not decided how I'll handle that situation yet. I will certainly remain respectful while firm and aware of my rights under Arkansas law. I certainly don't intend to unlawfully employ any weapon, as my purpose of carrying it is solely to be able to better defend my wife and daughters. The fact that openly carrying is a part of my daily routine and has been for some months would surely emphasize that.
It's an uncomfortable position to be in where I have to choose between legally protecting my family and running afoul of someone who could potentially want to arrest me and charge me with a serious crime based on a difference in the way we interpret a single line of text.