North Carolina courts have held that art. I, § 30 protects the ability of individuals to bear arms for defense of self and property.Right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife. A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. In North Carolina, anyone over the age of 18 can purchase and own a rifle or a shotgun and can purchase and own a handgun if they are over 21. North Carolina's weak gun laws put its residents at risk. Lawmakers must do better to reduce gun violence in their state and save lives. "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed. Do lawabiding North Carolina residents have a right to carry a gun openly in public? The Second Amendment (Amendment II) to the United States Constitution protects the right to keep and bear arms.