That shit isn't allowed in California or NY, which are 2 of the most populated states. You can't just walk around with a rifle or openly carry a pistol on your waistband.

People from other countries have this misconception that the US is the same across the board. That can't be further from the truth. Someone from California is going to have a vastly different upbringing, culture, societal norms, ideology, basically fucking everything, than someone from Texas. It's literally apples and oranges.

If you show up to Los Angeles airport expecting everyone to have guns and openly carrying a rifle down in West Hollywood, prepared to be severely disappointed. You should've flown to Texas instead.

I, like you, have seen firearms only in the military as well as the police academy. I have never seen anyone openly carry a pistol or slinging a rifle because that's illegal here. If someone pulled that shit, they'd have cops crawling all over them, a helicopter, swat team, local FBI field office, and whomever else within the vicinity responding within minutes. Google the UCLA shooting like 2-3 years ago. Hundreds, if not thousands, of cops responded from all over.