I dislike open carry but I had to run some errands and where I was headed nobody was going to care. I wanted very easy access to my pistol in the event I ran into any street trouble. As it happened I was wearing a dark shirt, unplanned in re the open carry, it just happened, and the gun was pretty hard to see, anyway. All quiet on the Western front so I'm done with that noise for now.

But it did feel weird.........a little..........

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Come and take it!!

I never have but I'm sure it would feel weird to me also.

Let's see.....Baseball cap. Check
Sunglasses. Check
Bandana around the lower half of my face. Check
Open carrying my 1911. Check
Honey, I'm going to the bank and then to the stop and rob to buy a lottery ticket.
What could possibly go wrong
Reminds me of the COLREGS "Avoid collisions at all costs- even if you have right of way"

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Forum consigliere

I open carried once in the back yard of a house we rented for awhile. The backyard neighbor had a habit of sexually harassing women, and had made unwelcome advances at women in the house with both the previous renters.

I made sure he saw me carrying and he never made a pass at my wife. She joked about being offended.

Eventually he had to move after being convicted of a minor sex offense. And since he lived within 1000' of a school he had to relocate.

When I open carry I find myself more attentive to everyone around me as well as surroundings, personal space esp. standing in lines etc. It doesn't bother me but I do tend to be a little more alert than my normal level of alert (which is very alert LOL).

It was the 1911 that gave you away. The bangers all use Glocks!

I liked every single one of those replies but my Cajun lawyer colleague really tickled me.

The good news is that in Dallas we don't always wear bandannas around our faces or any other mask. If I'm going into a store that wants that I'll gladly oblige but otherwise, well, not so much.

Since I only use bandannas or shemaghs I would truly HATE going into a bank looking like a terrorist or a hold-up artist!

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Come and take it!!

Around here (SE AZ) open carry is common for both men & women... & crime is all but non-existent.

I won't. Gives your assailant a huge advantage. And people open carrying have been robbed of their guns.

I don't want the bad guy(s) to know I'm armed until I have to deploy it.

I see it around here every once in a while. They always act like it's an everyday thing, and I'm cool with that. I think that most people probably don't even notice. I never say anything about it, though. I've seen the discussions we have here concerning it, and I don't need to debate it out in public.

open carry is legal in Nebraska. the only time I have seen it or noticed was when I worked Cabela's and this 60's something lady with a cocked and locked 1911 in a yagui slide holster on the belt. she also had an extra magazine also. she had kind of a serious look about her.

I open carried (Ruger 44 mag Redhawk) once with out giving it much thought into a bar in Colorado. we went in to get something to eat as we had been out hunting in the Old Roach area east of Walden. Walden Colorado isn't exactly a hotbed for the gun control people and I probably wasn't the only person.

Same in NV and WA. It’s legal, but not common. As a copper I carried open most everyday for 30 years and still do it on rare occasion - depends on where I am going, but always cognizant of my surroundings.

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213th FBINA

Sorry. Not a fan of open carry in public. It accomplishes nothing but give gun lovers like us a bad name. Just sayin'.

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John

Its legal here, so is concealed, no permits required. But around here, the ones that open carry are not the sharpest tools in the shed, and their actions are fuel for our local gun control fire. Here's a recent example of why some people should not open carry, or carry at all for that matter.

Police: Protester pointed gun at passerby

Michigan is open carry. I would prefer if people confined it to hunting or target shooting activities on private or the public lands. Parading around in suburban areas with an AR and body armor just because you can, don't need that.

Open Carry reminds me of a song, Mother’s don’t let your babies grow up to be Cowboys. Not cool in areas where there are lots of people. Half of them are worried you are some kind of nut or worse and a few would target you to steal your gun. Yippee-ky-ay

I only open carry when I'm hunting or fishing.

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SWHF #595

Oh boy...here we go!
Bob

I only open carry if I'm not conceal carrying.

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Dave Ramsey Cultist

In the most recent studies done by 24/7 wall st. Tucson, located in SE Arizona, is the most dangerous city in Arizona. Tucson's violent crime rate is well over double the national average. The same study identified Tucson as having a whopping 24.1% poverty rate, compared to a national average of 12.3% at the time of this study... something tells me with the large portion of hungry and violent citizens crime is a little bit more prevalent than "all but non-existent" in SE Arizona.

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Ban this man,
'89

I saw a video of this idiot who puts on BDUs, decks out with AR and side arm and has his wife drop him off at Malls and big box stores. He parades in and automatically someone calls the cops. Customers leave there buggies and get out of the store. Meanwhile cops show up and the idiot gives them a class in 2nd and state law. He does this because he can and he gets off on messing with the cops. Cops have to come when they are called, the citizens want them to do something about the idiot. Cops are between a rock and a hard place. In today’s world it is sheer stupidity to open carry in public situation where you can cause panic. When I see open carry in such places I know the guy is not playing with a full deck. It also hurts every one in gun community. We don’t need this kind of PR.

Absent good judgement, open carry is pointless, rude, and utterly counter productive. Only fools abuse their rights.

The police do have to come to a report of "a person carrying a gun" even if he/she is carrying legally. I have no idea what they may say to him/her other than "have a nice day" unless they are in a place where guns are not allowed.

in a large metropolitan area and I have only seen 1 person open carrying. Open carry and concealed carry are legal here without a permit.

Open carry is legal here though I rarely see it in the cities anyhow.
I did follow someone walking into a local WM recently who was open. No clue if he was LEO but he was wearing a white tee that made his black semiauto stand out even more.
Personally it didn't bother me but I bet he got a lot of looks. Especially as it isn’t common here. As for me, I dont think I would be comfortable standing out like that.

The 1911 tags you as just another old fart with a gun...... nothing to see here....... move along !!!!!!!




Was a poll watcher Tuesday..... what scared me was the guy in all black,motor cycle helmet wearing a backpack!!!!!! It wasn't the Polls I was watching for the next 15 minutes!!!!!


I got my CC permit here in Pa. 42 years ago so I didn't need to open carry,which is legal, in Penn's Woods.

Last time I open-carried. Seemed to work well then.
Bob

Humvee with desert bdu? Back when IEDs where the size of soda cans. Makes me miss the easy days.

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Ban this man,
'89

If open carry is legal, I don't know why the police would respond if the call is just for a guy carrying a gun. It's kind of like the police pulling someone over for driving under the speed limit.

However, some guy in BDUs along with carrying an AR would be a reason for the cops to respond because of concerns that the guy isn't playing with a full deck. But some guy in jeans and a tee shirt with a pistol on his hip shouldn't cause a police rollout in a state where it's legal.

I open carry when I’m outside casting bullets. It just feels right

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-Matt

Open carry is technically legal in MA, but you'll very likely lose your LTC (and, therefore, your guns) due to "suitability" if even one person complains. It's probably less likely to happen in rural parts of central and western MA... more likely the closer you get to Beantown or any of our high-crime "gateway" cities.

There are/have been times when I would prefer to open carry because that would allow a more appropriate handgun for the circumstances. Unfortunately, the risk of losing the all-important MA LTC (and my collection) is too high to allow it.

When I see them with open carry, they don't see me with concealed carry.

i see open carry here occasionally, but this is still ranching country so no one "has a cow" when someone OC. it's not my bag of tea and doubt i'll ever open carry. i see no advantage to it.

I lived many yrs in a small town in SE Az . I open carried the last few before I left . It was very normal to go to the Walmart in the neighboring town and see a dozen or more people open carrying . I was told numerous times that in Tucson , the police would follow you , stop you and basically bother you as much as they could for open carrying . So the fact that Tucson is so violent does not surprise me . Regards Paul

I've seen open carry individuals in PetSmart, thrift stores, Walmart, the gas station, you name it. As far as I could tell no one was panicking. This topic is almost as viral as the 'cross draw' carry mode...I do it when it suits me. And yes, in an open carry state it's our right to do so.

It's time. Been a couple days since we had this thread.

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America First

And why I don't believe open or concealed carry will outlive me, and I'm old. I fully expect the country to embrace European style regulations just because some folks mistake liberty for license.

I don't like attention so I always carry under cover, t shirt or jacket. I am careful to not let anyone close to my 4 o'clock. My MAGA hat requires that I do this.

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"Don't Give Up the Ship"

And they don't tend to use holsters.

I have always felt that the single biggest problem with a lot of open carry laws is that the line between legal open carry and "reckless display" has been blurred to the point of obscurity. I always thought the intent of open carry was for the benefit of the hunting/camping crowd, in public view on your own property and other places such as ranges, etc. and not so much for strutting around the Wally Mart or taking a leisurely stroll around the local middle school girls soccer game or at the PTA meeting where legal concealed carry might be less distracting.

If people don't have at least a little bit of self-control and a sense of propriety then it will be legislated for us - and then we are right back to the adversarial process and nobody will be happy.

There was a panic like a day after one of the mass shootings. Guy shows up at Wally World armed to the teeth. People were trampling each other to get out. I made the comment that the guy was an idiot to pull such a trick.
I was told the eagle had a tear coming out of his eye because I didn’t back the guys right to open carry. I will tell you this, not only do I not back it, I would call for the guy to have mental evaluation to see if he should have weapons. To me this has nothing to do with gun rights, it’s yelling fire in a crowded theatre. Further any clown that does this is endangering the rights of all gun owners.

You are suggesting Tucson has a high violent crime rate because police hassle people trying to open carry? Interesting, but I can't say I agree.

Here are the 5 cities in the U.S. with the highest violent crime rates in 2019.

1. Detroit, MI
2. Memphis, TN
3. Birmingham, AL
4. Baltimore, MA
5. Flint, MI

You know what's interesting about each of these cities? All are housed within states that allow open carry. What's more is, three out of these five cities do not even require a permit to open carry. None of this does a thing to ebb the violence within these cities.

I try to look at the big picture where I can because individual experience is universally anecdotal.

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Ban this man,
'89

I don’t believe there is any city that has trouble with criminals and felons engaging in open carry. They have the tenacity not to want to draw attention to themselves.

I've though about it many times but have yet to try it. I live in a multi-use community so I don't think my neighbors of store owners would appreciate it.

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Veteran/NRA Member/S&W 327

Open carry does feel "funny" if one is not used to it. While it may not be my preferred method, I do not disparage others so inclined--being a firm believer that any right not exercised is a right that will soon be lost.
As for Tucson, about 90% of the violent crime is located in about a 11/2 sq mi seciton of town--open or concealed carry recommended there!

Speak softly and carry a big stick.

I have never intentionally open carried other than coming in from the Prairie Dog fields and forgetting I have the 44 spec on my hip with 3 shot loads in first rotation.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

You must be a heck of a stalker to be hunting prairie dogs with shot!

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Sure you did

The thing is that across the country with CC or OC there hasn’t been the Wild West scenario that Liberals we’re pushing. Quite the opposite, but you still can’t get them to admit it. Exactly the other extreme, nobody is saying you can’t carry open. It’s legal. It’s up to the individual to use common sense when doing so. I find that most gun people have figured that out long ago. We have a new class to go with Gun People, it’s the People with Guns. It’s these people who can’t seem to comprehend the situation. If we end up loosing carry rights it will be because of this mentality.