Open Carry...

[Rogue686]

Open Carry is good if it is the only option. In Wisconsin, we were stuck with Open Carry with a TON of restrictions for years until we finally got the CCW law.

I just turned 21 earlier this year, and finally got my permit. However, before that, I was stuck with Open Carry. In Wisconsin, 18 or older and you can carry open wtihout a permit. That was me.

Open carry removes the element of surprise and makes you a target for a gutsy bad guy. If something bad is going to happen, I don't want to be the first target cause I'm open carrying.

Rogue

 

[tacreload]

To each his own but for me I'll stay under the radar,also known as concealed.Don't need or want any attention drawn to me for any reason.

 

[keith44spl]

This is the closest forum for my question, hope I'm not stepping on toes here, but what are your feelings on Open Carry weapons, where allowed by law? And thoughts on the overall pros/cons of open carry?

To be a little more pacific in my anwser....There's a time and place for everything.

I've carried holstered up outside my jacket and cover'd by a jacket.

Let's jest say, I'm on my way to the ranch to work or go hunting or what ever reason and
I'm wearing my sidearm in the open, I gonna stop at the little farm to market road side country store
for a baloney sandwich and a cold drink.

Those folks know me....Not a big deal.

But let's jest say, I'm gonna take the misses to a fancy/smacy restaurant for dinner,
well I'm gonna wear that sidearm under my jacket.

A gentleman should be discreet in his actions whenever possible.

Even when allowed by law.



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[Springfeildkid585]

this is the closest forum for my question, hope i'm not stepping on toes here, but what are your feelings on Open Carry weapons, where allowed by law? And thoughts on the overall pros/cons of open carry?

If you're going to OC, I recommend you keep it classy. No plastic pistols and where it in a proper leather holster. I like discrete carry, but when I'm attending a bonfire or camping ect. with like-minded friends, it's nice to properly display my cocobolo gripped 1911A1 in a paisley leather holster. As a private citizen, I find OC as an invitation for hostility when in an unknown area.

 

[Kanewpadle]

I oc just about every day for the last few years.No problems from anyone yet.I do oc because I can and it is very comfortable doing so.I practice a lot at the range and am very aware of my surroundings all the time..Please show some facts about being the first to be taken out and having your gun grabbed.

Google is your friend.
Unarmed man attempts to rob EMU student of holstered gun (open carry fail) - Democratic Underground

Teen homicide suspects have criminal histories - Richmond Times-Dispatch: News: p, news, latest_news, local, city_of_richmond

Jesus C. Gonzalez - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Just because you can means that it is wise to do so. If you search the web you will find an overwhelming majority of pro and anti gun folks don't care for it. I wonder why?

There are pages upon pages of people that were arrested or detained because of OC.

And I found a few LEO forums where cops made fun of OC folks.

Open carry is simply a statement which says "look at me!".

And you will find that most that OC have NO retentions skills whatsoever because they think that OC is a deterrent. How foolish.

You will never see a news story about someone that is carrying concealed properly. We don't want the attention. We don't want to educate people. We already know what our rights are. To quietly go about your business while carrying concealed beats the "show of force" open carry hands down.

It has already been proven that open carry provides no significant advantages. So why bother? To simply make a point seems selfish and childish. It also shows a lack of dedication and seriousness to the art of concealed carry.

To each their own. "Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick".

 

[JenniferG]

A gentleman should be discreet in his actions whenever possible.

Even when allowed by law.

Spoken like a true gentleman.

Open carry is fine when I'm out fishin' but when I'm in town I carry concealed. That's my preference, others may tend to disagree. When I have to go to the doctor's office I carry in a handbag and keep in my hands the whole time unless I'm asked to get on the scale.

 

[beemerphile]

One is a lot more likely to be on the receiving end of the surprize!


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^This. I find that sheeple, being sheeple, generally either think you are an off-duty LEO, or just look worried and chew their fingernails. Although I almost never do it, I have found some times when it makes sense - like gassing up the car at a shady self-serve gas station. Those people who would wish to place you "on the receiving end of a surprise" are not as likely to want to play.

 

[feralmerril]

Open carry in town is "In your face" to most people and I belive does more harm than good. Concealed is the way to go. I OC once in awhile on the trails on our atv but most people you meet are apt to be gun people or at least used to seeing it. Once in a great while I might have a long vest on and if I am made it wouldnt be a big deal because I also have the permit. Really, I cant remember even one time the question ever came up. There might have been a couple times rideing the quad into a town for gas and eats on a trail ride where I didnt want to leave my guns on the quad outside and had my wife go in and talk to the resturant manager before I brought in my rifle.

 

[keith44spl]

This is such a good conversation on this subject.......

Story time,

I was jerking a pack string to the trail-head for to pick up additional supplies.
I meet a older couple hiking into the back country, I stop to exchange pleasantries for jest a moment.

The woman keeps eyein' my holstered sixgun with a worried look and jest keep walking.
As her husband starts to catch up with her, I hear her say,"That man's got a gun!"

I turn in the saddle and say,
"Folks, I been seein' fresh bear sign for the last twenty miles...Jest thought you ought to know."

When city folk bring there city ways into the wilderness or out on the rural route they are surprized sometimes.


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[DAB]

This is such a good conversation on this subject.......

Story time,

I was jerking a pack string to the trail-head for to pick up additional supplies.
I meet a older couple hiking into the back country, I stop to exchange pleasantries for jest a moment.

The woman keeps eyein' my holstered sixgun with a worried look and jest keep walking.
As here husband starts to catch up with her, I hear her say,"That man's got a gun!"

I turn in the saddle and say,
"Folks, I been seein' fresh bear sign for the last twenty miles...Jest thought you ought to know."

When city folk bring there city ways into the wilderness or out on the rural route they are surprized sometimes.


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out in the boonies here, we do have coyotes, bobcats, bears (they ate all my birdseed last year), so having a gun when you are tramping thru the woods is a good idea. now, when i go to town...eh, i cover it up nicely.

 

[walkin' trails]

Open carry in an urban or even suburban environment, in my opinion is asking for unwanted attention. There obviously are places for open carry, most notibly on your rural property where what you do is your business (or at a Texas BBQ where everyone else is also carrying). No matter where we are in a public setting, we have to turn our backs on someone at some point. If your handgun is concealed, you will not have to worry about someone trying to jump you when you're not looking just because you carry a gun. Most law enforcement duty holsters anymore are security level 2 or 3 to aid in gun retention. If you've never been through gun retention drill in a training setting, you do not realize how hard it really is, especially if the gun grabber is in better shape than you. Kabar came out with a line of law enforcement back-up knives designed to defend against gun grabs. Why put yourself in that position to start with. Generally, police are the last individuals who you should be concerned about if excercising your right to open carry. The worst thing that might happen is that you might suffer a few moments of anxiety, or even take a trip down to the station before the matter is straightened out. A violent criminal usually doesn't consider themselves subject to any laws. A concealed gun keeps them guessing; an exposed gun does not. For what it is worth, I do not even think too highly of plain clothes cops running around with their pistols exposed even if they wear a badge right next to the piece.

 

[wacky_weeble]

I open carry about 50% of the time. I have never been stopped or asked. Never had people running in fear. Its like its unnoticed. I have only had one comment on it and the guy was asking about getting his first

That said there are people who do not ha e any retention skills. I read a story a few weeks ago where a mall cop put a OC'er in a choke hold and disarmed him. Someone with proper training would have leveled the mall cop.

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[Poodle Soup]

That said there are people who do not ha e any retention skills. I read a story a few weeks ago where a mall cop put a OC'er in a choke hold and disarmed him. Someone with proper training would have leveled the mall cop.

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Mall cops and store security scare me to death

 

[Stophel]

I have been seen by LEO's with a pistol on my hip (two, actually, one time), with no problems at all. Only question I have ever gotten was by a gas station attendant who was looking for a holster and wondered where I got mine!

 

[JenniferG]

Don't even think of open carry in Philadelphia. It's legal but you need a firearms permit. The Philly cops will arrest you, humilate you, and charge you with disorderly conduct. Don't do it, keep it in your jacket or under your shirt while traveling through Philly. If you want to go through all that to prove a point give me a call and I'll go with you with a video recorder and watch what happens next. It's not right, it's not legal but Philly cops have the Police admin and the Mayor behind them if they decide to make you the example.

 

[Doug M.]

In most environments it is not a good choice. I understand the idea of getting the hand wringers (and I hate hand wringers) more accustomed to guns, but it is not working, and making us a lot of enemies. Unfortunately, some of the folks who OC go out of their way to be dumb and make us more enemies.

I did have fun with a crybaby from the west side of Washington who called about a guy OC in a grocery store. We only went to tell him to pull up his Huggies, that there was no basis for police action. He was not happy, especially when we told him we were not even going to look for the guy carrying. I knew as soon as I saw his area code in the call on my screen that he was going to be a crybaby, and I was right. As much as I enjoyed educating him about his misguided attitude, there is no question that the guy who was OC had made us an enemy.

 

[feralmerril]

Our thing is rideing the trails here in utah with atvs. I am also a member of a club of roughly 50. Most of us are retired couples. Many like me are from california and retired here. Almost all the land out of town that we ride in goverment, BLM, national or state forrest and national park. I belive I have read close to 90% of land here is goverment. Of course there js large ranchs that lease land from the BLM. If they do, I dont think they can keep you out of it but some will try to. Now based on my experiance, talking to my friends etc, I would guess that on the trail rideing quads, NOT TALKING ABOUT TOWNS HERE, I would guess at least 35 % and maybe high as 75% of riders in the boonies are armed concealed or in their bags and probley 10 % are open carrying.
I read that some people here claim they open carry in town. I just dont see it. I also see that most of them dont say what area they live in. Now the deal here is I am almost 72 years old. I suspect I have traveled the states at least as much, if not more, than the average person on this site. I also open carried in uniform on my humble job for over 35 years. I am sure I can count on my fingers the times I have seen people OC in towns and not much if any, more than that! I would like for you guys that claim you are OC carrying in your towns to tell me where! I live in the heart of the west and just dont see it here, and its legal!

 

[wacky_weeble]

Here is the link about a oc'er disarmed

http://forum.opencarry.org/forums/showthread.php?t=109865

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[Ogandydancer]

I have to agree with OldCop on this one.

In my neck of the woods the sheeple would all die from shock and awe and, the local constabulary would be called forthwith if not sooner.

 

[AZretired]

I've lived in New Mexico and Arizona for the last 30+ years and while open carry has always been legal, I've never felt comfortable with it even when there was a badge on my belt I preferred to be concealed.