Open Carry?

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Roan Ranger

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For those of you who open carry, why? Just out of curiosity and wanting to educate myself further. I read a thread on another forum where the poster lists all the places he has opened carried and where he plans to OC next to see the reactions of folks and "educate" people. Seems like a bad idea to me and that maybe he is carrying for the wrong reason (ego) but what do I know. I'm new to this. I have my CC and have started carrying, but unless it was in the heat of the summer and I was with like-minded people, I sure wouldn't want to advertise that I have a firearm or incite any issues. I can educate people who are willing to listen through intelligent conversation. Just a mini-vent. It seems as though there are 2 schools of thought. I guess I'm in the more conservative one. :)
 
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For me in NJ when I see an open carry I immediately think plain clothes cop and don't give it a second thought.
 
This is not the political climate for Open Carry (OC), IMHO it sends the wrong message and the education thing will backfire. I've posted before and have no stats to back up my position but OC: 1. surrenders the element of surprise; 2. the person who is OC will be the first one taken out in an attack; 3. OC will attract unwanted attention from LE; & 4. OC can leave the individual open to a charge of brandishing, depending on circumstances.

The only time I want someone to know I'm carrying is when (if) I have an immediate need to protect myself. Why create all these problems when it is so easy to get a CCW permit in most states?
 
This is the perfect time to OC. People will see that a gun can be out in public and no one gets hurt.

I would bet that a good share of the anti's have never been to a range.


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Element of surprise?

I have never seen any info that even suggest proof that a person Ocing becomes the first target in a robbery. I have heard stories that suggest that the presence of a person OCing may have been a deterrent preventing a crime.

It takes more then a holstered gun to be charged with brandishing. Pa. Has no printing laws. So by your theory you could still be charged with brandishing if concealed.

OC is legal if a cop is harassing you for OC he is opening himself up for trouble.

Why do cops OC if it is such a bad idea?




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This is the perfect time to OC. People will see that a gun can be out in public and no one gets hurt.

I would bet that a good share of the anti's have never been to a range.


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I don't agree, that would require the anti's to have brains and intelligence. If the gun grabbers had any kind of a coherent thought process they wouldn't be trying to ban guns.
The only time they'd go to a range would be to point out the evil black guns and the people who own them.
 
In Pa. A ltcf permits you do do more then just conceal.


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I wish we had open carry here in Texas. I wouldn't OC while in town but would like to be able to do so if I were outside the city limits.

I see your point out there in Odessa, I feel like I wouldn't have much use for OC here in D/FW...

Thanks for your service BTW:cool:
 
We have open carry here in Utah, but very rarely see anybody doing it.

We had a situation just a couple weeks ago where a guy decided to "make a statement" by openly carrying an AR-15 into a local J.C. Penny. It was unloaded, but nobody knew that. Most people didn't bat an eye. However, some gal took a picture of it with her cell phone and it immediately went viral. The press got hold of it and all the anti-guns went berserk.

Hindsight being 20/20, it probably wasn't a smart idea considering all the negative press it caused.
 
Open Carry for the mere purpose to 'educate' the public is just plain dumb.

Folks that don't want anything to do with firearms or are afraid of them are not going to
change their minds because someone wants to 'show-off' or show 'em up, so to speak.

Hell, ya can give folks a lobotomy...But, ya can't make 'em like it.

I open carry when appropriate and conceal carry other times.

A man ought to use discretion in his daily travels....

Just cause it's legal....Don't always make it right.

That is all.



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In Vermont you can carry any way you want, no permits or license required. However, I can't recall the last time I observed someone oc. I do know many people who cc, but, like me, are very discrete about it. Frankly the fewer people who know I own guns, and shoot regularly, the better. And that goes for cc. Consider this. If you ever find yourself in a situation with an opponent, and need a gun, would you rather this person be (a) surprised that you're armed or (b) prepared for it?
 
Open carry is the pro-gun advocates' version of what Act Up tried to do for gay rights: "Yeah, that's right! I'm in your face! I've got rights! I'm not going away so get used to it."

Meanwhile, the case for presenting a rational and calming perspective and opportunity for sane discussion is further damaged, because open carry is deliberately intended to upset the already irrational and fearful.

Open carry is inherently passive-aggressive, counter to our aims of greater acceptance of gun ownership and deliberately alarms the already irrational advocates of "common sense" restrictions on our behavior.
 
To me its like seeing a 15 year old in a mall wearing a duster and cowboy hat on a hot day. Helps to carry a comic book with you.
 
Again, the misconception is thinking that they think like we think. Criminals don't think like we think, proven time after time; thats why they commit crimes. Statements will be taken out of conduct and used against us. Photographs will be taken and lied about. We lost the last "public opinion" check in November. Yes, I'm saying anti gunners are criminals, some by comission, some by submission, but they are all trying to steal our constitutional rights. They do not respond to the sight of a gun the way normal people do.
 
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We have open carry here and its not uncommon to see people doing so but personally i prefer no one know i am armed. All ya need is for a situation to occur and someone yell "you've got a gun... Do something".
 
I posted this in another thread on open carry on this forum.
Here is it again.

In Florida we do not have open carry, and if we did I still wouldn't.
As others said, it draws attention to you and make you a target, and possibly a threat to bad guys.
A LEO in Tennessee was telling me a story last month about a guy who was carrying openly.
He went into a convenience store to purchase a few items.
While he was in the back, two thugs came in and proceded to hold up the clerk at gun point.
While this was going down, the guy in the back, oblivious to what was going on, headed up front to pay for his purchase.
When he emerged from the aisle, one of the bad guys saw him with a gun, and shot him. They then fled without harming the clerk.
The poor guy died in the store.

Concealed carry gives me a tactical advantage, I don't appear to be a threat to anybody, and I don't draw attention.
JMHO.

Stu
 
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