open carry in your area?

[Smoke]

I see open carry frequently in Colorado Springs. Especially last year during the height of the Corona panic. I think a bunch of people bought guns then couldn't find a CCW class (or were too cheap to find one) so they just open carried.

Usually when I see someone open carrying now it's someone in their 20s and they're open carrying AT you.

Now that Colorado's State Preemption law has been rescinded I suspect more municipalities will outlaw the practice. It's going to be interesting to see that play out since the Right to open carry is specifically codified in our State constitution.

 

[dirty & hairy]

I’m in small town southern Oregon and see open carry quite a bit. Usually glocks on the younger guys (and gals), some 1911s, and I occasionally see an old man sportin’ a ruger blackhawk at the grocery store.

 

[teletech]

two-bit cowboy's story reminds me of a friend's tale of two stores right across for the street from each other. The quickie-mart was robbed pretty much weekly and the deli hadn't been robbed in well over a decade. Seems the local LEOs liked eating at the deli and word had got around. In fact I think he said the last one to rob the deli was from out of town...
I guess the two stories suggest that open or widely-known carry might put a target on the back of the person doing the carrying but it might also make the local area safer for everybody else, well everybody content to keep the peace at least.

 

[Gamecock]

Agreed, teletech. A big gun store I used to go to had most employees open carrying. I knew the owner, and asked him why not concealed carry. He said they had tried that, and someone tried to rob them. Got messy. Back to open carry, and they haven't had a problem since.

Open carry is a deterrent. Deterrent is better than blasting a perp in a public place. Though perps being blasted in public places becomes a deterrent, too.

 

[dave1918a2]

Only have seen one up here. Carries in a Kydex and has four spare mags. Struts around with a " look at Me and My gun " attitude. Wish I had the whistling theme from TGTB&TU to play when I see Him. Only one I've seen in the 4 months I've been here.

 

[ron_c]

When Texas passed the Open Carry law, I saw lots of people Open Carry at first, but after a period of time, I saw less and less and I guess once the new worn off, people stopped. Haven't seen hardly anyone Open Carry anymore.

Last week a young guy in his 20s was Open Carry in a place that had Open Carry Prohibited sign on the door but he didn't seemed to care. He was going out of his way to make sure people saw him. I wanted to tell him I hope you know doing that makes you a target. I'll stick to CC.

 

[rosewood]

Only have seen one up here. Carries in a Kydex and has four spare mags. Struts around with a " look at Me and My gun " attitude. Wish I had the whistling theme from TGTB&TU to play when I see Him. Only one I've seen in the 4 months I've been here.

There is this fellow that works at a pawn/gun shop near me. He is always carrying in the shop, which I get. Saw him at Kroger a few months back. At first glance I thought he was swat or something. Had gun on hip, all kinds of gear on his waste line, BDU type pants etc. I was looking for a badge, but there wasn't one.

Definitely mall ninja attire, look at me.

Rosewood

 

[rjroberts]

Not legal here in FL, unless hunting or fishing, as other posters have mentioned. . There is a movement trying to get OC legalized. In one sense, I hope that succeeds. Though I would not open carry, I'd like it to be legal for another reason. It would eliminate for the most part, the eager beaver trying to make a show if my concealed weapon prints, or shows momentarily. Yeah, there's a law covering that, but too much discretion is allowed.

 

[Wyo]

Following up Two Bit Cowboy's (Bob's) story, open carry has always been legal in Wyoming, at least as far as I know. We have quite a number of new residents here lately, and it may be that some of them are a bit flummoxed when they see someone walking down the street with a sidearm. For us natives, though, it's no big deal and rarely worth a second glance except to see whether the individual in question has good taste in weaponry. I wouldn't say that open carry is common in the larger towns though I see open carriers occasionally, sometimes with a whole separate holster and cartridge belt a la an old western. Out in the country it's pretty much a given that nearly everyone is carrying and quite a few carry openly. The days of carrying rifles in the window rack of your pickup are pretty much gone, but that sure doesn't mean the guns disappeared too. They're around and, like Bob says, for lots of folks the sidearm goes on every day right after the pants. Been that way for a long time around here and I don't expect it will change any time soon.

 

[Llance]

... They're around and, like Bob says, for lots of folks the sidearm goes on every day right after the pants. "Been that way for a long time around here and I don't expect it will change any time soon."

It'll change once you get enough transplanted Kaliphornes arrive there. Just like so much has changed in Colorado. I wanted to retire to CO but after visiting there and seeing all the kaliphornias there I changed my mind. Wyoming?? I'll move there most any day, but not until the chief of staff gives up the ghost.

 

[dazlin]

OC in WA state

I've only been here 11 years, but I've seen open carry twice outside of the range. The first time a young guy (20s) walks into a suburban McDonalds with a Kimber on his hip. He orders from a teen girl who is visibly frightened. After he received his food, another customer asks him why he is openly carrying a gun? He looks perplexed as he says, "everyone does where I live." Turns out he was from a small town in a rural part of the state. That was about 3 yrs ago.

The second time was just this morning as I stopped for gas. Another customer was putting oil in his truck and I noticed an M&P in a kydex holster openly on his hip; no spares. He was probably in his 60s. His truck was a nicely restored GMC and I expressed my appreciation. He gave me a "thumbs up" as he and his wife drove away.

In general, western Washington is way too 'liberal' to socially condone open carry, but it it has been legal for a long time. Personally, I prefer CCW to preserve the element of surprise. However, if I worked in a public retail establishment favored by thieves, I would open carry in the hope of preventing a confrontation.

 

[Biggfoot44]

I manage to tick off everyone on both sides on this issue .

Statement #1 - The Advantages of Open Carry that the advocates purport are either trivial . or not usually advantages .

Statement #2 - Likewise the horror over the concept is likewise trivial or overblown .

A little sense , plenty of situiational awareness , and most of the time OC is * Viable * .

Ironically , I'll conceal full sized , but more compact usually for OC

Not really a legal option where I literally live , but in the surrounding jurisdictions that I frequent it is . Common ? That's relative , but OC'ers spotted in the wild are much greater than zero . In one neighboring jurisdiction has gone back & forth & back on reciprocity , so at times only OC being legal for me . And as an experement one summer when most weekends when I was visiting a sick friend two states away , I OC'ed the whole time .

Wear your normal clothes , use a holster that's reasonably close to the body , at normal belt level , behave normally , and it usually just goes unnoticed .

 

[mrstang01]

Mark Brewer, not sure where you are in KY, but I see it occasionally, and do it myself if I'm in the notion, usually after mowing the lawn, or doing something outside. As Bigfoot said, if you don't make a big deal out of it, most people don't even notice.

Saw a lot of it at the protests on both sides, guess what, nobody got shot (except for one of the outside gangs, shot 1 or 2 of their own, no loss there, ND's with a shotgun tends to do that).

I'm surprised at the number of Fudds in this thread horrified that anyone but LEO would carry openly. That's part of the reason gun control advocates have been successful, is by finding a Fudd or two to approve some of their BS. We need to stand together or we will surely hang separately.

 

[rosewood]

I'm surprised at the number of Fudds in this thread horrified that anyone but LEO would carry openly. That's part of the reason gun control advocates have been successful, is by finding a Fudd or two to approve some of their BS. We need to stand together or we will surely hang separately.

Statistically, an LEO is more likely to commit a crime than someone with a CCW. I wonder if they are more likely to have a ND? Haven't seen those stats.

Rosewood

 

[Biggfoot44]

Don't know where the ND subject came from , but I'll take a stab :

All depends upon the dept protocols , policies, and general orders .

Do their practices require routinely unloading / reloading the pistols ?

Administrative loading / unloading is a significant occasion of " actually accidental " ND's . From sheer numbers , the more load/ unload cycles , the more ND .

Administrators / policymakers frequently have the intuitive concept that unloaded guns are safe , but continously hot is actually less likely to AD .

 

[Muss Muggins]

Statistically, an LEO is more likely to commit a crime than someone with a CCW. I wonder if they are more likely to have a ND? Haven't seen those stats.

Rosewood

I’m guessing your source, if you have one other than the local coffee shop, is the one debunked by the study below . . .

MYTH: Concealed handgun permit holders commit virtually no crimes - GVPedia

 

[Miami_JBT]

Illegal in FL, trying to change that.

GOA held a press meeting with Rep. Sabatini this past Monday.

 

[fordson]

I’m guessing your source, if you have one other than the local coffee shop, is the one debunked by the study below . . .

MYTH: Concealed handgun permit holders commit virtually no crimes - GVPedia

That article debunks John Lott’s methods and study more then the myth. It, the article, does state that the CCW holder population, since they pass a BG C, are a more law abiding sub-population and, therefore, are less likely to act criminally. The article does point out that to preform a proper analysis you would need a “control group” of people who could pass a BGC but don’t hold a CCW in order to compare the two sub-groups law of abiding CCW holders and law abiding non-CCW holders.
Not sure if that article busted a myth since there was insufficient data.

 

[Claymore33]

WE ARE in TEXAS

I carry 1911 .45 acp OWB everyday, all day, everywhere.
Home Depot , Feed Store, hardware store. Grocery store, bank and church request you be concealed. So I wear a sport coat in Church and just pull my shirt tail over it in Bank and Grocery.
You see about 15% of people around here Open carry. Then there are probably 60 % concealed.

 

[Muss Muggins]

The problem is that once a CCW holder commits a crime, he is generally no longer a member of the CCW holder population, thus increasing the law abiding percentage. I’ll liken it to the myth that the NFL is the “National Felons League.” It is not. Generally, when they commit a crime, they’re out. Michael Vick stands out as one of a very finite number of NFL players who was able to continue playing after committing a crime.


One in three Americans has a criminal arrest record, and I’m sure that percentage holds true amongst forum membership . . .

That article debunks John Lott’s methods and study more then the myth. It, the article, does state that the CCW holder population, since they pass a BG C, are a more law abiding sub-population and, therefore, are less likely to act criminally. The article does point out that to preform a proper analysis you would need a “control group” of people who could pass a BGC but don’t hold a CCW in order to compare the two sub-groups law of abiding CCW holders and law abiding non-CCW holders.
Not sure if that article busted a myth since there was insufficient data.