I was in Sam's Club this morning and happened to see a man open carrying . I was a little surprised since I had read they had a no firearms policy. He was well dressed and had his toddler with him, not one of those "look at me" types. They sat down next to us at the food court so I asked him about Sam's policy. He said that Sam's doesn't have a no gun policy like Costco and that's why he switched his membership. Nice guy and we had a very informative chat.

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Why duck?? It's a 9mm!

As you may be aware, Texas now has an open & concealed carry permit law. In Texas, a business can post a sign containing required legal language prohibiting concealed or open carry (two signs are needed for both). And many stores have done that, especially for open carry. I have seen no such signs on Sam's Club stores locally, so I suppose Sam's is not one of them.

Strange that after 15 months of legal open carry in Texas, I have not yet seen anyone who is not a cop, etc., doing it.

Costco store near me have no signs ..

As far as I know Same is owned by Wal-Mart and Wal-Mart has a policy of respecting carry laws of whatever state the store is located in.

I have seen a young guy open carrying in a Walmart, he was kind of look at me guy.
Also have seen a mature dude open carrying in a Walmart Neighborhood Market. He did not appear to want attention.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

No signs at the Costco here either.

For that matter, The only non-government buildings I've seen posted in this region, are hospitals and the Harrah's Cherokee casino.

The primary reason behind 'no gun' policies on business premises is to maintain a defensible position against liability claims. Customer, with or without proper legal reason, pops off a round or two and someone is injured, company lawyers can point to the company policy and signs prohibiting weapons as a means of deflecting any claim against the company. Employee, with or without proper legal reason, pops off a round or two, company lawyers can easily show that the employee was acting outside the employment relationship.

A contributing driving force is the insurance industry. You want our company to insure your business, then you must post these signs prohibiting weapons.

The point I'm trying to make is that, for the most part, your local merchant could care less whether or not you are packing; all he is doing is complying with corporate policies and/or insurance requirements. A business may be open to the public, but it remains private property and the owner/management may limit any activity on the premises as they see fit. When you enter a business your legal status is essentially that of a trespasser with permission to be there only while complying with the owner's rules.

With my sidearm properly concealed I can come and go just about anywhere, with the only exceptions being places with metal detectors for screening. Open carry is another matter entirely; lots of folks will always go a little crazy when they see someone with a weapon strapped on.

There was a rather long thread about this several years ago. I e-mailed Wal-Mart to get the official policy. The reply was that Wal-Mart has no problem with customers legally carrying firearms in their stores. However, if another customer complains about your gun, you "might" be asked to leave.

Simply put, if you don't cause a fuss, Wal-Mart is cool.

Open carry hasn't been anything in my area,not the first sighting yet. Lots of guns but only the bad guys have been a problem around Houston. TV said we have about 20,000 gang members though so a lot of people conceal close at hand I am pretty sure.

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Hue 68 noli me tangere

Where ever you are, Open carry says to the criminal "shoot me first"

Bob

So do cargo pants and a Hawaiian shirt.....

There is no evidence, empirical or anecdotal, to support your statement . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Open Carry Folks can be Nice People Too !!!!!!!!!






.

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

To some extent. Not quite "shoot me first" thought. Wasn't it last year where a guy in Oregon or Washington State was targeted because his gun was visible! I don't remember if he was open carrying or if his gun was just visible but the guy that saw his gun targeted him because of it. Followed him to the bathroom and took his gun. There's also stuff that doesn't make the news. One of my former co-workers was in a club where someone decided to pull a gun. That guy had his gun taken away and got a severe beating too by the person he pulled the gun on. I know it's not exactly the same thing as "shoot me first" but there are people who don't care and are not afraid

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

Indeed...Indeed.....Hawaiian Flowerdy shirts scream..."I'm packing !!!!!!!"....

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Hipcocked45

It must very from every state. The Sam's near me has a signs no firearms allowed. That doesn't make it a law. Legally I can carry into the building conceled or open. All they can do is ask you to leave. You don't then they will call the cops who will escort you out and then maybe get a warning or a trespassing citation.

Friends don't let friends buy a Taurus

Arik......LOL....you can't protect your gun if you're holding your weapon......or is it the other way around? .... and never pull a gun if you are not prepared to use it..............

IMHO in a polite society if you don't have a badge...... just carry concealed.

No need to scare the "snowflakes", or draw attention to yourself.


Pa has open carry. That said;originally I got my Pa. Permit in 1978 just so I could carry a Model 19 concealed while "woods bumming" at the family cabin in the Allegheny's.

I carry IWB so it's automatically concealed but I do so because I find OWB to be uncomfortable. That's the main reason. The other part of it is I don't want to be stopped by cops because some"snowflake" saw a gun and now need a therapist.

Otherwise I have no opinion on CC vs OC. I really don't care how people carry.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

We have a local guy here who is by any definition a "big dude"..about 6' 5" with shoulders as wide as Montana and he looks like he was chiseled from granite. Black hair worn in a pony tail, well dressed (summer time always black tee shirt tucked into
khaki slacks, black loafers shined. Carries a firearm OWB and the weapon looks about the size of Rhode Island....have no idea what it is.

The man will get your attention.....as soon as you see him wherever you see him....

He happens to be one the nicest people you could ever meet, but he sure does not give that appearance on first sight...He happens to be a NC state parole officer...but to see him if you did not know him you would probably be wondering................

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Hipcocked45

Kentucky has been an open carry state for as long as I can remember. I carry concealed every day. But one Saturday I was walking into the Home Depot and noticed I had my PMR 30 strapped to my side from working in the yard/woods. I wear one just about anytime I walk out of the house one way or another. But I admit that it felt strange having a handgun on display in public. No one said a word though. It just felt strange to me.

Oh good.....another "open carry" thread.

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Laus Deo! <><

WM, at least in my area--will let you o.c. Im seeing more and more folks doing so there, and on the vbus.

In my area, im seeing more and more regular folks open carry. Especially-go to walmart on Staples--im seeig it more and more there as well as on the bus.

The above is an extremely rare event-having not happened her that im aware of? A little over a year ago-a Marine corps vet--was oc-and on his driveway-when a punk tried robbing he and his wife. End result-punk got shot twice. Apparently the punk did not see that the vet was oc. Ive heard of other instances where someone is oc-walks into a store or whereever? and an ungentlemany-looking character sees a gun-andmakes a hasty exit. That just happened yesterday at a Stripes just a few blocks frommy home. The punk was giving the store clerk a hard time about something-and was in the act of grabbing the clerk when-in waks a customer oc on his hip. As I went by there-there were at least 6 policemen there-punk arrested for God-knows-what-besides being stupid. He was as Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane often said: "Cufffed and stuffed." I found out the details from that store manager who told me the detail.

That said-the clerk who almost got into a fight-has a big irritating mouth and it was a matter of time, before someone would want to crack him one on his jaw.

Does this count as evidence?

It may not say "shoot me first", it may say "Take my gun first...THEN shoot at me"!

If I had time (and desire) to search I'm sure I could find more evidence.

Caught on Camera Man Loses Gun in Fight Against Armed Robber - Bing video

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Stay protected my friends.

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Keep on Chooglin'

Looks to me like you're sitting up.
Back must be doing better!?

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Stay protected my friends.

I was in the local Wal-Mart today. No signs in evidence prohibiting either open or concealed carry. There was a sign reminding customers that carrying guns without a permit is illegal. Not quite sure why they posted it unless they wanted to make sure anyone planning to rob the store using a gun knew it was an illegal activity.

I contacted Sam's here in Arizona and was told open carry was fine here as it's in accordance with Arizona's laws. COSTCO on the other hand was plain obnoxious and I got a memo from them that gave me pause about ever shopping there again.
Jim

It's really kinda simple....carry in the manner that you wish to carry and are comfortable with as long as it's in accordance with your state laws...and the rest of the population's opinion be damned.....

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Hipcocked45

In a polite society we deceive others by hiding our firearms.

You'll have to explain that..............deceive............ to"cause someone to believe something that is not true , typically in order to gain some personal advantage."

I'm more into discreet........ careful and circumspect in order to avoid causing offense

Or, "I have no fashion sense."

You say Potato. Bottom line is you don't want people to know you are armed, that's fine, I'm the same. I just don't justify it by saying I do it because it's "polite".

It's unusual but I have seen several people open carrying in our local Sam's Club (Roanoke, VA) and one instance of open carry of an empty holster. He must have left his pistol in his car rather than bring it in. If anybody else noticed anything I couldn't tell. Certainly nobody reacted to them.

Got to go there to pick up a Rx in the morning and I'll check the entrance for any signs but I don't think that there are any.

Yup, just gotta get my legs workin' again.

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Keep on Chooglin'

Well, okay...Virginia is an open carry state.

What is so noteworthy about seeing someone, anyone, openly carrying a handgun...with family or without, inside Sam's or anywhere else?

My second question is: Do we really need another thread about open carry? Seriously, what could possibly be left to say about it?

And my third question is my usual one: What's so great about open carry?

Dead giveaway

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Sure you did

As long as it is legal in your local, I think the great Hank Williams said it best.

That sign is required by Texas law in any business that sells alcoholic beverages.

And my third question is my usual one: What's so great about open carry? [IMG]

Mmm, I can think of a few things that are great about open carrying. (1) Freedom, (2) Because I legally can, (3) To irritate snowflakes and the left(This is just a bonus), (4) Comfort, (5) Ease of retrieving gun when needed, (6) More holster choices, (7) easier (more comfortable) to carry larger guns (8) if everyone was open carrying it would certainly be a deterrent to would be bad guys. I could go on but you get the idea. Of coarse there are also a few cons but it all boils down to personal choice. I carry both ways depending on my mood and will continue to do so despite opposing views. After spending several years in a state that did not allow me basic gun freedoms, I will use all the rights and freedom that my state allows.

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Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda

No. Taken at face value, it demonstrates that you shouldn't carry concealed, because somebody might try to take your gun and shoot you . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Costco does has a no firearm sign but it's only visible when you are leaving the store as they posted in a non visible area by the returns counter. I laugh every time I go by since it's not a legal way and tough luck! I don't care what they think since I value my life more.

I only carry discreetly and really think open carry is invitation to trouble by stupids but that is not my problem if you do.

I threw my Costco membership on the ground when they told my I couldn't enter the store with my revolver on my hip, then immediately drove to Sam's. They are the same company as Wal-Mart, which does not have a no-firearms policy.

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an actual conservative

I never understood those signs. They seem like regulation for the sake of regulation. And stop requiring signs to be in English and Spanish. Not knowing the language is not an excuse for not knowing the law!

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an actual conservative

Oh, absolutely. Because as responsible gun owners and shooters, we should do everything we can to offend and irritate non-gun people in hopes of bringing them over to our side and way of thinking. Look at me, I'm carrying a gun cause I know you don't like it. Yeah, that'll work.

Gosh, I hope Costco wasn't too financially devastated by this.

That's THE BEST advice ive ever heard on the subject. More likes if it were possible?

Wish I could so I gave you one Ringo.

Gee, everyone makes their own choice, what could be more American?

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Sure you did

, I made my choice already but, aint telling what it is untill I will actually start carrying.

That was the opinion of a Kentucky supreme court justice in the 1930s over a challenge on the state's then prohibition on concealed carry.

To paraphrase the opinion-"Only a man with nefarious intentions has the need to hide his gun."