***

[The Big D]

...or there is a whole lot of BSing going on these sites! Come on! Be truthfull! Tell me what you see and in what area. Especially what area do you see people and how many, openly packing a sidearm in your area that you suspect are not leo?

Okay, I'm game. I have been to all fifty (50) states...forty-six (46) of them whilst on official business as a LEO.

I have NEVER seen a non-LEO "open carrying."

FTR, my agency PROHIBITTED any display of a gun whilst on- or off-duty, in mufti. (NOTE: THAT PROHIBITION DID NOT APPLY WHEN DISPLAY WAS WARRANTED.)

Be safe.

 

[feralmerril]

I once was involved in a gun incident. It was downtown los angles about 1973. A car hit and ran me, a gf was driveing my car. These two hispanics came out of a bars parking lot and T-boned us and took off. Since I only had liability I told the gf to catch up with them as I wanted a license #. She did a good job of it and we followed them to a parking building where they knocked the wood entrance arm off and sent the attendant diveing for cover. The rest you seen on "police woman" a hundred times. She boxed them up and they used their car as a battering ram about three more times ramming us to get away! At some point I worked the driver over and drew my gun. As I held them two plain cloths type armed security showed up, I still dont know from what agency, but at the time I also "are one" myself, and just knew who they were as they casualy started to flank me. I called them over and said, you guys security here? They nodded, and I noticed one had a revolver just stuffed in his slacks san holster. I briefly told them these guys had hit and run me, and I had a gun in my pocket on them, and we soon were going to be swarmed by police and would YOU please hold my gun for me? Well we soon got swarmed by so many it started to look like a police funneral! The first two put a shotgun on me and patted me down. The two guys that hit me were immediately hooked up and I never was!
Later I asked one of the cops why they hadnt hooked me up. He said your demeaner. But I already knew that. I did have to go to the station a few hours and answer questions, do PW, and have my gun ran. The end of it was we were drove back to our sorry dinged 64 coupe deville, I was given my model 60 back WITH my ammo and sent on our way. Thats the short version.
No, I wouldnt want to try that again in this day, I am sure they would jack the jail up and roll me under it!
The point to all this is if your going to pack you damn sure better know how to handle yourself!

 

[writerinmo]

Okay, I'm game. I have been to all fifty (50) states...forty-six (46) of them whilst on official business as a LEO.

I have NEVER seen a non-LEO "open carrying."

FTR, my agency PROHIBITTED any display of a gun whilst on- or off-duty, in mufti. (NOTE: THAT PROHIBITION DID NOT APPLY WHEN DISPLAY WAS WARRANTED.)

Be safe.

How long ago were these 50 states visited though? IMHO the big 'surge', if that's what you want to call it, only really got a full head of steam once Obama took office. I OC on a daily basis around the house, out front, BS'ing with my Sheriff Deputy buddy in the middle of the street with my SW40VE on my hip. I don't OC here in town a lot, because the town I live in allows OC but it's "twin city" doesn't, and not even the LEO's are totally certain where the city limits start and stop in places.

 

[bitstream]

Okay, I'm game. I have been to all fifty (50) states...forty-six (46) of them whilst on official business as a LEO.

I have NEVER seen a non-LEO "open carrying."

FTR, my agency PROHIBITTED any display of a gun whilst on- or off-duty, in mufti. (NOTE: THAT PROHIBITION DID NOT APPLY WHEN DISPLAY WAS WARRANTED.)

Be safe.

I saw one young guy OCing right down the aisle at Wal-Mart a couple of weeks ago. Nobody seemed to care much.

- Welcome to Georgia.

 

[cjw3]

I am a retired wildlife officer and, naturally, we dealt with armed individuals all the time. If any of us were in the habit of drawing down on same WITHOUT GOOD CAUSE they would find themselves in the job market, pronto. I only had to on one occasion when an individual reached (twice) for what looked like a Remington 742 laying amongst some cans, boxes, etc. on a dimly lit picnic table at night. It turned out to be a pellet gun .

I was mad and a little rattled (as we say down here) for a while. Maybe the LEO in this case had recently had a similar experience so was on edge; who knows? Assuming there was no other mitigating factor, if he had not seen the gun he would have had no reason to draw.

I carry one (or two) all the time and keep them out of sight when I am in the sight of others....a nice, simple rule that I can remember. No problems to date.

 

[szuppo]

Why would an LEO pull you from the vehicle via PA for 5 mph over the speed limit. Soemthing doesn't quite add up here.

 

[ASA335]

Either I am sheltered and dont get out much, and I dont think that is the case, or there is a whole lot of BSing going on these sites! Come on! Be truthfull! Tell me what you see and in what area. Especially what area do you see people and how many, openly packing a sidearm in your area that you suspect are not leo?

Not often and not many times, have I seen non-LEO openly carry.

Haven’t seen it here in Oregon (outside of while hunting) for a long time, but I used to occasionally see it in Clackamas County. One night in ’75 my mom openly carried a M1 carbine with a 30 round magazine seated in it, down her suburban street. A deputy drove by her, stopped, shook his head, and then drove on, and she lived in Milwaukie, OR (Clackamas County) only a mile or two from the Portland city limits (Multnomah County).

More recently (in the 1990’s) it wasn’t that unusual for me to see someone (non-LEO) in town shopping or dining with a holstered sidearm, but this was in southern Arizona (mostly Sierra Vista).

Since then, not much if any.

Why would an LEO pull you from the vehicle via PA for 5 mph over the speed limit. Soemthing doesn't quite add up here.

Agreed. Never did learn the reason for the stop or the outcome.

Peace,

 

[sipowicz]

Why would an LEO pull you from the vehicle via PA for 5 mph over the speed limit. Soemthing doesn't quite add up here.

Rare in big cites but it's quite common in the rural south where the cops have a hard time getting dates..

 

[los]

Rare in big cites but it's quite common in the rural south where the cops have a hard time getting dates..

I must really be naive,..cause that happens to me all the time. ,,

 

[blujax01]

Like Willy, I live in Ohio. My CCW class made the same point. If you're carrying, either OC or CC, roll down your window, put your hands at 10 & 2 and tell the LEO you have a license and there is a loaded firearm in the car. They will take it from there.
As far as OC, I was told that even though it is legal, if you're at Starbucks and Granny screams: "Ohmygodhehasagun!" you risk arrest for inducing panic.
I never OC. Never.

 

[george minze]

A year or so, this question came up. The poster was a lady I think from Pa. She would comment that her and her husband would always open carry. She even went so far as stating that she open carried while using a stroller for her baby. I think she said she wasn't in a high crime area...(Not sure) One thing I can remember she was adamant about open carry. I read later on this forum that she and her husband were involved in a shooting. If my memory is correct it was between the two of them. If true it was the ultimate domestic quarrel. During that thread the same opinions were voiced. Honest opinions I believe, almost exactly like this thread. Having been in LE for 40 years and now 5 years retired I remember when in most jurisdictions there was no such thing as CC. Some states even back then allowed OC depending on City or county laws. However in 40 years I only saw one person open carry in a populated area. Out in the field in rural areas you would see it by ranchers and farmers more for snake and coyote eradication. To be truthful many off duty officers didn't carry. Some jurisdiction required it while in your own jurisdiction. Theory was greater coverage. I don't open carry but I don't sneer at those few that due. However I can see the disadvantage of confrontations with LE when you are open carrying, under the right circumstances. Maybe wrong circumstances is better put...Missouri Law has a no retreat clause, but if you shoot somebody even under justifiable circumstances you are in for some legal scrutiny. Not all bad but sure a pain. I guess the old adage still works "I would rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6" Just a thought from a old retired cop.

 

[vmaxriders]

He pulled me over with his lights. I rolled my window down prepared to give information. At that point via pa I was asked to exit and move to the rear of the vehicle. Why I don't know? With all that followed I really didn't think to ask either. As for seeing many people OC. I see a few here and there. Maybe five or yen a year or so. People probably feel alot like I do now. It's just not worth the hassle. CC is just easier. I want to thank all the LEO's and service men and women out there fall all they do for us.

 

[safearm]

It's not unusual during hunting season to see hunters "open carry" a handgun, especially in convienence stores, gas stations, and similar establishments. State law allows concealed carry of a handgun during, and enroute to and from, sports events, i.e., hunting and fishing, without a firearms permit, so it's not unusual to run into folks in public openingly carry a handgun. If there is a question or complaint, the easiest way to determine legality is to check for a hunting/fishing license, although the orange vest, muddy boots, ATV on the trailer behind the truck, fishing poles, etc., are a real good indication that the person is legally carrying a handgun on their hip.
Except for the above, I never ran into anyone openingly carrying a handgun for the 14 years I served as an LEO in this state.

 

[up196]

I train with my sidearm religously. 500 rounds a month. Not just at the range either. I train on drawing and firing on multiple targets. I have a great respect for our LEOs and military, but I feel his actions were a little reckless. Him being a LEO I hesitated, but the truth is I was in fear of my life.

. . . but simply placing his hand on his weapon at the ready would have stopped me in my tracks. As for my firearm. I have worn it for so long that I rarely think of it as being there.

You train religiously with your firearm but "rarely think of it as being there" when interacting with another armed person, in this case a Law Enforcement Officer, and you consider HIS actions a little reckless??

Two other things you say give me pause:

"Him being a LEO I hesitated" and

"but simply placing his hand on his weapon at the ready would have stopped me in my tracks"

Hesitated from doing what? Stopped you in your tracks from doing what?

One thing I learned long ago are that there are three sides to any story, your side, the other guy's side and what really happened.

It sounds to me like the third side of this story is that you got out as ordered and the officer saw an armed man who, admittedly rarely thinks about his gun being there, make some inadvertant move toward it, conscious or not. The officer's actions then admittedly stopped that man in his tracks from whatever that move was.

You should have been in fear of your life, because your inattention and actions almost got you killed.

You are one lucky man that the officer you encountered showed the restraint he did.

 

[jimmyj]

Hi:
You out of your vehicle and the officer still in his vehicle/exiting-the officer was at a disavanage. You with a holstered firearm with nothing in your hand- the officer with a clipboard in his hand- the officer was still at a disavanage.
I wanted to be out of my patrol vehicle before. I wanted the driver to stay in their vehicle. If I needed to use the PA I took the PA mike with me and hung it over the window sill. Inside the vehicle the officer is inside a "Steel Coffin" (No where to run if things "Go South")

*** In my part of the world it is common to see people open carrying. working people and business people.

 

[Skeeziks]

Real simple.... He orders me out of the vehicle. I unfasten my seatbelt while I simultaneously un-holster my handgun and lay the gun on the passenger seat. Open the door and get out with my hands always in plain view and letting him see the empty holster. Next, I inform him I'm lic. to carry and I left my gun on the seat of the car.

 

[cp1969]

We used to open carry a lot back in the '70s and '80s but it was because we were hunting and usually the guns were .22s. Nobody seemed to care back then but it is a different situation today. People freak out when they see guns now. A kid carrying a .22 rifle down the street in 1970 got no attention at all. Now, a SWAT team would probably be called out.