An open carry observation

['79 Magnum GT]

I am not a people person. I do not want ANYONE to speak to me/approach me uninvited. Being left alone is one my most important values.

That's me too! I also have the power to be completely unnoticed when I walk into a room. Especially by people I know.

Rick

 

[bph9]

What are you basing this on? I seem to remember the last poll that they did suggested that at least 51% of Americans owned at least one gun. That, by definition, is a majority. How do you know what the majority of Americans feel did you ask the majority of Americans? I mean there's 300 and some million people in this country did you ask 150 some million of them how they feel about firearms?

What Percentage of Americans Own Guns?

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Thirty-two percent of U.S. adults say they personally own a gun,

What Percentage of Americans Own Guns?

Read Gallup's short answer to this common question about gun ownership, including what percentages of major demographic subgroups own guns.

news.gallup.com

 

[Smoke]

What Percentage of Americans Own Guns?

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Thirty-two percent of U.S. adults say they personally own a gun,

What Percentage of Americans Own Guns?

Read Gallup's short answer to this common question about gun ownership, including what percentages of major demographic subgroups own guns.

news.gallup.com

You realize the Article is 5 years old right?

 

[ladder13]

I've never been surveyed for anything, and if I were, the surveyor doesn't need to know about this household.

 

[jack zeller]

To assume that you are at an advantage by conceal carrying, is to assume that you aren't the intended target. Once they have the drop on you, it's already too late. To open carry is more likely going to deter criminality as it would be stupid to take a chance anyway with someone knowingly armed in the area. That would Most likely send the criminal elsewhere to do his dirty deed. At least the chances would be greater to deter, rather than be the intendded target.

Nope.

 

[Lima_Delta54321]

Hard to follow the rational here...
I would not open carry, especially having a conceal carry license or legal to conceal in your state.

I certainly do not see it as a deterrent to a criminal element
you make yourself a target if anything and
you give up the one element of surprise

 

[Smoke]

To open carry is more likely going to deter criminality as it would be stupid to take a chance anyway with someone knowingly armed in the area.

Go on YouTube and search "Open Carry Gun Stolen".

Note that at least a third of those videos are people stealing guns from Cops.

I worked as an armed security guard for about 15 years. Actually I wasn't (officially) armed that whole time but I can think of at least three times that somebody either tried to or was obviously thinking about trying to take my gun off me.

And I can't count the number of times that somebody looked at my gun and said they were going to beat my ass and take it or dared me to use it. In one case the guys saw that I had a gun and said he was going to take an ax and cut my head off with it.

Being obviously armed was Zero Deterrent. At least in those cases.

I'm going to close this post the way I always do by mentioning that while my gun had no visible effect on anybody except to make them mouthy or Brave, whenever I reached for my OC spray I got instant compliance every time.

 

[Smoke]

Maybe they need to develop some good taste in clothing.

Who appointed you fashion Guru?

 

[Smoke]

I've never been surveyed for anything, and if I were, the surveyor doesn't need to know about this household.

Every time this topic comes up I say the same thing. If my phone rings and it's an unknown number it goes straight to voicemail.

 

[GregPaulman]

To assume that you are at an advantage by conceal carrying, is to assume that you aren't the intended target. Once they have the drop on you, it's already too late. To open carry is more likely going to deter criminality as it would be stupid to take a chance anyway with someone knowingly armed in the area. That would Most likely send the criminal elsewhere to do his dirty deed. At least the chances would be greater to deter, rather than be the intendded target.

Your statement shows a true lack of understanding of the current criminal activity in too many areas. When a group of teen agers will beat a man to death in a city park in the middle of the day and most crime is committed in groups, to think that you're not making yourself a target for someone who wants a firearm or just would like to deprive you of yours.

Statistically a police office is several times more likely to be shot or killed in an active shooter incident than a someone carrying concealed, Why, because a uniformed police office is perceived as the biggest threat which makes them a bigger target.

In such a situation I don't want anyone to know I'm carrying until I'm ready for them to know. To think you are going to intimidate someone from not targeting you because they "see" you carrying is like a kid playing cowboy. There is a reason the military uses stealth rather than marching out in huge numbers in bright red uniforms like they did 250 years ago.

Personally I don't want to get ganged up on by surprise or knocked in the back of the head (I'm sure you think you have eyes in the back of your head but at 60 I know I don't) by someone who just wants to gain a firearm. For many in the criminal community it's worth it's weight in gold.

 

[roundels]

To assume that you are at an advantage by conceal carrying, is to assume that you aren't the intended target. Once they have the drop on you, it's already too late. To open carry is more likely going to deter criminality as it would be stupid to take a chance anyway with someone knowingly armed in the area. That would Most likely send the criminal elsewhere to do his dirty deed. At least the chances would be greater to deter, rather than be the intendded target.

That's adorable. Now all we need to do is put up signs in local malls, businesses etc. telling the bad guys that firearms are prohibited and the world will be a safer place. Why didn't I think of that?

 

[roundels]

Open carriers need the attention. Rational decision making may not be a strong point with these folks. I'd certainly avoid them.

Exactly. Keep the "Look at me" compensation to loud shirts and loud voices. At least nobody will find those things attractive targets.

 

[RestingBear]

Not trying to derail this thread, but the VA's restrictive gun policy was mentioned. For several years I took my father to a VA hospital for appointments. I am curious to see if I'm the only one who has a problem with any entity - government or otherwise - telling me that I can't have a weapon secured in my vehicle while parked in their parking lot. Given that our drive from my dad's residence to the VA was about 140 miles, compliance with that rule resulted in disarming me for the entire trip. Not logical or acceptable to me. In fact, I remember reading several years ago about a lawsuit brought by a group of employees against their employer who had a similar policy - no guns in the buildings or parking lot. My recollection is that the courts ruled in the employees' favor, saying that you can restrict guns in the building, but you can't disarm your employees on their trip to work.
Please understand that it's not my intention to slam the VA. They were good to my dad and it was appreciated. And if they want to restrict guns in the building I get it even if I don't particularly like it. I can imagine that someone might say, "just park off the premises". Toward the end of my father's life he wasn't able to walk any great distance so that really wasn't an option.
Anybody else find that VA policy - telling you that you can't have a gun in your vehicle - to be taking things a bit far?

 

[roundels]

I live in Utah where you can concealed carry without permit (I still have a permit due to reciprocity) & open carry any time, but try doing open carry with an AR & a 2 point sling.....I think you will draw undue attention. Point being, why draw attention to yourself?

Also a Utahn, and I can remember when a certain local Sheriff bleated to the news people that since everyone in Utah could open carry there was no need for a CCW system in the state. This was back when such things were gaining steam nationwide and the predictions of blood in the streets and shootings over packs of gum were given coverage as actual news. This Sheriff, incidentally, was the same one who ordered his Deputies to harass every open carrier they saw to the limits of the law. Fine for me but not for thee.

Flash forward a few years and we had a guy walk into a department store with an AR Slung over his shoulder. That story dominated the news cycle for several days and his little stunt set the cause back for a lot longer. He was a PR nightmare for critical thinking gun owners and Manna from Heaven to those who actually believe that since citizens own guns and criminals own guns then citizens who own guns are criminals. As the saying goes, just because you can doesn't mean you should. People with the increasingly rare gift of common sense already know this.

 

[rockquarry]

Who appointed you fashion Guru?

No one. You needn't be a "guru" to recognize poor taste.

 

[Ronbow]

Okay A little clarification is needed here. The particular VA that I'm talking about is the Floyd K. Lindstrom Clinic on Centennial in Colorado Springs.

FLK is a standalone building about a half a mile away from anything else. If you're walking around that clinic with an empty holster on your hip the chances are better than excellent that there's a gun in your car. That's also a crime. Every entrance to the parking lot is posted. There's no way that you can enter the grounds without going past one of those signs.

It's poking the bear. All it's going to take is the wrong VA cop on the wrong day to ruin somebody's life.

One of the providers that I used to see frequently knew that I was working as a security guard. Every time I walked into that clinic he would hint that I must be carrying a gun. Every time he did I quoted the law to him and said that there was no way that I would ever jeopardize my VA benefits or my freedom by doing something that stupid

The VA clinic here in FLA. is one of the places where I want to carry. I am a 78 yr. old USMC RVN vet so I go there about twice a year for annual physical. The old guys in there with their "I was there" hats, t-shirts give me much unease.

 

[xchecker]

What Percentage of Americans Own Guns?

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Thirty-two percent of U.S. adults say they personally own a gun,

What Percentage of Americans Own Guns?

Read Gallup's short answer to this common question about gun ownership, including what percentages of major demographic subgroups own guns.

news.gallup.com

Seriously!? What percentage of posters on this forum would even respond to a pollster asking this question? If 32% responded yes, I can only imagine the number is probably double that!

 

[SASFixer]

To assume that you are at an advantage by conceal carrying, is to assume that you aren't the intended target. Once they have the drop on you, it's already too late. To open carry is more likely going to deter criminality as it would be stupid to take a chance anyway with someone knowingly armed in the area. That would Most likely send the criminal elsewhere to do his dirty deed. At least the chances would be greater to deter, rather than be the intendded target.

I guess I am a more devious type. If I was going to create mayhem, before I make my move, I would look around to see if there was anyone that even remotely posed a threat to my actions. That means any LEO, firefighter or person open carrying or just plain "tough looking". They would be the first to go down.

 

[DixieRanger]

The responsibility and decision for carry style is completely on you. Choose wisely.

 

[Dennis 52]

To assume that you are at an advantage by conceal carrying, is to assume that you aren't the intended target. Once they have the drop on you, it's already too late. To open carry is more likely going to deter criminality as it would be stupid to take a chance anyway with someone knowingly armed in the area. That would Most likely send the criminal elsewhere to do his dirty deed. At least the chances would be greater to deter, rather than be the intendded target.

I'm on the other side. I think open carry is an invitation to have a problem. To me somebody that is open carrying is making an open invitation to try to take my gun away from me. Which means to me that person is just looking for trouble.