An open carry observation

[biku324]

You are in New Mexico, you know about the street crime in Albuquerque of course. I worked there as an OSI agent and travel the states dozens and dozens of times, love your state. Have gone to Whittington NRA center as many as 3 trips per year.

That said, just traveling and having stayed in motels downtown, Central Street on I 40, have had hookers try to wake me up and force their way in. Later had pimps threaten me, actually had to show a double barrel and Glock once to shut the guy down. When you as a traveler get woken up in the middle of the night by banging on the door and death threats, that is not conducive to good sleep.

And we stopped a couple dozen times in our RV at that roadside park on I 40, the one where the couple had their camper stolen and were murdered, you remember the one. Both victims had CCW permits, they lived not far from us. Having a permit and gun that was not handy did not help, they were shot and burned.

Escaped Arizona Inmates Indicted in Tecumseh Couple's Murders

A federal grand jury in New Mexico has indicted two Arizona prison escapees and their accomplice on capital murder and carjacking charges in the Aug. 2 deaths of an Oklahoma couple.

www.newson6.com

And the bad guys visited the state park at Santa Rosa, stayed there too.

And we had an incident near Los Alamitos, west of Santa Fe, where my handguns was close to being fired in defense.

New Mexico is a lovely state, hope to visit next month after maybe 50 visits over the years, that said, there is always risk, and it seems I had more than my share there. Did I mention the bear encounters, ? LOL several.

I cannot imagine open carry in New Mexico as being a good idea.

The I-40 corridor in NM is where I cut my policing teeth. Every maggot in the US is on that road at some point.

 

[Smoke]

The I-40 corridor in NM is where I cut my policing teeth. Every maggot in the US is on that road a some point.

How many of them are wearing Hawaiian shirts?

 

[biku324]

How many of them are wearing Hawaiian shirts?

Only Californians and only when it is snowing.

 

[Tabby Lynn]

The I-40 corridor in NM is where I cut my policing teeth. Every maggot in the US is on that road a some point.

Sounds like a good choice for open carry would be an AR-10 with about 5 - 20 round magazines. Best bet would be to just scratch NM off you list of places to visit.

 

[Shooter308]

I am a Firearms Instructor. I carry CCW and have done so for over 40 years. I think the issue with open carry that will arise is an increase of locations putting up signs that advise that no firearms allowed which will increase the amount of gun free zones. Folks will push it and then be arrested if they refuse to leave and be charged with Trespass and receive a second-degree misdemeanor charge. I would prefer that if folks are going to open carry that they have some level of retention holsters and also have training in use of the firearm or firearms that they carry. I also feel the same way about constitutional carry concealed some level of retention holster and training also.

 

[Smoke]

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

Tomorrow is my daughter's 43rd birthday. There will be a family gathering at the Goat Ranch and I will be wearing that shirt.

And carrying this gun if anyone is interested

 

[Doriangray6]

A study done in Wyoming several years ago indicated that well over 90% of the people here own firearms, about 80% percent carry a handgun most or all of the time; usually concealed but also openly when engaged in an outdoor activity like hunting, hiking, horseback riding, camping, etc., so seeing someone openly carrying a handgun in public doesn't cause much comment except from some tourists and newcomers to the state.
I don't usually carry unless I'm making a late night ATM, burger, gas run or something similar and then I carry openly for a couple of reasons. (A) Due to arthritic hands I can access a handgun from a holster on my side quicker and easier than from a concealed position and (B) I believe that would be predators regard an obviously armed gimpy old fart as a less appealing target than an unarmed gimpy old fart.
So far so good.
The exception to this is when I go grocery shopping which I do late at night to avoid crowds; then because of store policies I carry a Beretta 21A in a pocket.

 

[Law-dog]

A study done in Wyoming several years ago indicated that well over 90% of the people here own firearms, about 80% percent carry a handgun most or all of the time; usually concealed but also openly when engaged in an outdoor activity like hunting, hiking, horseback riding, camping, etc., so seeing someone openly carrying a handgun in public doesn't cause much comment except from some tourists and newcomers to the state.
I don't usually carry unless I'm making a late night ATM, burger, gas run or something similar and then I carry openly for a couple of reasons. (A) Due to arthritic hands I can access a handgun ha holster on my side quicker and easier than from a concealed position and (B) I believe that would be predators regard an obviously armed gimpy old fart as a less appealing target than an unarmed gimpy old fart.
So far so good.
The exception to this is when I go grocery shopping which I do late at night to avoid crowds; then because of store policies I carry a Beretta 21A in a pocket.

Many years ago after a hunting trip on a blizzard day my stepson and I stopped for a bite to eat in Douglas Wyoming. My son was 14 but 6 foot 3. He wanted to carry while hunting and I allowed him to carry my model 19 from my local police officer days.

We walked into the cafe and not thinking he had the model 19 on his hip. we say down and two state troopers were in the table next to us. My son in a panic stated that he had the gun still on, both troopers looked. I told him to take it out to the jeep and put it under the seat. Both troopers smiled and nodded their approval.

It is Wyoming, who cares?

Hunting in Colorado for decades same deal. Except elk season sees half of Texas, and many show up in their finest gun gear, armed not for elk, but maybe zombies. So, the local cafe I frequented for decades, only 15 miles from camp, but up a sign, "gentlemen do not wear their hats or guns indoors".

That said, we still had lots of elk hunters with shoulder rigs showing of their biggest 44s and such. When you have 40 hunters in a room eating burgers and fries, i am not sure everyone needs an open carry 44. It is not too much to leave them outside. That said, I cherish the right to do so, and in that I do not condemn anyone for open carry, I just do not consider it smart in most urban areas.


Reaction time is what often wins gun battles, the 1/ 2 second extra time you have concealed gives you time to get off 2 or more shots before that reaction time is gone. On the other hand math and physics works both ways. If the other guy starts first, and he sees you are armed, he can shoot you 2 or more times before that reaction time gets away. Just saying, sometimes it is better to shoot the other guy twice before he shoots you twice, that's all I am saying..


And if I am in a place where some gun battle is going to occur, I always want a decoy in there, someone else doing open carry, so when they start shooting, maybe they will run out of ammo before they see me going out the back.....

 

[Taj]

I wear shorts every single day for months on end....As well as everyone else in Central and South Florida. Anyone NOT wearing shorts here stands out. I also wear shirts like the Hawaiian shirts shown on a regular basis with a firearm or no firearm.

Where I used to work, if you wore a Hawaiian shirt, you were definitely CIA. IN fact, we used to call them the "Hawaiian shirt guys".

 

[Law-dog]

Where I used to work, if you wore a Hawaiian shirt, you were definitely CIA. IN fact, we used to call them the "Hawaiian shirt guys".

I worked executive protection in the Carribean, Peurto Rico, south Florida, Texas in the summer time and other hot places. Even DC can be hot in summer.

We wore the Panama shirts, nothing loud or bold prints, more like a tourist would wear. With Jeans or shorts, I could conceal a 1911 in a shoulder rig and a second gun in a pants pocket or IWB holster. They were loose and concealed well. We just looked much like tourists.

In fact, I would often carry a camera case that hung from a strap on my neck, you can carry lots in those and including spare magazines. That camera took any suspicion away. In fact, a bigger camera bag could hold cold drinks and such for long waits or surveillance. When it is 100 degrees, any thing that works is correct, big a loose still works.

I bought them one size to conceal the shoulder rig, or sometimes a vest.

When I retired I went from suit and tie to two wardrobes. Winter, jeans and shirt, summer, I bought a dozen of those shirts and about that many cargo pants. Best dressed (and armed) old guy in Walmart. I am going to Walmart today, already have the cargo pants on, Keltec Pf9 in one pocket, the bigger gun will go in the console.