Open carried the past 2 days

[S&W45Colt]

I am in agreement with most of this post. If your an open carrier good for you. If you could carry concealed WHY DO IT? If I was intent on committing a crime and I saw an intepid open carrier,.. guese what? You take the first round and it's my studied opinion that Career criminals or Professional Armed Robbers would do just that. Y'all keep carrying in the open and hopefully the aforementioned will never befall you.

I said in one of my posts I was not an OCer, but supported those who did.

Funny thing though, a lot of us with badges beside our names carried guns, badges etc and I didn't see whole lot of these dreaded BG's taking pot shots at us, most of time if they did, they were the ones getting the ride to the morgue.

Just a thought........

 

[American1776]

I said in one of my posts I was not an OCer, but supported those who did.

Funny thing though, a lot of us with badges beside our names carried guns, badges etc and I didn't see whole lot of these dreaded BG's taking pot shots at us, most of time if they did, they were the ones getting the ride to the morgue.

Just a thought........

It's very refreshing to hear an LEO express support for law abiding Americans who choose to OC responsibility.

To say that 'bad guys will just shoot the OCer first', as if it is an established truth, is to ignore the value of actual empirical observation to see if it actually happens. And as you point out, LEO's OC everyday, and very very rarely get all those 'pot shots' that OCers are supposed to be subject to.

An explanation for this might be: criminals like easy prey. A guy with a 45 on his right hip practicing good SA is at the very bottom on the list of those who are easy prey.

The anti-gun crowd loves to use the argument, 'Concealed carry shouldn't be allowed because then criminals will just assume everyone is carrying and shoot their victims right from the start'. Well, we all know THAT hasn't happened. Why in the world would we think this would happen to OCers, especially since there's zero empirical evidence to back such a claim?

 

[Rastoff]

Funny thing though, a lot of us with badges beside our names carried guns, badges etc and I didn't see whole lot of these dreaded BG's taking pot shots at us,...

There may be a misunderstanding here. At least for me, I wasn't talking about "pot shots" at anyone. The concept is more narrow.

If a bad guy goes into a place with intent to shoot, or at least eliminate potential threats, it's only logical that they would perceive anyone with a gun as a greater threat and therefore, shoot them first. In this situation, I say it's better to carry concealed.

I don't know of any cases, though I'm sure they exist, where people are just shooting at those who open carry.

 

[hmbiohazard]

i oc all the time i am an active member with michigan open carry. i have had only one instance when a best buy manger kicked me out for carrying, well i went above his head and called the district manager who told me they follow state laws as far as carrying firearms.

i have a CPL and only purpose it suits me is to allow me to carry in my truck without disarming and storing.

ive come to find in the past few years that many dont even notice you have a firearm on your hip, cc or oc.

 

[ladder13]

I honestly had no idea open carry was such a taboo issue

It's not.........

 

[SgtLumpy]

...If a bad guy goes into a place with intent to shoot, or at least eliminate potential threats, it's only logical that they would perceive anyone with a gun as a greater threat and therefore, shoot them first. In this situation, I say it's better to carry concealed...

Except for two or three instances per decade, bad guys don't go into a place "with intent to shoot". They go in to steal money or property.

I'm a thief. I have a choice of THIS convenience store or THAT convenience store. I look in one of them and see a guy open carrying. I look in the other one and don't see anyone open carrying. Which one do you suppose I'm going to rob?


5Sgt Lumpy

 

[Rastoff]

Good point.

 

[snubbyfan]

Alright, I've been reading this thread and thought I'd give my reason I prefer concealed over open carry.
I'm a Native American. I've got dark skin and long black hair. Apparently that's sufficient reason to be racially profiled as a drug trafficker by law enforcement.
When I lived in Virginia, I was rollerblading down a rail/trail on a hot sunny summer day. A Fairfax County cop stopped me, arrested me and accused me of being a drug trafficker. They found no drugs on me or in my car.
I was visiting my Mother in Virginia one day and I had my mountain bike that I had built from the frame up with me and I was riding it around the block, adjusting my new hydraulic rear rim brake. I was pulled over by 4 police cruisers on my bicycle. I had to sit and wait while they checked my ID.
Another time while visiting my mother, I was taking her trash down to the curb. A police cruiser pulls up and orders me to stop. Once again my ID's checked and I'm let go.
After we moved out here, I was hiking a trail that crossed over into Maryland. It was a hot summer day, I'm wearing hiking boots, shorts and no shirt. Here comes Ranger Rick harassing and checking my ID.
After being repeatedly harassed by law enforcement officers because of my skin color and racial heritage, I could just imagine how bad it'd be if I open carried.
Shoot first and ask questions later?
Now when I see a police officer coming in my direction, I wonder what he's going to harass me about or accuse me of this time?
No I don't dress like a gangsta wannabe. I wear properly fitting clothes. I do wear a beaded necklace with a handcarved bone arrowhead smudged and blessed by a Shawnee Holy man, tie my hair in a ponytail and sometimes I wear a silver tomahawk earring. I doubt if that makes me look like a drug lord.
Racial hatred and harassment acted out by those in authority because they can get away with it?
Whatever, my choice to carry concealed isn't based on any "tactical" advantage or disadvantage I may imagine I have but rather I'd prefer to not give law enforcement another reason to harass me.
I am fully aware that if I ever need to use my snubby to defend myself or my family that I'll be thoroughly and completely screwed.

 

[S&W45Colt]

There may be a misunderstanding here. At least for me, I wasn't talking about "pot shots" at anyone. The concept is more narrow.

If a bad guy goes into a place with intent to shoot, or at least eliminate potential threats, it's only logical that they would perceive anyone with a gun as a greater threat and therefore, shoot them first. In this situation, I say it's better to carry concealed.

I don't know of any cases, though I'm sure they exist, where people are just shooting at those who open carry.

I was not aiming my comments at anyone in particular.

I personally subscribe to the have an "ace in the hole" theory, but don't begrudge people who OC.

 

[FTG-05]

It's very refreshing to hear an LEO express support for law abiding Americans who choose to OC responsibility.

To say that 'bad guys will just shoot the OCer first', as if it is an established truth, is to ignore the value of actual empirical observation to see if it actually happens. And as you point out, LEO's OC everyday, and very very rarely get all those 'pot shots' that OCers are supposed to be subject to.

An explanation for this might be: criminals like easy prey. A guy with a 45 on his right hip practicing good SA is at the very bottom on the list of those who are easy prey.

The anti-gun crowd loves to use the argument, 'Concealed carry shouldn't be allowed because then criminals will just assume everyone is carrying and shoot their victims right from the start'. Well, we all know THAT hasn't happened. Why in the world would we think this would happen to OCers, especially since there's zero empirical evidence to back such a claim?

Yea, I'm still waiting for the poster who stated that he "studied" the issue about OCers getting "shot first". Forgive me if you think I'm holding my breath!



Carried my S&W 329PD to lunch today with my wife (yea!!!) at the local Ardmore KFC. Zero you-know-what's were given by the staff or clientele - as usual.

 

[ColbyBruce]

Note to self:

Do not go anywhere with snubbyfan unless I have my I.D. and a hour or so spare time.

 

[Worshipbass12]

& a video camera to help with court ;-)

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[wittmeba]

It's not that it will attract criminals. But, think like a bad guy for a moment. If you're going into a place to shoot some people, who are you going to shoot first? The guy with the gun. If you open carry, you become that target.

I'm not trying to convince you not to open carry. Just be aware of the possible complications involved.

There are a couple possibilities here.
- The perp won't notice you are OC and will do what he was set out to do
- The perp will see you are OC and change his mind
- The perp will see you are OC and continue to do what he was set out to do

If they chose the third option they may very well focus their attention on an OCer to protect themselves if they feel shooting should start immediately.

They may also think the best option is to avoid shooting using their gun for "scare tactics" still focusing on an OC if they notice.

 

[asnpdirtezw]

Since i see everyone's hard line of evidence as to why you should not open carry is "it might make someone uncomfortable" let me go ahead and state that i don't give a damn what makes someone uncomfortable, i care about what makes me comfortable. Many things that i see daily make me uncomfortable, hell the guy who walks into my work wearing short shorts daily makes me uncomfortable, but he does it and obviously likes it so i doubt he will change because it makes me uncomfortable...

 

[asnpdirtezw]

i mean seriously, Moms Demand Action for GSiA is obviously uncomfortable that we are even allowed to own guns, so by your logic of "it might make someone uncomfortable" should we then give up our weapons? Ridiculous.

 

[ladder13]

I don't OC, but wear Hawaiin shirts, same effect.

 

[Worshipbass12]

Bahaha

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[wittmeba]

snubbyfan - sounds like you have been misjudged I've made the mistake - not about gun carriers but people's looks in general. But I've learned to accept until proven otherwise.


OCing does draw attention.
- The supporters of the 2A don't really care as we understand.
- The anti's get flustered and sometimes take actions - call 911 etc.

But it sounds like those who think those who OC are going to get shot at first don't have evidence to support such claims. So perhaps the conclusion should be OC must serve very well as a deterrent to criminals.

I don't OC only due to experience of carrying at all but may start locally. Seems acceptable around here in SW Va. But I certainly won't try to make an exhibition out of it. I do CC most of the time and I am comfortable with it.

Be professional and friendly and I don't think there will be a problem with either method of carrying.

 

[SMSgt]

Gee, I OC'd in states where it was legal, and not once--ever--did I get hassled by LE or shot/mugged by a BG looking for an easy target. I guess I did it all wrong. I believe it happens more on the internet than on the streets.

 

[44 Mag Fan]

My $.02 on open carry. Just because you can, does not mean you should.