open carry in your area?

[TexasArmed]

If concealed, you may be able to choose to stay out of a fight. If open carry, you are likely to get pulled into it.

Rosewood

I always carry concealed inside stores, but not outside nor in
my vehicle. I look at this the same way I look at the situation
you have is someone suspicious is beating on your door in the
middle of the night, if you answer and its a criminal breaking
in he knows approximately where you are. If you
remained concealed without a sound and he does kick the
door in you have the advantage if your concealed to take
him out before he gets all the way inside.

If I want concealment I carry my S&W 642 revolver, but
now days with open borders and criminals routinely being
let go without charges I usually figure I need more firepower.
So for me its a S&W 357 Magnum or a Glock SH 30 45 caliber.
I live in Texas where its warm, most of the year. I don't
believe you can really conceal a revolver like a 357 with a
4 inch barrel or a Glock under a Tea Shirt without it being
pretty apparent your carrying. If its apparent, having to
pull your weapon from ineffective concealment adds a fraction
of a second to being able to use the gun. Is that fraction of
a second worth it? That's the question.

My wife tells me when I carry my S&W 645 that its still
obvious to her that I am carrying even when I conceal it.

 

[Capt. F.]

I live in Kentucky and have a concealed carry license. We open carry at the store, but I don't anywhere else.

To avoid the Ken's and Karen's of the world I'd say it's best not to draw attention to yourself.

I agree with your Kens & Karen’s statement.
Here in Maine we have Constitutional & permitted carry.
I don’t consciously try to keep my EDC covered at all times. If the pancake it rides in happens to stick out from under my shirt, coat etc, I don’t sweat it l, BUT i see no benefit in prodding those opposed to me exercising my Constitutional rights.
MTCW

 

[rosewood]

Could you cite some actual facts that support your position . . . ?

If I was a bad guy, I would check the room for armed citizens and hit them first. Can only assume a bad guy thinks the same way.

 

[HenryT]

Most bad guys want an easy run. They want to rob and go. If a crime of passion, they have an intended target, they kill and go or kill -- kill -- and self neutralize. If crazed killer they shoot the easy closest first and repeat.

 

[scoobysnacker]

I'm in south Louisiana. We have open carry.

Most of the time, you never see anyone doing it. But whenever there's a hurricane (a fairly common natural disaster here), it's pretty common.

People are generally very nice around here, but there's just enough seedy characters that you step it up a notch when the power is out.

I've never seen a confrontation, as the 'seedy guys' aren't aggressive and seem to know better than to hassle folks during times like that.

 

[sipowicz]

Open carry is like an open relationship. Eventually it will go south.

 

[Rustyt1953]

 

[xtrtsqrt11]

As has been already mentioned, legal in OR, I believe there are some muni laws not allowing (ie PDX area).
I see someone OC fairly frequently here in Willamette valley in the bigger cities (for OR).
I personally think it scares the sheeple and doesn't help with normalizing the concept of carrying.
I also prefer the idea of hedging my bets in my favor IF something was to happen, that hasn't in 25 years of carrying...

 

[Muss Muggins]

If I was a bad guy, I would check the room for armed citizens and hit them first. Can only assume a bad guy thinks the same way.

That doesn’t happen. You are giving “bad guys” way more credit than they deserve. Again, cite actual statistics. You can’t because it doesn’t happen. Occasionally, a crook grabs a gun from a poorly situated carry decision. Not often.

 

[skwchock]

It is legal to "open carry" in VA, but since this is a blue state, it is not considered "wise" to do that ...

 

[Muss Muggins]

It is legal to "open carry" in VA, but since this is a blue state, it is not considered "wise" to do that ...

What else do you not do because you think it’s frowned upon, but it’s perfectly legal . . . ?

 

[rosewood]

That doesn’t happen. You are giving “bad guys” way more credit than they deserve. Again, cite actual statistics. You can’t because it doesn’t happen. Occasionally, a crook grabs a gun from a poorly situated carry decision. Not often.

You have stats that says otherwise? Or are you shooting from the hip also?

Common or not, it only takes one time to become the statistic. I don't want to gamble on that myself.

 

[Muss Muggins]

You have stats that says otherwise? Or are you shooting from the hip also?

Common or not, it only takes one time to become the statistic. I don't want to gamble on that myself.

I do not, but I don't need to. If stealing OC guns, killing the carrier and then shooting up a shopping mall were a thing, it would be all over the news. It is not. I'm not the one claiming that open carry leads to shoot me first. You are. You have to prove it. Since it doesn't happen, I'm winning . . .

 

[sigp220.45]

I’ve heard the “shoot me first” argument for decades now.

Fanny pack? Shoot me first!

Gun related hat? Shoot me first!

Fisherman vest? Shoot me first!

Open carry? Shoot me first!

You’d think it would have actually happened by now!

 

[upcountry]

I don't see "winning" your point as a factor in the debate over the wisdom of open carry. Throwing out stats and citations of events to prove one fact over another; it becomes a pissing contest. The idea of 'proving it' by citation is simply stupid. Let's get back to reality.
In every class I've taught that stealth and situational awareness are the critical issues. I've taught with LEOs running civilian CCW classes--none have ever espoused open carry as effective, in fact discouraged it.
Another factor is it gives a negative impression of gun owners as macho men who are trying to prove how much of a man they are by scaring the sheep. We are sheepdogs and sheep dogs don't scare the sheep.
They simply watch and bite when needed.

 

[Rustyt1953]

 

[Charlie Foxtrott]

I live in Virginia and do it all the time.

It is legal to "open carry" in VA, but since this is a blue state, it is not considered "wise" to do that ...

Basically a non issue where I live, nobody cares. I guess that as opposed to being wise, that I am just not woke.

 

[Frailer]

Back to the OP’s question…

I also live in KY (a bit west of you), and I see folks openly carrying with some regularity. About half the time it’s just a run-of-the-mill guy; the other half it’s somebody who looks like he spends too much time on the Internet in his Mom’s basement.

As for myself, I don’t do it, for the same reasons I don’t put bumper stickers on my car.

 

[Onomea]

I agree with those who think why upset people who are nervous around guns?

Many people seeing someone open carry are afraid, or upset, so why scare 'em? At least in urban areas. Seems to me if you are out in the boonies, which I very rarely am, open carry would be more comfortable and unlikely to disturb the few people that you encounter. So appropriate for hunting and the like, as others have said.

Re the OC guys standing out as "shoot my first" and Muss's counter argument of how many times has that happened, I don't think about it that way.

I think about it as it affects me. Sure, OC would be more comfortable. On the other hand, I don't want to walk around upsetting people. Not just as a kindness and courtesy to them, but I don't want the hassle. Don't want to deal with it.

Not my job or inclination to educate them either.

And in the unlikely event that I need to use my handgun, as others have said, surprise is a useful advantage.

 

[Puller]

Of late I only open carry in public when I'm wearing a COVID mask. It confuses the people who are easily offended.