Open Carry

[Pasifikawv]

I generally do not open carry and do not think it wise. Open carry may be a deterrent in some select scenarios but can also make you the primary target to the BGs who will want to get the drop on you first.

Open carry does have its place (hiking, camping, hunting, etc.) Some states do not offer ccw but do allow some form of open carry (CA). Others offer ccw but prohibit open carry (TX). If open carry is your only option in your state, I would not fault anyone for carrying openly. However, if you can ccw, that's certainly the route I would go...

 

[willy]

Open carry may be a deterrent in some select scenarios but can also make you the primary target to the BGs who will want to get the drop on you first.

...

When was the last time that a BG got the drop on someone that was carrying their gun in the open?

Fact is =
BGs don't purposely pick out victims that might fight back.
They definitely don't pick victims they think might kill them.
BGs look for the weak or defenseless to victimize.
What better crime deterrent for my 5'2" 105 pound mother than a 642 carried openly?

 

[The Big D]

It appears you are making the assumption, like many open carry proponents do, that being pro 2nd and thinking legal open carry is "idiotic" are not compatible. They certainly are. I support and will defend the right of anyone who is legally openly carrying to do so. In most cases it's stupid and counterproductive to the RKBA cause but that is just my opinion.

I can assure you when the various federal and state legislative bodies next convene we are going to pay for the dumb open carry stunts of the last few weeks with a deluge of restrictive gun proposals. That's the way it has always been and that's the way it always will be. And when the dust settles we'll have lost a little more ground. Yeah, we really showed 'em, didn't we?

Bob

Well said, bk43. For the record, I comment minimally on this very sensitive issue. However, I am 100% AGAINST open carry and think those who endorse it don't see the big picture and said "big picture" will become clearer to them, soon, as the backlash against open carry will surely cause same negative effects.

I must note one thing that I feel is important. My agency mandated that ANYONE in mufti must keep his/her firearm concealed. Even though LEO's are far less constrained than others in carrying weapons (I am not speaking of 2A here) many enlightened organizations believe weapons should best be concealed unless carried by uniformed personnel. My background, of course, shapes my opinion but even w/o it I would believe guns should be concealed...period.

Be safe.

 

[Bob R]

I am curious now. There are quite a few people who say they are 100% against open carry, which is fine, your opinions, your choice.

When this "inevetiable backlash" happens, will those of you who oppose open carry rise to support the rights of those who do open carry, or will you shrug it off and say they had it coming?

What if the NRA champions the cause of OC, which they won't but stranger things have happened, as an extension of the RKBA. Would that sway you one way or the other in support of people who OC?

Remember, it is legal and a right that has been granted by various state laws.

bob

 

[FirebirdV8]

The issue of OC vs CC has only served to divide gun owners and advocates. We need fight for 2A rights whether it be open or concealed. Its ok to have different opinions, but we need to band together on the important issues and not on something as trivial as style of carry.

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

The issue of OC vs CC has only served to divide gun owners and advocates. We need fight for 2A rights whether it be open or concealed. Its ok to have different opinions, but we need to band together on the important issues and not on something as trivial as style of carry.

Worth repeating.

 

[bk43]

When this "inevetiable backlash" happens, will those of you who oppose open carry rise to support the rights of those who do open carry, or will you shrug it off and say they had it coming?

I can only speak for myself but I will be on the side of the open carry folks. I won't think any better of the choices they made but it was their right was it not?

I view it like the 400 pounder spending hours at McDonalds inhaling hamburgers and fries. Not very smart, killing themselves like that, but they do have that right regardless of my opinion.

Bob

 

[flop-shank]

The issue of OC vs CC has only served to divide gun owners and advocates. We need fight for 2A rights whether it be open or concealed. Its ok to have different opinions, but we need to band together on the important issues and not on something as trivial as style of carry.

I agree, and I like having open carry on the books. If for some reason my gun gets exposed while carrying concealed, I'm still within the law.

 

[safearm]

The concept of OC does not only apply to handguns or EBRs. In many situations, OC applies to hunting and other firearms related sporting events. In Mississippi, it is also allowed to carry a concealed firearm if involved in a firearms related sport, or if traveling to or from an outdoor activity. A hunter or fisherman may carry a concealed handgun legally, without a concealed weapons permit, called a Firearms Permit in Mississippi, as long as they are enroute, or returning from their sport.
I had this situation come up once when an individual stopped at a gas station and was observed with a gun under his coat when he reached for his wallet. The individual had a hunting license with him and his long gun in his truck. As far as I was concerned, he was within the law and I let him go.

 

[Zilmo]

I am not even sure how you managed to make that leap, but you did.
bob

Well Bob,

I guess I made the leap from your statement here:

"At least he is an avowed anti-gunner and not someone who professes to support the 2A, fellow shooters and gun gun owners, but only the parts they like."

Now, I may not be a fan of open carry, for the same reasons as others have said here. But that does not mean that I won't support 2A rights. I disagree with the folks in the news recently for again, the same reasons others have posted. I firmly believe that they hurt our cause.

I am not the enemy, no matter what some may believe.

 

[MSgt G]

Georgia is a state where we can carry open or concealed with a Georgia Firearms License. I open carry 98% of the time and have found that most people don't even notice. The ones who have noticed usually seem to be the "rougher" looking characters and they stay away.

Reading some of these posts just makes my stomach turn. Why can't most of us, on the S&W Forum no less, be pro-2A? Carry however you feel you should, but don't put others down because you like to carry a different way. Maybe the Brady folks would consider themselves pro 2A if we let them add, delete, and change things so they "felt good" about it.

Let's stand up for our 2A rights, not privleges, before they're gone and we can't get them back. Carry however you'd like and quit whining and making up things trying to prove your point.

 

[Lightfoot4]

I use to open carry every now and then. Last time I did, a customer of McDonalds complained to the manager that I had a gun. Manager told me I couldn't have a gun in there. I said no problem and took the gun to my car. Given I don't want McDonalds to start putting those little no handguns sign in their windows, I haven't open carried in there or anywhere since. I just do a concealed carry wherever I go, including that McDonalds (and that manager is no longer there).

Some cities enact their own bans on open carry. Given I don't know which cities do and don't, I've found concealed carry is the way to go if I don't want any worries.

 

[Jeb Stonewall]

When was the last time that a BG got the drop on someone that was carrying their gun in the open?

Fact is =
BGs don't purposely pick out victims that might fight back.
They definitely don't pick victims they think might kill them.
BGs look for the weak or defenseless to victimize.
What better crime deterrent for my 5'2" 105 pound mother than a 642 carried openly?

+1 That's the best reason for open carry I've seen yet.

The only reason for the private citizen to carry a weapon is for personal defence.
Good, bad, right or wrong doesn't matter.
What matters is protection against who or whatever may do you harm.
Carrying a gun openly so society can become accustomed to seeing them has nothing to do with the real reason on why you (((should))) carry a gun.
And carrying a gun concealed for no other reason but to keep from upsetting the anti's is just being to politically correct for me.
And may give the wrong impression that I care what they think.

Carrying a gun concealed may get you out of a bad situation.
But carrying in the open might keep you from ever being in a bad situation in the first place.

 

[Knightrider03m]

The reason there really isn't any thing on OC is because there isn't really a lot of people that OC and the people that do, do it in save areas. If I was a bad guy and see someone OC, number one, I would be CC so the OCer dont know that I have a gun until I was ready to do something and number two, I would take out the guy that I know has a gun. Bottom line, I would be the guy shooting the BG that shot the CCer because the BG didn't know that I had a gun too.

 

[RightWinger]

Years ago in Nashville long before I was employed by our agency we had a police officer who had just got off the evening shift and was going to get a pizza from the local pizza shop to take home to his family. This officer was a uniformed officer and worked patrol. An armed robber walked into this pizza shop with a gun in hand, realizing the officer was standing in line with his back to the crook, the crook went ahead and shot the officer, robbed the store, and didn't shoot anyone else. The officer died from a gunshot to his head if I'm not mistaken. It seems obvious as to why the officer was shot and not anyone else in the store. This is a true story, it did happen, however I can't recall the name of the officer or the year it happened. This is one of them stories that is told numerous times at the academy and then they pass the newspaper clips around of it and show you the obituary....etc. I'm not going to belittle any person for OC because I'm glad you are at least carrying a gun, however everyone seems to think situations like the above are dramitized and don't really happen.....well, they do happen. I always find myself being the devils advocate and frankly if I was a crook I would of done the same thing. People keep saying in this thread that crooks are dumb, and stupid but I have dealt with some pretty devious crooks and a lot of them go a lot further planning their crimes than the average citizen might give them credit for. Just some food for thought.

 

[oneminute]

You pay your money and you take your chances.
Open carry can be a deterrent to a certain level of criminal and an open invitation to another. Many of the ones I deal with have no problem killing or otherwise disarming a person open carrying. It is an option they consider viable if they want to do dirt right away and need a gun. You are their source for a weapon. Criminals as a group are much smarter and devious than what the average person believes. They may not be book smart and well versed but they have tons of skills at awareness, social manipulation and resourcefulness. Don't ever underestimate your enemy (the criminal)
Many more people notice your openly carried weapon than what you may believe. Have a friend or spouse shadow you sometime and have them watch the people around you. You may find that blissful attitude is not as warranted as you once thought.
Watch a group of police officers sometime. If they are remotely switched on they will stand facing each other while carrying on a conversation but never look at each other. They are looking over each others shoulders and scanning the crowd. Either that or standing in a line with their backs to something solid and scanning the crowd. This serves 2 purposes. Look for mopes doing dirt and watch your partner(s) back in case of an assault.

Me personally, I don't care. Exercise your right. Carry open if you want and be proud of it. Just don't believe the mere presence of your openly carried weapon is going to shroud you in a shield of invincibility and ne'er-do-wells will run to the hills to avoid you.
On a side note. For Pete's sake at least get a decent looking holster and dress neatly if you intend to represent for the cause! Nothing says "support your 2A rights" like Joe S**t The Rag Man coming out of the store toting a six pack of PBR in one hand and a dirty baby in the other with your finest chromed Lorcin in a tattered nylon holster. (True story, saw it myself).

 

[AJW]

Legal here in Wisconsin. Attorney General recently came out with his opinion supporting it.

 

[MarshallDodge]

Nearly every gun board I have seen the subject of open carry come up, it always creates issues with people taking sides which I don't understand. We are all pro-gun here right? If everybody who owned a gun carried it openly on their hip would there even be an issue? I can guarantee you that the criminal element, smart or not, would think twice about committing a crime.

I have open carried from time to time, especially in the summer. Here in Utah, if you have your concealed permit, you can open carry anywhere that your permit allows you to carry concealed which is everywhere except federal facilities and some churches for the most part. If you do not have a permit, you can carry in the open with some restrictions on some areas including schools and the other mentioned areas.

When I open carry, I have only received positive responses from citizens. A few have approached me and asked about it and were happily surprised to find out that it is legal in this state.

Even the dogs and pet goose had fun...
YouTube - July Meet Slideshow

YouTube - August Meet Slideshow

It's a free state here in Utah, and I intend to help keep it that way.

 

[cmort666]

Completely legal in Ohio. I don't do it, but have no complaint if others do.

In fact, I think I saw my first open carrier, in Starbucks tonight. I was outside, on the phone with my cousin in Chicago when I saw him come out, with what looked like a sub-compact Glock IWB in the small of his back. I was of course carrying concealed, my Model 36 in a Nemesis in my front pocket.

 

[ace1001]

Do you remember before 94 when the NRA was just peaceful hunters...not those weirdo black rifle and CC nuts. Then they realized that giving in on your rights just gets you death by inches. I do believe that they now realize that they must defend EVERYONES 2nd ammendment rights.

I prefer to carry SAA .45s.....not conceilable in any practical way. I don't want to leave it in the truck if I happen to go to town. I think that should be my choice. OC is much more comfortable. Ace

 

[photoman]

I'm a 100% supporter of open carry. I don't ever use that option, it is legal under certain circumstances in Texas, but I support the option.

Unfortunately, if things keep proceeding as they are, we'll ALL be carrying open.

 

[Sistema1927]

I am always amazed at the number of people on firearms boards who are afraid of freedom.

I normally ccw, but I oc from time to time, and have been doing so for about 30 years. No hassles, no problems. Most of the time nobody even notices that I am carrying.

This guy in the southern part of my state (NM) was hassled, but look at what happened:

Federal judge rules police cannot detain people for openly carrying guns

 

[Frizzman]

I don't think anyone can predict what a attacker may do in any situation. I have always preferred to carry concealed except when I had to carry a service weapon openly in uniform. I don't really care what others do. If it make one feel happy to carry openly, go for it. I don't like any extra attention drawn to me. Its legal here in Va.

 

[RightWinger]

Everyone has different views on OC vs CC, and just because people's views differ doesn't mean someone isn't pro 2nd amendment. Just because you can legally do something doesn't always make it a smart thing to do. I'm a huge 2A rights advocate but you'll never see me at a politically rally carrying my sub-machine gun even though I legally can. This is the crap that gives gun owners a bad name. OC does the cause more harm than good. I have worked several gun shows and I always cringe when I see someone buying one of those books on "how to convert to full auto", yes, its legal but is this the image you want fellow gun owners portraying? I see nothing wrong with OC when it fits the environment such as hunting, competition, on the range or an event where this is the norm, but why put yourself in a position that is not tactically sound for the sake of proving, "yes I can and will"?? A lot of people that aren't gun owners aren't actually against gun rights, they are just not well informed on the subject and could probably be swayed either way. To me someone walking around in Wal-Mart flaunting a gun on his/her hip might appear like they are looking to get into a gun fight, regardless of what their intentions really are and I would suppose that in most cases this isn't the case however look at it from another non gun owner's point of view. Some of you will be thinking, why do I give a damn about what others think?? Well, people are highly opinionated and just from this gun board we know that's true, I myself am one of those. People are prone to make quick judgements w/o knowing the facts. Is it worth it to risk the image of gun owners just to prove a point? The only group of people this would most likely impact are the ones who aren't gun owners. People on this board really wouldn't think much about it regardless of their position on it and you're not going to change their mind. So my question is, what good are you doing? You can CC and still protect yourself and loved ones. With CC the only person who has the advantage or "drop" is YOU. With CC you're not portraying the John Wayne stereo-type that we're constantly trying to change. Some people might say its proven that OC can be a great deterrent to crime but it has not been proven, you can't assign a number for crimes prevented, however you can look at data from people who have been shot first while OCing and see the results. I might have ruffled some feathers here but just remember, this is my opinion and nothing more. I have really enjoyed being a member of this forum and have learned a lot on here and have made some good friends, regardless of your views or positions on these topics.

 

[Jetsbud]

In the woods, no one would give you a second glance, or care unless the were anti's to begin with. Anti gun or Anti hunting.

The last guy I saw with a pistol in the open was all dressed up in black BDU's , and had a SS tatoo on his neck. This was before we had concealed carry in AK. Was he legal, yea. Did he get looks like he was some kind of Fool? What do you think.

I'm all for the 2nd and pushing the point a LOT harder than the NRA does.

There is also something called good taste. Thats why Its not in the open in town.

Just as a aside, open carry does make you a target. When was the last time anyone with a gun in the open got shot? When did the last Uniformed Officer go down?

Not trying to start a food fight, Just thinking outloud.

 

[gr8AmericanBash]

It's funny people seem to belittle those who OC and praise CC, when fact of the matter is, OC has been legal* for much longer than CC has, and in most states (atleast in here in NC), you are required by law to have a permit to CC, but not for OC.

* Legal = back in the old days, a man OC was seen as legit, but someone CC was seen as shady, up to no good


I think the more of us gun folks that are out there, on the front lines, showing that it's you and I, the regular folks, who are the gun owners of America, the better chances we have of regaining more of our gun laws and becoming the norm again. Instead of being the "crazy guy with the assault rifle", or the "crazy guy with the gun on his hip".

 

[imjin138]

In Wisconsin the AG has said that open carry is perfectly legal, in Milwaukee the police will arrest you for it, and here in Racine a man was arrested for it Thursday. Even though they can legally do it, the police can find something else to arrest you for.

Milwaukee is citing disorderly conduct, Racine just used obstruction of an officer. The man in Racine was on his own property and did not draw his gun according to the paper, the police and the paper made a big deal that he had an open carry pamphlet and a digital recorder with him.

After reading this mornings paper, the OC group in Wisconsin held a rally yesterday for the gentleman, and they openly carried firearms with no problems from the Racine PD. The local DA is going over the reports to see if he can be charged with something worthwhile. Basically the man and the group claim the arrest was all about the gun. the police say it was not.

 

[ladder13]

OC if you like, I personally have zero issues with it as a form of expression or method of carrying. I would not, even where legal, I prefer the element of surprise. I'm thinking if someone, or a group of thugs is up to no good, the first person they're going "to take out" is the guy/gal with a gun on their hip. Makes perfect sense,eliminate the obvious obstacles first, then go on to any other resistance.
Think about it, what would you do? Some say OC would lead the bad guy to move on to an easier target. If you're standing in line at the bank or check cashing joint, I hardly think the bad guy is going "to move on" to a softer target, especially when the money is right under his nose. I know that I wouldn't, I'm giving you the first pull of my trigger.
If I'm in line carying concealed, I "may" be able to pick an opportune time to respond with force.
Take this for what it's worth.

 

[devildog66]

The "tactical" conjecture against open carry is just that - CONJECTURE. Open carry is fundamentally sound, that is, unless the switch between situational awareness and firearm is broken or turned off. Of course, the same applies to any aspect of personal safety.

If I took any one of these anti-open carry arguments and inserted 'concealed carry' in place, I could post these on a Brady website and these would look perfectly at home.

Now back to the original post; I believe this question has been answered...

 

[C/O]

I am mixed on Open Carry. I feel that there is a time and place for everything. Common every day coming and goings I conceal mine, when out in the country I open carry.

my 2 cents.