stickhauler said:Let's just use as a "for instance" a recent concealed carry holder using his concealed carry firearm to shoot 2 of his attackers and possibly wound the third in defense. It happened in Charlotte, NC and he's a delivery driver for Pizza Hut. He took a pistol whipping and beating at the hands of his attackers, and only used his concealed carry firearm when one of his attackers tried to pull up his shirt, which he knew would allow the bad guy to see the firearm. He felt at that point the bad guys were going to kill him and his store manager, he pulled his firearm and shot.
What would the bad guys reaction have been had they entered the store and saw him carrying openly? Since I'd say we would all agree, a robber likely is going to come in with guns drawn, ready to go, he's likely have been dropped immediately upon the robbers entering the store.
Here are my thoughts from watching that tape:
* Talk about a cold-blooded, fast attack where an innocent was shot without warning! Unbelievable. Situational awareness is really important. Luck doesn’t hurt, either.
* Open carry was an advantage in this case because in the video I saw just how fast the GO managed to draw his gun and begin to return fire. You always hear about how open carry is so bad tactically – you’ll be the first one shot, etc. Oh, yeah? The GO had a HUGE gun in plain sight and he was NOT shot. Who got shot first? An unarmed store owner.
It is just opinion. But the concern I was alluding to with my 'show off' comment is the "mine is bigger than yours" attitude prevalent among many. Particularly the immature.
There was a time when a small cal. one or two shot Deringer(sic)was considered to be an adequate SD CW. Now it is not uncommon for us to believe that .38's and 9mm's are lacking in sufficient stopping power for SD. CC or OC.
If OC were to take off I can see the same type that tried to out muscle each other with horsepower in their cars during the 70's trying to do the same with their exposed firearms. No. Not all. Only a small minority at first. But as they compete with each other for the biggest and baddest arms you can be sure that some of US will begin to wonder if our .357's are 'enough' when those around us are wandering the streets with AK47's,......etc.----That is what the first part of my comment (show off)
was in reference to.
Unfortunately that is not on public property here in Fl. Down here the senior citizens think of people openly carrying as "cowboy gunfighters" looking for any excuse to clear leather. (by the way. I'm 73)
That is NOT the reality. But that perception becomes the perceived reality and I fear that it will lead to a restriction of my gun rights.
Sky said:There are some really good points on both sides of the argument in this thread. Seems to me that if you have a permit to carry it should be the permit holders discretion whether to open carry or conceal. There are situations due to location where it might be advisable to OC due to surroundings and the opposite also applies.
Sky said:When I was in the service we always picked on some of the Navy fly boys but NavyLT you are alright!
That’s quite a leap, and completely erroneous. It appears that you’re saying that one in five police officers are just walking along and are attacked by someone desiring to steal their sidearm. Did you apply any critical thinking to that, or can you only think in sound-bites? The truth is that ZERO in five officers were targeted for their gun; it never happens. Police officers cannot avoid trouble; they have to wade into it. They have to make arrests, wrestle, search, and handcuff people who have already displayed their preference for violence. In every case the officer’s gun was taken during the struggle to get a suspect into custody. I do not do that. I carry openly every day; I do not wrestle or arrest criminals. The comparison is inapt.Dean1818 said:Per a recent study by National Center for Law Enforcement Technology, one in 5 cops that were killed, were killed by thier own gun
Message?
1) An open carry weapon IS a target to be grabbed
Worse, the person who posted after you heard your sound-bite, couldn’t be bothered to think about it, and agrees with you! This is the biggest threat to all of our freedoms; Americans have become too lazy to think critically, they sway with the wind and agree with the last seemingly reasonable sound-bite they heard. They cannot be bothered to actually think about what they heard to determine if it even makes sense. It was exactly this sort of intellectual lethargy that enabled the anti-gun groups to pass every gun ban scheme since the 60s. Guns kill! Saturday night specials are made for putting a man six feet in the hole! Assault weapons have no sporting purpose!alexp said:Excellent
Well stated and most reasonable of the many comments here.
Dean1818 said:We need to speak up, but not in an in your face approach that will shine poorly on all the gun owners
CHEVELLE427 said:the bad guy might see it then he has the upper hand if he decides he wants to try an take something from me.
NavyLT said:The fly boys generally deserve all the hassle we can give them!
fortyluv said:Someone suggested I should spend some time with the perfect family of O.C.ers. at picnics and other outings and see how responsible they are. I am not concerned about how they present themselves. I am concerned about two young (or old) legally open carrying hotheads having a public shootout from the hip.
if he decides he wants to try an take something from me.
Florida led the nation in the Shall Issue concealed carry movement. The groups opposed to concealed carry claimed, using sound-bites that seemed believable, that there would be shootouts and mass killing. They said people would turn petty arguments over a parking space into an old-west style show down.fortyluv said:I am concerned about two young (or old) legally open carrying hotheads having a public shootout from the hip. Try to visualize the reaction. Think Brady.