Don't you think Open Carry is safer than CC?

[tack]

If CC is such a HUGE tactical advantage, why do the police, military, and band guards give up their advantage and open carry? The way I see it, OC is an advantage before an assault while CC is an advantage after an assault. I think an ounce of deterrence is worth a pound of surprise because I'd rather avoid a gunfight than have to win one.

I live in California and can hardly do either. Now you know why I like Nevada and Arizona.

 

[General Geoff]

I think an ounce of deterrence is worth a pound of surprise because I'd rather avoid a gunfight than have to win one.

Agreed wholeheartedly.

 

[JohnBiltz]

I really hope this was a joke.
Generally with Police for the same reason they have Police written in big letters on their cars. So they can be identified as a presence.

With military they carry so much other stuff it doesn't matter and its pretty hard to CC rifles and crew served weapons. Plus by the rules of war they have to have a visual means of identification anyway, at least for conventional forces.

 

[benEzra]

I was driving home and thought... some people bring a bigger size gun to their CCW exam, but when they carry, they will carry a smaller gun.

So generally we get better accuracy from a larger handgun, wouldn't that make open carry safer than conceal carry?

Both methods have their pros and cons. I prefer concealed; I can carry a very effective handgun discreetly, and I don't like the idea of laying all my cards on the table for your hypothetical assailant to look at. And in my experience a draw from concealment isn't significantly slower, particularly given the fact that OC in a confined/crowded area almost requires a retention holster.

I am not saying CC is the only rational choice, or that people shouldn't be allowed to OC, it's just not my choice.

 

[Mr.Davis]

So generally we get better accuracy from a larger handgun, wouldn't that make open carry safer than conceal carry?

I reject your general premise.

Better accuracy does not a safer carry method make.

Also, smaller guns aren't necessarily inherently less accurate, but they can be harder to shoot accurately. Even if they are, that doesn't mean they become less useful for self defense. If I can shoot three inch groups at 10 yards with my full size semi-auto, and can shoot six inch groups at 10 yards with a tiny pocket gun, then is that really any different for purposes of carry?

Beyond that, safety while carrying has far more to do with awareness and the element of surprise when attacked than it does with accuracy. Not to mention, combat accuracy rarely approaches "calm Wednesday evening at the range" accuracy.

 

[oldbanjo]

Here is an example of the problems that can happen. Today I was looking at USACARRY and read that a steak house owner had gave some OC supporters permission to have a meeting at his business. They came on one of his business days and one of them brought an AR15. This isn't intelligent, one person could screw up everything for everybody.

 

[Sam1911]

They came on one of his business days and one of them brought an AR15. This isn't intelligent, one person could screw up everything for everybody.

Did something bad happen? What was the problem?

 

[Mainsail]

…one person could screw up everything for everybody.

This seems to be a recurring theme for you. Since I no longer live in SC I cannot really comment on how precarious your rights are there, but suffice to say that not all of us view our rights as being so uncertain. You expressed this back on page six or seven, which I refuted. You offered no argument in response. As I said, it didn’t happen in CA, and if it were going to happen anywhere, it would have happened there.

We all come into this forum and exercise our First Amendment rights and express our views. Using your logic, the forum should be closed. After all, if using a right in a way that isn’t currently ‘politically correct’ endangers all forms of the right for everyone, it would be best to keep free speech rights hidden, lest they be outlawed. Do you doubt that much of what is expressed here in this forum would be considered dangerous by certain groups with differing viewpoints?

You have a very narrow view of firearms rights it seems. You agree to concealed carry, but disagree with other methods or viewpoints. You (and a couple others) make sweeping statements of your opinions but always lack any reasonable argument to back them up. If you think open carry will “screw up everything for everybody”, then make a reasonable argument for your position! I would love to understand from where you get these opinions! Anyone halfwit can make a claim, but that doesn’t make it an intelligent discussion. Someone can post a claim that concealed carriers in SC are all members of NAMBLA, but it’s asinine stupidity unless they can make a reasoned argument to back it up.

Several of us, without even working together, have completely refuted every case that has been made against open carry presented in this thread, using reasoned and thoughtful argument. If all you and others can do is just continually restate the same unsupported claims (that have already been soundly disproved by those of us who actually open carry) then your intent appears to be that you argue for the sake of arguing.

 

[youngda9]

^^ #208, Nailed it Mainsail !!

 

[NavyLCDR]

I would say that pretty much all the opinions and facts have been presented. It's really up to the person choosing to decide which method of carry is best for them and up to them to choose the reasons for their decisions. I just wish people would quit saying that their choice of carry method is "wrong", "foolish", "showing off", "to make a statement", "damaging", etc. I have tried to avoid giving the impression that I am against any method of carry, because I am not. What I am against is sweeping statements made that historical data just does not seem to support and have attempted to provide the factual data. I would suggest: let them carry their gun how they choose to, don't ridicule anyone for it, and let's move on .

 

[TexasRifleman]

After 9 long pages, NavyLT gets the last word, and says it all as well as it can be said.

We are all on the same side, never forget that. Our enemies love nothing better than to see us fighting amongst each other, and we're not going to do that.