Open carry or Concealed Carry?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Treo,
I am sure that your post was directed at me, the asinine one. i don't like the idea of open carry, so I'm not gonna do it, you don't like what i post, then don't read it. i am sorry and i forgot; i have no idea what i am talking about, i am uneductaed and have never spent a day in a university.
 
Last edited:
Freedom of speech is a right that the government will not be able to stop you from speaking but it does not prevent me from telling you to either stop or to go away because I have a right to not have to hear what you are saying or playing.

I normally carry concealed, it is just what I choose to do.
 
I'd find OC to be much easier than trying to CC under women's clothing, but there's no way I'd do it. For one, on a good day I MIGHT look 18 (I've been told before that I look 16. Last time I got a "look 10 years younger!" spam email, I laughed and told my partner, "but I already do!"), so that would cause trouble right there; hell, I sometimes get nervous when I get carded to buy alcohol. Can't imagine how nervous I'd be with a gun obviously strapped to my hip. Second, the last thing I need is some soccer mom to freak out because there's a gun within a hundred miles of her widdle pwecious and call the cops...no thanks. Neither of those things is a hassle I need any day.
 
I open carry. I will still open carry when I get my conceal permit. It is legal in my state so I will exercise my rights, as to not lose them. As for drawing attention from businesses and customers while shopping and being asked to leave. I am fine with that, I don't want to give my hard earned money to people wanting to infringe on MY rights.

Caryn
 
The original question that started this thread is valid. I'm in Texas and am aware of the push again for open carry. I believe there are times I might open carry, but all in all I think I would prefer concealed for several reasons. For one, I don't necessarily want to draw any unneeded attention to myself or my activities; and I would be a little concerned (depending where you are and what crown element is around) that you might actually become a target of gang-bangers, etc to steal your gun, if openly exposed...not much different than having an expensive camera around your neck. Oviously someone would be a fool to attempt to jack someone's gun, but if cornered, and the situation conducive to it, it could potentially happen.

One postive reason for open-carry is that I would be much more relaxed about concealed carrying. When I CC I'm always concerned about my shirt riding up, or jacket swinging open a bit too far. If open-carry passed, I'd still attempt to conceal the weapon, but not paranoid of it showing.
 
Last edited:
As a Texan I am hopeful that open carry passes.

If it does, in the city I will still conceal most of the time. On the trail open carry.

The main thing that will be good is that if my concealed weapon shows it should no longer be illegal (depending on how they write the law. They ARE politicians). Presently if I reach to the top shelf in the grocery and my gun shows I have commited a crime.
 
The ONLY times I've gone out without carrying a concealed handgun since I got my Ohio CHL were on the way to Apartheid Chicago for Christmas, while I was in Apartheid Chicago, on the way back from Apartheid Chicago, and when I planned to consume alcohol outside the house.

I don't open carry, but I'm not opposed to other people doing it. Ohio is an open carry state. "Printing" is a legal nullity here. I conceal my firearm, but don't go crazy about it. As long as it's not clearly visible, I'm happy. 99% of people wouldn't recognize a handgun under my shirt or sweater. The other 1% are mostly cops. A criminal who DOES recognize my gun is more likely to find safer prey than start anything, whether it's concealed or not. If they wanted to risk their lives, they'd go to Afghanistan or Iraq. Instead, they're out robbing people they think WON'T shoot them to death.
 
i have no idea what i am talking about, i am uneductaed and have never spent a day in a university.
Click to expand...

It's ok dude, we know you're an 11B and we set our expectations accordingly. BTW Ward Churchill has spent most of his life in a university and he's an idiot.

Ya know we could just cut and paste the entire thread every time it comes up, because nothing ever changes in this on going pissing contest that we label a debate.

One thing I notice though is that a lot of posters on this forum OC on a daily basis W/ no negative encounters at all , yet I read over & over again how I'm going to get jumped or arrested or kicked out of Wal-Mart or shot first. And the fact that none of the above happening is ignored.

My state legistature and those of WA. AZ, NM, MI, & Oregon ( that I'm aware of don't share your pessimism.

Anyway I have the option and I exercise it if I ever get popped because of it I'll let you know, till then keep your hands off my rights
 
It's ok dude, we know you're an 11B and we set our expectations accordingly. BTW Ward Churchill has spent most of his life in a university and he's an idiot.

Ya know we could just cut and paste the entire thread every time it comes up, because nothing ever changes in this on going pissing contest that we label a debate.

One thing I notice though is that a lot of posters on this forum OC on a daily basis W/ no negative encounters at all , yet I read over & over again how I'm going to get jumped or arrested or kicked out of Wal-Mart or shot first. And the fact that none of the above happening is ignored.

My state legistature and those of WA. AZ, NM, MI, & Oregon ( that I'm aware of don't share your pessimism.

Anyway I have the option and I exercise it if I ever get popped because of it I'll let you know, till then keep your hands off my rights
Click to expand...
not trying to take your rights away from you as a matter of fact it could be said that people like me are the reason that you have those rights ,and maintain them. do what you want, i am merely bringing another prespective out, just like your opinion that oc is fine to me it is not, do what you want, and i will as well, you are already descieded and that is great, there are some however who are not, and they need to know the pro's and cons. give people options.
 
TexasRifleman:

People forget that there are several states where OC is done all the time and none of these disaster scenarios ever happen.
Click to expand...

Treo:
One thing I notice though is that a lot of posters on this forum OC on a daily basis W/ no negative encounters at all , yet I read over & over again how I'm going to get jumped or arrested or kicked out of Wal-Mart or shot first. And the fact that none of the above happening is ignored.

My state legistature and those of WA. AZ, NM, MI, & Oregon ( that I'm aware of don't share your pessimism.

Anyway I have the option and I exercise it if I ever get popped because of it I'll let you know, till then keep your hands off my rights
Click to expand...

No one is saying you shouldn't be able to (that I saw - I'm certainly not saying that).

But, frankly, "I open carry every day and haven't ever had anything bad happen" holds about as much water as "I haven't carried a gun a day in my life and I've never needed one."

The bottom line, the absolute bottom line, is that it is a FACT that displaying a gun openly allows a potential predator to decide whether or not to attack you after knowing you have a gun...should said predator decide to attack you, you can't possibly access your gun fast enough to stop a peremptory strike. Concealment does two things: tips the scales in favor of a screw-up on the part of an attacker who assumes you aren't armed, and gives you a possible reactionary gap.

Cite statistics all you want - the pool is too small to mean anything, and no one with access to all the data available at the time of incidents analyzes it with this in mind. Common sense dictates that if someone wants to take you down or take your gun, they are more likely to respond with immediate lethal force if they know you are armed.

But feel free to, seriously. I think you should be able to, and I want to be able to in case there is some situation where I decide it would be worthwhile again. Please, please don't conflate "should" and "can."
 
Show me where this happens, having it grabbed or the person being attacked because they were armed.
Click to expand...
It's happened and I've posted the link before. Some guy was open carrying and he was mugged. They took his gun, the police report didn't indicate anything else was taken.

Is OC a deterrent? Sometimes--maybe even most of the time. But it's not always a deterrent as the above scenario demonstrates. And we all know that gun stores get robbed even though it's pretty common knowledge that even when employees aren't OCing, they're armed. Even had an attempted robbery at a gun store in my area where the guy used a knife as a weapon. Nearly killed the owner but died in the process after the owner emptied his gun into the knife-wielder from the floor.
As a Texan I am hopeful that open carry passes.
Click to expand...
Likewise.
 
The arguments have been pretty well hashed out over and over.
I carry concealed. Very occasionally when it's really hot and I'm just going somewhere for a minute I'll OC.
I want to see OC legal everywhere that CC is.
That said, I look at it like riding a motorcycle without a helmet. It might be legal and people might do it all the time without a problem. But I still think someone who does is an idiot.
 
As a Texan I am hopeful that open carry passes.
Click to expand...
i hope this passes for you guys as well, though i personally have no need for open carry, it is a right for you that want to exercise it, and i support you 100%.

I did my time too

Next.
Click to expand...
are you gonna reply to the rest of the post or just leave it at that?
 
That said, I look at it like riding a motorcycle without a helmet. It might be legal and people might do it all the time without a problem. But I still think someone who does is an idiot.
Click to expand...
So... because I exercise my constitutional right, protect myself and family, and provide a deterrent to crime focused on us... I am an idiot.
WONDERFUL and very insightful post.
we all thank you for your wisdom.:rolleyes:


Jim
 
This Is A Bad Debate

I am done W/ this thread. The only thing threads like this do is separate members of THR. Nothing new comes up & the insults start flying ,usually before the end of page 1.

If you feel that OC is inappropriate to your situation by all means don't do so. but please don't call me an idiot because I choose to. Full stop end of statement.

If you live in one of the free states and you have need ( or simply choose to do so) to OC go for it! please don't act "More RKBA than thou" because I choose (really my method of dress chooses) not to 90% of the time.

POSSUM

I'm sure you're a nice guy and I don't think you're uneducated (at least not any less so than any other ground pounder) I'm also positive that you are a good soldier and I'm pretty sure you don't throw puppies off cliffs.

But with all due respect ( And I am totally serious now) when you make comments like the "silent professional" remark you sound like Gecko, albeit unintentionally I'm sure.

Let me share one piece of advice I learned in Comp II
Proofread
Proofread
Proofread.

And to answer your question no I am not going to address the rest of your post because I think this debate is bad for THR and I want no further part in it.

FULL STOP END OF STATEMENT NOTHING FOLLOWS
 
Last edited:
I think that the main thing to understand, when trying to reconcile the diverse views present in the firearms community regarding open carry, is that custom does vary from place to place, and individual circumstances are different.

While I would be able to OC legally, it would create no end of problems for me. Because of my engagement with the community around me, there are hundreds of people who know me by name. Mine is a small community, with many people who are opposed to firearms ownership in general and carry in particular. I want to get along with these people, because there is more to my life than guns. With rare exception I carry all the time, and I nearly always carry concealed, so that I can choose the place, time, and manner of any RKBA activism in which I might become engaged.

Also, because OC is not customary here (Minneapolis area), it is likely that if I were to OC I would be asked to leave many stores and restaurants and would receive unwelcome attention from law enforcement.

I recognize that there are parts of the country where none of this matters, and if I lived in one of those places I too might well walk around town and go to church with a full size 1911 on my belt. When in Rome, ...

It's great to live in a state where OC is lawful, and I do see people around me who OC once in a great while. They run in different social circles than I do, and they make their choices.

I would urge people to think hard about their local situation before OCing. Consider what you're trying to accomplish and whether OCing serves your goals or not. Gun rights are a scope of conflict game, and the lower the public profile the firearms community maintains, the more success it has in Washington and in state capitals around the U.S. If you're going to offend many or most of the people you encounter, I don't think you're furthering the cause. On the other hand, if you're in rural Montana or some place where no one will care, Godspeed.
 
So... because I exercise my constitutional right, protect myself and family, and provide a deterrent to crime focused on us... I am an idiot.
Click to expand...

Not at all.
You're an idiot because you open carry. If you rode a motorcycle without a helmet I'd think the same thing.
Feel free to disagree with me. YMMV
 
Bubba613, I really doubt you meant "idiot" as a personal attack. You can make the same point by saying something along the lines of "Open carry is a foolish idea" and give your reasons. It's your right as to the idea, and that's fine; our deal is to not phrase things such that it is indeed an insult or personal attack.

And this is a word to the wise for the rest of the posters in this thread: Watch how you phrase things so that you attack ideas and not the member.

Okay?
 
I just think open carry is the wrong way to go about that.
We all do idiotic things from time to time.
 
I dont carry a weapon (I only keep one around for HD) but I will offer a quick thought anyway. Barring weapon size considerations or various laws, I personally would not choose to openly carry a weapon as I dont feel the need to advertise that I am armed. I, as a civilian, can see nothing positive regarding such a display. Plus, even though an open carry weapon might (I say...might) be easier to bring into service vs a concealed one, I feel that a concealed weapon might offer a higher degree of protection concerning possible disarm attempts. This, IMHO, should be considered a very real possibility. Maybe Im missing the point here, not sure. Just some thoughts of mine......
 
Last edited:
Ok Im goin to throw our my 2cents here. I signed that petition months ago, yes open carry would be nice, BUT there are way too many stupid people in this world. Even in the great Republic of Texas there are still lots of morons here. Open carry would be good if it was done like the CHL, a nice course to educate people and see if they have the slightest clue how to handle a gun.

Yes I have my CHL and I carry everywhere I legally can (which is actually pretty much everywhere).

With open carry you let the scumbag know that you are armed, with concealed carry the scumbag doesnt know if you carry or not. It makes a scumbag think a little more "do I risk my life to rob this guy when he may have a gun on him..."

Altho I will say that when I am at home or walking around on my property (7 acres) I open carry. Anywhere else my Browning Hi Power is in its nice IWB holster on my right side.

JD
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

M
  • Locked
Open Carry
2
Replies
31
Views
2K
Ala Dan
A
4
  • Locked
Open Carry
Replies
21
Views
2K
texas bulldog
T
N
  • Locked
When concealed carry becomes open carry
Replies
16
Views
2K
Autolycus
A
WisBorn
  • Locked
Concealed Carry or Open Carry While Hiking Public Trails
2 3 4
Replies
92
Views
6K
Picher
Picher
M
  • Locked
For those who can carry open or concealed....
2
Replies
47
Views
2K
themic
T
Back
Top