Now, that all being said, bogie has a good point. Open carry does also open you up to someone knowing you have a gun and trying to tackle you for it, or just plain trying to steal it while your hands are full, or whatever.
Internet myth. Is there a documented instance of this happening to a non-cop, to someone who wasn't cornering a bad guy?
Nope, no horror stories, just a bit of common sense, like the fact that if you have four or five hundred dollars (or more) worth of merchandise hanging off your belt
common sense tells me that some idiot will want to steal it. Whether he is going to try depends on just how desperate he is, and how careful you are.
The key is your awareness of your surroundings. I carried openly in Colorado for a long time. I had quite few rough looking guys scope it out, and the feeling I had from some of them (not all, but a few) was that they were running an internal debate about whether or not they could take the weapon away from me). You want proof of that, sorry, I have none, I have only my own feelings on the matter. I made eye contact and let them know I knew they were there, situation handled, we both moved on. However, it could go differently if the guy is more desperate, young enough to think he's invincible, or just plain stupid.
As I said, common sense tells me it's possible. I never said it was a reason not to carry openly, I simply said that the situation could arise, especially if your hands are full and you aren't paying close attention to everything around you, like can happen when you are distracted at a check out counter at your local coffee shop or some such.
As I implied, not a reason to not carry openly, just a reason to make sure you stay alert. The problem here is that carrying openly, in some places more than others, you have to stay at a more heightened sense of awareness than when carrying concealed. You need to be aware of those who might just "freak out"; it may be their problem and not yours, but it is a hassle you might prefer to avoid.
You also need to remember that you have several hundred dollars worth of fenceable merchandise hanging in what could be a less than secure position on your belt. Snatch and grab tactics work for purses, so the guy just might go for it. That Glock or S&W would buy a whole lot of crack for some junkie: he might even feel the need to whip out his cell phone and call for some help.
Of course the most likely thing as far as theft goes would be when you are distracted and the guy simply lifts it and runs like hell. He's got your weapon, I hope you can run faster than he can. Of course, what if he knows how to use it and you catch up to him? Also, it would be awfully embarrassing to have to explain that you were robbed and what the BG took was your personal defense weapon.
I never suggested that you don't carry it openly because of this, I simply advocated making darn sure it is extra secure because it's out there for the world to see.
