Poll. Open Carry. Are You Comfortable Openly Carrying In Legal States?

Out in the wild, hiking, riding, wheeling or just walking the dog, I am comfortable with open carry and I like to sensitize the millennial bubanites to the normalcy of carrying a firearm out in the bush.

In town, it’s not worth the eyes out on stalks of over-caffeinated soccer mommies and the swooning of effete, man/bun sporting, patchouli smelling, androgynes.

 

I'd say never but I do sometimes OC while camping or hiking. I'd rather be low profile when in the city but I don't usually run into many folks out in the woods. If I come face to face with a bear I can draw a faster from a chest holster than from my HPG Kit Bag, and I do it with one hand.

 

I prefer concealed carry for tactical reasons.

 

I’m legally allowed to wear a thong bathing suit. I’m glad I can. It’s my right. But should I really wear one out in public?

 

Yes vote for me.
More freedom, what's not to like about that. Y'all are free to carry the way you are comfortable.

 

I have never gotten used to the fact that someone I don't know open carries a handgun. I find it lacking in common sense and proper taste when you have the ability to conceal carry.

 

I could not have better stated my attitude on the subject.

Thank you.

BTW, I answered "No" in the poll because I do not even consider walking around my farms with a visible handgun on my belt (and/or a longgun on my shoulder) as open carry. For me, "civilization" is where it becomes "Open Carry".

 

Around here it's for those who, for some reason, can't get a CCWP....

 

Sometimes... I open carry at church along with several other parishioners, I will open carry in my small town sometimes as well, I will not however go to any large left leaning town with it showing.

 

Open carry is legal here, but I never do.
Why would I want others to know I'm armed? I don't see it to my advantage.
I can conceal a Glock 35 or full size 1911 like its invisible - concealment is not difficult.
I'm not trying to "make a statement".

 

I live in a state where it was always legal to open carry and CWC has only been around for 8 years. You got comfortable open carrying or you went without, if you wanted to stay legal. I'm still comfortable with it. Doesn't mean I do it all the time, nor am I trying to "make a statement" when doing it. Other folks around here don't seem to mind either. As for not being tactical........I'm not one of those that feels my CWC license turns me into a Mall Ninja. If I feel I need to be discrete, I can do that too. Ain't that big of deal.

 

I would suggest that open carry in a public arena is an advertisement of “power and control”, nothing more.

 

I open carry all the time in the woods. I'm basically comfortable with it anywhere my exposure and interaction with people will be low. If I'm out running errands or shopping, I carry concealed. I believe open carry in a place with a lot of people draws unwanted attention, and could put you at a disadvantage in some cases.

 

I've watched this for a bit before commenting. I would have a concern that in today's radicalized environment, such a person from the left or right would regard your carry as a challenge and get in your face. In the recent Rittenhouse incident, one such person got in his face, yelling 'Shoot Me' and reaching for his gun. The claim that a gun deters some folks might be true for economically motivated criminals looking for an easy buck. However, it might motivate someone who thinks they can take your high value item or wants to make a political statement, esp. if being recorded.

I wouldn't be surprised if we see legislation to ban OC of long arms if we get more such incidents. Given a moral panic, both the Democrats and GOP would go along.

Folks seem to like to OC in low risk environments with probably friendly folk around. That's a 'so what'. I've OC'ed in the field when hunting. No one around but friends and a porcupine as I walked to the blind with my rifle.

About the thong as an aside, in San Antonio, a thong is all you need. A guy would wear a flesh colored thong and bike up and down the upscale neighborhood for fun. Now imagine that guy OC'ing by your kids' school bus. Good idea, even if legal?

 

Same here. I can legally open carry. I only have during hunting season when I was too lazy to take my belt off to get my revolver off.

As far as around my land or even on my road I don't really consider that open carry. If that counts then I open carry 99%of the time

 

I think that’s much how I look at it. Personally, I don’t use firearms as deterrent, so having a potential adversary know what I have would put me at a disadvantage.

I also shake my head at the Rittenhouse incident, he may not have broken the law being there armed and most certainly fired in self defense but with what he’s about to go through it would have been much easier to not have put himself in that position, intentionally and deliberately. That’s coming from an older guy and not a teenager though...

 

Let's not go into discussing Rittenhouse per se, please. I brought it up only as an example of how OC is not necessarily a deterrent. What he did or didn't do going into the incident isn't our focus.

 

In my thinking, OC is not about my comfort. Like it or not, agree with it or not, the public areas contain people that are made uncomfortable by the presence of a firearm. In their minds, they do not know if you are stable or a nutcase, we have to take the time and thought to put yourself in the shoes of others. Yes, I have 2A rights AND, I do not want to bring discomfort to others - my handgun is always concealed - everybody wins. Packing a firearm requires the greatest of humility - packing a firearm requires the greatest of responsibility. You have control over life and death, others do not need to be made nervous by that same thought - one must think about others.

 

No for me. I don't have a problem with other's doing it, but I choose not to for the same reason that I don't wear flashy jewelry, I keep my garage door shut from street view, and I don't speed down the highway in a red sports car.

I know some members here claim to be psychic and that they and any criminal can spot someone conceal carrying within 400 yards, but I don't believe that to be the case.

 

Better idea than IWB in a thong!

 

That is funny. LOL.

 

I voted sometimes. I am quite comfortable OC in my little mountain community, even around town, and do so occasionally, although most of the time I CC, mostly just out of habit. Both our Sheriff and the PD in town are very well versed in the laws about carry. I'm not so comfortable with it if I go down the pass to Colorado Springs. I will, however, sometimes take my jacket off in a restaurant down there and am technically OC, but 9 times out of 10, it's hidden from view by the booth, table etc.