Questions for Arizona (or other) open-carriers

[TheFrontRange]

I'm a CCW holder in Alabama where (I believe) open-carry in public is not allowed except for law enforcement personnel.

I'm curious about you gunners in AZ (and other states?) where open-carry is allowed...first, is it common to see gun owners carrying openly where you live? Second, is the public for the most part pretty attuned to this where it's no big deal? (I did just read a related thread where a THR member in AZ was accosted in a video store). Thirdly, what about the workplace...do most businesses allow employees to practice open carry while on the job...talking about non-LEO types of work here, of course.

Thanks for any info!

 

[Steve Smith]

Open carry is legal in CO.

Your answers:
1: Nope
2: Nope
3: Nope

To add, it 1 freaks people out to no end, 2 freaks me out because I feel like I have all eyes on me (kinda like walking around with a shirt that says something REALLY offensive on the back) and 3 it tips my hand completely if I evern need the gun to protect myself.

 

[El Tejon]

Hi, Front. Indiana checking in. To answer your questions:

1. It is not common. Most people who carry understand that it is a good idea to carry concealed. Some believe, because all the talk in the gun rags about "CCW", that you must carry concealed.

Can depend on where you are here. In small towns or in the country I have seen it. Here in the city, practically unknown.

2. This is Indiana. Everyone has one, so not that big of a deal (We're not rah-rah "pro-gun", just accept the fact that it's a right, people have them, and move on). The last nervous glance I got was from a woman from Illinois at the gas station who wanted to know what kind of "cell phone" I was carrying--it was my double mag pouch. She nearly fainted standing up.

3. I know of no business where this is done. I do not in my office, unless a weekend or holiday.

 

[AZTOY]

# 1 Well i live in the sticks and everyone is open carrys.I open carry mostly when i'm out in the desert and in town. I do have a gun in the truck at all times and at work the truck is parked 5 feet from the door. I think most people have CCW or have a loaded gun in there car. I have not seen alot of people open carry in Tucson.

#2 I think most people are open to guns in AZ. If you you look at the thread about cowboy shoot on KGUN9 that was on local TV.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=31016 .


#3 I never seen a employee open carry while on the job. (ONLY GUN STORES)

 

[Old Fuff]

In Arizona open-carry is legal. Concealed carry requires a license (except for law enforcement officers). A business can post a "no guns allowed" sign, but most don't - or the post, but make an exception for licensed individuals.

Open cary is relatively common in rural areas and doesn't cause much concern, although during the winter months a "snowbird" from one of the Socialist States back East or directly West of us may become upset. We take it in stride. We live there, they can go away.

When and where one should openly carry is a matter of good judgement. Generally speaking when I go into a retail store I don't carry openly. (I can carry concealed). I could, but I don't want to make waves for the management.

 

[blades67]

I have carried openly, and concealed, in Arizona since 1989 and that was the first time some fool has tried to pick a fight with me while I was carrying unconcealed. Open carry isn't uncommon around here, but neither is an out-of-state visitor getting the vapors because they see a gun. Gun shops, Pawn shops, Armored Car and security firms are about the only places employees get to carry guns on the job.

 

[.45Ruger]

I live in the Phoenix metro area and I open carry sometimes. I've gone into grocery stores, banks, range, Walmart among others. So far I've never been bothered. For the most part I have never seen open carry on employees besides, LEO, Security Guards, and at gun stores. Most people are so oblivious to whats going on around them they never even notice the guy with a gun on his hip. I did have a LEO at the local Safeway (we were both shopping) ask me what I was carrying. I thought at first he was going to hastle me, so I said barely audibly, a pistol. He says, yeah but what kind of pistol, I told him an XD 40, he sais cool looks alot like my GLOCK 22. That's the limit of ANYONE commenting on my open carry. I do reccomend having a CCW because it is nice for some places like the mall that have a generic no weapons sighn that I never see.

 

[VictorLouis]

If you HAVE a permit, WHY

would you carry openly? Other than while at a range, or in the wide-open while shooting, I haven't once carried openly since getting a permit.

There's just about no need for it, IMHO. I could care less about offending the sheeple, I'm talking about more pressing concerns. I read Blade's earlier thread, and that's certainly one of them. Another is the fact that you may be the first one attacked if an armed goblin enters the establishment you're patronizing. A third is the possiblity of assault in order to get your gun. I was informed of just such a documented instance during my CCW course.

Other than while hiking around the desert, where you might want something of quick access for snakes, I just don't see the need, nor have the desire.

 

[Ian]

I find it a bit hard to swallow the idea that an aspiring criminal would deliberately attack a person carrying openly, rather than wait for a less hazardous time/place to make their robbery. Has someone done a study and found open carry to be a risk in this way? I'd be very interested in seeing it if that's the case. I like the idea of open carry because carrying a pistol isn't something to be ashamed of. If people were used to seeing guns in public, I think a lot of the irrational fear of them would dissipate and more legal reform would become possible. I also like the idea because I can't get a permit here yet, but I can open carry.

Back to the questions posed, I have open carried a bit, but mostly on private property. It's legal here in CO, but I've never seen anyone do it (I'm in the Denver area though, and it might be more common in more rural areas). They gun shop employees all carry, of course.

 

[VictorLouis]

The incident in question involved a young armed-guard

He entered a gas-station to make a purchase and two bangers(or wannabees) inside thought he'd be an easy-mark. Something along the lines of, "He ain't no cop. He ain't got no radio to call for back-up." The point was NOT in getting the gun in order to rob the place, simply to get themselves a gun.

I saw a 1911-armed elderly man once who was so feeble as to make a predatory type salivate at the appearance of 'prey'. That's not to say he may have been easy to take-on. Had he been concealed; however, the thought wouldn't have crossed my condition-yellow, law-abiding mind.

 

[dav]

I'm on Ian's side here, very strongly.

People are afraid of guns. Many, many gun "nuts", including many on this board, are "afraid" to carry open, thinking it will make them a target.

This is ridiculous. If a badguy has enough brains to even notice you carrying, he will have enough brains to wait until you are out of the area.

Police carry open. Do they make prime targets? Get real. It isn't the radio scaring badguys off. It is the weapon!

Carry open if you can. If you don't, you will rapidly lose the "right" to do so. It happened here, it will happen where you live, too.

David Row
San Diego

 

[Matt1911]

Open carry is not to unusal around here.I cover up,but a friend carrys open,is in a service business,in peoples homes,and has had no complaits.I've seen a few nervous looks,but no outright freaking out,at gas stations ect.We have discussed it several times,and agree to disagree.
I have only recently started carrying,and maybe its just new awareness,but it seems open and barely concealed(t-shirt,ect) is becoming more common.Just geography?

 

[timbo]

Well, I don't have the concealed or open option around here. I would like the option though to carry if I was taking a walk at night or going on a hike, or perhaps even if I was going into an area of town I wouldn't normally want to be in. I wouldn't likely carry everywhere I could though, only where I think it would be needed. So, instead, I have to carry a Mag-lite.

 

[Oracle]

Open carry is legal here in Georgia if you have a permit. Basically, once you have a permit, you can choose to carry openly or concealed. You do see people carrying openly here on occasion, I've never seen anyone make a big deal out of it, it's basically ignored. As for people carrying openly while working, I've seen several gas station clerks/owners carrying openly, and there is one jewelry store in town where they all carry openly.

I personally don't carry openly often. I do think that if more people carried openly, people would get used to it, and that wouldn't be a bad thing.

 

[Sisco]

Open carry is allowed in KS, subject to local ordanance.
I asked a LEO about it, he told me there was no local law against it BUT
don't expect to do it hassle free. Some concerned sheeple will panic and call 911 and an officer will arrive to ask what your intentions are.

 

[veloce851]

Sisco : if you dont' mind me asking what part of KS are you in? I'm in the KC, KS area and it is really hard to research the open carry situation.
Since it is an area made up of dozens of individual cities, several counties and 2 states.
I started doing some research to ensure all the cities and counties I expected to travel in during my daily life, don't have laws countering the state law that allows me to open carry.

I would like to start open carrying, however I know its going to be a major hassle. And my concern is having an over zealous cop threaten my life just for exercising my God given, constitutionally secured right.

 

[Sisco]

Live way out West. Garden City.

 

[Partisan Ranger]

Anyone can open carry in Virginia, but I haven't yet. I have a CCW so I do carry concealed frequently.

I have never seen anyone carrying a gun openly in my area and I think people would freak if I did. We were at a buffet restaurant Sat. night and there were a zillion kids there. If I open carried my K-9, I really think I wouldn't have had to wait ten minutes in line for a table. Everyone would've cleared out quick! Hey, maybe that's another good reason to carry openly!

 

[OF]

If people were used to seeing guns in public, I think a lot of the irrational fear of them would dissipate and more legal reform would become possible.

I'm with Ian as well. I don't open carry myself because 1) I'm a pansy, and 2) I'd pretty much be the only one carrying openly in Southern Maine... And there are some sheep mixed in around here.

But I completely support and respect those who do! Carry on!

- Gabe

 

[wingnutx]

I open carry only when going to and from the range.

I see people carrying periodically, but it's not common at all.

When someone is in a line in front of me openly carrying, I always think about how easy it would be to clock them over the head and take their weapon.

 

[bogie]

I saw a 1911-armed elderly man once who was so feeble as to make a predatory type salivate at the appearance of 'prey'.

Hmmm... How old is the colonel?

And what was the name of that brit who popularized the double-edged dagger during WWII? I understand that he had a hobby of being muggerbait, and could be rather rough on 'em...

 

[Partisan Ranger]

I've also been concerned that if I open carry, some whack-job will grab or touch my piece. As we all know, there are oodles of gun-ignoramuses out there wandering the land, and somebody at some point would no doubt touch it without my permission.

 

[WhoKnowsWho]

I much prefer concealed.

A friend, before he got his CCW open carried often, but also left his gun openly visible in his truck too.

At least he has learned a bit.

 

[mrstang01]

I'm with the carry open all you can folks, and to you guys talking about someone touching or grabbing your gun... we're not talking about a Hollywood gunslinger's rig, where the gun rides half way down your leg are we?

My weapon is carried in an open top holster, and most of the time, people won't even notice it. It's right at the level that my elbow covers it, and I'm pretty sure my elbow would be in their teeth before they could grab my gun.

YMMV, etc.

 

[TheFrontRange]

Thanks for all the replies! I wish we had the option the option here for open carry, just to have in the "toolbox" so to speak.

My only real experience with open carry came during a stint with the local Sheriff's Reserve. When we weren't in uniform on-duty, we were allowed to carry openly in our civvies as long as we had our badge on the belt, too. I carried this way in public only a small handful of times and, as mentioned by some of the posters above, went mostly un-noticed even with that shiny silver star on. I did feel very conspicuous just the same. Now, yeah...those that DID notice sometimes did an initial double-take.

These days, my only vent for those open-carry want-tos is while attending the gun show downtown!