Why do people advertise CCW?

[ASM826]

I don't have a preference

A few of my good friends know I cc. If it was not so likely that I would be hassled about it, I would open carry.
But the issues being raised about "just shooting you first" are so unlikely. If there was a uniformed LEO in the line, would the robber shoot him first? or just buy a pack of gum and move on? This is the likely outcome if the robber saw your open carry as well. He's sees a citizen, or if things were as they should be, most of the citizens, carrying openly, and he decides it's time to visit the unemployment office.
The whole uniform, weapon, taser, asp, radio, etc. that LEOs wear is meant to have a deterrent effect, and succeeds. A shame that all the rest of us don't have the same freedom.

 

[coloradokevin]

Or that he TRIES to take out. Right? Besides, this would only happen with someone who was willing to die to achieve the robbery assuming that he knew you were armed. That knowledge would test their resolve. A less than determined predator would find another mark/location or wait for you to leave.

Exactly. I open carry for ten hours per day at work, and don't have people shooting me every day. Lets face it, a gun is a huge deterent to a lot of criminals who really just want to meet no resistance. Having said that, my awareness level is definitely way up when I'm at work, because I fully understand that someone might choose to try to ambush me... it is a rare occurance, but still possible.

Regardless, I haven't seen a lot of people "advertising" their concealed carry. Certainly some folks like to wear gun shirts, and have gun bumper stickers, but this doesn't even necessarily say that they are carrying.

I do tell some of my close friends, when the topic falls appropriately into a conversation. I don't consider this "advertising" the fact, and I don't see why there is a problem with my close friends knowing that I carry.

 

[Biker]

Me? I like every advantage, every edge I can get and surprise is a great advantage.

I studied blade techniques as a young man under a Filipino master.

The first thing he taught me was "A knife should be felt before it is seen."

There are exceptions to every rule, but this is my general philosophy.

Biker

 

[brighamr]

I will stick to the OP's statement/question

Stealth and surprise offer a tremendous advantage.

Any statistics to back this up?

Otherwise, so many more people would exercise open carry where permitted.

like cops, .mil, private security guards, and a growing number of civilians

Why then, do so many people advertise, by word or action, that they are carrying a concealed weapon?

Why do people hide it? Are they scared of being "outed"?

Look at history. It wasn't until the anti's procured gun control laws that people all of a sudden wanted to hide their weapons. I think it's more of a social concern rather than "stealth and surprize". Most people are afraid there friends/family/neighbors/etc will react to seeing a gun IMO, thus they hide it. I can't think of any CCW accounts where the BG went through a crowd killing all the people openly carrying, then was shot by a guy who had "stealth and surprize"... however, I can remember some accounts of BG being scared off from someone who showed their weapon. YMMV

 

[CAPTAIN MIKE]

Who Says So?

Who says people 'advertise'? I have been insructing for years and carrying for years and I have yet to see ANYone who 'advertises' they are carrying.

Open carry is legal is several states. In others only concealed carry is legal. I'm not so sure where the 'advertising' is pertinent. The only thing that occurs to me is if someone is 'overly tactical' in their choice of clothing.

For myself, I carry concealed 90% of the time and open about 10% of the time. Open carry is comfortable and no less of a deterrent in my opinion. In fact if more carried openly there would be less worry about it because it would be common. Open carry was the norm until after the Civil War.

 

[blackcash88]

In 50 years there hasn't been a case of a non-leo OC'ing resulting in that persons guns being 'grabbed' or that eprson being shot.

Oh really? Got a link to back that up? Are you talking just about your area or the entire country?

 

[Old School]

"I think the 'element of surprise' advantage is overrated."

Obviously each situation is different, but in general, a private citizen gives up many advantages by being noticed. Trust me, in most situations, the element of surprise is not overated. Consider some of your own life experiences. Haven't you always handled things better when you knew what you were up against. Do you really want to give a potential foe that advantage? The best way to make a rattlesnake more dangerous is to break off his rattle.

 

[Ske1etor]

A few of my good friends know that I am awaiting my permit for concealed carry... (9 of them took the course with me and are currently awaiting their permits as well...) I open carried saturday and it was pretty much eventless as I expected... nobody even seemed to notice.

 

[Ske1etor]

The best way to make a rattlesnake more dangerous is to break off his rattle.

Or stuff him inside your shirt...

 

[Gunnerpalace]

Here is what I think on the one hand:

If the attacker if unsure of himself, and he sees an OC'er he might decide to forget it.

On the other hand

You get some bad***** in there who is depressed, hardcore, drugged (why everybody carries .45 I assume) they could care less.

And one more hand

The tactical attacker who will take you out first, now there are rarely any tactical anything crimes, but then again the use of CCW against an attacker (here your mileage may vary) is rare, so it might happen.

I still think it is show-offy, JMO.

 

[Old School]

Or stuff him inside your shirt...

HA! yer killing me Ske1etor!

 

[JesseL]

The best way to make a rattlesnake more dangerous is to break off his rattle.

You have inadvertently demonstrated PRECISELY the point you were arguing against. The rattlesnake doesn't want to be dangerous, he wants to be left alone. This is why he has a rattle - so he can make you aware that he is dangerous without being forced to prove it.

This is part of why I open carry. I don't want to surprise a bad guy, I want bad guys to leave me alone and find someone else to bother.

 

[Old School]

Ya know, I knew better than to use one of my many many old country aphorisms. Every time I use an one, it invites a myriad of interpretations. Lesson learned. Next, time I will just say what I mean and avoid being "entertaining".

If the situation you are in dictates that a show of strength will discourage potential problems, then by all means, do what you have to do.

I am usually quite content to be completely anonymous, if for some reason my number is called, I will show my strength.

 

[Armueller2001]

I'd rather concealed carry for the fact that if a bad guy is going to try robbing a place that I'm at, he's going to get two rounds center mass. If he sees my weapon and is deterred, he will go to another store, and another, and another, until he gets arrested or shot.

End his criminal career sooner rather than later...

 

[stephpd]

advertise

Talking here about concealed carry is a big difference then telling everyone you meet that your packing heat. Here there is some discussion of how and why but that's not the same as telling people you meet.

When I carry concealed I never talk about it. Well maybe at the open carry dinners I go to since everyone there will carry openly and ask why they don't see mine. I'll tell them that I in fact am carrying but concealed.

Other then that I make no mention of it one way or another.

 

[ctdonath]

Methinks CCW, as a tactical advantage, is overblown. Most criminals are just out for an easy buck. Yes, they might shoot you first, but they're far more likely to find easier pickin's elsewhere.

Methinks the prime motive for CCW is the government's (whatever jurisdiction) tendency to crush you if you're caught carrying in violation of some law, or even to hassle you on general principle.

I'd rather carry openly and not worry if it's concealed.

 

[DagoRed]

Seems to me if someone chooses open carry, they are probably either looking for attention, or trying to impress strangers. Mostly an ego thing for someone who has some insecurities or feelings of inadequacies. Just my opinion anyway.

 

[JesseL]

Seems to me if someone chooses open carry, they are probably either looking for attention, or trying to impress strangers. Mostly an ego thing for someone who has some insecurities or feelings of inadequacies. Just my opinion anyway.

So how did you form this opinion?

Have you talked to people who open carry, and asked about their reasons?

This stuff is as bad as the way antis characterize all gun owners.

 

[Standing Wolf]

So now ... we not only have "open carry" and "concealed carry" but we also have "open concealed carry" ???

I prefer "indifferently concealed."

 

[Daemon688]

I think many forget that not all states require concealed carry. If I want to carry openly, I will. You could argue I make myself more of a target, but that's a two way street isn't it? Sure, I may get taken out. But on the flip side, the criminal may target a softer target when they see a pistol clearly on my hip. Which argument is right is pretty much a guessing game. Calling open carry pure machismo is the same argument any liberal would use against anyone carrying a weapon, concealed or not.

The big benefit of open carry? Being able to educate the public that ordinary people can carry guns and that guns don't magically shoot people.

 

[wyocarp]

I know that I'm in a minority but I don't think it really matters. I feel the important thing is that you have it with you, NOT WHO KNOWS.

 

[poet]

Let's say that a BG knows that you carry a lot of cash. My question would be that if that BG was going to come after you, would the sight of your pistol actually deter him? It would deter normal people who saw you but the BG would just adjust his tactics so that he would be too close for you before you could react effectively. If you were CC then he would be less discreet and then the element of surprise may be on your side. I do see the logic that he may all together go after easier prey.

 

[Geronimo45]

The best part of keeping a secret is in telling the secret. That's one reason why people want to say they've got a CHL/CHP/CCW/whatever. Maybe they're nervous, or proud, or something.
I've had the desire to blab it to the world, myself. Have thus far avoided it.

 

[wyocarp]

My question would be that if that BG was going to come after you, would the sight of your pistol actually deter him? It would deter normal people who saw you but the BG would just adjust his tactics so that he would be too close for you before you could react effectively.

Well, I guess the answer to this is well documented in this country. There aren't too many bad guys that rob police officers or go into the local police station to shoot people. Instead, they usually pick places where the likelyhood of meeting people with guns is slim. They are whimps that lack any courage typically.

 

[fjolnirsson]

Seems to me if someone chooses to carry a gun, they are probably either looking for attention, or trying to impress strangers. Mostly an ego thing for someone who has some insecurities or feelings of inadequacies. Just my opinion anyway./QUOTE]


Makes about as much sense this way, as it did the way it was posted first.

Open carry has nothing to do with posturing, or insecurity. At least for the majority of those who do it.