Why hide our weapons?

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My primary reason for carrying a handgun is NOT to make a political statement, its to have an effective means of self defense always at the ready.
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But you gotta admit, making a political statement is a valid thing to do...

Also (and I might be giving the bad guys too much credit for brains) seeing an occasional open-carried gun reminds them of all the *other* guns being concealed, and they don't know where those are. So it's a deterrence multiplier.
 
Here in Seattle, I won't carry openly (even in the woods) because it's been proven that the prevalent liberals will get scared and call the cops. They can't even tell the difference between a rifle and a paintball gun. Back in Alaska, though, it's encouraged to OC when outdoors. The way I carry depends on the area.

I've also seen that Seattlites will get passively aggressive against conservatives if they advertise themselves as such: put up a McCain sign in your yard, get your windows broken; put a pro-life sticker on your bumper, get your tires slashed. It's sad and cowardly.

When it comes to storing guns in the home, I hide mine simply because I wouldn't want them stolen if my place got broken into.
 
Keep in mind that ~1 in 5 police officers who are shot in the line of duty are killed with their own guns, because the guns are there for anyone to see and grab. Retention holsters and retention training help, but IMHO you are less vulnerable to a surprise gun grab if the weapon is concealed.

Another downside, IMO, is that it allows a bold attacker to plan their tactics around your weapon, which makes it harder for you to get inside the attacker's decision loop and a lot easier for him to get inside yours. Not only do they know you are armed, they know where the weapon is and which arm you need free in order to draw it. In an open area, that may not be a big deal; in close quarters, it could be.

If you wish to open-carry, and see more advantages than disadvantages, more power to you. But personally, I think the advantages of CC outweight OC.
 
Don't you understand that this dilemma can be avoided by simply relocating to MD, where carrying arms openly or concealed is generally verboten to the citizens without badges?

If you plan to open carry, it is imperative that you present professionally. Keep your hair groomed, face shaved, nice clothes. Use a professional holster, not a piece of junk. Basically, go out dressed like a detective would dress. But, if you go out dressed in dirty, greasy, torn jeans and a filthy shirt, unshaven, sure people will call the police.
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Anti-beard bigot, eh?
 
Wolfeye said:
Here in Seattle, I won't carry openly (even in the woods) because it's been proven that the prevalent liberals will get scared and call the cops.
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First, not all liberals are anti-gun.

Are you aware that there are a lot of people that carry openly in Seattle? We’ve even had a few OC.org lunch meetings in Seattle. I’ve done so all over Seattle, including Pike’s Place Market without incident, so if anyone called the police, they didn’t respond. The liberals can call the police all they want; it doesn’t mean the police will come.

The WA courts are very strict in their interpretation of Article 1 Section 7, the part of the WA constitution that enumerates your privacy rights- they often use the phrase, “jealously guarded” when discussing it. WA citizens enjoy greater privacy protections than those expressed in the US Constitution in fact. An officer cannot detain you unless he has reasonable articuable suspicion that a crime is afoot (a Terry stop). Since openly carrying a firearm is not a crime in the state of WA, they cannot legally detain you or demand ID if they see you doing so.

A liberal offended by a firearm is no worse than a bigot alarmed by the presence of a minority. I’ll leave it to them to work out their own demons.
 
This is me and my son last Saturday at a little car show that was held around the courthouse in downtown Prescott. No negative reactions, no police called, no SWAT teams, no hysterical soccer moms. Just me and my family enjoying the nice weather and antique cars.

OCatcarshow.jpg

I don't suppose that this is exactly what a detective would wear though :neener:
 
I have to agree with Mainsail on this one (regarding Washington state) ... even though many parts of Greater Pugetropolis are thoroughly liberal, there's still a huge, underlying pro-gun culture with many otherwise disgustingly political liberals who actually own, shoot and -- gasp -- carry guns. I was amazed once when loading up the minivans to take my daughter's soccer team on a road trip to a tournament, and two of the Soccer Moms not only wanted to make sure I was packing, but let me know they were as well.
 
"If a crook sees that you're armed, he won't try and take it from you, he'll find someone else, who's an easier target."

Or if he is really committed to robbing the place you are at, he'll target you first. I'd rather carry concealed.
 
Its true 1 in 5 cops are shot with their own guns but at least 90% of those times the cops gun is all ready drawn. It's extremely hard to get a gun from someones holster. I've put on many demonstrations and no one could get mine from me with a fobus paddle. Obviously if it happened in real life you wouldn't be expecting it but you'd still have time to react.
 
I think maybe some police forces would not support citizens carrying weapons is because in a society where all law abiding citizens carry, crime would drop so low that limited police presence will be needed, which means many officers would not have jobs. No jobs mean no money. So they rather have a community that needs more police and that way, more people would be employed in the force.

Well, everything is about money, isn't it?

Or maybe I need to readjust my tin-foil hat?
 
I like carrying concealed. I see no reason for alerting criminals that I have a gun in which they could get if they surprised me.
 
It truly amazes me sometimes of the level of misinformation and igorance regarding open carry of firearms here on a board which has done so much by its members to dispel the levels of misinformation and ignorance of firearms by the population in general.
 
Both have their uses

When I open carry, nobody notices. Thugs don't stuff a $1,000 1911 in a $150 Milt Sparks holster and shop for two hours at Giant. I conceal most of the time, but that doesn't mean that I think that open carry will make me the target of some criminal.

Cops get shot with their own weapons, yes, but they are in a intentionally conspicuous uniform, and they make it a point to seek out criminals. I don't look like a cop, and I doubt that all but the most courageous thug is going to spend some time checking the place out, notice that I'm carrying a gun, and then try to take me out anyways. Most will seek victims elseware.

One reason that I carry is because I can. I'm not always wearing clothes that can readily conceal my firearm.

There was a comment earlier that having a permit to carry doesn't give you the right to intervene. I am a realist, so I understand that there are, in fact, grey areas, but for the most part; if you are witnessing a violent crime where someone's life is in grave danger, you do have the right to intervene, as well as the right to pass.

Yes, I'm aware that in DC they would rather the victim die and you see it so that they can collect more taxes to pay for your mental rehabilitation.
 
Sage of Seattle said:
It truly amazes me sometimes of the level of misinformation and igorance regarding open carry of firearms here on a board which has done so much by its members to dispel the levels of misinformation and ignorance of firearms by the population in general.
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Sadly folks here are just as inclined to overestimate their expertise vis-à-vis their experience as the rest of the general population.

Why consider the actual real-life experiences of people who have open carried, when you have uninformed speculation, imagination, myths, and rumors?:banghead:
 
What possible good would that do us? - see story

Wow! I would never have guessed that a majority of THR'ers believe in open carry. I really like to keep the bad guy guessing who might have a gun and who doesn't. If there's a scenerio where hostages (incl. lil' ol' me) are being held, the B.G. wouldn't really be looking at me as the most likely candidate to be carryin'. I might be overlooked entirely - which would be the best case scenerio for me and the other hostages but the worst case for the B.G.s.
If I was carrying open, they'd see it before I even knew that something bad was going to happen and they'd get my gun. What possible good would that do us?
 
I just breezed over the responses real quickly. Open carrying will probably deter a criminal from targeting you, thereby causing him/her to move on the an easier target. This has been mentioned.

But lets take that to opposite extremes for a moment. If those carrying a gun ALL open carried, the would-be attacker will know exactly who he can rush and who he can't. He has a clearer picture of his chances of success. On the other end, if those carrying ALL carried concealed, a would-be attacker will think all targets equally dangerous. This raises the cost to him/her verses potential reward, and thereby may deter him/her from attacking anybody at all (we hope).

Should that "easier target" pay with their life for choosing not to carry? It occurs to me that concealed carry being legal and most carriers choosing to carry that way can indirectly protect those who don't carry.

I'm in the IT biz, and I say this all the time... "Ignorance can be an effective security tool." I don't see why it can't apply here as well, eh?


-T.

EDIT: MinnMooney beat me to my own response (sort of). Heh.
 
If I was carrying open, they'd see it before I even knew that something bad was going to happen and they'd get my gun. What possible good would that do us?
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Bingo. It makes you what is known as a priority target...sorta like a Cobra pilot having to choose between the fool pointing a pistol at him, as opposed to the one 50 yards away, arming a Stinger.

Who do ya think's gonna get lit up like a Christmas tree?
 
Pilot said:
I see no reason for alerting criminals that I have a gun in which they could get if they surprised me.
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MinnMooney said:
If I was carrying open, they'd see it before I even knew that something bad was going to happen and they'd get my gun.
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1. These scenarios don't happen. If they do, they are far outweighed by the situations where the criminal will see an armed person and decide find easier prey.

This is as silly as the people who don't like wearing a seatbelt because they might get trapped underwater or be in the one-in-a-million car wreck where it's better to be 'thrown clear' of the accident. Never mind that in the vast majority of cases they'd be much better off with a seatbelt.

2. Are you guys wandering around in condition white or what?
 
Couple More Points

Open Carry is not even noticed by most people - and that always surprises me. OC with a 'dress for success' approach makes sense - and also reduces the inate fear some people have. I agree that more Open Carry would encourage the Sheeple to not be afraid and would make it seem more 'normal'.

I do believe we should always be Goodwill Ambassadors for gun owners and that if we Open Carry we should also get some combatives training specifically on 'Firearm Retention'.
 
i see your point, but, i dont feel ok knowing when i reach up to hand someone some money or something a person can grab my primary from behind and use it on myself or others. thats why i CC.
 
Because if we didn't, pistols would be useless.
:evil:
Because if you only open carry, then the "sphere if protection" that manifests in CCW areas is gone. Criminals can tell who's armed and who isn't, and they go after the unarmed ones when the armed ones aren't around.
 
I'm in the IT biz, and I say this all the time... "Ignorance can be an effective security tool." I don't see why it can't apply here as well, eh?
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That's funny...just today I reiterated to my boss "We can't rely on ignorance for security; when we do, is when we will get burnt."

And then I had to explain myself; just because most people don't know how to hack the software I write, doesn't mean they won't try. And, eventually, one will succeed. That is why I have all kinds of error checking, input scrubbing, and input logging built in. Yes, my software is rather large for what it needs to accomplish; but it will alert me (or whoever) when someone is trying to hack it. My software potentially touches 1/2 a million customers' personal info; credit history, ssn, bank account info etc. Do you want to rely on ignorance to protect it?

Sorry for the threadjack...
 
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