Four part question regarding open carry.

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1. Unacceptable. There are many valid reasons for carrying concealed and I would not be in favor of limiting people that choose to carry in that fashion. I'm really not in favor of limiting people in either case (open vs. concealed).

2. It wouldn't make a difference to me one way or the other. It *might* raise my awareness, but I agree that criminal elements would not be deterred from hiding their wares when it suits them.

3. More. That could change fairly soon. At the moment I don't own a pocket pistol, but I have a Ruger LCP on my things to acquire list. When I carry, I carry an M&P 9 compact in a UBG IWB holster. I'll admit that I'm fairly lazy about carrying in this fashion. If I could just slide on a kydex OWB holster I'd be less lazy about it. Yeah, I know... shame on me. I'm just not one of those that feels comfortable carrying all day/ever day IWB.

4. I'd carry my M&P 9 Pro in my Kydex Blade-Tech holster. I'm pretty darn familiar with that setup! :D
 
1. I would find it acceptable that open carry is legal. Not being allowed to conceal makes more sense to me than not being allowed to carry open.

2. I would not feel safer or any less safe.

3. Around the same. However when I carry would probably change.

4. I would carry a highcap 9mm in a thigh or hip holster.
 
i'll reply, since this is only for "fun". 1, sure, this would be acceptable to me. imo, open carry is fine. the criminals will still be carrying concealed, but it may suprise the heck out of everyone how many people would carry openly if allowed to. 2, no, i would not feel safer. like i said in the first part, the criminals would still be carrying concealed. so unless 90% of the general public was open carrying, it would not make me feel safer. 3, i carry every day now, so i can not see how i could carry more, except i guess i could carry into church and occaisionaly a govt building. 4, i would carry my 45, on my hip, instead of concealed like i do now.
 
If i woke up tomorrow and was told i could only wear underwear if i wore them on the outside of my pants, i have to assume i wouldn't understand the logic. I don't wanna be a cowboy so i guess i wouldn't carry.
 
Ok, I've only read the OP, and I'm only addressing the 4 questions.

The questions are...

1. If the federal government, in conjunction with all 50 state governments, passed a federal law allowing open carry of firearms as the only legal method of carry and outlawing concealed carry (meaning you can carry whatever you want however you want as long as it is visible) would you consider that acceptable? The degree to which the gun would need to be visible would be a predetermined formula such as many knife carry laws are today.

2. Would you feel safer knowing who around you was armed or less safe?

3. Would you carry more often or less often if you knew others around you were carrying?

4. What would you carry and how? (this is the fun part )
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For #1:
This is the way Arizona was before we became a shall-issue state in the mid-1990's. We could carry pretty much any legal firearm in the same places we can CC now.

And nothing has changed in that respect. Don't have a CCW permit valid in Arizona (or even if you do)? You can still open carry here; no permit needed. Any legal firearm qualifies, but one might cause panic walking down main street with a rifle (a handgun wouldn't, and I speak from experience).

I carried openly before this trend towards CCW, and I oft-times still open carry today. That said, NO, such a law would NOT be acceptable to me. Law abiding people have the right to keep and bear arms; the government(s) need to honor that.

For #2:
The question assumes that criminals would obey the laws. The only ones that you'll know about having a gun are the ones who would choose to honor that law. I don't see that someone else's mode of carry has anything to do with my own safety, so it would make no difference.

#3:

I'd carry the same amount. I carry pretty much always now, and I'd carry pretty much always if such a law were passed. Some might take offense when I went into the bank with an openly carried firearm, but as long as that was the only legal way, I'd do it. I open carry most of the time now, but keep a valid CCW for just such occasions.

#4:
That would likely depend on the day. For casual carry, a J-frame in a paddle holster. Or, it might be a SA in a western rig. Pretty much the same as I open carry now. When you live 15 miles from Tombstone Arizona, folks are pretty used to seeing firearms.

;)

Daryl
 
1. If the federal government, in conjunction with all 50 state governments, passed a federal law allowing open carry of firearms as the only legal method of carry and outlawing concealed carry (meaning you can carry whatever you want however you want as long as it is visible) would you consider that acceptable? The degree to which the gun would need to be visible would be a predetermined formula such as many knife carry laws are today.
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The only reason that I would find it unacceptable is that I have concerns with the Federal government in general. It's gotten way too big and far-reaching, in my opinion, and I don't care to have them continue to increase the amount of issues it has it's grubby little hands on.

Now, for the sake of your argument, I would be fine with it and I would still carry every day. I've actually been studying up on open carry the last few days. I have an interest in it but I'm not yet sure if I feel the need to do it. I have nothing against it and I support those who do it because it seems as though it sends a good message both to criminal and to law-abiding citizens who value freedom.

2. Would you feel safer knowing who around you was armed or less safe?
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I guess I would, in a way. Let's say I'm in a bank and a criminal comes in. As far as I know I'm the only person with a gun (concealed) and I might be the only one trying to save lives. I suppose if I knew that there were one or two other people in the bank with guns, I would feel stopping the criminal would be more of a group effort.

On the flip side, even if people started carrying openly because of your theoretical law, that doesn't guarantee that another citizen who is carrying will be in the bank at the same time as me.

The only things that I know for sure are 1) I pray for God's protection over me, my family, and my community every day, and 2) if I am ever in a situation where anyone's life around me is threatened, I will do everything in my power to protect them. These are two things I can count on in terms of safety.

3. Would you carry more often or less often if you knew others around you were carrying?
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Every where, every day, regardless. Just like I do now.

4. What would you carry and how?
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My full-size 1911, just like I do now. Only instead of concealing it my right side, it would be on my right thigh.

-Justin
 
4 ?s

1- I want national reciprocity, not open carry or nothing. I like having a concealed weapon, it protects me and keeps the sheeple calm.

2- I would still carry about 90% of the time.

3- I would love to open carry my Browning Hi Power, but not concealed.

4- I would feel safer knowing there was armed good guys around.
 
1st and foremost, only about 1 in 5 people in the country even own a gun.
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I have heard the number "80 million gun owners" more than once, and that was before last November. I would venture to say that it may approach one in three by now, and that number is growing every day.
When you consider that the average family is between 4-5 people, there are probably guns in at least half of the homes in the US, even considering that multiple gun owners likely live under one roof and taking a number of two-person families into accuount.

Did you read the results of the recent Zogby/Rasmussen polls showing that 81% of people believe that the Second Amendment confers an individual right?

I think we have a fairly powerful presence (probably much moreso than we know) and we should be turning that to our advantage. Probably belongs in L&P, but it's pertinent to all gun discussions.
 
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I open carry probably 20% of the time now, although I have a CCW. I would not support a federal law that outlawed concealed carry, since I see no problem with people who carry concealed. On the other hand, if a federal law were passed legalizing open carry and pre-empting laws against it, I certainly would have no complaints about that! Among other things, it would make life considerably easier in the People's Democratic Republic of California, where I work and which lies less than 20 miles west of me.

I doubt it would affect how I carry at home, though, where open carry is legal for anybody and concealed carry for those who obtain their CCW permits. I have the permit, which means I have either option, and exercise whichever looks best at the moment.
 
a different spin

now you are in a bank full of folks and 13 are carrying openly....in this scenario the BG decides to carry openly to avoid suspision and blend into everyone else carrying...
he draws from his open holster and what insues is a bad chain reaction where no one really knows who the BG is...its just a cluster F...
end of story, the bad guy is the only one who walks out of the bank unharmed....
hows that for an open carry hypothisis???...very possible.....all the GG shoot each other, because the BG looked like everyone else....
of course presently with all the GG's and the BG carrying concealed, the same thing could happen, but probably not nearly as likely because if you are not obviously armed, you stand the best chance to not be a target....
 
mintaka said:
now you are in a bank full of folks and 13 are carrying openly....in this scenario the BG decides to carry openly to avoid suspision and blend into everyone else carrying...
he draws from his open holster and what insues is a bad chain reaction where no one really knows who the BG is...its just a cluster F...
end of story, the bad guy is the only one who walks out of the bank unharmed....
hows that for an open carry hypothisis???...very possible.....all the GG shoot each other, because the BG looked like everyone else....
of course presently with all the GG's and the BG carrying concealed, the same thing could happen, but probably not nearly as likely because if you are not obviously armed, you stand the best chance to not be a target....
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Are you related to Diane Sawyer?!? Do you write for 20/20? That really sounds like something exactly like they would do. Why don't you go back to writing for the Brady Campaign....

BTW... what the heck is a "hypothisis?"
 
I'm going to say great. At least I will be able to carry. Can't carry concealed or open now. I think a Federal bill will be the only way I could do ether. Or move.:mad:
 
imsurprised that what i wrote was taken as anti gun....im very pro gun..ive held a NYs ccw since the 60's and still own many weapons...
i think i may have been more anti human insinct, or common sense....but the scenario i mentioned was not meant to be anti gun, but possibly anti open carry...
 
Zilmo said:
I really don't understand the whole concept of open carry. "Look at me! I'm BAD!"
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You speak the truth, Zilmo, you don't understand the concept of open carry.

Let me ask you a question, Zilmo which of the two situations would you rather be in:

1. A bad guy wants to get a quick few dollars so he threatens you with a knife and you draw your weapon and shoot him.

or

2. A bad guy wants to get a quick few dollars and he sees your gun so he thinks, it is really not worth getting shot at so I will just move on to the next guy who comes along that doesn't have a gun that I can see.

And don't try to feed us any line of B.S. about the bad guy shooting you because he sees your gun, that just has never been proven to happen more than about once every decade.
 
And don't try to feed us any line of B.S. about the bad guy shooting you because he sees your gun, that just has never been proven to happen more than about once every decade.
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Oh, am I prone to feeding you lines of B.S.? Have I done that in the past?

I stand by what I said. Open carry is for guys with small dicks that need to feel big.
 
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