If you absolutely have to open carry...

[imthegrumpyone]

I don't and won't. If it's your bag go ahead and OC, can't understand in this world why anyone would want to bring attention to themselves. Doesn't matter if it's legal or not, I can see it out in the back 40, hunting but OC walking around in the city just doesn't do it for me. Besides my time is more valuable to me than trying to get out of mess that I could avoid by not OC, I sometimes believe it's more than not just for show "look at me" I have a gun.

 

[christcorp]

I think the title is misleading. It says "When you ABSOLUTELY have to open carry". With the exception of when you've come back from the range, a day of hunting, etc... and you HAVE TO stop off at a Mini-Mart or similar and don't want to leave the weapon in the trunk or otherwise locked up in the car, I don't think you EVER HAVE TO carry open. So, the title doesn't really apply, because you don't ever really HAVE TO carry open. Now, if you don't happen to have a concealed permit, then get one. If where you live won't allow a concealed permit, then chances are they probably discourage or don't allow open carry. But there's a lot of generalization here.

Where I live, open carry is totally legal. And for most locals, it's not a problem; not intimidating; etc... However, we get a lot of "tourists". (Or terrorists; depending on how you look at it). They can become quite intimidated if they see someone walking around with a gun on. Not that it's illegal; it's not. Just that we don't want to freak out the tourist from California, New Jersey, etc...

As for a bad guy seeing the gun, that's actually a positive for open carry. You don't give up any advantage to a bad guy seeing you with a gun. On the contrary. If they see the gun, they will 100% of the time not confront you. And I'll stick by that percentage as basic human psychology unless someone can show actual data that shows a bad guy will actually use the knowledge of someone open carrying a weapon to THEIR advantage.

But again; there's a lot of people who may WANT to open carry. Some may even find it convenient to open carry. But I don't think that except for a very few instances of convenience that anyone HAS TO OPEN CARRY.

 

[ritepath]

I've started OCin in some areas, Jeep rides and around my home county. I still CC when in WV or neighboring counties. I know every LEO in my county so I don't worry about getting harrassed.

I don't worry about making myself a target while OCin' because I believe the BG will move on to another target or come back at a better time. OC is a deterrent to crime rather than "getting the drop" on a BG with CC. I'd rather help someone decide not to attack/rob without drawing my sidearm.

That being said, in larger areas with more people I'm uncomfortable drawing attention to myself so I probably will always CC. The way I carry now is with a OWB and a untucked shirt, sure it prints in the wind on the way to and from the vehicle. If you pay attention someone can notice the "lumpy" could be cell phone or gun but they have to guess, with this I don't mind.

I also like to OC because it helps make a political statement, that I'm an armed citizen taking advantage of my rights, and it's possible for a gun to be around without "going off" killing everyone in sight.


I also OC around the house because I only have one weapon that's not locked up, if it's on my side and comfortable I don't have to worry about my two kids or any of the 5 other neighbors kids coming across it if I should leave it inside my home or car. Doesn't seem to bother any of the 3 sets of parents (left, right and across the street) that I'm a pistol packing paranoid. Sometimes I worry when my kids are over at any of the other homes because I don't know where/how firearms are stored at said homes.

 

[Mark Milton]

>>>>Mark, if you believe the Bad Guy will shy away from a fight with someone who open carray's then why are there bank robberies where there are armed guards?

Daryl, I would say try open carring around a very liberal Wash State and see what happens. I have had police called on me cuz my pistol was concealled under my jacket and some had the perfet angle to see under the jacket and she called the cops. Then she was outraged to find out a CPL allowed poeple to carry guns into stores .
__________________>>>>

HK, where are these armed guards?
The last time I saw an armed guard was the Brinx guys doing deliveries or pick ups but most banks don't even have an armed guard anymore and haven't in 20 years.
I used to work as a guard and most guards these days are unarmed due to liability reasons. The cheapskates who hire them don' t want to be sued when some minimum wage wonder accidentally shoots somebody.
My uncle who passed away over the weekend was a bank guard for the last 15 years. They told him to stop wearing a uniform as they didn't want bad guys to know what he was. He was unarmed too.

Thats the reality of the world of the McSheeple. They disarm the people who are supposed to protect them out of their assanine fears.

 

[NavyLT]

Daryl, I would say try open carring around a very liberal Wash State and see what happens. I have had police called on me cuz my pistol was concealled under my jacket and some had the perfet angle to see under the jacket and she called the cops. Then she was outraged to find out a CPL allowed poeple to carry guns into stores .

I fail to see why this is a problem. I've had the cops called on me once, too, in Washington state. So what. The inconvenience that I was caused for a few minutes had many positive long lasting effects.