Open carry legal- Does "printing" matter?

[PawPaw]

Even with open carry, very few people even notice the gun. It's a bit surprising, at least it was to me, how oblivious people are

Ain't that the truth!

I don't want anyone alarmed, and I don't want any bad guys knowing I'm armed, so it IS my intention to keep the gun concealed.

If that's your intention, then you'll be all right. However, it is amazing that most people are totally oblivious to things going on around them. I'm guilty of that too, but my attention is often focused on a person's hands rather than their face. I've gotten grief for not speaking to people I know in public, but that's because I don't generally focus on faces until I've mentally cleared their hands.

What will really amaze you is that after you've been carrying for a while, you will forget it's there. It becomes a non-issue, just another piece of paraphernalia, like a pocket knife or a wristwatch. You won't notice it and no one else will either.

 

[ConlawBloganon]

In my state, open carry and concealed carry are legal, as is anything in between. I like to carry a large gun (5" 1911), since I shoot it better than anything, so most often I carry with a modest CCW. Won't pass the "walmart walk," but it's concealed enough to keep a low profile and not attract attention.

 

[Silverado]

I am not a lawyer and I do not play one on TV...

I recently took a refresher CCW course here in Colorado and the open carry vs. concealed carry came up. In this state, open or conceal carry is OK if you have a CCW permit, except for open carry in a very few number of towns... The instructor for the course implored us to "please don't open carry, whenever a person decides to open carry in public, 911 gets dozens of calls. Conceal and give emergency services a break."

It is weird sometimes what people don't notice. I was walking into a grocery store last winter and real doors are not at the store any more, just large openings where there is an air blade keeping heat indoors and cold outdoors (or vice / versa in the summer). My cover shirt was not buttoned all the way and when I walked through that wall of air my shirt blew up exposing the gun on my right hip to at least a dozen shoppers coming or going. I was horrified, but oddly, no one seemed to notice anything. Printing, shrimping, I really don't think many people would know. I suppose an LEO might if there was some reason for him or her to single you out...

 

[irish52084]

I thought I should throw this out there just in case there might be some confusion between printing and brandishing. Generally speaking, varies state to state, your pistol accidentally printing or showing for a second or two is not going to get you in trouble. What can get you in trouble is brandishing or showing the weapon with intent to intimidate or cause harm. That is kind of the rule of thumb with brandishing, the intent to cause harm or intimidate.

Once again this is a general statement and you need to know your local laws on the subject.