Open Carry Vs. Concealed carry

How do you pack?

  • Open Carry

    Votes: 17 10.8%

  • Concealed Carry

    Votes: 141 89.2%
  • Total voters
    158
I always carry concealed, except on my own property. My understanding of the law in Texas is that if the establishment makes more than half its income from booze, you can't carry. If I'm going to a nice restaurant, I take my gun. If the wife and I are going to a bar and grill for a burger, it stays in the car.

An important caveat to this ... IMHO, if you plan to drink even one beer, leave your gun at home. Defending yourself in court in connection with a shooting if you have alcohol in your system can't be fun. Of course, neither is getting shot ... just my personal preference.

------<
Liberty, once lost, is lost forever ... John Adams
 
I always carry concealed. I've open carried a few times during hunting season but generally even try to refrain from that. It clearly makes most people nervous so I figure why bring any more attention to myself.
 
God i cant beileve im the only person to say this yet in this thread but here goes.

All you anti OC people out there, please post links and cites of CITIZENS not leos but citzens, being target number one or shot first becuase they open carried. I know it happens to cops, but they intentionaly go after the worst in society, citizens dont. So please provide a legit citiing and link of a CITIZEN that was shot first for open carry. I has to be a citizen no leo cites.

Sure i give up the percived element of surprise, but i gain the ability to draw my gun alot faster then when im concealed. And with open carry, im not restricted to reduced capacity pocket pistols in substandard calibers, or trying to find a way to becomfortable while cc any of the autopistols with more then 10 rounds in the mag.

I still believe that oc is a deterent to crime. As a armed security officer, i have to oc, and i know from some experiances that it deteres crime. NO i dont believe it had anything to do with the uniform and as a SO im nothing more then a citizen in a nice blue(sometimes) shirt. I believe that those that oc are basicly free armed security for the establishment they are currently patronizing.

In the end the only thing that matters is that agree or dissagree with oc, you should support the right of the individual to choose which method carry is best for them selvs, we are all on the same side.
 
In Virginia it's the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. They issue licenses to sell alcohol in an establishment.
 
Good post Mordis.

And you're right. OC doesn't draw attention to me that much. People see it, but don't tend to care for it. LEOs see it when I'm out and about, and they don't care. Guess it depends where you live, and how gun friendly eveyrone is..

But as Mordis said, we're all on the same side..
 
yep, i would raise a unholy hell of a protest if they started taking away cc rights in states that allow it. I would expect the cc only crowd to do the same for the oc crowd in states that allow it. We all need to remember that we are all friends, and brothers in the gun rights battle, we need every right we can get, including oc, cuase if thats all thats left. you might as well use that right.
 
All you anti OC people out there, please post links and cites of CITIZENS not leos but citzens, being target number one or shot first becuase they open carried.
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No, I don't have a link, but I have enough common sense to put myself in someone else's shoes. Here I am, Mr. Bad Guy. I'm going to hold up the convenience store. I've got my hoodie on and my weapon drawn as I walk in. There's a fat guy at the slurpy machine, a drunk playing Keno with his welfare check, and a guy in relatively able shape with a gun on his hip.
Bad guy radar to bad guy brain; Shoot the guy with the gun or he'll make your day go all nasty.
Can you cite a source that will confirm that the next time I eat at a Mexican resaurant I won't get heartburn?
Can you cite a source that will confirm that next time I go to the DMV they won't be rude?
Can you cite a source that confirms that you're NOT scaring the crap out of the pregnant lady with her toddler at the supermarket?
 
I don't like the idea of OC, but I would defend others right to do it. I bet 99% (percentage pulled out of my rear) of non-gun people who see someone OCing just assume they are a LEO and gun people who know better don't care.

It does raise awareness to the fact that you are allowed to carry a weapon. Again, most non-gun people in my area don't even know its legal to carry a gun in public and we allow both OC and CC.

Awareness may or may not be a good thing. Since the default position on guns tends to be anti, it may be best to not bring attention to ourselves. There are a lot of people out there who don't really know or care about gun right issues, but if you asked them, they would say guns were bad because thats what they are told everyday.
 
You forgot to mention the 3rd option in your poll....

1. Open carry

2. Concealed Carry

3. I live in a people's republic (aka NJ) that will not allow carry in any manner. And yes, we're planning on escaping in the next year or so.


Just trying to help ;)
 
Open carry in public is rude and shows a lack of class. Sorry, but that's how I see it.
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+1 more......I've been stationed in NC for the last 11 years where open carry is legal and the only time I've ever open carried was when I was riding the trails in Uwharrie. Now back home in Texas...concealed all the way, even if we could open carry I wouldn't. I'm another one that thinks open carry just brings unwanted attention I don't need.
 
In the end the only thing that matters is that agree or dissagree with oc, you should support the right of the individual to choose which method carry is best for them selvs, we are all on the same side.
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In my state, there are several restrictions on where open carry is permitted. This is subject to some court to interpret it, but our law says that concealed carry permit holders may carry anywhere with a few restrictions (courthouses, federal property and buildings, and indian reservations).

Open Carry is prohibited in "public buildings", which include schools, hospitals, city and state buildings, public parks, and areas in our biggest city where the mayor has designated as a public area.

What the courts have not ruled on is whether simply possessing a concealed permit is sufficient to open carry without the restrictions.
 
God i cant beileve im the only person to say this yet in this thread but here goes.
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I can't either since this is the battle cry of the OC supporters.

We have all heard of instances where gun stores were held up in spite of the clerks open carrying. So we know that criminals are willing to go up against openly armed citizens when the payoff is guns and money.

I'm guessing that's not really what you wanted to hear.

So here's a specific instance.

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/police/reports/reports2006/073106robNewtonPatton.htm

A man open carrying a handgun had is stolen from him
Man robbed in the Centreville area

About 4:10 a.m. Sunday, July 30, officers were called to the area of Newton Patent Drive and Newton Tavern Drive. A 21-year-old Centreville-area man was robbed while walking on Newton Patent Drive. Two suspects approached the victim from behind, and placed a metal object up to the victim’s head. The suspects took the victim’s hand gun which he was openly carrying. The suspect’s then fled the area. The victim was not injured.

The suspects were described as black males wearing dark clothing.

Anyone with information about this incident or these suspects is asked to call Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477) or the police non-emergency number at 703-691-2131.​

For what it's worth, I think open carry should be legal. It's just not an option I would choose to exercise.
 
thankyou john, Its to bad it has to be summarized as a battle cry., You are the first person i have seen that has actually came up with some form of cite for civilians. If you dont mind i wanna copy and post it at the opencarry.org forums and see what they say. ya it happens, but i still feel that oc is a good thing. I feel it helps to serve as a deterence. The article does not state weather or not he saw them coming. Iam willing to bet he was condition white and was not paying attention to anything around him. FWIW cc'ers also get robbed as well, there have been posts here and on other sites regarding it and such as it can not be dissmissed. If your ocing, you should maintain more attention to your surrounding then when your ccing.

WHat i dont understand is , why when cc'ers address oc'ers they talk down to us saying stuff like
"I'm guessing that's not really what you wanted to hear.", and talking down at us. Were not stupid becuase we chose a more comfortable approach to carrying. Each Form of carry has its disadvantages, and advantages.

OC Pros
1. Faster draw
2. Potential to deteer crime.
3. easier to dress for.
4. more comfortable to carry full size and large framed guns.

cons.
1 Pontential to be first target.
2. Potential to be robbed anyways, despite carrying.(true for cc'ers as well)"
3. Tends to scare the sheeple, they think the sheep dog is infact a wolf.

CC. Pros
1. Weapons are hidden from sight.
2. Does not scare the sheeple as much.
3. Element of surprise is on your side.

cons.
1. SLower to draw from,
2. usualy limited to smaller framed guns.(depending on gun and build of carrier, your mileage may vary)
3. some concealment guns are in inadaquate calibers with less capacity.
4.some methods of concealed carry are uncomfortable.( i.e IWB, some belly bands, ect.ect.)

That list seems reasonable, either method of carry is a comprimise. Its up to you to decide which comprimise you want. I like the faster draw and more comfort.

I see alot of people putting there gun at the 4:00 position, and i just cant do it. I did it for a month and it felt like the gun was diggin in to my side, and when i sat down the gun barrel hits the back to the car seat and makes driving for any length of time uncomfortable. Which is why when i do cc, i carry at the 3:00 position, which i have read on here is a no no, due to it being something cops do.
 
I oc and cc. One of the reasons I OC is that I do not like compact handguns. While you can CC full size guns (1911's, 92's, etc.) most of the time it is either obvious or you have to wear a huge cover shirt. Thankfully I have never had to pull a gun, but if I did it would be a lot easier to do so OC'ing rather than concealed carry. Admittedly I do not OC as much as I used to, but it has sparked conversation with people over RKBA. I have never had a negative OC experience.
 
This rule varies, I know, but in many cases concealed does not necessarily mean totally unnoticeable. There's something under my shirt, but it's a lump, not a printing 1911. I believe this most often qualifies as concealment.
 
Its to bad it has to be summarized as a battle cry.
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No, it's too bad that someone has to go poking around on the web to find "hard evidence" to prove something that is already common knowledge. There's already more than enough readily available evidence that robbers will go up against armed citizens to steal guns and money--gun shop robberies are the easiest cite.
If you dont mind i wanna copy and post it at the opencarry.org forums and see what they say.
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I found it on packing.org doing an internet search. The link on packing.org was defunct but luckily I was able to poke around and find another link to the story. Now packing.org is defunct, but, again, fortunately I had posted it here. The link I posted here expired, but again I got lucky and was able to find the police department and search their site for reports. Fortunately they kept records online for extended time or this would simply be a quote of a story with no supporting link. The point of all that is that this story would have faded off the web but for my efforts and then the ridiculous argument: "But no one can find a story of this actually happening." would still be being used.

This whole topic really irritates me, if you can't already tell. One stupid incident in an area with a police dept. that happens to have kept records online for more than a few months is now going to be evidence that what everyone knew all along is true. That is really messed up.

My comments in blue.
OC Pros
1. Faster draw And you HAVE to be fast because you'll have to draw in a hurry when something goes down.
2. Potential to deteer crime. Just like armed gun store clerks keep gun store robberies from happening??? Ok, sure, some will say no, others will see the gun itself as a target.
3. easier to dress for.
4. more comfortable to carry full size and large framed guns.

cons.
1 Pontential to be first target.
2. Potential to be robbed anyways, despite (or BECAUSE of) carrying.(true for cc'ers as well--except for the part about being targeted ) "
3. Tends to scare the sheeple, they think the sheep dog is infact a wolf. Also tends to alarm even non-sheeple since it's unusual for non-LEOs to go about openly armed. Furthermore, "scaring the sheeple" is not conducive to the cause of advancing gun rights--sheeple vote too.

CC. Pros
1. Weapons are hidden from sight.
2. Does not scare the sheeple as much. Can't imagine how it scares anyone at all unless concealment fails.
3. Element of surprise is on your side. As is the choice of WHEN and IF to respond.
4. Virtually elimates the possibility of being hassled by the cops, having the cops called on you, being verbally denied entrance or ejected from establishments.
5. Does not make the wearer the target of criminals who would like to steal firearms without having to breach the security of a house or gun store.
6. Allows the wearer to carry in situations where it is legal but would be virtually impossible to carry openly. (I've carried into the non-secure portion of airports on several occasions, for example.)

cons.

1. SLower to draw from,
2. usualy limited to smaller framed guns.(depending on gun and build of carrier, your mileage may vary)
3. some concealment guns are in inadaquate calibers with less capacity. Some are in adequate calibers with adequate capacity.
4.some methods of concealed carry are uncomfortable.( i.e IWB, some belly bands, ect.ect.) To be fair, some methods are as comfortable as open carry.
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