Thinking about open carrying

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Brundo

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Before a debate starts, let me say this; I intend to conceal carry (planning to get my permit some time later this year or next). I think conceal carrying is great and definitely a better fit for my life style, not that I think OC is a bad fit for my lifestyle. That being said, due to planning my wedding, funds are on the tighter side of things and I can't afford the class or permit right now. So, let’s try to keep the CC vs open debate to a minimum.

I recently purchased a handgun for carrying but so far it just sits in my house, only seeing the light of day when I take it to the range. My thought is that a carry gun sitting in a room is only slightly better than no gun at all. I started asking myself if OCing is 1) something I would be interested in? 2) something I could do more-or-less day to day (I'm a student at Colorado State University = no OC on campus)?

I understand that there are a lot of pros and cons to OC. So, what should I think about before I give OC a try? Practically speaking, what should I know? I have read up on CO laws. So that's it. I defer to y'all.
 
With all the crap that’s been happening recently I personally won’t open carry unless I’m hiking in the hills. Some yuppie will see it and get the wrong idea even though it is completely legal where I live.


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I went to school in Boulder which was a far sight worse as far as that goes.... Open carry really won't work in that area unless you are out in the grasslands, the hiking trails in the hills are not exactly solitary.

If it is not reasonably in your budget then just wait. I want to say I paid $150 ish for fingerprinting and permit fees but I did not have to take a class (military pistol qual).

I cannot vouch for this crew, and this is the first I have heard of them, maybe some people still in CO can give some insight, BUT it looks like they provide free classes for college students in CO. https://www.concealedcarryforfree.com/about/
 
If you're in the woods, open carry. If you're on the street, conceal.

Remember, if crap goes sideways, the bad guys choose the time and place it will go bad. You don't want them to also know that you're toting and single you out for the initial assault. Giving up the advantage of surprise might be to give up your only (even if only slim) advantage.

Skip the bar for a few months and get a CC class. Brian Hepp lives a bit south of FC and used to give CC classes. Or maybe reach out to RMGO (rocky mountain gun owners) and see if they are doing a cheaper class for students.
 
I'm curious about the costs you face. In my state, the application fees are $60 and you have to take a one-day training course which is good for life and typically costs less than $100. I do understand that sometimes this amount of money may be hard to come by for some people, especially students -- been there.
 
On your own property, in the woods, cool.
In a rural town, where people are coming and going from and to the woods, cool.
In an urban environment, no.
It's weird, I saw an open-carrying, obvious non-cop draw absolutely no attention on a crowded downtown Seattle street corner at lunch time, but I've also heard of Seattle cops giving open carriers a hard time, threatening them with "disturbing the peace" because they got a man-with-a-gun call.
I see zero advantages that balance the negatives.
 
Like your muscles, if you don't exercise your rights you lose them.

I open carry at times, when it's easier to or just all I can do. Since my state stopped taxing the right to carry a gun concealed, I wasn't too upset when my CCW ran out and expired.

However, that forced me to carry openly when I had to take my mother to a doctor in a neighboring state. I followed that state's laws, carried openly in a holster, and even though I was around a lot of yankees and city folk, no one said anything negative. First off, most people don't notice ANYTHING. The few that did notice showed positive support.

Dress the right way, look professional, carry in either a retention holster (Safariland ALS comes to mind) or at least a thumb break. Don't carry in a "one size fits none" nylon holster that makes you look silly.

A best friend lived in NOVA (Northern VA, i.e. "uber liberal town") and he would open carry with the purpose of drawing attention so that he could engage them in conversation about rights. He never had a problem.
 
Here in CO. it's around $300. The cost for the class is between $100 - $150 (as far as I've found) and the cost for finger printing, back ground check, etc. is another $150.
 
The only person who is going to be the most aware of your weapon if you open carry is yourself. Vast majority of people who you may encounter while out and about with a sidearm holstered on your waist may never notice it is there.

Same cant be said if you put a shoulder holster on, or a tacticool drop thigh rig.

I've done plenty of open carry experiments.
 
Brundo said:
Since posting this, I've open carried a few times and I've never had an issue
Click to expand...

....and odds are, you won't. Lotta folks wanna play "Henny Penny" when it comes to threads on Open Carry. Truth is, in places where it is legal, there are very few if any confrontations or negative incidents. Biggest thing is to keep your hands off the weapon. It's when you start touching it or playing with in in public folks get nervous. Hard to imagine that any police department in the country, in today's world, does not know the legalities of firearm carry in their jurisdiction. Maybe a decade ago, but not anymore. While one needs to practice a little discretion on where they open carry, it's still better than nuttin' at all, and in some applications, better than CWC.
 
i think in part its where you are.....im in southwestern va which is relatively conservative and gun loving. I see open carry from time to time, never seen anyone make a fuss although of course i notice it. I open carry in the woods hunting, never really seen the point if you have a cc permit....id want to draw as little attention as possible if a situation arises you are already drawing against someone who probably already has a weapon out, better to have surprise on your side
 
Since posting this, I've open carried a few times and I've never had an issue

There you go. Answered your own question it seems.

Open carry is funny in that it often causes hostility from the concealed carry crowd. I haven't seen any hostility in this thread and that's a plus.

I generally don't open carry since I don't like banging up the side of my car, walls of my house, etc. Most of my open carry occurred when I left the house with a jacket on, but then the sun came out, and it was too hot to keep the jacket on. I lost the jacket, continued about my day, and most were oblivious. Those that noticed either thought I was an officer or asked if I was.

I renewed my CCW so no more open carry when I take my mom to the out-of-state doctor.
 
Since posting this, I've open carried a few times and I've never had an issue

....and odds are, you won't. Lotta folks wanna play "Henny Penny" when it comes to threads on Open Carry. Truth is, in places where it is legal, there are very few if any confrontations or negative incidents.
Click to expand...

I joined an open-carry forum, to try to get a better handle on what they were trying to accomplish - deter people from bothering them, faster draw than concealed, what? - and most of the conversations, I'm not kidding, were about how they had schooled a cop on open carry law.
I didn't see much about holster selection, places to avoid or frequent, it was mostly about "rights", carrying a copy of the relevant law in their pocket, so that when a cop "hassled' them, they could put the cop in his place.
Pretty weird.
 
OC. Do you have the physique to stop some other unarmed individual from attempting to take your carry piece? Think Trayvon Martin's shooting. Can you afford such a trial in your life?
 
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