Thinking about open carrying

[TDL]

Glenn E. Meyer
Have you ever practiced handgun retention?

I think that is an excellent point. Open carry might affect some deterrence in some cases, but in other cases it may itself affect and invite crime against the carrier. A firearm is valuable and can be grabbed. One also loses element of surprise and can be made the first target of any bad guy.

In The Ten Ring
Like your muscles, if you don't exercise your rights you lose them.

Sometimes.
sometimes in some venues this would create a significant fear or revulsion factor that you will not have any way to counter, address or explain. You are not going to have the opportunity to talk about the bill of rights with scores of people who may see you and be alarmed daily.

don't get me wrong I support right to bear arms. But the assertion that this is a good publicity for supporting the second amendment is something I think is not true in most public venues. I think it is a net negative in terms of public opinion and view of firearms owners/carriers. It is onw of those things, when I see it, as a firearms owner, I fully support the right to do it -- but not the argument that this is always good PR.

 

[In The Ten Ring]

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.

That's unfortunate but on the other hand, thank God we live in such a country where the Constitution restrains govt and not the people!

Thefts from an open carry holster seem to be pretty rare and face it, police officers open carry daily and a great many of them look to be about one treadmill jog away from a heart attack! If someone's not tackling them for their sidearm I doubt it's happening very often to the rest of us.

sometimes in some venues this would create a significant fear or revulsion factor that you will not have any way to counter, address or explain. You are not going to have the opportunity to talk about the bill of rights with scores of people who may see you and be alarmed daily.

So you mean like interracial dating would have in the 1950's or homosexual dating in the 1990's?

If you don't exercise your rights you lose those, ask forum members from California about that.

Open carry is certainly becoming more common where I live. I don't recall ever seeing it before a few years ago, even though it has been legal since the state was founded.

 

[ATN082268]

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.

So you can be charged with a crime by doing something legal like open carry?

 

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Thefts from an open carry holster seem to be pretty rare and face it, police officers open carry daily and a great many of them look to be about one treadmill jog away from a heart attack! If someone's not tackling them for their sidearm I doubt it's happening very often to the rest of us.

A third of police are shot with their own handgun. So, that's incorrect. Can you be charged with a crime?

1. There is an old saying: You can beat the charge but you can't beat the ride.
2. Officers sometimes are having a bad day, if you meet one of those - it can go badly for you, esp. if you have a big mouth.
3. If you are a minority - it may not go well for you with some officers, I'm said to say.

I'll say it - there's no real advantage of OC in today's world. Maybe a slight bit of deterrence vs. a slight bit of risk. You can find reports of OC folks having their guns taken. Google it. It's mainly for showing off or being in the field.

In TX, the only real outcome of OC was a wave of signs banning OC and the nasty consequence of folks banning OC also banning concealed carry as they got both signs at the same time. So it was a net negative.

PS - an addition - 15% of officers murdered are murdered with “personal weapons” (aka hands and feet). They were open carrying.

We had a SWAT officer killed in San Antonio with his own gun during a tussle with a burglar he intercepted. Are you as good as a SWAT officer?

 

[BBarn]

I've open carried a couple of times on walks outside where I'm not around many people. I would probably do it more, but am concerned about the theft aspect and don't want to appear to be showing off.

The main reason I've done it at all is because I can do so easily. Conversely, carrying concealed requires money and permission.

 

[In The Ten Ring]

I have been waiting for just this reply...

We had a SWAT officer killed in San Antonio with his own gun during a tussle with a burglar he intercepted. Are you as good as a SWAT officer?

Are you suggesting police and SWAT shouldn't open carry?

 

[Brundo]

I really appreciate all the responses - it's great thinking material. I must say that my goal in OCing is not to flex my muscles or to "school" and LEO. It's simply that I want to protect myself and those around me. I understand that OCing has a cost all its own, but right now that cost is more feasible than the $300 or so that it would cost me to get my CC. That in it self hasn't convinced me to OC all the time, not will it. As I said in my initial post, I would much rather CC than OC, because it would fit my lifestyle better.

 

[Glenn E. Meyer]

I have been waiting for just this reply...

We had a SWAT officer killed in San Antonio with his own gun during a tussle with a burglar he intercepted. Are you as good as a SWAT officer?

Are you suggesting police and SWAT shouldn't open carry?

Trying to be clever? The obvious interpretation is that an untrained person is even more at risk.

 

[Kreyzhorse]

So you can be charged with a crime by doing something legal like open carry?

Yes, although the actual charge could be trepassing or disturbing the peace.

 

[bamaranger]

open carry

In public, why advertise you are armed and draw attention to yourself?

I have yet to observe a non LEO practicing open carry, that is attuned to their surroundings and circumstances at all times, (condition yellow) utilizing quality holster w/ retention (usually the cheapo nylon stuff) , has a spare mag, and some form of intermediate weapon. And often the firearm is a clunker too. The impression is of one more interested in sensationalism and impression, than preparedness. I have pondered stronger ways of stating that, but have withheld.

I believe as one more fully grasps the responsibility and depth of being armed in public, they also realize the advantages of concealment.

 

[BBarn]

I don't think anyone is denying the advantages of CC. But sometimes the particular circumstances (such as laws or funds) rule the day. In the case of the OP, for the time being it's either OC or NC.

 

[ATN082268]

Yes, although the actual charge could be trepassing or disturbing the peace.

So if you are doing something legal and other people act up about it, then you are the one who gets busted?

 

[buck460XVR]

I have yet to observe a non LEO practicing open carry, that is attuned to their surroundings and circumstances at all times, (condition yellow) utilizing quality holster w/ retention (usually the cheapo nylon stuff) , has a spare mag, and some form of intermediate weapon. And often the firearm is a clunker too. The impression is of one more interested in sensationalism and impression, than preparedness. I have pondered stronger ways of stating that, but have withheld.

No stronger ways are necessary. You have already displayed the mindset and inferred that anybody that open carries is an idiot. Same as happens many times on gun forums. Don't do things exactly as I do and you must be an bumbling idiot. Surprising how just pulling your vest over a firearm turns a bumbling Bubba into a super Ninja.....or at least that's how many folks think. Same with one's awareness and observation qualities. Maybe it's a lack of those abilities that you only notice those folks that are blatantly obvious and stand out in the crowd. Odds are just as good, that you are oblivious to anyone that does not. I'm sick and tired of having by intelligence questioned because I sometimes open carry, especially when it's by someone with questionable intelligence themselves. Your narrow minded post makes that blatantly obvious. You don't know my skill levels, my firearms or the scenarios where I open carry, but still you want to put me and everyone else that open carries is the same room with your negative "idiot" examples. Guess it takes one to know one.

I believe as one more fully grasps the responsibility and depth of being armed in public, they also realize the advantages of concealment.

Many times there are advantages to concealment, just as there are many times there is not. Realizing that shows one has grasped responsible gun ownership, much more than making blanket statements about other's lack of responsibility.

 

[Glenn E. Meyer]

We have done this topic into the dirt many times. The pros and cons are well known.

Thus, closed.