Bartholomew Roberts
Moderator
From another gun forum, I came across this link to a 2010 news story in which a Wisconsin man was open-carrying and was robbed at gunpoint of his firearm. The man believes he was specifically targeted for the firearm. At the time this happened, it was illegal to conceal carry in Wisconsin, so he did not have much choice in the matter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zx_YUO4SzcY
Some interesting points from the video:
1. It appears the man was carrying in a retention holster. The video remarks that the suspect was unable to get the gun out of the holster and the victim had to assist him.
2. The guy was apparently well-known for open-carrying in his neighborhood and carried because he had been robbed previously.
3. The guy indicates he believes he was robbed specifically BECAUSE he carried a firearm.
4. A little too much glee on the part of reporters; but they did at least contact a WI RKBA organization and give them some air-time to give their view - and given the constraints of editing, etc., the RKBA guy did a good job with what he had.
In our last open carry tactics thread, there was a lot of emphasis on carrying in a retention holster if you were going to open-carry. I absolutely think that is a good idea; but this story goes to show that you still need that elevated awareness - the retention holster doesn't mean you can relax or be complacent if you plan to open carry.
In addition to being a weapon, a gun is a valuable tool and a frequent target of theft. When you open carry one, you've got to keep in mind that it is like wearing a gold chain, a giant diamond ring, or any other high-value item sought by thieves.
*On an Activism note, the Youtube person who posted this is not-RKBA friendly. There are some good opportunities to politely explain the flaws in the reasonsing he uses.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zx_YUO4SzcY
Some interesting points from the video:
1. It appears the man was carrying in a retention holster. The video remarks that the suspect was unable to get the gun out of the holster and the victim had to assist him.
2. The guy was apparently well-known for open-carrying in his neighborhood and carried because he had been robbed previously.
3. The guy indicates he believes he was robbed specifically BECAUSE he carried a firearm.
4. A little too much glee on the part of reporters; but they did at least contact a WI RKBA organization and give them some air-time to give their view - and given the constraints of editing, etc., the RKBA guy did a good job with what he had.
In our last open carry tactics thread, there was a lot of emphasis on carrying in a retention holster if you were going to open-carry. I absolutely think that is a good idea; but this story goes to show that you still need that elevated awareness - the retention holster doesn't mean you can relax or be complacent if you plan to open carry.
In addition to being a weapon, a gun is a valuable tool and a frequent target of theft. When you open carry one, you've got to keep in mind that it is like wearing a gold chain, a giant diamond ring, or any other high-value item sought by thieves.
*On an Activism note, the Youtube person who posted this is not-RKBA friendly. There are some good opportunities to politely explain the flaws in the reasonsing he uses.