Thinking about open carrying

Brundo · February 23, 2018, 12:06 AM

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.

drive_sideways · February 23, 2018, 01:39 AM

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.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Brundo · February 23, 2018, 02:44 AM

Quote:

Some yuppie will see it and get the wrong idea

That's definitely something I have to take into consideration, especially in a college town like Fort Collins.

Rob228 · February 23, 2018, 05:00 AM

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/

doofus47 · February 23, 2018, 10:31 PM

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.

Brundo · February 24, 2018, 01:20 AM

Good to know. I really do want to get my CC. Maybe I rework the finances and figure something out

KyJim · February 24, 2018, 02:04 PM

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.

RickB · February 24, 2018, 02:46 PM

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.

In The Ten Ring · February 25, 2018, 05:52 PM

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.

DukeConnor · February 26, 2018, 04:21 PM

Where I live a ltcf cost 20 bucks and 20 minutes. Get a license and eliminate the hassles and concerns.

Brundo · February 26, 2018, 05:44 PM

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.

Glenn E. Meyer · February 26, 2018, 05:50 PM

Have you ever practiced handgun retention?

Brundo · February 26, 2018, 05:57 PM

Yes, but I'm planning on taking more classes to further my knowledge and skills in that area.

spacemanspiff · February 26, 2018, 06:23 PM

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 · February 26, 2018, 07:04 PM

Since posting this, I've open carried a few times and I've never had an issue

buck460XVR · February 27, 2018, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brundo

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. 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.

scottycoyote · February 27, 2018, 02:28 PM

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

In The Ten Ring · February 27, 2018, 03:36 PM

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.

RickB · February 27, 2018, 05:48 PM

Quote:

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.

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.

Sure Shot Mc Gee · February 27, 2018, 06:09 PM

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?

TDL · February 27, 2018, 06:17 PM

Quote:

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.

Quote:

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 · February 28, 2018, 03:35 AM

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 · February 28, 2018, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickB

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 · February 28, 2018, 10:29 AM

Quote:

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 · February 28, 2018, 11:23 AM

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.

February 23, 2018, 12:06 AM	#1
Brundo Junior Member Join Date: February 10, 2018 Posts: 14	Thinking about open carrying 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.

February 23, 2018, 10:31 PM	#5
doofus47 Senior Member Join Date: June 9, 2010 Location: live in a in a house when i'm not in a tent Posts: 2,483	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 right about the metric system 3/4 of the time.

February 24, 2018, 02:46 PM	#8
RickB Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2000 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 8,518	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. __________________ Runs off at the mouth about anything 1911 related on this site and half the time is flat out wrong.

February 26, 2018, 05:50 PM	#12
Glenn E. Meyer Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2000 Posts: 20,064	Have you ever practiced handgun retention? __________________ NRA, TSRA, IDPA, NTI, Polite Soc. - Aux Armes, Citoyens

February 26, 2018, 06:23 PM	#14
spacemanspiff Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2002 Location: alaska Posts: 3,498	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. __________________ "Every man alone is sincere; at the entrance of a second person hypocrisy begins." - Ralph Waldo Emerson "People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use." - Soren Kierkegaard

February 23, 2018, 01:39 AM	#2
drive_sideways Senior Member Join Date: July 4, 2014 Posts: 142	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. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

February 23, 2018, 05:00 AM	#4
Rob228 Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2010 Location: Hampstead NC Posts: 1,450	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/

February 24, 2018, 01:20 AM	#6
Brundo Junior Member Join Date: February 10, 2018 Posts: 14	Good to know. I really do want to get my CC. Maybe I rework the finances and figure something out

February 24, 2018, 02:04 PM	#7
KyJim Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2005 Location: The Bluegrass Posts: 9,142	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.

February 25, 2018, 05:52 PM	#9
In The Ten Ring Senior Member Join Date: January 26, 2018 Posts: 380	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.

February 26, 2018, 04:21 PM	#10
DukeConnor Senior Member Join Date: May 6, 2016 Posts: 224	Where I live a ltcf cost 20 bucks and 20 minutes. Get a license and eliminate the hassles and concerns.

February 26, 2018, 05:44 PM	#11
Brundo Junior Member Join Date: February 10, 2018 Posts: 14	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.

February 26, 2018, 05:57 PM	#13
Brundo Junior Member Join Date: February 10, 2018 Posts: 14	Yes, but I'm planning on taking more classes to further my knowledge and skills in that area.

February 26, 2018, 07:04 PM	#15
Brundo Junior Member Join Date: February 10, 2018 Posts: 14	Since posting this, I've open carried a few times and I've never had an issue

February 27, 2018, 02:28 PM	#17
scottycoyote Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2005 Location: southwestern va Posts: 830	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 __________________ "i got the most powerful gun in the world........an .88 magnum. It shoots thru schools......"

February 27, 2018, 03:36 PM	#18
In The Ten Ring Senior Member Join Date: January 26, 2018 Posts: 380	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.

February 27, 2018, 06:09 PM	#20
Sure Shot Mc Gee Senior Member Join Date: January 2, 2012 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,876	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?

February 28, 2018, 03:35 AM	#22
In The Ten Ring Senior Member Join Date: January 26, 2018 Posts: 380	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. Last edited by In The Ten Ring; February 28, 2018 at 03:47 AM.

February 28, 2018, 11:23 AM	#25
BBarn Senior Member Join Date: December 22, 2015 Posts: 887	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.