What are your thoughts on open carry and why?

[Lohman446]

There is a difference between open carry of a pistol and open carry of an AR. To me one may be tactically suspect in some locations and the other is a political statement. I don't like the ramifications of making armed political statements where being armed is integral to making the statement or the statement itself.

I get open carry sometimes as a matter of convenience. If I am working around the house I am normally armed and openly so. If I run into the "town" 6 miles away (ok its a village with a population under 500) to the hardware store I have no problems carrying my gun openly or just throwing a "half-way" cover over it. There are some technicalities in Michigan open carry laws and concealed carry laws that at one point seemed to indicate you were doing one or the other but I believe those have been cleared up.

[zincwarrior]

I am fine with OC of pistols and long guns in the appropriate environment: hunting, rural, or emergency situation.

I am also fine with the rules in Texas about it being legal for CHLers.

I think its stupid to do though, outside of the above appropriate environment. Whether or not its "tactically" a good idea, it makes you look like a boor and if a situation develops its an intimidation factor that will be used against you.

Additionally with today's current events of mall shootings, etc. wandering around with a long gun in hand has the potential to invite disaster. (OC of holstered pistol less so).

I had a situation last week while walking my dogs with a guy who had his dogs loose that escalated to me drawing my can of mace (which I have for other animals, not people). Had he puffed up with an OC it might have been a VERY different situation. The best scenario would be-when the police came (we have often have PoPo in the park and they just drove over when they saw it)- I would have been all over it about the "intimidation factor." At worst it would have escalated and he would have been dead.

[Reloadron]

Here in Ohio open carry is absolutely legal and permitted. That said I oppose it. I oppose it because it serves no real purpose other than to freak out a bunch of people who haven't a clue it is legal. For example if I strap on a holstered six gun or AR 15 across my back and walk down the street within moments the local police will receive a half dozen calls for man with a gun. The majority from seniors who have n clue what is going on. Even if the police attempt to explain to the 911 caller the police still need to follow up. The police have better things to do with their time as do I. The majority who have carried around here have done so as more of a "because I can" rather than offer up a good reason. I also prefer concealed carry simply because I prefer those around me not know I am armed.

This subject comes up quite often in forums.

Ron

[BarryLee]

From a legal standpoint I am for open carry, but believe in most situations concealed carry makes more sense.

[Don P]

I voted open carry for this reason, and this reason only.
There have been reports that here in FLA. brief accidental exposure has been prosecuted by zealous anti-gun-anti-2nd amendment DA's as brandishing. Yes we have newer legislation passed and is law that is supposed to stop this but some DA's don't care.

[zincwarrior]

Fair point Don. Since OC passed here, even though we have similar laws here about accidental exposure, it is reassuring.

[P5 Guy]

That is preferred, but it should be up to the citizen how they provide for their self protection.

[Dusty Rivers]

Second amendment doesn't say I have to conceal. There are arguments for both open and concealed. Sometimes I do and sometimes I do not.

There are not many people that would try to steal a $2000 German Shepard guard dog, so I doubt my $600 gun is any different. Police and security guards open carry all the time. How many times are their guns stolen off their person? Not many I bet.

[fastbolt]

I prefer not to have a belt holstered weapon on clear display.

It gives away the fact that I'm armed, makes me an obvious potential "first target" in the event of a nasty situation and might become a magnet for someone looking to grab/take possession of a weapon.

I didn't mind it when I was wandering the backwoods (where lawful), but not for daily use in an urban environment.

An openly carried, exposed handgun is more easily targeted and more easily grasped. People who have never had reason to think or worry about real-world weapon retention issues, of an exposed/holstered handgun, issues are lucky.

I rather liked it when I was present somewhere, working as a plainclothes cop, and someone would look me up and down and then ask if I was still carrying a gun (because I wasn't in uniform and my duty weapon was concealed from their casual sight).

I like having even a minor advantage that could be employed in a tactical manner if things became fuzzy.

[849ACSO]

I voted against.

I'm a gun owner's rights guy. I'm also a 22 year LEO.

Open carry in the woods, or around the farm is great. Open carry into your local McDonald's is not so great.

-It creates tension and angst among those that don't want to be around guns.

-It creates tension and angst with folks who are indifferent about guns, but think you have something going on that requires a gun and therefore; feels as though it may effect their safety.

-It creates tension and angst with pro gun folks who have their guns on too, but wonder why you feel the need to show everyone you have a gun.

It's like me taking my 90lb Doberman into McD's with me. There may a person or 2 who wouldn't mind petting her, but those are the "real dog freaks". Most folks there are going to be apprehensive and try to hurry and leave, even though I wouldn't let her hurt any of them..................

When I see someone open carrying, I really want to ask why they feel the need to do that just to see the mentality behind it, but alas, it's their right and I don't want to get mixed up that conversation. Because you can doesn't mean you SHOULD.

[TailGator]

Handguns should be a solution, not a problem. People who display them to provoke reactions in others are causing problems, not solving them. People who open carry without giving thought to retention, in their equipment and training, create a potential for problems. People who carry openly hunting or working outside are keeping their guns available as a solution and not causing problems.

It was interesting to me that a handful of people at the Dallas protest that ended so tragically rushed to police to unburden themselves of their openly carried rifles. Kind of telling in a lot of ways: their intent seems to have been to put on a show, not use them to enhance their own safety or any of the people around them; and they obviously worried about being a target of either the police or the sniper and wanted no part of either.

[FITASC]

I voted open carry for this reason, and this reason only.
There have been reports that here in FLA. brief accidental exposure has been prosecuted by zealous anti-gun-anti-2nd amendment DA's as brandishing. Yes we have newer legislation passed and is law that is supposed to stop this but some DA's don't care.

Where in FL are the DA's going to violate state preemption laws and risk the wrath of Tallahassee - especially in an election year? Accidental exposure as in the wind blowing your shirt or jacket open is not a crime in Florida.

[Pahoo]

Does anyone have any stats about how many people are arrested for brandishing by accidentally having their concealment ride up

If you are not breaking any law, how or why would you track this action? By my measure, I feel that it's the LEO's that support open carry in order to minimize nuisance calls. Regardless of how well you try to conceal, there will always be times when it will accidently be reviewed. For the most part, no one is trying to read you to see if you are carrying. If all went to open carry, then you will folks getting attention. We have a fella in town that open carries a SA .357, in a western holster and by now, every one knows it. He has a favorite local store and our LEOs get calls from folks who don't know this guy. They ask the caller to describe the person and afterwards inform the caller that they are aware of him and he is legal. That's the end of that. .....

Be Safe !!!

[osbornk]

Open carry has always been legal here in the mountains of Virginia. When someone chooses to open carry, nobody pays any attention. I choose not to do it but I want to have that option.

[t45]

NC is an open carry state and I'm good with that. I don't open carry myself because I have a CC permit. Tactically I think your at a disadvantage but that's just me. I do not however support the guy or gal that has an AR slung over his shoulder while standing in line at the grocery store. There are better ways to make a statement.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

It is rare to find a professional trainer that thinks OC is a good idea. Here is a typical analysis by one of the best.

http://www.activeresponsetraining.ne...-of-open-carry

I dread to mention this but one also has to consider your ethnicity, a point I made in a Concealed Carry magazine article. The reaction of folks to you, dependent on this, might lead to a call to the police through implicit bias or from a overtly biased person trying to screw with you.

While I understand the legal nature, pragmatically I see no benefit for most environments. I have only OC'ed when working on a friend's ranch or hunting as a BUG.

I think you are a great negative to OC an EBR. As I said before, when we saw these guys going into Starbucks - my kid used to work in one. If I was visiting her and you stroll in with an AR - I am planning my response if that gun moves in a way that is threatening. Do you want to risk it?

Also, the time it takes to get a slung AR into action is way slower than a quick draw from a handgun. Estimates are a second or two - which is an eternity in a critical incident.

[Old Bill Dibble]

The reaction of folks to you, dependent on this, might lead to a call to the police through implicit bias or from a overtly biased person trying to screw with you.

They will do it too. Down here though the big thing is to try to get the police to hassle opposition team supporters. On game day evening it is not unusual to get DUI calls on vehicle that are decked out with a team logos and flags. Often times the caller will be from an opposition team.

Calling because someone is a different race than yours and in particular color neighborhood is very normal even when the person is doing a perfectly legal activity like walking down the street.

[Moonglum]

I think it's a HELL of a way to start a fight on the Internet .

[Moonglum]

The ATF should be a convenience store instead of a government agency!

Have you ever been to Wal Mart?

[Cheapshooter]

O For open carry
O Against open carry
O Undecided
O X For the right to open carry, but not my personal choice

For the reasons mentioned in numerious previous posts.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Folks who proclaim they OC out in the boonies are really irrelevant.

Please OC on a crowded Urban subway system where you stand front to butt and get back to us.

Cheapshooter has it right.

Yeah, I OC'ed in the middle of TX nothingness. Big whoop.

[Lohman446]

I'm with Mr. Meyer on this one. There is too much of a difference between me casually covering (or not) a holstered revolver or pistol when I run into a village of less than 500 people to go to a hardware store where virtually everyone knows each other generationally (the staff can tell me stories about my grandfather) and someone carrying an AR15 during active protests in Dallas to really consider the two as the same thing.

[stephen426]

Originally Posted by Moonglum

I think it's a HELL of a way to start a fight on the Internet

Moonglum, the responses have all been very respectful so far and people have backed up their reasons for their position on OC vs. CC. Thank you to everyone for keeping it civil!

It seems that quite a few people who support it rarely do it themselves and only in rural environments. This brings up an interesting point that I pointed out in another thread. There have been reports of cartel soldiers guarding trafficking routes in border towns. If you are carrying a hunting weapon, you won't look like much of a threat. If you are hiking and open carrying a weapon, you may be mistake as the authorities, especially if you are wearing "tactic-cool" gear. The 4 legged critters most likely aren't impressed with what you are packing. LOL

[Lee6113]

Like everyone else, I support open carry. Around the house I'll wear my XD or S&W model 10 OWB, and occasionally Ill go out of the house and still open carry, though it's on rare occasions. One time we were expecting to stay home but wife and daughter wanted to get milkshakes, so I figured we'd just go through the drive through and thus did not switch guns. After that, though, they wanted to go to the park, so we did. Other times it's just going on quick errands, and if it's warm out I won't bother throwing a coat on over my OWB carry.

What I've noticed is when I'm open carrying I do not like being stationary. I move constantly whether it's going through the store and then quickly through self checkout, or just walking down the road.

I much prefer concealed carry and highly recommend it over open carrying.


Lee

[Reloadron]

Uh Oh, thinking about my post #28 I have opened carried in West Virginia. I carried a rifle and those I was with just called it hunting.

Ron