Open Carry at Cabelas in Hammond

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  • cce1302

    Master
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    Jun 26, 2008
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    Back down south
    -First, I'd like to thank Turnandshoot4 for helping me decide to OC when I went to Cabela's this morning. I might have OC'd anyway, but his thread from a couple weeks ago confirmed it in my mind.


    I was there for about an hour and a half this morning in jeans and a sweater, OCing my XD40 service in a Fobus. I exchanged pleasantries with several other customers, talked with a few employees, and otherwise made my way around the entire store. This occasion was identical to every day, whether I'm OC or CC. Nobody said anything, looked at me funny, hid their children's faces, or screamed "OMGWTFSHTFBBQMANWITHAGUN!" despite all the conjecture here that it is sure to happen.

    I guess maybe it isn't whether a practice is common or not that makes it right or wrong. Maybe nobody noticed. Maybe they thought, "hey, that guy is exercising his constitutional RTKBA. Good for him." Maybe they thought I looked like a cop. Who knows.

    Last I heard, there was only about one gun per 12 people in the United States, with most of those who own one, owning multiple. That means maybe 1 out of every 20 or 30 or 40 actually own guns, making us a severe minority. If we are ashamed that we own guns, and keep them hidden all the time, many sheeple (as has been evidenced here by stories of questions like "why do you own/carry a gun? only criminals have guns. guns are bad.") think that only criminals have guns and that they can only be used for bad things. The more we, the responsible gun owners are seen carrying, and are asked, "why do you carry?" the more informed the people will be.

    If you want us gun owners to be looked at as a fringe group and as criminals, then keep hiding your guns and discouraging others from carrying openly. As long as we do that, OC will be rare, and people will freak out (so you say) when they see a gun and want them outlawed. but if they see guys (and girls) like us, walking around with our families, with our kids, they might say to themselves, "hey, that guy's just like me." or "hey, those kids are cute and well behaved. Oh, their dad's carrying an XD. Pretty cool."
     

    Scutter01

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    Mar 21, 2008
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    Pretty nerve-wracking to OC, isn't it? :)

    I OC whenever I feel I can "get away with it"*, but not for the reasons you mentioned. For me, it's entirely about comfort and ease-of-access. There is a small deterrent factor in there as well as I believe it makes you less of a target. I don't buy the argument that it makes you the first target.


    *By "get away with it", I mean not scaring the soccer moms or causing a ruckus. I'm not interested in making a statement, and I'm not interested in having three hours of my time wasted by a MWG call that goes south.
     

    cce1302

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    Jun 26, 2008
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    Back down south
    Pretty nerve-wracking to OC, isn't it? :)
    Yeah, it was the first couple times, but I always think, "How would I look at someone else if they were carrying?" When I realize that I'd pretty much look and say to myself, "Oh, that's a gun on his hip. It's a revolver. Looks like stainless. I wonder if it's a .357? Oh, that's about a 4" barrel. Hmmm...I wonder if he'd like to go to the range some time." and about that time I'm pretty relaxed about it. I also practice OCing around the house, mowing the lawn, walking out to the road to get the mail, etc., so it's pretty natural.
     

    Jubbie

    Sharpshooter
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    Oct 17, 2008
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    Northwest Indiana (slacker)
    The more you OC, the more relaxed you get about it. The more relaxed you are, the less amount of people are going to notice you carrying. If you are acting too nervous and twitchy, that's when there is a better chance of AMWAG call. The first couple times I OC'd I went out with a buddy, just so I got the feel of OC'ing. Now it's no big deal. I'm still more aware of my surroundings, but I'm more fluid about it, which probably keeps anyone looking at me calm.
     

    NWI40cal

    Sharpshooter
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    May 20, 2008
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    Hammond
    Actually Turnandshoot, DarkLight, and I went into Cabela's today after our OC lunch, (which went AWESOME!) and were, I suppose you could say chased us down (I didn't hear the lady) to ask us to check in our carry pieces.

    Me: "Excuse me?"
    Her: "I'd like you to come back to the front with me so you boys can check in your firearms."
    Me: "I believe I do not, as this is for my personal defense, I have been through this before"
    Her: "Well we need you to check them in so we can make sure they are unloaded"
    Me: "Unloaded? It's for my personal defense, of course it's loaded."

    At which point she catches one of the gun counter guys, which we suspect may have been the culprit in the Turnandshoot story. She asks him about our carrying, and he come up and says

    "Yes we need you to check it in, or conceal it.
    Me: I have spoken to your store manager, and I've been told it's okay.
    Him: "Who did you speak with?
    Me: " I said your store manager."
    Him: "And what did he say?"
    When Turnandshoot steps in and says "on a corporate level you follow state laws which does not specify how we carry"
    Him (guy): Well as long as he says it's okay, but if you unholster it we will have to ask you to leave.

    Us: That's fine.

    So you still may have an issue anytime you go. I'm sure thats not one of the first things they teach new employees, ya know?

    Keep it up!
     

    Scutter01

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    Mar 21, 2008
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    My mind continues to boggle that they still do not seem to get it. We're constantly hearing these stories about Cabela's and yet their employees continue to be morons.
     

    cce1302

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    Jun 26, 2008
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    Back down south
    Next meeting we should all show up at cabelas and walk in at 1-minute intervals, open carrying. It'd be most effective if there were about 400 of us, but it'd take a long time to get us all in there.
     

    cce1302

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    Jun 26, 2008
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    Back down south
    Here are some kids that seemed underwhelmed by seeing a handgun on my hip. Of course, they're my kids, and they see me all the time. Ok, I'm just showing off my kids.

    $699-child not included (Brandon, 3 and a half):

    1-03-09037.jpg


    Allison, 7 months:

    1-03-09065.jpg


    Jake (2) and Allison:

    1-03-09067.jpg


    Just a cool picture of Jake. Ever see a 2 year old this strong?

    1-03-09075.jpg


    Daddy's got a gun!

    1-03-09081.jpg
     

    NWI40cal

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    May 20, 2008
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    Hammond
    The question is not if they have room, the question is if they have 400+ trigger locks. I am also sure it would look a LOT more threatening with a lot of people actually carrying a gun in thier hand, rather than the holster where it belongs. :n00b:
     

    Prometheus

    Master
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    Jan 20, 2008
    4,462
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    Northern Indiana
    My mind continues to boggle that they still do not seem to get it. We're constantly hearing these stories about Cabela's and yet their employees continue to be morons.

    It is strange. Someone OC'ed on their this AM w/o issue. TurnandShoot and NW40cal get hassled and a few minutes after that my wife and I walk in (both oc'ing) and no one says a word.

    In any event, OC is fine. I made Brian (floor manager) call corporate while I watched him back in Nov of 2007 when they opened. All managers at Cabelas are aware OC is OK. Most employees do as well.

    Funny thing is, the only time I've ever had a problem with OC has been at Cabelas from a overzealous greeter. I OC everywhere. Malls, grocery stores, restaruants, big box stores. Never had a single issue anywhere else, lol.

    Cabelas should really do a better job educating new greeters IMO.
     

    rhino

    Grandmaster
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    24   0   0
    Mar 18, 2008
    30,906
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    Indiana
    I was with you guys in spirit. I carried openly in Hamilton County today. First in Cicero. In a bar. Heh. Then at the Gas America at the intersection of US31 and 256th St.

    I also had the best elk burger I've ever had at that bar in Cicero.
     

    esrice

    Certified Regular Guy
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    Jan 16, 2008
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    Indy
    Thanks to the guys that decided to OC in the store and then post their experience here. It helps the rest of us visualize what its like.

    A couple of questions/suggestions:

    1. I'm really not trying to be judgemental, but I am curious as to your attire and holster/gun setup. The hassle-free guys and those who were harassed.

    2. I thought I remembered somewhere a letter floating around the net that explained their policy on OC. Maybe next time having a copy of this in hand "just in case" might be a good idea.

    3. Were the employees at least polite about their inquiry? Or did they show any bad attitude?

    Thanks again!
     

    jallford

    Plinker
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    Jan 1, 2009
    3
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    I had a friend OC in a Cracker Barrel and he had the cops called on him.It was no big deal since not only did he have a permit, but he is also a cop.It just shows how some people react to a gun in public.
     

    NWI40cal

    Sharpshooter
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    0   0   0
    May 20, 2008
    628
    16
    Hammond
    Thanks to the guys that decided to OC in the store and then post their experience here. It helps the rest of us visualize what its like.

    A couple of questions/suggestions:

    1. I'm really not trying to be judgemental, but I am curious as to your attire and holster/gun setup. The hassle-free guys and those who were harassed.

    2. I thought I remembered somewhere a letter floating around the net that explained their policy on OC. Maybe next time having a copy of this in hand "just in case" might be a good idea.

    3. Were the employees at least polite about their inquiry? Or did they show any bad attitude?

    Thanks again!

    1. The attire was respectible, I was wearing blue jeans with a long sleeve shirt, untucked, because the other 3 I had tucked in already made me look a little puffy. Turnandshoot was wearing about the same, blue jeans with a long sleeve, white, long john material shirt, and DarkLight is the first in the pic on the right. It's not like we looked like some Bangers (and I know you weren't implying that). Holsters ( I can't call it for Turnandshoot), but mine was an XD in a Blackhawk serpa, mounted at approx. 3:30 to 4, and Turn's was dead at 3, with a bitchin' sig X-5.

    2. Yes, it would be a good idea to have....

    3. The greeter that tracked us down was VERY polite, as were we, and the gun counter fella was a little less nice, and a little less than that when we made our point.

    From what Prometheus said, they were talking about some OCers when he walked past them... Probably us, as it happened less than 5 minutes before he got there.
     
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    NWI40cal

    Sharpshooter
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    0   0   0
    May 20, 2008
    628
    16
    Hammond
    I had a friend OC in a Cracker Barrel and he had the cops called on him.It was no big deal since not only did he have a permit, but he is also a cop.It just shows how some people react to a gun in public.


    I KNOW WHERE MARCH'S OC EVENT IS GONNA BE AT!!!
     
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