Concealed carry or open carry, what is your preference?

[dburkhead]

so which is it? i believe you're saying it can't be determined either way despite the extensive research on both ends (but you're using way more words). i also think you are an open carry proponent, which is fine, but i won't try to argue my point to you citing people and books, etc.

you might be right, maybe visible guns do deter crime. i still refuse to hang my pistol out for everyone to see when i am in marsh getting a gallon of milk or at hooters eating some wings.

Actually, what I'm saying is that while there isn't conclusive "proof", what evidence does exist all leans one way.

On the one hand, we've got two cases--ever--cited (Ayoob's) where maybe someone was targeted first because they were openly armed. On the other, we have from several tens of thousands to more than 2 million instances annually of cases where the bad guy was dissuaded from committing a crime when he became aware that a victim or 3rd party was armed.

The specific case--OC "crimes avoided" vs. OC specially targeted, has not been studied. (Frankly, it would be a difficult and expensive study to set up, particulary if one is looking for anything close to a definitive "answer.") But a lot of related things all point in one direction, suggesting what the results of such a study would likely be.

 

[s346k]

haha ok. what i'm seeing is this:

guys shot first for open carry - 2
crimes not committed due to open carry - ......but evidence and research show...

just clarifying

 

[dburkhead]

haha ok. what i'm seeing is this:

guys shot first for open carry - 2
crimes not committed due to open carry - ......but evidence and research show...

just clarifying

guys shot first for open carry - 2 (maybe--the cases mentioned are questionable).
crimes not committed due to open carry - ...but evidence and research shows...
crimes stopped when BG learned that someone was armed >> 10,000, probably >> 100,000 Could be > 2,000,000 (the above depending on which studies one chooses to give the most credence to). Oh, and if there's any question ">>" means "much greater than"

Since open carry avoids the necessary middle step of having to make the bad guy aware that someone is armed....

 

[SavageEagle]

 

[jsgolfman]

This is fun.

 

[ATM]

I just have to figure out who to listen to:

The law abiding licensed CCers who claim that it is logical to shoot me first for OCing and that the element of hidden surprise would benefit me in some way as the defender.

or

The majority of criminals who, when asked, admit that they avoid armed citizens and tend to look for the easiest victims and situations.

Hmm.... gotta go with the professionals on this one... OC.

 

[dburkhead]

I just have to figure out who to listen to:

The law abiding licensed CCers who claim that it is logical to shoot me first for OCing and that the element of hidden surprise would benefit me in some way as the defender.

or

The majority of criminals who, when asked, admit that they avoid armed citizens and tend to look for the easiest victims and situations.

Hmm.... gotta go with the professionals on this one... OC.

QFT, and I have to "share the love" before I can rep it. So sorry.

 

[Blue Tile Spook]

David at 21st Century Firearms recognized me standing in the cashiering line today and ridiculed** me for daring to open carry!

**Actually, he yelled in a falsetto voice, "He's got a gun! He's got a gun! I'm so scared!" No one in the line or any of his employees batted an eye or paid much attention. (sniffle)

 

[SavageEagle]

QFT, and I have to "share the love" before I can rep it. So sorry.

I gotta quit repping you people for your excellent posts...

EDIT: BTS, That's some funny stuff!

 

[Smitty506th]

There is a time and a place for everything. You can always reveal but it's sometimes harder to "re-conceal".

 

[agentl074]

David at 21st Century Firearms recognized me standing in the cashiering line today and ridiculed** me for daring to open carry!

**Actually, he yelled in a falsetto voice, "He's got a gun! He's got a gun! I'm so scared!" No one in the line or any of his employees batted an eye or paid much attention. (sniffle)

 

[Soundslikejosh]

There is a time and a place for everything. You can always reveal but it's sometimes harder to "re-conceal".

Spot on Smitty! There is a time and place for everything. Once a criminal has decided to act because he sees an easy target, its too late to let him know otherwise. At this point you will have to act to save your life. Sadly, despite how it plays out in our heads, you might easily be shot and killed before you get the drop on him.

And to think, you could have prepared and been OCing at the time. Instead, you waiting until it was too late to do anything. Ladies and gentlemen, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

I consider criminal acts to be representative of a person's overall behavior, not simply an individual act. You might CC and then decide to OC when you feel fishy. All well and good, but this only works when you notice it, and further it only prevents that one act. If gun owners regularly OCed, we would be preventing negative behavior, instead of just one negative act.

 

[indyjoe]

Spot on Smitty! There is a time and place for everything. Once a criminal has decided to act because he sees an easy target, its too late to let him know otherwise. At this point you will have to act to save your life. Sadly, despite how it plays out in our heads, you might easily be shot and killed before you get the drop on him.

+1

Does anyone recall the situation where a robbery was stopped because of an OC situation and the same robbery went down the street and hit another place? I remember reading it, but don't remember exactly where. I personally believe it does happen often. Even if it is just Police Detectives that are not in uniform, but are openly carrying. At first glance, without seeing a shield, it would be no different from a nicely dressed civilian openly carrying.

 

[agentl074]

Deterrance theory 201

One concept of open carry is that it can be a deterrence factor if several people are doing it Look at it as 20 armed guards v. 20 civilians! My personal preference is concealed carry - however, that is due to the fact that I dont see too many others around me OC'ing....

 

[dburkhead]

One concept of open carry is that it can be a deterrence factor if several people are doing it Look at it as 20 armed guards v. 20 civilians! My personal preference is concealed carry - however, that is due to the fact that I dont see too many others around me OC'ing....

Maybe they would if they saw you open carrying.

 

[NateIU10]

Maybe they would if they saw you open carrying.

Yup. Of all the time I've spent in Bloomington OCing and CCing, I've only seen 4 other people OCing, and 3 of those were members here lol.

 

[SavageEagle]

Agent: So if more people would OC you would too?

If so that just confirms my suspicions on why most people dont.

 

[agentl074]

Agent: So if more people would OC you would too?

If so that just confirms my suspicions on why most people dont.

Yup! Well I guess thats why we have been starting OC events - right on

 

[rhino]

I'm a little rusty on the IC, but how do they get around the legal issues on school property? ESPECIALLY at a basketball game that is unrelated in all ways???

When the scum who pushed the law through in 1994, including the idiots who knew better and were asleep at the wheel, I doubt if they knew or could even conceive that a high school might have an active rifle range. They are rare now (I know of only two), but it does raise a bit of a question.

Of course, this is yet another reason why the law must be fixed and why it should be our #1 legislative priority.

 

[JByer323]

Little bit 'o column A, Little bit 'o column B.

I always carry OWB. Sometimes I kinda sorta throw a shirt on over it, or am wearing a jacket that covers it. Most of the time though, I'm really not too worried about this concealed nonsense.