The Open Carry Argument

[jeremy]

I'm getting there...

you need to work harder then young padawan. Both ATM and I are over the 12K mark...

 

[blamecharles]

Gotta love when someone uses their 1st ammendment right to try to rake away my 2nd ammendment right. Let's just have a range day with that one day, I will use my guns and Jake can yell at the targets, hell we will use a dueling tree and see who wins that one.

 

[ATM]

NO YELLING AT THE TARGETS, that would be too much like open carrying your right to free speech.




whisper

 

[blamecharles]

NO YELLING AT THE TARGETS, that would be too much like open carrying your right to free speech.




whisper

Yea i erased part of my comment that had to do with OC/CC of 1st amendment.

On a side note: Even the Easter Bunnies OC.

 

[jeremy]

On a side note: Even the Easter Bunnies OC.

And it looks like they roll out pretty heavy...

 

[blamecharles]

And it looks like they roll out pretty heavy...

Lots of 5 year olds looking for them.

 

[You'll shoot your eye out]

school me on open carry

I occasionally see someone strapped like marshal Dillon and I don't mind it a bit. I am not intimidated or insulted. Unfortunately the general public is different. when I am behind the oc guy at the gas station I will see children backing against the shelves with their eyes wide, women scurrying to the exits and grown men breaking down and crying. It is ridiculous, but people can be ridiculous. This is why I don't open carry. I understand that I CAN open carry just like I CAN wear a speedo at the pool. I wouldn't do that either, its just compassion for the average citizen. Will you guys who do oc please explain why? Is it a social/political statement? is it an act of contempt for the public? is it simply because your favorite gun is just so damn big? Don't misunderstand me, I am not degrading or judging open carry. I just want to understand what the benefits are when the liabilities are so obvious. I read here about people getting thrown out of stores, their friends berating them and police treating them like gangsters. Ok, so what is the up-side?

 

[henktermaat]

I never see anyone OCing, except for myself, in window reflections I pass by.

 

[vesan87]

I usually conceal carry but when I OC I don't care what other people think. It's more comfortable for me and I like it. That's all that matters! If it scares someone ohh well I'm not doing anything wrong! I see alot of people driving that scares the hell out of me!

 

[Westside]

I picked a comfortable holster and use it. Depending on what I am wearing the gun may or may not be concealed. It's about comfort.

 

[You'll shoot your eye out]

I recognize your sarcasm henktermaat, so funny!

 

[henktermaat]

I recognize your sarcasm henktermaat, so funny!

Well, not all sarcasm - I actually WISH I would see other people OC. I feel like the only one sometimes.

 

[You'll shoot your eye out]

henktermaat, I do feel very comfortable when everybody is packing heat, like a feeling of safety. We are the minority however. Joe public hates it

 

[VERT]

henktermaat, I do feel very comfortable when everybody is packing heat, like a feeling of safety. We are the minority however. Joe public hates it

I think Joe public is too self absorbed in their daily lives to care much. Little kids notice guns because they happen to be the right height to see them. I CC myself but could care less if others OC. I am not hiding my guns from others for their comfort I am securing it for mine. I should say my version of CC is casual and a person can see it if they look.

 

[Classic Liberal]

If I saw a handgun tucked under someone's arm, I'd call the cops, as they would surely be up to no good.

 

[fullmetaljesus]

I OC sometimes, and when it do CC its typically a very lazy cc 1911 on my hip, pull my shirt over it, if my shirt comes up or gun pops out, I typically don't care. I OC and CC with the mind set of "I do what I want" I don't particularly care what people around me think. its not my problem.

 

[Glock]

A few days ago the neighbor kid was watching me work on my truck when he saw my Glock 23 on my side. He asked me what it was and I said "my side arm" and that was it. I doubt he has ever seen a real handgun before outside of video games. A few days later he showed my his 1911 style air-soft gun and I taught him some trigger safety lol.

 

[Hammerhead]

OP, I OC 95% of the time. I have never had anything but positive disucssions with the public. As far as police encounters, the only time I've ever had a LEO say anything, they asked me to cover at a local festival and I declined. They tried to say that they'll probably get MWAG calls and I said ok and went about my business. They didn't press any further, and there were no further interactions.

I'm sure there are more negative interactions happening on a regular basis, but I'm not a party to them and haven't been since I began carrying.

 

[You'll shoot your eye out]

I am like vert. I keep a ruger .357 sp101 in my front pocket. If people dont know then it's because they don't care. (is that a magnum or are you just glad to see me?)

 

[TruxLupus]

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...lf_defense/71996-the_open_carry_argument.html

Everything you need to know.

For me, a small part of the reason I don't make any specific effort to CC is BECAUSE people are uncomfortable with OC. I *want* the general public to become more familiar with seeing people openly carrying performing every day tasks so that it becomes more normal.

The more people see this the less irrational fear there will be.

We see news articles all the time "gunman slaughters eight co-workers" - and that's what people association anyone wearing a gun with. How about..."gunman buys a loaf of bread" or "gunman orders number 8 special large" or "gunman browses local wal-mart for new shirt."

That said I've only ever gotten a few wayward glances and 95% of the time people speak to me at the same frequency I would be spoken to otherwise - i.e., it doesn't seem people avoid me at all just because I have a gun on my hip.