The weirdness of open carry

[Jmac00]

So we're at a National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona, went 4-wheel'n to a trailhead and we took Einstein for a hike, we ran into a few other hikers and I had my glock open carry on my hip. We talked to them for about 15 minutes, not one person said a thing, no one even cared. This freedom is freak'n awesome.

 

[GOPerfect]

Went to Tennessee on vacation last year and saw a decent amount. Was nice to see this. No one cared at all. I would go into stores and not even a look. This is what normal is.

 

[Tisto]

I would go the other way with it. I would stare at the waisteband of the people you meet that aren't packing heat, and when they finally ask why I'm staring at them I would gush about them being unprepared to encounter hungry mountain lions, big huge bears, rapists, paedophiles, weirdos and alien beings that want to implant anal probes. Then I would shake my head and walk away making sure I mumbled just loud enough for them to hear, something about them being the newest faces on the "missing hikers" bulletin board at the ranger station.

 

[Drinkthekoolaid]

When I'm in states that allow open carry I like to peek just for curiosity. I like to see what people are carrying and if they look like ass clowns or if they look squared away.

Example, last summer in SC I saw a guy riding a motorcycle and was open carrying. It looked to be a Taurus G2 or g3 I wasn't really sure. The odd part is I think he was using and IWB holster as an OWB Because it was all reversed and backwards. Picture if you carry IWB right hand at 3oclock, now keep the same holster in the same spot but flip it around on the outside of the belt. Now the grip of the gun is facing forward. That's what this guy was doing. I had about 1 second to process all this driving on the road and it Caught my attention.

Seeing a guy carrying at the store who looks like he's responsible and knows what he's doing, after I peek at what his gun choice is I don't give a second look.

My favorite is realizing how oblivious people are. I will notice people open carrying them when we get in the car I'll make s comment something like "Tennessee is great, love seeing people open carry" and my wife or kids reply "what do you mean, or who". So if they aren't even noticing I doubt many people even really pay attention

 

[TEOTWAWKI inc.]

I'm in America now. The gun store had an M249 on the counter. Not sure how you could even conceal that.



Open carry doesn't seem as prevalent as I was expecting, but you do see it, and nobody cares.

Tennessee is awesome.

 

[masterswimmer]

Example, last summer in SC I saw a guy riding a motorcycle and was open carrying. It looked to be a Taurus G2 or g3 I wasn't really sure. The odd part is I think he was using and IWB holster as an OWB Because it was all reversed and backwards. Picture if you carry IWB right hand at 3oclock, now keep the same holster in the same spot but flip it around on the outside of the belt. Now the grip of the gun is facing forward. That's what this guy was doing. I had about 1 second to process all this driving on the road and it Caught my attention.

Cross draw for a lefty?

 

[CaseHardened]

I Ankle-Carry.

Very easy to access while driving - Road Rage is my most likely scenario.

I stop at Stop Signs and Red Lights.

And rarely exceed 20MPH over posted.

Pisses folk off.

 

[VietnamEraVet]

Open carry is legal down here. I don’t see too many people carrying out on the street or while shopping, but I do see a fair number of people working in businesses who are carrying openly.

One that caught my attention a few years ago was a mechanic in a tire shop. And so I asked him why he open carries. He was very open about it. Said that he has run into more than his share of asshole customers who gave him shit or hassled him. He said that since he began carrying openly, all of those people went away.

 

[dsdmmat]

Cross draw for a lefty?

Most likely a cross draw so the hand does not have to come off the throttle.

 

[Saltwater60]

Ive been in to Idaho a few times and it’s a constitutional carry state but I have never seen anyone open carry there. I even drove to a few more rural parts once or twice and nothing. I went out to dinner with a colleague that used to work with me in Buffalo and I asked her and her husband about it and they said every once in a while in the more cowboy towns you’ll see it but it’s pretty rare.

 

[Vapor]

I've only seen it done in Indiana. Didn't bother me at all.

 

[Drinkthekoolaid]

Cross draw for a lefty?

It was at like his 4 or 5 o'clock position. Would be near impossible to reach. It just did not look right at all lol

 

[Pale Rider]

I used to see open carry all the time in Viet Nam. It was a very comforting sight.

 

[masterswimmer]

Picture if you carry IWB right hand at 3oclock, now keep the same holster in the same spot but flip it around on the outside of the belt. Now the grip of the gun is facing forward. That's what this guy was doing. I had about 1 second to process all this driving on the road and it Caught my attention.

It was at like his 4 or 5 o'clock position. Would be near impossible to reach. It just did not look right at all lol

So which carry position was it?

 

[phatfarmerbob]

I was stuck in traffic once on the Newburgh beacon bridge, a guy on a Harley next to me was open carrying had a biker jacket and all. I don’t recall if it was a NY plate to not but very visible sidearm.

 

[dsdmmat]

I open carried all the time in AZ of course back then they didn’t have a concealed carry permit. I open carry around here ever now and then. Not a big deal I would say I encounter more open carry people at the gun store than anywhere else.

 

[JonStoh]

Open Carry is stupid. It lets the criminals know who has a gun and who does not.

 

[spat]

Open Carry is stupid. It lets the criminals know who has a gun and who does not.

Tactically it is not as advantageous as concealed. Not many people who would dispute that.

But it does make a political statement that has significant value.

Normalizing it is a good thing.

Places where it is already normalized, there is value in keeping it that way.

 

[JonStoh]

Tactically it is not as advantageous as concealed. Not many people who would dispute that.

But it does make a political statement that has significant value.

Normalizing it is a good thing.

Places where it is already normalized, there is value in keeping it that way.

I fully support the right of law abiding, trained & law aware Americans to protect themselves with handguns concealed carried. However I see open carry as a form of virtue signaling. Dick waiving. And like I said it puts those who are not carrying openly in danger of being targeted by criminals.

 

[Drinkthekoolaid]

I fully support the right of law abiding, trained & law aware Americans to protect themselves with handguns concealed carried. However I see open carry as a form of virtue signaling. Dick waiving. And like I said it puts those who are not carrying openly in danger of being targeted by criminals.

Well that's your opinion and it's their decision.

I'm sure the people open carrying are aware they stand out. I'm sure they are aware that they know, that criminals know they have a gun and are the likely first target.

I'm sure they know they are probably making a political statement.

That's the point.

It's not for everyone but let people have the freedom to do so. Normalize regular citizens having guns and being seen going about their daily routine and errands.

 

[Tisto]

Open Carry is stupid. It lets the criminals know who has a gun and who does not.

Open carry IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS is not only perfectly acceptable, it is also advantageous.

In the setting of the OP - hiking a trail, I think open carry is both perfectly acceptable and smart. On the trail of a giant park where the threat of a mountain lion or venomous snake is very real, the easy accessibility of a defensive weapon would be highly advantageous.

Walking around at a festival or in your local grocery store ? No, concealed is a much better option in my opinion. But to say that open carry is stupid and nothing more than dick waving is just obtuse.

 

[pshift]

Open or concealed. IWB, Appendix, or OWB. 9mm or 45 ACP. It's an individual choice and it should be left up to responsible individuals as such.

 

[JonStoh]

Open carry IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS is not only perfectly acceptable, it is also advantageous.

In the setting of the OP - hiking a trail, I think open carry is both perfectly acceptable and smart. On the trail of a giant park where the threat of a mountain lion or venomous snake is very real, the easy accessibility of a defensive weapon would be highly advantageous.

Walking around at a festival or in your local grocery store ? No, concealed is a much better option in my opinion. But to say that open carry is stupid and nothing more than dick waving is just obtuse.

I disagree. We do not live in the wild west. We do not live in a war zone. I don't think open carry is appropriate unless you're in the woods or in the desert completely by yourself.

I think we want to at least attempt to give the image that we are civilized people. I don't believe that open carry in a city or suburban area works with that idea. I have no problem with open carry being illegal. At least in densely populated areas.

This will be my final comment on this topic.

 

[spat]

I disagree. We do not live in the wild west. We do not live in a war zone. I don't think open carry is appropriate unless you're in the woods or in the desert completely by yourself.

I think we want to at least attempt to give the image that we are civilized people. I don't believe that open carry in a city or suburban area works with that idea. I have no problem with open carry being illegal. At least in densely populated areas.

This will be my final comment on this topic.

Your prejudice is exposed by your suggestion that open carry is a sign of an uncivilized people.

Why would you think that a society where open carry is common and accepted is not civilized ?

Your misconception that open carry was common in the wild west or a war zone also demonstrates your lack of understanding of the nature of an armed society.

It is a foremost a political statement, and secondarily a fashion statement. While I do not regularly open carry myself I wholeheartedly support those who do, in almost any environment.

If it were up to me it would be as common as wearing pants, and accepted in all the same places.

 

[JonStoh]

Your prejudice is exposed by your suggestion that open carry is a sign of an uncivilized people.

Why would you think that a society where open carry is common and accepted is not civilized ?

Your misconception that open carry was common in the wild west or a war zone also demonstrates your lack of understanding of the nature of an armed society.

It is a foremost a political statement, and secondarily a fashion statement. While I do not regularly open carry myself I wholeheartedly support those who do, in almost any environment.

If it were up to me it would be as common as wearing pants, and accepted in all the same places.

Fashion statement???

Huh..

 

[spat]

Fashion statement???

Huh..

You've never heard of a Barbeque gun ?

The whole point of them is to be a fashion statement.

Urban Dictionary: BBQ Gun

BBQ Gun: An old term from [the Southwest] that refers to a gun that is not worn daily. It won't have the scratches, wear marks, etc a daily wear gun would...

www.urbandictionary.com

Come Get Your Fill of Some Beautiful BBQ Guns :: Guns.com

Originally a term for one's "Sunday best" sidearm worn to social events in the Old West, the BBQ gun is something special.

www.guns.com

 

[Tisto]

When I owned a deli and was in the kitchen making sandwiches with a pistol on my hip, was I uncivilized ? It was MY place of business. It was in an area that crime happened. It was not only a deterrent to the thugs that would attempt to rob us, it was a tactical advantage in defense. Many thousands of people saw a black leather holster with a gun in it on my hip. Very, very few of them found it offensive, for if they had, they would not have come back the next day. Near half of my employees carried a gun. I wanted them to carry. Open carry inside the store was absolutely acceptable in my eyes. On a delivery, they would need to conceal it, but that is a very different setting.

The original post was about being on a hiking trail out west, in a remote part of a huge national park. Running into a mugger out there is probably not high on the list of probabilities, but it is certainly a possibility, as is running into a mountain lion or a Diamondback.

Open carry can be perfectly acceptable. It may or may not be the best tactical choice, but that is and should be an indevidual decision.

 

[Jchrisls]

You've never heard of a Barbeque gun ?

The whole point of them is to be a fashion statement.

Urban Dictionary: BBQ Gun

BBQ Gun: An old term from [the Southwest] that refers to a gun that is not worn daily. It won't have the scratches, wear marks, etc a daily wear gun would...

www.urbandictionary.com

Come Get Your Fill of Some Beautiful BBQ Guns :: Guns.com

Originally a term for one's "Sunday best" sidearm worn to social events in the Old West, the BBQ gun is something special.

www.guns.com

Also called a church gun.....or your best looking gun

 

[OwnTheRide]

I support OC for three primary reasons: political, tactical, comfort.

Political
OC is great for normalizing firearms, and an excellent means of countering anti-gun rhetoric that you really have no other way to do.

What I mean by that is things like this: gun grabbers teach their kids that guns are evil, that they jump out of holsters and kill children and are carried by criminals. But that clashes with reality when the same kid goes out in the world and sees a law-abiding carrier with a gun on his hip, that doesn't jump out and start shooting people. In fact, it doesn't do much of anything. There's nothing better than real-world examples to counter the false narrative gun grabbers tell themselves and their children.

As for normalizing firearms... vehicles kill and injure more people than guns, but very few people run and hide any time they see a car. Why? Because their appearance has been normalized. We see cars everywhere, and 99.9999% of the time we see them, they are causing no harm. There is value in doing the same for guns. Guns, like cars and hammers, are just tools. They should be viewed as such. The more normalized guns in public become, the fewer "OMG MAN WITH A GUN" calls the police will get.

Tactical
Don't get me wrong, I'm not arguing that there isn't an advantage in the bad guys not knowing you're armed. That's a significant tactical advantage. But let's be clear, it's a trade-off. What do I mean? We all know that criminals prefer soft targets. They will prefer to attack a little old lady as opposed to a 6'5" bodybuilder. Similarly, if a criminal is about to, say, rob a convenience store but he notices the gun on your hip first, he will go find some other convenience store to rob. The best way to win a gunfight is to not be in one. An openly carried pistol is a significant crime deterrent.

Some who oppose OC will say that your gun will just make you the target. I can't completely deny that - there has been one reported case of a criminal trying to take an OCer's weapon that I've found. But that ought to tell you something - it's incredibly rare. Again, criminals prefer soft targets. Furthermore, this highly unlikely scenario is easily countered by using a retention holster. Many OC proponents recommend level 3 retention.

One final point regarding tactical: there's a reason police OC: because their weapon is more accessible, and significantly less likely to get tangled in a shirt when it is needed.

Again, don't get me wrong, the element of surprise that CC offers is nothing to scoff at. But it is a tradeoff: compared to OC, your weapon is less accessible, and it is not able to work as a deterrent at all.

Comfort
This one is probably self-evident. OC makes OWB carry a whole lot more viable, and for many, myself included, OWB carry is much more comfortable.

 

[dsdmmat]

Open carry also let’s the cops know they are not the only ones armed.

lol