Open Carry Mindset

[VT1032]

If they truly wanted to :educate" people, concealed carry would be far better.

If the first thing someone learns about you is that you carry a gun, anything else they see or learn will be colored by what the think they know about the fact that you carry a gun. Any chance to educate is lost.

If they get to know you first, and come to see you as a reasonable, sensible, knowledgeable person, and then, after you decide that you can trust them with this knowledge, they learn that you carry a gun, you now have the chance to educate them.

The best "educational" method I've found to make anti-gunners see the light is to invite them to the range. I shot scholastic steel challenge and uspsa on the college shooting club at one of the most liberal colleges in the US. To say that there were numerous "educational opportunities" is an understatement.

In classes and on campus, myself and many other members, when we encountered people with anti-gun views would always invite them to our new shooters clinics. I would provide the guns ammo and equipment if they would go into it with an open mind.

Many would refuse outright, but of the ones that didn't, a whole bunch of them ended up not only changing their views, but joining the club... We went from a small club with 10-15 members my freshman year to close to 100 when I left and has only continued to grow.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[Cypher]

I'm conflicted about this issue. I think open carry is dumb but I also think that you should have the right to make your own decision in the matter. Of course I respect the right of any property owner to ban the practice on their property.

Having said that, if I was in the store visiting my daughter and those YoYos walked in I'd probably take my daughter and leave whether she was on the clock or not.

I'm not sure what I'd do if the skinny one unslung his weapon because I'm looking at it through 20/20 hindsight and the reality is he didn't do anything. Hopefully I'd be gone before it got that far. I don't think I'd say anything because what if I did and it just escalates things? I guess the line would be if he started to bring the gun up into a firing position.

[Yung]

Growing up in Arizona, I remember seeing my father visibly seethe two or three times in restaurants seeing someone open carry. However, conservative as he was, he did not care for hunting nor did he care for anything above a knife and unarmed skills as socially acceptable for self-defense.

I don't remember feeling any sort of alarm or discomfort as a child. One blind spot that television and movie portrayal left out, and that a lot of us have pointed out, is that bad guys don't tend to carry with a belt and a holster.

Here in Arizona I still see open carry a handful of times every year -- that's outside of the ranges or gun shops. I've mostly seen it in the poorer sections of town, i.e. the Mesa-Chandler area, and while I haven't been keeping tabs, most of the time by people who are not white. I wish they'd have better choices of equipment most of the time.

For me, there are times and places to do it. I will likely open carry with my range holster, an ALS, at the upcoming Gun Policy Rights Conference a month or so from now when it is held in Phoenix this time, as I did last year for the AzCDL's annual meeting of members. The only reason it does not extend beyond that is due to the fact that I make it a point to switch my carry gun out before, and back in after, every single range visit or training class. Sometimes I observe this at classes, but during normal range visits, I have never seen anyone else doing this. I may visit the topic of open carrying elsewhere in a couple years if I am able to purchase and adjust to carrying a backup gun, maybe. I think I would switch back to an SLS for an open holster if that were the case.

I realize that I grew up in a different culture here in Arizona that doesn't seem to jive with any other state to the best of my limited knowledge and experience. The general acceptance of seeing handguns openly carried in Arizona will likely be in my memory the same way older Americans remember mail order direct to home Sears catalogs, and ammunition in the hardware store. However, I believe the key to replacing this with a different kind of acceptance must come from a different kind of culture, that is, Gun Culture 2 point 0. I'm under the impression that holster awareness general need to be more commonly accepted and promoted at indoor and outdoor ranges, and this means reevaluation of the reasons why along with ideas for policy changes.

Dean Weingarten hasn't been as active as he used to. I don't think anyone will be there to take his place the way he did his thing.

[willie]

I like the freedom to oc if I thought there was a need. Other than a natural disaster I likely will not see such need.
Recently I was carrying a j frame in an owb holster covered by a T shirt. I stopped on the way to my favorite fishing hole. Then I noticed that the shirt was no longer covering the revolver. In years past I could have been arrested. Instead I was embarrassed. Texas has long permitted oc'ng a handgun when hunting or fishing. A holstered Ruger Single-Six .22 along lake or river bank might go unnoticed. That's where it belongs.

[STI]

Seeing single open carriers (no friends/party) at condition white makes the animal brain immediately visualize getting a free gun, costing only an ankle sweep from behind.

I think that since there are legal disincentives to attack on-duty LE and the fact that often LE travels in packs and has been trained to expect threats from all directions, and single open-carriers don’t have these protections, that should be a significant part of the decision to open carry as a civilian, and I don’t hear it being part of the discussion hardly ever.

Edited to add: I’m talking about Walmart/Starbucks open carriers not those doing legitimate outdoor/country activities and carrying in a manner that’s fitting for the task.

[the Schwartz]

I like the freedom to oc if I thought there was a need. Other than a natural disaster I likely will not see such need.
Recently I was carrying a j frame in an owb holster covered by a T shirt. I stopped on the way to my favorite fishing hole. Then I noticed that the shirt was no longer covering the revolver. In years past I could have been arrested. Instead I was embarrassed. Texas has long permitted oc'ng a handgun when hunting or fishing. A holstered Ruger Single-Six .22 along lake or river bank might go unnoticed. That's where it belongs.

Like you, I am pleased to have the option to OC and the "protection" it affords in the event of a minor indiscretion like that which you've described above.

It is a right enumerated within my state's Constitution (O.R.C. 9.68) and as with anything, there's always a time and a place for it. Exercise of our rights (whatever they might be) requires intelligence and the maturity to know when their employment is called for.........and when it isn't.

[blues]

I mean, how can you fail to be impressed?















sigh

[Cypher]

Seeing single open carriers (no friends/party) at condition white makes the animal brain immediately visualize getting a free gun, costing only an ankle sweep from behind.

I think that since there are legal disincentives to attack on-duty LE and the fact that often LE travels in packs and has been trained to expect threats from all directions, and single open-carriers don’t have these protections, that should be a significant part of the decision to open carry as a civilian, and I don’t hear it being part of the discussion hardly ever.

Edited to add: I’m talking about Walmart/Starbucks open carriers not those doing legitimate outdoor/country activities and carrying in a manner that’s fitting for the task.

When the topic of open carry comes up on other forums I let people know about the times that people have tried to take my gun off me as a security guard. I mention that we're hearing more and more reports of it happening and I try to warn people you need to be prepared for when somebody tries to snatch your tours out of your crappy Uncle Mike's holster.

Almost across the board the responses nobody's going to mess with me I got a gun.

[Joe in PNG]

To be honest, I would love to OC my Colt in a nicely tooled holster, or my Model 15, ect.

But, it's always better to be the grey man over the obvious target.

[Totem Polar]

Question: If you were in that store, visiting your daughter who worked there, what would you say to these guys?

I’m with blues, for those guys.

That said, I’ve had a few conversations with holstered pistol OC’ers across the border in ID—where the practice is more common. I saw one Glock guy standing around as my wife and I were leaving the stage area at a music festival, and heading for the beer garden—totally made him LoL. He’s got what is clearly a 33 round 9mm mag in his cargo short pocket.

Me: "Dude, your 33 round happy stick is totally standing hampton; what, 17+1 isn’t good enough? You realize that letting your stick poke out like that will scare the kids, and maybe a mom or dad, too..."

Him (laughing): "Maybe, but they’ll get used it, that’s why we’re here."

"Man, I’m not so sure about that but, hey, stay safe and have a great day."

"No problem, you too brother."

I’d like to think we both made our points, FWIW.

But, low ready slung rifle? That’s down to just "jeopardy," out of the ol’ AOJ and sometimes P requirements. Pretty thin, IMO. Like red next to yellow on snakeskin, that’s gonna make me step off. There’s literally a coffeeshop on every corner around here; I ain’t got time for that, with my oatmilk latte.