Open Carry

Who open carries and how does it work with you? I've heard alot talk about people who open carry being harassed by law enforcement and citizens who do not know their laws at all (check youtube for a few videos on this). I'm wanting to get my CCW sometime but meantime I was thinking of open carry, its getting too crazy out there not to be able to protect myself or my loved ones.

 

and this will get locked too..


why do you need to open carry? whats the point? to be a pain in the ass and make everyone nervous or to intimidate people? it doesnt look good so that cant be the reason, and there are plenty of ways to CCW. IMO open carrying is stupid, and the only people who do it are trying to get a reaction out of said law enforcement or public.

 

http://www.opencarry.org/

 

My uncle has his concealed permit but here in VA open carry is legal. He rides with a group of vets who all carry. One day riding around town a woman pulled up beside him with two kids in the back seat, he had his 45 on his hip, plain as day. She looked over and he could see her mouthing the words "is that a gun", the kids in the back seat jumped up and were staring at him like he was the devil or something. She kept saying it as she turned at the light and he just continued to shake his head yes. She couldn't believer her eyes. He told me about one guy he rides with has a scabbard on his front forks with an 870 tucked inside.

 

The point is to protect myself until I get a CCW, its my right to use this legal law to do that, or I could just illegally conceal a weapon if it would make people feel "safer" and then get caught and hurt the lawful gun owning community's reputation.

Comes down to this I'm in a situation where my life is about to be taken from me, I will open carry any day and time to prevent that, guess its all about how much you care for your own life and your loved ones. Sorry I did not mean to stir up anything

 

Thank you, someone who has common sense.

 

Confirm your state laws.
Unloaded open carry (the law in many states) is little more than a security blanket.
20-30ft for a baddy charging you with a knife is the minimum distance to draw and fire a concealed handgun that is carried in condition zero or one.

Having to load and chamber?
You're better off with pepper spray until you can get your license to carry.

 

This is a very good example wolfpack_5150 thank you, I could not have thought of a better one. Yea alot of the youtube videos are people pushing the law to its limits kinda, but some are people who started recording after someone accused them of breaking the law, video will help protect you and your rights in most cases IMHO. The reason why I'm getting a dash & bumper cam, to protect my rights.

 

Reverse the situation though. You're standing in line at 7-11 or wherever, bad guy comes in to look over the place. He's smart enough to look over who's in the store before robbing it and see's you with a weapon on your hip. You've now become target #1, and have completely given him the upper hand and element of surprise.

 

I was just having that talk with my wife tonight.

 

I would have thought an officer would have a different opinion. My father is a police officer also, and goes on walks with my mom every night and carries his home defence hand gun in his waist band and keeps his shirt tucked in, because you never know when something bad is going to happen and damn the man "or woman" who isnt prepared.

 

Quicker on the draw?
Less crime in states that have open carry?
Deterrent?
Murica...FUCK YEA!!

 

It's possible, but its also possible he see's the easy target, and pops you in the back of the head. If you're carrying concealed and he tries to rob the place, chances are he isn't even thinking about you, just the quick cash, giving you the element of surprise. If you're open carrying, he waits and robs the place after you leave, which is great for you, but shitty for everyone else. If you're concealed, maybe you're able to intervene.

It's really just a difference of opinions. I respect yours, and am not trying to change it. Personally, while off duty, I am of the mind that the less people that know i'm armed, the better.

 

Are you saying that if I'm concealed carrying, he'll be targeting someone else in the store? That's fine with me, as I still have the upper hand once the bad guy makes his move. He has no idea I'm carrying, and I wont be the number one threat to him.

 

idk i dont see the point to it. more people in NH open carry just to be assholes and provoke a reaction from cops so they can put it on youtube and motherfuck them with the rest of their "peaceful druggy" friends. i wouldnt open carry, i dont feel paranoid to the level that i think i need to for the sake of a "faster draw time". i would feel just as comfortable having the gun on me, and not making big deal out of it in public, for the most part, i'd feel just as comfortable leaving the gun in my glovebox. there are some fucked up people out there, and there is a gun on the headboard of my bed, where i can easily grab it if someone were to break into my house. there is a larger chance of that happenening than me being involved in some sort of active shooter scenario at a local mall or movie theater. thats just how it is. IMO open carrying is for two reasons. people who WANT to get a reaction out of cops in which case also have a video camera with them, and people who want to intimidate others. to be honest with you all, i dont see a need for it, not where i live at least.

 

Fair enough. Like I said, just a difference of opinions. I'd rather someone be in danger with the element of surprise on my side and a better opportunity to intervene, then the bad guy know where my weapon is and have the upper hand, if he chooses to act.

 

Example here, they happened to be cops but it very easily could have been a citizen that was carrying and was able to stop this guy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AA7WJLisbk0&feature=related

 

Understandable, But the closest town to where I live was ranked number 7 if I remember correctly for movement of drugs and some of the local Mexican apple workers recently stopped a car with a old woman in it asking for help and pulled a gun on her while they took her purse. Different worlds

Where you live sounds much better

Thats why you never find me in town and always in the mountains to get away from all the Scum