Open Carry Opinions


Pretty much depends on how you dress to a certain degree, but as long as you don't look like a tatted up biker type, yeah, that's likely what most people assume. :wink:

Do you mean like this?

Link Removed
 

I live in Oregon, an open carry state. In my small town, I don't see many people carrying firearms.
...
I think we all should be, not just firearms owners, but AMBASSADORS of firearms. Proudly carrying our weapons, and boldly stating 'we will not be told we cannot defend ourselves.' Not just hiding them away, and hoping for the best. How are we to make other people share our beliefs? Do you think I am wrong in thinking this way?
I share your belief, mate! My holster is a Blackhawk, good cant and good retention and as much as possible I like to educate people about guns especially that I am a woman. Many will assume I should be against them but I am not. But here where we live, there is a law to be uphold. There are only a few areas, counties where open carry is legal. My county doesn't allow open carry and to travel from one place to the other, it will be a bit of a hassle getting your gun in and out as an exercise. In winter I just cover mine up with my coat or something...in summer and some dressed-up functions, I carry concealed. I find that in functions, some people who knows my husband and I carry, would congregate nearer us and/or be in our little crowd even if our conversation isn't necessarily about guns. Maybe they feel safer with us around...
 
Well, I'd say there's little chance of that guy being mistaken for a LEO type. :biggrin: Unless of course, that's the way LEO's in your neck of the woods dress. :laugh:

C'mon, you know, undercover LEO. And he's a biker, got'a love' em!
 
:biggrin:
C'mon, you know, undercover LEO. And he's a biker, got'a love' em!


Damn straight. I had a buddy in high school who's father looked something like that. Full on biker dude, tatts, ZZ Top beard and hair, totally "thug" in appearance. He'd often be home when we were at the house and his biker buddies would come over to visit.

One day I dropped by for a visit and my buddy's dad looked a whole lot different. Nice clean cut, business suit and tie. I didn't recognize him, and asked my buddy "where's your dad?" The both started laughing and told me he was in court earlier in the day, and revealed that he's actually a FBI Special Agent and was working undercover for the last year. He testified in court earlier in the day and would be relocating after the trial was over.

Made me realize that the thug you run into on the street could actually be some UC LEO. Needless to say, I was on my best behavior pretty much at all times for the next few years. :biggrin:



gf
 
C'mon, you know, undercover LEO. And he's a biker, got'a love' em!
Actually, I don't have to love them, not my type. :wink: But I can respect them.

I don't begrudge anyone their style of dress. But if you dress like the tatted up biker dude, and OC, don't be surprised if you get stopped and questioned, even if it is an illegal stop. :sad:
 
Actually, I don't have to love them, not my type. :wink: But I can respect them.

I don't begrudge anyone their style of dress. But if you dress like the tatted up biker dude, and OC, don't be surprised if you get stopped and questioned, even if it is an illegal stop. :sad:

The Capital Hill area in Seattle has many Gay Bikers ..... Dikes on Bikes M/C club, lots of tatted up badassness biker guys holding hands ..... Personally I would place more trust in them or a "Hells Angel" due to their extremely high level of honor, integrity and respect.
 
Because two guys where OC'ing things didn't get ugly. This is one very good reason to open carry.

Link Removed

And this is just one case we know of. You have to wonder, how many times have OCer's detered a crime from happening, and no one ever found out.
 
I don't know if anyone still reads this thread, BUT...I think open carry is a bad idea. Picture this: You go to a gas station late at night. You are inside when two guys come in to rob the place. One of them sees your gun. What do you think he's going to do? Who is he going to shoot first (especially if he thinks you're a cop)?
Here's another issue;
If you go to Wal-Mart, Target, or ANY store, do you think that might attract unwanted attention? Will they call 911 and how are you going to get out of this one? More to the point, how many anti-gun people are going to call 911? In some cities, whether OC is legal or not, Law Enforcement will hassle you endlessly... I can't speak for anywhere else, but in Colorado, OC is perfectly legal, however, not in Denver, especially if you own magazines over 10 round capacity. Your Glock 17 with 17+1 capacity is considered an 'assault weapon' in Denver.... Denver seems to trump state law due to a 'home rule' program. Make sure you think this over very carefully...
 
I don't know if anyone still reads this thread, BUT...I think open carry is a bad idea. Picture this: You go to a gas station late at night. You are inside when two guys come in to rob the place. One of them sees your gun. What do you think he's going to do? Who is he going to shoot first (especially if he thinks you're a cop)?
Been there, done that, much different ending. Scummy looking possible bad guys came into 7/11 shortly after I did. They did quick look around, saw me, saw my gun, saw me seeing them, they left. Night clerk called cops anyway, just in case.
Here's another issue;
If you go to Wal-Mart, Target, or ANY store, do you think that might attract unwanted attention? Will they call 911 and how are you going to get out of this one? More to the point, how many anti-gun people are going to call 911? In some cities, whether OC is legal or not, Law Enforcement will hassle you endlessly... I can't speak for anywhere else, but in Colorado, OC is perfectly legal, however, not in Denver, especially if you own magazines over 10 round capacity. Your Glock 17 with 17+1 capacity is considered an 'assault weapon' in Denver.... Denver seems to trump state law due to a 'home rule' program. Make sure you think this over very carefully...
Fortunately, I don't live in Colorado. I live in Michigan. Also, fortunately, I don't own and/or carry a Glock 17. I do own a Taurus PT92 which has a 17+1 capacity, but here in Michigan, home rule doesn't trump state preemption. While I've heard of others being hassled from time to time. I've never had the experience. And yes, local, state and county LEOs have seen my openly carried firearm. Most don't even question me.

I think OC is a faneffingtastic idea. I think EVERYONE should do it, if they want to. And I disagree with anyone who goes around trying to tell me what I do is wrong. Have a nice day. :biggrin:
 
I don't know if anyone still reads this thread, BUT...I think open carry is a bad idea. Picture this: You go to a gas station late at night. You are inside when two guys come in to rob the place. One of them sees your gun. What do you think he's going to do? Who is he going to shoot first (especially if he thinks you're a cop)?

The unarmed store clerk:
Gun Owner Saves Lives In The Richmond VA Golden Market Shooting

Here's another issue;
If you go to Wal-Mart, Target, or ANY store, do you think that might attract unwanted attention? Will they call 911 and how are you going to get out of this one? More to the point, how many anti-gun people are going to call 911? In some cities, whether OC is legal or not, Law Enforcement will hassle you endlessly... I can't speak for anywhere else, but in Colorado, OC is perfectly legal, however, not in Denver, especially if you own magazines over 10 round capacity. Your Glock 17 with 17+1 capacity is considered an 'assault weapon' in Denver.... Denver seems to trump state law due to a 'home rule' program. Make sure you think this over very carefully...

1. I am not responsible for people making false 911 calls, that is 100% their responsibility.
2. I am not going to adjust my perfectly legal behavior because a police officer might hassle me for it. More than likely such harassment would be criminal behavior. I will take appropriate action to protect myself from criminal behavior; whether it be from the armed robbery or rapist whom I will use my gun against, or whether it be the criminal wearing the badge and uniform whom I will use my 4th Amendment rights against.
 
How did he stumble upon this thread? Search tool? Did he completely miss the other three massive open carry threads that have gone over this exact argument...multiple times, in the past 3 months...I don't mind defending against this tired argument...but to put it in a thread that is 2 years old...how is that managed?
 
How did he stumble upon this thread? Search tool? Did he completely miss the other three massive open carry threads that have gone over this exact argument...multiple times, in the past 3 months...I don't mind defending against this tired argument...but to put it in a thread that is 2 years old...how is that managed?
He's your typical anti-OC troll, that's how. :biggrin:
 
I don't know if anyone still reads this thread, BUT...I think open carry is a bad idea. -snip-
You, just like everyone else upon this earth, is entitled to think whatever you wish about anything and everything. I respect that.

However, may I suggest doing a bit of reading/research into open carry before completely making up your mind as to whether it really is a bad idea simply because forming opinions (the "I think" part) is much wiser if one looks at the facts involved first.

Reading the open carry threads here on USACarry, and doing a 'net search on "open carry" should give you more information from both sides of the argument to consider. Information that will cover everything from "You will be shot first" to "It scares people and offends them" to "The police will arrest me" to "Open carry brings the right to bear arms into the forefront of the public's awareness".

Please look into open carry a bit more. Then, if you still have the opinion that open carry is a bad idea at least it will be an informed opinion.

And let me say this one other thing. Regardless of if you think open carry is a good thing or a bad thing .... or if you just don't want to do it for whatever reason(s)... if we all don't support the right to bear arms, regardless of the manner of bearing arms and regardless of what we think of the manner of bearing arms, then we will surely lose the right to bear arms in every manner.

I would add this one interesting bit of information and a little food for thought:

A concealed carry "permit" is NOT the right to bear arms but is the very worst sort of infringement mentioned in the 2nd Amendment because it is nothing more than the government requiring we ask permission to bear an arm in a concealed manner. If we have the right then why do we have to ask for permission?
 
To all I offended, I apologize sincerely, however I have done research, and also know someone who got hassled. He was, in fact, hassled, however, I have been the one to get that "man with a gun" call before.
The first time, it was some kids with airsoft guns running around an apartment complex. One of the kids came around the corner and pointed his airsoft gun at me- Thankfully, I realized it was an airsoft gun and he was okay. We did not shoot anyone, thank God.
The second time, it was at a street fair, and the guy was OC on public property. We decided that he was not a problem, but he was, in fact, on city-owned property. He locked his gun in his car and there was no problem. However, there were hundreds of people at the fair and my job was to make sure that we didn't have any BGs in the park. It's pretty simple, really.
Now- that being said, if you are not a cop (and we CAN usually tell the difference), we worry about whether the person in question is a good guy or a bad guy- until there is a communication, we don't really know who he/she is. Keep in mind that we want to go home at the end of the shift, too.
Now then, I am NOT anti-gun, not anti-OC, nor am I a 'troll', as you put it. I'm a regular guy who DOES read dozens of these threads (which is how I found this one). I'm also an instructor. I wish EVERYONE could OC and that we could all trust each other, however reality is a different situation. I wish I could win the Powerball without buying too many tickets, but that simply won't happen.
OC is probably fine in a smaller town or something like that, but in a large city, we have a totally different situation. We have had issues in the past with people who were not nearly as upstanding as you all are.
Once again, if I offended you, I am sorry. The thread was 'open carry opinions'- I was merely stating my opinion...
 
BTW:
I like the article- I had forgotten about this one- yes, I had to study it, as I do many of these cases. And, yes, I do like the part where the good guy ("GO") wins, the BG croaks. And the store owner survives and returns to work. That's how it should always end up.
Good call, LTCMDR.
 
I also feel the need to share my story. I am still doing physical therapy on my right hand, several years after a knife attack almost removed my outer two fingers on my right hand. I was unarmed at the time- would I have liked to do something about it? Hell, yes!
I also had a bullet miss my femoral artery on my left leg by 5/8 inch. I still won't wear shorts, even in summer or even in Hawai'i. It's a little on the ugly side and nobody wants to see it, and I try very hard to forget both of those days. Do I carry a gun nowadays? Hell yes! I take it to bed with me, I have it next to the shower with me, I have it in the kitchen...yeah, by now, you probably get the point. I do, however, like to give BG the element of surprise.
Just tonight, an off-duty Denver cop got her sidearm stolen because BG saw her coming and got the jump on her.

Always mystify, mislead and surprise the enemy if possible.
Thomas J. Jackson

Surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us.
Boris Pasternak


We had avoided discovery by the Sioux scouts, and we were confident of giving them a complete surprise.
Buffalo Bill


Whoever can surprise well must conquer.
John Paul Jones


If you are ever injured, Sun Tzu would say:
“If the mind is willing, the flesh could go on and on without many things.”
― Sun Tzu



“A true leader always keeps an element of surprise up his sleeve, which others cannot grasp but which keeps his public excited and breathless.”
 
To all I offended, I apologize sincerely, however I have done research, and also know someone who got hassled. He was, in fact, hassled, however, I have been the one to get that "man with a gun" call before.
Unfortunately, more than a few people, legally OCing have been hassled by local LEOs. Usually, it doesn't matter how big or small the town is. I live in Michigan, near the state capitol. I've OCed in Lansing and have never been approached by local LEOs there. I've also OCed in Leslie, a small town about 20 miles away, population of around 5000 people. TWO WEEKS after I OCed in that town, the local LEO showed up at my home and asked about what I'd been doing there. All I did was say that I have a CPL, and he said, "Ok, no problem and left." Apparently someone saw me OCing, and saw me get into my car. He was concerned because we can't OC in a vehicle, UNLESS we have a CPL (Concealed Pistol License) which I have. What amazed me, after I said I have a CPL, he didn't ask to see it. I don't consider his actions, "hassling," he was simply following up on a call his department received.

But if I had been hassled, it would not deter me from OCing every chance I get. Showing the anti-2A people that we have rights, and that we will exercise those rights, sometimes requires we put up with the bull **** that they try to discourage us with.

Crap happens all the time. You simply have to decide if it's worth it for you, or not. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, next time, try to pick a thread that's not been dead for so long. :smile:
 

New Threads

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
49,542
Messages
611,255
Members
74,961
Latest member
Shodan
Back
Top