• If you enjoy the forum please consider supporting it by signing up for a NES Membership  The benefits pay for the membership many times over.

Friends Don’t Let Friends Open Carry

tenor.gif
 
I believe open carry should be legal, but I wouldn't do it or recommend it.

On several occasions, I have had discussions about open carry with people who were considering doing it in jurisdictions outside Massachusetts. My first question is always "What are your thoughts on retention holsters, and do you plan to use one?" The response is usually "Huh?"

So then I give a brief introductory lesson on:
  • What is a retention holster?
  • History, design and testing of retention holsters.
  • Using and practicing with retention holsters.
  • Current use of retention holsters in law enforcement.
Note that I am not an expert on any of the above subjects, but I know enough to give an introduction and point people in the right direction to get more info. I finish by saying that choosing a retention holster or not is a personal decision that may depend on the situation. You don't necessarily need a retention holster, but you should be familiar with them, and prepared to explain your choice. After this discussion, people usually decide to do some research before carrying openly, which is all I am suggesting.

Another thing to consider, is the oft made statement that "Concealed means concealed." That statement is usually made in a different context, but it is also relevant here. Concealed also means surprise, and surprise is a tactical advantage that I would not recommend giving up lightly.
 
This past summer I was in a downtown restaurant, and it was too warm to keep the coat on. I took it off but sat there with my body shielding the pistol from prying eyes. When nature called, I thought about putting the coat back on, but decided to 'f*ck it' and made a beeline to the bathroom, with my piece in full view. A few people looked at me funny (scared a little even, maybe), but nobody freaked out. It felt good [cheers]
 
As it says in the article: “I support the right, not the practice.”

If someone wants to open carry, I'm OK with it. Personally, I think concealed is a considerable advantage. If I was a "bad guy" and walked into a situation intent on committing mayhem, the first thing I'd do is shoot any uniformed and/or armed adversaries. I'd then have their gun, too.
 
Open Carry is so much more comfortable. I might hide mine in an ostomy bag - people would look away instantly. I’d get my own seat on the bus and plenty of room on the subway. Just a dab of Eau de Poo scent and it’s perfect concealment.
 
Big thing to me with the "it makes people uncomfortable" argument is that's the tail wagging the dog...

For the better part of this country's existence guns were not terrifying things. Open carrying for the most part didn't cause alarm, and concealed carry being revealed (bending over - or as many in the early 1900s to 1950s did with custom tailored clothes, when a coat flapped open) wasn't a cause for a major freakout. People walking down the side of the road with a long gun didn't get a second glance, even within the latter half of the last century.

It's really in recent years as guns have become taboo, restricted, and the target of Democrats, and thus open carry has become less common, so it makes people uncomfortable because it's uncommon. People having their heads filled with MSM nonsense and social media lies/memes doesn't help, and normies are far more likely to see a gun on the news in a bad light than on someones hip doing nothing at all (outside of the free-est of free states) and become conditioned to associate guns with negative events and tragedies.

If everyone who carried open carried for a few months with minimal crazy events, I'm quite sure most people would get used to it - it's classical conditioning. There's nothing to reinforce the FACT that the vast majority of gun owners who carry don't cause any problems, and everything (MSM, activists, craptivists, moms-against, schools, pols) is lined up to convince people otherwise.
 
StevieP said:
As it says in the article: “I support the right, not the practice.”

If someone wants to open carry, I'm OK with it. Personally, I think concealed is a considerable advantage. If I was a "bad guy" and walked into a situation intent on committing mayhem, the first thing I'd do is shoot any uniformed and/or armed adversaries. I'd then have their gun, too.
Click to expand...

So you'd commit murder rather than just selecting a different target? [rofl]

And yes, people have been whacked for guns before, but on the whole that's exceptionally rare. (for example, the marathon durka terrorists killed Sean Collier mostly because they wanted his gun, or at least it seemed like thats what the motive was).

I conceal mostly because whether I'm carrying or not is not anyone else's business, and I don't care to be "rustled" by some moron about why I'm carrying a gun. If I lived in rural america I'd probably OC some of the time, because the risk is low and frankly, most people wouldn't care. Even then I think its situational. I don't support laws that ban open carry.

I do think that some numbskulls OC rifles irresponsibly (where legal) but that doesn't justify calling the kopsch or any other BS.

-Mike
 
Let's see, from the article:
"Seeing visibly armed and strangely attired open carriers out in public often scares the very population that gun rights advocates are trying to court. Does anyone really think walking into Starbucks with a slung AK-47 will convince a person who doesn’t currently own a firearm to support the gun rights cause? Think again. I believe that open carry advocates cause far more problems than they solve."

OK, I've heard that argument quite a bit, so let's just change some words around:
"Seeing a same sex couple in public often scares the very population that LGBT advocates are trying to court. Does anyone really think two gay men kissing in a Starbucks will convince a person who doesn't already support gay rights to join their cause? Think again. I believe that open gayness cause far more problems than they solve."


It wasn't too long ago that gay couples were looked at this way. Now, they may not be accepted 100%, but they're out of the closet and the sky hasn't rained fire (yet). Interracial couples, same thing.

People don't see guns, so they're scary. That means they need to see them more. I grew up around rifles and shotguns, but as a kid, I was thrilled to see someone with a pistol - it was new and exciting, because my mom didn't want pistols in the house. My kids could care less about someone open carrying, concealed carrying or if the gun was just left on the table; it has no more excitement to them than a coffee cup.
 

Similar threads

Carry in Post Office
2
Replies
49
Views
1K
LTCRN
LTCRN
Migrants can carry guns
Replies
23
Views
700
KBCraig
KBCraig
State Sen. Pushes Campus Carry for AZ College Students with Concealed Carry Permits
Replies
0
Views
43
Reptile
Reptile
6 shot, including 2 children, after gunmen open fire in Washington DC neighborhood
Replies
1
Views
61
Uzi2
U
LEO Carry Ammo
2 3
Replies
60
Views
2K
PappyM3
PappyM3
Back
Top Bottom