My view on open carry

[dac1842]

I know many will not agree with my views, but that is what is beautiful about America.

Well friends the New Year is around the corner. With the New Year comes a a new privilege in Texas, The ability to carry a weapon in a holster in the open.
I have been asked several times what I am going to do come January 1. That is simple, NOTHING.
While I firmly believe in the right to keep and bear arms, I believe that any right or privilege comes with responsibility. Part of that responsibility is being concerned how my actions may affect others.
I recognize and respect that not everyone shares my views on guns and carrying guns. That right is as ingrained in the Constitution as my right to keep and bear arms.
I won't say that I will never open carry, I will say it will be rare, very rare. Having been a police officer for 15 years, and 5.5 years of that spent in plain clothes, I know from first hand experience that when someone sees you wearing a gun it causes them to stare. It causes folks to stop what they are doing and pay attention to you.
I do not want that attention. If a business bans open carry, I don't care because I will carry concealed. If they ban both I either leave the guns in the car, or, I go elsewhere without making a scene.
In closing, my view on open carry comes down to this. Just because you have the right, doesn't make it right.

[Countryside]

I basically agree. I will not open carry as a general rule, but that doesn't mean there might not be times I will.

[locke_n_load]

A right not exercised is a right lost.
Open carry of a pistol in a holster on the hip is about the best way to get the public to firearms (unless the uninitiated are your friends, in which case a range session is due!). I do not see licensed Open Carry as a fear tactic. I will OC, you can CC, and the guy across the street will go unarmed. Cheers to all and their decisions, as we all have the right to choose.

[Ron7624]

I agree with @dac1842. I live in a small cowboy town and feel there will be many open carrying. Personally, I am well known because I am at the front of my congregation almost every Sunday playing a musical instrument for the choir and youth groups. It is a big church and people that I do not recognize stop me and thank me for my service all the time while I am out and about taking care of business. I am sure that many of the parents of the kids that I work with would not like to see my Colt SAA on my hip while teaching their children.
I always CC and will continue to do so - and I certainly will support anyone that openly carry's in a normal manner, but like dac1842, I do not want the attention that OC will bring.
But, this is just me. My situation.
I am also of the camp that believes that having a concealed weapon is a tactical advantage. I front pocket carry a Sig P238 in a leather pocket holster. It has never been noticed while I have gone about my daily routine.
I have never had to use it, but being of relative small stature and being over 60 it is good feeling knowing that I can protect me and my own if need be.
I am pretty excited about open carry coming to Texas. I may CC carry my Colt Defender in winter months because the laws make CC of a larger gun more feasible.
I'm sure that all will go well with OC because the CC community has proven itself to be a well mannered and thoughtful bunch of folks.
My 2¢

[OlBill]

Unless we strap them to the tops of our shoes or pin it to Pintrest, nobody under the age of 60 is even going to see it.

[Abraham]

Those that become exercised because others prefer to CC, doesn't make the CCers (if you will) anti-OC.

Oy Vey, the initials are killin me.

I'm pro-OC, but argue for property rights of business owners.

I believe some are so over the top pro-OC, as to be considered edging into fascism.

So, you that want OC anywhere and everywhere, work at (attempting) to make it so, legislatively.

[oljames3]

I know many will not agree with my views, but that is what is beautiful about America.

Well friends the New Year is around the corner. With the New Year comes a a new privilege in Texas, The ability to carry a weapon in a holster in the open.
I have been asked several times what I am going to do come January 1. That is simple, NOTHING.
While I firmly believe in the right to keep and bear arms, I believe that any right or privilege comes with responsibility. Part of that responsibility is being concerned how my actions may affect others.
I recognize and respect that not everyone shares my views on guns and carrying guns. That right is as ingrained in the Constitution as my right to keep and bear arms.
I won't say that I will never open carry, I will say it will be rare, very rare. Having been a police officer for 15 years, and 5.5 years of that spent in plain clothes, I know from first hand experience that when someone sees you wearing a gun it causes them to stare. It causes folks to stop what they are doing and pay attention to you.
I do not want that attention. If a business bans open carry, I don't care because I will carry concealed. If they ban both I either leave the guns in the car, or, I go elsewhere without making a scene.
In closing, my view on open carry comes down to this. Just because you have the right, doesn't make it right.

Thank you for your service, dac1842. Since getting my CHL in 2013, I've carried openly in AZ, CO, NM, and OK. The locals of these open carry states hardly notice. Of those whom I noticed noticing, all the comments were favorable. I've only had one even slightly negative comment and that was from a non-local.

Obviously, my experience is far from statistically significant. I have had discussions with a nephew in Colorado Springs law enforcement and read many reports from other open carry states. My hope is that Texas will calm down and handle this change at least as well as the Okies have.

As for me, nothing will change. I will continue to carry openly where I can, conceal as the situation dictates, and disarm only if I must. As far as it depends on me, I will continue to strive to be at peace with all and try to not frighten the women and horses.

I've done my due diligence, performed my risk analysis, considered the tactical and strategic issues. This is not a one-time process, but an evolving one. As most things in life, it comes down to which risks we are willing to manage and which benefits matter most to us.

So, y'all carry your way, I'll carry mine, and God bless Texas!

[Jeff B.]

Those that become exercised because others prefer to CC, doesn't make the CCers (if you will) anti-OC.

Oy Vey, the initials are killin me.

I'm pro-OC, but argue for property rights of business owners.

I believe some are so over the top pro-OC, as to be considered edging into fascism.

So, you that want OC anywhere and everywhere, work at (attempting) to make it so, legislatively.

Agreed.

I support OC and (IMO) think it should be an unlicensed right limited only by the wishes of property owners.

For that, though, I'll remain a concealed carrier. I prefer that method and for me it's what I feel best.

Regards,

Jeff B.

[Swoops1]

Have had some conversations with my son because of his profession has more than his fair share of liberal friends and friends from all over the world. He was raised around guns and know that it is a tool and what it's used for. He's not much of a hunter, would rather fish. He travels a lot so carrying would be difficult at best for him.

Back to the subject. What he tells me is people just don't understand. That they see only what the news reports so they associate firearms with murder or violence. They have a fear of them because of the association with violence. I will continue to CC as I always have won't worry as much about exposing my EDC so it's a win win for me. I think it's a process and we may have to educates people 1 person at a time. Instead of coming off like bullies if there is a business owner that displays an .06 or .07 maybe have a cup of coffee with them might help might not. Can't do much about the big chains because the rules come down from corporate.

Carry on my brothers and sisters.

[OneGun]

I agree with dac1842. It is not necessary to make people uncomfortable. People will eventually become acclimated that not every firearm owner that displays his/her firearm when OCing is a danger. It will just take time.

[Abraham]

What OneGun said...

[steveincowtown]

Well friends the New Year is around the corner. With the New Year comes a a new privilege in Texas, The ability to carry a weapon in a holster in the open.

It is not a privilege, it is a partially restored, yet still taxed, right.

Open Carrying is not going to be a big deal. It hasn't been in the many other states where it is legal, and won't be in Texas.

[The Annoyed Man]

I am very happy that open carry got passed. In my perfect world, on Planet TAM, we have Constitutional Carry, and everyone does it.

However, I am VERY unhappy at the antics of some open carry activists which have poisoned the well for the rest of us.

For me, open carry is just another tool in the handgun carrying toolbox. Like others, I think that in most situations for the environment in which I live, open carry is a tactical mistake. In that light, I will probably continue to conceal most of the time. As we have just entered the winter season, and I almost never leave the house lately without wearing at least a light jacket over my shirt, concealed carry is probably the default condition anyway. I can see situations where open carry - at least for brief periods - might make sense.

But the bottom line is that I live in a suburban environment right now, and open carry is probably going to be more noticed by others than if I lived in a rural environment. Furthermore, because I live in a suburban environment, there is a higher probability that those people who do notice my gun are going to be frightened or angered or whatever by seeing it than they would be if we were in a rural environment where guns are more tightly integrated with daily life for people.

I live in a pretty low-crime area. But even though the probability of ever needing to use my gun in self-defense is fairly low, I prefer to be prepared for that possibility than not......and so I carry. But, I don't care to deal with muttered comments and nasty looks, NOR do I care to be the person who instigates the posting of 30.07 by open carrying into places of business where my concealed handgun was previously welcome.

It's not that I care what other people think; it's that I don't want to deal the the friction arising from their insecurities. Avoidance is sometimes a "best practice" when carrying a handgun, and what I am doing is avoiding their nastiness.

Example....... there is a neighborhood forum for my part of Grapevine on nextdoor.com. There is a Grapevine police sergeant who regularly posts public service announcements in this forum about public safety issues, etc. A week or so ago, he posted a reminder to local residents that, as of 1/1, open carry would be legal in Texas. Included in his post was the following:

House Bill 910 Effective: January 1, 2016

Authorizes individuals to obtain a license to openly carry a handgun in the same places that allow the licensed carrying of a concealed handgun. Individuals who obtain a License to Carry (LTC) or have a valid concealed handgun license (CHL) will be able to carry their weapon in plain view, when properly secured in a belt or shoulder holster.

Citizens are urged to call 911 ONLY [emphasis mine, TAM] when encountering a person who is in clear violation of House Bill 910. Violations can include:

Removal of the gun from a secured holster

When a gun holder seems intoxicated

When the gun holder is obviously committing a crime or acting in a reckless or suspicious manner.

A license holder may carry a handgun anywhere in Texas that is not expressly prohibited by law. Those prohibitions appear in several provisions of the Texas Penal Code.

(LINKEY TO HIS POST)

One respondent in the thread implied he was going to call 911 every time he saw someone open carrying, and he had to be reminded that open carry is not a reason to call 911, and that falsely reporting emergencies is illegal. Suburbia is FULL of cretins like this. I don't need their crap, so I don't expose myself to the possibility of receiving any of it to begin with.

If I lived in or near a truly small town in rural Texas - as I hope to some day - it would be different, and my OC practices would likely be different.

[thatguyoverthere]

A right not exercised is a right lost.
Open carry of a pistol in a holster on the hip is about the best way to get the public to firearms (unless the uninitiated are your friends, in which case a range session is due!). I do not see licensed Open Carry as a fear tactic. I will OC, you can CC, and the guy across the street will go unarmed. Cheers to all and their decisions, as we all have the right to choose.

In my mind, exercising a right is similar to exercising a muscle: do it, and it becomes stronger; don't do it, and it becomes weak, and eventually, useless. A lot of people worked long and hard to get the OC law passed so that we can exercise that right. Consequently, I intend to OC as often as I can.

Granted, I'm in a rural area, so I may have a little more latitude to OC than some folks in a more densely populated area. When I do OC, I do not intend to be "in your face" about it. I will strive to be conscious of my surroundings, first and foremost from a security viewpoint, but also from other onlookers' viewpoints. I will respect the wishes of private property owners and business owners, either by covering up or leaving.

My intent in OC'ing will not be to instill fear in anyone. If I detect genuine fear or discomfort from some "soccer mom" then I certainly have no problem in trying to ease their mind by either a pleasant smile and nod, or a soft word, or even leaving. Hey, I'm newly retired, I've got no schedule!

I guess I just don't see how we get people accustomed to seeing LTC'ers OC if we never OC.

Yes, of course, tactical and security considerations come first. But in those situations where OC is an available option to me, I will - at times - choose to do that.

Those who choose not to do so, certainly have the right to do so, and I can certainly happily respect your decision. Best wishes to all for a great New Year!

[LSUTiger]

A right not exercised is a right lost.
Open carry of a pistol in a holster on the hip is about the best way to get the public to firearms (unless the uninitiated are your friends, in which case a range session is due!). I do not see licensed Open Carry as a fear tactic. I will OC, you can CC, and the guy across the street will go unarmed. Cheers to all and their decisions, as we all have the right to choose.

Furthermore, I wish those who are anti-OC, anti-CC, anti-gun/2A would realize that because of their Hoplophobia or just plain left wing ignorance/faulty logic/faulty ideology are the reason we have gun free zones and how it affects us all by putting us in danger.

I think the other side needs to think about how their right not to choose to exercise their rights, and worse, try to deny others theirs, affects us all.