Thoughts on open carry

[flechero]

I also don't like walking around with my shirttail hanging out. It was drilled into me as a child to tuck in my shirt.

Same here, 1/2 way. Dad always made us tuck in but no one on earth is happier than me that untucked has become professionally and fashionably acceptable! I wear golf and button up shirts that are finish hemmed or tailored, to be worn out... not just an untucked shirt.


I do like seeing people professionally dressed people OC'ing. (wish I saw it more often)

[cmgee67]

I cannot stand tucked in shirts. I tried it for a while hated every minute of it. I look goofy. And no it’s just what I think my wife is the one who told me so it must be true

[carlson1]

I also don't like walking around with my shirttail hanging out. It was drilled into me as a child to tuck in my shirt.

Same here, 1/2 way. Dad always made us tuck in but no one on earth is happier than me that untucked has become professionally and fashionably acceptable! I wear golf and button up shirts that are finish hemmed or tailored, to be worn out... not just an untucked shirt.


I do like seeing people professionally dressed people OC'ing. (wish I saw it more often)

tucked only if wearing a suit.

[chasfm11]

In our politically charged day, it will start drawing more attention from provokers, possibly even using force and going so far as to try to get a Carrier to shoot them. I'm not aware of any cases yet, but I will be very surprised if we don't see something like this in the near future.

Generally not a fan of OC.

You might be overestimating the snowflakes willingness to go "all in" for their cause and getting shot.

I've been OC more recently and have yet to have anyone say anything to me, good or bad. I've experienced the venom of anti-gun types from behind their keyboards. They can be over the top in their speech. We have quite a few of them in this area, on the basis of the numbers of them that post on local social media groups. But I have yet to talk to any of my Conservative friends who had had an in-person "discussion" with one of them. When they get out from behind their computers, they seem to be all hat and not cattle.

[Jusme]

In our politically charged day, it will start drawing more attention from provokers, possibly even using force and going so far as to try to get a Carrier to shoot them. I'm not aware of any cases yet, but I will be very surprised if we don't see something like this in the near future.

Generally not a fan of OC.

You might be overestimating the snowflakes willingness to go "all in" for their cause and getting shot.

I've been OC more recently and have yet to have anyone say anything to me, good or bad. I've experienced the venom of anti-gun types from behind their keyboards. They can be over the top in their speech. We have quite a few of them in this area, on the basis of the numbers of them that post on local social media groups. But I have yet to talk to any of my Conservative friends who had had an in-person "discussion" with one of them. When they get out from behind their computers, they seem to be all hat and not cattle.

They don't have any perspective of life outside their parent's basements.

[chasfm11]

In our politically charged day, it will start drawing more attention from provokers, possibly even using force and going so far as to try to get a Carrier to shoot them. I'm not aware of any cases yet, but I will be very surprised if we don't see something like this in the near future.

Generally not a fan of OC.

You might be overestimating the snowflakes willingness to go "all in" for their cause and getting shot.

I've been OC more recently and have yet to have anyone say anything to me, good or bad. I've experienced the venom of anti-gun types from behind their keyboards. They can be over the top in their speech. We have quite a few of them in this area, on the basis of the numbers of them that post on local social media groups. But I have yet to talk to any of my Conservative friends who had had an in-person "discussion" with one of them. When they get out from behind their computers, they seem to be all hat and not cattle.

They don't have any perspective of life outside their parent's basements.

Many here locally seem to be middle aged women who are married with kids. The ratio of apparent male posters with the same fiery tone or Millennials seems small. I detected that many or CA or NY transplants.

[Jusme]

In our politically charged day, it will start drawing more attention from provokers, possibly even using force and going so far as to try to get a Carrier to shoot them. I'm not aware of any cases yet, but I will be very surprised if we don't see something like this in the near future.

Generally not a fan of OC.

You might be overestimating the snowflakes willingness to go "all in" for their cause and getting shot.

I've been OC more recently and have yet to have anyone say anything to me, good or bad. I've experienced the venom of anti-gun types from behind their keyboards. They can be over the top in their speech. We have quite a few of them in this area, on the basis of the numbers of them that post on local social media groups. But I have yet to talk to any of my Conservative friends who had had an in-person "discussion" with one of them. When they get out from behind their computers, they seem to be all hat and not cattle.

They don't have any perspective of life outside their parent's basements.

Many here locally seem to be middle aged women who are married with kids. The ratio of apparent male posters with the same fiery tone or Millennials seems small. I detected that many or CA or NY transplants.

Or just stay at home moms, watching the View!!

[crazy2medic]

I open carry almost exclusively, I cover up only when I have to or when sitting in church, the BG goes into a store or restaurant he or they want the money, they will head for the cash register, their goal is to get the money and get out before LE shows up! I have talked to a couple of people while out and about and they didn't notice I was wearing a gun for several minutes, I carry a full size 1911 so it's not exactly easily overlooked, the whole argument about being a target because you have a gun is a mute one, people in our modern society simply do not pay attention!
I have had only one negative interaction, the rest have been all very positive, I have seen others OCing and given and or gotten a nod of acknowledgement and approval! If you open or conceal carry makes no difference to me and all I can say is Carry On!

[WTR]

I no longer have the strength to take on a gun grab. Therefore, I CC in public. I may OC at the house. I have three very comfortable CC holsters

[allisji]

I am uncomfortable with the thought of the attention that OC might bring me.

That said, I have "experimented" with OC in my car on the way home from work because it's much easier to slip an appendix holster on and off in the car and have ready and available access to my firearm than to have to don a typical IWB holster at 4:00 or to leave the gun in it's box under my seat.

Sometimes when I feel really bold I'll even stop at the community mailbox with my OC weapon (only when no one else is around)...

[karder]

I tried OC a bit after the law changed. I only had positive experiences with both people and LEOs. I got a lot of looks, but usually they were accompanied by a thumbs up or people would come over and strike up conversation.

After trying it for awhile, it really isn't for me, and I only CC now. I can definitely see OC being a deterrent to criminals in some situations, but on the other hand, it will bring a lot of attention to you in the event that you might find yourself in a domestic terror event. The less people are expecting me to be a problem until I need to be a problem, the better. To each his own, but for me, there is a lot of potential advantage to being the grey man.

[Soccerdad1995]

I don't buy the "being a target" argument. Yes, I could see a criminal taking out any obvious armed resistance first IF they choose to rob a place. But I have to believe that the more likely outcome of the criminal seeing an armed customer would be the criminal choosing a different place or time for the robbery in the first place. Kind of like how your house is more likely to get burglarized if it appears that you have not been home for a while (papers piled up on your porch, etc). I don't personally know many hardened criminals, but are they really that bad at committing crimes? Anyway, I think the deterrence benefit counteracts any "being a target" negatives as far as likelihood of harm coming to me and mine.

Personally, I CC where it is easy to do so, and I OC at all other times that I can legally carry. I usually wear a tucked in shirt for work, and I can't carry in my office. So if I go to lunch, I snap on an OWB holster and OC. If it's really cold, I'll wear a light jacket, so will be CC'ing. I have never gotten a negative reaction from OC'ing, but have received several positive comments on my holster.

[Charles L. Cotton]

. . . the BG goes into a . . . restaurant he or they want the money, they will head for the cash register, their goal is to get the money and get out before LE shows up!

That is not the norm in Houston. There are almost always multiple hijackers and they rob the customers as well as the employee behind the cash register. . . .

the whole argument about being a target because you have a gun is a mute one, people in our modern society simply do not pay attention!

You can't make that generalization fit a hijacking scenario, especially with multiple BGs. These people come in armed, watching customers and presumably ready to engage anyone with a gun.

Again, open-carry if you wish, but don't try to tell me that doing so doesn't draw the attention of BGs during a robbery.

Chas.

[bblhd672]

Are there documented incidents in Houston where open carrying citizens have been targeted by bad guys during robbery? Or is multiple bad guys robbing a business the new M.O. there?

Everyone's situation is different. If its the criminals in Houston have gotten better at recognizing that citizens may be carrying and are looking for open carrying victims then its a tactically sound decision to conceal carry in Houston.

[G.A. Heath]

Are there documented incidents in Houston where open carrying citizens have been targeted by bad guys during robbery? Or is multiple bad guys robbing a business the new M.O. there?

Everyone's situation is different. If its the criminals in Houston have gotten better at recognizing that citizens may be carrying and are looking for open carrying victims then its a tactically sound decision to conceal carry in Houston.

Charles is referencing the common tactic of hijacking, or take-over robberies, where multiple armed suspects are involved going from person to person demanding money and valuables (including cell phones). If they do not notice when one of their victims is open carrying a firearm then it's because Ray Charles can see better than they can. In this situation they will disarm the victim or simply shoot them before taking what they want off the victim (or the body). With concealed carry the weapon is less likely to be discovered unless the suspects are frisking victims or the armed citizen is doing a bad job of concealing.

There is at least one documented instance in another state before TSRA passed open carry where a hijack/takeover crew scout went into a restaurant noticed armed customers and reported back to the crew. Rather than risk an encounter with armed victims the crew waited for the armed citizens to leave. While they were waiting a LEO spotted them and arrested them in the course of investigating their 'suspicious activity' which led to learning why they were waiting. Had the LEO not arrived, or had the LEO not been as aware of the situation as he was Open Carry would not have prevented the crime, it would have simply delayed it. Had the criminals not sent a scout in to check the place out before hand who knows what would have happened.

However there has also been at least one case, in Oregon IIRC, where a man was open carrying and robbed of his weapon at gunpoint. Many people feel that open carry is like a cross made of garlic to a vampire and simply keeps it safely away. This leads to complacency and a loss of situational awareness either of which can lead to the loss of a firearm and/or the loss of life.

I will open carry when I am in an environment that is conducive to it and that I feel comfortable doing so in. This would be when I am hunting, going to a gun store (mostly so they don't ask me if I have an LTC when I say I am going to buy something), and so on. However 99% of the time I am concealed carrying since prefer to simply blend in and avoid attention from unknown parties with unknown intentions.