How to react if approached about carrying a firearm in a store

Best idea, pure and simple. I support folks' right to open carry, but I don't think it makes any sense. Nobody has yet to present a convincing argument why OC is better than CC.
The only time I OC is either on the way to a day long training or USPSA, during, and the way home. Sometimes around the house, but pocket carry of a Sig 365 is way to comfortable to change up too much
 
Standing in line at an Au Bon Pain some years ago. In civvies except for a jacket with Town shoulder patch. Reached in my back pocket for a handkerchief, and the lady next to me sees my pistol. "Is that a real gun," she asked with apparent disapproval?

Pondered her question for half a second before I replied, "Be pretty useless to carry a toy one, don't you think?"

Lady opens her mouth, and I can't wait to hear what she's going to say. Except she couldn't think of anything. My order came and as I walked away she's still standing there with her mouth open.
 
So, in other words this guy handled it all wrong?

" Wal-Mart Employee Tried to Forcibly Disarm Me

I stopped off at a Super Wal-Mart yesterday to buy them out of .223 and .44, which I did, to the tune of several hundred dollars. The woman running the sporting goods counter was very friendly and helpful. I was with two friends at the time, and one of them mentioned that, that we should spend our Wednesday night cleaning our guns and watching Dirty Harry. Sounded like a perfect night to me!

I was open carrying a 6" S&W 29 at 3 o'clock in a Galco hip holster with jeans and a borrowed, West Virginia university jacket over a white t-shirt. It was snowing at the time and I didn't have a jacket on me, so I was wearing my friend's spare coat. The jacket was tucked behind the holster so the gun was clearly exposed. I do not currently have a CCW, and trying to conceal an N-Frame is nigh impossible anyway. All in all, my appearance suggested early 20's redneck, while my friends were business casual. I usually carry in a button down shirt and nice shoes, but the surprise snow precluded me from doing that.

I paid for my ammunition at the counter and moved to the movie section. We spent about ten minutes searching for Dirty Harry, but, unfortunately, couldn't find it. As a consolation prize, I picked up the Death Wish three-pack, True Grit, The Cowboys, and Rio Bravo. After gathering all of these up, we headed for the front counter to pay for the movies. In my left hand were the bags full of ammunition. My two friends were with me. All of us were relatively clean shaven with short haircuts. Both of them were conceal carrying, Friend One with a HK USPc 9mm in an MTAC and Friend Two carrying a Colt Government 1911 SOB without a holster. He also had a small can of OC spray.


As we reached the front of the store, I looked around for an open lane and saw that the Self Checkout was the best option, as it had no line. I set down my ammunition and scanned the first movie. The screen said "Employee Authorization Needed for Transaction Verification". I looked to the end of the lanes at the counter where they had two women employees overseeing the self check-out, and gave them a look that said, "Hey, I need someone to help me out with this." They gave me a look like they knew what was happening, but didn't say or do anything.

All three of us were standing, looking at the screen and around in the immediate vicinity.

After maybe ten seconds, a dark haired man, approximately 45-55 years old, came from around the backside of the self checkout lane and approached from my 10 o'clock while I was looking towards the women at the oversight counter at the front of the store. He was not wearing a name tag, but had on the Wal-mart blue polo shirt tucked in, jeans, a mustache and glasses. He was about 6'1" and had a small belt case that had either a flashlight or multi-tool, or something along that nature. His hands were empty. He came face-to-face with me at arms-length. I thought he was the guy who would press the buttons to approve my transaction. He spoke.

Wal-Mart guy - "Is there a reason you're carrying that firearm?" With a strong, accusatory tone.

Me - ::Slight pause:: "Yes."

I was pretty shocked at first, because, to that point, I had NEVER been challenged in this particular Wal-Mart, or any other, and I had open carried multiple times.

Wal-Mart guy - "Well then, let's see it. Put it (meaning the gun) on the counter."

Me - "No. I will not remove my gun from its holster."

Wal-Mart guy - "Put it on the counter."

Then, he grabbed me on the left shoulder with his right hand.

Massive adrenaline dump.

I knocked his arm away at the elbow while I took a step back and bladed at a 45 degree angle. My vision tunneled, all I could see was his torso. I was yelling loudly and forcefully, but not at the top of my lungs.

"YOU WILL NOT TOUCH ME! YOU WILL NOT PUT YOUR HANDS ON MY FIREARM"

My hands were out in front of me, palms facing out.

Wal-Mart guy - "Ohhh." Condescending tone.

He came at me again, reaching for my shoulder with his right hand and down and the gun on my right hip with his left. I knocked his hands away and covered the butt of the revolver. My two friends moved in to put some distance between us. He took a half-step back, and was just out of arms length. I was yelling throughout.

"YOU WILL NOT TOUCH MY FIREARM! YOU WILL NOT TOUCH MY FIREARM!""


More @ Wal-Mart Employee Tried to Forcibly Disarm Me ETA: Pics Pg 9, MSPaint Pg 15 - Page 1 - AR15.COM

This is one of the legendary threads on ARFCOM, and has spawned countless memes and MS PAINT pictures, and added many phrases to the ARFCOM lexicon, including "blade at a 45 degree angle" and "YOU WILL NOT TOUCH ME" that occur with some regularity in many threads. The thread gets bumped to the top every so often so newer people can enjoy it.
 
The constitution should not end at a door way. Yea, yea, yea, their store their rules blah, blah, blah. The constitution should not end at a door way.
Force it down their throats like obummer care
 
I carry concealed EVERYWHERE, and if someone gets stupid (not dangerous stupid - just government level stupid).....well that’s why I carry mace.
 
Best idea, pure and simple. I support folks' right to open carry, but I don't think it makes any sense. Nobody has yet to present a convincing argument why OC is better than CC.

Why do you have to have a distinction? I just carry. I put it on my belt and go. If the shirt covers it, fine. If it doesn't, fine. And, oh my god, if it prints, who cares. If my jackets blows open, so what, it's just another day, just like the rest.
 
I guess you’ve not been to New Hampshire. Open carry is common here and if anyone comments negatively I tell them to go back to massachatwoshits. If they get upset, I know they’re from Ma.

if someone says “WOW nice Gun whazzat? A 1911?”
I ask them what their screen name on nes then I tell them to go back to Massachusetwoshits and read about it on the forum. It’s funny when they get mad.[laugh]

Little town nh here...safest place in town is the supermarket...lotsa people and everybody is strapped.
 
This is one of the legendary threads on ARFCOM, and has spawned countless memes and MS PAINT pictures, and added many phrases to the ARFCOM lexicon, including "blade at a 45 degree angle" and "YOU WILL NOT TOUCH ME" that occur with some regularity in many threads. The thread gets bumped to the top every so often so newer people can enjoy it.

" It's been 16 days since last bump. Maybe we should have Geissele call Edged.
Imagine that, this thread lived through three presidential elections, and even outlived shower cookie thread."

-- Javak
Page 102
 
" It's been 16 days since last bump. Maybe we should have Geissele call Edged.
Imagine that, this thread lived through three presidential elections, and even outlived shower cookie thread."

-- Javak
Page 102

One of the funniest pictures I've seen. I still laugh when I see it.

I don't think it's up anymore, but the thread title was "So I was taking a shower while enjoying a chocolate chip cookie when..." and the picture was of a guy peeking out of the shower curtain with a cookie in his mouth and an HK-pattern rifle in his hand.

ETA: found it, sort of.

gotmilk.jpg

You had to be there...
 
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This is one of the legendary threads on ARFCOM, and has spawned countless memes and MS PAINT pictures, and added many phrases to the ARFCOM lexicon, including "blade at a 45 degree angle" and "YOU WILL NOT TOUCH ME" that occur with some regularity in many threads. The thread gets bumped to the top every so often so newer people can enjoy it.

[rofl]

One that was great around here ages ago, there was a thread talking about some miscreant on the MBTA causing problems, and what people would do in that scenario. Then this guy came along and criticized other members responses and said "If it was me, I would just do a HARD BLOCK and stop him that way, before using a pistol or OC" (or some similar bs. )

So HARD BLOCK was then forever burned into NES lexicon at that point... although not commonly used as say, Upper Decker, etc.

-Mike
 
Best idea, pure and simple. I support folks' right to open carry, but I don't think it makes any sense. Nobody has yet to present a convincing argument why OC is better than CC.
No one is arguing that OC is better than CC, so why should they attempt to convince you of something they're not saying?

It's the other way around: the CC-only crowd love to advocate "element of surprise" and "tactical advantage" as superior to OC, and have yet to present any convincing argument in their favor.

Here's the truth: if you find yourself in a defensive gun use situation, you have already lost the element of surprise, and you have no tactical advantage. If you weren't surprised, then you're a damn fool for knowingly being in a situation where you would have to use your gun.
 
No one is arguing that OC is better than CC, so why should they attempt to convince you of something they're not saying?

It's the other way around: the CC-only crowd love to advocate "element of surprise" and "tactical advantage" as superior to OC, and have yet to present any convincing argument in their favor.

Here's the truth: if you find yourself in a defensive gun use situation, you have already lost the element of surprise, and you have no tactical advantage. If you weren't surprised, then you're a damn fool for knowingly being in a situation where you would have to use your gun.

They are the same one's who will ONLY use a leather holster, because Kydex "Clicks" or "Snaps" (or whatever the sound is that they describe). Yeah, you know who you are. [rofl]
 
Last night I thought that read "old buddy", ...
Lol, it did. Phone typing sucks, ... I edited it:)
My new reading system is unstoppable, LOL.

This is one of the legendary threads on ARFCOM, and has spawned countless memes and MS PAINT pictures, and added many phrases to the ARFCOM lexicon, including "blade at a 45 degree angle" ...
(Not recognizing the thread prequel),
I was going to post a snide link to the actual thread,
until I reached "bladed at a 45 degree angle" itself!

My new reading system may have some flies in the ointment, LOL.

One that was great around here ages ago, there was a thread talking about some miscreant on the MBTA causing problems, and what people would do in that scenario. Then this guy came along and criticized other members responses and said "If it was me, I would just do a HARD BLOCK and stop him that way, before using a pistol or OC" (or some similar bs. )
Missed that one (before my time?)
But I've sure seen all of the veiled references.

MBTA-wise, what I do remember is this thread.
 
Best idea, pure and simple. I support folks' right to open carry, but I don't think it makes any sense. Nobody has yet to present a convincing argument why OC is better than CC.
When I'm out on the bike I've noticed that people tend to give me a wider berth when I "happen" to be OC'ing.

Why do you have to have a distinction? I just carry. I put it on my belt and go. If the shirt covers it, fine. If it doesn't, fine. And, oh my god, if it prints, who cares. If my jackets blows open, so what, it's just another day, just like the rest.
109% agree! The ONLY place I'm careful is the post office.
 
My new reading system is unstoppable, LOL.


(Not recognizing the thread prequel),
I was going to post a snide link to the actual thread,
until I reached "bladed at a 45 degree angle" itself!

My new reading system may have some flies in the ointment, LOL.


Missed that one (before my time?)
But I've sure seen all of the veiled references.

MBTA-wise, what I do remember is this thread.

Yes, there was that... but THIS was the HARD BLOCK thread/post....



Ironically, if it wasnt for you liking one of my posts later in this thread (about my capcom video game idea) I would have never have found the origin of this
gem.

-Mike
 
Yes, there was that... but THIS was the HARD BLOCK
thread/post....

Ironically, if it wasnt for you liking one of my posts later in this thread (about my capcom video game idea) I would have never have found the origin of this gem.
While you were re-searching for it,
I had found it (thanks to a link in an old post of yourn)
and was reading the whole thing.

And much like with "blade away ..." itself -
I'm gobsmacked by the thread; just reading along, reading along...
...when suddenly..."HARD BLOCK". [rofl]
 
What the Wal-Mart loser did to you was assault. A crime. Why wasn't your fist slamming into his mouth right then and there? You and your friends should have given him a boot party
Stomp his face into the floor!

What LoginName posted is a classic ARFCOM thread that is responsible for the now infamous "Blade at 45" phrase and meme.

ETA: Beat like 10X lol
 
Carrying concealed, who the hell's going to know.
This.

These days I wouldn't want to open carry unless I had a retention holster, which has its own issues. Last thing you need is some antifa fag grabbing your gun, shooting you, and then you get a stacked gun charge for not securing your weapon.

I have no philosophical problem with open carry, but from a practical standpoint concealed just seems a heck of a lot smarter.
 
In Texas, the signage is the law.

Texas is worse than Mass on that subject.

You could actually go to jail for CCW.

Not in Mass.
so long as the signage is the correct form. No silly little "guns prohibited" signs or some stupid shit like that.
 
so long as the signage is the correct form. No silly little "guns prohibited" signs or some stupid shit like that.
Texas took a long road to get there.

When their CHL law took effect 1/1/96, "effective notice" wasn't defined, so it was up to the jurisdiction to decide if a 3" "gun busters" sticker near the door would instantly turn someone into a Class A misdemeanant banned for re-applying for a CHL for at least five years.

In the 1997 legislature, they created the PC 30.06 sign, which protected licensees who missed a non-compliant sign (the official sign could not be missed if you tried), but still left CHL holders at the same legal risk if they carried past one.

I personally found myself in an uncomfortable situation entering a credit union where I was a long-time member (but always doing all my business by mail or drive-through). I had to go into the lobby for some reason. I'd heard reports that they were posted, so I looked carefully, and saw no 30.06 signs. After I was sitting at the loan officer's desk, I glanced over and I realized I was looking at the back side of a valid 30.06 notice (if "valid" included white vinyl letters on clear glass). Then someone else came in, and the sign disappeared. It was a double sliding door, and the sign slid right behind the big cardboard cutout display beside the door.

At some point in the last few years, Texas reduced the penalty, so that it's only a Class C misdemeanor (same as a speeding ticket), unless the CHL holder refuses to leave after being given verbal notice.

Texas is still a long way from a pro-handgun state.
 
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