NH open carry?

And Open carry means open carry also.

The LAW says it’s ok so who gives a rats ass about concealed?
Agreed, the law says open carry is OK.

If you ever find yourself in a situation (I hope to God you never do) where you need to draw your weapon, your best defense will be the element of surprise. You lose that when you carry your weapon in plain sight!

Don't get all hung up on what the law tells you is OK. Use your head, be smart and you'll have a pretty good chance of living to tell about it.
 
I live in Tourism Central (Great North Woods), and OC is so common as to be unremarkable. Tourists from Mass and Quebec and NY would be disappointed if they couldn't rush back to report seeing hillbillies carrying guns.

The whole "it makes you a target" theory is demonstrably BS. Police don't get jumped for their sidearms: if they lose them, it's because they're already going rodeo with someone who doesn't agreed to go along politely. Thieves are lazy and choose targets of (perceived) least resistance. The robber who enters a convenience store is unlikely to even notice someone OCing; if he does, he's more likely to leave and go somewhere else. I've seen videos of armed robbers walking right up beside on-duty cops in uniform and trying to pull a stick-up... they have so much tunnel vision that they're oblivious.

The one or two examples of ordinary citizens OCing who were targeted, were targeted for other reasons, mostly pre-existed beefs.
 
I live in Tourism Central (Great North Woods), and OC is so common as to be unremarkable. Tourists from Mass and Quebec and NY would be disappointed if they couldn't rush back to report seeing hillbillies carrying guns.

The whole "it makes you a target" theory is demonstrably BS. Police don't get jumped for their sidearms: if they lose them, it's because they're already going rodeo with someone who doesn't agreed to go along politely. Thieves are lazy and choose targets of (perceived) least resistance. The robber who enters a convenience store is unlikely to even notice someone OCing; if he does, he's more likely to leave and go somewhere else. I've seen videos of armed robbers walking right up beside on-duty cops in uniform and trying to pull a stick-up... they have so much tunnel vision that they're oblivious.

The one or two examples of ordinary citizens OCing who were targeted, were targeted for other reasons, mostly pre-existed beefs.
Son, I can't tell you how to carry your weapon. My opinion is out there based on my experience, take from it what you will.
 
If you ever find yourself in a situation (I hope to God you never do) where you need to draw your weapon, your best defense will be the element of surprise. You lose that when you carry your weapon in plain sight!
One of my concerns in a place like MA is that the other party in a minor confrontation over anything can take you out by simply calling the police and saying "he threatened me with his gun". You are effectively allowing anyone who sees the gun to decide if you get to keep your guns or lose them and spend thousands on legal fees.
 
While traveling in VT a few years ago I saw some guy carrying an empty holster. Strange. I’ve never noticed anyone in NH, except for the one time I did it. No one cared.

Our Air National Guard unit was about to deploy overseas, so we had to qualify on handguns. Since it was cold, the pilots managed a deal with the S&W range in Springfield that we'd use the indoor range and stay nice and warm. We brought enough guns for each lane, but we had twice as many people as guns, so we split into two groups: shooters and shoppers. While I was taking my turn in the "Shopper" group, I went outside to have a smoke. I was in my Air Force uniform, with my gunbelt on since there was no place to leave it, but no firearm. While I was smoking in the parking lot, I'd randomly pat my holster nervously and look on the ground and under cars - I'm sure it looked to all like I'd lost my pistol and was searching for it.

As for OC, I like having it as an option. I prefer to CC, but if the weather gets too warm for my choice in clothes, or too cool for my wife/daugher, I like having the ability to take off my overshirt / coat and not have to re-arrange my t-shirt to poorly conceal my pistol. OC also means not worrying about showing the muzzle when reaching for something on a shelf at the store. And sometimes, OC is just a better choice because of the situation.

The best of all worlds is the ability to go back and forth without worry.
 
While I was smoking in the parking lot, I'd randomly pat my holster nervously and look on the ground and under cars - I'm sure it looked to all like I'd lost my pistol and was searching for it.

This is hilarious. Would have loved to see the look on people's faces.
 
I was open carrying this weekend up in the Whites while hiking. Someone (probably from MA?) remarked "oh, you carry a gun when hiking too? My nephew does that also." and I was like well I carry a gun all the time haha it's just usually concealed.
 
The only time anyone has ever engaged me in conversation about open carry was in the Whites while hiking. An older women. She made sure to state that she didn't mind. Repeatedly. She asked why I carried. I answered. Apparently my answer wasn't suitable because she asked again. And then again. Obviously she did have some issue with it. Which was obviously irrational considering she had no issue talking with me while we hiked.

I've met a lot of people on the trails, and a 4" 357 on the hip is pretty noticeable, and while people hiking seem to be more observant than the random person out shopping or whatnot, nobody really seems to say anything. Because largely, people not care.

Even people that think they care, when they in fact see people doing it (carrying guns), the very thing they think is awful, they don't run away screaming. They just carry on doing whatever they were doing, because even though they may refuse to acknowledge it later, ultimately it's not a big deal.

Last story. I was at a bar in Portsmouth talking to this girl. Not sure how it came up, but someone the topic of guns did. She said something like how she thinks it would be scary if people were just carrying guns. I told her in NH, people do. She didn't seem to think that people did, and wouldn't be where we were. I asked her if she was scared now.
"No, why would I be scared."
"You said you'd probably be scared if you were somewhere where people were just carrying guns."
"I don't think anyone here has a gun."
"What if I said I guarantee that at least one person in this bar has a gun."
"How could you know....wait, are you carrying a gun?!?" Reaches towards my waistline.
"You still don't look scared."
"That's different! You aren't the type of person I'm talking about!"
"You just met me an hour ago!"

Again, its an irrational fear based on a fiction that when they actually experience it in reality, doesn't pass muster.
 
I open carry when hiking in NH.

THat said, the 4-legged predators my woods gun is sized for don't know they're supposed to take out the armed party members first; when the bears and Eastern coywolvesotes do start adopting Sun Tzu tactics, we are all in a world of trouble.
 
If you ever find yourself in a situation where you need to draw your weapon, you've already lost the element of surprise.
Not true in every case
If your need to draw wasn't based on being surprised by the circumstances, that means you deliberately walked into the situation knowing you'd need to draw. On duty, that's part of the job. As a private citizen, that's damn foolish.

Are you one of those Walter Mitty types, certain you can get the drop on armed robber in the convenience store?

Son, I can't tell you how to carry your weapon. My opinion is out there based on my experience, take from it what you will.
Son, you're not old enough to call me "son". I carried professionally for 31 years, and I've been retired for four years. I still carry either open or concealed based on the weather, not what anyone thinks about my sense of fashion. Certainly not what some Ma**h*** "gotta hide muh gunz!" ex-spurt thinks.
 
If your need to draw wasn't based on being surprised by the circumstances, that means you deliberately walked into the situation knowing you'd need to draw.

You are being narrow minded here. Even if unlikely, there can certainly be situations outside of your narrow parameters.
 
I obscure carry. In warmer weather when a loose over shirt is too hot then things are prolly more noticeable.

Constitutional Carry means not having to worry if someone catches a glimpse.

Even so, I know I've been "spotted" on occasion in Mass and somehow swat was never called in.


The most horrifying thing on Hampton Beach is fat old dudes in Speedos.

No, it's more like mortifying! How the hell was I supposed to know the holster would pull them down?
 
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Before NH went Constitutional Carry, if you didn't have a P&R permit, Open Carry was fine, you had to worry about accidentally concealing ....

IMHO back then the bigger concern for OCing w/o license was forgetting, and getting into a motor vehicle with a loaded handgun. Or even just leaving a loaded handgun in a vehicle while unlicensed. Years ago when I did more research on this I never found anyone busted in NH for "concealing without a license" think about how that would happen, from a mechanical point of view legally. On the other hand there were numerous cases where a vehicle stop led to the discovery of a loaded handgun without a license, which led to some kind of arrest. Or there was a report of some armed guy who hopped into his car... without the P/R, he was toast. OCing without a P/R was basically worthless, unless you were in full on pedestrian mode.

Thankfully now, finally, none of that really matters.

-Mike
 
I prefer to CC, but if the weather gets too warm for my choice in clothes, or too cool for my wife/daugher, I like having the ability to take off my overshirt / coat and not have to re-arrange my t-shirt to poorly conceal my pistol.

Pro-tip: if you pocket carry,
then the carry/no-carry decision boils down to
"do I feel like wearing pants today?".
 
I obscure carry.

I am absolutely stealing this phrase.

Pro-tip: if you pocket carry,
then the carry/no-carry decision boils down to
"do I feel like wearing pants today?".

Pocket carry for me is either my LCP or J-frame. Both have their place, and beat a sharp stick all to hell, but sometimes I want to carry something too big make pocket carry work. On godawful hot days, that means OC, for me, anyway.

FWIW, with the general level of awareness these days, I'm half convinced if you OC using an IWB, you might as well be CC to anyone around you.
 
Pocket carry for me is either my LCP or J-frame. Both have their place, and beat a sharp stick all to hell, but sometimes I want to carry something too big make pocket carry work. On godawful hot days, that means OC, for me, anyway.

Gotta get a bigger pocket.

I rounded out my very first MidwayUSA order ever (due today)
with yet another pair of 5.11 tacticool pants, for the free shipping.

What if the answer to this question is invariably a resounding “NO!”?

Concealed Sari Carry?
 
If your need to draw wasn't based on being surprised by the circumstances, that means you deliberately walked into the situation knowing you'd need to draw. On duty, that's part of the job. As a private citizen, that's damn foolish.

Are you one of those Walter Mitty types, certain you can get the drop on armed robber in the convenience store?


Son, you're not old enough to call me "son". I carried professionally for 31 years, and I've been retired for four years. I still carry either open or concealed based on the weather, not what anyone thinks about my sense of fashion. Certainly not what some Ma**h*** "gotta hide muh gunz!" ex-spurt thinks.
You appear to be a thin skinned, self righteous individual with some anger issues. You won't need to make your points any clearer for me. I'm done with ya son!
 
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