Open Carry v Concealed Carry - Legal / permit

[s&w3913]

I had to Open Carry in NC, since once I got my NC license and no longer a MA Resident.. I didn't wanna risk my MA LTC being inactive so I notified the appropriate MA authorities. I open carried my S&W 3913 in a level 2 90s Detective holster from August to October (until I got my NH permit which is accepted in NC). and no one cared. With the exception of government and healthcare facilities and stupid Simon malls most places are not posted.

 

[Zabos X2]

I live in an open carry State and DO NOT open carry. I would hazard a guess that 99% of the citizens in my State that do lawfully carry a firearm, do not carry openly. I would speculate based on my own observation in my home State that those who (do) carry openly are often motived by attention seeking, activism or some sort of social engineering.

I see mode of carry as a strategic issue as well as a minor tactic. Each person must choose for themselves but I can say without any reservation that I do not believe OC to be very prudent for the lone joe citizen.

Like others in this thread, I will OC in the woods or in some remote location where I do not expect to be around the general public at large. I make this exception due to my belief that remote and sparsely occupied locations effectively mitigate many of the potential perils that are often associated with OC in general.

 

[JRT]

I live in an open carry State and DO NOT open carry. I would hazard a guess that 99% of the citizens in my State that do lawfully carry a firearm, do not carry openly. I would speculate based on my own observation in my home State that those who (do) carry openly are often motived by attention seeking, activism or some sort of social engineering.

I see mode of carry as a strategic issue as well as a minor tactic. Each person must choose for themselves but I can say without any reservation that I do not believe OC to be very prudent for the lone joe citizen.

Like others in this thread, I will OC in the woods or in some remote location where I do not expect to be around the general public at large. I make this exception due to my belief that remote and sparsely occupied locations effectively mitigate many of the potential perils that are often associated with OC in general.

I will never understand people who try to make this point, when I'm in western PA on the farm I frequently open carry. If I go to lunch at the local bar four or five guys at the bar open carry. Not a single one gives a shit about being the center of attention or are attention seeking. This is some kind of conditioning of your own making that you trying to put on others. If I see somebody who is open carrying I don't give it any thought because guns don't scare me.

 

[Zabos X2]

I will never understand people who try to make this point, when I'm in western PA on the farm I frequently open carry. If I go to lunch at the local bar four or five guys at the bar open carry. Not a single one gives a shit about being the center of attention or are attention seeking. This is some kind of conditioning of your own making that you trying to put on others. If I see somebody who is open carrying I don't give it any thought because guns don't scare me.

I make the point because it has been my experience in my small corner of the world. Its not about me, I dont care if people open carry. That said, I do listen to what they say, what they proclaim, what they adorn their vehicles with, what they wear printed across their chest, how they project themselves, how they occupy space and relate to other people. Most people are very easy to read if you pay attention. I live in an open carry State and I have the occasion to encounter open carriers. As with any stranger with a gun, I pay attention to them at least until I make some manner of assessment of them. Sometimes that assessment takes seconds and sometime its longer. I have come across Open Carry "meetups" and I have been handed club and organization pamphlets. I have lived in this State for 40 years and out of curiosity, I have chatted with many open carriers in that time. The individuals I have spoke with say pretty much the same thing about open carry. Only in the rarest of occasions have they mentioned reasons relating to personal self defense. Its mostly about politics, rights and efforts to change the sensibilities of the general public regarding guns. I will toss in "attention seeking" due to the obvious spectacle that many of them make of themselves in public. I have my own impression and that impression is mostly qualified by what open carriers have said to me. Again, this is just what I have experienced in one small corner of the USA. If this is not your experience, fine. My experiences are certainly not foreign and closely mirrors what plenty of other people say about it. Let me say that I am not painting the entire Country with a broad brush. I accept that people are different from place to place.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

I prefer to get lost in a crowd of one rather than stand out like a turd in a punchbowl.

 

[JRT]

I make the point because it has been my experience in my small corner of the world. Its not about me, I dont care if people open carry. That said, I do listen to what they say, what they proclaim, what they adorn their vehicles with, what they wear printed across their chest, how they project themselves, how they occupy space and relate to other people. Most people are very easy to read if you pay attention. I live in an open carry State and I have the occasion to encounter open carriers. As with any stranger with a gun, I pay attention to them at least until I make some manner of assessment of them. Sometimes that assessment takes seconds and sometime its longer. I have come across Open Carry "meetups" and I have been handed club and organization pamphlets. I have lived in this State for 40 years and out of curiosity, I have chatted with many open carriers in that time. The individuals I have spoke with say pretty much the same thing about open carry. Only in the rarest of occasions have they mentioned reasons relating to personal self defense. Its mostly about politics, rights and efforts to change the sensibilities of the general public regarding guns. I will toss in "attention seeking" due to the obvious spectacle that many of them make of themselves in public. I have my own impression and that impression is mostly qualified by what open carriers have said to me. Again, this is just what I have experienced in one small corner of the USA. If this is not your experience, fine. My experiences are certainly not foreign and closely mirrors what plenty of other people say about it. Let me say that I am not painting the entire Country with a broad brush. I accept that people are different from place to place.

Fair enough, I feel like you are paining with a broad brush but I know there are many agendas in the world. When I’m back here in the city I don’t open carry. I know people that do to prove a point, I just don’t want to deal with pant shitters, the police can’t approach you for open carrying here but they will probably get called.

 

[Texasgrillchef]

I live in an open carry State and DO NOT open carry. I would hazard a guess that 99% of the citizens in my State that do lawfully carry a firearm, do not carry openly. I would speculate based on my own observation in my home State that those who (do) carry openly are often motived by attention seeking, activism or some sort of social engineering.

I see mode of carry as a strategic issue as well as a minor tactic. Each person must choose for themselves but I can say without any reservation that I do not believe OC to be very prudent for the lone joe citizen.

Like others in this thread, I will OC in the woods or in some remote location where I do not expect to be around the general public at large. I make this exception due to my belief that remote and sparsely occupied locations effectively mitigate many of the potential perils that are often associated with OC in general.

I say everyone should carry in the method that they feel comfortable with carrying.

I carry in the mode that allowed me to draw my weapon the most efficiently as well as the most convenient. I won’t change my clothing of what I am wearing just so that I can carry openly or concealed.

With the style of activities I do, and the weather, sometimes in those circumstances carrying concealed would basically be the same as not even carrying, as it would take 5 min to just get through what I am wearing to get access to my weapon.

Other times I am hiking and all I have on is a pair of shorts and hiking shoes. If I carry anything that would make for a viable weapon, it will be exposed and by some states standards considered open carry anyways.

There are clear advantages to each mode of carry. Each offer their disadvantages as well.

When it comes to my decision to openly carry or carry concealed, it all has to do with where I am going, what I need to wear, what I will be doing, the weather and of course the law. What I am NOT concerned with in the least bit is what anyone else thinks or feels about seeing me with my handgun.

Here’s the other thing... I am a Texan, with a Texas LTC. If I go to Oregon, Oregon does NOT recognize a Texas LTC. Neither does Washington. So if I wish to legally carry in Washington or Oregon I would be REQUIRED by law to open carry. However I recently obtained my Utah LTC, so in Washington I can now carry concealed as well.

So depending on ones location, and what LTC/CHL’s one May or may not have. A person maybe REQUIRED to carry openly, or maybe required to carry concealed if they wish to do so legally.

I will always follow the law. However if I have the choice. I will always carry for the situation of the day and I have my 2A right to do so.

I do not carry for attention.