Open Carry: Yes or No? And why?

[oremike]

Interesting to me that this topic came back up, as I contemplate what open carry firearm to accessorize with today. So here's the back story, I own an ammunition manufacturing business. All my neighbors know this. Yesterday a neighbor comes over to order some 45acp ammo and is wearing his new Kimber and carrying his new pirate rifle (that's an arrrr for those that don't know) for show and tell. I'm torn between the stainless blackhawk bisley in 45 Colt or the Sig 10mm Legon.

 

[Mtnpilot]

I think it's all about that old grey guy. I carry every day and have since CCL's first became legally obtainable for the average citizen. While at home or working on the place, I always just OC, but when I have to go to town it's always CC. I am not one that wants people to notice me in particular, and with all the crazy nuts around anymore, I sure don't want some idiot thinking it might be fun trying to grab a visible gun for some reason or another. If I ever have to use it (god forbid), I want it to be a complete and very rude surprise to who ever is on the receiving end. While in public I am pretty much always condition yellow and hopefully that can help me avoid ever having to go red. I was always taught to never pull or show a gun unless and until you were going to USE it.
Just my two cents worth

 

[RVTECH]

Nobody will ever be able to convince me that an AR slung at low ready in Walmart somehow helps our cause.

Of course it wouldn't and I would hope anyone open carrying would naturally limit it to handguns, with well fitted holsters, relatively 'subdued' and unassuming in appearance.

Long ago I posted about a guy I saw OCing in Bend one day - and he was anything but this. Two 6" single action revolvers in low slung leather rigs pointed at each other. He looked and spoke like he had just 'time traveled' from a moonshine operation in 1930's Kentucky.

 

[Kruel J]

Of course it wouldn't and I would hope anyone open carrying would naturally limit it to handguns, with well fitted holsters, relatively 'subdued' and unassuming in appearance.

But they don't.

 

[RVTECH]

But they don't.

Well, apparently I have been lucky and have NEVER seen an AR being OCd in a public setting - other than outdoors in the woods or in videos.

 

[Kruel J]

man open carries AR - Google Search

www.google.com

 

[GripItAndRipIt]

I'm not going to be strap on an AR at the yuppie city stores like Albertsons, Safeway or Freddie's. On occasion locally (rural communities) I will open carry my 357 in a low slung leather holster if I choose to because there's no way for me to conceal it and I will not leave it in the truck.

I have a nice handmade Tracker leather chest holster (made in Sisters!) for my .357 that I wear on a quad or the rare times I get up on a horse. Love to carry that way, but yeah, not at Safeway. LOL.

 

[titsonritz]

man open carries AR - Google Search

www.google.com

All in the name of edumacation of the masses.

 

[GripItAndRipIt]

Well, apparently I have been lucky and have NEVER seen an AR being OCd in a public setting - other than outdoors in the woods or in videos.

Last summer in Bend I observed a march for George Floyd (IKR). To their credit, it was fully peaceful... UNTIL... a group of Prineville tacticools showed up. I knew who they were. They got out of their trucks with their ARs on 3-pt tactical slings, tactical gloves, body armor, and stood across the street from where speeches were being made. It was a clear message to the crowd assembled. Things turned ugly at the drop of a hat. Bend PD intervened before sh!t went sideways. I thought it was a needless display of machismo.

 

[msgriff]

The difference between the left and the right is that a person on the right will say " I don't believe in open carry, so I choose not to open carry". A person on the left will say " I don't believe in open carry, so I choose for YOU not to open carry". At some point, the left is going to realize that they are the oppressors, let's hope it's not the last thing they realize.

 

[Dinglenutz]

The difference between the left and the right is that a person on the right will say " I don't believe in open carry, so I choose not to open carry". A person on the left will say " I don't believe in open carry, so I choose for YOU not to open carry". At some point, the left is going to realize that they are the oppressors, let's hope it's not the last thing they realize.

Fun to say and I wish it was so, but in fact both sides of the political spectrum have their share of authoritarians; just pick your issue. It's good to see the right shedding that, but unfortunately the left has been picking up the mantle. Hopefully they will grow out of it as well.

 

[RedRover]

I've generally got no issues with well-intentioned open carry.

What I do have issue with is the dipsticks that are being confrontational about their open carry; solely with the intention of bringing attention to themselves.

The turd standing around on a sidewalk or in a park; carrying a semi-auto rifle (seemingly w/ no other purpose than) intentionally trying to intimidate people so that the cops get called.. So the guy can video tape it and share the interaction with his sovereign-citizen/cop-watch dork buddies.

Nobody likes attention-hos.

If a person has a secured/holstered pistol, I look at it no different than if I witness a LEO with the same.

If a person is transferring a long gun from one secure place to another out in public, it's my opinion that it would be respectful to show that the action isn't in battery/or the mag is removed from the mag-well, and that proper muzzle control is being employed.

In this day-and-age, not being to able know someone's intentions, a person pacing back and forth on the street with a rifle slung is obviously going to put some people on edge.

Do people have the right to do it? Sure. I'd have a right to walk around in public with a machete at the low-ready if I chose to. I wouldn't be surprised if I got contacted by the police in doing so. I'd prefer to avoid that situation, but that's me.

 

[Dinglenutz]

Nobody likes attention-hos.

Nice summary.

 

[titsonritz]

This is the way I look at it (and not just OC). You do you and I'll do me, you worry about you and you won't be worrying about me. In other other words mind your own f'ing business.

 

[GripItAndRipIt]

The difference between the left and the right is that a person on the right will say " I don't believe in open carry, so I choose not to open carry". A person on the left will say " I don't believe in open carry, so I choose for YOU not to open carry". At some point, the left is going to realize that they are the oppressors, let's hope it's not the last thing they realize.

I think that's a bit of a false dichotomy. There are petty tyrants on both sides, frankly.

 

[GripItAndRipIt]

Fun to say and I wish it was so, but in fact both sides of the political spectrum have their share of authoritarians; just pick your issue. It's good to see the right shedding that, but unfortunately the left has been picking up the mantle. Hopefully they will grow out of it as well.

Karen transcends political party. Understandable, we as a species lack objectivity. Some of us are better at it than others. I suspect it goes back to our tribal origins when an outsider was an actual physical threat to your survival. If not killed immediately, he would eat your food and mate with your females. Now we congregate around discourse communities, but the same rules buried deep in the frontal cortex apply.

 

[GripItAndRipIt]

This is the way I look at it (and not just OC). You do you and I'll do me, you worry about you and you won't be worrying about me. In other other words mind your own f'ing business.

I agree to the extent that "you doing you" has the potential to prevent me from doing me. IOW, you have a right... you are also capable of discretion. A lack of discretion in the observance of rights can lead to the curtailment of those rights if enough soccer moms wet themselves at the sight of your roscoe on your hip or your tacticool AR at low ready... But as I said upthread, if a person wants to OC, they have my support.

 

[CountryGent]

Do I think it should be legal? Yes. The 2A is pretty clear. And in a free society people should be free to do as they wish, provided they are not infringing on others.

Do I open carry? Yes and no. On my own property, on land owned by a family member, or a really remote part of the outdoors, yes. In town, in the city, at my office, hiking in a place I'm pretty likely to run into others, et al., no I do not and the handgun is properly concealed.

Do I think it is helpful? Difficult to make a blanket statement, but so often it appears extremely counterproductive. Agreed with @Kruel J's comment "Nobody will ever be able to convince me that an AR slung at low ready in Walmart somehow helps our cause." Case in point was those two goobers that were open carrying an AR and a Bubba'd SKS in a Chipotle. I can't see how this kind of thing is doing us any favors.

 

[titsonritz]

But as I said upthread, if a person wants to OC, they have my support.

What makes you think they care if you don't?

 

[gmerkt]

happy to place us -- the least-criminal demographic -- in the same group as street thugs, gang-bangers, and incel school shooters.

Times and societies change. In the days of the Forefathers, gang-bangers and street thugs wouldn't have been allowed to exist. Mass schoolyard shootings were technically impossible but most people of that era had enough self restraint to not consider the idea.

Nobody will ever be able to convince me that an AR slung at low ready in Walmart somehow helps our cause.

Every gun owner is an ambassador for 2A rights. Antagonizing the non-gun public isn't the way to go about PR for the cause. On the practical side of it, the loss of advantage from concealment has already been discussed above. It seems to me open carry in public (boonies excluded) is for those who crave attention.