Open carrying

[wewaits]

Just ran into a man open carrying in Safeway and natural my instinct is to be scared and feel threatened. Wait. I'm not a snowflake. No, my first instinct is to admire what gun they're carrying and start a conversation because I like talking about guns. For those of you that open carry or get caught by another gun person conceal carrying, and they start talking about the gun your carrying, is that a no no? The gentleman I started talking to seemed upset and short answered and uncomfortable talking about it in public and pulled his shirt over his gun which hid nothing. Should I stop talking about guns with people in public and just let them go about their day? Or is it alright to talk to you guys? Don't want to piss people off in the gun community by making them uncomfortable to carry in public. Thanks!

So he felt threatened by you asking questions? Maybe he was a snowflake.

 

[cigars]

It's true, @Certaindeaf does indeed sport assess chaps. Makes it a bit more difficult to cc though...

Not if you use your imagination....

 

[CRBMoA]

Not if you use your imagination....

Absolute smallest automatic available ...

 

[cigars]

Absolute smallest automatic available ...

Well that put two and two together (unfortunately).

 

[nammac]

Well that put two and two together (unfortunately).

 

[thereddog]

I've noticed a couple of CC'ers at the bank in town on occasion.
One day as I was leaving i said to the guy in passing, "Glad I'm not the only one that supports and the 2nd Amendment" and the carrier looked shocked and started checking themselves out for printing etc.

Knowing how the reaction went, I'm not going to mention anything next time.

 

[CRBMoA]

I'll be here all week!

Try the veal!!

 

[nammac]

As others have said, just a passing acknowledgement, a knowing nod of the head. If it were me OC'ing, I'd not want to be approached, period.

Just another reason why I CC. I do play the game of who's carrying when out and about, I'm trying to sharpen the wife's skills in spotting those who carry...

 

[Resist_This]

Aren't all chaps assless?

Adding to the list of things not to search on the internet

 

[teflon6string]

No offense intended to anyone here who may differ. Healthy discussion is good.

I don't open carry for a number of reasons, some of which include:
- I don't like myopic libs who believe that carrying a gun = "brandishing" a gun.
- I don't want Captain Crazypants to single me out as the first one to neutralize.
- I don't want to invite the potential for hateful frivolous abuse of red flag laws.
- I don't want complete strangers to know I'm armed or talk to me about it.

In public am (literally) the gray man nobody notices.

 

[bbbass]

Any time I see someone carrying anything, I'm very tempted to talk to them about it but I always choose not to because if I were seen carrying, I wouldn't want to be addressed either. Golden rule kind of thing.

Zactly!!! One has to ask oneself how being approached would make themselves feel.
1. Strangers make me nervous.
2. Strangers starting a conversation make me nervous.
3. Strangers getting in my space make me nervous.
4. Strangers eyeing my firearm make me nervous.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Most of the people I know are of the MYOB type. People that want to have a conversation with me can be either just an overly friendly person, or they could be a complete nutjob. My reaction might be based on previous experiences.

In my parts, open carry of handguns is fairly normal. The object is to keep it as normal as possible.

It's true, @Certaindeaf does indeed sport assess chaps. Makes it a bit more difficult to cc though...

AIWB

Not if you use your imagination....

Prison Purse!!!

 

[awshoot]

Alaska, Idaho, Wyoming -- open carry is likely quite a different thing. Even Eastern WA or OR most likely. In contrast, if a person is open carrying in Bellevue, it is an open invitation to interaction, much of it quite negative to be sure and which carries a great potential to do harm to other gun owners. This is why I say IF you OC in such a place, you need to be an ambassador willing to engage respectfully with those who are appalled, because anything else is just going to result in more people pushing for legislation harming all gun owners. I feel OC non-ambassadors in gun unfriendly places, are putting their own needs over those of the entire gun owning community. That's why I call it selfish.

 

[SUPER X]

One problem with public gun conversations is a anti scum might over hear your conversation and turn it into a side show.

 

[Alexx1401]

I have always found it strange, the people who are afraid of objects [mostly firearms]. Its like the firearm is going to shoot them all by itself or the firearm is going to cause the person to shoot some one. Cars kill and injure more people than firearms, but strangely few people seem to fear them. Probably because they see cars all the time, but now days, seldom see firearms being carried.

Sadly its decades of indoctrination by media. They have managed to convince a LOT of people that guns jump out of holsters and kill all by themselves. Look how well it has worked.

 

[RVTECH]

Even Eastern WA or OR most likely

Actually pretty common to see OC In Bend.

 

[FullMetalJerk]

Open carrying

......IS DUMB.

 

[oremike]

I don't know if it's still a thing, but there for awhile the anti-gun wackos would try to grab your gun out of the holster. More better IMHO for them to not know it's there.

 

[The Heretic]

Open carrying

......IS DUMB.

IMO - yes.

It seems a threat to anti-gunners and people on the fence, thereby being counter-productive if you are trying to make a statement. For self-defense it is also counter productive; you don't want a would be attacker knowing you are armed; you would either be the first one attacked and/or they would try to take your firearm.

The only places I want to talk about guns is in a gun shop, a gun show, a range or similar place where gun people congregate.

 

[Member 5605]

I've never met somebody OCing in a store that's not been a douchenozzle.

the only time I'll say something is of a shirt is up and their CC is exposed. I'll say "your shirt isn't covering anymore".

I still make it a game to see if I can spot the OCers and CC folks who are printing.

 

[Alexx1401]

Actually pretty common to see OC In Bend.

I have to guess some are mixing up people who carry a hand gun, sometimes not concealed, and the people who walk around with a rifle slung across their chest judging by many of the comments . Especially the ones who do this while wearing tactical gear. With many of the more compact models made for CC carry these days I am sure a whole lot of the public would never even notice it. Now the ones who walk into a store with a rifle, especially with gear on to go with it, they are of course trying to be noticed. In the warmer weather here I often don't do a super good job of hiding the gun I am carrying since I don't have to. No doubt someone must have either seen or at least suspected. Seems now days so much of the public goes through life with their face in their phone I'm not sure they would notice someone walking around with nothing on most of the time. Not that I feel like putting this to the test.