I want to get on my Soap Box for a few about open carry. But first let me State that I believe and support the Second Amendment 110%. My Bitch is with how some people abuse the privilege of Open Carry. But come on folks let’s do it right and not Look like a Jack Wagon while open carrying in public.
I was in Chick-fil-A in Chantilly today for lunch and this Jack Wagon was open carrying, first thing I noticed his Revolver hanging off his belt it looked like an S&W N/L frame, second thing was his the belt was all stretched and would not support the weight of the revolver it was all flapping in the wind, next was his holster………It looked like something Barney Fife would carry. I am glad it had a thumb snap to hold to keep the revolver from falling out. He was getting looks from everyone who saw his handgun and a few moms moved their kids away from him as he walked by, he was totally oblivious to his surroundings and how he carried his gun.
Please when you go out in public carrying either open or concealed take some Pride in yourself and being an armed citizen. Be aware of your surroundings and how people around you are reacting to you and don’t act like a Jack Wagon with you gun on your hip for the whole world to see!
Now Come on Guys; this is what gives all of us a big black eye in the public and gives Gun Owners a bad rap.
A little about me, I have been carrying a handgun almost every day for the last 20 years and been carrying concealed the last 10+ years as a FED LEO and would NEVER go out in public looking like this guy.
Last but least get out and Vote and support the organizations that support and fight for our 2nd Amendment rights.
Rant off fee free to Bash me all you want, I have really thick skin.
Im with you 100%. I live in an open carry state and its extremely rare to see someone open carry here. It has always bothered me that people dont exercise their right to carry. BUT THEN I went to Pa. around Christmas to visit n-laws and saw a guy in a gas station wearing jogging pants, a sweater and house shoes(looked like his PJ’s) with a glock flopping around on his hip. Thats when it hit me that if open carry were more common, we would have a lot of morons participating to make the rest of us look bad :suicide2:
Open carry legal around here too. Only time I can recall seeing people open carry though is around the time the sheepherders come down for supplies and that ain’t very often.
Once in a blue moon you’ll see this one jackass walking down main street, eating an ice cream cone that he bought on the corner, carrying a bag from the thrift store, where he also went in to buy something, on his way to go eat some fried macaroni and cheese at the deli down at the end of the street. He makes sure to go into every store just to see if anyone hasn’t noticed how bad ass he is yet.
Everybody knows who he is, he’s already used up his 10 seconds of notoriety and everyone pretty much ignores him. I hope he tries to come into the bar where I work on weekends someday. He’ll get an earful.
Oh, and being I forgot to mention it, he’s about as jumpy as a tick on a drowning dog. Kinda actually scares me!
I live in Nebraska and we are an open carry state also. I fully support the right to do so, but why is it always the dipshits that decide to do it?
I can’t imagine a single benefit over carrying concealed, other than to get attention. Do these people not realize that the attention they garner is not at all the kind they want?
Is it some kind of “I want to look like a cop without all the work & stuff” disorder?:haha:
I see folks open carry maybe once every other month. To me, its like the folks with the giant gaudy brand stickers all over their car. Thanks for advertising to the world exactly what you got. Just because something can be done doesn’t mean it should be done. I CAN walk around with a pointy white hood on my head, but I have enough common sense not to (actually I could probably pull it off since I’m not caucasian :D)
Unless you have the badge and uniform to go with it, open carry is a bad idea from a tactical standpoint. CCW is effective because of the element of surprise and in CCW states, the BGs can never be sure who is armed.
And yes, you pretty much look like a douche. As a general rule, you should downplay your badassedness. Avoid being a billboard for your hobbies and political affiliation/beliefs. Something about being the ‘grey man’…
Around here ¶ most people know better than to open carry (even though its legal) they are asking for bad publicity so they just conceal carry. Why have the headache and be labeled a douche-wagon…?
I was talking to one of my buddies about this the other day. I saw my first OC’er at the liquor store a few weeks ago and he really stuck out. Young guy, well dressed in a “Polo” and slacks, looking perfectly presentable, but the fact that his situational awareness was an absolute zero and he acted like the gun on his hip was either a fashion accessory or a cell phone really didn’t inspire much confidence in his ability to openly carry a firearm.
After a bit of discussion and thought on the matter I think most of the OC guys were picked on in high school, they’re socially retarded and carrying openly gives them a sort of confidence that they lack on their own. My perception is that they’re afraid to go out, interact with other people and are what most people would consider “nerdy” and are in fact very intimidated by most other people in society and probably border on being recluse.
I also think in their minds that it gives them an opening to speak to other people that they wouldn’t normally have the courage to associate with. They’re often well versed on the technicalities of the law and when given the opportunity like to educate people on the subtleties of laws pertaining to the open carrying of firearms. Little do they realize most people don’t give a shit and just feel uncomfortable around the guy with the black trench coat sporting his Hi-Point in his nylon Uncle Mike’s tactical thigh holster.
I’m a staunch supporter of the 2nd Amendment and gun rights in general and wouldn’t want anyone to infringe on their rights but I do think most of them are living in a bit of a fantasy world. I’ve had to OC a few times out of necessity and nobody’s even noticed when I did but the fact remains that I think most people should conceal their firearm. I really don’t feel any different about the wingnuts with badges who sport their G26 in a Serpa to go have lunch by my house either. Nobody gives a shit that you’re a cop in plain clothes so put your pea shooter away.
I am just speculating here, but those cops might have to do so per their dept. policy. I know it sounds stupid and lord knows no one agrees with it, but police brass/admin usually think up this type of thing on the regular.
That’s cool and I understand. However, when I took my wife and son to Fuddrucker’s the other day for lunch there was about a dozen of them in there and I thought it was an open carry convention, seriously. No one was wearing a badge by their Serpa and they all had little Metro ID badges, not very visible, hanging on dogtag chains.
Either way you cut it they looked like the typical OC’er, including their dress, and many people were giving them sideways glances.
I understand the reason the vast majority of people were open carrying in Kalifornia and it’s a much bigger issue than just “open carrying” for the sake of doing it. For them it truly is a political reason and they’re trying to gain attention to the fact that they can’t get a concealed carry permit. I don’t necessarily agree with their tactics but I do understand their position and it’s a valid one.
Now if the dipshit, scumbag, piece of shit politicians and police chiefs who swore an oath to uphold the Constitution would support the 2nd Amendment and grant those people permission to exercise their RIGHTS there wouldn’t be nearly the amount of knuckleheads wearing unloaded weapons in public and it wouldn’t be an issue.
I think the vast majority of people make a mountain out of a mole hill concerning OC anyways. The vast majority of people who aren’t involved in the gun culture probably have no clue about it other than a 2 minute blurb on the evening news and they forgot about that as soon as the spot on who Kim Kardashian’s banging came on.
Utah is an OC state. Back in 94 I did it some but have not since I got my permit around 96.
I have seen a few people in Wal-Mart or around OC but not very often. They usually have decent holsters and a 1911 or something similar. Nothing that would embarrass me as a gun owner. Usually older (middle age or older) guys.
For some people, they OC around their ranch and stuff and going down to the store to go shopping is just another place they go. They basically OC everywhere as part of their daily routine. (That is what they looked like – who knows if these particular people had a ranch or did it regularly). I’ve only seen a few in the 9 years since I moved back to Utah.
Freedom of speech means the KKK and Black Israelites are free to voice their hate and stupidity.
Freedom of religion means we have to deal with stupid people who believe Xenu and thetans actually exist.
Stupid people are allowed to vote and idiots can buy and carry guns.
These things are the price of freedom, and if you start restricting them you lay the groundwork to be restricted. There is no perfect solution or we’d already be doing it.
I personally would rather have some Bubba retard open carrying his Barney Fife rig in my Chic Fil A than have somebody killed in a robbery because they didn’t have a means to protect themselves. Doesn’t sound like he did anything to anyone and open carry is no more offensive than a Malcom X t shirt.
You may find his carry setup substandard, I might even agree with you. But I guarantee no matter how you or I carry, somebody somewhere will find it substandard and have a poor opinion of us as a result and many more think we should not be allowed to carry at all. Even more don’t even think we should have guns in the first place.
So next time you see Barney Fife, instead of being upset, remind yourself how lucky you are that you don’t live in some place where it simply wouldn’t be allowed like Chicago, DC or LA. And if it really bothers you still, maybe do something proactive like suggest a better carry rig.
Think it is often a case of far end laziness. To lazy to get a permit, do the class, or what ever the state law is and/or find CC to uncomfortable because of gear selection or to time consuming. Next step up the evolutionary chain is the once a blue moon CC crowd.
Now some have other reasons, issues, and needs that will drive this decision and they can be very legitimate or retarded but I have to nod with SteyrAUG in that as long as its being done and doable then its a plus. Hopefully education will improve as I think it has been over the years and we won’t see the stupid stuff as much over time although we will probably see it more before it becomes less.