Complimented two open carriers today in Lowe's.

[jeepster09]

I see it and ignore it. On my way in to work as an RSO I am always carrying OWB and if I head into a grocery store to pick up donuts for the gang I will pull out my shirt to cover my firearm. I always felt open carry was just advertising and a possible invite to trouble. I would prefer that I do not have to explain myself to a security officer or cop because some Karen dials 911 and says "man with a gun".

Totally agree. When I was on PD I always watched open carry a little closer. Most that I dealt with had a BIG EGO problem wanting to show off their gun.
I also feel open carry makes you "first target" if bad guy is up to no good.

[Bawanna]

Exactomundo!^^^^^^

A couple years back when all the open carriers were testing cops knowledge of the laws even our town had a few that would walk around phone cameras in hand with AR's slung and pistols on their belt to see if they would get harrassed. On two occasions we heard they were walking, we call everybody available and went ahead of them so we could meet them. All of us of course open carrying, many in uniform. It was hilarious, they were soooooo looking for a confrontation.
The down fall is all the snow flakes calling in man with a gun. Yeah we know, nothing to worry about except he's a moron.

[dao]

As 340pd, jeepster and the colonel said, "...wanting to show off their gun. I also feel open carry makes you "first target" if bad guy is up to no good.

Yeah we know, nothing to worry about except he's a moron."

Funny how, in the two camps of open vs. concealed, those of us on the concealed side tend to share these thoughts. I've just never seen a good reason for letting the bad guy know that you're the one they should worry about first.

[I_Like_Turtles]

There are three very big problems with that view....

1). Bullies don't pick on muscular guys. If the argument is, "open carry attracts criminal attention," then muscular guys, wearing tank tops, would also invite attacks by bullies. Opposite is true.

2). Cops, most of whom open carry at all times, are not "shot on sight." If open carry itself caused the open carrier to be "shot first" then why are uniformed police (all who open carry) not commonly shot? In fact, the presence of uniformed police tends to deter criminal acts and presence. They go elsewhere. It's not the badge scaring them off, it's the sidearm.

3). Armed security gets a lot more respect than unarmed security.

The belief that "the bad guy will shoot the open carrier" simply does not hold water. Bad guys tend to avoid resistance, not seek it out.

I've never come in contact with the "2nd Amendment Auditor" nor do I know any or wish to know any. A great deal of that is driven by the addiction to social media and getting Youtube views.

The two times I open carried a rifle were in front of the local Marine recruiting office, after the one in TN was shot up (the one with the "gun free zone" sign). Both times police stopped by, thanked everyone, and shook everyone's hand. No one video taped it, although local news did a couple of stories (we didn't invite them nor did we give the reporter our names). We weren't there for Youtube views.

I didn't used to go for open carry but after giving it a try, it has its place, just like all rights. The ones you guys were turned off by are rather like with the LGBTQRSTUV12345 movement, there are classy folks and alas, many that are not classy at all. The ones that are unhinged get all the attention.

It's hard to quantify crimes that didn't happen, but this one is fairly well-reported.

https://nyccriminallawyer.com/open-c...y-in-kennesaw/

*During the recruiting office guarding, I'd go next door to use the bathroom. This was a tobacco shop and was maned by a single female. She told me "she had never felt more safe in her life."

Jeepster.....odd view. How many criminals, in your experience, open carried? How many robbers, etc., carried their firearms openly, in a holster?

[markman]

1). Bullies don't pick on muscular guys. If the argument is, "open carry attracts criminal attention," then muscular guys, wearing tank tops, would also invite attacks by bullies. Opposite is true.

While that might be true some of the time, it surely isn't true all the time. If a guy is to big or too tuff he'll either get shot or jumped by many (strength in numbers). Or he'll get sucker punched or hit with a weapon, If you have ever been in a jail or a prison, it happens all the time. It happens all the time on the streets. Thugs think way different than most common people.

2). Cops, most of whom open carry at all times, are not "shot on sight." If open carry itself caused the open carrier to be "shot first" then why are uniformed police (all who open carry) not commonly shot? In fact, the presence of uniformed police tends to deter criminal acts and presence. They go elsewhere. It's not the badge scaring them off, it's the sidearm.

Really? There sure seems to be a lot of Cops shot, shot at or ambushed lately.

3). Armed security gets a lot more respect than unarmed security.

Most thugs have no respect for security armed or not. Unfortunately that includes LE.

I agree with the above posters that open carry puts a target on your back, if you choose to do it that's your right and I support all 2nd Amendment rights.

[I_Like_Turtles]

Well then if you are so sure, you should be able to back that up with some numbers....we'll always have some outliers but I suspect those are so low as to be insignificant.

I attest, in general, bullies don't pick on or even jump muscular guys. Criminals are by nature lazy, if they weren't lazy they'd do honest work, attacking muscular guys involves more work, which is why they will almost always target those that appear to be weak or distracted. (Distraction outweighs all abilities, rather like how Pearl Harbor was decimated, they weren't paying much attention).

I think most will agree, the current climate regarding police is an aberration. Even now when a cop is shot it's generally big news and makes the news. Further, very few are assassinated, most seem to be shot in the process of enforcing the law. For your belief to be true, since it's about open carry self defenders, not police, police would have to be commonly shot without warning or without previous interaction with the attacker.

Again, for your belief to be true, you're going to have to show me some numbers. Having been an armed rental cop, I have seen first-hand how me being armed and that being clearly visible, had a deterrent effect on attackers (in those cases, would-be attackers). Guys would come into the store, see the uniform, look down at the gun, look up with mouth and eyes wide open, turn on their heels, and exit. I was open carrying on that job and when such interactions occurred, at least until it got cold and I put on a coat.

I'm not seeing hostility to open carry in this thread, disagreement with yes, but not hostility, and that's a good thing. Self defenders should support each other, no matter how one chooses to defend themselves. Those sworn to uphold the Constitution should, I imagine, want to uphold all of it, including all rights.

[berettabone]

I'd say that I open carry about 15% of the time and conceal about 85%.......................I do a lot of hiking(not as much as I used to) and have run in to poachers, and just strange people who make the hair on the back of my neck stand up. In these situations, I want these people to know I am armed immediately, whether they have a weapon or not. In my state, the farther north you go, the more open carry you will see. I talked to a guy from Oregon a while back at a friend's house. He was from the southern part of the state. He stated that most people open carry there because of the heavy pot trade in the area and the usual threatening animals.

[Armybrat]

Open carrying in rural areas and national & state park woodlands is a different thing than running to the store in urban areas, IMO.

While out at family land in the Texas Hill Country, I do open carry.... and would do the same if hiking in public lands in the back country of Colorado.

But I refrain from doing so here in suburbia and the metro area. My choice.

[I_Like_Turtles]

Good idea! You definitely want to project "not easy target" to such people. I haven't hiked in years but I'd open carry if I did. Open carry allows one to carry larger and more powerful handguns than concealed carry.....that's another reason I open carry when mowing. I'd much rather draw my 1911 than my .38 on a pack of feral dogs and my neighborhood has seen roving packs of feral dogs in recent years.

[jeepster09]

When a cop or armed security guard is armed visibly....it is NOT THE SAME as private citizen. Crooks aka bad guys usually know that backup is not far away in most cases. It use to also be if you shoot a cop, bad guy knew he would be hunted down. A private citizen is shot "maybe" you will be hunted down. Openly wearing a gun is like carrying a neon sign and everyone is watching you. Concealed you won't get a second glance in most cases. For me the same ones that open carry most likely are always doing SELFIES on social media...."hey look at me" wanting attention.