Defensive Carry banner

I open carried for the first time today

4K views 34 replies 28 participants last post by  SixBravo 
#1 ·
Today I sucked up the courage to open carry. I strapped on my XD9, two spare mags in the XD GEAR mag holder, and went to McDonalds for a bite to eat. I get in there and the kid taking my order, looked at me kinda funny and asked me
"You a security Guard?"
No
"Undercover cop?"
No, I'm a civilian.
I knew he was kind of nervous, but other than that nobody else said anything. A guy in a tactical vest looked down at my gun, and looked at me, and just sort of smiled. I guess people in Anchorage are pretty well accustomed to carrying guns around. I'm gonna do it more often, cause I just think its more comfortable, and I don't have to worry about trying to find a cover shirt.

I got flamed on another forum for posting this. Before any of you start flaming me, I just wanna say that I'm not begging for attention, I'm simply experimenting with different carry methods, and OC happens to be legal here.
 
#2 ·
Well good for you. I have always wondered what the mindset of Alaskans who see people open carrying are like. If I'm not mistaken Alaska is the only place where any citizen from any state can carry open or concealed w/o a permit (correct me if I'm wrong). And because of this, it has always been at the top of my states to visit.
 
#3 ·
I'm cool with OC. I do understand the arguments against, but the more open carry the more familiar people will be with guns and how just the presence of a gun does not mean imminent violence.

Ultimately this helps our cause.

What is odd about this country is that in some cities that are the worst for gun control you can have porn laying out in the open for view by anyone who passes and nobody says a thing, but have a gun in view and everybody freaks out.
 
#4 ·
I don't have a problem with it. It is legal there, cool. I was looking at the gun laws in Alaska for a possible move there and after the new laws in 05 it looked good, but the less than favorable job market turned me off.

I personally would not open carry in town, but would open carry in the woods. Both carrying styles are for protection from preditors, but in town the predators know the function of gun, bears, fortunately, do not yet know. I would want to keep the element of surprise on my side. But that is me....
 
#5 ·
Personally I like open carry over concealed carry (its just more comfortable on hot weather areas/more accesible any time), it sucks I don't have that option down here in PR.
 
#6 ·
This is not a "flame," just a question. Why, if concealed-carry is legal, would you give away the element of surprise by carrying openly? An OWB holster with a light cover-garment (or a parka :rofl: ) wouldn't be that much slower and you would avoid any problems caused by open-carry.
 
#10 ·
or even just a vest works nicely too. I have a few that work nicely with different shirts (not thick coat-like vests, lighter clothing-like ones.)

I usually carry concealed, but it's nice for comfort to have the gun outside my belt, and wearing a vest for cover, especially in the cooler seasons.
 
#7 ·
OC is legal here in Kentucky as well.

While it is legal to OC the law also states that you may be hasseled by the PD while in larger cities like Louisville and Lexington. Although it is legal... they can and will still get you for disturbing the peace.:boese51:


I say congrats to you!:bier:
 
#8 ·
#28 ·
I read in the most recent "Conceal Carry Handguns" mag, an article written by Massad Ayoob regarding: "Concealed carry laws: State by State" ..on page # 92.

I will just give you the 'gist' of the point (So I am not stating this 'word for word' because of copywrite laws)

In the article he mentions that Alaska also issues concealed carry permits, so that Alaskans have a legal means that they can use if they are interested in having reciprocity in states that honor other state's CCW permits.

-Nice State -
 
#9 ·
I spent ten years in Los Anchorage. Alaska does have a different mind set when it comes to guns. Montana is very similar and we too can open carry though I don’t. I’ve seen guys OC in Tucson too. I can see it there with the temp so hot.
 
#11 ·
No flaming here Brother! I open carry here in West Tennessee about 80% of the time. In fact I went to the grocery store and the gas station while open carrying just tonight. No one even looked twice at me.

Congrats on open carrying. I too find it much more comfortable and much more natural. And as far as the concern of giving up the element of surprise, as far as I can tell, no one even notices my gun when I open carry. Now I am sure the bad guys might but really, those of us who carry to protect ourselves and our loved ones do not carry ourselves the same way that the sheeple do.
I have heard professional criminals say that they can usually pick out of a crowd the people who are either armed or can handle themselves well in a fight. So I don't think that carrying concealed is all that much of a tactical advantage. Besides, when it is 98 degrees here and someone is walking around with a photographers vest on and no camera, or an outer button up shirt, not buttoned, and a T-shirt on under it, I would not be surprised to find out they are armed.

Congratulations on open carrying again! Enjoy the feel of freedom.
 
#13 ·
The tone of this thread is too funny..it sounds like a bunch of nudists going out in public or women wearing no underwear for the first time.

"I went into McD's with no underwear on. I don't think anyone noticed. I mean, it's just so much more comfortable during the summer with all the humidity. And it feels much more natural and I feel so free!"

HA!

It's legal here in La, too, but I'm sure we've all seen the story where the guy at the outlet mall gets thrown in jail for it.
 
#33 ·
I Thought A Permit Was Required...



...a 'commando permit'...
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

ret:urla9ub:
 
#15 ·
Virginia is good to go for open carry. Check out www. opencarry.com.

Yeah, open carry is not the most prudent tactical option, but some laws require it. Other than that, just cause it ain't smart, doesn't mean I can't do it. Kinda like my freedom to do what I want. That's what America is all about.
 
#16 ·
Open Carry in WV

Open carry is legal in West Virginia without a permit. I really haven't seen anyone oc in crowded areas, but I've seen it a little more commonly in rural areas.

I have my resident ccw in WV (since 1992) so I most always carry concealed. However, I manage a large tract of land for my business (2500 acres) and I always oc there - as soon as I enter the property I have the assumed role of "security" along with my other duties.

Carry safe,

ccWV
 
#29 ·
That website needs some updating. In Kansas it is legal to open carry. They mention that local laws are different so it makes it a pita to carry. That used to be true, but awhile ago the problem was resolved by the state requiring all cities to have the same gun laws.

This message forum is a concealed carry bias message forum. There is nothing wrong with that, but people who do open carry will often get a few questions from the concealed carry only people.

I say good for you. Both OC and CC have their advantages, and it's good that people have been mixing it up between OC and CC.
 
#18 ·
Today I sucked up the courage to open carry. I strapped on my XD9, two spare mags in the XD GEAR mag holder, and went to McDonalds for a bite to eat. I get in there and the kid taking my order, looked at me kinda funny and asked me
"You a security Guard?"
No
"Undercover cop?"
No, I'm a civilian.
I knew he was kind of nervous, but other than that nobody else said anything. A guy in a tactical vest looked down at my gun, and looked at me, and just sort of smiled. I guess people in Anchorage are pretty well accustomed to carrying guns around. I'm gonna do it more often, cause I just think its more comfortable, and I don't have to worry about trying to find a cover shirt. .
Ummmm why are you eating at McD's and exercising your God given right to be armed ? Did you know that McD's gives millions of dollars to HCI ? Besides their so called "food" sucks, does anyone really know what meat is in those burgers ? They really messed up when they eliminated the pork fat from the french fry making process :spankme:
 
#22 ·
Did you know that McD's gives millions of dollars to HCI ?
Call me dumb, but who/what is HCI? I did a Google on HCI and found several site about computer resources and a couple of college programs, but nothing that says bad.

Now, I don't want to support any anti's, but lets face it, our choices are getting more and more limited every day. I don't want to sound defeatist here, but unless there is an organized effort by all of us pro's, most of the monies that we spend will be used to support efforts against us.

To bring this full circle and back ot topic, by us open carrying, even on occasion, we get the message out to the uninformed that we are not the threat. Good guys everywhere have guns, so do bad guys. Are we more of a target to hte BG's because tactical advantage is now lifted? Maybe. Are we any less of a target from the anti's by not "giving away" our secrets on occasion? I think yes.

Yes, I know that there are groups out there fighting for our cause(s), and I appalud their efforts, but they are working at governmental levels. You can't change the peoples minds with out talking to the people. Politicians do not talk to the people, they talk at the people.

I believe in OC, and practice it quite often. When descretion is the rule of the day, then I conceal. If you don't take advantage of the law, it will be taken away.
 
#19 ·
I had a similar experience last week with a 10 year old. He asked me why I had a gun if I wasn't a cop. I told him "What happens if someone is trying to hurt you in the street, here, and theres no police around to help?"

Welcome to the world of OC.
 
#21 ·
I applaud your decision to OC. In Tucson I occasionally see folks OC and it has not aroused any negative reactions that I have seen. I've seen people ranging from the stereotypical "biker-dude" on a Harley to a guy wearing Air Force BDU's open carrying. Even though I CCW, I feel a sense of pride for and with them when I see it; we are after all exercising a right.
 
#25 ·
As far as open carry goes, here in Tucson it just normal, I was running errands the other day I saw a guy at the bank with a snub nose 38/357, later another guy at the grocery store with a bersa .380 on his belt, then at a motor sports shop saw a guy with a Walther PPK in a nice safari land holster, and last but not least on the way home a motorcyclist with a XD .40, all in one day.

However I have occasionally open carried on really hot days or when out on my bike and a cover garment or IWB is just too hot, but for the most part I conceal because I like the “tactical advantage” of the BG not knowing I am armed, also I don’t like the negative attention it sometimes attracts.
 
#30 ·
Why, if concealed-carry is legal, would you give away the element of surprise by carrying openly?
On the other hand, in my opinion, open carry offers an instant deterrent to crime. Bad guys are looking for easy prey, and the presence of a firearm ups the ante.

I applaude you, spyderdude, for exercising your 2nd Amendment rights!
 
#32 ·
Wow, he posted on two different sites.

And he got two different types of responses lol.

We have OC here. I do it every now and then, not for the "macho" part as another poster, elsewhere, mentioned. Or the "laziness" factor.

Just did so because it sometimes gets hot and well, it's more comfortable (and you don't get that ichy sweat that gets inbetween the holster and your skin, even with a undershirt between it and you).

During hunting season you see open carry all the time and no one, not even the sheeple, run and hide (well, maybe some of them). It's not as common in the summer but there are people, like myself, that do so every now and then.

Me, it's a way to "introduce" a firearm to those who may be on the fence. Yes, you can't change an anti's mind and on the other side you are preaching to the choir, but those that are on the fence see it, see you, and then see that there is nothing to be scared of.

Starts up conversations with fence sitters also. Had a group of college kids eating with me at wendy's a couple of summers back. They didn't know me, nor I them, but they wanted to know about my gun, the legality of OC, and where did I buy the firearm.

Found out that two of them went to the gun shop and picked up their own gun and took the pistol class. Especially when I enlightened them that carry on campus was legal (but it's better to have it concealed).

That was one fact that they did not know, that carry was legal on school grounds with a CCW. And that no matter what they signed as a student they couldn't be expelled or punished for carrying.

So, you see that OC does work. And think about it this way, for people that haven't gotten their CCW, or don't want a CCW for whatever reason, some of them are waiting to see if someone else has the cajones to OC, they see this, and then that gets them to OC. Then another that want's to OC, see's others OC'ing and then they too start, etc.. etc.. etc..

Wayne
 
#35 ·
To OC... or not OC... that is the question...

I can't say it enough.... In Northern AZ, a LOT of people OC. I honestly think its a crime deterrent because I believe it makes others think twice about what they might do. At least... I really hope it does. Everything else is secondary to me. :mad:

Someone also mentioned "opencarry.com". I, too, keep from that site and prefer to post here. There seems to be a lot of cowboys there and the CCW'ers don't seem to be very tolerant (with good reason). The wealth of knowledge here, alongside the professionalism, makes it a clear choice.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top