Spec

I was thinking of open carring but my dad says not to because you become a target. I just feel that the BG will steer clean of you altogether. How do you feel?

Thoughts... Comments... Situations... Please

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Thin Ice Thread.
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retsupt99

In "Day Twa"? Only you can decide...depends upon the situation. You are responsible for you own safety. What do you feel comfortable with? I say, "Go for it!"

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rmodel65

Open Carry a few times and youll be hooked
so much more comfy.... with that said only OC if your comfterable with talking to people

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SubNine

If your state allows open carry, weigh the risks and benefits of doing so and make your final decision based on them, and how comfortable you are with talking to people about it. The pros and cons have been discussed time and time again on this forum and other gun forums that I frequent.

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wmhawth

Depends on your reason for carry. If protection for yourself and your family is all that's on your agenda I'd say no.

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joshe

can you elaborate on that?

larefugee

Here, go read this: The Open Carry Argument

Glock30Owner

As an avid OCer, I have to agree with this statement.

Protection for myself and family is only one reason I open carry. If it were the only reasons, I'd probably conceal.

If you are not prepared to be an active (potentially) advocate for the RTBA;

If you are not (potentially) prepared to be detained by police (the ones with no clue);

If you are not comfortable talking with curious people or abusive antis;

Don't open carry.

With that said, I have never had a "bad" experience. The worst thing to happen to me was the BBW stocking the cooler in a Walmart Neighborhood who nearly screamed in panic when she saw my firearm on my hip. I just smiled at her and greeted her politely and kept my weak side arm around my girlfriend's waist.

If you do decide to OC, make sure you know your state's laws. This will help you IF you run into the clueless cop (or the anti cop). Not knowing the laws could cause you to commit a crime inadvertantly.

In the beginning, OC only where you feel comfortable, conceal wher you don't. Get used to OCing. It can take some time before the feeling of everyone watching you goes away.

jumpwing

Very, VERY well written.

Spec, I have a couple of suggestions.

#1 Look for evidence supporting your dad's claim.
Research news articles where a victim was targeted because he openly carried. Actually, I can save you the trouble: there aren't any, except for ONE very sketchy story about a guy in Virginia. With dozens of states protecting open carry over several decades, this is a shockingly LOW occurance of open carriers being targeted. Especially considering that the media would pounce on any story that could even be spun that way.

#2 What does your own appearance say about you?
A 21-year-old who walks, talks, and dresses like a street "gangsta" is going to be a trouble-magnet if he straps on a visible weapon, legal or otherwise. Philosophically we all agree that people should be judged on their own merits, not their appearance. But realistically we also agree that this will never happen. You can count on being judged by your appearance and receiving attention from others accordingly.

#3 Attitudinal self-evaluation.
If you choose to open carry, how prepared are you for snotty comments, snide remarks, and verbal hostility from those who don't share your enthusiasm for firearms? This sort of thing doesn't happen often to an individual who open carries, but it DOES happen and it only takes ONE bad reaction from you to create a serious problem. When it's over, no one will care that you had a bad day, or that you were simply caught off guard. If you don't have the ability to remain civil and calm during an unpleasant discussion then you're better off concealing. You will be a walking example of the firearms community whether you want that responsibility or not.

#4 Know your law, know your stats.
Your foray into exercising your human right will inspire questions from others. Are you prepared to answer them? Are you prepared to be delayed when going about your business because a cop had to respond to a "man with a gun" call about you? Again, it doesn't happen often, but it DOES happen. If you're not prepared to be unexpectedly inconvenienced then I would recommend against OC.

I OC when I can, but more often I CC because my personal circumstances make this the right choice for me during those times. I think both methods are acceptable for anyone who carries responsibly.

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