Ever Open-Carried your handgun?

[SoDakHunter]

I open carried into the bank and everyone freaked out... I was like "yo everyone listen up! chill out..."

[KW Gary M]

Originally Posted by SoDakHunter

I open carried into the bank and everyone freaked out... I was like "yo everyone listen up! chill out..."

I could see that. I might be a little freaked out if I was a bank teller. I have a friend who is an undercover drug cop. He bent down to pick up his pen he dropped when we were in a bank once and his gun popped out of his shirt. People got all weird until he showed his badge too.

[jtuck]

As someone who works with juveniles every day in a law enforcement capacity: I believe that laws that stand in my state, (and most others) are set up fairly well. You must be 18 to purchase a rifle, 21 to purchase a pistol, and 23 to obtain your CCW. There are no laws against juveniles using these firearms, but there are restrictions on the purchase of ammunition (same as the firearms). I agree that children must be taught the safe handling and use techniques that we all learned, and I see no reason for a 13-16 year old to be in the possession of a firearm without and adult unless they are hunting/shooting on their own property. I also agree that these laws will never prevent crimes being committed by young people with weapons, but it does greatly cut down on the opportunity. Having said that, I believe that I would rather look down the barrel of a gun held by an adult than a juvenile, because most adults will at least somewhat think about the consequences. Most kids are so calloused by video games they do not think about those type of consequences.

[rdale501]

Originally Posted by SoDakHunter

I open carried into the bank and everyone freaked out... I was like "yo everyone listen up! chill out..."

When I got my concealed carry permit, I was given a list of illegal places to carry a weapon. Banks was one of them. Maybe that is not the same from state to state, but I would check to see if you are breaking the law by just taking a gun in there.

[Big Tool]

If you are open carrying in the woods then I would call that hunting. As long as you are on private property or government land i wouldn't worry a bit.

Me and my wife hike in the smokies before we were 21 and i usually packed my glock 10mm. I don't like the idea of being bear poop too much.

As long as your are not trespassing or doing something illegal you shouldn't have to worry about anyone questioning you.

Is the place you are going a public property where you will be around other people???

If I were still under 21. I definitely wouldn't OC in places like the mall. Which I'm sure you aren't even considering.

Basically you only need to OC if there is a legitimate reason such as bears, and other dangerous critters you described. Once you get back to civiliztion leave it in the vehicle.

A young guy OC is a easy target for junkie looking for a piece. The main point of CC is the element of surprise. By OC in a deadly situation you pretty much guarantee being the first civilian to be shot.

[Rex in OTZ]

Here in NW Alaska we have brought our rifles in and stood them by the door while getting provisions during a trip in the village store, sometimes leaving the firearm un-attended for short periods laying on the vehicle "ATV or Sno-go" the bank here would defenatly ruffled if you carted in your rifle, as for hand guns that happens so much its not funny. Awhile back I had a boss that just moved here fron new York State "avid gun of the month member" had been wearing his new FireStar .45 acp in a hip holster during work it dident bother me, sometimes he would get so agitated dealing with upper management he would make me drive him outta town for some shooting theropy, we usally swung by the house for my S&W 629 on the way out of town all on company time, man those were the day's of $25 a box of 50 .44mag's , $17 a brick of .22's we would take 4 bricks of .22 and 5 boxes .44's and wouldent come back till it was all gone.

[TXplt]

Big--respectfully, I'm afraid I'll have to differ with one of your points. Maybe you meant it differently, but I believe one should carry (talking CCW here) everywhere legally possible, all the time. The pistol in the car isn't going to help you if you're in the restaurant, alley, or mall and something bad happens. It's easy to get complacent, but the first rule of gunfighting is: have a gun.

Cheers.

[TexasT]

Tx, I agree with you on CCW, however this was OC. He exercised his OC right, but he was not able to legally CC. Twister, I'm glad things went off without a hitch and that you were able to educate a youngster without glorifying guns. Good job.

Haha, would the second rule of gunfighting be don't let your enemy know what you've got?

[TXplt]

IC--thanks !

It's always best to be underestimated by any enemy

[Big Tool]

Originally Posted by TXplt

Big--respectfully, I'm afraid I'll have to differ with one of your points. Maybe you meant it differently, but I believe one should carry (talking CCW here) everywhere legally possible, all the time. The pistol in the car isn't going to help you if you're in the restaurant, alley, or mall and something bad happens. It's easy to get complacent, but the first rule of gunfighting is: have a gun.

Cheers.

I must had worded it improperly. Carry concealed everywhere for sure. Carrying open however puts you openly at risk if there were a robbery, or some other situation where the bad guy would spot you carrying.

CC gives you the advantage of surprise and should always be carried if allowed.

[twisterx44]

Update:

Sorry this took so long and I know I am reviving a long dead post but I finally got around to uploading some pictures of us hiking around in Glacier National Park, MT where I OCed. I think you can find my kimber in all the pics? not sure. Enjoy.

[AnaxImperator]

I OC on a regular basis, regardless of where I'm going or at what time.

My first time OC'ing was uneventful. I slipped my Norinco M213 in a Bianchi Accumold, and sallied forth to a pleasant afternoon of plinking at my favorite range. Afterwards I wandered back into town for a bite to eat (plinking always gives me a powerful hunger for burgers), and found myself in a nice BBQ joint. The place was rather empty, aside from a half-dozen other patrons and the wait/cook-staff. I kept track of the other patrons & employees as I walked to my table, fully expecting to be at least the subject of stares & whispers, or possibly being asked to leave and/or have the cops called on me.

I wasn't given even a second glance by any in the establishment, and my meal was finished without incident.

Upon leaving, I noticed a small art-gallery adjacent to the resteraunt, and that it was open for a free exhibition. Being the inquisitive soul that I am, I wandered in to find a setup showcasing the entire body of work (paintings) by a little 87yr-old lady. The gallery itself was actually a small converted bungalow, with a coffee-bar & tiki-patio located in the back. Attending the exhibition was a dozen or so middle-to-late vintaged hipsters & baby-boomers. Again, I was initially given no more than a passing glance as I wandered through the display rooms.

After making my way to the coffee-bar for a hot cocoa and returning to a particular painting that caught my eye earlier, a middle-aged normal approached and began talking to me about the artist's history & style. A few minutes of small talk later he wandered off, and then was replaced shortly after by a middle-aged woman normal (maybe ex-yuppie). And the first thing she said to me was;

"Is that a real gun?"

I gave her a smile, and answered in the affirmative. "Wow. Is that, um... legal?" Again, I answered "yes" politely, gave her a very brief run-down on Colorado's OC laws, and why I carried ("Better to not need it & have it, etc"). And with that, said middle-aged woman proceeded to ask me about my favorite paintings there, and if I liked to paint or draw. After another few minutes of art-related chit-chat she returned to the tiki-patio, and I left for home.

While I was driving home, it struck me that I had wandered into what should have been a den of anti-gun sentiment & ignorance. Of all places where I would've likely encountered a negative statement or attitude towards my OC, it should've been then & there. Instead, it seemed as if aside from that one lady, everyone else had simply not noticed that I had a large, brushed-chrome, 9mm semi-automatic hangun at my hip. And when I was given a comment, it was out of honest curiosity, rather than fear or anger. My first day OC'ing was a fine one, and my initial nervousness has since evaporated.

Since then I've only had one other encounter with normals in regards to my OC'ing. I went to Borders to pick up a Heinlein paperback that I had ordered, and a new issue of SGN. While I was in the sci-fi book section, a youngster (about 8-9yrs old) walked up to me rather sheepishly. I knew from the look on his face that he was going to ask me about my handgun, and I was right.
"Mister, I just wanted to ask you if that's a real pistol?" I told him that indeed it is. "Are you police?" No, I'm not. Just an ordinary guy.

Ya'll know how kids are when they start talking about something they're really interested in. The little-guy then launched into how much he liked guns, and wishes he could shoot guns, and wants a gun when he's older, and his mom doesn't like guns and sez he can't have any guns, but when he's older and doesn't live at home anymore he'll buy his own gun for hunting squirrels and deer. He ended with; "That's ok to have a pistol if you're not police and not shooting deer?"

I can't pass up an opportunity to encourage young kids that are interested in firearms.
"Yep, it's ok because the Constitution says so. Did they teach you in school about the Constitution?".... "Yessir" (polite kid) ..... "The Constitution says you can have guns when you're older, and carry them even if you're not a policeman or soldier. But you have to be very safe with guns, and if you want to carry a pistol like mine you have to understand the laws too. It's against the law to carry a pistol like mine and hide it under your shirt, unless you have a special license"....
"Like a driver license?".... "Yep, like a driver's license. But in Colorado you can carry a pistol like mine in the open. You just can't hide it or threaten anyone with it because you're mad. You can be put in jail for that.".... "But what if a mean dog comes after me?".... (curve-ball)
"Well, you could shoot the dog, but only if it tries to bite you. And it might be you'll still get in trouble, because a lot of lawyers suck."....

The next bit almost had me rolling on the floor; "I know lawyers are bad, my mom says that all lawyers are bloodsuckers and they help my dad steal money from us."
At that point his mother comes down the aisle and grabs his arm; "Goddamn it, don't talk to him! You don't know who he is!" She had that look of working too many late nights at the Super Walmart, and of waiting too long between hair-bleaching.
Something about her accusational tone downright irked me. "It's alright, he just wanted to ask me some questions about my handgun."
"He's got no business with guns, and you've got no right to have one in public like that around kids!"....
"Yes, I do. Guess you're not familiar with Colorado law, and didn't listen in school while they were teaching about the Constitution and our Right to Keep & Bear Arms. You've got no right to tell me where I can & can't carry my handgun."
She glared at me, sucked the back of her teeth, and damn near wrenched the kid's arm from his socket as she turned and dragged him down the isle. I felt really bad for the little guy, being raised by a mean-spirited ignorant hag; I could tell he had a good head on his shoulders. It's not often I run into kids that polite with parents like her, or have the nerve to ask a total stranger a fairly personal question. Then again, kids are rather brutally honest until about the age of 12.

So as far as public response to my OC'ing goes, I'm 2-1.

OC'ing has definitely got me into the habit of being much more aware of my surroundings, rather than blithely wandering into places without so much as a glance at other people. Open-carry is not something to do blindly, as it could very possibly mean that what anti-OC'ers warn about may happen. I also am aware of the possibility that LEOs might be called by a scared citizen, and that I'll likely be hassled. However, I've become very familiar with city, state, & federal laws regarding OC, and I've printed out those that apply and carry them with me. There's been many cases of LEOs violating an OC'ers civil-rights (Example from OCDO), and I don't intend to allow any bully with a badge to step on my rights. But lucky for me, I happen to live in a city which is very OC-friendly. They may respond to a MWAG call (regarding me), but after they ascertain that I'm not a threat, I don't forsee any problems with LEOs.

[TXplt]

OC'ing might be your only viable option in some states (like Colorado or West Virginia) when you possess a CCW permit from a state other than your current legal residence. (example: you have a FL permit and move your legal residence to TX. Both FL and TX are reciprocal, so there's no real advantage to going out and getting a TX CCW--costing time and money--you can simply change the address with the
FL licensing authority). Some states--like Colorado and Kansas--have (wronlgy) banned firearm concealed carry (as an anti-gun measure) by people who hold a permit from a state other than their declared residence (which for all non-mil folks would likely be their driver license state). There's no good reason for this ban, but, luckily, only a few states are silly enough to do it.

[AnaxImperator]

BTW, I didn't notice anyone mention OpenCarry.org, or OCO's Forums.

There's LOTS of great information on open-carry laws nationwide, many positive personal OC experiences, and some negative ones to learn from.

My own political view on OC is "use it or lose it", and there is a definite deterrent factor in OC'ing. This fellow foiled a bank-robbery, and did so just by being there. Interrupted Sun-Trust Robbery
I don't believe that OC'ing makes anyone more of a target to a BG than someone who is unarmed (or CC'ing), the caveat being that someone OC'ing should definitely be actively aware of his/her surroundings. Trouble can be spotted before it actually happens, simply by watching others' body language and actions, and looking for things/people out of place before even leaving the car.
When pulling into a gas-station, I've made it a habit to scope out the other cars & people outside.
Are there cars parked along side of the building, or in an unlit area? Is there anyone inside the vehicle? Is it still running? Are there any shady characters loitering outside acting abnormally? Are the patrons inside the store acting normally?
Upon entering the gas-station, I look for other patrons. Are there any hanging by the back-door/bathroom/coolers? Are they browsing, but not really browsing? Do they keep surreptitiously or nervously touching a pocket, waistband, or spot on a jacket? Are any patrons paying too much attention to others or the clerk, while not browsing or waiting in line?
While I do any shopping inside the store, I watch for others' reactions if they notice my sidearm. I don't take my time, or allow anyone to walk up behind me without my noticing. And if there's a line, I always turn my body to keep my handgun out of easy reach of the person behind me, so I can keep an eye on them and others, and I keep my strong side arm/hand close to the holster.

Sure, it's a lot more work than just pulling my jacket over the handgun and waltzing into a place, and have nobody notice that I'm carrying. But I believe that even when carrying concealed, one should be aware of those things above anyways. As long as someone OC'ing is situationally aware, it'd be very hard for a BG to get the drop on the OC'er. Too, there is the accessibility of one's handgun; not for the BG, but for the carrier. Not having to dig under jackets/vests/shirts for the pistol, and not having any potential snags, is a definite advantage that OC has over CC.

I'm also not going to OC out of fear that it'll alarm some hoplophobe, who might in turn call the cops, or kick me out of their establishment. I'm not doing anything illegal, and I'm not going to be scared into forgoing my rights by some anti-gunner calling out the dogs. If I'm told to leave, fine... I'll take my money elsewhere, and inform others of the management's attitude. Nor will I be intimidated by LEOs who's alpha-dog mentality is threatened by LACs carrying their handguns.

[TACAV]

Nice expirience AnaxImperator,

I think there are a lot of "closet firearm enthusiasts" out there that just need that extra push in the right direction lol.

[Idaho Dave]

I open carry carry often even in town occasionally. I have never had anyone say anything negative about it. In the mountains here almost everyone open carries. and around the fall I see a few people mostly hunters.

[Taurus Fan]

Originally Posted by SoDakHunter

I open carried into the bank and everyone freaked out... I was like "yo everyone listen up! chill out..."

That was a terrible idea and showed very poor judgement.

"Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should"

[AnaxImperator]

Originally Posted by Taurus Fan

"Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should"

Agreed. When OC'ing, discretion is advisable. For example, I won't normally OC into a bank or mall. While LEOs may be more tolerant of OC'ing into an establishment that doesn't openly restrict open-carry, when they get a call about a MWAG inside a bank chances are good I'll be greeted by drawn Glocks & Sigs, and it'll end up being a huge waste of mine & the LEO's time.
Also, I don't exactly trust bank or mall armed security guards as having the level of training & restraint that cops will have, especially ASGs who may be new on the job or just high-strung.
But there is that chance that on the day that I decide to leave my sidearm at home or in the car, bad-$^it happens... So I have to wrestle with the whole "better to have it.....", and just deal with any hassles I get from security or LEOs. And for the most part banks & malls have parking-lot security/cameras. But if there's not adequate parking-lot security, I'm not going to leave my sidearm inside the car. In fact, I'm still not comfortable with leaving my gun in the car regardless of parking-lot security, but I know at least then if it's stolen from my vehicle, chances are larger that the break-in is on tape or witnessed. When I get my CWP, it'll never be left in my car.

I also won't open-carry into a church, that's just out of respect. And it goes without saying that gov. buildings, schools & businesses displaying "no firearms" signs are off-limits, OC or CC.
Many OC'ers have entered an establishment and been told that they'd be allowed back in if the firearm is secured in the OC'ers vehicle. Maybe I'm just stubborn, but I'll just leave rather than giving my money to an intolerant/ignorant butthead. So I've made it a habit to call ahead if I'm not positive that the management of a business is tolerant/aware of OC. Doing so has saved me the hassle of driving out somewhere, getting turned away, and then having to readjust my plans.
On a positive note, my calling ahead has made several manager/owners aware of open-carry, and prior to they had never thought about how to react & deal with an OC'ing customer(s). One restaurant owner had no idea that OC was legal, and though he decided in the end not to allow OC'ing customers (not because he's anti-gun, but to not alarm other customers), he thanked me for giving him a heads-up so that in the future, he'd be able to more calmly deal with the situation. Because he's now aware, when a customer shows up open-carrying, the owner won't be operating under the assumption that OC is illegal and end up calling police.

I know there are some people who OC largely to make a political statement and will gladly jump at the opportunity to argue with a hoplophobic or ignorant anti-gun citizen, but that's not me. I try to keep a low-profile. If asked politely out of curiosity, I'll happily give a brief run-down of the laws covering OC. But even if I have the strong urge to "educate" someone who's verbally attacking me for OC'ing (as the lady in Borders did), I won't. Someone who's that vehemently against firearms ownership isn't going to have their outlook changed solely from my argument, and arguing with them is just a waste of breath & time. I'll make my standard statement (refer them to the Constitution, DC vs. Heller, & Fed/State/City law), and then just stare back until they give up & leave.

[K75RT]

In the state I live in you can not open carry unless you have a special permit such as an armored delivery officer. When I lived in the beautiful state of Colorado, I regularly carried open, while shooting prairie dogs and while going about my business. I owned a home in Vermont and they have the best gun laws of the whole US, anyone can carry open or concealed as long as they are not a felon or prohibited and they arent't carrying for malicious purposes..

[AnaxImperator]

Originally Posted by K75RT

I owned a home in Vermont and they have the best gun laws of the whole US, anyone can carry open or concealed as long as they are not a felon or prohibited and they arent't carrying for malicious purposes..

Wasn't there something about Vermont seceding a little while ago? Or was that Montana?....