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Permalink Reply by CHRISTIAN G BEUSCHLEIN on June 23, 2010 at 4:55am

I open carry here in AZ., and only three times have had strange looks, and only once has anyone harassed me. Most are a little taken back at first, but after explaning the Second Amendment and that I am vet most feel more comfortable about open display of a side arm. As far as a potential gun grab, a good level two holster and situational awareness should be sufficient, depending on the environment your in. And of course a good training course in carrying and use of a side arm is a no brainer.

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Permalink Reply by Brad Harris on June 28, 2010 at 7:59am

While I believe that open carry should be legal everywhere, it does put a person at a much higher risk than concealed carry. A bad guy would simply walk up behind someone that is carrying in the open and put a bullet in the back of their head.
Common sense would tell you that if you were going to do something bad, you would first eliminate all known threats before you got started.

By keeping criminals guessing who is armed and how many folks may be armed in the given vicinity, I would consider that a much better deterrent to crime.

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Permalink Reply by James Racle on June 28, 2010 at 9:02am

Washington State is an open carry state but it is a very liberal state. Openly carrying a firearm really attracts attention to you and definitely solicits many comments. The bulk of the comments are not positive, however, that does not deter me from carrying openly. There seems to be a majority anti-gun attitude in this state. If one is to carry openly, I strongly recommend that they are well trained in the use of their firearm and that that they use a secure holster. There has been some movement toward open carry but I think that it will be a very slow transition.

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Permalink Reply by Mory Riley on June 28, 2010 at 9:26am

Just because you can, does not mean you should.
Yes, it is a way of expressing your second amendment right , but it is not tactically sound. Kind of like playing poker with all of your cards face up.

Mr. Beuschlein may be correct, with the proper gear, mind set and training, open carry can be done in somewhat of a safe manner. But you're still letting the bad guy and everyone else know you have a gun.
I'm sorry, when I'm out in public, I just don't want to be in "condition orange" all of the time. Condition yellow is draining enough.
Regarding the general public's reaction to open carry, yes it does matter. Keep in mind, a lot of these people vote. Their view points can be expressed at the voting booth.
There are many good people that just don't like guns and it follows that they don't like or trust people with guns. We are all "bad" to some degree in their eyes because they don't understand our point of view.

I agree with Mr. Harris. Keep them guessing. What they don't know, won't hurt them. As for the bad guy, let them stay in condition orange, because what they don't know CAN hurt them.

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Permalink Reply by James Racle on June 28, 2010 at 10:06am

In my opinion, with the anti-gun sentiment in Washington State, it definitely causes more problems than it solves. We recently experienced an encounter with Starbucks allowing open carry patrons to frequent their stores. The outcry against this action was covered on all of the news channels with the usual media biased coverage which was not in favor of this action. I am a proponent of open carry and I do carry my firearmrs openly when I leave the shooting range. I haven't seen any evidence of scaring women and children but have received many negative comments about which I couldn't care less. I carry my firearms in secure holsters and I have no fear of anyone grabbing my gun. All in all, I don't feel that it matters whether folks like it or not.

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Permalink Reply by Brian Tsai on June 28, 2010 at 3:55pm

I agree with Mory posted below. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

If you're making a range trip, you're wearing a polo tucked into a nice pair of black pants, then by all means, open carry. If you're out doing normal activities in plain clothes, you are much better off just carrying concealed, or you'll be outed at that "nutjob who carries" by everyone you know. Unless some situation dictates it would be easier to open carry, such as a range trip or some sanctioned and formal event, conceal it.

I have more holsters than most women have shoes, so when in doubt, conceal.

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Permalink Reply by William Suddith on June 29, 2010 at 1:43pm

Hello All
I believe open is a bad idea. Our culture is not used to that idea since guns are a scary thing to see in public anyway, except when carried by the police. And of course, the thugs would love to have an open carry law. To carry openly, one would have to be trained in awareness, be healthy enough to ward off the thugs and have a secure holster. But, it would make most average bystanders a little insecure.

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Permalink Reply by WickedGoodOutdoors on July 12, 2010 at 10:49am

Open carry It should be allowed anywhere if one wishes. I does have some drawbacks as it
unduly scares liberals and diminishes the tactical advantage that concealed carry offers.

Of course the choice is up to the individual.

The excption is when your in an area where the animals present a hazard that reguires calibers larger than a .45acp, which of course are just plain difficult to carry concelled.

In that case a .44 mag or .500 mag on the hip may me just plain fasionable.


WickedGoodOutdoors.com

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Permalink Reply by Mike Searson on July 26, 2010 at 4:48pm

I do both, depending on the situation.

I OC in 95% of the State of Nevada, it's legal, it's safe, and it's a cherished tradition of living in the West.

I do not OC in Clark County or in the Gaming Establishments where the California citizenry comes to pay my State Income tax. In 5 years of OC, I have never had a problem from Law Enforcement or any miscreants. I suffered one sideways glance from an obvious tourist while in Virginia City once, a derisive remark made by a tub of guts who probably hasn't seen his feet in 20 years, and a little kid pointed at me one time saying: "Look momma, it's a REAL Cowboy, he's even got a Colt .45" (I was actually wearing my Colt SAA made in 1903 that afternoon). I don't subscribe to the fantasy people have about bad guys coal clocking you over a gun. Most bad guys see someone OCing and they think it's John E Law and go the other way. I guess if you look like an easy mark they might try it, I've never had that problem.

That said, rural Nevada is not LA, Miami, NYC, etc In locales such as that, one must do as the Romans (plebians) do.

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Permalink Reply by Frank "D" Conover on August 8, 2010 at 11:00am

I would prefer to conceal carry leaving those around you not wondering why you are carrying. Also it's none of their business and avoids remarks and trouble.

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Permalink Reply by Al Kidd on August 17, 2010 at 3:49pm

SC is a C-C state, but while engaged in the activity of (legally) hunting/fishing -- also, while going directly to or from your (non-state park/non-state forest) hunting/fishing site via vehicle or foot --, you may carry your handgun openly.

Wild boars are becoming more plentiful and more aggressive here in the southeast. I don't want to even think about a situation where I would be caught having to try to fend off a charge from even one of them at point blank range with a bolt-action rifle. I want readily at hand at least a 40 caliber with a full clip and another one on the holster. (I have an XD-40 tactical, but am looking at a 45.) I feel better having it strapped on me when I'm trekking back a mile off the road well before sunrise.

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Permalink Reply by Gil on August 19, 2010 at 6:32pm

I think it causes way more problems than any of us should want to create. If you want to be armed, get a concealed carry permit. Unless you're out in the deep woods hiking or hunting, I just don't know why someone would want to carry open. What happens when you walk into a 7/11 store for a Coke? Do you want a nervous clerk to blow you away?

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