How Many Of You Open Carry?

I open carry. It's all I can do til I get a CCW.

I love it. I feel MUCH safer since I started OC'in, much much safer than when I only carried a pocket folder.

I'm attending a meet and greet trash pick up event on the 17th here in Vegas, which was coordinated on OpenCarry.org. Since its our first OC event, we're keeping it relatively small, just to feel it out and see how it goes.

"A right unexercised is a right lost"

I wish more people would OC and not be so timid about it. I really enjoy it.

I personally don't open carry for the simple fact that all I have right now is several rifles. Here in WV it is legal to do so, and I have many friends that do. They have never been hassled by the law and it is generally well accepted in these parts.

I open carry my 1911 occasionally. I would prefer to do it much more often, but my pants don't come even close to fitting unless there's a gun in them. Carrying IWB is far more comfortable.

I'm between Denver and the mountains, and I've never had anybody say anything, or even show any non-verbal evidence that they noticed my gun.

P.S. Tell me more about this BBQ if you will, kind sir. I have grips that I bought specifically for this purpose.

I open carry often. It used to feel odd, just like CCW did when I first started that. Now I hardly notice.

OC in Denver is Illegal but once you cross the DMZ and enter Colorado you can and I do I want to know about the BBQ too.

Even though I have a CHL, I open carry. The only reason I got a CHL was so that I could open carry in my vehicle.

I open carry as well. There's a pretty big community in Virginia. I have to admit I never really had the guts to do it until I got my CHP. I was afraid some LEO would decide I was in some gray area between concealed and open and wanted to give me a hard time. I feel safer doing it knowing I can carry open or concealed.

The CO BBQ is here: http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/view_topic.php?id=19382&forum_id=13&jump_to=421841#p421841

Luckydog, I'll see you there.

Saturday, May 16, 10:00 a.m. 'til late afternoon/early evening, at Cherry Creek State Park.

Ok.. I will play devils advocate

Huh.... maybe it is just me.... but the only time I OC is in the woods when I walk my dogs.

I feel like I would be playing cop or something OC'ing in the general public. I try not to go against the grain just for my own personal pleasure. I like to carry, thats why I applied for a CCW. I guess if your state does not allow CCW, but does allow OC you have no choice, but I do not like people having any more access to my life then they need and this is an open door.

I don't know. Convince me I am wrong on this one.

Leroy

OC is the only choice we have in backwards wisconsin. hopefully we will get CC now that more people are OCing here. But we we cant in our vehicles they have to be in a case.

I OC depending on my dress. In the winter it's usually CC because of outerwear but in the summer I OC mostly because it's just more comfy.

Damian

I do occasionally. We have a local chapter of OCDO members that try to meet up once a month for a dinner or other event. It's usually a lot of fun, and believe it or not we almost never have trouble with anyone freaking out.

I'm in the "They're my rights, and I'll excersize them when I feel the need" camp.

I don't open carry for the same reason my wife doesn't walk topless down the street.
Both actions are perfectly legal to do in Columbus Ohio....and both actions will likely get you hassled to the point of it just not being worth the exercise of rights.
But like the man said, "opinions vary."

I only open carry if I feel like answering questions and hearing weird remarks behind my back. If the police and general population would stop this nonsense I'd OC all the time.

Guys,isn`t it funny when law biding citizens some times have an issue with "carrying" and the perp
just keeps on packing. Not a worry in the world!
No wonder, the "change" admin isn`t trying to take away their rights
just ours, go figure.

Never done it. Tho it is technically legal here in PA, I have been told by some LEO aquaintances that is is highly discouraged.

Open carrying presents a higher profile than I like to keep in urban areas. If I were to go to full time open carrying around others, I would only do so in a level 2 or greater retention holster; it'd be damned embarrassing to die at the hand of of a murderer that was holding one's sidearm. Lastly, my address is in Denver.

I'm not looking to get into an argument, and I'm not looking to be "convinced" either way. I have no problem whatsoever with people who do OC as a habit. It's just not for me.

I OC in our small rural town. Been doing it for 16 years at least. Only had one or two comments, no complaints. I do have a CCW permit and do so when I am in bigger cities that have ordinances against it.

Never done it. Tho it is technically legal here in PA, I have been told by some LEO aquaintances that is is highly discouraged.

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I don't know of many LEOs who enthusiastically encourage citizens to exercise their Constitutional rights. Think about why they would discourage a law abiding citizen from exercising a fundamental right.

I believe it is an individual decision on the OC issue. I would just say to those who choose not to because of being hassled, stigmatized, or harassed if they did...think back to the men who faced starvation; were almost frozen to death; would be hanged as traitors if caught; many who never saw their families again; and faced uncertain victory...just so we would have a country where keeping and bearing arms is an absolute right. These men operated upon a principle - an idea - that allowed them to put aside their own discomforts, hardships, families, and societal opinion, for the better good of their posterity.

Many people I know OC as an educational process, to perpetuate a Heritage, that the Founders sacrificed all to give us. I support them 100%.

I've seen people open-carrying downtown here, and it isn't a big deal. However, it's pretty rare.

I'm guessing that concealed carry is NOT rare, though, for a number of reasons.

Outside the city, I don't think open carry lifts an eyebrow, except if you have a nice gun someone wants to check out.

I've thought about OC'ing downtown for the hell of it. Haven't done it, though. Pocket-carry of the J-frame is too easy and convenient (and protects the gun from getting trashed by seatbelts, etc.)

I am a cop and unless Im in uniform I never open carry, I even have a CCW. Just last week I was getting out of my car at a video store when I was putting my gun in my waist band. I saw a guy parked next to me sitting in his van. I recognized him as a friend of mine from high school but I didnt feel like talking to him for it had been a bad day. The last time I saw him he was being booked in on DUI charges and I even asked the trooper to take it easy on him. I knew the guy so I made no attempt to hide that I was putting my gun on because he knew I was a cop. A few minutes later I get a phone call from a friend of mine who worked for the cities police department and he told me that the guy called the police and said that I was in the video store drunk with a gun. My buddy with the PD knew that I wouldnt do anything like that so it was over but when I went outside the guy had come back to see if I had gotten in trouble. I confronted him on it and he told me that I didnt need to have a gun and I explained that as a cop I could carry a gun anywhere. I then told him that from now on I wont try to help him out when hes in trouble but me and my friends would be paying just as much attention to him as he was paying to me. Its best to keep concealed because there are so many idiots out there that will be calling the police when your doing nothing wrong. I love guns but to non gun toters they are intimidating, and also, most people that would make that call are doo doo bags themselves and are looking for any way to start drama because their lives are so boring considering most of them dont have jobs.

Its best to keep concealed because there are so many idiots out there that will be calling the police when your doing nothing wrong.

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That's how I figure it, too, at least in the middle of the city.

Of course, the cops here are as likely as not to say, "Is he doing anything that seems suspicious? No? Then, so what, he has a gun."

When I picked up my CWL card, the line was longer than the adjacent line for drivers' licenses - and this is the state capital, as well as the largest city, so there are many people getting drivers' licenses.

Sometimes

I open carry~!

If it were up to me we would all open carry. Then we could tell the crooks from the honest folks because the crooks wouldnt be carrying guns because that right has been taken away from them. The crooks would then likely straighten out their lives because the availability of potential victims would then be in short supply.