If I had an option to carry mine truly concealed, I would. I’m a bit of a roly-poly and I have Dunlop’s disease. That’s where my belly has done lopped over my belt. The over shirts I wear are long enough they usually cover my sidearm, but carrying a full-sized, steel-framed weapon as I do, there is still this huge bulge on my side, and sometimes the shirt tail will ride up and show everyone what I have.
I don’t ever worry about it at work. Our regular clientele knows I carry and we have had numerous “show and tell” sessions with sometimes 5 and 6 customers at a time. One such time shared with the Forum can be found in the Dueling Discussions section titled “5 guys named Mitch and 2 Army Colt 1911’s”.
Texas has Constitutional Open Carry and I am a strong advocate for Open Carry. The city I live in is deeply rooted with 2A friendly history and our Mayor is no different. He has informed our local police that if there are no other issues reported other than a weapon being displayed they should take no action. For the most part it has been working. My incident is a little different because someone claimed I was threatening them with my weapon. That required a greater response.
I’m Ok. I will get my piece back this afternoon and all traces of the incident will be removed by the end of the month. Also, this coming Thursday I will attend a USCCA class at our local 5.11 store, and since I do not have a concealed carry license, I will walk across the parking lot with my weapon openly carried. 5.11 is 2A friendly and as long as I don’t do anything unreasonable, I’m good.
Aron4 - Welcome, Brother. We are glad you found us. Jump into the fray when you see an opening.
I absolutely agree with tge right to carry, especially att work or anywhere we see fit. I live in North Carolina, it’s legal to open carry but must have a permit to conceal carry. A few months ago I was in our local grocery store and an older guy had his out in the open cowboy hat on, not being a threat at all. One of the workers and a manager were just standing towards the front of the store talking and I knew what they were talking about, was having the gun and wondering if it was legal for him to do that. Needless to say I’m standing right beside these two ijits and they don’t have a clue that mine was actually bigger than his. I actually read something the other day that hit home for me but it said open carriers are frightening the wrong people. The ones that’ll do you harm will wait for you to turn your back shoot you with the concealed gun they have and take yours. I’ve just seen too many times where open carry is not a good idea
Welcome David1733 to the Forum. We’re glad you found us.
I agree carrying openly does seem to intimidate the wrong people, the people who are uninformed, that we have the right to carry openly. They can be scared of it all they want, but it does not negate the fact it is our right.
I had some neighbors a while back who were on the wrong side of the color wheel. They were Blue. I’m Red. I carry my weapon with me, on my belt, every waking moment I am at home whether I am inside playing computer games with the boys or out in the yard cutting grass. It is always there. This one set of neighbors would call the police every time they knew I was outside. The police MUST respond to every “man with a gun” call they get. The police would come by, make sure it was me, we would chat about stuff, then they would go inform my neighbors of my right to carry on my own property.
The neighbors continued to call until they sold their house and moved.
It’s said: ‘You can’t please all of the people all the time’.
(or some such nonsense close to that).
What I know is ‘OPEN CARRY TRIGGERS SNOW FLAKES’.
Personally? I’m OK with that because when I ‘CHOOSE’ to open carry I tune up my
Situational Awareness to the point of looking @ some folk’s reaction to my visible Side arm. The .44 is an IMPRESSIVE BEAST!
The 'Leftist Moron is much like the Internet TROLL’S we have here
Sometimes I get a kick out of their Over reactions, sometimes I get pissed.
But I have to remember that on some occasions ‘I CHOSE TO POKE THE BEAR’.
Like Brother Bruce here , ‘It’s a choice and I am willing to accept the Consequences’
The percentage of ‘TROUBLE’ Open carry brings is minimal compared to the
Incredible speed and Ease of drawing my weapon if need be (The Intimidation factor doesn’t SUCK EITHER!)
Welcome to the community. Wondering if it was a choice between open carrying and not carrying, which would you do? Open carrying one has to be more situationally aware, but I would not let it stop me from carrying.
I know (and respect) that you’re not particularly interested in a ton of unwanted advice, but, my two cents is please please PLEASE, file a criminal complaint if possible against this guy for lying to the police about you. I live in commiefornia and these people need to pay for THEIR criminal behavior. He committed a crime. You are the victim. We ALL suffer when they get away with it.
By the way, I work in corrections in CA and I know first hand the pitfalls of lax punishment.
Take care.
I see your point, David, but from what I understand if and when he ever returns or is returned to Texas, I will be called as a witness. The detectives I spoke with last night when I got my piece back confirmed he did receive a traffic ticket for speeding by the Texas DPS. He has not paid that ticket. Since he was driving a big truck, that will haunt him and the next time he gets stopped for anything, it will show up in the system and he will be arrested and extradited back to Texas, local PD will be informed and they will go grab him for the false report. The guy is screwed.
The biggest thing I’m dealing with right now, even though my lawyer tells me not to worry, is that I feel somehow all this will come back to bite me on the butt when I didn’t do anything wrong. I am getting too old for all this shite.
