A reason not to open carry
Someone might overpower you and take your handgun. Yes, I understand being situationally aware might prevent you from being mugged or killed.
That can definitely happen. I have seen multiple videos of people having their firearms snatched from them. I personally never open carry because I do not want to give away the element of surprise in the event I need to defend.
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It takes a moron of major proportion to try and take a gun off an open carrier.Best way to get killed by a combat vet I’ve ever seen.
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Concealed only for me.
Element of surprise is my friend.
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I’ll eat their heart and liver…raw by darn.
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I don’t believe I’m an invincible badass.I do open carry most of the time.If you try to take my gun…real bad day…no matter how it turns out.
Personal preference.
Pros and cons to each.
The weight of those pros and cons varies by the individual, day, time, location, training, experience, firearm, holster/sling used, presence or not of friends/acquaintances, etc.
I almost always choose concealed these days.
Almost.
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If you open carry and are someplace where someone of nefarious intent sees you, there are 2 possible outcomes. 1) Bad guy withdraws, or 2) YOU become his first target.
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Yes, those are two options
Three bad guy gets shot because he picked the wrong guy.
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I can go with that but I still like the advantage to be on my side. He might GUESS that I 'm carrying concealed. With open carry, he KNOWS.
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Whenever I see an open carrier In a store I often spend a few moments watching how they deal with the people moving around them. Some seem aware of others presence and less likely to be surprised but I have seen more than a few preoccupied with what they are pulling off the shelf, talking with other shoppers or on the phone as people brush by them.
I guess just as interesting is that the majority of people passing by them seem oblivious to the fact that the person they just walked by had a firearm.
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Lots of good comments, most all I understand, I get it, sure. Respect. I still cannot get over the thought “It’s like masking tape a $500 dollar bill to one’s outer hip with a bell on it”.
Opinions vary.Trying to take an armed person’s gun is the move of either a doped up idiot or an insane one.Either way they won’t be missed.I looked up statistics on this matter…very seldom…matter of fact it’s rare.If someone doesn’t like the way I carry…to each his own.My hand instinctively goes to where I holster.Has for almost 40 years of my life.Btw no moron has ever even mouthed off to me while carrying…let alone made a move.
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Good example of why a more duty type holster with active retention, carrying at the hip (not behind the hip) is a really good idea for open carry.
Also not being on the phone.
Also if carrying a purse, a cross body is probably better than a dangler/one you ever use a hand to hold
I won’t say that examples of open carriers getting their guns snatches means you shouldn’t open carry any more than examples of people shooting themselves with an appendix IWB holster means you shouldn’t carry appendix
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Where are 3 bad guys???
I do as well. I have yet to spot one who appears particularly alert to anything going on beyond their immediate focus — basically just as engrossed in or distracted by all the routine things we constantly advise each other not to get too engrossed in or distracted by as any other inattentive victim. Only the “shoot-me-first” sign seems to distinguish them from the crowd.
How effectively they might respond to a grab attempt or shot to back of the head, I don’t know.
It is very rare for me to be positive I am looking at a concealed carrier — despite a high local likelihood of maybe/probably carriers, I see very little to make one or a few in any crowd stand out as a bad guy’s first target.
Four years ago Greg Ellifritz assembled a near endless list of open carry mishaps and related resources.
And more recently, just some thoughts on the matter so I needn’t bother.
I play the stronger odds.
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Ok lol I’m open carrying.Your not.We agree to disagree.I don’t live in a city and never will.Im going to do it till the day I die.Im just glad good guys do carry.Peace,I’m not trying to start anything with you or anyone else.
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Free country you do you. But I think it is always good to think about and train for potential threats.
I think open carry presents fewer potential problems on our own property or in the woods where we can see trouble coming. On a crowded street or in a busy store it becomes much harder to maintain space and track potential threats.
I prefer concealed carry for several reasons. But I do have a couple of active retention holsters in case I decide to carry in a public setting.
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