So a couple of folks here look to see who prints & who carries, what makes anyone think that bad folks don’t…
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For me the conversation was about legality. If we should worry too much about printing. If I had bad intentions, I’d definitely be looking to see if anyone were printing or carrying. This is why I concealed carried in the first place. If I were to open carry, I’d be letting any bad actors know to start with me because I’d clearly be a threat.
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@Elitesless or you’d be letting bad guys know a good guy is armed and present. It could make them decide they’d made a bad choice.
There have been a few times I’ve noticed potential trouble makers obviously change their minds just before they attempted the crime because they realized I was carrying.
I wasn’t open carrying, but if someone were looking for it, it would have been obvious I had one concealed. I didn’t brandish, but I did turn so they got a good look. I made it fairly obvious to them while maintaining a good ready position. If they were going to target someone, I figured it should be the one who had the best chance of defending the crowd. As soon as they saw the print from under my t shirt, they put their heads together and left, keeping their eyes on me until they were gone.
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It’s a valid position. All options have pros and cons. Where I’m at that could definitely be considered brandishing a firearm(although I’ve never heard anyone being charged in that scenario). At the same time, it’s completely legal to open carry. In your case you may have prevented a crime. I personally enjoy an element of surprise.
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One mistake I’ve made was buying a shoulder holster thinking it could be concealed. It can’t! Not during the summer anyway
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I have yet to read where a private citizen was attacked due to their open carry. I have read where their firearms without retention have on rare occasions have been stolen from their holsters. The police face an entirely different situations with firearms as their retention issues start with CBQ, where they are arresting suspects - we, as CC private citizens, do not get into those situations.
I do know of several instances told to me by other CC holders that were OC at the time where the bad actors fled the scene when they saw the OC law-abiding citizen. I also had a similar scenario while OC an 8 1/2" Bowie knife, and the youths blocking the sidewalk parted like I was Moses at the Red Sea - my visage is anything, but Bad A–, so it clearly was the BA knife, not me.
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Ya, it’s hard for me to imagine a bad actor sneaking up on me and taking a weapon I’m open carrying. That’s not to say it’s impossible. On the other hand, I’ve heard a story that told about a guy spotting another guy walking into a store or something and his iwb firearm was spotted. Being ignorant(scared) about guns in general and probably conditioned to dislike guns he decided to tackle the guy to the ground, restrain him, and call the police. Obviously the guy who overreact got charged with assault but the moral is people have been conditioned to hate and fear guns so maybe we should all open carry if we’re allowed. I just prefer to keep a low profile. Maybe that’s a little selfish. I gota think on that a minute.
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Interesting story. What if someone were carrying a cat and someone in the store hated cats. The world really has gone nuts.
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I have never yet carried completely open. With the open carry law here I don’t worry about how well concealed it is AS MUCH. Having your concealed weapon show is not illegal here.
I’m not saying I will never completely open carry, but either way. My holster, even my shoulder rig has a positive lock that I can easily trigger with my finger or thumb (depending on the holster). I do have the traditional thumb break holsters as well, I just don’t carry those weapons now…much. I admonish all people carrying in any fashion but especially open carry to use a holster with positive, active security, and then practice with them regularly.
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Sometimes I have carried An LC9 and also an LCP. They are comfortable to carry in the right holster set up.
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As the cooler weather moves in and clothing gets a little thicker a 1911 i on the menu.
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I had it set up for 1911, but I’m getting a different full size set up for the shoulder rig.
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Thanks Brad, I needed a chuckle, you gave me a guffaw 
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@Brad cats ARE dangerous. Unlike firearms, they do go off on their own with nothing touching them. They can have high capacity tempers which need to be banned by the ATFC.
Imagine what could happen if someone left a cat on the coffee table and a toddler grabbed it up and managed to pull its tail. It could be pointed at anyone. Cats need to be banned not only from concealed_open carry, but the storage needs to be regulated.
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Astro said it best.
“Ruh Roh Reorge”
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Yes . I think in a lot of cases the only ones who really notice are other concealed carriers
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My concealed carry guns seem to keep getting smaller. I’m not built
properly to hide a Px4, but even my original dedicated concealed carry gun - a Springfield Armory XD-S 4" got to be too big at times. I wasn’t worried about printing exactly, just got heavy and too big. I now have the same gun but in 3.3" and also a Kahr Ct380 that I rotate between depending on what I’m wearing.
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So true, and the more you carry the more you understand & see most people are not looking at you hard to see if your printing or they are trying to look for the print of a handgun.
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Exactly right, Paul201. I would upgrade most don’t see to nobody sees. I’ve carry alternated between a 1911 and a Glock 17 for years and years. Not once has anyone reacted in anyway (I take that to not have noticed). Not once has hired security challenged me.
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