Patrick the people you would tell are either friends or family.The ones most likely. to rob or attack don’t want to be ID’ed by the owner.If things go South you will know when to show and use force.besides the more people who know you have fire arms they will be the target of robbery.Good luck and God Bless.
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Add an Elmer Fudd hat.Most people will stay away.
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I have a close knit group of friends that know I am retired LEO and presume I am always armed and most people at my church are the same and even expect that I am. Some neighbors may see me walking around the house where do not have my weapon covered, but very few.
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Last year when I first visited a Thread I found a Message that Mentioned a Light Sabre. That didn’t sit well with me. The following thread had 3 of my messages “Blocked” because I was visiting for what I considered a Very Serious Reason. Since that time I’ve only been back once in an Attempt to Clarify the point I had so poorly tried to make several months before. So, I’ll try to Avoid Humor in this Thread. Hope you will forgive me.
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I have a Sub-Compact 9mm that fits nicely right into my pocket. 2 mags in the other pocket. I walk around and no-one has a clue that I am carrying. Here in Maine we have "Constitutional Carry Now. With the “Pandemic” I don’t see any reason to behave any differently. But, walking with a cane and being Over Weight and over 60 just Makes Me a Target. So, This thread to help give myself and others a chance to “Brainstorm” as to what would be the best course of action now and in the near future if things change for the Worse.
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Relatives, friends and most neighbors know I’m always armed.
I’m also looking for this sign for in front of my condo…
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I dunno. I hunt so occasionally my neighbors might catch me stuffing a rifle case into my truck. Two deer legs sticking up to the garage roof through the garage door window would give that away. In general I am pretty covert when I go to the range, there are enough cars in my driveway at any given moment uless you are inprezactly the right spot you are not going to know what I am moving into or out of my vehicles. There are no stickers on my vehicle windows that are pro gun or anything else. I don’t allow political yard signs of any flavor on my lawn. Occasionally they will show up (I live on a corner) and I take them down immediately and use them as targets, no matter for or against.
Other than a large collection of new and old school hot rods that come and go from my driveway and street I really don’t give off any vibes other than the over worked blue collar guy that occasionally doesn’t get his grass cut or flower beds weeded or bushes trimmed as often as is wanted. That said, for the LEO in the area, I know for a FACT that there is a “DO NOT - No Knock” on my house as I used to train the SWAT guys for my city. My neighbors do not know this although occasionally an unmarked cruiser will show up at the curb and one or two plain clothes will come in for a few hours then leave with me waving from the front door.
I’d like to say I know my neighbors better but from the little I do know about them the better I am being quiet.
I guess I’m a little bluish grey.
Cheers,
Craig6
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Well. Being a Guy who’s Always trying to come up with a Solution for people with a “Problem”!!
In about 30 Seconds I thought that you could always come up with an old Projection TV and have this saved as a Jpeg. That way you could have it and even have a “Slide Show” of things to Share with “Un-Wanted Company”!! ( This isn’t just a Joke, This could actually Function )
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Unapologetically open carry here in North Idaho. My experience and take on available self-defense data is that guns in the hands of citizens are effective deterrents.
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I agree with you & my approach is similar. Nobody knows but my family & close friends. I don’t know what my neighbors possess and I don’t need to. A little human decency & respect goes a long way… It’s none of your business what I have & vice versa. I don’t think it’s none of the government’s business what I have legally purchased & own. Finally, I don’t open carry. I want to blend in… Not draw attention to myself. 
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Hello Samuel11, I can’t say that I know very much about Idaho except that I’ve heard of several people moving out of Kalifornia to the Freedom of Idaho. But, isn’t the “Whole Culture” much more Open Minded as far as Personal Freedom? I think that this is a Very Good Thing and where we should all be Striving to be with Freedom in our lives. Part of the Reason For Asking about this thread in I’m not sure that my Neighbor’s are Ready for this much knowledge “In their Life” and that they’ll be “Calling the Cops” in these days of Liberal Enlightenment. Thank you, Your Comments are Helpful to this Thread.
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Thank you!! My thoughts, also.
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@Patrick_J lots of personal things to consider here. Open carry can be a deterrent, meaning you avoid some conflicts. Concealed carry may give you an advantage if a bad guy is committed to shooting because it means you aren’t on their “shoot first” list. In that sense, in some situations open carry would be a disadvantage.
Letting people know you have firearms and training is no different, I think. It will act as a deterrent to some folks, making them pick a different house. It will make you a target for some other folks, increasing your chance of being burgled. In an apocalypse, again, some folks will target you for your guns, others will avoid you because of them.
I think you really have to look at your individual circumstances and consider what the balance of risk is for you, in your life, your home, your neighborhood, your region of the country.
Personally, since I teach, pretty much everyone who knows me knows I have guns. I don’t necessarily look like a gun-toting person (I look like someone’s grandma, only with rebellious teenager festive-colored stripes in my hair) and that may make me a target. I mostly concealed carry, and sometimes open carry. We don’t have “protected by Smith and Wesson” or “never mind the dog, beware of owner” gun signs on our fence or door. But it is rural Missouri, so people will make assumptions.
Best I have to offer is think through your circumstances and then choose.
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Patrick I’m 68,375 lbs.and sometime need a cane.Stand like you are filling up the area around you.Remember do not project weakness.Sorry if I offended you about the Elmer Fudd hat,but it went along with the print you were talking about.Be safe Troy.
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Hi Troy7, No Offence Taken!!! I just wanted to explain that in this community, I come back here with “Baggage” that I need to never forget even if other’s are Much Kinder, and Already Have. I took offense to a comment, The Very First One that I viewed. If you were to visit that thread you wouldn’t find 3 of my comments because of comments that included some “Lace Panties” comments that “Offended” regulars to the thread. If you could only carry one weapon? is the thread. I went there “Very Serious” about the topic and a “Light Sabre” was in the first message. I felt that they were wasting my time, and shared “In True John Wayne Fashion” just what I thought of them wasting my time!!! Not One of my “Better Performances”!!!
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Hi Zee, You make a lot of Good Points that give perspective to the conversation!! To me, You touch on the Very Reasons I asked the Question in the First Place. We have been in Self Isolation for Four Full Days now, We don’t have enough Test Kits in Southern Maine for my wife to be tested so we have a 14 Day Vacation. I had almost all of the symptoms starting back in the middle of February, so I’ve been inside for a while now. When I have that much time to reflect I, sometimes Over Analyse things. All of you are helping me and others view the topic Objectivally!!
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Patrick I hope we are giving you support and not wise cracks.I told a fine young lady at a church sponsored meeting on greef .Men in my age range keep our feelings locked up deep inside.So if some the answers become flip,we may not be able to express our selves with
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I met a friend to catch up and went to a walk up food place outside of Salem (technically it was in Stayton but it was so far outside of Stayton, it was almost the next town over.
First time I’ve open carried in a long time.
At work, it’s the homes with I don’t fire warning shots, we dont dial 911, and other such signs, those homes I am the most comfortable knocking on their doors for the appointments and working in those homes…
Once you get a couple miles outside the city going east, there is a shotgun behind every door and open carry, while not seen much (everyone commonly conceals), it is always welcomed.
I did untuck my shirt to grab the mail when back in town.
I live on a dead end street, private road actually, I open carry around home and such, my neighbors know, one neighbor is familiar with firearms but with her many kids, she choose not to have guns in the house (husband is not a gun person though, back when a drug house was nearby, he was considering a firearm which I offered taking him to the range and helping him, he still has my USCCA book, they instead got a big dog and security system).
Neighbors on other side are Jehovah witnesses I believe, keep to themselves but know I carry, are quite friendly.
I’m known as a lite prepper by my immediate neighbors and I have open offers should something happen, to help them out.
My fruit trees are open when in season to my neighbors picking them…
While if SHTF, I would like to shelter in place given supplies and the private road, I have the ability to bug out and with a friend already working with his unit to bring myself and my brother on in an emergency situation, I should be in a good position to keep safe.
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That cane could be a good intermediate weapon.
I am in a very similar boat. I was always able to take care myself in a scrape, but it is a different world, and I now have more the appearance of a target. So I got my LTC, and I carry when out and about.
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