Hesitant to OC...discuss...

[PatriotPride]

It sounds to me like you have what is called "common sense". Not to common these days. Why a person would want to openly show their carry weapon for all to see is beyond me. But I guess some people don't think like I do. And that is fine I guess.

Could we keep the sarcasm and veiled insults out of this thread? For once it'd be nice to discuss OC'ing without someone being condescending.

I mostly OC. I am not ashamed of my firearm. It provides faster access to my firearm. It allows me an opportunity to discuss the carry of firearms in the state of Indiana if someone should choose to approach me. I'm comfortable with it.

I will say that you need to have patience when dealing with uniformed (or those who intentionally disregard the law) officers who lack..."common sense". Bring medicine for the pain of the headache.

Bottom line: carry how YOU are comfortable carrying, and don't let anyone tell coerce you into their preferred method of carry with insults and sarcasm.

 

[bglaze]

You might find this interesting...

There was a poll taken recently on the Arizona forum..."Do you Open or Conceal Carry?"

Of those responding... 75% chose Conceal Carry.

This means 25% chose Open Carry! That's a way larger percentage than you'll find here in Indiana, I am sure.

Good for them.

 

[maxmayhem]

I would open carry or semi open carry with an untucked shirt. Open Carrying in a business leaves you open for confrontation or questioning in a business though from what I have read.

 

[kinorton]

I mostly cc my self, but am working towards ocing some too. The holster I have for oc is much more comfortable, than the one I have for cc. It is the reason I am wanting to oc more. Also I won't mind educating a few people in the process of me ocing.

 

[ATM]

For all those who just can't fathom why anyone would choose to carry openly...

Read here: https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/carry_issues_and_self_defense/71996-the_open_carry_argument.html

And for MrSmitty and anyone else who is simply hesitant:

Follow the good advice many have given in this thread.

1. Know the pros and cons up front and weigh them for your own situation.

2. Start by doing it in a controlled environment until you get used to it.

3. Venture into less controlled environments as your confidence and comfort levels warrant.

4. Once it seems natural, you now have 2 perfectly acceptable choices of carry method to suit your every whim. Congrats!

5. Don't worry too much about the rare instances of other gun owners who deride anyone who opts to carry differently than they do.

6. Don't forget to read and/or post in this thread once in a while.

 

[Cemetery-man]

I CC and in all my years I have only seen 2 people OC'ing, of course I'm not looking for that sort of thing. Like the OP, I just don't feel comfortable exposing my pistol when in public. Too high a chance of confrontation to make me want to do it.

The last person I saw was because the guy made sure everyone that walked by saw his handgun. I watched him for a few minutes and whenever someone would get close he would intentionally turn and expose his gun side and pose as they walked by. Then he would turn back to his family and they would all chuckle about it. Maybe, since it was WalMart he was hoping to catch an employees attention.

 

[bglaze]

Open Carrying in a business leaves you open for confrontation or questioning in a business though from what I have read.

That's really the whole point of Open Carrying to many of us. We welcome to opportunity to educate through friendly conversation.

Also, Open Carry helps to identify pro-2a and anti-2a businesses (because antis often hassle us), so that all gun owners know where they can spend their money in good conscience (if they care about that sort of thing).

I point you to Rookie's quote from earlier in this thread:

Ask yourself a few questions.

Are you willing to leave a place before you are ready?
Are you willing to receive questions from curious or concerned people?
Are you willing to listen to someone ranting that you shouldn't have a gun?
Are you willing to be confronted by police regardless of the outcome?
Are you willing to be inconvienced for your choice?

If you answer no to any of the questions, then you probably shouldn't OC.

Many if not most people would say it's silly to open yourself up to these kinds of confrontations, and they will say this is why CC is the wise option.

I say that nothing good ever got done by being 'comfortable'. It's when men step outside their comfort zone that true change happens.

Simply writing our congressmen from the privacy of our homes, albeit a good thing to do, isn't enough. My goal is to meet many curious citizens via Open Carry, educate them, and encourage them to write their congressmen concerning 2a freedom. Then we will have many voices.

 

[Spazzmodicus]

Could we keep the sarcasm and veiled insults out of this thread? For once it'd be nice to discuss OC'ing without someone being condescending.

Guys.....I really don't want to step on anybody's toes or offend anybody, that's never my point or purpose, but some people are naturally sarcastic without really intending to be. (me for one) Indirect 'condescension' is a matter of perception and not always that of the person that appears to be condescending.

If you guys are going to be so 'sensitive' among friends in a discussion forum, what the heck are you going to do when somebody verbally vomits on you in public for having a gun on you? I'm not trying to challenge the authority of mods or **** anybody off, but c'mon guys, toughen up a little bit. There IS a such thing as mind over matter (and emotion). Your not going to experience anything different in a free-speaking forum than you will in public, unless you attempt to change the demographics by forcing everybody to do an emotionally sanitary kung-fu walk on rice paper.

Maybe this forum is a form of 'escape' from real life for some people. I don't know. But I am an honest and sincere person that has a realistic view of things. Having said that, if I just caused a wrinkle in the paper by saying what's on my mind and get banned, then so be it. Sorry for any offense caused.

 

[ATM]

...some people are naturally sarcastic without really intending to be. (me for one)...

Me too.

...open carrying only makes you the first target for a perp when something goes down.

...The only thing you do by OC'ing in my opinion is "lose the element of surprise"

Hey, I could really use your insight in this thread:

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/carry_issues_and_self_defense/37307-common_oc_cc_threadjack.html

 

[grimor]

The last person I saw was because the guy made sure everyone that walked by saw his handgun. I watched him for a few minutes and whenever someone would get close he would intentionally turn and expose his gun side and pose as they walked by. Then he would turn back to his family and they would all chuckle about it. Maybe, since it was WalMart he was hoping to catch an employees attention.

Next time stop and say hi, I always like to talk to new people when I'm at Walmart...

Apart from the whole OC vs CC debate I tend to JC (Just Carry) I get dressed and put my gun when it is going to be comfortable to carry for the day. depending on the gun it may be IWB or OWB. If it's chilly or cold I put my jacket on. When I get some place that isn't cold I take my jacket off.

If during that time my gun is exposed then I guess it's OC, if it's not, then it's CC. The important thing to me is that my gun is always where it should be and available if/when I need it. I've never had anyone ask or comment about my gun other than when I'm in uniform on my way home from base when I carry in a drop leg holster. People spend so much time worrying about guns like they are some scarlet letter. We expect people to not care if we carry, so why do we spend so much time worrying about it?

 

[Timjoebillybob]

No, because this is a pre-emptive warning. If you (not YOU, personally, 45pro) can't stay civil, you're out of here.

As a side note: If you can't use sarcasm as an effective communication tool, then you shouldn't use it at all. Putting it in purple will NOT save you from the ban hammer.

I don't think he was talking about posters being uncivil, but about another OC is bad thread jack.

For all those who just can't fathom why anyone would choose to carry openly...

Read here: https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/carry_issues_and_self_defense/71996-the_open_carry_argument.html

And for MrSmitty and anyone else who is simply hesitant:

Follow the good advice many have given in this thread.

1. Know the pros and cons up front and weigh them for your own situation.

2. Start by doing it in a controlled environment until you get used to it.

3. Venture into less controlled environments as your confidence and comfort levels warrant.

4. Once it seems natural, you now have 2 perfectly acceptable choices of carry method to suit your every whim. Congrats!

5. Don't worry too much about the rare instances of other gun owners who deride anyone who opts to carry differently than they do.

6. Don't forget to read and/or post in this thread once in a while.

Another idea is to find someone on here that OCs in your area and go out with him/her. Sometimes being with someone else who is OC makes it easier I've heard.

Me too.



Hey, I could really use your insight in this thread:

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/carry_issues_and_self_defense/37307-common_oc_cc_threadjack.html

Mods can the two threads that ATM linked be made stickies?

 

[Scutter01]

I don't think he was talking about posters being uncivil, but about another OC is bad thread jack.

I think you're right, but I've also seen too many OC threads where someone who "knows better" invariably tells OC'ers that they're idiots and they should know better. That's why I used the term "pre-emptive".

 

[Hooker]

For all those who just can't fathom why anyone would choose to carry openly...

Read here: https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/carry_issues_and_self_defense/71996-the_open_carry_argument.html

This is an excellent article ATM. Thanks for posting.

 

[HDSilvrStreak]

Could we keep the sarcasm and veiled insults out of this thread? For once it'd be nice to discuss OC'ing without someone being condescending.

I mostly OC. I am not ashamed of my firearm.

I object to the "veiled insult" that because I CC rather than OC, I must "be ashamed of my firearm." Not true.

 

[88GT]

I don't OC because I don't want to deal with the social consequences. It would harm my standing in the social circles where I operate. That's just the truth. My friends know I carry and many of them do, too.

Me too. I routinely enter the homes of others and rather than risk disarming myself for the sake of respecting the fact that they might not wish me to bring a firearm across their threshold, I simply choose to keep it concealed and let them wallow in the bliss of their ignorance. (Whether or not it's a morally acceptable action on my part to manipulate their ignorance is a topic for another thread.) My business is people. I have no idea what their political/social viewpoints are and I don't wish to lose a paycheck because they can't allow that Jenn the Realtor operates independently of Jenn the Firearms Owner and Defender of Small Children.


The irony is that I will carry without regard to the visibility of the sidearm if I am not in professional mode. So if they happened to see me in Walmart doing so, they'd still be faced with the dilemma of having to choose between the two Jenns if it came to that. For some reason though, that doesn't bother me. I guess because I can adapt for others when it's their time, but I'm not willing to live my whole life for others just in case.

That said, my open carry isn't fully open. I simply don't care whether the jacket or t-shirt or sweatshirt covers it. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't.

 

[Hammerhead]

I OC 95% of the time. I've never been asked to leave, never been hassled. I've had positive inquiries from people curious. However, I'm confident in my carry, I don't fidget with it.

That, and I generally don't give a flying fornication as to who sees me carrying.

 

[jsharmon7]

I CC unless it's something "official." I've heard the arguments that people who OC will be targeted first, or left alone depending on who you ask. I don't think that an OC'er is going to be targeted first, but I also don't buy that they will always be left alone by criminals simply because they have the gun. It may deter some of them, but if they decide to go through with it then they know what cards you're holding and how to deal with you. I guess it's a decision each individual has to make regarding the likelihood of their visible gun preventing a crime or not. My reason for not OC'ing is that I simply don't want the hassle and attention, positive or negative. I don't carry a gun to make a statement, start conversations, or educate anyone, I carry it in case I need it someday. That said, I don't really think people who OC are "wrong" and people who CC are "right" or vice versa, it's just a decision everyone needs to make. Just be aware of the fact that you're probably going to have more interactions with strangers when you OC than if you CC.

 

[ElsiePeaRN]

The irony is that I will carry without regard to the visibility of the sidearm if...

Apart from the whole OC vs CC debate I tend to JC (Just Carry)

I like this thinking and am a little envious. 88's post reminded me of grimor's "JC" I got a smile out of that.

 

[WhoDaThunk?RN]

This may be duplicate...I haven't gotten through all the pages yet (being up all night for work is catching up with me, eyes getting heavy)

but do you think generally speaking it is more socially acceptable for a man to OC than a woman?

 

[rockhopper46038]

but do you think generally speaking it is more socially acceptable for a man to OC than a woman?

No, I think sadly that the anti-gunner's outrage meter pegs out when they see the weapon. After that you could be Mother Theresa or Gandhi and they would be equally apoplectic.