What would make me want to open carry?

[Jason K]

Only scenario I can think of for myself to OC would be if I had to stop for gas after dark. Being able to openly display my securely holstered pistol to anyone looking for a "voluntary contribution" to their "illicit substances fund" is the polite thing to do.....fair warning and all.

Keeps everyone involved safe and unmolested, I think....

[nitrogen]

Personally? I don't care if anyone wants to open carry or not.

It should be legal. There's no reason that just SEEING a handgun should be illegal.

Throughout history, lots of laws get passed that have unintended concequences. In Kentucky, it is illegal to carry an ice cream cone in your back pocket.

Okay, great. Now kentucky is safe from an impressive gang of ice-cream-pocket carriers. I think we can all agree that law is insane. Do you think we should get rid of that law? I would think so. I'm not going to go around asking "What would make me want to carry an ice cream cone in my back pocket?" I'm going to appeal to get rid of that stupid law that does nothing for anyone.

This is how I feel about open carry. If suddenly I have a reason to open carry, that I could not think of earlier (or carry an ice cream cone in my back pocket) I don't want to have to worry about getting arrested.

[mr1337]

Throughout history, lots of laws get passed that have unintended concequences. In Kentucky, it is illegal to carry an ice cream cone in your back pocket.

Okay, great. Now kentucky is safe from an impressive gang of ice-cream-pocket carriers. I think we can all agree that law is insane. Do you think we should get rid of that law? I would think so. I'm not going to go around asking "What would make me want to carry an ice cream cone in my back pocket?" I'm going to appeal to get rid of that stupid law that does nothing for anyone.

I've heard about the origins of such law. It sounds plausible, so I'm going to go ahead and recant it.

Back in the olden days when everyone rode horses, some people would put an ice cream cone in their back pocket so someone else's horse would follow them home. If they were ever caught, they would feign innocence, saying the horse was following them. Thus, they would be able to potentially avoid a theft charge.

I agree that it's an outdated law, and I'd be hard pressed to find anyone being convicted of it in the last 100 years. But that doesn't change the fact that it shouldn't be illegal to carry an ice cream cone anywhere. You should be able to carry an ice cream cone where and however you please. Concealed. Openly. In a holster with retention, or without. With a Ice Cream Carry License or without. The mere presence of an ice cream cone does not mean you're trying to steal someone's horse.

[cb1000rider]

About the only thing I can think of that will make me contemplate the possibility of OC.

I just want to carry OWB and not have to worry about it. Not willing to go the Hawaiian route yet.

I'd also like to be able to walk next door, or around my property without changing holsters.

[Jason K]

About the only thing I can think of that will make me contemplate the possibility of OC.

I just want to carry OWB and not have to worry about it. Not willing to go the Hawaiian route yet.

I'd also like to be able to walk next door, or around my property without changing holsters.

I'm only speaking for myself......and just because you don't want to walk around in a grass skirt and a lei doesn't mean that the rest of us don't.....

[cb1000rider]

I'm only speaking for myself......and just because you don't want to walk around in a grass skirt and a lei doesn't mean that the rest of us don't.....

Hey, I'm good with that.. To each his (or her) own.
I never considered the grass skirt option, but it opens some real possibilities.

[TomsTXCHL]

Unlike many here (most?) I've not given OC much thought, but Steve's post and his personal #1 reason suddenly renders this crystal-clear, at least for me: I would like to carry with the firearm positioned for optimal access and comfort, and not have to worry about being absolutely concealed, as we must at present.

I would still make my best attempt to keep the firearm concealed at all times.

Can't tell you folks how many products I have bought for carry under different weather/clothing situations and frankly not a single one of them would I consider to be optimal re: access-and-comfort-while-remaining-concealed.

Thanks steveincowtown, your post is a great reason why I come here every day.

OCing is not a big deal, not matter how people try to make it one.

Argument #1> You will be the first guy to be shot.

Never seen or heard about this happening. You know if it had/ or did the liberal news media would be all over it.

Argument #2> Someone could strip it out of your holster and use it against you.

Heard of this happening once in VA a few years ago and lets just say there were some extenuating circumstances. This doesn't happen.

Argument #3> How will the cops know the good guys from the bad guys?

The same way the do now. No criminal is going to open carry illegally and risk the attention of an LEO. This just doesn't happen.

To the OP, my #1 reason for OCing in my former home of VA was not to OC, or CC, or to even care. I got dressed in the morning and depending on the time of year, what I was wearing, etc. my gun might be concealed, covered, or partially covered. This is all I want to do here in Texas.

#2 reason is to be able to carry outside all my clothing when hiking, especially during cold weather. Just this morning I was walking my dog, at 5:30AM, on the River, in freezing temps. It would have been a challenge to get to my gun underneath a heavy coat.

[VoiceofReason]

OCing is not a big deal, not matter how people try to make it one.

Argument #1> You will be the first guy to be shot.

Never seen or heard about this happening. You know if it had/ or did the liberal news media would be all over it.

Argument #2> Someone could strip it out of your holster and use it against you.

Heard of this happening once in VA a few years ago and lets just say there were some extenuating circumstances. This doesn't happen.????

Argument #3> How will the cops know the good guys from the bad guys?

The same way the do now. No criminal is going to open carry illegally and risk the attention of an LEO. This just doesn't happen.


To the OP, my #1 reason for OCing in my former home of VA was not to OC, or CC, or to even care. I got dressed in the morning and depending on the time of year, what I was wearing, etc. my gun might be concealed, covered, or partially covered. This is all I want to do here in Texas.

#2 reason is to be able to carry outside all my clothing when hiking, especially during cold weather. Just this morning I was walking my dog, at 5:30AM, on the River, in freezing temps. It would have been a challenge to get to my gun underneath a heavy coat.

Argument #2

Man openly carrying new gun in Gresham robbed by armed man.

http://www.kptv.com/story/26729956/man- ... -armed-man" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[C-dub]

Argument #2> Someone could strip it out of your holster and use it against you.

Heard of this happening once in VA a few years ago and lets just say there were some extenuating circumstances. This doesn't happen.????

Argument #2

Man openly carrying new gun in Gresham robbed by armed man.

http://www.kptv.com/story/26729956/man- ... -armed-man" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Discussed here for a while. His own gun wasn't really taken and used against him so much as just taken because he was careless. He had just bought the gun earlier that same day and had probably not even shot it yet.

http://texaschlforum.com/viewtopic.php? ... ier+stolen" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Jumping Frog]

Man openly carrying new gun in Gresham robbed by armed man.

http://www.kptv.com/story/26729956/man- ... -armed-man" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Well, I'd make the analogy that a cop needs to worry about being murdered by a Concealed Handgun Licensee. Yes, I can think of one case where that happened. But obviously, it is the rare and unusual case.

Same thing here. Sure, has it ever happened that an open carrier was robbed of his gun? Yes, there are cases on record. But it is still the rare and unusual case.

[o b juan]

If it is so cold you have to wear a Heavy jacket... Move to the RGV

[Rrash]

I think the obvious open carry application would be in more rural areas, but I can think of plenty others that make sense. I certainly wouldn't do it "just because I can" in DFW, but that is my decision. If there were a good reason to do it, I would have no problem doing it myself. I started thinking of other examples, where even "intimidation" might be used for good. I was talking online about good and bad scenerios involving open carry with a liberal anti friend of mine. This is the example I gave him, and he actually said this made sense.

...Lets say a 115 lb. female jogger on a nice secluded jogging trail in a pretty part of Austin chooses to open carry for her protection. For the sake of argument, lets make her a trained off-duty police officer - SWAT team, of course, and just for fun: a vegan, democrat, doesn’t like country music, believes in UFO's, etc. In other words, for [my liberal friend], she’s a likable gal. Would it be reasonable to assume that if she were open carrying and a sexual predator, seeing her coming down the trail, might sit back, let her go by, and look for another unarmed victim? Wouldn’t it also be reasonable to assume, that other passers by, seeing her in yoga pants and a jogging top (I have no idea what you call that crap that women wear), along with the firearm strapped on her hip would assume that she is legally open carrying? I highly doubt they would assume she is about to rob a bank, join ISIS, etc. They might not agree with her choice of defensive weapon (by the way, nobody is alarmed with they see a jogger carrying pepper spray, which is by definition a weapon too), but that doesn’t mean she is using it to intimidate or instill fear in good people. She certainly wouldn’t be the first target of a bad guy in this case.

The same could not be said about a guy who open carries a full sized Glock 20 (that's a 10mm - awesome, fun gun to shoot - apparently, you can kill a bear with it according to Youtube!), 15 fully loaded magazines, scary-looking knives galore, confederate flag patch on his body armor, and has a giant pull of Copenhagen in his mouth, spitting it on to the floor, while walking into the Victoria’s Secret at Northpark Mall. He just needed to get his wife some fancy new drawers on the way home from work. It would be reasonable for everyone to be concerned, feel alarmed, and with good intentions, someone who feels this way might call the police to monitor the “situation”. In fact, if it becomes a “situation,” that might be a good barometer that one should exercise restraint.

[VoiceofReason]

Man openly carrying new gun in Gresham robbed by armed man.

http://www.kptv.com/story/26729956/man- ... -armed-man" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Well, I'd make the analogy that a cop needs to worry about being murdered by a Concealed Handgun Licensee. Yes, I can think of one case where that happened. But obviously, it is the rare and unusual case.

Same thing here. Sure, has it ever happened that an open carrier was robbed of his gun? Yes, there are cases on record. But it is still the rare and unusual case.

I posted that in reply to the statement "This doesn't happen".

[Beiruty]

mere carrying of firearms in the public for non-felons should not be a crime. Case closed.

[Cedar Park Dad]

mere carrying of firearms in the public for non-felons should not be a crime. Case closed.

No actually. Entering a restaurant with a rifle at the low ready should be.