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During my travels I have open carried in PA and WV. I have to in WV since TX and WV are not reciprocal and WV does not honor my VA non-resident, at least the WVSP has not clarified the issue.

I arrived at my destination in KY and after I checked into my hotel, I was hungry so I drove to the local Bob Evans. The outside temperature was 16 degrees so being a Gulf Coast guy I was bundled up - layered.

KY is a Opencarry.org gold state.

The hostess seated me. I requested a booth. The place was about 1/2 full. I was carrying my Kel-Tec P11 9mm in a Fobus KTP11 paddle holster at 3:30. I removed my heavy coat and sat down. The hostess didn't bat an eye. There were no gasps, nothing.

I placed my order and stood up and walked to the cashier and obtained change for a paper. The cashier smiled as she handed me my change. I walked back to the table, ate my dinner and read the paper. Folks around me came and went. Those who were around me smiled and greeted me like a neighbor.

When I was finished I stood up, put my coat on and concealed my weapon, paid, and walked to my car.

Just like it is supposed to be.

Open carry has been discussed here recently and I respect both sides. I do wish we had the option for just such occaisions. I dislike wearing heavy coats out during the winter in Texas and not have the option of removing my coat to sit down and eat without woryying about scaring the sheeple.

Anygun

Unfortunately, the antis are quite vocal here in Texas. That's our problem.

The problem rests with spineless politicians upsetting the sheeple.


I too would like open carry.

Venus Pax wrote:Unfortunately, the antis are quite vocal here in Texas. That's our problem.

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Having lived and traveled thoughout most of the country I don't believe the antis are any more vocal, or powerful than any other state. Especially those in the East.
I believe the biggest problem the RKBA folks have in combating the anti's is that not all state reps are created equal. The State Reps from the citys have more power and influence than the more rural reps.

That being said. There have been very few setbacks over the last 15 years. We get just about everything we ask for. We have not asked for open carry.

I wrote to my city and State Reps., asking for open carry. I'd love to let ALL see my good lookin new El Paso Saddlery holster.

I'll admit there is a part of me that wants open carry out of nothing more than convience, and style! I'd love to wear a nice Tucker HF 1 holster with some fancy boots and starched jeans with my cowboy hat . The other part of my wants it because I do think it will stop a little more crime.

Just recently my wife and I went out for dinner with friends. It was raining, unusual for the DFW area, and really hard. Once we got inside and sat down I really wished there was some way I could doff my soaking jacket in the overheated restaurant. I wound up kind of pulling my arms out of the sleeves and wearing my jacket around my waist, which looked very strange I'm sure, but kept my gun covered if somewhat less than "unobviouus."

A handgun can be worn so that your coat can be removed and the weapon still concealed.

I just had my monthly weekday lunch with my father, and he had to keep his coat on because he wore an OWB holster.

I was much more comfortable with my coat off, as I wore an IWB holster. ;)

PS I showed him who to remove his coat and still have the handgun concealed while seated.

txinvestigator wrote:A handgun can be worn so that your coat can be removed and the weapon still concealed.

I just had my monthly weekday lunch with my father, and he had to keep his coat on because he wore an OWB holster.

I was much more comfortable with my coat off, as I wore an IWB holster. ;)

PS I showed him who to remove his coat and still have the handgun concealed while seated.

I have done this before in my travels, though not in Texas. I typically am very picky about where I am seated in restaurants. I prefer booths to tables in the middle of a room. Mrs. Anygun finds it humorous sometimes and plays along with her "You want to sit here or here?". Her way of making certain I have a clear view of the surroundings etc.

Normally I use an IWB. The paddle OWB works to quickly don the pistol in rental car lots after retrieving it from the luggage and loading the pistol. I do carry an IWB with me in my travel stuff. I didn't take the time to switch - the most important meal of the day is the next one!

Thanks, TXI.

Anygun

txinvestigator wrote:A handgun can be worn so that your coat can be removed and the weapon still concealed.

True, and I do that regularly, the problem here, that I did not go into in the original post, was that we went to a restaurant of our friends' choosing and I didn't totally prepare myself for EVERY eventuality. I do bear some of the blame, I thought we were going somewhere else.

txinvestigator wrote:I was much more comfortable with my coat off, as I wore an IWB holster. ;)

And I would have been if I had anticipated being soggy in an overheated place.

txinvestigator wrote:PS I showed him who to remove his coat and still have the handgun concealed while seated.

Would you tell me? I commonly just shuck the jacket or coat part way and/or stack it or hang it to accomplish concealment. I prefer restaurants with booths so I can have my gun to the inside and I am picky about line of sight and fire lanes (which my wife is quite used to, BTW) but it does look a little funny if I have to go to the restroom and put my coat on to do so. Maybe if I lost a few pounds and IWB was more comfortable?

jimlongley wrote:

txinvestigator wrote:PS I showed him who to remove his coat and still have the handgun concealed while seated.

Would you tell me? I commonly just shuck the jacket or coat part way and/or stack it or hang it to accomplish concealment. I prefer restaurants with booths so I can have my gun to the inside and I am picky about line of sight and fire lanes (which my wife is quite used to, BTW) but it does look a little funny if I have to go to the restroom and put my coat on to do so. Maybe if I lost a few pounds and IWB was more comfortable?

I just remove my arms from the jacket and drape it backwards, making sure it drapes over the handgun. ;)

txinvestigator wrote:

jimlongley wrote:

txinvestigator wrote:PS I showed him who to remove his coat and still have the handgun concealed while seated.

Would you tell me? I commonly just shuck the jacket or coat part way and/or stack it or hang it to accomplish concealment. I prefer restaurants with booths so I can have my gun to the inside and I am picky about line of sight and fire lanes (which my wife is quite used to, BTW) but it does look a little funny if I have to go to the restroom and put my coat on to do so. Maybe if I lost a few pounds and IWB was more comfortable?

I just remove my arms from the jacket and drape it backwards, making sure it drapes over the handgun. ;)

Yup, what I did, but maybe I should have mentioned that it was a "sport coat" jacket and they just look kind of strange draped back that way - most people expect you to hang such a thing up when you remove it.

Which brings to mind the time the "helpful" waiter snagged my plain old jacket from behind me to hang it up, revealing my carry gun for me.

jimlongley wrote:

txinvestigator wrote:

jimlongley wrote:

txinvestigator wrote:PS I showed him who to remove his coat and still have the handgun concealed while seated.

Would you tell me? I commonly just shuck the jacket or coat part way and/or stack it or hang it to accomplish concealment. I prefer restaurants with booths so I can have my gun to the inside and I am picky about line of sight and fire lanes (which my wife is quite used to, BTW) but it does look a little funny if I have to go to the restroom and put my coat on to do so. Maybe if I lost a few pounds and IWB was more comfortable?

I just remove my arms from the jacket and drape it backwards, making sure it drapes over the handgun. ;)

Yup, what I did, but maybe I should have mentioned that it was a "sport coat" jacket and they just look kind of strange draped back that way - most people expect you to hang such a thing up when you remove it.

Which brings to mind the time the "helpful" waiter snagged my plain old jacket from behind me to hang it up, revealing my carry gun for me.

Of course, it is only funny if it happens to someone else.

Anygun

anygunanywhere wrote:

txinvestigator wrote:A handgun can be worn so that your coat can be removed and the weapon still concealed.

I just had my monthly weekday lunch with my father, and he had to keep his coat on because he wore an OWB holster.

I was much more comfortable with my coat off, as I wore an IWB holster. ;)

PS I showed him who to remove his coat and still have the handgun concealed while seated.

I have done this before in my travels, though not in Texas. I typically am very picky about where I am seated in restaurants. I prefer booths to tables in the middle of a room. Mrs. Anygun finds it humorous sometimes and plays along with her "You want to sit here or here?". Her way of making certain I have a clear view of the surroundings etc.

Normally I use an IWB. The paddle OWB works to quickly don the pistol in rental car lots after retrieving it from the luggage and loading the pistol. I do carry an IWB with me in my travel stuff. I didn't take the time to switch - the most important meal of the day is the next one!

Thanks, TXI.

Anygun

You're not the only one..."Wife Unit" forgot the drill...And when she noticed I had to struggle a bit to keep "it" concealed while I took off my light jacket...

"Opps...I forgot..."

Good thing I am such a forgiving guy...Right?

I tend to overheat easily as well, so I like to take off my jacket in restaurants too.
Even though I wear IWB, the handle still sticks up unless I"m wearing a shirt tucker.
Like many of you have said, I drape my jacket over my chair while seated. I've never had waitstaff attempt to hang my jacket for me, but I also don't tend to stretch my budget any further than a steak house.

I wouldnl't mind open carry. It would get people comfortable with law abiding citizens having guns. However, I like carrying concealed. I like being my own trojan horse.