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I am new to this forum, so please forgive me if this has been beaten to death. I live in Houston and get out often. Being interested in any open carry fallout, I have been looking hard to find people open carrying or even printing. I have not seen a soul. That is both good (people are responsible) and bad (irritated the media and gun haters for nothing). Does anyone carry openly? What is your best guess on the percentage of people that carry concealed. I'm thinking well less than 1%.

zatoman wrote:I am new to this forum, so please forgive me if this has been beaten to death. I live in Houston and get out often. Being interested in any open carry fallout, I have been looking hard to find people open carrying or even printing. I have not seen a soul. That is both good (people are responsible) and bad (irritated the media and gun haters for nothing). Does anyone carry openly? What is your best guess on the percentage of people that carry concealed. I'm thinking well less than 1%.

Welcome to the forum.
This topic has been beaten to a pulp.

I got my one open carry in early a a gun store at the beginning of the year. I just don't find it necessary for me; way too much un-needed attention. I just mainly enjoy not having to dress around my gun. I am in the market currently for a nice owb tooled leather holster but I have zero intentions of intentionally carrying it openly, just more comfortably.

zatoman wrote:
What is your best guess on the percentage of people that carry concealed. I'm thinking well less than 1%.

3.5% of the Texas population is licensed to carry. Not all of them carry regularly. However, one needs not be licensed in order to legally conceal a handgun in their car. So, whether you count people who conceal a handgun in their car or not might be the difference between being > or < 1%. I know that there are people who keep a gun in their car who are not LTC. There are also people (other than common street criminals) who conceal a self-defense handgun on their person in public.

All things considered, I'd say that 1% is a pretty good estimate. Unless someone can reference some kind of scientific poll or other study that can give a more precise answer.

This is a really strange question for a first time poster on a forum like this.

It's a huge issue not only to those that are LTC but those that aren't as well. I know many who are passionate Pro 2nd amendment rights supporters who own guns that do not feel that a license is needed to give them the right to bear arms and therefore are not LTC but support 2A rights nonetheless.

I would not make the mistake of equating LTC as being representative of the overall population of gun owners in TX. Just like I wouldn't equate the amount of NRA members as being representative of the overall population of gun owners nationally.


Active License/Certified Instructor Counts
As of December 31, 2015
Active License Holders: 937,419
Certified Instructors: 3,458

https://www.txdps.state.tx.us/rsd/chl/r ... tr2015.pdf



Texas Census 2014

Texas Population definition and source info Population, 2014 estimate 26,956,958


http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48000.html


Roughly 1/27th are LTC that's approx. 3.7% (closer to 3.5% if you do the actual math) and growing.

This is all new. I suspect that we might see more folks OC'ing after everyone starts to get used to the new law.

I have OC'd a number of times, generally not in buildings, but while walking to the mailbox a couple blocks away, or while playing with my son in the park, pumping gas, etc. Other than that, I have been CC'ing everywhere I can and have not really worried about printing or wearing a shirt that completely covers my holster, etc.

The weather is another factor. Most people wear jackets outside of their holster and it hasn't really been warm enough to walk around without a jacket so far in 2016.

Very few people will carry openly. I have done so on a few occasions such as while zipped up against the cold while riding my motorcycle. There is really not a good way to carry concealed while doing so that I have found. If it's under my jacket, it's too difficult to get to, especially with gloved hands. When I get where I'm going, though, I unzip and let the jacket cover my piece. Also, I have taken to wearing a paddle holster instead of an IWB holster, as it is more comfortable and I am now less concerned about an accidental exposure. As far as how many people around you carry concealed, I think it's more than most people think. Since getting my CHL, I have found out that there are a lot of people I know that carry all the time. I had no idea they did so before getting my license, because concealed means concealed. Carry however you're comfortable, just carry.

It's been a good deal for the sign companies. Otherwise, just an interesting social experiment. Have still only seen one open carrier.

I would be surprised if 1% of the population actually conceal carried regularly.

mojo84 wrote:It's been a good deal for the sign companies. Otherwise, just an interesting social experiment. Have still only seen one open carrier.

I would be surprised if 1% of the population actually conceal carried regularly.

That is a safe bet... 1/3 of all of those who are licensed would be 1%. Of the 32 people who I know that have a LTC, My wife and I are the only two that I know that carry on their person daily. Most of the others only carry when they are going to downtown, or traveling several counties away, or spending the night away from home, or they only carry in a vehicle.. or like my in-laws; not at all.

[quote="LSUTiger"]This is a really strange question for a first time poster on a forum like this.

I know it's a huge issue. I'm about as pro 2nd Amendment as it is possible to be. My comment was that I find it interesting that after all of the hoopla (mostly media generated), that I see that no one open carries and next to no one concealed carries.

After thinking about it a bit more, I think we like to have our God given right to defend ourselves, even though it is not always practical to be armed. And that the media is in business for ratings and not for reporting what really goes on in the minds of law abiding citizens.

zatoman wrote:

LSUTiger wrote:This is a really strange question for a first time poster on a forum like this.

I know it's a huge issue. I'm about as pro 2nd Amendment as it is possible to be. My comment was that I find it interesting that after all of the hoopla (mostly media generated), that I see that no one open carries and next to no one concealed carries.

And how would you know that?

baldeagle wrote:

zatoman wrote:

LSUTiger wrote:This is a really strange question for a first time poster on a forum like this.

I know it's a huge issue. I'm about as pro 2nd Amendment as it is possible to be. My comment was that I find it interesting that after all of the hoopla (mostly media generated), that I see that no one open carries and next to no one concealed carries.

And how would you know that?

I assume you mean how would I know that next to no one carries concealed. I agree that IWB may be difficult to tell. Do people actually carry IWB? Seems very uncomfortable. Will leave that to the hard core. But not that hard to tell if someone is carrying OWB. Anything but a pocket gun always leaves a bump in the clothing.

zatoman wrote:

baldeagle wrote:

zatoman wrote:

LSUTiger wrote:This is a really strange question for a first time poster on a forum like this.

I know it's a huge issue. I'm about as pro 2nd Amendment as it is possible to be. My comment was that I find it interesting that after all of the hoopla (mostly media generated), that I see that no one open carries and next to no one concealed carries.

And how would you know that?

I assume you mean how would I know that next to no one carries concealed. I agree that IWB may be difficult to tell. Do people actually carry IWB? Seems very uncomfortable. Will leave that to the hard core. But not that hard to tell if someone is carrying OWB. Anything but a pocket gun always leaves a bump in the clothing.

I wanted to edit your comments down to just ....

"I agree that IWB may be difficult to tell. Do people actually carry IWB? Seems very uncomfortable. Will leave that to the hard core. But not that hard to tell if someone is carrying OWB. Anything but a pocket gun always leaves a bump in the clothing."

....but I left them all in for context. I'm guessing you have never carried, don't have a license, and have no intention of getting one. So, why are your here?

I am a supporter of OC, till date, I did not OC. I find myself OC while traveling, hunting, (both were legal before 1/1/2016) and I may now OC in public park with friend and family while having some fun time and BBQ. Carrying in business even when legal is not needed as inside a businesses they have a full blown AC and one can throw on some concealment garment.