• We are now running on a new, and hopefully much-improved, server. In addition we are also on new forum software. Any move entails a lot of technical details and I suspect we will encounter a few issues as the new server goes live. Please be patient with us. It will be worth it! :) Please help by posting all issues here.
  • The forum will be down for about an hour this weekend for maintenance. I apologize for the inconvenience.
  • If you are having trouble seeing the forum then you may need to clear your browser's DNS cache. Click here for instructions on how to do that
  • Please review the Forum Rules frequently as we are constantly trying to improve the forum for our members and visitors.

How do you justify OC?

Tony_B

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2011
Messages
55
Location
The South
Kinda hard to educate without discussing.

I suppose one could wordlessly hand them a card. Perhaps throw in a glare for good measure?
Kinda hard to educate without discussing.

I suppose one could wordlessly hand them a card. Perhaps throw in a glare for good measure?
Allow me to provide you with a real world example of what I'm talking about that happened earlier today that exemplifies exactly what I was attempting, but apparently failed, to communicate in my previous post.

I had occasion to enter a medium-box office supply-tech store today as I needed some DVDs and CDs for burning drivers, customer files, etc. While standing in line I saw an older man who was wearing a Marine Corps cap. When I see such men I always ask if they were stationed at Camp Lejeune because the water there was poisoned for some 35 years and is killing a great many of us.

He said he was and I then asked if he knew about the contaminated water. He said he did and that he had been checked out. Then he sees my lawfully and properly holstered firearm and goes off into a (loud; maybe he's deaf) blow hard diatribe that I didn't want or need at the time. It wasn't prudent or necessary and it drew exactly the kind of attention one doesn't want.

This is the kind of guy you DO NOT want representing open carriers or even open carrying although I wouldn't deny him that right. I just wouldn't want to be around him when he did.

My position when open carrying isn't to draw attention to myself although that's hard to do in many cases during Spring, Summer, and parts of Fall as the firearm tends to do that on its own. Since I open carry on the front of my belt pretty much over my zipper where I can guard the firearm instead of the back and on my hip where its vulnerable, it's hard to miss when facing someone. Additionally, a very few percent of people look at other's crotch area as a given rule. :eek:

Thankfully (maybe), another store employee took me at another register. Although it was at the other end of the store and opposite the exit which leads me to believe someone might have been armed and looking through the one-way glass mirror behind the cashier, which just happens to be the office of this store as well, supposing I had ill intentions maybe?

Anyway, I keep the firearm talk to a minimum when open carrying in public and might state that Alabama is a traditional open carry state if asked as well as addressing the recent legislation, but that's about it. If people want to be educated they will have to do that themselves and I give them this website url. No one can do it for them.
 

Jayne&Vera

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2012
Messages
52
Location
NEOK
Quote Search

I've been searching for the source of a quote but I'm so widely read I'm not even certain I'm looking in the right place anymore.

It says roughly something along the lines of, "I carry my weapon when I come into your home because I honor your family and consider you and yours worthy of protection in addition to my own... Ish".
I believe it's a character's quotes from within a fictional story but I could be wrong. Source could be anywhere from Heinlein, Eric Flint, Daniel Wimberley to the philosopher Cicero or GK Chesterton on the unlikely end.
 

HPmatt

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2013
Messages
1,467
Location
Dallas
Don't recall Cicero talking abt OC.. :)

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
 

arizonaopa

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2013
Messages
14
Location
Whetstone AZ
Arizona viewpoint

Since AZ is constitutional carry, I do not feel a need to justify whether I carry open or concealed. If I am in a place of business and see someone else OCing, I greet them with a smile. I have made a number of friends through open carry and it is calming to know that if I am in store that comes under violence, there are other people that will have my back as I have theirs if push comes to shove.
 

poetdante

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 30, 2014
Messages
449
Location
Louisville, KY
I'm trying to get into OC now. It's kinda hard for me as I am usually wearing a T-shirt and the firearm gets concealed unintentionally. It is in a OWB Raven holster so it's pretty tight to my hip, but the best I've been able to come up with during these summer months is a tucked in sleeveless shirt and a light short-sleeve button-down summer shirt over it (if I had the arms for showing off I would).

So far the closest I've gone to OC is when a breeze blew my shirt back and exposed my pistol for a bit.

How do people usually OC anyway? Do they all go around with tucked in shirts?
 

WalkingWolf

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
11,930
Location
North Carolina
I'm trying to get into OC now. It's kinda hard for me as I am usually wearing a T-shirt and the firearm gets concealed unintentionally. It is in a OWB Raven holster so it's pretty tight to my hip, but the best I've been able to come up with during these summer months is a tucked in sleeveless shirt and a light short-sleeve button-down summer shirt over it (if I had the arms for showing off I would).

So far the closest I've gone to OC is when a breeze blew my shirt back and exposed my pistol for a bit.

How do people usually OC anyway? Do they all go around with tucked in shirts?

I do, my wife does not. She just tucks her shirt behind the gun. Both of us wear t-shirts, I only wear button down in the winter and occasionally during the summer. I was raised that gentlemen do not go about with untucked shirts, yes I am old. That habit has stuck with me and I will never change.
 

RTCNC

New member
Joined
Jun 14, 2014
Messages
4
Location
Mooresville, NC
I live in North Carolina, an open carry state. I choose to carry openly because, as it was stated here before, I do not feel the need to ask permission to exercise a natural right. With that said, I have not had any issues with anyone being shocked or against seeing my gun. It is on my hip always. I was in Walmart and an elderly lady saw my gun and gasped. I looked at her and asked if everything was ok. She looked at my gun and said in a disbelieving tone "the gun". I looked at my gun as if to just notice it and chuckled. I said to her "its ok ma'am I'm not a criminal". We had a chuckle about it and she calmed down. I fully support the right to carry. Whatever and however you want to carry. As long as its responsible, then carry on brothers and sisters.
 

solus

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2013
Messages
9,315
Location
here nc
I do, my wife does not. She just tucks her shirt behind the gun. Both of us wear t-shirts, I only wear button down in the winter and occasionally during the summer. I was raised that gentlemen do not go about with untucked shirts, yes I am old. That habit has stuck with me and I will never change.

your olde :shocker: when did that happen?

i roam the tarheel state with t-shirt/shirt tucked in which has nothing to do with being raised as a gentleman as you WW but rather from a northern mother who 'insisted' i should always look nice in public so she would beat me until i understood the principle...slowly, very slowly, i learned as the bruising subsided and healed but by then the trait became habit.

ipse
 

poetdante

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 30, 2014
Messages
449
Location
Louisville, KY
I had my first OC experience today. How did I justify it? Well, I wanted to go on a bike ride with my gf (she is inexperienced riding bicycle with traffic) and it was a hot day. I always wear a tucked in shirt to prevent holsters from rubbing my skin (OWB or IWB) and so I put on my Raven holster and carried my full-size OWB. CCing would have meant an extra layer on a hot, sunny day. Biked to a local food store (organic/farmer's market/yuppie, idk why my gf wanted to go there) and I had a very pleasant experience. Maybe 3 people even noticed the holstered weapon. I was very relaxed and quite curious about the whole experience. I kinda wish more people would ask me about it, it would have been a great oppertunity to educate the hipsters about carrying in general. I might end up making OC a more frequent thing from now on. Maybe Louisville, KY CAN be a gun-friendly city
 

sudden valley gunner

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2008
Messages
16,674
Location
Whatcom County
I had my first OC experience today. How did I justify it? Well, I wanted to go on a bike ride with my gf (she is inexperienced riding bicycle with traffic) and it was a hot day. I always wear a tucked in shirt to prevent holsters from rubbing my skin (OWB or IWB) and so I put on my Raven holster and carried my full-size OWB. CCing would have meant an extra layer on a hot, sunny day. Biked to a local food store (organic/farmer's market/yuppie, idk why my gf wanted to go there) and I had a very pleasant experience. Maybe 3 people even noticed the holstered weapon. I was very relaxed and quite curious about the whole experience. I kinda wish more people would ask me about it, it would have been a great oppertunity to educate the hipsters about carrying in general. I might end up making OC a more frequent thing from now on. Maybe Louisville, KY CAN be a gun-friendly city

Great! Well done.
 

marshaul

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Aug 13, 2007
Messages
11,188
Location
Fairfax County, Virginia
This is my primary reason for preferring OC. I can't stand having my shirt untucked. I feel like a slob.

Not a bad reason.

I'll confess I started tucking my shirt in in order to OC, but now I can't stand having an untucked shirt. Heck, I even tuck in t-shirts I wear to the occasional metal show I attend.
 

F350

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2012
Messages
941
Location
The High Plains of Wyoming
Quote Originally Posted by poetdante View Post
I'm trying to get into OC now. It's kinda hard for me as I am usually wearing a T-shirt and the firearm gets concealed unintentionally. It is in a OWB Raven holster so it's pretty tight to my hip, but the best I've been able to come up with during these summer months is a tucked in sleeveless shirt and a light short-sleeve button-down summer shirt over it (if I had the arms for showing off I would).

So far the closest I've gone to OC is when a breeze blew my shirt back and exposed my pistol for a bit.

How do people usually OC anyway? Do they all go around with tucked in shirts?

I do, my wife does not. She just tucks her shirt behind the gun. Both of us wear t-shirts, I only wear button down in the winter and occasionally during the summer. I was raised that gentlemen do not go about with untucked shirts, yes I am old. That habit has stuck with me and I will never change.

I'll bet you don't wear a hat at the table either, probably take it off on entering a building too (not including stores)

I'm the same way, tucked in golf type shirt for OC, those times I CC I use a tuckable holster.
 

Da Rat Bastid

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 30, 2013
Messages
40
Location
Wyoming
I'll bet you don't wear a hat at the table either, probably take it off on entering a building too (not including stores)

*tilts head quizzically* Why not? Sitting "at the table" (I'm assuming you refer to one's dining room) is done for meal-having purposes, and people's mouths aren't on the tops of their heads. Thus, no reason to remove a hat while eating.

As for being indoors, if one's hat actually makes a difference, I suggest you either find a less extravagant hat or someplace with a higher ceiling.
 

WalkingWolf

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
11,930
Location
North Carolina
*tilts head quizzically* Why not? Sitting "at the table" (I'm assuming you refer to one's dining room) is done for meal-having purposes, and people's mouths aren't on the tops of their heads. Thus, no reason to remove a hat while eating.

As for being indoors, if one's hat actually makes a difference, I suggest you either find a less extravagant hat or someplace with a higher ceiling.

I am sure it goes back to times of knights and king, and such. Carried to the military. Do not wear hats indoors unless armed.
 
Top