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Hey Everybody!

D

dingywingy

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2013
Messages
20
Location
Mesa Arizona
Hello Opencarry citizens :) I'm new to the forums and am just saying hello to everyone and wanted to say I'm glad I found this amazing community of Americans to become a part of.

My forum name is the same I use for online gaming which I am very active in for anyone wondering why I would pick such a silly name.

A little about myself, I am 19 and live in the Mesa, Arizona area and just recently purchased my first handgun which is a 3rd Gen Glock 23 and so far I love it. I have had 0 problems with OC my new pistol so far but am still a little nervous about encountering law enforcement being that I look very young and am of minority descent but am prepared with my knowledge of the laws and statues around here.

Thanks for advance for any advice and wisdom you wonderful people will one day bestow on me and be safe out there :)
 
FreeInAZ

FreeInAZ

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2012
Messages
2,508
Location
Secret Bunker
Welcome.

A few things to suggest -

Check out AzCDL's site. In particular their accomplishments page. Nearly all of the gun freedoms we enjoy hers in AZ can be traced back to them. If you're not a member, think about joining. ;)
http://azcdl.org

People may be curious and ask questions, considering your age. Be polite, smile and have a response ready in your head. You'll get the standard questions like: Is that real? Are you undercover? Are you a cop? Is that legal?

Now a word about appearance - it should not matter if you have tatoo's & body bling sticking off/out of you everywhere. Sadly, it does. People today make snap judgements. Dressing in a way that makes you stand out will do just that, and greatly increase your chances of a police contact. Dressing in a way that projects you are a upstanding member of society will get you and your pistol less attention. Not right, but it is what it is.

Invest in a good belt & holster if you haven't already. Practice drawing (safely) gun unloaded in private. Make sure you don't have to think about it, should the need ever arise to defend your life. Your draw should be as natural as possible and should become "muscle memory".

Seek out training when you can. Start slow and work your way up. After all, a pistol is useless if you can't put the lead where it needs to go under life & death stress. ;) Remember: to date - I have never met a violent criminal willing to stand at exactly 21 feet, backlight themselves, and hold perfectly still for me. I am betting no one else has either. Paper targets are just that.

Consider at the bare minimum carrying a digital voice recorder. Should something go wrong, it could assist in keeping you out of jail. A mag holder with a top works good when placed on your belt to carry one. Think of it as insurance and keep it running whenever you OC.

Good luck on your OCing & post your experiences in the OC experience thread here. It helps show others who are considering OC that they won't face a swat team for doing it.:D
 
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D

dingywingy

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2013
Messages
20
Location
Mesa Arizona
FreeInAZ said:
Welcome.

A few things to suggest -

Check out AzCDL's site. In particular their accomplishments page. Nearly all of the gun freedoms we enjoy hers in AZ can be traced back to them. If you're not a member, think about joining. ;)
http://azcdl.org

People may be curious and ask questions, considering your age. Be polite, smile and have a response ready in your head. You'll get the standard questions like: Is that real? Are you undercover? Are you a cop? Is that legal?

Now a word about appearance - it should not matter if you have tatoo's & body bling sticking off/out of you everywhere. Sadly, it does. People today make snap judgements. Dressing in a way that makes you stand out will do just that, and greatly increase your chances of a police contact. Dressing in a way that projects you are a upstanding member of society will get you and your pistol less attention. Not right, but it is what it is.

Invest in a good belt & holster if you haven't already. Practice drawing (safely) gun unloaded in private. Make sure you don't have to think about it, should the need ever arise to defend your life. Your draw should be as natural as possible and should become "muscle memory".

Seek out training when you can. Start slow and work your way up. After all, a pistol is useless if you can't put the lead where it needs to go under life & death stress. ;) Remember: to date - I have never met a violent criminal willing to stand at exactly 21 feet, backlight themselves, and hold perfectly still for me. I am betting no one else has either. Paper targets are just that.

Consider at the bare minimum carrying a digital voice recorder. Should something go wrong, it could assist in keeping you out of jail. A mag holder with a top works good when placed on your belt to carry one. Think of it as insurance and keep it running whenever you OC.

Good luck on your OCing & post your experiences in the OC experience thread here. It helps show others who are considering OC that they won't face a swat team for doing it.:D
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice I appreciate it and I have already started to practice drawing my pistol I currently own a Black Hawk CQC Level 2 Retention Holster and I absolutley love it its worth every penny
 
FreeInAZ

FreeInAZ

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2012
Messages
2,508
Location
Secret Bunker
dingywingy said:
Thanks for the advice I appreciate it and I have already started to practice drawing my pistol I currently own a Black Hawk CQC Level 2 Retention Holster and I absolutley love it its worth every penny
Click to expand...

You're welcome. Sounds like you are off to a very good start. +1 :cool:
 
T

Thoreau

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2009
Messages
315
Location
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
+1 to all of the advice and info above.

I'd add that a good CCW permit class is still worth it despite not being 21. The information that a good instructor can impart with regard to specific AZ laws regarding carry will go a long way to getting you off to a good legal start, and it's fairly cheap. Alan Korwin's AZ Gun Laws book is a fantastic addition (or even starter) to that info.
 
eye95

eye95

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 6, 2010
Messages
13,524
Location
Fairborn, Ohio, USA
I don't know when I am going to get there, but I scored one of those diamond memberships. They are advertised for $15,000. They are definitely worth more than $200!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk.

<o>
 
azcdlfred

azcdlfred

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 10, 2006
Messages
901
Location
Tucson, Arizona, USA
eye95 said:
I don't know when I am going to get there, but I scored one of those diamond memberships. They are advertised for $15,000. They are definitely worth more than $200!
Click to expand...
Thanks!

Over the years, we (AzCDL) have been able to take advantage of Front Sight's fund raising promotions and pass the savings on. I paid a lot more for my original Front Sight membership many years ago. The Diamond membership allows you to take any course they offer as many times as you wish.

Fred
 
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