S&W-40,
I was the same way about wanting to mostly CC and maybe just try OC but was surprised to find out how addictive OC was!
As of not too long ago, I now OC every chance I get. At work I am required to CC, but outside of work I OC about 80% of the time. If you love the feeling of "no one in here knows I have a loaded firearm on me" you will probably love the "
everyone in here knows I have a loaded firearm on me" feeling.
Here are my reasons for OCing:
-Faster draw
-*Element of surprise (not joking!...see below)
-Easier (Tucking my shirt in with my CrossBreed SuperTuck takes forever and is a pain!)
-An opportunity to educate the public and normalize guns in my community
When I say element of surprise, I am referring to the deterrence of crime. CC-only people often say that CC gives you the element of surprise. But that is only if you are able to fight concealment clothing and draw fast enough. Even then, you have only surprised the attacker
after the crime is underway, which can diminish your success. With OC, I can potentially have the element of surprise by them being
surprised that I am armed and simply leave before committing any crime! They then go and seek easier prey. I'm no CC hater though, and there are definitely times in which I prefer to CC, like in large crowds or cramped seating.
I live in the country and have never had a problem OCing. There are some CC-only people in my community who think I'm crazy for OCing, but they tolerate me and I have had no real problems. I OC in Walmart, restaurants, etc. The only times which I am aware of that LEOs observed me OCing was Rangers at National Parks. In those cases, they just looked at my handgun and then looked away. I had no trouble with them at all.
Walmart is indeed a good first place to OC. That's where I first OCed to. Give it a try! I believe in the right to OC without having to follow some sort of of "good guy" dress code. However, looking nice never hurt anybody and if it makes you feel less nervous, then consider doing your first OC in dress clothes. A gun can add to your style!
Maybe sometime me, you and Kopis should meet in a central location like Jackson, TN and have lunch together OCing!