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OC newbie, just some general questions. :)

Kathryn

New member
Joined
Jul 8, 2014
Messages
1
Location
United States
Hi everyone! I'm very new to the open carry world, and this seemed like a good place to start.

I live in Richmond County, NC. My current understanding of the law is:
I can open carry anywhere, as long as it's not posted on a business' door that guns aren't allowed, or it's a school/government building/other obvious place you can't take a gun. I also understand that you don't need specific permits to open carry, BUT you have to have a permit to concealed carry.

Is my understanding correct? If not, please correct me, I most certainly don't want to break any laws.

Also. My friends who do open carry have been schooling me in etiquette and all that. How to dress, how to present yourself, what do if/when you're stopped by a police officer or pulled over/at a traffic stop. What are all of your opinions on that? I want to make sure I do everything as properly as possible, because one person who OC's represents EVERYONE who OC's.

Another question: What's your response when someone asks you why you're carrying? I'm a democrat, and EVERYONE I know is just so shocked I fully support gun rights and all that, and it's getting annoying to have everyone ask over and over again. What do you say when someone questions your reasons?


Last question, I promise, and this really isn't strictly about OC. I have very small hands, and short fingers. Right now I have a small .38 special, because I can actually reach everything and handle the gun well. Any advice on anything else that might be easy for little hands?

Thanks so much! I really appreciate all of this, sorry for seeming so uneducated. :)
 

hhofent

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2014
Messages
130
Location
Iowa
.38s are nice guns, IMO they provide the most stopping power in the smallest package.

If you want something bigger, the best thing is to go to a gun shop and handle some guns, find one that fits it your hand as well or better than yours.
The biggest thing is to be able to handle it comfortably, then worry about higher calibers. A gun is of little to no use to you if its too heavy for you to shoot properly.
 

solus

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2013
Messages
9,315
Location
here nc
Ms Kathryn, welcome to OC...

your understanding is correct, however to assist you in furthering your understanding here is the NC attorney general's firearm link...

section III D discusses transporting your firearm in your vehicle as well as how to present to the nice LE who has stopped you.

http://www.ncdoj.gov/getdoc/32344299...-gun-Laws.aspx

finally, here is the link to the NC statutes if the AG's conversation didn't bore you sufficiently (search in the upper right):

http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/statutes/statutes.asp

being a bit of a smart arse, my response is...cuz a policeman is too heavy to lug around. or depending how the question is stated...my 'did you really ask that stupid question' stare...

as to a proper handgun for you...suggest you take the NRA's basic pistol class and then visit the nearest gander mtn and try them in your hand...preface you conversation w/the salesman as you are just looking and they 'should' turn down the sales pitch a bit.

again welcome and sit back and enjoy as the other nice NC folk come out and say hello.

ipse
 

WalkingWolf

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
11,930
Location
North Carolina
Welcome to OCDO and open carry!

I have never been asked why I carry, usually the question is "Are they real". The wife and I were just asked this a few days ago. I tried to convince to shake her assets and say "Yup, they are real" but she fails to see the humor in that.
 

Primus

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2013
Messages
3,939
Location
United States
Welcome to OCDO and open carry!

I have never been asked why I carry, usually the question is "Are they real". The wife and I were just asked this a few days ago. I tried to convince to shake her assets and say "Yup, they are real" but she fails to see the humor in that.

That's an appropriate response to a new female to the board. Lead the way...

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk
 

Grapeshot

Legendary Warrior
Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
35,317
Location
Valhalla
Welcome to OCDO and open carry!

I have never been asked why I carry, usually the question is "Are they real". The wife and I were just asked this a few days ago. I tried to convince to shake her assets and say "Yup, they are real" but she fails to see the humor in that.

That's an appropriate response to a new female to the board. Lead the way...

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk
Does approach the line of inappropriate.
 

WalkingWolf

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
11,930
Location
North Carolina
All in humor, and keep in mind~One must have a dirty mind to interpret it as dirty.

That said I am not the one who thinks over tight handcuffs is funny.
 

give_me_a_glock

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2014
Messages
18
Location
New Bern, NC
Welcome to open carry. I myself am still a newbie and have only open carried a handful of times. Nobody at Walmart seems to really notice it so far.
 

drsysadmin

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2014
Messages
126
Location
WNC
Welcome Kathyrn,

It bodes well that you want to make sure you are doing things the right way. 2a rights protect us all, and it is good to see proof that this issue can (and often does) bypass popular misconceptions about political stances.

As for what firearms to look into - I have to agree with hhofent, the .38 is generally an excellent choice for a shooter with smaller hands. Anything smaller (like a .25) you might as well just throw the gun at them since that will probably hurt worse and you usually have a higher likelihood of hitting what your aiming at if you throw it. The exception to that is the .22 rimfire, but they are not exactly compact.
Depending on your level of experience and comfort, you can also look into what is known as a "pocket 9mm" - though being smaller they do tend to let you feel recoil more. Still, that is something you can overcome with practice and familiarity. Practice is something we all should be keeping up on, so you might want to look into a CM9 or a P938 if you are willing to put in the time to be truly comfortable with something like that.

Stay smart and safe out there!
 

WalkingWolf

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
11,930
Location
North Carolina
We have a snub 38, it originally was my wife's first gun, it sits in the safe now. Good little carry gun except for the considerable loss of FPS from a 38 spl cartridge. Our PA-63 is much, much more potent, and easier to carry. Good little SD gun if the OP could find one. That or a 380 with hot loads from buffalo bore ammo. Honestly any gun that throws a chunk of lead will probably stop a threat. It has been said, not sure if true, that the 22 lr has killed more people than any other round. And the 380 is known to be a effective stopper by statistics.
 
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Grapeshot

Legendary Warrior
Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
35,317
Location
Valhalla
We have a snub 38, it originally was my wife's first gun, it sits in the safe now. Good little carry gun except for the considerable loss of FPS from a 38 spl cartridge. Our PA-63 is much, much more potent, and easier to carry. Good little SD gun if the OP could find one. That or a 380 with hot loads from buffalo bore ammo. Honestly any gun that throws a chunk of lead will probably stop a threat. It has been said, not sure if true, that the 22 lr has killed more people than any other round. And the 380 is known to be a effective stopper by statistics.
Ah yes, the caliber war.

Short take with some charts:
http://gunstuff-jd.blogspot.com/2013/03/but-22-has-killed.html
 

OC for ME

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2010
Messages
12,452
Location
White Oak Plantation
The dude in the above linked article quotes "Greg" contradicting himself while trying to prove that a .22 does not kill more than any other. They do not kill (incapacitate) yet the "little hole" leads to death. :question:

So, without the "little hole" the subject would likely be alive...no?

This is like saying "it's not the fall (from a tall building) that kills ya, it's the sudden stop that kills ya." :rolleyes:
 

WalkingWolf

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
11,930
Location
North Carolina
Ah yes, the caliber war.

Short take with some charts:
http://gunstuff-jd.blogspot.com/2013/03/but-22-has-killed.html

It was just one of those rumors that I did not know if true or not. But Buckeye firearms collected some info that listed 380 has the top stopper, with 22 coming second. I personally have a lot of different calibers, IMO they are all capable of stopping a threat, including the 22. My problem with the 22 is some guns with it are just not reliable, and it has nothing to do with price. Add to that the quality of the bulk ammo has really gone down, or again so I have heard. Reviews of cheap 22 ammo not going off on strike. I have never had it happen, but then my 22 ammo is about 20 years old.

I have a cheap FIE E15 revolver, that puts a bullet in the same hole over and over again. But it is a yard gun for snakes, not really suitable for self defense, though one could. I have had this revolver for around 35 years, give or take. It was part of a trade for a Colt Gold Cup for my Singer 1911. Boy did I get stung on that one, I had no idea what the Singer was worth. I wondered at the time why I was getting two new guns for one old beat up gun.

The 22 stopped and killed rapist in South Carolina with one shot. And we all know about the Florida movie incident where a patron was shot to death with one shot from a 380 over texting.

Any firearm cartridge will do the job if the bullet is placed properly, so for me there is no caliber war. Shoot what works the best for your reasons. They could be cost, they could be ease of use, or concealment factor. As we all know even a old designed SA revolver can get the job done, but it still took three hits with a 45 colt cartridge to drop him. And then it did not drop him on the spot, he collapsed as he was exiting the market.
 
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Grapeshot

Legendary Warrior
Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
35,317
Location
Valhalla
It was just one of those rumors that I did not know if true or not. But Buckeye firearms collected some info that listed 380 has the top stopper, with 22 coming second. I personally have a lot of different calibers, IMO they are all capable of stopping a threat, including the 22. My problem with the 22 is some guns with it are just not reliable, and it has nothing to do with price. Add to that the quality of the bulk ammo has really gone down, or again so I have heard. Reviews of cheap 22 ammo not going off on strike. I have never had it happen, but then my 22 ammo is about 20 years old.

I have a cheap FIE E15 revolver, that puts a bullet in the same hole over and over again. But it is a yard gun for snakes, not really suitable for self defense, though one could. I have had this revolver for around 35 years, give or take. It was part of a trade for a Colt Gold Cup for my Singer 1911. Boy did I get stung on that one, I had no idea what the Singer was worth. I wondered at the time why I was getting two new guns for one old beat up gun.

The 22 stopped and killed rapist in South Carolina with one shot. And we all know about the Florida movie incident where a patron was shot to death with one shot from a 380 over texting.

Any firearm cartridge will do the job if the bullet is placed properly, so for me there is no caliber war. Shoot what works the best for your reasons. They could be cost, they could be ease of use, or concealment factor. As we all know even a old designed SA revolver can get the job done, but it still took three hits with a 45 colt cartridge to drop him. And then it did not drop him on the spot, he collapsed as he was exiting the market.
That was Golden :)
 

defcon4

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2011
Messages
38
Location
Alabama
It was just one of those rumors that I did not know if true or not. But Buckeye firearms collected some info that listed 380 has the top stopper, with 22 coming second. I personally have a lot of different calibers, IMO they are all capable of stopping a threat, including the 22. My problem with the 22 is some guns with it are just not reliable, and it has nothing to do with price. Add to that the quality of the bulk ammo has really gone down, or again so I have heard. Reviews of cheap 22 ammo not going off on strike. I have never had it happen, but then my 22 ammo is about 20 years old.

I have a cheap FIE E15 revolver, that puts a bullet in the same hole over and over again. But it is a yard gun for snakes, not really suitable for self defense, though one could. I have had this revolver for around 35 years, give or take. It was part of a trade for a Colt Gold Cup for my Singer 1911. Boy did I get stung on that one, I had no idea what the Singer was worth. I wondered at the time why I was getting two new guns for one old beat up gun.

The 22 stopped and killed rapist in South Carolina with one shot. And we all know about the Florida movie incident where a patron was shot to death with one shot from a 380 over texting.

Any firearm cartridge will do the job if the bullet is placed properly, so for me there is no caliber war. Shoot what works the best for your reasons. They could be cost, they could be ease of use, or concealment factor. As we all know even a old designed SA revolver can get the job done, but it still took three hits with a 45 colt cartridge to drop him. And then it did not drop him on the spot, he collapsed as he was exiting the market.

+1 Excellent post.
 

tiggy1190

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2014
Messages
31
Location
Western NC
Welcome to the world of OC. I too am new myself (as a civilian), and am hoping to convince my wife to start. I will show her this post as I try to do with all other female related posts. My reply for why I carry is "to protect myself, my family, and those around me who may be in harms way". "Those" is the part that catches the anti-gunners off guard. At that point even the most simple minded people think about it, and it usually warrants a + response.
 

bc.cruiser

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2011
Messages
786
Location
Fayetteville NC
Another question: What's your response when someone asks you why you're carrying? I'm a democrat, and EVERYONE I know is just so shocked I fully support gun rights and all that, and it's getting annoying to have everyone ask over and over again. What do you say when someone questions your reasons?

:)

Mine: " I don't look for trouble, I watch for trouble. I don't expect trouble, but I prepare for trouble. If trouble finds me, it will find trouble."

I consider my gun as my last line of defense. I can walk away, talk away, push away, punch away, spray away all before shooting to avoid really life threatening events.

http://www.virginiaopencarry.org/

As far as being a democrat, so what? My family and my wife's family are all democrats and have more guns that I do, and are strong 2A supporters. Even republicans ask the same questions.
 
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