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How does your family feel about you OCing?

sailor628

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2008
Messages
49
Location
SW Washington, Washington, USA
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I just started OCing this week and was surprized that my wife had nothing to say when I strapped my pistol to my hip instead of tucking it IWB under my shirt. We've been all over town to various establishments and she has never raised any concerns. She isn't a shooting enthusist but believes in the importance of gun ownership. Also we recently got together with my brother and he didn't say a word about me OCing. It got me wondering how other people's families react or feel about open carry. Has your family or friends ever raised concerns over you open carrying?
 

OBXMIKE

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2006
Messages
124
Location
NORFOLK, ,
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The first time I OC'd was about a year and a half ago. Took the family to Williamsburg to do some shopping at the outlets and have a little lunch and dinner. We were having lunch before my wife realized what I had on my hip.....eyes bulged....."what are you doing with THAT THING on?!?!" :shock:

Just told her "it's legal to do so in Va" and that was that. She surprisingly was quite comfortable with it after that.

After our first OCDO dinner, and seeing twenty some people all open carrying (including a few of the ladies), she's fine with it. Still working on her to learn about firearms and get her to go for her CCW permit, though. She's been a tough nut to crack as far as HER carrying, but I ain't giving up!
 

BobCav

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2007
Messages
2,798
Location
No longer in Alexandria, Egypt
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OBXMIKE, almost the same thing here. My wife was born and raised in Brasil and uncomfortable around guns (only cops and bad guys have them there), but she's slowly come around. I told her I eventually want her to get training and her permit and she's all for that. One step at a time.

My daughters all think it's awesome and my family trapped behind enemy lines in NJ are jealous, but almost all of them wish they could carry at all.
 

Manka Cat

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 17, 2008
Messages
52
Location
Cody, Wyoming, USA
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My fiance has no problem whatsoever. I of course talked to her about the decision first, but made it clear that it was something I was going to do. I just wanted her to have a chance to show her opinion. She had initial concerns, which I put mostly to rest (thanks in no small part to this site), and started OCing on my 21st birthday. My Dad is unsure but hasn't said anything anti yet, and when my mother in law (to be) stopped by she didn't mention the obvious Glock on my hip.

The only negative feedback has been from my future brothers in law. One has three kids and asked me straight up not to carry around them. I tried to explain to him that it will only make them safer, but he insists. I think it's more that his kids are fascinated with guns (because he never has them around and treats them like they will kill you if you look at them wrong). After his boys found an old BB gun in their grandparents garage and started playing with it, he refuses to let them near any guns.

I know, brilliant way to encourage them to play with the first gun they can get their hands on.

If it wasn't for his kids, I would tell him that I respect his opinion, but will not disarm because it "makes him uncomfortable". If I did that for every moron who doesn't like guns, I would never have a gun. But I respect parental wishes very much, and have agreed to disarm and unload my shotgun when his kids are over. At his house my gun stays in my car with the mag in my pocket. I'm trying to encourage him to let me take his kids out to the range to teach them common respect for guns, how to use them, what they are capable of, and so on. His kids are 5 and 7 I think, so I think soon they will be ready for an intro.

My other brother in law doesn't like me open carrying, and started his dissuasion by telling me that I wouldn't need it in a small town in Wyoming. I told him about a shootout at walmart last year, a deadly shooting the year before in a nearby town, and the seven home breakins in Cody in January alone. Then he started making up laws about not being able to carry in banks. liqour stores, etc, all of which I tried to shoot down, but he won't believe me because "A cop told him you can't carry in a bank" :banghead:

He wrapped it up by switching to "concerned mode" and told me he didn't want me to get in any trouble because of my gun. This was the most offending and patronizing I thought, but I keep at it, explaining that first it is legal, and second, the only reason my gun will leave my holster in public will be because I mean to shoot at someone who is threatening me or my family with a gun or knife.

Finally he changed subjects.
 

glockrocker

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2008
Messages
42
Location
Burlington, Vermont, , USA
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I first started OCing in December. My parents had a big problem with it then, and have a big problem with it now (they're both very anti-gun). My sister doesn't care too much. My other family, my fraternity brothers, all think that it's awesome. Since I spend much more time with my brothers than my actual family, I would say that overall acceptance is quite high! :celebrate
 

deepdiver

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Apr 2, 2007
Messages
5,820
Location
Southeast, Missouri, USA
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Being that I can't OC in the town where I live, when family visits me they only see me OC on my property. My parents were a little concerned at first, but they have pretty much come around. At our farm in KY, they get antsy when I OC in town because it "might make other people uncomfortable" but besides that they don't really seem to get bunged up about it. So, to keep the peace, when I am with them in town I usually CC albeit not always very well. My fiancee is finally use to it and finally commented this week that she wished she had taken me up on my offer to let her carry one of my pistols in her car at keep it at her home. Whether she willl follow up with that and start carrying is yet to be seen. My uncle who lives in CA and hasn't been around anything but airguns since he was a kid came to visit. He about had a coronary just seeing it on my hip in my own house even though he knows I always carry. He asked what happens if it "just goes off". I briefly explained to him how many safety features would have to utterly fail, including the ones that fail "safe" for that to happen and that it would be more likely that one of us would suddenly be struck with spontaneous combustion. He never quite got comfortable with the concept for the few days he was here. Good thing he never saw what was loaded in my closet. :shock:
 

UTOC-45-44

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2007
Messages
2,579
Location
Morgan, Utah, USA
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deepdiver wrote:
Being that I can't OC in the town where I live, when family visits me they only see me OC on my property. My parents were a little concerned at first, but they have pretty much come around. At our farm in KY, they get antsy when I OC in town because it "might make other people uncomfortable" but besides that they don't really seem to get bunged up about it. So, to keep the peace, when I am with them in town I usually CC albeit not always very well. My fiancee is finally use to it and finally commented this week that she wished she had taken me up on my offer to let her carry one of my pistols in her car at keep it at her home. Whether she willl follow up with that and start carrying is yet to be seen. My uncle who lives in CA and hasn't been around anything but airguns since he was a kid came to visit. He about had a coronary just seeing it on my hip in my own house even though he knows I always carry. He asked what happens if it "just goes off". I briefly explained to him how many safety features would have to utterly fail, including the ones that fail "safe" for that to happen and that it would be more likely that one of us would suddenly be struck with spontaneous combustion. He never quite got comfortable with the concept for the few days he was here. Good thing he never saw what was loaded in my closet. :shock:


In the beginning my wife was uncomfortable due to the fact that she didn't want the attention from Cops. Then I got more involved with OCDO here in Utah and there is no problem anymore at all

TJ
 

JB

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2007
Messages
119
Location
Twin Falls, Idaho, USA
imported post

My family thinks i'm foolish for carrying a gun, I think they're foolish for not carrying. What are ya gonna do?
 

bohdi

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2007
Messages
1,753
Location
Centreville, Virginia, USA
imported post

Sailor, you'll find all the support you need here. Your not twisted, your not mentally derainged, you might have a small penis - hey, what do I know, I've never (nor do I wish) to see you naked but those are typical responses from anti-gun people. In my mind you either get it or you don't.

My in-laws are an interesting group. It's my wife's fault I open carry, she encouraged me to get my concealed carry permit as a "guy thing" to bond with her brother and dad, that sort of backfired on her. She was uneasy with it at first but is now actually a rather vocal advocate. Her baptism by fire was the Burke Lake response from Fairfax County PD, that was fun, lol. If she can put up with ballistic shields and helicopters, she can put up with alot. I credit the others on this board that were there that day for helping her overcome her anxiety. Do yourself a favor, know the law, get a good retention holster, show your significant other how hard it is to get the weapon out of it - let her try (unloaded of course).

My wife's mom doesn't think I need to carry to her house, a mile and a half away from ours. She says things from time to time when I carry, I either ignore her or turn it around and say what if no one excercised any of their rights ever? What would happen? I understand she may not be comfortable with it, but I don't expect her to carry either - nor do I want her too.

It's a choice, as with any choice, there are consequences. Be willing to accept that some people will never see it your way no matter how much oxygen your willing to expend, and save your breath. Just be polite about it and agree to disagree. If they kick you out of their house, invite them over to yours for family functions, lol. If they refuse because you carry in your house then who's the real a-hole? You respect their rights by not carrying in theirs, they should respect your rights when you carry in yours.


As for my family, my own mom thinks it's not needed. The oldest of my three sisters believes that if someone attacks you (even weapons free) you shouldn't defend yourself (WTF over? I just don't get that). My dad supports my right to do so, but doesn't really agree with it or see a need for it. That's a guy who protests the current war in Iraq but that's a different matter. I'm not sure how my older two brothers really feel, but I think they are okay with it. My youngest sister gets it. She doesn't carry, I don't think she's fired a gun, but she understands. I'm sure the rest of my family is a mixed bag, but I'm not asking them to carry, just don't give me shit for doing so.
 

compmanio365

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2007
Messages
2,013
Location
Pierce County, Washington, USA
imported post

Well, the wife thinks it's a good idea, I suppose....good enough that she's now got her CCW and is looking to get a pistol to carry herself, at any rate....;)

My dad, well, he is and always will be anti-gun, I mean, this is the guy that sent back a Nerf dart gun that I got for my birthday one year from a grandparent and said "Don't ever send my kid any kind of guns, even toy ones, again...". He about fainted when I told him I was carrying a 45, and, OMG, right out where everyone could see it too! "You're gonna get killed" was his reaction..........I can't wait to see the look on his face when I show up in Utah OCing, whether he likes it or not.......:p
 

SQLtables

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2008
Messages
894
Location
Secretary MOC, Inc. Frankenmuth, , USA
imported post

My girlfriend didn't like it at first. She was sure I was going to get arrested. She still doesn't love it when I do it with her around, but she's ok with it. She has her CPL and, actually, since I bought her a gun on Sunday, she's been carrying it with her (CC of course) :)

My dad definately isNOT anti-gun, but EVERY time I talk to him about it I have to remind him that it isn't illegal to OC. He thinks I'm crazy, and I might be, but not for OCing;)
 

Sa45auto

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2008
Messages
387
Location
, , USA
imported post

The other day we were sitting in a restaurant and my wife looked at my gun and said' "I'm so glad that you are no longer all worried about keeping that thing hidden. It make me feel more secure to have others know that you are ready to protect me."



Man I love that women.
 

imperialism2024

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2007
Messages
3,047
Location
Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, USA
imported post

Sa45auto wrote:
The other day we were sitting in a restaurant and my wife looked at my gun and said' "I'm so glad that you are no longer all worried about keeping that thing hidden. It make me feel more secure to have others know that you are ready to protect me."



Man I love that women.
Does she have a cute sister?
 

Manka Cat

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 17, 2008
Messages
52
Location
Cody, Wyoming, USA
imported post

Sa45auto wrote:
The other day we were sitting in a restaurant and my wife looked at my gun and said'  "I'm so glad that you are no longer all worried about keeping that thing hidden.  It make me feel more secure to have others know that you are ready to protect me."

 

Man I love that women.

Simply Awesome.
 

Sa45auto

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2008
Messages
387
Location
, , USA
imported post

imperialism2024 wrote:
Sa45auto wrote:
The other day we were sitting in a restaurant and my wife looked at my gun and said' "I'm so glad that you are no longer all worried about keeping that thing hidden. It make me feel more secure to have others know that you are ready to protect me."



Man I love that women.
Does she have a cute sister?
She only has 1 sister, who was cute until she married and gained 100 pounds after 2 kids.

My wife, who is 5' 10" 140#, weighs within 5 pounds of what she did when I married her, and that is after 5 children. :)
 
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