First Open Carry

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CZ-75B 9mm, 13round magazine, witha Fobus Paddle Holster, and +P Gold Dot hollow-points.

I open carried today for the first time ever. I went to Arby's first to snag a quick dinner 100% problem free. Then I went to FoodLion to pick up a loaf of bread for lunch tommorow, and thats when I got slightly nervous. Foodlion changed their floorplan, at which point I was lost I asked an employee who looked straight at my gun and dropped his phone and told me aisle three. Then as I walked to the register and paid the woman she looked slightly nervous/jumpy (was staring me dead in the eye as she fumbled with the register.) Then I told her Thank You, to have a good night, and keep warm, and walked out of the store.

I dont look like a "thug" or anything, but something about the people of the Foodlion made me feel as if I was a criminal in the wrong.

I have already submitted my NRA membership stuff, I am thinking about joining the VCDL very soon, because of all the horror stories I hear from yall and the weird feeling I had today

Would anyone mind clarifieng the "Virginia Tuck" for me, maybe the whole pistol out in the open it to blatent for people around here with how places have been being robbed.

But I will not leave it home with how things are going. ( $3 Car Wash Murder, Applebees robbed, Foodlion robbed, Chinese restraunt robbed, ect) thats in a 1 BLOCK area off of Hull Street, and Genito Road

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Welcome to OC.

Well done!

Dropped their phone!?! My goodness, must be a jumpy bunch.

Just engage them in pleasant, light conversation. Thingswill improve.

For example, ask the cashier something off the usual line of business. "Looks busy, tonight. How do you guys stand it?" Just be careful not to ask something that a jumpy, nervous type might misconstrue as a prelude to a robbery.

To the phone-dropper I might say with a big smile, "You dropped your phone. Careful. I don't want my food prices going up because the staff is hard on the equipment."

A waitress recently said, "That's scary" when I replied to her question that it was a real gun. She was observeably a little nervous. So I told her with a smile, "I'm real tame. Just ask the other staff."

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Citizen wrote:

A waitress recently said, "That's scary" when I replied to her question that it was a real gun. She was observeably a little nervous. So I told her with a smile, "I'm real tame. Just ask the other staff."

Click to expand...

should of asked her "What model pistol you carry?"

Of course she would say she doesnt carry, then you could explain to her what her rights are here in Va for OC.

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Welcome aboard, maybe going out with another person who is a seasoned OC'er might help some of your nervousness.

Don't feel bad about it, it is your right!

Best advice to get on this board: Get a digital tape recorder!

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I think that everyone gets nervous and its normal. My first time was in Starbucks....I don't think you are allowed to go there if you are pro-gun! My knees were shaking, my back quivered, I could barely pour the sugar or the cream into my coffee without looking like a complete idiot. It was very nerve racking. That is still one of my places of weekness for whatever reason.

It does get easier. I began by OCing with friends. It takes a lot of pressure off of you individually and spreads it among a group of people. Plus it looks less suspicious I think when a group of people have a gun than when a single person has a gun. If you can, I would suggest OCing with someone else or a group of people who have already been broken in.

This website has done wonders to giving me the confidence needed to OC with minimal stress. I've read many stories of people carrying and having bad encounters and have learned from them....how to act, what to say, what to do. When I say "many" I don't mean a lot. I just mean that I've read enough of them from all over the STATE over the past several MONTHS to learn the basics.

I'll be honest I have been provocatively wearing political tshirts in Starbucks and grocery stores and bars for a while. The stares were something I kind of got used to. Just keep at it.....do the Starbucks and the Walmart tours and they will really help break you in. Study this website and the law and they will help provide you with some knowledge and confidence.

If you find yourself feeling uncomfortable....leave the gun in the car. Baby steps. If you are nervous people WILL pick up on it. After a few times the gun will bring it's own confidence rather than nervousness. People will look at it and go "hmmmm" VS "OMG!".

Good luck!

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trx680 wrote:

Citizen wrote:

A waitress recently said, "That's scary" when I replied to her question that it was a real gun. She was observeably a little nervous. So I told her with a smile, "I'm real tame. Just ask the other staff."

Click to expand...

should of asked her "What model pistol you carry?"

Of course she would say she doesnt carry, then you could explain to her what her rights are here in Va for OC.

Click to expand...

Does anyone have names for their guns? I think I should name mine so I can politely introduce them to each other. Maybe that will help break the ice?

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trx680 wrote:

Citizen wrote:

A waitress recently said, "That's scary" when I replied to her question that it was a real gun. She was observeably a little nervous. So I told her with a smile, "I'm real tame. Just ask the other staff."

Click to expand...

should of asked her "What model pistol you carry?"

Of course she would say she doesnt carry, then you could explain to her what her rights are here in Va for OC.

Click to expand...

I've done a version of that before. "Yes it is. Where's yours?" (looking at their belt)

With this particular waitress it seemed more important to put her at ease. She wasa littlenervous when she said it was scary. I thought about promoting 2A, but I was pretty sure from her initial reaction that I wouldn't get far trying to talk over top of her nervousness.

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I don't know if this is the Virginia Tuck or not but for over 20 years I have been carrying inside the waist band, without a holster, just behind the weak side hip. It's a bit of a reach for a cross draw but it's very comfortable, very easy to conceal even with my Browning HP and even more so with my Ruger SP101. Only the grip is visible above the belt, just behind my cell phone. Even with my short tucked in, it's not very easy to see bu I can pull my shirt up a little and let it fold over the grip if I want a more concealed carry.

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richarcm wrote:

trx680 wrote:

Citizen wrote:

A waitress recently said, "That's scary" when I replied to her question that it was a real gun. She was observeably a little nervous. So I told her with a smile, "I'm real tame. Just ask the other staff."

Click to expand...

should of asked her "What model pistol you carry?"

Of course she would say she doesnt carry, then you could explain to her what her rights are here in Va for OC.

Click to expand...

Does anyone have names for their guns? I think I should name mine so I can politely introduce them to each other. Maybe that will help break the ice?

Click to expand...

Or send them screaming for a cop.

No, just introduce yourself.

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Citizen wrote:

richarcm wrote:

trx680 wrote:

Citizen wrote:

A waitress recently said, "That's scary" when I replied to her question that it was a real gun. She was observeably a little nervous. So I told her with a smile, "I'm real tame. Just ask the other staff."

Click to expand...

should of asked her "What model pistol you carry?"

Of course she would say she doesnt carry, then you could explain to her what her rights are here in Va for OC.

Click to expand...

Does anyone have names for their guns? I think I should name mine so I can politely introduce them to each other. Maybe that will help break the ice?

Click to expand...

Or send them screaming for a cop.

No, just introduce yourself.

Click to expand...

Maybe but I'm still going to come up with a name for mine. Just becuz.....

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Citizen wrote:

Citizen wrote:

A waitress recently said, "That's scary" when I replied to her question that it was a real gun. She was observeably a little nervous. So I told her with a smile, "I'm real tame. Just ask the other staff."

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

I've done a version of that before. "Yes it is. Where's yours?" (looking at their belt)

With this particular waitress it seemed more important to put her at ease. She wasa littlenervous when she said it was scary. I thought about promoting 2A, but I was pretty sure from her initial reaction that I wouldn't get far trying to talk over top of her nervousness.

Click to expand...

I like that Citizen. Yoursensitivity tothe waitress' trepidation seems like a good tool to show that OCers are normal people. I'm putting that in my tool bag.

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Oh yeah, good work Swann...and welcome.

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Swann wrote:

I dont look like a "thug" or anything, but something about the people of the Foodlion made me feel as if I was a criminal in the wrong.

Click to expand...

So you're telling me you don't look like this guy here in the middle?



Either way, good job. It gets easier with time.

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AbNo wrote:

Swann wrote:

I dont look like a "thug" or anything, but something about the people of the Foodlion made me feel as if I was a criminal in the wrong.

Click to expand...

So you're telling me you don't look like this guy here in the middle?



Either way, good job. It gets easier with time.

Click to expand...

Is this from Warriors? A fine piece of movie making!

My first time was a little nerve racking as well.

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Buster, look at the OP's name, and then you tell me.

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AbNo wrote:

Buster, look at the OP's name, and then you tell me.

Click to expand...

Very nice. I didn't catch it. They should re-make that classic.

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Swann wrote:

CZ-75B 9mm, 13round magazine, witha Fobus Paddle Holster, and +P Gold Dot hollow-points.

I open carried today for the first time ever. I went to Arby's first to snag a quick dinner 100% problem free. Then I went to FoodLion to pick up a loaf of bread for lunch tommorow, and thats when I got slightly nervous. Foodlion changed their floorplan, at which point I was lost I asked an employee who looked straight at my gun and dropped his phone and told me aisle three. Then as I walked to the register and paid the woman she looked slightly nervous/jumpy (was staring me dead in the eye as she fumbled with the register.) Then I told her Thank You, to have a good night, and keep warm, and walked out of the store.

I dont look like a "thug" or anything, but something about the people of the Foodlion made me feel as if I was a criminal in the wrong.

Click to expand...

Think about it. You were declaring yourself "not a sheep". Sheep get nervous around critters with fangs. They cannot tell the difference between a wolf and a sheepdog.

Remember the saying "It's all relative!"? Since there are no hard definitions in the politically correct mindset (of losers), they have no way of differentiating between good and evil. Their view of the world clashes with their biological hardwiring; it's easy to say "murderers are misunderstood". But, it's another thing entirely to SEE an armed person and BELIEVE they're a murderer...or certainly capable of it. YOUR BEHAVIOR DOES NOT MATTER to them...because they cannot tell the difference. So, they get scared even though your behavior shows NOTHING but good intent.

Welcome to the dog pack

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buster81 wrote:

AbNo wrote:

Buster, look at the OP's name, and then you tell me.

Click to expand...

Very nice. I didn't catch it. They should re-make that classic.

Click to expand...

No. No they shouldn't. I'll not have that movie's reputation sullied.

cREbralFIX wrote:

Welcome to the dog pack

Click to expand...

Woof! :celebrate

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I recall my first open-carry experiences. They were Arizona, where I was a newcomer to the state and brand new to carrying a gun in general. Having never carried a gun before I did my best to attractno unwanted attention and did my best to ensure that I was aware of applicable laws. It was a bit scary at first not knowing how people would react and never having seen anyone do it, but I soon found that people either didn't notice, or being in Arizona they'd seen it often enough that there was nothing unusual about it. After a while I carried just about everywhere I went (where legal), so when I finally decided to get a concealed carry license I was so used to carrying a large frame gun out in the open for everyone to see I grew accustomed to carrying concealed even quicker. Other than for one Phoenixcop, I never did run into any issues in all of my time carrying in that state. You'll likely soon grow accustomed to your newly grown appendage the more you carry and having it with you will be like second nature.

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Swann wrote:

Would anyone mind clarifieng the "Virginia Tuck" for me, maybe the whole pistol out in the open it to blatent for people around here with how places have been being robbed.

Click to expand...

The "Virginia Tuck" refers to times when you are concealed (or indifferently concealing, as some call it, such as with an open shirt over a gun.) Because you must open carry some places (restaurants/clubs that serve alcohol for consumption the premises, primarily), some simply tuck the shirt behind the pistol for the time they're in the establishment.

It became the "Virginia Tuck" because we're one of a very few states with that ridiculous rule.

Welcome.