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Open Carry / show and tell

Rich Keagy

Rich Keagy

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From all the U Tube video I've seen, there sees to be a rule NOT to unholster your pistol at Open Carry events.
I haven't heard anyone come right out and say it tho'.
Am I right?
 
C

ChuckBooty

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Rich Keagy wrote:
From all the U Tube video I've seen, there sees to be a rule NOT to unholster your pistol at Open Carry events.
I haven't heard anyone come right out and say it tho'.
Am I right?
Click to expand...
Why would you unholster your pistol unless you were going to use it?
 
A

Army

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Rich Keagy wrote:
If a friendly person (like you) wanted to look at it.
Click to expand...

Then you agree to meet at a neutral site. Removing the weapon in public can be quickly reported as brandishing, bringing the Police around WITH reasonable cause. Leaving it in the holster leaves no ammunition for retaliation by folks that don't want you to have a gun in the first place.



Imagine being among the Brady Bunch at Starbucks and removing your weapon. Hilarity would presume....but only from our viewpoint, and only momentarily.
 
C

ChuckBooty

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Rich Keagy wrote:
If a friendly person (like you) wanted to look at it.
Click to expand...
Well it is a pretty bad idea for a lot of reasons. If not unholstered carefully it can be construed as brandishing (and BELIEVE me...LEO's are PRAYING for a UOC'er to do something like that). It also makes the whole movement look bad. Imagine six UOC'ers sitting at Starbucks passing their guns around like they're toys. The calls to the police would be a LOT worse than a simple "man with a gun" call.

The only time that I could see unholstering would be to check the chamber before you get out of your car or whatever.
 
bigtoe416

bigtoe416

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On a related note, when you get to a location and are retrieving your sidearm out of your fully enclosed locked container, how do you clear it before holstering? I'm usually standing next to my car with my door open with the muzzle pointing down the entire time.

I seem to recall reading about people doing the check in their car, it just seems rather difficult to guarantee that I do not sweep myself or a passenger. It also would seem to be hard to holster a weapon while sitting down.
 
coolusername2007

coolusername2007

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Rich Keagy wrote:
See? That's why I asked.
Now I know.
Thank you gentlemen
Click to expand...

Ask away. In my book, there's no dumb question.

As the others have already said, it is considered extremelybad form to unholster in public and could very well land you in hot water. Guns are not toys, even if unloaded they should be respected.

I'veseen others pass around examples of their ammo, and I have to say I don't care much for that either.

Check out this video from 2008. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmZic2VFGyI
 
JJ

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Normally the only time my carry gun gets loaded is when I'm at the shooting range (I use a different gun for home defense which, of course, is always loaded and in my quick access gun vault because I have kids) so I don't have to check the chamber every time (everyday) when I carry. And it's always either on my hip, or in a lock box, and before exiting my vehicle I always holster while seated in the vehicle. :)
 
C

Captain_Awesome

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JJ wrote:
Normally the only time my carry gun gets loaded is when I'm at the shooting range (I use a different gun for home defense which, of course, is always loaded and in my quick access gun vault because I have kids) so I don't have to check the chamber every time (everyday) when I carry. And it's always either on my hip, or in a lock box, and before exiting my vehicle I always holster while seated in the vehicle. :)
Click to expand...

Just a personal suggestion, please take it as constructive criticism and nothing else. It's a good habit to check your chamber every time you pick up your firearm. granted, it's not absolutely necessary, but it's just another one of the many redundant safety measures we take when dealing with firearms, because of the possible horrible consequences a mistake could have. The more redundancy, the safer you'll generally be.
 
Rich Keagy

Rich Keagy

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I think it is an Italian saying, "The devil loads the gun."
And it's true.
When she was eight, I taught my daughter that checking a guns's chamber is the FIRST thing you do when either picking up or receiving a gun, and to watch others to see how they handle guns.
Trigger finger and barrel control are just as important.
I chastised a Sheriff Officer for walking to his patrol car with his shotgun's action closed. He didn't argue back.
 
demnogis

demnogis

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Checking/clearing in your vehicle out of sight is advised. Sometimes this can't be avoided but it is much better than doing it on the sidewalk or the middle of the street. It also helps to store your firearm action-open without a magazine but there's no requirement for any of that (just that it be unloaded).
 
OPS MARINE

OPS MARINE

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, California, USA
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There are three places a handgun should live:

1. In the holster.

2. At the ready. (Out of the holster, positioned between me and what I don't like).

3. On target.

If it's not there, something is amiss.

4366677555_0c08fa0012_m.jpg
 
wewd

wewd

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Agreed, OPS MARINE. The safest possible place for my gun to be is at my side at all times. Anywhere else and it becomes a liability.
 
P

Papa Razzi

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bigtoe416 wrote:
On a related note, when you get to a location and are retrieving your sidearm out of your fully enclosed locked container, how do you clear it before holstering? I'm usually standing next to my car with my door open with the muzzle pointing down the entire time.

I seem to recall reading about people doing the check in their car, it just seems rather difficult to guarantee that I do not sweep myself or a passenger. It also would seem to be hard to holster a weapon while sitting down.
Click to expand...

This is a week of firsts for me! My first post on this forum and my first time open carrying at a meet-up. I have been following several sites for months now, and educating myself on CA state laws. But I finally made the decision to start actively participating in OC.

I too had this question run through my mind about how to holster appropriately at meet-ups. I did the following: I obtained my weapon from its locked container in the trunk of my car, quickly performed a safety check of the chamber, inserted an empty magazine, holstered the weapon, closed my trunk, and proceeded into the establishment for the meet. Are there any legal considerations with respect to holstering in a parking lot?
 
I

Iopencarry

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do a check for empty, and then str to the holster. no showing it to your friends, or waving it around. make it a deliberate move, and no fussing around.

just be smart, and you should not have a problem.
 
P

Pace

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I've never shown or given my sidearm to anyone outside a range/gun shop.

Are you crazy?
 
Palecon

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Some very good post on this thread.

If a LE officer enters a coffee shop and he is carrying his sidearm (brandishing) just coming in for something to drink to me that is at very least disturbing the peace

Same thing for you and me, what do you think?

Question to the group. I travel with firearm in case, unloaded and with slide locked back. Magazine notattached to weapon. When I access the weapon to place in my holster I get it from the case which is in the trunck and otherwise inaccessable. Am I ok with that approach. I normally would be at back of car when getting access. No lock on the case, just in the trunck.

Thx..p
 
I

Iopencarry

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PaleoCon wrote:
Question to the group. I travel with firearm in case, unloaded and with slide locked back. Magazine notattached to weapon. When I access the weapon to place in my holster I get it from the case which is in the trunck and otherwise inaccessable. Am I ok with that approach. I normally would be at back of car when getting access. No lock on the case, just in the trunck.

Thx..p
Click to expand...

if the trunk is a true trunk, ok, if it is a hatch back, no. the case needs to be locked.

but only thru schools zones.
 
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