First time open carry

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Well I OCed at Cars and Coffee which is a car show every Sat. on Eastern near Silverado Ranch I don't think anyone noticed I didn't hear any comments so it was uneventful but I was still a little uncomfortable, does that go away ? I think I was waiting for a confrontion still don't know how I feel about it hoping to get my CCW in the mail this week maybe I'll try again at the car show by the Sante Fa casino Sunday morning .

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I have been OC'ing in Nevada for about a year now. I've been asked to leave businesses countless time, encountered the police 5 or 6 times, had a drunk guy at a meet up try to start sh!t with a friend who was OC'ing and OC'd on the strip/downtown at least 5 times. After about the 5th time I had an interaction with somebody when I was out in public I was still a little uncomfortable. It wasn't till my 2nd encounter with a LEO till it became a "no biggie". I OC EVERYWHERE and it is no big deal anymore. The places I frequent most are used to it. I actually get teased and debate the 2nd amendment issues of the day with them now. A guy at the corner market one day called me "the gun sliger" and "buffalo Bill" I in return called him an unarmed victim! Not only are my friends and family used to it, but almost everywhere I go people are used to it. The other day my sister was sick and woke me up around 3 AM to get her some medicine. I went to the local market and the clerk made a comment, "holy crap, this is the first time I have seen you without a gun!"

The comfort comes after some time. When I first started my mind set was along the lines of, let's go shop here or there and see if I get kicked out! Now I don't even think about it. Also almost all comments I get from the public are positive and they want to learn more. Nice to see more and more guys OCing and posting. Welcome to the forum.:celebrate

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Feelings of discomfort will disappear but it may take a while. If you act confident and look like you belong then others will be less concerned also.

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I walked passed two guys talking and I heard one say something about Rambo but I'm really not sure they were talking about me other then that I don't know if anyone else noticed but it was still uneasy just waiting for a confrontion but like I said I'll try again tomorrow at Sante-Fe Casino car show and see if it gets easier

Thanks for the welcome and the advice

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I am convinced your dress and a look of relaxed confidence helps the public fill more comfortable around someone carrying open. I believe a nice tucked in shirt is the trick. I am not talking a business suite just what I would call nice casual. If in shorts again tuck in the shirt. It may be just me however, after looking at some of the pictures with the shirts out, lifted up, and over to expose the open carry gun, well at least to me looked like the first stage of sagging with a gun. I know that is the farthest thing from the truth however just sharing an old-mans opinion.

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28kfps wrote:

I am convinced your dress and a look of relaxed confidence helps the public fill more comfortable around someone carrying open. I believe a nice tucked in shirt is the trick. I am not talking a business suite just what I would call nice casual. If in shorts again tuck in the shirt. It may be just me however, after looking at some of the pictures with the shirts out, lifted up, and over to expose the open carry gun, well at least to me looked like the first stage of sagging with a gun. I know that is the farthest thing from the truth however just sharing an old-mans opinion.

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I agree on the tucked in shirt. Even if it's a tee-shirt. Personally, I prefer to go the extra mile and wear a shirt with a collar. if you want to assert a professional appearance, khakis and a polo are the way to go. It's amazing how much more you think about your appearance when your carrying something on your hip that gives you the power to take a life.

As for Greengum, I just cant fathom why anyone would want to mess with a man of his stature, armed or otherwise. he's quite an imposing presence with or without a sidearm. Never the less he seems to be a magnet for confrontation.

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I agree I'm an old guy to ( well 58 is old to me now ) and I don't like that look either

I thimk I need to try different positions for my holster infront of my arm also to be more comfortable for me (I'm a fat guy) so with it right at my hip I don't know what to do with my arm I think it is important to look comfortable carrying also more natural

i'm working things out as I go

Thanks for the imput

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I firmly believe you should not have to dress in any particular fashion to be acceptable to society while carrying, but we have to deal with the reality that society judges people on their appearance and not everyone in the world is as enlightened as us.

The only carry method I disagree with is openly carrying a firearm in the small of your back. It just gives off that "gangster" look and people tend to be apprehensive when it comes to "gangster" style.

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I agree but we are trying to get the public to accept this and making them comfortable around it takes things like this ,as far as the small of the back thing your right about that too I just don't like that for the fact of some nut coming up behaind you a grabbing your gun, I guess it's OK for concealed but not for open

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I have not had many issues carrying, never been kicked out of anywhere yet (I spend most of my time in Laughlin/Bullhead City AZ though) I typically wear denim shorts and a dark t shirt and black baseball hat... Sometimes I tuck, most of the time I don't. On occasion I hear people talking and hear them say "blah blah blah gun..." or point and whisper. I am over the uncomfortable phase. I think Many problems come about because of confidense issues... And I DO believe that it is an unfortunate fact that someone's appearance has a lot to do with it...

For instance, I recently went to Vegas for a Job interview I was cleanly groomed and wore a dress shirt, tie and black slacks, afterward I OC'd all over Vegas, stores, casinos, and restaurants not once did I hear a comment or even feel that "hey someone is looking at me glance" Now on the flip side I wore my normal casual dress code (mentioned above) to the same places I went when dressed for the interview and heard many comments, had someone ask me 'is that legal" and caught many "woah a GUN!" wide eye'd glances...

Let's be honest... People profile other people every day! Take for instance you are walking down the street and you see the two people below OCing... Even as an OCer you don't look at them differently?? If you say NO... I am sorry but you are a liar (sorry but you know it's true! lol )



Now think of someone who is NOT an OCer or even gun friendly... Which one do you think is going to make them more nervous?

Again This SUCKS but it is the truth.

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Yeah, people call the cops when they see me... O wait, no they don't.

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Let's face it, some people scare me even when I know they are unarmed.

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Nevada carrier wrote:

The only carry method I disagree with is openly carrying a firearm in the small of your back. It just gives off that "gangster" look and people tend to be apprehensive when it comes to "gangster" style.

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Forget how it LOOKS, SOB carry is just plain DANGEROUS.

1) You are putting a large, hard object directly over your spine -- a backwards fall or other impact can cause permanent injury.

2) You are putting your weapon out of YOUR sight, while it is in the sight of OTHERS -- whom you also can't see! Even the most "secure" retention system can be defeated by someone who understands how it works, and you are giving them all the time they need to figure it out.

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DVC wrote:

Nevada carrier wrote:

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The only carry method I disagree with is openly carrying a firearm in the small of your back. It just gives off that "gangster" look and people tend to be apprehensive when it comes to "gangster" style.

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Forget how it LOOKS, SOB carry is just plain DANGEROUS.

1) You are putting a large, hard object directly over your spine -- a backwards fall or other impact can cause permanent injury.

2) You are putting your weapon out of YOUR sight, while it is in the sight of OTHERS -- whom you also can't see! Even the most "secure" retention system can be defeated by someone who understands how it works, and you are giving them all the time they need to figure it out.

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Took me a moment to figure out whom you were calling an SOB. Then it hit me “O” that SOB. I never do the texting thing assuming that is where most of the text short cuts come from. Kind of like keyboard Ebonics.

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Yeah I thought he was calling me an SOB at first too.. Took me a second to put his reply into context.

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I had to back and see if it was that anti guy calling you anSOB and saying carrying was dangerous

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Appearances do matter. Yes, anyone *can* open carry, but we try to also be ambassadors of good will trying to let people feel that OC is *normal* in order to help defuse subsequent interactions.

Guns in and of themselves aren't dangerous, but people definitely can be. You are carrying an instrument which can end one or more lives, and if you can look like you you're responsible, it'll help.

I wear a good pair of jeans w/ a belt (gotta hold that holster) carrying the gun in the "kidney carry" position (think 4 o'clock). A shirt w/ buttons tucked in of course.

ANY object directly over the spine is going to be dangerous. When falling (I used to take a lot of hard falls and rolls) you never want to fall straight back if you can. Roll across (ideally) or fall to the side where there's more tissue. You can even do the typical forward/back rolls with a sidearm.

Of course people generally think I'm currently a cop/military, even w/o the sidearm. Just last week someone flags me down and says "I want to report an incident", go figure.

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The feeling goes away after awhile especially if you don't have people like friends or family who are close to you questioning and criticizing your decision to carry openly. My wife has been great.She's usually a bit sheepish and nervouswith thingsbut hasn't shown that at all withme carrying and I think alot of that has to do withmy own self assuredness.

I've only seen one other open carrier out in public that I am sure wasn't a LEO and that was at a gun store. It would be a bit easier if more people were doing it and it didn't make you feel like you stand out.

I think alot of it has to do with the way you carry yourself too. If you look comfortable, then it helps other people feel comfortable. I try to be friendly but also am careful that I don't over do it.

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Nevada carrier wrote:

Yeah I thought he was calling me an SOB at first too.. Took me a second to put his reply into context.

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Well, THAT kind of SOB carry is also a bad thing . . .but we outnumber them anyhow!



Which reminds me, when I'm carrying, whatever else I'm wearing, I try to wear a confident and pleasant expression on my face, unless there is a reason not to. There is a difference between WATCHING for trouble and LOOKING for it!