1st time OC, quite an odd feeling! Anyone up for coffee some morning.

Well I broke down today, bought a retention holster, and OC'ed my Taurus PT1911 for my first time. It feels like everyone is looking at you, as you holster your weapon and walk through the doors of Walgreens.
I live in Mountains Edge. If anyone would like to meet, and give some advice for a 1st timer I would be happy to buy a cup of coffee.
Its nice to meet all of ya'll, my name is Clint.

Just keep carrying, those feelings will go away once you realize that people don't run away screaming "OMG HE HAS A GUN!" everywhere you go. Hold your head up, smile at people you walk past, and try not to look for people to see if they are looking at you. This makes you look suspicious. My advice, act as though everyone else is the odd one for being unarmed.

I always tuck in my shirt, and typically I wear a shirt with a collar, but occasionally a t-shirt. I think this lends a little more of a professional appearance and thus I believe many simply assume I'm a plain clothed police officer. FWIW, I also carry a PT1911,. mine is a duotone with cocobolo grips.

Now that things have cooled down quite a bit, I suggest another Downtown or Strip gathering.

Im open to any kind of gathering, I am an avid offroad'er (jeeps) and spend alot of time in the desert on weekends rock crawling, but will be sure to make time for an OC gathering.

blugreenformula said:

Well I broke down today, bought a retention holster, and OC'ed my Taurus PT1911 for my first time. It feels like everyone is looking at you, as you holster your weapon and walk through the doors of Walgreens.
I live in Mountains Edge. If anyone would like to meet, and give some advice for a 1st timer I would be happy to buy a cup of coffee.
Its nice to meet all of ya'll, my name is Clint.

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I just wanted to get clarification on this point. Are you holstering at home or are you transporting it some other way in your car and then holstering when you arrive at your destination?

timf343 said:

I just wanted to get clarification on this point. Are you holstering at home or are you transporting it some other way in your car and then holstering when you arrive at your destination?

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my exact thought with the language used.

The way I read the law, if your in a vehicle, and its on your person, that's a problem. So i keep my piece in the center console untill I exit the vehicle. Then holster weapon, close vehicle door, go to store. Am I setting myself up for a problem with my actions? If so, is it legal to have on my hip, in my truck?

blugreenformula said:

The way I read the law, if your in a vehicle, and its on your person, that's a problem. So i keep my piece in the center console untill I exit the vehicle. Then holster weapon, close vehicle door, go to store. Am I setting myself up for a problem with my actions? If so, is it legal to have on my hip, in my truck?

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It is legal to have on your hip in or out of a vehicle. The only thing you can't do (lacking a CCW) is conceal it upon your person, no matter where you are. In Nevada, the vehicle is considered something of an obstacle, and is therefore not able to cause concealment, in much the same way a wall is an obstacle and isn't a cause of concealment.

For a pistol, you can have it anywhere in your vehicle you wish, loaded, or not, chambered or not, just so long as it's not concealed upon you.

I personally often put my weapon someplace else in the vehicle, usually in a holster attached to a map pocket, only because I feel it would be difficult draw from behind the seat belt if necessary. I however always re-holster before exiting the vehicle. I just feel it draws less attention than somebody "fidgiting" with a gun in the parking lot.

blugreenformula said:

The way I read the law, if your in a vehicle, and its on your person, that's a problem. So i keep my piece in the center console untill I exit the vehicle. Then holster weapon, close vehicle door, go to store. Am I setting myself up for a problem with my actions? If so, is it legal to have on my hip, in my truck?

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As it has been stated you can legally OC while in your car, the seatbelt or any other part of the car does not conceal it upon your person as the law reads. Is your firearm in the console outside of a holster? not that you are doing anything illegal however if you continue to keep it off your hip while in your vehicle i would strongly advise holstering it or putting it on your hip inside your vehicle. Keep in mind where we live and what furtive movements can get you which would be shot I personally OC, my firearm in a holster on my hip while I drive, some utilize quick disconnects so the firearm is never outside of its holster anytime you are handling it.

This post shows how my piece rides while in the car. It's custom job that I did myself which I can mount any SERPA holster with a male Blackhawk QD bracket attached; it's not limited to one holster/one gun. If I want to carry my 1911 I just detach the PT 24/7 holster and lock in the 1911 holster and I'm good to go, in fact the 1911 is now the one I carry almost exclusively, so the 1911 holster has been locked in for quite some time now.

This keeps my firearm accessible, secure and pointed in a safe direction at all times. Ridng for anything other than a short trip with a firearm on your hip can get a bit uncomfortable, and depending on how you position it, it may even begin to wear a hole in your seat covering. If it's not your cup of tea, there are some other examples. But I highly recommend that you keep it someplace where someone can't just reach through your passenger window and grab it, in a place where you can get it quickly or in a place where hitting the brakes hard will not cause it to fly out of your control.

And BTW hand guns can ride with a round in the chamber, long guns cannot. In this state, do not drive onto any school property including colleges without written consent of the president of that campus. Not even if you have to go there to cast a ballot on election day.

Mississippi has a similar law about carrying in a car. So, I unholster and reholster my pistol in the vehicle. Sometimes I have the door open while in the process, but stay seated until completed.

ok. that's cool, I like the idea of holstering in the car better, I was just wanting to be legal. Thanks for the advice, any other pointers are welcome.

Oblivious

After a while, with practice, you become oblivious to the reactions of those around you regarding your firearm. My wife occasionally will say something like "did you see the way that person was looking at your firearm?" Nope, I didn't
notice at all.

Having said that, one should always be aware of their suroundings and any threatening movement by the people around them. If your instincts tell you there is something wrong with Bubba over there, listen to it. Otherwise go about your business and who cares what they think of your firearm. The more comfortable you get with OC, the less
other people will pay any attention to you.

I'm going to add to that.

The hardest part of getting used to OC is learning to ignore the reactions of others. However, given time, you lump them into several categories, such as "Saucer Eyes," "Cool With It," "Freaked-out Tourist," etc.

Once you do that, it's like Identification Friend or Foe transponder codes -- you program yourself to categorize them without paying any attention.

HOWEVER, once you're that comfortable, PAY ATTENTION if you DO notice someone. Your subconscious IFF hasn't "cleared" them for one reason or another. They aren't reacting normally to your pistol or your presence. That's when you go from Yellow to Orange, and you start tracking them, even if you aren't looking at them.

That guy may be the reason you put the pistol on that morning.

I'm getting better with it. Went to my normal gas stations throughout the day, Walmart, and Kmart. No crazy responses, just 1 girl who was maybe 18 at Walmart stared a bit.

DVC said:

I'm going to add to that.

The hardest part of getting used to OC is learning to ignore the reactions of others. However, given time, you lump them into several categories, such as "Saucer Eyes," "Cool With It," "Freaked-out Tourist," etc.

Once you do that, it's like Identification Friend or Foe transponder codes -- you program yourself to categorize them without paying any attention.

HOWEVER, once you're that comfortable, PAY ATTENTION if you DO notice someone. Your subconscious IFF hasn't "cleared" them for one reason or another. They aren't reacting normally to your pistol or your presence. That's when you go from Yellow to Orange, and you start tracking them, even if you aren't looking at them.



That guy may be the reason you put the pistol on that morning.

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Your explanation was far better than mine, thanks....TBG

I too was a little self-conscious soon lost that feeling. For the past eight or so months, I have been in that Walgreens a few times OC. Also in most of all the stores located at Rainbow and the 2-15. Wal-Mart, Sam club, bed bath beyond several others I cannot remember, the restraints in the area many times and never any problems. I have been in most of the stores in the Galleria mall and several of the stores in the Meadows Mall. In the Meadows Mall food court with my firearm in clear view of the walkway mall security walked by did look my way no problems. Open carried in Bass Pro many times. Just carry it. If it is not a school, airport or posted no guns, with very few exceptions you are good to go.

28kfps said:

I too was a little self-conscious soon lost that feeling. For the past eight or so months, I have been in that Walgreens a few times OC. Also in most of all the stores located at Rainbow and the 2-15. .

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I live in Mountains Edge, and shop in those stores often, hopefully we will cross paths at some point.

Thanks all of ya'll for the positive words.

I actually had an easy introduction to open carry. It happened by accident. I had been legally concealed carrying for several days in a right side belt holster under a vest and jacket. The weather warmed up a bit, so I ditched the vest. Then I absentmindedly left my jacket in the car and went strolling out and shopping. I'd been out for a couple of hours before I suddenly realized that I was open carrying! Then I realized that it hadn't made any difference at all. I hadn't noticed any reaction from anyone. I was some distance from my car and jacket, so I just kept on going about my business. By the time I got back to my car I had come to the conclusion that all this anxiety over open carry is foolish. Nobody cares!