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List Your Open Carry Experiences Here

Scooter

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2009
Messages
283
Location
Dundee, Michigan
Great OC experience today. While at the Dunhams in Monroe I had a great talk with a guy who noticed I was OCing. We talked about guns, 22 ammo and training. We talked for at least 10 minutes. A great, positive experience all around.
After the visit to Dunhams for soccer gear for the kids I stopped in Staples, no problem.
 
B

Bikenut

Guest
OC'd today at Wal Mart in Clio.... there was a gentleman in a white shirt and name tag with an employee so I approached him and asked if he was the store manager.

He replied he was 2nd in charge.

I thanked him for Wal Mart not getting into the gun controversy.

He asked "What controversy?"

I started to explain but it wasn't necessary because when I said the words "Mothers Demand Action" he made a face .. thanked me... and continued walking with the employee.

I'm still wondering if he didn't notice my sidearm and thought I was part of MDA.... or he already knew about MDA and all the problems they are causing businesses. I suspect he, and all of Wal Mart management, is extremely well aware of MDA and the problems they are causing businesses!!!!!
 

NHCGRPR45

Regular Member
Joined
May 30, 2010
Messages
1,131
Location
Chesterfield Township, MI
I was in Barnes & Noble today when an older couple walked over and said open carry huh? I said yes sir he said thank god for you guys! And said he was a Vietnam vet and we chatted a little and him and his wife walked away. Good OC encounter!
 

Grapeshot

Legendary Warrior
Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
35,317
Location
Valhalla
I was in Barnes & Noble today when an older couple walked over and said open carry huh? I said yes sir he said thank god for you guys! And said he was a Vietnam vet and we chatted a little and him and his wife walked away. Good OC encounter!
Have never understood how good people like that think. They support/endorse what we do, but don't carry themselves.
 

Michigander

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2007
Messages
4,818
Location
Mulligan's Valley
Something I have learned in all my years of ocing is that there are many people smart enough to know that they either can't trust themselves to carry, or that it's too much of a hassle to do safely and legally. There are also plenty of folks who could and should but don't, but I do try to maintain respect and encouragement for those who choose to not carry guns for good reasons. They can after all also be advised of other options such as non/less lethal weapons, creating considerably less risk if they get careless..
 

wimwag

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 10, 2013
Messages
1,049
Location
Doug
I met a guy last summer who told me he didn't trust his old age while carrying. He said he was inspecting his revolver and dropped it and watched the hammer fall on an empty cylinder and decided to just keep it in the nightstand.

Edit: I felt real bad for him. He recognized the need to protect his family but cannot hold on to the handle because of arthritis. Smart man though, knew his limitations.
 
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Grapeshot

Legendary Warrior
Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
35,317
Location
Valhalla
I met a guy last summer who told me he didn't trust his old age while carrying. He said he was inspecting his revolver and dropped it and watched the hammer fall on an empty cylinder and decided to just keep it in the nightstand.

Edit: I felt real bad for him. He recognized the need to protect his family but cannot hold on to the handle because of arthritis. Smart man though, knew his limitations.
Maybe he should acquire a handgun that passes the drop test and find a medication that will relieve his arthritis.

Do not go quietly into the night.
 

Glock214

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
164
Location
Kalamazoo, MI
Took my children to the indoor playground known as playworld in Grandville Michigan today. And it was a normal day there as I frequent their establishment with my daughters. Today I was asked to put my sidearm in the car because parents complained. There is no sign saying no guns, and I have spoken to the owner several times about carrying. He never asked me to leave before. I walked out to put it away, however am not sure if I'm going back there again. I want my children to have fun and be safe. Just wanted to let those who have kids know that they may not want to visit playworld.

Carry on.
 

Raggs

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2012
Messages
1,181
Location
Wild Wild West Michigan
Took my children to the indoor playground known as playworld in Grandville Michigan today. And it was a normal day there as I frequent their establishment with my daughters. Today I was asked to put my sidearm in the car because parents complained. There is no sign saying no guns, and I have spoken to the owner several times about carrying. He never asked me to leave before. I walked out to put it away, however am not sure if I'm going back there again. I want my children to have fun and be safe. Just wanted to let those who have kids know that they may not want to visit playworld.

Carry on.

I have never been there and now that my youngest are 18 I likely won't be soon. Did the owner ask you to remove the firearm or an employee? Sounds like the owner. I would send him a letter telling him that you are sorry that while you and your children enjoyed going to his business your first job as a parent is to protect your children. Due to the fact that he wants you to remove the best tool you have for that protection you do not feel safe bringing your children there. Tell him to feel free to contact you should he ever have a change of heart.
 

FreeInAZ

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2012
Messages
2,508
Location
Secret Bunker
I have never been there and now that my youngest are 18 I likely won't be soon. Did the owner ask you to remove the firearm or an employee? Sounds like the owner. I would send him a letter telling him that you are sorry that while you and your children enjoyed going to his business your first job as a parent is to protect your children. Due to the fact that he wants you to remove the best tool you have for that protection you do not feel safe bringing your children there. Tell him to feel free to contact you should he ever have a change of heart.


Might also want to mention what could happen should something go horribly wrong like a active shooter(s) and how liable he could be in a civil action if he compelled law abiding citizens to disarm leading to their slaughter. :(
 

Mosnar87

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 4, 2010
Messages
118
Location
South Haven, Michigan, USA
My first post on here I'm from Hartford Wisconsin and I did my maiden open carry today I went shopping at my local Walmart without any problems, or questions. Once slight incident as I was shopping 2 customers had come towards us in the isle and as soon as they saw my sidearm turned and went the other way. Also visited my local gas station with no problems. I also made a really cool discovery for a great reference tool for concealed carry and open carry that shows friendly businesses who support our 2nd amendment. It shows in real time businesses that are OC AND CC friendly. It's a newer app. That users fill in with their experiences with places both friendly and unfriendly very easy to follow and user friendly. The app is 2AFriendly in the app. Store so please check it out and help us fill it in and spread the message of our rights!
Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your first OC experience being without incident.

Please take note, however, that you just posted your WI OC experience in the MI OC experience thread. Perhaps the Wisconsin state sub forum already has an OC experience thread you might use? If not, you might consider starting one.

This prevents confusion caused by seeing OC experiences that are in venues that might have different legal issues from state to state.

On topic, OCed without issue downtown South Haven last weekend and in Taco Bell, Meijer, Wal-Mart and Walgreens yesterday.
 
B

Bikenut

Guest
OC'd yesterday at:

Independent Bank in Bridgeport

Gil Roy's Hardware in Frankenmuth

Wal Mart in Clio

Kentucky Fried Chicken in Clio

Beacon & Bridge near Montrose

Absolutely nothing happened.... no one ran away screaming... no mothers clutched their children to their bosoms in terror... no manly men puffed up their chests in testosterone fueled outrage...no blood ran in the streets.. actually nothing and no one did any running anywhere much less in the street.

It was just another mundane day carrying a sidearm in plain view while running boring errands................. exactly as it always should be.

But one good thing happened... I wasn't robbed or assaulted and whether my plainly seen sidearm had anything to do with that is not provable... and NOT DISPROVEABLE either.
 

Michigander

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2007
Messages
4,818
Location
Mulligan's Valley
We went to the big 3 picnic in Muskegon moc didn't deem it necessary to post, and it showed because very few people showed up. I did enjoy meeting Brady from mcrgo though he unfortunately had to leave early.

Afterwards we went for a stroll around Muskegon and got felony stopped, on the ground with guns pointed at us and everything. But we did have a lot of great conversations with locals.

Finally we stopped in grand rapids to take another walk and had a lot of great conversations with the locals there, including the considerably more professional and law abiding cops there who approached but didn't detain us.
 

Grapeshot

Legendary Warrior
Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
35,317
Location
Valhalla
--snipped--
Afterwards we went for a stroll around Muskegon and got felony stopped, on the ground with guns pointed at us and everything. But we did have a lot of great conversations with locals.
Let us know about any follow through as you are able.
 

FreeInAZ

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2012
Messages
2,508
Location
Secret Bunker
We went to the big 3 picnic in Muskegon moc didn't deem it necessary to post, and it showed because very few people showed up. I did enjoy meeting Brady from mcrgo though he unfortunately had to leave early.

Afterwards we went for a stroll around Muskegon and got felony stopped, on the ground with guns pointed at us and everything. But we did have a lot of great conversations with locals.

Finally we stopped in grand rapids to take another walk and had a lot of great conversations with the locals there, including the considerably more professional and law abiding cops there who approached but didn't detain us.


Holy crap! You would think these asshats would have learned by now that OC is legal. I know you have a really good lawyer, so sue the crap out of them!
 

Rusty Young Man

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2013
Messages
1,548
Location
Árida Zona
SNIP...Afterwards we went for a stroll around Muskegon and got felony stopped, on the ground with guns pointed at us and everything. But we did have a lot of great conversations with locals.

Finally we stopped in grand rapids to take another walk and had a lot of great conversations with the locals there, including the considerably more professional and law abiding cops there who approached but didn't detain us.

I guess visibly-armed, Law-Abiding Citizens (aka "OCers") must be a clear and present danger not only to violent thugs who may choose to attack them, but also to testosterone-fueled Opinion Enforcement Officers, but I repeat myself.

Hope all of you made it out unscathed and that you had some form of recorder going (in case one of the OEOs becomes forgetful and/or creative when writing up a police report).:mad:
 

Michigander

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2007
Messages
4,818
Location
Mulligan's Valley
Wanna be warrior/hero cop idiots are certainly not an isolated phenomenon. The disturbing thing to me is that it could have happened to people who weren't wearing (multiple) video recorders and heavily experienced enough with renegade felon cops to know how to handle the oh so typical abusive questioning tactics. This is why taking it to the street and not just doing picnics is so important, the days of needing a large and stationary group as the only way to stay safe from the cops are over, but there are sadly still places the cops will mess with you on foot, and the safety in numbers still totally applies.

I am no longer naive enough to think a law suit has a chance, even though these rocket scientists put our lives in danger. Doing my best to annoy them with complaints they will no doubt weave bull **** excuses for, and doing follow up visits, these are the realistic options.
 
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Raggs

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2012
Messages
1,181
Location
Wild Wild West Michigan
Wanna be warrior/hero cop idiots are certainly not an isolated phenomenon. The disturbing thing to me is that it could have happened to people who weren't wearing (multiple) video recorders and heavily experienced enough with renegade felon cops to know how to handle the oh so typical abusive questioning tactics. This is why taking it to the street and not just doing picnics is so important, the days of needing a large and stationary group as the only way to stay safe from the cops are over, but there are sadly still places the cops will mess with you on foot, and the safety in numbers still totally applies.

I am no longer naive enough to think a law suit has a chance, even though these rocket scientists put our lives in danger. Doing my best to annoy them with complaints they will no doubt weave bull **** excuses for, and doing follow up visits, these are the realistic options.

Seems the only one who wins in these suits are the lawyers on both sides
 
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