Are you crazy if you open cary?

From article...

I don’t want to be standing in a 7-11 one day and have some criminal run in and shoot me first because he sees that I have a gun on my hip, therefore I’m his biggest threat.

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Best point I have ever read on the issue....

Of course, in general, I just don’t want to make a spectacle and draw attention to myself.

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Not so much.....

Outdoorsman1

I don’t want to be standing in a 7-11 one day and have some criminal run in and shoot me first because he sees that I have a gun on my hip, therefore I’m his biggest threat.

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Doesn't happen. Just because you can think it doesn't make it true.

Afterall, those cops are always shot first when they're waiting in line.

In fact, we have a few documented instances where the opposite is true. The criminals saw the OC'ers and left. In one instance they went to their car to wait for the OC'ers to leave. Fortunately, a cop was in the parking lot and became suspicious with the criminals' behavior.

NavyLCDR said:

Very old and tired argument that happens only in the imaginations of those trying to justify their prejudices against open carry.

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There is atleast one confirmed instance of an open carrier being robbed of his pistol, there was an article and a news report about it.

I dont have any prejudice against open carry, at this point i think ive open carried more than ive concealed but i still dont see how a person can think that its IMPOSSIBLE for someone to shoot you because you are open carrying instead of turning around and running away. I have seen videos where the attackers ran into the store, shot the clerk and THEN went for the register.... If someone has it set in their mind that they are about to commit murder i dont see why they would run away at the site of a gun 100% of the time.


having a gun at your hip does not give you some kind of magical invincibility force field that keeps you safe and sound no matter what, ask any cop whos been shot over something meaningless like stopping a speeder.

I wasted 15 seconds before I clicked off....What crap.

i've never seen an OC'er have his/ her gun taken or been shot by a BG for OCing. however in my personal exp. i have seen people intentionally stand 15-20 extra feet AWAY from me because i was carrying, i have seen people cross to the other SIDE of the street because i was carrying and i have seen some "undesireable" people in a bad area of biddeford eyeing me as i a approached, but as soon as i walked under a street lamp and my Glock 20 became visible, they turned and walked away with a very quick pace................seems to me the whole 711 scheme is backwards.

NavyLCDR said:

Very old and tired argument that happens only in the imaginations of those trying to justify their prejudices against open carry.

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Agreed...(I knew right after I posted it was a valid arguement that I was wrong and was thinking to myself...WTF...why did I post that..almost deleted my post but also wanted the other point I was trying to make be heard....

I guess I was trying to use one extreme to prove the other and it got fuked up...

Outdoorsman1

carry for myself said:

i've never seen an OC'er have his/ her gun taken or been shot by a BG for OCing. however in my personal exp. i have seen people intentionally stand 15-20 extra feet AWAY from me because i was carrying, i have seen people cross to the other SIDE of the street because i was carrying and i have seen some "undesireable" people in a bad area of biddeford eyeing me as i a approached, but as soon as i walked under a street lamp and my Glock 20 became visible, they turned and walked away with a very quick pace................seems to me the whole 711 scheme is backwards.

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You walk under a street light and a crowd of bad guys just scatters away.... come on man... There are a lot of storytellers on this forum dont be one of them....

When you see people standing 20 feet away from you or switch to the other side of the street, i know its kind of a preferred thought process for most people on this board to think "Damn, he must be a criminal if he doesnt like my gun, I just prevented a robbery/murder/rape" but the thing is, ALOT of people dont like guns and will try to avoid them. Thats just how it is right now.

Theres a big difference between a hardened, cold blooded criminal and your average soccer mom who gives you a wide berth when you pass in front of kmart. In that fabled "711" situation it depends on who and what is happening. If some sheisty 16 year old and his friend take his dads .38 and come in expecting to make their move i would rather be open carrying in hopes of scaring them away.

On the other hand if a deadly career criminal ran in with the intent of doing whatever it took to get the money, id rather be concealing because im not relying on emotions(fear) to prevent some crazy, drugged up, drunk scumbag from shooting or stabbing me in a rage because im closest to the counter, or just in his way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rysWX_WW89Y

Imagine being some white yuppie with a fanny pack on and a shiny 1911 on your right, standing right in line when that dirtbag walked in. A lot of people would probably say "Well id do a .3 second draw and shoot his gun out of his hand obviously!" but uh..... this is real life.

Armed and Considered Dangerous: A survey of felons and their firearms by Peter H. Rossi and James Wright. Fifty-six percent of the prisoners said that a criminal would not attack a potential victim who was known to be armed. Seventy-four percent agreed with the statement that "One reason burglars avoid houses where people are at home is that they fear being shot during the crime." Thirty-nine percent of the felons had personally decided not to commit a crime because they thought the victim might have a gun, and eight percent said the experience had occurred "many times."

The Armed Criminal in America: A Survey of Incarcerated Felons, U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics Federal Firearms Offenders study, 1997: National Institute of Justice, Research Report, July 1985, Department of Justice. 74% of felons agreed that, "one reason burglars avoid houses when people are at home is that they fear being shot during the crime." 57% of felons polled agreed, "criminals are more worried about meeting an armed victim than they are about running into the police."

I don’t want to be standing in a 7-11 one day and have some criminal run in and shoot me first because he sees that I have a gun on my hip, therefore I’m his biggest threat.

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I don't want to be standing in a 7-11 one day and have some criminal run in and shoot everyone because he thinks I'm unarmed, have no way to resist and therefore I can't be a threat.

There's a reason why cops wear distinctive uniforms, drive recognizable cars and have the visible means to ensure the safety of the public.

The writer put forth some good points in the article.

Umm, No. He didn't.

MilProGuy said:

The writer put forth some good points in the article.

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I'll be a little nicer. Which ones?

thebigsd said:

I'll be a little nicer. Which ones?

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Thanks, thebigsd.

Well, the quotes listed below made a lot of sense to me, personally; and I know that carrying a handgun is a personal decision and we all have our own comfort levels and preferences for doing so. Hence, this is just my personal opinion...all others are welcome.

Quotes from article:

"I don’t want anyone else to know I have a gun. I don’t want to be standing in a 7-11 one day and have some criminal run in and shoot me first because he sees that I have a gun on my hip, therefore I’m his biggest threat.

Also, I don’t want to be standing in line at Walmart and have to worry about some dirt bag grabbing my gun from behind.

I just don’t want to make a spectacle and draw attention to myself. When I’m out and about running errands I want to blend in with everyone else. If I’m ever face to face with a criminal who’s about to take my life or someone near me I want him to look at me and think I’m some harmless guy in jeans and a t-shirt.

...many cops and other law enforcement officials don’t know state laws when it comes to open carry. And as fun as it is wasting half my day while some cop hassles me, I’ll pass." (This one thing is what is holding me back from open carry. I've never been "detained", arrested, handcuffed, or put into the back of a squad car...and I believe I can live the rest of my life just fine without experiencing these things.)

MilProGuy said:

(This one thing is what is holding me back from open carry. I've never been "detained", arrested, handcuffed, or put into the back of a squad car...and I believe I can live the rest of my life just fine without experiencing these things.)

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Never protest injustice
Never stand up for your fellow man
Never show anything but obedience
Never assert yourself when you're right
.... You'll survive fine, I'm sure.

I can live the rest of my life just fine without those things as well, but I'm not afraid of niggling little inconveniences.