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Open Carry experiement

Concealed or open?

  • I prefer open carry

    Votes: 18 81.8%

  • I prefer Concealed

    Votes: 4 18.2%

  • I prefer to not carry at all

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    22
  • Poll closed .
G

GIdeon_70

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2007
Messages
121
Location
, ,
I had to look up the definitions in 790, and clarified that I need to conceal from the "Ordinary sight of another person."

I put on a T-shirt, and put my weapon on (it's a SCCY 9mm) and threw a dress shirt over it. I left it open, and looked and saw that only a little of the holster was visible while standing still and only from certain angles. Then I went for a drive.

I drive to Ocala Florida, stopping frequently and doing a little window shopping. I had the wind blow my shirt open a couple of times, but if anyone saw my weapon they said nothing.

Picked up my sweetie and we went for a drive. I told her what I was doing and she was fine with it.

I went to the Gulf of Mehico, and stood on the shore letting the wind blow, and no one said anything.

Drove around a while longer, then went to the movies and saw Contagion... nice movie. Had dinner later, and enjoyed the company and interesting things at Longhorn Steak House. They had a jar filled with pineapple and soaking in vodka, interesting, but um, yeah.

Dropped her off, and went goofing off a little longer, then drove home.

No one said anything, no one seemed to notice, and if anyone did, it was a non-issue. I was kind of hoping for a pleasant LEO encounter but it didn't happen.

I had a pleasant one today with a lady cop, but that is a different story. (she did like my gun, the sccy's are nice!)
 
ADulay

ADulay

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 5, 2008
Messages
512
Location
Punta Gorda, Florida, USA
As many here already know, I open carry on a daily basis.

As I'm either fishing or shooting on any given day, I open carry my carry gun every day.

As I'm used to it from other states and I'm very comfortable with open carry, it's become a non-event, at least for me.

I have not had any MWAG calls made to the police nor have I been stopped by the local PD since about April of this year. The results of that stop are posted up in another forum but the outcome was basically, "have a nice day sir" and continue on your way still open carrying.

There is a perception that comes into play here. Everyone becomes very aware that they're carrying a gun when they open carry. Once you get over that initial uncomfortable feeling that you're about to be stopped by every LEO within range, it's actually quite easy.

Know the law and be prepared to explain your actions. It's as simple as that.

Most people go out of their way to avoid any police interaction of any type. I'm no different. However, I don't let that get in the way of legally carrying my weapon openly. It's all in the perception.

Most civilians (non gun owners) think you're either a cop, detective or some other kind of "authority" figure. It's the way we've all been brought up because nobody actually sees weapons on anyone other than police!

Once that perception changes, and seeing normal people carrying legal sidearms becomes more common place, the fear that almost everyone has when doing something "out of the ordinary" with thier handgun slowly goes away.

Hey, when I first started out, I was very self concious of carrying a full sized auto so I carried my PPK for a month or so as it didn't look nearly as "large" as the short barrel .45 I carry now.

This is the part of the conversation where several people will jump in and say "you're just being macho or showing off" or some other nonsense. Nope, I open carry because I can, it's normal for me and I don't even think about it now. It's about the same as somebody's cell phone on their belt. (And not nearly as annoying in a restaurant.)

If I'm headed out to my fishing dock, I"m open carrying. When I ride to the shooting range, I"m open carrying both ways. Remember, this isn't in a car, it's on a motorcycle so I'm not concealing anything!

I think if more people would just get out and actually open carry their favorite gun the next time they go fishing, they would see that the world doesn't end and you won't have to hide your gun in your pants or your pocket.

OK, I'm way off the subject matter here so obviously my vote was for Open Carry!

AD
 
hammer6

hammer6

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2008
Messages
1,461
Location
Florida
ADulay said:
As many here already know, I open carry on a daily basis.

As I'm either fishing or shooting on any given day, I open carry my carry gun every day.

As I'm used to it from other states and I'm very comfortable with open carry, it's become a non-event, at least for me.

I have not had any MWAG calls made to the police nor have I been stopped by the local PD since about April of this year. The results of that stop are posted up in another forum but the outcome was basically, "have a nice day sir" and continue on your way still open carrying.

There is a perception that comes into play here. Everyone becomes very aware that they're carrying a gun when they open carry. Once you get over that initial uncomfortable feeling that you're about to be stopped by every LEO within range, it's actually quite easy.

Know the law and be prepared to explain your actions. It's as simple as that.

Most people go out of their way to avoid any police interaction of any type. I'm no different. However, I don't let that get in the way of legally carrying my weapon openly. It's all in the perception.

Most civilians (non gun owners) think you're either a cop, detective or some other kind of "authority" figure. It's the way we've all been brought up because nobody actually sees weapons on anyone other than police!

Once that perception changes, and seeing normal people carrying legal sidearms becomes more common place, the fear that almost everyone has when doing something "out of the ordinary" with thier handgun slowly goes away.

Hey, when I first started out, I was very self concious of carrying a full sized auto so I carried my PPK for a month or so as it didn't look nearly as "large" as the short barrel .45 I carry now.

This is the part of the conversation where several people will jump in and say "you're just being macho or showing off" or some other nonsense. Nope, I open carry because I can, it's normal for me and I don't even think about it now. It's about the same as somebody's cell phone on their belt. (And not nearly as annoying in a restaurant.)

If I'm headed out to my fishing dock, I"m open carrying. When I ride to the shooting range, I"m open carrying both ways. Remember, this isn't in a car, it's on a motorcycle so I'm not concealing anything!

I think if more people would just get out and actually open carry their favorite gun the next time they go fishing, they would see that the world doesn't end and you won't have to hide your gun in your pants or your pocket.

OK, I'm way off the subject matter here so obviously my vote was for Open Carry!

AD
Click to expand...


link please?

i carry my G26 OWB every day with just a normal t-shirt on. YOU would instantly know it's a gun. my mom doesn't notice.
 
J

j4l

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2011
Messages
1,835
Location
fl
Had un un-eventful, brief OC thing the other day.
Was shopping for some leather with which to make my holsters. Asked the owner of the place if I could bring my .45 in to size it against some of the leather I was looking at. He said, no prob.
So, I went to the car and retrieved my .45 and holster (belt-clip). Popped it on, and walked back to the store from the shopping center's parking lot.
Wasnt wearing anything that day that would even begin to conceal it, so I didnt even bother. Just went about my biz like everything was normal.
Passed several folks in the lot, all of whom saw it, thought nothing of it. One fellow, in passing, nodded towards it, smiled and said good morning, which I replied to in kind.
Passed 2 Sheriff's deputies who were coming out of another shop as I was about to enter the leather place. One didnt even seem to notice, the other glanced at it, nodded and said "morning"- again, I replied in kind, and carried on like any other day. No issues whatsover.
Once in the store, I continued wearing it OC. 4 other customers were in doing their thing.
One noticed it, and struck up a convo on choices of sidearms -the usual .45 vs. w/e else,etc. The rest of em couldnt have cared less.

On the way out, a woman was walking by with her kids (one of them in a stroller) She mistook me for a cop, i guess- addressed me as "officer" and asked directions to a nearby Pep Boys. I informed her I wasnt an officer, and gave her the directions. Didnt seem to concern her a bit.

I think 90% of it is how we carry ourselves, and how we conduct ourselves amongst the public. I dont look like some gang-banger wannabe, nor do I go around looking like Billy Badass Wannabe, either. Nor, do I hop around and make a scene of myself going "hey lookie-me! i gots a gun!"
I just carry on as though there were nothing more on my hip than a cell phone... When engaged by anyone for whatever reason (the request for directions,above, for example) I just conduct myself normally, and politely, and carry on.
Had the deputies been inclined to stop and grill me on the matter, I'd have simply explained to them what I was up to, and why, and the shopkeep would have verified it for me, Im sure.
 
Last edited:
mach1chris

mach1chris

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2011
Messages
130
Location
Miami, FL
Me personally, I would much rather conceal but I like the option to openly carry if I wanted to. I do however much rather know who has a gun then who dosen't. I've said it before and I will say it again, I am more afraid of what I can't see then what I can see.
 
J

j4l

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2011
Messages
1,835
Location
fl
I feel their are appropriate situations for both modes of carry-vs. a strict this OR that method.
my preferred method is ,of course, Open, whenever possible, but that is not always appropriate in all places/locations.
 
R

RetiredOC

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Dec 21, 2009
Messages
1,561
When we get OC in FL I may end up CC more than OC still, but weather does play a huge part so I may go back on what I said. I may not be the first one to open carry EVERYWHERE, but I choose to be a part of this "movement" because I feel it is the front line of common sense firearm freedoms.
 
ADulay

ADulay

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 5, 2008
Messages
512
Location
Punta Gorda, Florida, USA
hammer6 said:
link please?

i carry my G26 OWB every day with just a normal t-shirt on. YOU would instantly know it's a gun. my mom doesn't notice.
Click to expand...

Let's see if my linking skills are up to date! Hopefully this is the link:


http://floridaconcealedcarry.com/Fo...opped-Tonight-on-the-Bike&p=272681#post272681

As an addendum, I got stopped today with the usual outcome. No problems at all and a pleasant and informative conversation with a very nice FWC officer.

It's in that thread that I linked above.

AD
 
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