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 Ouze wrote:

 MrMoustaffa wrote:

Some people freak out at the sight of a gun, or just don't like being around them. I can legally open carry all around town if I wished, but I don't, because people get freaked out about it. Unless you look like a cop or soldier off duty, it brings a lot of headaches. Plus, depending on where you live, cops who dont know the law might harass you over it, or arrest you for "disturbing the peace" or some other random offense. In other words, its a lot of headaches that I'd rather just avoid with conceal carry.

Indeed. I have no problem with open carry being lawful, but I simultaneously find it to be, for lack of a better word, distasteful.

I'm pretty much in agreement. I can't really think of a situation in which I would open carry, but I'm glad that it's legal here. I think d-usa mentioned it, but one of the good reasons for it being legal is it prevents people who are carrying concealed for getting charged with brandishing if their weapon accidentally gets uncovered, like if they bend over or their jacket rides up on the waist or something.

Why do you find it distasteful to open carry vs concealed?

glad to hear Illinois got it together.

I really hope this kind of stuff spills out into the world in general and canada in specific. Out carry laws are so brutal, you can get an Authorization To Carry in canada, but they wont issue it anymore, it costs 100$ to apply, even if a LEO signs off on it, and you have people threatening your life, you wont get one. But if you have political ties you can still get the golden signature off the appointed bureaucrat. Still only 19 ATC's have been issued here since 2000

Tip of the hat to any of you yanks who helped make it happen.

 whitedragon wrote:
Why do you find it distasteful to open carry vs concealed?

It is easier to be offended by what you see than what may or may not be there but is hidden from sight.

I wonder if cops with guns on their hips is also distasteful.

 CptJake wrote:

 whitedragon wrote:
Why do you find it distasteful to open carry vs concealed?

It is easier to be offended by what you see than what may or may not be there but is hidden from sight.

I wonder if cops with guns on their hips is also distasteful.

It's expected, as it's their job.

I don't find open carry distasteful, I find it stupid. You're basically putting a giant "Kill me first!" sign on your back in any instance where you might want to actually use your gun, and making everyone around you nervous because that sort of stupidity generally involves an unusual level willingness to use said gun.

 whitedragon wrote:
Why do you find it distasteful to open carry vs concealed?

For me personally, I have a couple reasons.

The first one is that of the few people I've met who open carried, most went about it in a horrible fashion. They drew a lot of attention to it, walked around with hand near their hip, acted like they were a big shot, etc.. They looked like an idiot and made the entire gun community look bad. I've met others who have open carried without making a big deal though, although that's normally when I was outdoors somewhere.

The other one that kind of links into the first point is that I'm not stupid, I realize there are people who are strongly against guns no matter where you go. People who will get offended or upset just at the sight of one. Even though open carrying is perfectly legal, drawing attention to myself and disturbing other people when it could easily be avoided just seems irresponsible and rude. Not to mention the fact that you WILL get the cops called on you eventually if you open carry in public and all the headaches that can bring.

As far as I'm concerned, open carry exists for 3 reasons in Kentucky.

1. If my conceal carry piece is seen, I'm perfectly fine.

2. For hiking or working outdoors, where an open carry holster is far more comfortable.

3. For a guy between 18 to 21 years of age to have an option for protection since he's not old enough to get a concealed carry license yet.

I'm sure other people have different reasons though.

 Jihadin wrote:
Didn't some police chief in Chicago say your off better armed to defend yourself then wait for police to show up? Then the Mayor "flamed" the police chief...and we find out later the Mayor got his arse beat on the street?

The irony

 MrMoustaffa wrote:

 whitedragon wrote:
Why do you find it distasteful to open carry vs concealed?

For me personally, I have a couple reasons.

The first one is that of the few people I've met who open carried, most went about it in a horrible fashion. They drew a lot of attention to it, walked around with hand near their hip, acted like they were a big shot, etc.. They looked like an idiot and made the entire gun community look bad. I've met others who have open carried without making a big deal though, although that's normally when I was outdoors somewhere.

The other one that kind of links into the first point is that I'm not stupid, I realize there are people who are strongly against guns no matter where you go. People who will get offended or upset just at the sight of one. Even though open carrying is perfectly legal, drawing attention to myself and disturbing other people when it could easily be avoided just seems irresponsible and rude. Not to mention the fact that you WILL get the cops called on you eventually if you open carry in public and all the headaches that can bring.

As far as I'm concerned, open carry exists for 3 reasons in Kentucky.

1. If my conceal carry piece is seen, I'm perfectly fine.

2. For hiking or working outdoors, where an open carry holster is far more comfortable.

3. For a guy between 18 to 21 years of age to have an option for protection since he's not old enough to get a concealed carry license yet.

I'm sure other people have different reasons though.

I don't. You (and Dogma) already articulated how I feel more eloquently then I could have. The first reason, especially - all the people who have been open-carry that I have known here have been classic little man syndrome types. The CCW's I know have been the exact opposite. Dogma's reason was a lot more pragmatic but equally valid.

 CptJake wrote:
I wonder if cops with guns on their hips is also distasteful.

I don't find a LEO carrying a department-issued firearm any more distasteful than I do a plumber carrying a wrench or a cable guy carrying a drill and find the implication a little weird, but not wholly unexpected.

So, it is the 'unexpected' that makes it distasteful?

That just sounds silly to me. Almost any open carry holster I can think of is more comfortable than most conceal carry holsters. Open carry also is not as limiting on style of dress as conceal carry is (yes, when I see an untucked shirt I automatically scan waist for the bulge of a gun).

A few of you have mentioned open carry is good because when you screw up and display your gun unintentionally it prevents you from being busted for brandishing. When you see this happen on someone else do you find the guy unintentionally displaying his piece distasteful? It shows a lack of caution and lack of attention to detail that should seem as worrisome as a guy with a hip holster, no?

I guess I am just not bothered either way and have trouble understanding folks who are bothered. An unintentional showing of a poorly concealed gun is as likely to draw unwanted attention as a openly carried weapon. "Why is he trying to hide his gun? He must be about to rob someone!" is a reaction I have actually seen at a big box hardware store when some guy unintentionally showed his piece.

Jake (who does not open carry by the way)

I don't like open carry for me personally unless I am hunting or working in the yard. I am not in the "if the bad guy sees me with a gun he will go somewhere else" camp, I am in the "if the bad guy sees me with a gun he will take me out first" camp.

I do agree that there are people that open carry for the sole reason of being an ass, trying to draw as much attention to the gun to send a giant feth you to everybody that might not like guns.

Some people will always be offended by guns, and some people might think that it makes them idiots. But if people to out of their way to offend them, then they are bigger idiots in my book.

I know people that open carry and who act so natural with the gun on their hips that you don't even really notice that they are walking around armed. They basically act like people who carry concealed, except it is in the open.

 CptJake wrote:

That just sounds silly to me. Almost any open carry holster I can think of is more comfortable than most conceal carry holsters.

And I find a t-shirt and athletic shorts more comfortable than a suit, but I'm not going to wear the former to a job interview because etiquette demands that I do not.

 CptJake wrote:

A few of you have mentioned open carry is good because when you screw up and display your gun unintentionally it prevents you from being busted for brandishing. When you see this happen on someone else do you find the guy unintentionally displaying his piece distasteful? It shows a lack of caution and lack of attention to detail that should seem as worrisome as a guy with a hip holster, no?

No, I treat it much as I would a plumber flashing a bit of butt-crack, or a girl unintentionally bouncing out of her top. It is a thing that happens in the course of unassociated behavior.

Eh, why bother.

Before AZ passed concealed carry without a permit I always carried open. It never once caused me any problems, other than the occasional person from out of state (usually California) asking me if I was a police officer, and did I have a permit? They would usually freak out more over the the fact that the answer to both questions was no, than the fact that I was actually carrying a pistol. It usually took quite a bit of convincingbefore they would believe that I didn't need a permit just to own a firearm, much les carry it in public.

Now, I'm not saying it's common here to carry openly, but it's certainly not rare; thesight of a gun doesn't make any but the most Nervous Nelly blink twice.

Now that I carry concealed I simply ignore the anti-gun sign on private establishments; if I'm concealing correctly then they'll never know, and I never have to compromise my personal safety to satisfy somebody else's insurance company (or insecurities about 'those dangerous gun freaks').

Not having CC is nothing, in my state it is still illegal to sell alcohol on Sundays.

 Ahtman wrote:
Not having CC is nothing, in my state it is still illegal to sell alcohol on Sundays.

HERESY!

St. Louis was like that years ago... and, we were home to Anheuser Busch!

Ahtman wrote:Not having CC is nothing, in my state it is still illegal to sell alcohol on Sundays.

My local Walmart still does that. Never really got the point of it, practically speaking. If I want beer, I'd have bought it the day before. I mean, I know why it's there, just seems like there's no point anymore.

Lordhat wrote:
Before AZ passed concealed carry without a permit I always carried open. It never once caused me any problems, other than the occasional person from out of state (usually California) asking me if I was a police officer, and did I have a permit? They would usually freak out more over the the fact that the answer to both questions was no, than the fact that I was actually carrying a pistol. It usually took quite a bit of convincingbefore they would believe that I didn't need a permit just to own a firearm, much les carry it in public.

Now, I'm not saying it's common here to carry openly, but it's certainly not rare; thesight of a gun doesn't make any but the most Nervous Nelly blink twice.

Now that I carry concealed I simply ignore the anti-gun sign on private establishments; if I'm concealing correctly then they'll never know, and I never have to compromise my personal safety to satisfy somebody else's insurance company (or insecurities about 'those dangerous gun freaks').

Did you carry mostly in smaller towns or in the "big cities"? From what I've seen around here, carrying in small towns is no big deal, but trying to open carry in Lexington would be a much bigger headache.

My church doesn't allow Open Carry #firstworldproblems...

 whembly wrote:

 Ahtman wrote:
Not having CC is nothing, in my state it is still illegal to sell alcohol on Sundays.

HERESY!

St. Louis was like that years ago... and, we were home to Anheuser Busch!

Same as Indiana, but if you're on the border you can scoot into Michigan and get what you need. I think you can be served alcohol along with a meal on Sunday though

Who drinks seriously on Sunday anyway. That's what Friday and Saturday is for. Sunday is hangover time.

 Grey Templar wrote:
Who drinks seriously on Sunday anyway. That's what Friday and Saturday is for. Sunday is hangover time.

Hair of the dog maybe?

Besides, are you asking an Irish guy who drinks on a Sunday? Really??

 Grey Templar wrote:
Who drinks seriously on Sunday anyway. That's what Friday and Saturday is for. Sunday is hangover time.

Because no one ever drinks while watching NFL games....

Ok, but wouldn't you have bought the beer on Saturday and had it chilling overnight like you're supposed to?

 Grey Templar wrote:
Ok, but wouldn't you have bought the beer on Saturday and had it chilling overnight like you're supposed to?

And if you run out, or have friends call over and need more?

For me Sunday is the easiest day to knock out grocery shopping, which includes any necessary restocking from the Class VI store (this week will be rum and bourbon). If it was not open on Sunday I would be a sad person.

 d-usa wrote:
My church doesn't allow Open Carry #firstworldproblems...

My church does. It follows the gospel of St Marksman... Couldn't resist a joke! Even a bad one.

 Dreadclaw69 wrote:

 Grey Templar wrote:
Ok, but wouldn't you have bought the beer on Saturday and had it chilling overnight like you're supposed to?

And if you run out, or have friends call over and need more?

People complaining about not being able to buy alcohaul because they ran out on Sundays = prime candidates for AA meetings.

Wow, only a 16 hour course? I'm surprised it's not longer! But I'm happy to finally be able to CC in my state...Plus, give me a reason to purchase another pistol

To be honest, I'm completely fine with a 16 hour course. Personally, I think that most states should have longer CCW training, and have it more frequently.

 mega_bassist wrote:
Wow, only a 16 hour course? I'm surprised it's not longer! But I'm happy to finally be able to CC in my state...Plus, give me a reason to purchase another pistol

To be honest, I'm completely fine with a 16 hour course. Personally, I think that most states should have longer CCW training, and have it more frequently.

Texas has a bill waiting for signature that is reducing the class from 10+ to a 4 hour course (and no course for renewals).

 mega_bassist wrote:
Wow, only a 16 hour course? I'm surprised it's not longer! But I'm happy to finally be able to CC in my state...Plus, give me a reason to purchase another pistol

To be honest, I'm completely fine with a 16 hour course. Personally, I think that most states should have longer CCW training, and have it more frequently.

Longer? it's already the longest in the nation.