TexasCHLforum.com

Folks,

I just spent a couple of weeks in Arizona, and its a good feeling not to have to worry about dressing a certain way so my gun doesn't print, since Arizona is an Open Carry state, and I was carrying out in the open and nobody cared, nobody paid attention.

Why can't Texas be like that, in the sense that Arizona is an Open Carry state and they also issue CHL's?

Please pardon my ignorance, I am new at this......

Regards,
GatoNegro
MSG US Army, retired
Patriot Guard Riders
American Legion Riders
HD Road King
Mil Pro 111

Printing is not against the law in Texas, so you don't have to worry aobut it here, either.

Quite frankly, most people are so inattentive to their surroundings that you probably could open carry in Texas and no one would notice.

The much-ballyhooed "printing" is not nearly as much of an issue as some people make it out to be.

1) "Printing" is not against the law. "Intentional failure to conceal" is.

2) A bulge under your shirt is not printing. The clear, unmistakable outline of a gun or part of a gun is printing.

3) Most people around you won't even notice.

GatoNegro, I believe if Texas had open carry it would be that way too. Not immediate but after a period of a few years people would become accustomed to seeing those that carry. It seems to me that those states that do allow open carry, have been a long enough test case for Texas to consider also.

Just my opinion.

And hope you had a nice trip to AZ.

That is refreshing I bet to carry OC in a place where it is the norm.

The closest I've got to that is heading out to a friends ranch with a group of us, everyone carrying OC all weekend long. Several times I had to step back, take a look around at everyone and I'd think "now this is how it should be". It wasn't a big deal and everyone went about their business as if we had cell phones on our hips.


It's one thing to CC, it's another to OC. If you haven't had a opportunity to OC in public, you don't know what you're missing until you try it.

We'll be in AZ over Christmas. I'm looking forward to it. But our biggest fear will be DHs mom and grandma who absolutely hate guns

Shorts wrote:That is refreshing I bet to carry OC in a place where it is the norm.

Minor correction... Yes, it is legal, but it is not the "norm" in Arizona. Most Arizonans don't carry at all, let alone open carry, and depending on where you go (hippie college towns, for instance), it might still raise a few eyebrows.

But all the same, it is refreshing.

I've been to Tucson a couple of times on business, and never saw anyone open carrying.

And I looked.

(Maybe I just wasn't in the right places . . . but I still think it's rather uncommon.)

Common or not, it's legal. The OC crowds are well aware and you can bet its more than acceptable to them. I doubt OC is so unheard of that one should be fearful. Aware, sure. Fearful, no.

It is not common. One of my in-laws, my friend and myself were carrying, and I didn't see anybody else. I can't figure out why people don't take advantage of something like that. If I was living in Arizona I wouldn't open carry every day everywhere, but it sure is handy when doing work on the truck, stopping for a cup of coffee at Circle K, etc. I don't think I would want to open carry downtown or crowded places.

But I shouldn't complain about not having the option to open carry, there are people in some states that can't carry at all, lol

Gato Negro
MSG US Army retired
Mil Pro 111

I don't open carry in other states where the practice is permissable.

I'd be pleased if Texas became an open-carry state, but I still wouldn't do it.

If you're going to open carry, you need a holster with a higher level of retention features than if you're going to carry concealed.

In addition, I don't want people to know I'm carrying. I prefer for the first sign that a criminal aggressor will have that I'm carrying is to be looking down the muzzle.

You might also look at the OC as a deterrent. Similar to the MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) tactics of the Cold War. Most criminals are lazy and cowards, anything that will make it seem like you will be a difficult target or if you are even in the area of their intended victom will encourage the a quick retreat.
Carl
Please ingnore my spelling.

There are doubtless some criminals who would be deterred. There are others who will see the person openly carrying as the highest priority target. I prefer the lower profile - but I'm pleased when others are carrying openly.

Please refer to the "Most criminals are lazy and cowards" part of the post. Don't worry, I take up your slack. It is a matter of personal choice, I think it would depend on the day and the days activities.

Louisiana and Georgia have open carry but I haven't noticed any open cary in either places; I keep concealed. Maybe I'm like the previous poster and just don't go to the right places.

Our travels this past summer took us through 11 OC states. There was one guy in our Lake City, CO RV park who made no effort to conceal. Other than that one guy, I never saw (I was looking) anyone but LEO's with a gun on their hip.

I wouldn't object if Texas allowed OC; however, as someone said above and as I've said before, the BG, et al, will have to guess about me.