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Ok, first off I know this has been posted on here before. I tried to search for it , but the search kept telling me "open carry" is too common and I need to try again. Then tried "who is going to oc" and it said I can't use words with less than 3 letters. So I gave up and here I am. I still am on the fence about to OC or not. I think I can see it going a few different ways.
1. You walk into a gas station. A future robber sees your gun and decides to try some place else
2. You walk into a gas station. A future robber sees your gun and decides to shoot you first.

Really hard to tell which scenario will take place. I am sure there are a lot of robbers out there that carry guns but have no intention of using them unless things go south. What's been going through my head, is would the presence of an OC gun deter them or not. I think what I'm thinking is, I'll do a 50/50 approach. Use an outside waist band holster, but still keep my shirt over it. Problem I've had with IWB ( maybe it's just my holster ), can't find a position that is comfortable sitting in the car. I think an OWB holster would solve this. I've also thought about the implication of someone trying to grab your in plain sight hand gun. How do you prevent that short of having a holster strap?

Great law, everyone should be able to defend their self and family at home or anywhere they travel. I hope to get this law passed in birmingham where I live.

stingeragent wrote:Ok, first off I know this has been posted on here before. I tried to search for it , but the search kept telling me "open carry" is too common and I need to try again. Then tried "who is going to oc" and it said I can't use words with less than 3 letters. So I gave up and here I am. I still am on the fence about to OC or not. I think I can see it going a few different ways.
1. You walk into a gas station. A future robber sees your gun and decides to try some place else
2. You walk into a gas station. A future robber sees your gun and decides to shoot you first.

Really hard to tell which scenario will take place. I am sure there are a lot of robbers out there that carry guns but have no intention of using them unless things go south. What's been going through my head, is would the presence of an OC gun deter them or not. I think what I'm thinking is, I'll do a 50/50 approach. Use an outside waist band holster, but still keep my shirt over it. Problem I've had with IWB ( maybe it's just my holster ), can't find a position that is comfortable sitting in the car. I think an OWB holster would solve this. I've also thought about the implication of someone trying to grab your in plain sight hand gun. How do you prevent that short of having a holster strap?

In answer to your subject, I will continue to carry openly were I can, conceal as the situation dictates, and disarm when I must. You carry your way, I'll carry mine. That we carry is the most important thing. How, what, and why we carry are personal decisions based on personal choices. Like most things in life, it is a matter of which risks you are willing to manage and which benefits matter most to you.

I will continue to use a retention device to keep my pistol in place as I traverse broken terrain while recovering my rockets.

In this picture from July, 2015, near Tucson, AZ, I am on the left with my 9mm. My then 18 year old son is on the right, holding his Nike Smoke scale model, and wearing his .45.

Thanks for the tips. Unrelated but I was in 1-7 Cav 1CD. I may have to look into a retention device. I had a holster in Iraq for the beretta that has a "button" on it you have to press to unholster it, but that holster was fairly bulky.

Maybe looking at the statistics from other states that already have open carry will answer your question. I personally don't plan on OC where I live. Too many people. Concealed carry is just so much better in my opinion. I do feel you should have the choice.

stingeragent wrote:Ok, first off I know this has been posted on here before. I tried to search for it , but the search kept telling me "open carry" is too common and I need to try again. Then tried "who is going to oc" and it said I can't use words with less than 3 letters. So I gave up and here I am. I still am on the fence about to OC or not. I think I can see it going a few different ways.
1. You walk into a gas station. A future robber sees your gun and decides to try some place else
2. You walk into a gas station. A future robber sees your gun and decides to shoot you first.

Really hard to tell which scenario will take place. I am sure there are a lot of robbers out there that carry guns but have no intention of using them unless things go south. What's been going through my head, is would the presence of an OC gun deter them or not. I think what I'm thinking is, I'll do a 50/50 approach. Use an outside waist band holster, but still keep my shirt over it. Problem I've had with IWB ( maybe it's just my holster ), can't find a position that is comfortable sitting in the car. I think an OWB holster would solve this. I've also thought about the implication of someone trying to grab your in plain sight hand gun. How do you prevent that short of having a holster strap?

I think you have the right idea here. Everyone seems to be geared towards scenario 1 or 2, and 1 or 2 only. I think it definitely will depend on the criminal. I'm just going to carry owb and never think twice about it. If it shows, it shows, if it doesn't it doesn't. Obviously come August next year I will have to keep it concealed at school, and for that I have a galco king tuck. It is actually pretty dang comfortable for a commander size 1911, and actually the more it breaks in the better it gets. It actually is just fine for me in the car.

I plan to OC discretely. Looking forward to seeing how its received.

I have faith in Texas. I'm expecting to meet some new friends while walking softly.

I don't plan on ever OC. That being said, I did buy the 5.11 thumb drive level 2 retention holster because if I do OC I want that extra layer of retention. Chances are it's going to sit in it's org packaging a very long time. CC, to me, is the best option. No need to draw attention to myself or show my cards to those wishing harm.

The last couple of evenings, KXAS in DFW has been running short pieces about the new law, talking about signage, open carrying, required licensing. Didn't see any mistakes in their copy.

Has anyone heard of anything happening to anyone that OC's where it's already legal? It's been legal in several states for years, I've never heard of anything happening to them because of OC

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafe ... or/2214432

There was that, but only one I know of off the top of my head.

Open carry will not normally be one of my options. I like being discreet and don't want the additional attention.

I would like to open carry but won't until LE recognizes the fact that they would be violating my rights to stop me and check my license... just because they see me open carrying. I just don't feel like being harassed and embarrassed. I'll stay with concealed.

I will continue to carry concealed, just as I have for the last 15 yeears or so. I can't think of a good reason to leave home with all my junk hanging out, and a few reasons why I shouldn't.

2farnorth wrote:Open carry will not normally be one of my options. I like being discreet and don't want the additional attention.

+1