Just an observation on carrying in my state

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Jack Ryan

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Aug 21, 2012
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467
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Indiana
I see at least someone open carry pretty much any time I'm in town more than just to run in and out of one store and then I wouldn't really notice even if it were there. Even if I see ONE, that is only one out of the hundred people I probably see in a trip. Buying groceries at Walmart and Ruler, I'll usually see two or three people carrying. Who knows how many carry that I DON't notice. I've NEVER seen it be a problem of any kind in grocery, restaurants, gas stations, banks, the post office, people's homes, Target, Kohls, Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart, Pizza Hut, Long Horn STeak House, Red Lobster Olive Garden. ANY WHERE.
 

Stantheman1986

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May 3, 2023
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396
Location
USA
Honestly.....most people I see in my area Open Carrying look like complete knobs and are the kinds of people that make us look bad . It may just be a PA thing I don't know

The last one was a month ago or so, I was going into a Longhorn with my girlfriend and there was a morbidly obese man in stained up camo shorts , with a pistol in one of those $5.99 nylon holsters with the mag pouch in the front flopping off of his side. As he looked into his engine with the hood up

Even as a gun enthusiast and I was myself carrying , this immediately looked sketchy. Why is this guy parked by the front door of a restaurant with his hood up open carrying a full size pistol.......I'm like ok keep an eye on this clown he may be waiting for someone to leave work or something, like a girlfriend who doesn't know she's his girlfriend

People are going to look at you with suspicion if you're carrying like that, it's just human nature

If you're a well dressed gentleman with a Western rig, kinda covered by a blazer but not really you'll look fine. I never see this. In the rare occasion I see open carry its almost always some disturbed looking mall ninja type guy
 

Gopher

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Apr 9, 2010
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366
Texas has had some form of open carry since 2016. In that time I have seen five people open carry. Three were generic-looking semi-auto carried in cheap nylon rigs, one guy carrying a nice .45 in a leather holster with a proper thumb break, and a gentleman who looked like a retired Texas Ranger. A tooled leather holster and a nice-looking .45 BBQ gun.
I carry concealed but it's nice not to have to worry about flashing or printing if your shirt rides up and exposes the pistol.
 

Joezilla

Bearcat
Joined
Nov 19, 2011
Messages
84
Here in North Texas (DFW area), I have only seen a couple of open carriers over the years. I carry concealed 100% of the time and am always armed.

Joe
 

noahmercy

Blackhawk
Joined
Jun 13, 2015
Messages
741
Location
Sheridan, WY
Wyoming is Constitutional carry, open or concealed, and also offers a permit for those who wish to take advantage of reciprocity and skip the NCIS call when purchasing a firearm.
Lots of folks carry concealed here, but very few choose to carry open with the exception of those who routinely spend their days in remote areas where wildlife can be an issue. Working cowboys and outfitters often come to town and have their perfectly normal workwear on, which often includes a pistol on the hip. Hikers and geologists as well, and just like LEOs, they don't think about part of their daily kit when they have to visit the city. Freaks out the weak-minded hopolophobe refugees who have scuttled, slithered, squirmed, and swarmed here from blue enclaves when they're standing in line at the bank or grocery and somebody who is not a cop steps into line with a gun on.
 

transplant

Bearcat
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Dec 24, 2022
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32
Location
NH
The first guy I saw in Walmart was with a lady and a toddler in the cart. I watched him a little cause he was in front of me and my wife going in the same direction. He seemed to keep looking around, in my opinion to see if he was being noticed rather than trying to be aware of his surroundings. The second guy at the ice cream stand was rather obese in shorts and snug t-shirt. It was rather warm and I don't think he could comfortably conceal carry even if he wanted to. I may very well be off base in both cases. Boy, as I write this makes me realize I may be somewhat prejudice.
 

Stantheman1986

Single-Sixer
Joined
May 3, 2023
Messages
396
Location
USA
The first guy I saw in Walmart was with a lady and a toddler in the cart. I watched him a little cause he was in front of me and my wife going in the same direction. He seemed to keep looking around, in my opinion to see if he was being noticed rather than trying to be aware of his surroundings. The second guy at the ice cream stand was rather obese in shorts and snug t-shirt. It was rather warm and I don't think he could comfortably conceal carry even if he wanted to. I may very well be off base in both cases. Boy, as I write this makes me realize I may be somewhat prejudice.
Prejudice is human nature, whether we like it or not.

We will be more accepting and less suspicious of a well groomed, physically fit man with a Glock 26 in an open carry leather holster, going about his business vs a 400lb slop bucket with a pair of Taurus 1911s in a nylon rig with 10 magazines, or a guy wearing every article of ShootMeFirst gear looking like he wants the world to know he's carrying a gun.

I've "weakly concealed" a lot, I just went into Subway to get my app order in my work pants and a button down short sleeve shirt I threw on over my white T-Shirt, with my SP101 in an IWB holster clearly showing. I was about to drive to work anyway so I didn't really worry about it. Not a single person cared and it was busy in there.

Prior to that I went jogging with my NAA Pug clipped inside my shorts, basically open carrying but I jog in less populated areas and carry because a pit bull recently killed a family's German Shepherd in front of them while they were walking it. So I go prepared because I'm not bleeding out on a back road after someone's loose dog attacks me. If people see the little butt of my .22 if they drive by oh well, they shouldn't look as close then. I have a Permit and covering the gun isn't possible in running gear. It looks like a knife or a GPS unit or something anyway.
 

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Joined
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missouri
I was OC all day yesterday. Several personal contacts and 1/2 dozen stores but not a single person noticed/commented. During warm/hot weather work I wear one of the various brands of lightweight blousy 'sun shirts'. They pooch out a bit around the waist and this little droop covers my crossdraw holster/pistol quite well.
 

mirglip

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May 8, 2023
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156
Location
Montana
I live in Montana where there are no significant state gun laws, no sales tax and concealed and open carry is legal. I have a CWP anyway because I sometimes travel out of state and take advantage of reciprocity.
There is very little crime here and you seldom see anyone openly carrying in Walmart because it isn't appropriate in "polite society". Yes, Montana is one of few states that one could categorize as polite society. States that do not qualify as polite society have many gun laws to prevent polite people from defending themselves from the impolite hordes. I would not want to appear threatening to polite society, I have no ambitions of being a badass or appearing like one. As others have pointed out, that is only detrimental to our cause.
The reason to carry a big gun on your hip in Montana is BEARS. Lions and wolves only call for small guns. When you turn off the pavement on to a dirt road, open carry is very common.
 

Jack Ryan

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Aug 21, 2012
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467
Location
Indiana
How can any one carrying a gun "make us all look bad". If you all are so impecably dressed with your 380 hidden in your jokeys and your expanding baton stuck up your ASP? How would you and James Bond ever be associated with "the commoners"?
 

Paul B

Hunter
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Dec 4, 1999
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Location
Tucson, AZ
I've carried concealed for most of my life even in places where it was definitely not legal. San Francisco for example. Before Arizona became constitutional, open carry was legal but, not if you were sitting in your vehicle. Then it was considered concealed.

I do almost all my grocery shopping at Walmart. I'll occasionally see someone open carrying. Two examples. First guy was dessed neatly, well groomed and had his wife with him. He had a nice BBQ 1911 right out where anyone could see it. I actualy engaged in conversation with him about his gun. Nice fellow. I doubt he ever noticed the Colt Commander under my shirt.

Example number two made me want to run for cover. Both he and his lady that I'll just have to assume was his wife were both camo-clad from head to toe. Both opened carried and looked to me like they were survivalists of some sort. Both looked like they hadn't had a bath in days, they were that dirty. Just glad I didn't end up down wind of them.

When we first moved here in 1979 at the beginning of September the swamp cooler on the roof was doing OK. Kept the house cool enough. Come the next springtime though it was time to get new pads for the cooler. The wife and I went to the place that had the reputation of selling the best pads in town. At the time I was legally carrying an S&W .357 Magnum. we entered his shop and there was no, "May I help you." but a "Why are you carrying a sidearm?" I said something like, "It's legal and I choose to do so." Then he broke out in a tirade about how guns should be banned blah, blah blah," I told hime I have a large house with two large coolers. You just lost a sale and I will be telling my shooting friends about your attitude." We walked out and I've been here for 43 years aane except for the last five years when we went full AC, never bought a single pab from hin. BTW, thats two coolers, four pads to a cooler that was usually changed at least one time during midsummer for best results.

For those that don't know, a swamp cooler cools by running water through the pads with a fan blowing. The water evaporates and cool air is blown into the house. They work just fine until the humidity goes up. Then it's just hot muggy air. That's why we finally took the plunge and went full blown air conditioning.
Paul B.
 

Jon406

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Joined
Aug 16, 2017
Messages
123
Location
NW Montana
I live here in Montana, open carry is and always will be... as was proven at St Regis this past weekend for the largest Flea Market in the state. I saw lots of open carry, from shoulder holsters to OWB and no one was offended or at least didn't appear to be, and neither was Mineral County Sheriff's Dept who was on hand for the event. Here where I live up north of St Regis in Kalispell, we see open carry in Walmart all the time. I personally usually carry concealed, that's just the way I roll, unless I'm in the side by side out in the "Bear Woods" with my Ruger Redhawk 5.5" 44 Magnum.

I will add, that in cities like Missoula, Helena, Great Falls, Bozeman and Billings you'd probably see less open carry.
 
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GasGuzzler

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Oct 22, 2012
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DFW Area, Texas
In North Texas, I have not seen anyone open carry in quite a while. I carry concealed 100% of the time.

Here in North Texas (DFW area), I have only seen a couple of open carriers over the years. I carry concealed 100% of the time and am always armed.

Didn't realize my quotes were from the same person until I started typing but I was going to add a question. Do you ever travel outside the DFW bubble ... even if only an hour or less? Up here (north) you'll see a couple per week carrying openly. A LOT more carry concealed but in "rural metro" areas (like Sherman, Gainesville, Greenville, Weatherford, Decatur), it's not uncommon to see open carry.
 

BearBiologist

Buckeye
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Dec 4, 2021
Messages
1,831
Seen open carry here in "dry" Washington State. Usually during hunting season or, once in a while, Mall Ninjas or cop Wanna-Bes. A buddy said 60% of their firearm customers have CCH licenses. Wife has WA and UT permits; I have WA, UT, & OR permits. Almost all our friends have permits.

Of course, Seattle and Spokane are different.
 

Tom in Ohio

Bearcat
Joined
Apr 13, 2023
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54
Location
Ohio
Ohio allows open carry and is now Constitutional concealed carry, along with "shall issue" permitting. I live in the Cleveland suburbs, and have never seen anyone open carry, except at some protests/counter protests/rallies.
 
Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Messages
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Location
missouri
"I live in the Cleveland suburbs, "
Agreed, most of 'suburbia' is not going to be as tolerant of open carry as 'rural America'.
Honestly, I've never been 'challenged' over OC. Possibly because my normal work attire resembles what many Federal LEO agencies wear. If this is a normal perception for the general public, I'm already a 'target' for miscreants so why not have my shooter in an easy to access spot?
 

eveled

Hawkeye
Joined
Apr 3, 2012
Messages
5,606
I see open carry at times here n Oregon. I know there are a lot of people with concealed carry permits, but if you can tell- then they're not doing it right. I carry everywhere unless going to an establishment where I'm planning on having an adult beverage. Then it stays in the gun locker in the vehicle. My wife doesn't drink and I have been trying to convince her to get her permit, that way it could be in her purse when I indulge in my cold one- but she is not a gun person and is not yet willing to get her permit. I say not yet because I'll never stop asking.
This is why I quit drinking. When I realized I was imposing gun control on myself to have a beer. I'm not judging you, just offering food for thought.
AZ - open and concealed carry legal. Open carry is common in rural areas.
I spent 2 weeks in Phoenix 2 years ago. I saw 2 people open carrying. I thought I'd see more.

I like that open carry is legal but prefer to be concealed. Nice not to have to be covert.
 
Joined
Oct 20, 2022
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Location
Oregon
This is why I quit drinking. When I realized I was imposing gun control on myself to have a beer. I'm not judging you, just offering food for thought.

I spent 2 weeks in Phoenix 2 years ago. I saw 2 people open carrying. I thought I'd see more.

I like that open carry is legal but prefer to be concealed. Nice not to have to be covert.
Yep. I hardly ever find myself ordering a drink any more.
 

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