A rare occurrence yesterday

[contender]

I had a rare occurrence happen to me yesterday.

I go armed most of the time. I have CCW, and yet, often I do open carry. Mostly due to the fact that (a) I was raised to tuck in my shirttail, and (b) often going to strangers homes, (customers,) and don't want to alarm them. So, I don't have a holster threaded on my belt, nor do I wear one inside my tucked in shirt.
Normally, I just tuck the gun in-between my pants & shirt. I wear a strong, sturdy gunbelt. it holds the gun nicely. And it's an easy way for ME to carry.
Well, yesterday,, I was in-between customer calls, and stopped at a Mickie-D's, to grab a burger. My order had been taken, and I was off to the side awaiting it. Another lady came in & ordered her meal, and was chatting with the employee about the "Ronald McDonald House" charity. After she'd stepped back ,, and was awaiting her order,, she caught my attention by saying; "Is that a GUN you have there? Does NC allow that?"
I very politely & calmly said; "Yes,, NC has had the legal right to "open carry" for decades. And we also have a CCW law. I enjoy both rights myself."

The rare part?
It was VERY obvious she did NOT like that answer. Yet,, she didn't try & say anything else,,, nor become confrontational.
I did half expect to have a visit from a County Deputy though. See, Mickie-D's was next door to the County Sheriff Dept Annex. I had to chuckle,, as if I had,, I actually know a few of the Deputies who work there.

But it was rare to have an obvious anti-gun type actually say anything to me. Normally, when someone asks about my handgun,,, it usually leads to a good firearm discussion.

 

[Sugar River]

Did she have a NY accent?

 

[mexicanjoe]

I've walked into a business with my "piece" accidently showing and no one has said anything.......... however in this rural part of the state its not uncommon.

 

[Robb Barnes]

But the real question Tyrone is did you have shoes on?

 

[Johnnu2]

Was her name Karen....?

J.

 

[Mobuck]

As I've said before, I practice 'discreet carry' most of the time. Sometimes I notice someone doing a 'double take' but not often. It seems most local folks know and understand our carry laws or simply don't pay enough attention to notice. It's fairly common to see an open carry handgun so no big deal. Most of the open carriers I see are 30-50 year old males in work clothes although I do see females in the same age range with a moderate sized pistol strong side OWB on a sturdy belt. Obviously not something they just threw on for a quick trip to town.

 

[arfmel]

Not many open carry people hereabouts. I might see one or two a week. More people carry concealed (with varying degrees of success) than open. I carry in my pocket most of the time.

 

[Jeepnik]

You don't really even need a gun to scare the sheep. Eight or ten years ago I was in a hardware store. I hade a sheath knife on my belt. After a bit a county sheriff came up and said a woman had called and reported a man with a knife. They of course responded thinking the worst. I guess it was an early case of swatting. The deputy and I had a laugh and said he really wished people would think before they jumped to conclusions. I guess she though just having one was a crime.

 

[contender]

As noted,, due to the way I dress, AND visiting customers,, it's just easier to leave the gun in my truck when working,, but when I'm "in public" and getting in & out of my truck, the simple "tuck" works quite well. And yes,, it's open carry,, but totally legal. I do carry CCW when I'm going certain places, and wearing different clothing.
But this post isn't about how I carry,, but more on how rare it is to have someone make a comment, and easily be seen as a "negative" attitude. Her obvious displeasure was a contrast to the often polite & fun discussions I've had with most folks.
It immediately brought to mind the time I was in line at a Lowe's, and an elderly lady asked me; "Is that a 1911?" and once I confirmed it,, she smile,, & said she LOVED her 1911. The look on a few eavesdroppers was priceless, as this lady & I discussed the virtues of the 1911.

I really kinda wished she'd gone to the PD & said something. THAT would have caused some fun for sure. Especially if a couple of certain officers were there.

 

[Mobuck]

Son reminded me a couple weeks back that Iowa laws are 'different' vs MO (no law :devilish: ) and that I should be careful to avoid 'an incident'. I utilize the ploy of my Cousin (IA resident) and simply pull a bit of shirt tail over the pistol butt. At that point, I've met the immediate need for cover up and a quick re-tuck before buckling back in the vehicle is all that's needed.
I often follow Contender's option of just leaving my pistol in the vehicle when dealing with unknown 'customers' although I do use caution and take a good look around the premises before disarming myself in a strange area. My Federal agency ID gives me most of the 'privileges' of an actual LEO but I don't see the need for the explanations that using those privileges demands. That's about to end with my resignation set for the end of 2023.

 

[blume357]

I never carry at a customers house... the main reason is I have to do way to much up and down and all around. the second reason is in S.C. it is illegal to carry in or on someone's private property with out their permission. I try to rearm when I go to a store in-between jobs but that actually takes time. even though now I can open carry in S.C. I choose not to. I'm surprised Contender does not get more comments but I think this is because most folks just don't look ... too busy looking at their phone or trying to get home or somewhere and the ones that do see the gun don't want to engage. I conceal carry for that reason... I don't want to have a conversation with some stranger about guns.. pro or con. The same for all the folks I know in this town.

Some days I wish I did not feel 'obligated' to carry. One of the few fears I have is that I will get caught up in a situation where I need to use my pistol and not have it... I've taken well over 200 hours of formal firearms training... like I said, somedays I wish I had not gone down that road...
I often wonder with all the concealed and open carriers out there how many actually realize the heavy burden they are carrying?

 

[Johnnu2]

"I often wonder with all the concealed and open carriers out there how many actually realize the heavy burden they are carrying?"

Sadly, blume, most do not...!!!

J.

 

[contender]

Like blume,, I'm up & down, and most often at strangers homes, so my gun stays in the truck usually. And as he mentions, it takes time and effort to re-arm unless you have a IWB concealed holster to use. But since I keep my shirt tucked in, that option is very hard to use as well. And since I often wear shorts & a T-shirt,, even a holster will cause a bulge & print. This is why I use the strong gun belt, and just tuck it using the legal method of open carry.

BUT,, every few weeks or so, in discussions with customers, firearms do come up. My business deals with wildlife,, and as such, I get questions about using a firearm to take care of a problem. In fact the very same day I had this woman in Mickie-D's say something,, I had just left a customer's house where that had happened.
The customer. A widow, of a former Marine. He'd had firearms, but she'd sold them after his passing, because she felt no need to keep one. But,, afterwards,, a friend had given her a very small Beretta semi-auto. She also had gotten a BB gun to keep the "pesky squirrels out of her bird feeder." She asked about shooting her problem groundhogs. Discussion began, and she told me of her Beretta. She allowed she knew nothing about it. I politely offered to look at it for her.
She produced a .25 acp older Beretta, and a box of CCI .22 Mag shotshells. She had never tried to load the gun & knew nothing about it. We had a very pleasant & educational conversation, and I discussed her options INCLUDING the need for proper instruction. All in all, a very pleasant discussion, with a widow,, who appreciated my assistance with it all.
Good relations of a responsible firearm owner helping someone else.
BTW; In our discussions, she asked about AR-15's & what I thought about them. When I calmly explained several things about the AR vs her little Beretta, and the simple fact that they both operated the same way, and both were mere machines that only did what the operator made them do, she actually smiled & thanked me for that. We briefly discussed the fact it's the mentally ill & criminal element, NOT the firearm, that is the problem. Combine that with the current societal attitude towards mental health issues, & the lack of properly addressing such things, she really liked it all.

So, I potentially re-educated a person who most likely would have voted to ban AR-15's all while wanting to keep her gun, into a person who will think twice about all of it.

So, while blume chooses & prefers to not engage others about firearms,, (his choice & I FULLY respect that,) I actually do not mind taking the time. Hopefully to present gun owners in a very positive light, AND maybe re-educate them in favor of firearm ownership & our Rights.

I just found it kinda funny and rare at the same time, to having spent time with an older lady in a very positive manner about her firearm, her rights, and such, to have another woman obviously upset at seeing my gun.

 

[vito]

Here in Illinois open carry is illegal, and I have never observed anyone carrying this way in the many years that I have lived here. And fortunately, the concealed carry law states that you must be "mostly" concealed, so that an accidental exposure of the firearm while lifting something that raises your shirt, or someone seeing a bulge or an actual printing of the concealed gun is not a legal violation. Even if we had legal open carry I doubt that I would change my current practice of concealed carry as an invisible "gray man". I do believe that open carry can be a deterrent to crime but only if enough people open carry that a criminal, even a stupid one, realizes that even if he eliminates one person who is carrying openly before committing his crime that he will be stopped or worse by the other open carriers. In other words, I might open carry but I will not be the first one to do so.

 

[harley08]

My thoughts on open carry:
If you are out, say at a store and a bad drugged up thief comes in and want the money in the cash register and sees you open carrying he shoots you first and then the person concealed carrying shoots him dead end of story!

 

[BULL'S-EYE]

I had one of those "Mom's in need of some action" types flip out on me last Winter at a small local grocery store, when she caught a brief glimpse of my concealed firearm as I was bending over in the meat case. I casually told her that I had a CCW permit, even though you don't need one in Indiana anymore, and went about my business. She then went up to the office and complained to the store manager, a friend of mine, who informed her that I shopped there weekly, and that a lot of other people carried in the store as well, and it was perfectly OK with him...And, then in his best Curly Bill Brocius voice, said "Well...Bye." when she told him she'd never shop there again.

 

[Watertender]

My liberal PhD brother in law was at a party at my house extolling the virtues of stricter gun control laws and even confiscation.... Little did he know that he was within mere feet of several people who were carrying... We did not enlighten him. Some people are over educated and under smart as my grandpa used to say.

 

[remshooter]

Did she have a NY accent?

all those NY and other northern liberal states transplants will one day vote out your right to carry open or concealled one day. when enough of them move there unfortuantly . just ask states next to california

 

[crstrode]

My thoughts delusions on open carry:
If you are out, say at a store and a bad drugged up thief comes in and want the money in the cash register and sees you open carrying he shoots you first and then the person concealed carrying shoots him dead end of story!

Fixed - no charge.

 

[epags]

all those NY and other northern liberal states transplants will one day vote out your right to carry open or concealled one day. when enough of them move there unfortuantly . just ask states next to california

California does have a concealled carry permitting process.

 

[3manfan]

"No hablo Inglés!"

.....as you give her the stink-eye.

 

[BULL'S-EYE]

My liberal PhD brother in law was at a party at my house extolling the virtues of stricter gun control laws and even confiscation.... Little did he know that he was within mere feet of several people who were carrying... We did not enlighten him. Some people are over educated and under smart as my grandpa used to say.

AKA: "Educated Idiots"...& I know a few of them myself.

 

[Watertender]

AKA: "Educated Idiots"...& I know a few of them myself.

They have multiplied rapidly since 2008....

 

[blume357]

My liberal PhD brother in law was at a party at my house extolling the virtues of stricter gun control laws and even confiscation.... Little did he know that he was within mere feet of several people who were carrying... We did not enlighten him. Some people are over educated and under smart as my grandpa used to say.

When my wife and I went on a Rhodes Scholar tour of Yellowstone a few years back there was a lady on the tour from Canada that went on and on about how awful it was that people could carry guns in Montana and such... when the tour was over I confessed to the guide that I had carried all the time we were there....

 

[Skeet 028]

Cody Wyoming Wally World. Tourista Season. I was waiting in line. Fellow walked by 1911 open carry. Lady behind me grabs my arm and said...did you see that man? I go "huh". She said the man with the gun... I said I didn't pay much attention..what he was doing was legal. And then she started expounding why that was so dangerous, I asked where she was from...she said Illinois...Chicago. I then told her we didn't have many people killed in Wyoming. Sure it happens but I said this ain't Chicago. The gangbangers would probably end up dead here. She told me again guns were dangerous. Then I told her more than half the people I knew in the store that I could see had guns. Again...what?? She asked if I had a gun and I told her no ma'am. ...but my wife had hers...and she's a better shot than I am. She looked at my wife and she just smiled at her. Then I told her not to worry...she was perfectly safe in that store. That is a true story...The Tourista Season is long here...and the limit ain't high enough.

 

[Kevin]

I know the law changed a year ago or so here in Texas, but I rarely, we’ll make that haven’t yet seen anyone open carry in Texas.

Of course I’m not out in West Texas or even rural Texas where probably more people open carry.

I also strongly agree with Blume, most people don’t realize the gravity involved with carrying a weapon.

Much like the idiots trying to cause accidents while driving. They can’t or haven’t thought of the resulting aftermath.

 

[Huskerguy72]

I guess I have a different take on all of this. I carry most, but not all of the time. More when I travel, less around local area.

Although legal, I don't see the point to possibly rile anyone up. I also don't care about the confederate flag but why? Just because "I can"? People get triggered over lots of things and I understand that and yes it is their choice to get triggered but I don't choose to be the reason so I do my part. The few timed I have seen open carry it reminded me of watching Gun Smoke. I have decided I will not open carry, don't need the hassle and I am willing to inconvenience myself just a bit.

No offense, just how I am.

 

[Sam Summey]

My 24 hour a day companion, you will never know I have it on me. Since 1998. Concealed Carry, not visible to a member of the public. If I were a criminal, I would take the person out with "open carry" out FIRST; the guy with the "shoot me first vest" on second.

 

[contender]

This thread was about how rare it is for someone to actually be vocal and upset at my open carry.

NOT about if open carry is good or bad.

It's every person's choice on HOW they carry. Some prefer to CCW (legally) and some open carry & some do both.
I do both, due to MY personal dress & activities.

Often the discussion revolves around the potential of being the "first" target a thug will try & take out if you open carry. A thug who's decided to do harm, will have some form of agenda as they enter a place or whatever. I also practice situational awareness,, to where if I'm in ANY place, and I see ANYBODY looking or acting suspicious,, I immediately get mentally prepared, and sometimes,, position my body in a manner that allows me to quickly recover my handgun IF necessary. In a potential armed confrontation, we all know that seconds,, heck, fractions of a second can make a difference. My open carry allows quicker access than any CCW method.

Another thought is about potential interaction with others. In my opinion, this occurrence with this obviously upset woman was a rarity. Why? Well, I was open carrying long before NC allowed CCW. And as such,, I've most often had very good & polite discussions on firearms, the laws, the overall attitude of gun ownership.
I'm an "open" person. I like meeting people, & I do try hard to be very friendly. AND,, by having discussions with people,, I can do a few things. One,, I'm showing them that gun owners are NOT the "knuckle dragging neanderthals, backwoods uneducated types or whatever else the media has tried to portray us as. By speaking calmly, politely, and explaining to folks that the problem isn't a gun, but the INDIVIDUAL behind it that's the problem.
But I know not everybody is as open or friendly or willing to engage strangers as I am.

I fully respect those who choose to keep quiet & never let others know they are carrying. YOUR choice. My choice is different.

And, as I mentioned,, NC allowed open carry LONG before CCW was allowed. And I carried back them as well. It wasn't that many years ago that gun owners had the ability to CCW in most places. I applaud the fact we've regained some of our Rights.

I see Sam has just posted as I was typing. Sam & I are good friends,, and we BOTH respect each other. Neither one of us gives grief to the other about such stuff. Yes,, as mentioned,, if a criminal were to see my gun, (and often,, it's not easily visible unless you are looking at me closely,) and choose to try & take me out,, I will already be evaluating the situation, and hopefully be aware of the thug before he can do harm.

Nothing is perfect,,, and nobody can "be all or do all" in every situation. Respect each other,, and our choices. We need to focus our arguments against those who oppose lawful gun ownership & rights instead of each other.

 

[sixmranch]

I agree, it's a personal choice. My preference is to blend in and go about my day quietly.