People are getting used to seeing armed citizens (or not)

[Mobuck]

MO has always been an 'open carry' state but doing so was not common. We went to Constitutional carry a while back and there was a flurry of Tom, Dick, & Harry walking around with their gun outside their pants. The novelty wore off for some but not all. It's been whittled down to the folks who are dedicated to being armed and seems that the acceptance (or at least the avoidance of an armed citizen) has mellowed out. Neat, well dressed folks with a holstered handgun are common. Every trip to town, I notice open carry here and there and also notice that others don't seem to be as touchy about an armed person as used to be. The exception seems to be those from other places.
A few days back, I was filling up with gas and had some extra cans to fill as usual. In the process of setting the cans back in the pickup bed, my handgun was clearly visible. Across the pump island I heard this sound that closely resembled an old whitetail doe who'd just caught a whiff of my scent. When I looked for the source, there was a middle aged female rapidly re-entering her car AND LOCKING THE DOOR.
Huh, what was I missing????? I looked around but actually no one else on that side of the convenience store. I sneaked a look and the female was sitting in her car with eyes wide and her phone in her hand. Still wondering what was up, I casually shuffled around washing my windshield until I could see her vehicle's plate. NEW YORK, that explains a lot.
I don't know if she actually called the cops but I just drove away leaving her sitting there seemingly frozen in place.

 

[buckaroo]

Yeah, these people for the most part that come from these dump area's have never been outside of them in their lives, have no clue about anything except what they are forced fed. I can remember seeing people with gun racks in the back of their pick-up trucks. And I came up in a dump city but got out and early enough to not become sucked into the ideology.

But open carry in my opinion is a huge risk, not one I'm willing to take. We have it in my State as well.

 

[GunnyGene]

Some are getting accustomed, some never will. Pre-programmed panic.

 

[Jeepnik]

Folks talk about the "risk" of carrying openly. Anyone have personal knowledge l, not "I read on the web" where open carry made someone the subject of an attack?

Of course, we can't know how many times it has prevented an attack. It's sort of like proving something didn't happen when only two people were involved.

 

[buckaroo]

Folks talk about the "risk" of carrying openly. Anyone have personal knowledge.

Do you even understand what risk means ? It never has to happen to be risky. Basically it boils down to 'common sense'.
I'm not painting a target on myself.

 

[dweis]

PA is an open carry state. The frequency of witnessing ope carriers depends on the section of the state. My experience has been that I see little OC in or in the suburbs of the cities. In the rural areas it is much more common. I generally carry concealed OWB unless hot weather forces me to wear only a tee shirt. In that case I carry IWB. I OWB open carry when enjoying hikes in the state parks and forests. People take notice, but I have seen no panic reactions although I do get some staring at me. When I am carrying concealed OWB in populated areas and the temperature leads me to take off a coat or untucked shirt I just OC in plain sight. The stares are evident, but no panic reactions (yet).

 

[kmoore]

Jeepnik, I do not remember reading about any cases of a open carry person being disarmed by a crook from any PDs sharing information on unusual cases. That doesn't mean it's never happened. It likely has somewhere at some point. A big factor if it did or not happen would be the environment. All through my career we got case information about uniformed police who were disarmed and many more were a crook attempted to disarm a cop and were not successful. Hell, it happened to me and many others I worked with. In training we used the statement, "Any crook who does not have a gun, will have one available when you contact them." We played footage of prisoners in a CA prison exercise yard practicing how to disarm cops from the front and from behind. They even practiced grabbing the Beretta 9mms and disabling the gun while a cop was pointing it at them. (I won't go into details how that is done).
My problem I have with the average Joe open carrying a handgun just because they can is there are far to many whack jobs/nutcases and just plain evil people who will attack others for just about any reason. That reason may be to gain a weapon. A person open carrying a handgun in a small town store in Idaho is way different then open carrying at Walmart in Chicago or most major cities nowadays. In any environment were people get jammed together in lines or even on sidewalks a crook can come up from behind a bump into a open carry person and disarm them in a New York second.
Holsters and training will make or break a disarming attempt. The average Joe I see in my state open carrying is using cheap holsters and mostly does not show a situational awareness about the possibility of getting disarmed. Although I cannot get into their head as to their thoughts. Many seem to use open carry as "see I got a gun".
I am not scared that they do carry, but I avoid them because their the maginet for whack jobs. I would be the clean up with my CCW that no one knows I have.

 

[noahmercy]

About like some of those who visit here in Wyoming and come to the Living History Days in Buffalo. The wife and I wear our Victorian finery, and mine includes crossed gun belts complete with a pair of SAA clones. There is also a table we usually help watch which has a variety of "old west" firearms spread out, including lever actions, falling blocks, and shotguns. Invariably, some left coast loonie (often in a mask nowadays) comes over and asks, "Are those guns real?" and then quickly grabs the kids and scuttles off when I reply in the affirmative. Funny thing is that most of the tourists from other countries where guns are restricted or outright banned are not scared of them...they often ask to handle the firearms and have insightful questions. I'd have to say the lefties who run away have been thoroughly indoctrinated.

 

[buckaroo]

I'd have to say the lefties who run away have been thoroughly indoctrinated.

Here's the thing, step behind the curtains and most are armed in the house or apt. and all illegally. The ones who scream the loudest don't have to live around the mess.
Let me tell you a very insightful story about how brainwashed they are, last week I went into Walgreens to pick up some prescriptions and there is a couple from out of State in front of me setting up a 3rd COVID-19 jab, and you could tell they were educated, the pharmacist ask them which company version they wanted, the husband reply's whatever one you think is best.

I think these two idiots where from dope central Colorado. The pharmacist had to hold back telling them the truth.

 

[fiasconva]

Doesn't even seem to get a second glance for the most part around here. Most people just think the carrier is an LEO or military. I've never seen a negative reaction like the OP wrote about.

 

[Jeepnik]

Do you even understand what risk means ? It never has to happen to be risky. Basically it boils down to 'common sense'.
I'm not painting a target on myself.

Your version of "common sense" or mine? The problem with common sense is that those who tend to use it as an argument often tend to lack same.

 

[Paul B]

This time of year we get a large population increase of snowbirds. I carry concealed but there's always someone open carrying just because he can. Arizona is a constitutional state

It's even more fun to watch the snowbirds reaction when they spot that gun toting stranger. Some register a mild curiosity to outright shock and fear that someone would dare to actually carry a gun in the store.The most fun as those who kind of scurry away sideways like a crab hoping they'll get out of sight before that guy with a gun decides to open up. Makes one wonder what went wrong? Nobody got shot. No one died. Who or what restrained that guy with a gun in the store.

Sometimes, when I'm in the right spot, I'll engage one who has that frightened look and ask what's the matter? He/she will usually answer, "That man over there in the blue short has a gun. I usually say. "Is that all?" Then I explain to them that it's perfectly lrgal to do so and even they, if they own a handgun can carry here concealed or openly and you won't be breaking the law. Usually falls on deaf ears but I try.
Paul B.

 

[buckaroo]

Jeepnik, don't get the impression I'm against it, I'm not. Everyone needs to do their own 'risk assessment'. But after that any argument for it is bulsht. You do it to make a statement.
And to be perfectly honest I'd rather have them shoot you first than me.

 

[blume357]

Couple of years back my wife and I were on a Yellowstone tour and a lady from Canada was along and she went on and on at a supper about how crazy it was that people in Montana could carry a firearm... later in the week I kind of got tired of her and went a little too far. I gave her a scenario, I handed her my phone and told her she could dial 911 and tell them I was fixing to hit her in the head with a rock and see how long it took for help to arrive.... she still did not get it. I was smart enough to not tell her I was actually carrying a gun.

 

[WendyZXZ]

Couple of years back my wife and I were on a Yellowstone tour and a lady from Canada was along and she went on and on at a supper about how crazy it was that people in Montana could carry a firearm... later in the week I kind of got tired of her and went a little too far. I gave her a scenario, I handed her my phone and told her she could dial 911 and tell them I was fixing to hit her in the head with a rock and see how long it took for help to arrive.... she still did not get it. I was smart enough to not tell her I was actually carrying a gun.

She sounds like the type I would just admit that I am crazy, but would rather be crazy than stupid.

 

[vito]

There are places in this country where lifelong indoctrination has taken place and where average citizens think guns are just evil and dangerous. In some places the finding of an empty shell case on the ground would likely result in a lockdown of the entire area. So I would not be surprised in the least to see someone from NYC, or L.A. or Chicago freak out over seeing someone open carrying. Personally, I still prefer to be the "gray man", carrying concealed even when I am out of my home state, a state in which open carry is not legal.

 

[Gopher]

Texas has had some form of open carry since 2016 or so. Since that time I have seen four (4) people actually open carrying.

 

[JackAsinus]

Another Open Carry Fail—Criminal Takes Gun From Man in Columbus, Ohio

Last month in a Columbus, Ohio gas station, a man had his handgun stolen while he was paying the cashier. The criminal took the gun from the unsuspecting customer, fled the scene and the police have not apprehended the now armed suspect. Gun Disarm Incident in Columbus, Ohio — Columbus Police...

ohio.concealedcarry.com

 

[Jack Ryan]

Do you even understand what risk means ? It never has to happen to be risky. Basically it boils down to 'common sense'.
I'm not painting a target on myself.

It isn't that common.

 

[blume357]

What bothers me more than folks freaking out over a person carrying a gun is that these same people are perfectly fine with a LEO carrying a gun. Indoctrinated into fearing a common citizen having a gun but it's okay for a government employee to.