I was OC in a Starbucks in Portland, OR. A woman off to the side kept looking at me (you know that feeling, when someone is just waiting to confront you). Eventually, she came over to me and said "Excuse me?" And I was internally sighing (Great, here we go). She said "I want to thank you so much for carrying today. My father's life was saved by an open carrier." Turned into a wonderful conversation.
Sounds like "stolen gun harvest festival day" How about we open carry on the day of the month that our birthday is. For example, if you were born on April 20, you open carry on the 20th of each month if you were born on June 9th, you open carry on the 9th of each month.
I was open carrying and I was in line ordering food. I heard a kid say oh that’s scary and the mother immediately said something like - no it’s not he is protecting us. It made me happy to hear a mom explaining the good to kids instead of bashing.
I retired from a police department 2years ago. When I was on duty and I saw someone open carrying, I knew I had backup from that person if I needed help.
@HielNahhorrible mindset. We carry not only to protect ourselves and other innocents, we need to protect EVERYONE. There can and have been times where our LEO brothers and sisters have been in losing battles and need support. It’s our duty as Americans to help each other.
Not all those that carry have the mindset or training that would have a favorable outcome, if needed in a gun battle. We can only hope for the best, if placed in that situation. Better to be tried by your peers, than carried by pallbearers.
I was open carrying a plastic pirate toy gun at the movie theater the other day, dressed up in costumes with my family. A manager told me i had to go put the pirate gun in my car, not allowed in the theater. I smiled and laughed heartily: hidden under my costume was a loaded Beretta 92. Irony, man.
I was with my family eating at a local restaurant. When we were done.I went to pay the bill and an elderly woman stop me and said “It makes me feel so good seeing guys like you are out here in the public keeping us safe.” “Thank you so much sir!” That was awesome!!!
I've had a few of those.. honestly.. it's like when someone finds out I was in the Marine Corps and says "thank you for your service".. it feels cheesy AF. It's uncomfortable for me. I'd rather just a knowing nod or a quick side comment of: "sweet", "neat", "cool", "hell yeah"..
Most businesses in Dem cities would kick yo ash out the door if you came in with a gun. Open carry doesn't override a businesses right to refuse you service, or tresspass you from the property
@@andrewgood7586 Most adult males feel comfortable open carrying around children and old ladies. Many of these open carry cowards wouldn't try that in gang neighborhoods, where they will quickly find out how little their life is worth
I was checking out at Walmart, and a gentleman with a sidearm on his hip helped me out with my cart. I felt so safe and at ease going through that parking lot. As a single woman in a wheelchair, I have to be on guard all the time. This man gifted me with a few moments of peace. I'll never forget his kindness.
Shortly after permitless carry became law in Texas i was walking into a restaurant with ny wife. Saw the sign saying no weapons. So i went back to my vehicle and put my pistol up. I guess an old couple saw me do this, because an old man with his wife were in the line in front of us. He leaned over to me and said, "i saw you read that sign and go back to your truck." I said "yes Sir." He replied "yea, i saw the sign too", smiles and continues "i have learned in my years, you dont let someone els tell you when your allowed to protect yourself". And motions to his waist. I smile back and say "thank you for the advice"
I like this man. honestly i try to listen to signs and not even conceal carry when there are signs saying they dont allow it. I think sometimes it is important to listen to signs when its like a court house, bank, stuff like that, but other than that as long as you have the training with the gun you carry, open carrying or concealed carrying should be something you edc. if you buy a gun and all you do is leave it at home or in your car, its a very expensive paper weight.
A few weeks back I was (as always) open carrying at Walmart and as I walk by I hear a little girl say “mommy he has a gun” without a pause the mom said something that both made me smile and shocked me. “ He is wearing it to protect us and everyone else here”. I do live in a rural town in PA, but I am seeing more and more people open carrying over the last few years. And I am seeing more and more people accepting it. Years ago I’d get odd looks and whispers
@flatmatt123 Here's some info. Follow up with the statutes Open carry is legal in Pennsylvania without a permit but you must have a permit to carry a firearm in a vehicle. See (11) and (15) below in statute Title 18 § 6106 below. From the PA State Police FAQs. Are there exceptions to carrying a firearm without a Pennsylvania License to Carry?Feb 25, 2023
I met a liberal that moved out of Texas because he got scared after seeing someone open carrying a pistol. I think everyone needs to open carry now. ETA the sad part of the story was they moved to my state...
For the record. You're a Super Villain to me. You train Mercenaries to kick in our door and shoot on site. You say you care about the 2A but it actually just for you and your group of racist Friends. We all losing and you're the only ones smiling. I hate you John Lovell. I promise I would take a few to the gut if i ever met you. From a fellow Veteran, when did your Oath Expire and when did you support the Boots against Americans violating the Constitution. 😢
😂😂 I thanked and shook a guy's hand in TX because he was open carrying. He was surprised when he asked where I was from and I begrudgingly said CA. He could tell the disdain in my response as I choked out the word "CA". We had a good 5 minute conversation and he was surprised to hear CA has so many gun owners and supporters. We're not alone and I agree we need to open carry more.
I'm a veteran 🪖 4yr & a armed security officer 🚔. Since 2002. OC is highly over rated. I've used open carry in PA, TN, GA, VA. I never had any 🥷🏻 run up on me or had any shoot outs. If you tote, a Glock 19 9mm or K frame .357magnum few people if any bother you.
By putting bait on your hip and waiting for the fish to come biting... because they won't nibble. Just hope you survive it because they're just - barely - smart enough to wait for a moment of distraction before putting you down for that clearly visible prize. Conceal, conceal, conceal. That gives you the opportunity to get the drop on them or, if they're locked and cocked they might not take your piece because they can't see it.
@@amzarnacht6710 Perhaps you’re just a bit ignorant. That’s why it’s ESSENTIAL to maintain situational awareness. Perhaps you’d be caught slackin and left in a pool of your own blood. Speak for yourself 🤣 Me and MANY others show every day that it’s a fine way to carry. In many cases, it’s a deterrent. There was a study done where they went to prisons and asked serious criminals what deters them the most from committing crimes. Most of them said that a person that looks confident or one that is clearly armed tends to be the biggest deterrent. Perhaps you should look in to it instead of spouting off your opinions as if concealed is the only “right” way to carry. If that’s what you prefer, then do it. It’s not “wrong”. If one open carries, then that , in no way at all, makes him/her “wrong”.
When my wife open carries, she gets compliments, mostly from elderly women, but sometimes even men. When I open carry, people seem to look at me in disgust, or even maybe its fear; So I started holding my wife's (or kids) hands while walking, and I started getting smiles. Of course, we sometimes run into that Karen that is totally opposed to people's rights
When my wife open carries, she gets all sorts of old men asking her what she's afraid of. Those are the only people that approach her and talk to her about her gun. I've had all sort of people thank me, even a Marine recruiter/weapons instructor, or ask what they need to do to carry legally.
@pkoutdoors8112 You would think that men would realize that women are more likely to be targeted by criminals and a firearm is an equalizer fir a female going up against a male.
As soon as I turned 21 here in Texas I started open carrying my Glock and have had nothing but positive experiences with strangers while doing so. The stigma is changing
I was on the board for the organization that fought hard to get open carry legalized in Texas. We had members arrested at protests and faced ridicule from gun owners and libs alike. After everything we went through, I LOVE seeing Texans open carry.
Then explain why the Tarrant County Sheriffs are arresting people for "carrying without a license" and the Tarrant County DA is prosecuting them in direct violation of the state's supremacy clause. Local LEO's are not supposed to be able to make up their own laws or directly violate the state's laws.
@@thebluestig2654- First I’ve heard of this. References to help us learn details? Personally I wouldn’t depend on Texas’s permitless carry as there are so many restrictions and it is rife with traps. Examples: (1) within 1000’ of a school LTC legal, without not. (2) 30.05 or any no guns sign is legally binding on unlicensed only - with trespassing charges possible. (4) carrying in locations postered to legal standards with 30.06 or 30.07 can get charges for unlicensed but licensed carrier must be provided opportunity to rectify before charges can apply. That school zone thing is deal breaker for me. Facing federal charges for walking down a street unaware of a school does not appeal.
@@finngamesknudson1457 It's been happening since September of last year when the permitless carry went into effect. The Tarrant County DA was bought and paid for by old Georgie Soreass.
My thoughts on open carry. I think when you choose open carry, you have a duty to present yourself as someone trustworthy, kind, and more professional. Years ago in a restaurant, a guy open carrying, came in wearing nice jeans, tucked in white button up shirt, nice leathers shoes, gun belt, with matching holster with a Glock 19. Nobody in there gave him a second thought. He could have been a detective, or county sheriff off duty. On the flip side, saw a guy at a gas station, with a flea market nylon holster toting a full size high point 45 , clipped on his wasteband, no belt, pants falling off, more concerned with getting people to see he has a gun, than holding his pants up. I knew if someone came in with bad intentions, he's the first to run and hide! Everyone was nervous with him in there. Anytime you carry you should act respectable, but I think open carry so that everyone is at ease, you should dress decent, and be polite and helpful. Just my 2 cents.
I don't think it has so much to do with how you're dressed as how you carry yourself (but bathing definitely helps), I own a tattoo shop I'm covered from my neck to my toes in tattoos . No one ever looks twice at me when I open carry which isn't often but it does happen from time to time.
So, there should be a dress code for open carry? While I agree with most of what you said, I don’t want you or anyone else to tell me how to dress, nor do you.
I am an ex police officer from Texas and when I see someone open carry, I feel safer knowing that if something went down, help and backup is close at hand.
That’s exactly what I want the LEO to know who is standing at the door of the store I walk in. I’m armed too, so if you hear something going down in the back, don’t shoot me, I’m the good guy.
I'm happy too when I see somebody open carrying, but I must admit I think part of the reason is that I know he will be a bullet magnet (and not me) if things go sideways.
@@m16tylol if you see someone open carrying neither one of you will be a "bullet magnet" because one of you has the nuts to hang that sign up and stop the violence before it happens.
@@Dr.Zoidberg087 I’m a former LEO and Mil Veteran. Just because someone open carry’s does not make them a MOH recipient. One trip to the range and it’s blatantly obvious that most gun owners can’t shoot nor do they have ANY practical skills (nor does a range allow that type of practice). Unless you do IDPA type shooting or were trained in a Formal defensive shooting course, open carry does not afford ANY tactical advantage. Once the shooting starts, tactical surprise and violence of action is the key to winning the fight. And I doubt the pot bellied clowns I see open carry can do either. I conceal carry and try hard to be in condition yellow in public to avoid first then take action as THE very last resort. Anyone that says or thinks otherwise is just a keyboard hero and would wilt in an actual confrontation. Also, if open carry is such a deterrent, why not sling a extended mag tactical shotgun around?
@Abe Adams not true. In the early 80s concealed carry was very rare.. took an even tougher to get permit than today's CCW/CCP/CCL. Open carry was very common... even into a police station by civilians.
@24:00 As a woman who open carries, most people glance at my gun---and that's it. They carry on with our interaction without comment. When I do have someone ask about my gun, it's usually a woman, and she says her husband has been after her to start carrying or shooting---but she doesn't feel confident enough to start. I've had *awesome* conversations thanks to open carrying. One of these dialogues led to my church putting together a women's CPL class. Ladies, open carry if you can!
Open carry as a woman is a big NO NO. You will easily be overpowered by most bad guys. Humble yourself and conceal that thing Mam. Is not the same for a man and a woman to open-carry.
@@franklin9613 What in the world is this? For women, it could also be a YES, YES, YES. No, it's not the same for a man and a woman to open carry. Go have a chat with that Dylan Mulvaney fellow who wants to pretend that he's a girl. Since you obviously like to talk towards, rather than listen to, women, hearing it from another man might be more to your liking. If he carried, he'd tell you that it's next to impossible for a woman to conceal carry anything without printing it for all the world to see. Ten to one that you could be easily overpowered by a lap dancer. Therefore, you humble yourself and realize that it's NOT up to you to dictate the manner in which one chooses to carry. That's acting like a control freak leftist, and it's NOT attractive.
@@franklin9613 I started open carrying after I had bad guy trouble during walks. Open carry solved that problem. It's amazing how the visual assists in keeping the peace. Walk softly and carry a Sig, as Theodore Roosevelt might have said had he had a Sig.
@@Pro3110 "it's next to impossible for a woman to conceal carry anything without printing it for all the world to see." Not true. I know many women who conceal carry without issue; my wife among them. Cheers
More of this would be a huge asset. It really defuses people's instinctive defensiveness if it's a woman, and plants seeds for women to start thinking what it would be like to eliminate the deep seated instinct of being at a physical disadvantage among men. Once women get on board - like my wife has - gun control campaigns are history. There are no "Dads for Gun Control" groups as I saw someone point out on Twitter recently.
I conducted a social experiment during the plandemic. I would open and concealed carry into various stores. I would never wear a mask. When I open carried I was never asked to put on a mask while entering the store. When I was carrying concealed I would get asked about 80% of the time.
What other data sets do you have from this experiment? Were you doing it to the same stores in same areas? Alternating? How often was each done? Which state? Interesting enough data by itself but some extra points would be even more interesting.
@@MegadethTillDeth North Carolina. Same stores like Home Depot, Lowes, Best Buy, Harris Teeter, Target. Usual stuff. Over the course of a few weekends. For instance we would go to Home Depot, Target and grocery store on the same day while I was carrying concealed. I would be asked to put on a mask at Target and grocery store. Home Depot rarely cared. 🤷🏻♂️. Next weekend I would open carry in the same stores and no one asked. At first it was just accidental. Like “today I feel like open carrying”. Next weekend I said fuck it, I’ll CCW and all of a sudden people are asking. Hmmm. Interesting. Next weekend I’m open carrying, no one asked. Hmmm even more. It was really odd but then I put two and two together and actively paid attention. After being asked a couple times, I went to open carry the rest of the Plandemic and was never asked again. Not a scientific experiment by any means but it was obvious enough to where my wife noticed it as well. Now that the BS is over Im back to CCW 99% of the time.
I started open carrying when I first got my 1911, but even more so when I made friends with a retired Navy SEAL who open carries wherever he goes. He has an AMAZING perspective on it and I love it. Been open carrying since; unless I carry my Hellcat which is my conceal carry (in states that recognize the 2A).. there is a place for both open and conceal carry. If I am at a wedding or formal, probably going to conceal; if I am just going out to the store, open carry. So many arguments against open carry are seeded in the land of make believe shower thoughts.. situations and scenarios that will likely never happen and which don't follow real behavior or reasoning.. you can conceal carry your entire life and never once need to use it, ergo you have NO impact on the 2A what-so-ever. By contrast when you open carry, you are ALWAYS having an impact on the 2A. Even if just visually, you are educating the public on a right that exists and should be exercise (as not to lose it) and that it's OKAY to have a gun.. the public is ever being brainwashed into thinking guns are all bad and always a crime.. by open carrying you can educate them, welcome conversation, and in the worst case scenario and the cops get called, you can calmly and politely speak with them, and if they do end up violating your 2A and 4A rights, you can get a little payday (but god forbid this ever happens to you).
When I bought my house we had to get a pest inspection. The inspector showed up open carrying and he looked legit, good holster - gun belt. I loved it and it made me realize even more that I had purchased a house in the perfect location.
I know it's nice when I show up to fix someone's internet or phone that no one has said anything for several years now, I carry concealed but I have to get down under desk and stuff and I know I have to print or flat out have it seen at least once in a while. Fortunately this is my main job and because of my other job I have a badge in my wallet.
I lived in California for 30 years. Loved guns. Enjoy shooting them. When I moved to Tennessee, it was a culture shock to see people carrying their gun in public. I was never scared of them, but it was a WOW moment, especially seeing it for the first time. Now, I carry as part of my day-to-day life.
Was in our small diner here in East TN a while back and the not from around here folks noticing several open carry patrons commented to the waitress that there sure are a lot of guns in here. The waitress smiled and said 'yes mam, it's the safest place in town'.
I can’t believe that in Tennessee you can only open carry a long gun if it is unloaded, that needs to be changed. Every other gun law seems normal there except that one.
I love you guys for being real Americans and proud to open carry. Never let them take that away!! Never!!! The world needs people like you! Much love from Germany.
Story from Colorado!!!! On entering church on Sunday, security team tells guy in front of me “sorry sir, you not allowed to OPEN CARRY in church…. But feel free to cover it with your shirt and come on in!” Amen brother!!!
Interesting. Since you can control who carries or not on your own property it seems reasonable you can give them permission to 'cover' on your property, even if they do not have that license and one is required to 'cover' in your state. Still, it might be wise to check out the legalities here.
@@Shawn_Raz_87You do not understand property rights. Private property owners can deny access or gun carry if they desire. It has no bearing on your open carry state law as that is whether the state can tell you if you can carry or not a church, business, homeowner can deny you entry if you carry regardless of state law.
Used to work in gun store where all employees open carried, one customer commented that you’d have to be stupid to try and rob us. I told him we draw straws every morning to see who shoots first in the event of a robbery, and the last person to shoot has to clean up😁, he just started laughing!
Always open carried in every gun shop I worked in. In one case a quite famous bank robber remarked robbing us for extra firearms was suicidal so they robbed another shop and shot Marlene Henn when she pointed a 45 at them. She was a sports shooter.
I have always felt Open Carry was a deterrent, it might make me the first target, but anyone is going to have to make that long considered decision to attack. Also, when I'm on my motorcycle, traffic treats me totally different, no cutting me off or riding my assets down the road. I discovered this fact because I couldn't effectively conceal it on my sport-bike so I just went to open-carry.
I slung an AR over my back & rode a flat black Ducati 25 miles across Houston to a friend's house. (He'd wanted a lesson on stripping/cleaning his new AR). Nobody tailgated me that day!
I’m from Idaho where you don’t need a permit to conceal carry and even then I preferred open carry. Growing up as a kid there, you saw people open carrying often and it always made me feel protected and not in danger. Most of the guys in my high school would leave their hunting rifles on display in their rear window racks locked up during school. We would all go hunting after school and I can’t recall ever hearing about a single school shooting ever taking place in Idaho even to this day.
Rights not exercised are rights lost. I want to see more responsible, squared away citizens that present well, professional, upstanding, and/or in good standing with their communities open carrying.
@@radjamss6390 can’t really believe everything you hear online. But county employee saw me with my rifle and called the cops saying I was bitching at him for doing his job. 6 acre lot with couple buildings. And a dirt road middle of timberland/cornland (court didn’t even know or think I had internet). I was bringing my rifle to my shop for cleaning. Cops wouldn’t hear it. Previously I was hunting snakes with .22 snake shot in that area. So maybe that had something to do with it. But I don’t know. I ditched the guns when he pulled his phone out but police came in like I was about to hurt someone. typical cops running around my yard with ARs creating crossfire situations for themselves. Took all my stuff, but no charges! feel like I was robbed. Only some zoom hearing. No money for lawyer, no charges no public defender. Lawyer wont help for free because case is a loss due to the fact I was arrested and thrown in a mental ward where they found cannabis in my system due to a legally owned cannabis card. I don’t think I was crazy before but now idk this was too far.
You feel like you were robbed because you were. Civil asset forfeiture is the biggest racket this country has ever seen. They didn't charge you because you didn't break the law. They just wanted your stuff to sell and pocket the money. Happens everyday, coast to coast.
Great topic fellas. Retired Colorado LEO here, carried professionally for 31+ years, and carried concealed off duty every day, and still do. Even as a detective, most of the time I carried concealed under an untucked polo in summer, or a jacket in colder months. We responded to many "man with a gun" calls in public places, just as you guys described. A few of them didn't go well because once in a while, a younger cop was ignorant of state law and our municipal criminal code. Thankfully, this resulted in in-service training by our PD lawyer, and development of best-practices protocol for such situations. Eventually, unless there was an articulated threat or allegation of criminal activity, our 911 would most likely not dispatch the call...yay for that, as John would say. What Ben said about stickers on your car is spot on...don't bring attention to yourself. You make yourself an easy target for parking lot vandalism or break-in, or worse, a fake road rage incident where the anti-gun caller claims you pointed a gun at them. If you have 2A stickers on your car, the anti-gun caller could reasonably assume you have a gun. Then the cops stop you based upon the complaint, discover you DO have a gun, and then what's your defense? - "I didn't do it" - good luck with that. The cops are going to reasonably believe the lying caller based on the circumstances, and you go to jail. I encountered many "victims" who were liars, and this state is full of lefty loons who would gladly try to get one of our 2A tribe in trouble if presented with an opportunity to do so. I'm a CC guy and would never consider open carry, for all the reasons you guys talked about. For me, it's not with the risk tactically, nor do I want to attract attention, or have a 'conversation' about 2A. Great content guys, keep it up!
There really are a lot of Lefty nuts in Colorado. Beyond brainwashed or helping. Tell them you voted for Obama and you're the greatest, tell them you voted Trump and they will cancel you in every way imaginable and that includes the city screwing you in every way possible because you got placed on their list. No one wants to admit it, but its real and actually happening. Even Fox is Left in Colorado.
I appreciate you serving your community. I agree with you, I believe there are tactical advantages to CC that are lost with open carry, and honestly initiating a conversation does not outweigh the tactical reasons. Well said!
I do know that when I open carry I am expected to be more open to the world in general. I had a mother notice I was carrying and she had a child with her; I quickly figured what the adult lady was attempting so I played along in a most positive way. She asked me if I had the time which triggered the child to take a closer look at who, say, mommy was talking to. Almost immediately as children do spotted the firearm and was obviously amazed. I took my time and allowed the young one to gawk and I finally told the lady the current time. This lady wanted the child to see me carrying and that the lesson was; when people are OPEN carrying you can approach them and you will find common decency not a criminal thug! Open carry opens eyes, hearts, and minds!!! Carry Always!
Back when I was a young ruffian, I noticed an older man carrying openly in a popular barbecue restaurant. He was dressed out in tactical garb but not wearing a badge. He was not a cop. This was my first introduction to open carry. Many years later, after becoming a student of defensive handgun combat, I decided that open carry was the way to go. It's more comfortable. I can carry a larger weapon, and I can get it on target quicker. I was once converged on by 3 bad guys in front of a liquor store. One of them saw my hand on my Sig p239 and yelled GUN! All three took off running like their asses were on fire. Luckily, none of them deployed weapons as I would have surely dispatched their souls. I can't count the times that people have thanked me for carrying, including police officers. My iaido instructor asked me once why I carried a gun. I replied, "Because carrying a sword is illegal."
I'd be interested in what jurisdiction you live in that allowed CCW but bans carry a sword. The only places I know of that ban carrying swords are the really anti-gun cities...
I train iaido as well, great art to complement my jujutsu. I also have open carried 99% of the time for over 15 years. Here in Indiana there's no ban on any length blade, the only reason I don't carry my sword is because my wife would be really embarrassed ;)
Years ago when I was a LEO Firearms Instructor, SWAT Team member etc., I started studying Jiu Jitsu. My Sensei also a LEO with a different agency, said " I know you're a gun guy, what are you doing here ?" My reply was that in my experience you can't just shoot everybody, you have to go hands on much more often than guns up. Also, if you can control the situation with hands, you may avoid having to go to guns. He liked my answer and I trained with him for several years.
The open carry movement in Texas shifted the argument 9 years go and we need to keep the momentum. Been open carrying for nine years now since the Alamo event and glad to see some of y'all coming along. To "bear" means to wear or to carry and it's important to let people know that the bearing of the arms is part of the protected right.
Open carry is important !! I live in florida that doesn’t allow open carry except for loophole in rural areas while” hunting, fishing , camping ..” etc. And a florida man with CC permit was arrested because his shirt flap came up and someone saw gun and called police . It went all the way to the florida Supreme Court but he still lost. I miss living in Alabama where it’s open carry all day long!
I'm in Texas and open carry everywhere I go. My goal is to provide a positive image of gun owners and provide people who have questions about gun ownership answers to things they may not have even thought of. Ive been commenting this on your videos for a while now and am glad you have started yhinking this way.
I'm born and raised texan. I open and conceal carry but I "print" 😂 on my shirts at times so I'm an all around offender of carrying a weapon. Fact is if you pay attention you notice other people do not pay attention on a daily basis. If there is someone paying attention like you they may be like you or up to no good. Simple and easy to understand other than than carry how you like and be on your way.
@@driftitlikeyouownit a lot of the time just seeing someone paying attention is enough to deter someone. I will lock eyes with others looking around. Sometimes it's a subtle nod both ways, others it's someone who moves away soon after. Criminals don't like to be seen.
I live in Wisconsin right now and I personally open carry more often than I concealed carry. That being said I think that if you are going to open carry you should 100% consider a retention holster and proper training
@@witkr904 it really depends on where you are, I have an open top holster for when I’m on my own property but I also have a 2 step retention holster for my carry pistol for when I’m in town
Safariland is the best choice for open carry in my opinion, they have been popular with military and law enforcement for years as such they have a proven track record. ALS, SLS, hood guards etc. lots of options to choose from.
"He's part of my tribe." Yup. Here in VERY rural SE Arizona, open carry is quite common. We're all ranchers and farmers and such - and damned proud of our gun culture. We exercise our freedoms. We smile and nod to each other. It's pretty awesome. A friend of mine was visiting from Kommiefornia and asked, "Why is everyone carrying a gun!? There's no crime out here!" I just smiled and said, "Yup. You think maybe there's a correlation?" City folk just don't get it. So, when I HAVE TO venture into a city like Tucson or Phoenix, I'll cover up. But here on my ranch and in my little town, many, many of us proudly display our freedom.
I used to drive through Duncan to get to Stafford to visit family when I was younger. Coming from SW New Mexico and open carry wasn't so common but wasn't so rare either. Strong gun, ranching, and hunting culture.
The idea that open carrying makes you the primary target is a valid one but would be largely negated if there were 10% or more doing it. Sure, if you're the only open carry guy in the bank teller line then the robber will likely take you out first but, if there were 8 or 9 people openly carrying, the robber would probably never even walk in the door knowing his poor odds of success.
Had a friend of mine open carrying a 1911 and two mags. He was the only one in the bank in the morning. A guy dressed in black and face covered opened the door, looked around saw my friend and left. The guy had been pulling armed robberies at other banks . This was in Richmond, VA about ten years ago.
@@markspruill4129 Also a thing: the kid who shot up movie theaters specifically went to the one known for being gun free. Most of these fools don't want to die, but do want to make the news.
I open carry daily in NC and have had younger and older people then me come up and say thank you for carrying i feel safer seeing that. Ive even had active service members say ive lived in other states and have never seen anyone stand for thier rights. As a vet myself i took my oath very seriously and i will continue to open carry.
I am the same way I as a Vet understand and willing to be that target if it saves a kids mother's grandparents who ever may be there lives. My wife she conceals carry why cause her job if I'm not around is to protect herself and get my mom and brother out of harm and if i am there to cover my six if something would happen. Myself I open cause I did take that oath and I still live that oath do I look for a fight no but I rather it be me then a kid I also think it's has to do with training most people they shoot targets even "tactical courses" but they never been shot at. I don't believe there is a tactical advantage of that was true cops wouldn't open carry on normal duty im not talking swat undercover what not
I've been Open Carrying since I was 19. It's more comfortable, quicker draw, I can carry a larger gun with a higher capacity, its more of a visual deterrent than a "target". I love it
This is the most thought provoking discussion I've listened to regarding open carry. I agree that let's make it a cultural thing and normalize it in society so that people aren't so quick to vote away their rights.
In WY it IS NORMAL to see open carry. One store that I go to a lot, the manager open carries all the time...... it has cut down on the crime there..... There has NOT been an armed robbery at that store since word got around.
Good conversation! I’m definitely one of the people that flipped. I only got into guns four or five years ago. I was very pro gun-control prior, until I threw myself into guns (I.e. meeting people who shoot, going shooting with them, educating myself on firearms, taking classes). I just got my CCW. I think once you educate yourself about firearms you start realizing how stupid gun control is and how it doesn’t work. It almost left me ashamed about all the years before where I had advocated for it. But now I advocate for the 2nd Amendment…A LOT. As for Open Carry Vs. Concealed Carry, I’m torn. I prefer keeping it concealed. But here in Nevada there are TONS of people who open-carry. It never worries me. It does start some good conversations! I’m all for people just being armed in general. Whether you’re open carry or concealed carry, it’s the training and situational awareness that matters! Good video guys!
Good for you for keeping an open mind. I grew up with varmint rifles and shotguns, but not so much pistols. I also am an Army veteran. I got my CCW permit 11 years ago at age 51 and awoke to the critical nature of our 2A rights
Welcome to the fold and this is why we need to have these practices as this right is very important. I was also torn and see advantages on both ways to carry. I do advocate for everyone to train regularly and make sure they have a retention holster that has a lock that is hidden so that no one can just pull the firearm out and check to make sure the trigger housing and trigger aren't going to allow for an accidental pull of the trigger when drawing the firearm. Unfortunately there are way too many videos and examples of poor open and concealed carry methods where people simply didn't check the holsters effectively which is very sad. With the state of the world lately I have sadly concluded that it is necessary to open carry as it makes you a hardened target and most thieves usually want a soft target as it is safer for them overall. Anyways have a great day!
Same exact way I use to be. End of 2018 I got threatened with being shot on the job as a casino employee (dealer). Made me rethink my decision to have a gun or not. After going to the range and shooting a few mags with a family member who is an officer in the city we live in, I then decided to get my first firearm. After getting my license a few months later and continuing my education on the 2nd Amendment. Now, I regret the mindset I once had on guns. Now, I can’t stand being away from the range longer than 2weeks or I get irritated a bit. 😂😂 the more I’ve learned about and trained with my firearms, I’m an ammo addict🤣🤣.
Nothing wrong with being ashamed of shameful behavior. It's a good thing, helps remind you that there was a period of time you believed something quite wrong, so it keeps you open to being wrong again.
I do both. There are places I go where a lot of people are open carrying, so it would be foolish to think you're going to steal one guys gun and go on a rampage when half the people there are open carrying and I am betting a good amount are concealing. In that case I see it as a deterrent, and I actually feel safer in that circumstance than when I feel that I need to conceal because there are very few people carrying.
Had my concealed carry permit for 25 years. Have open carried for the last 42 years of my life at certain times. Always believed that it was the best way to remind people of our rights. Oh and John, I’ve been packing a 1911 in a leather holster for decades. Granted it’s a para ordinance p14-45 limited (original Canadian made) that I shot for 2 decades in USPSA matches.
Finally an opinion on this topic which I completely agree with. I have permit to conceal, but i still like carrying a larger handgun, visible if convenient.
Hmmm... This reminded me of a friend who was a deputy DA in DelNorte Colorado. He would be intimidated by local toughs until he started to open carry his 629. Suddenly it was "Good morning Mr. Smith." "How are you doing today Mr. Smith,?"
@@nathanielerskine1875 Your comment reminded me of a friend who was a deputy DA in DelNorte Colorado. Decades ago... In the 70s... He would be intimidated by local toughs until he started to open carry his 629. Suddenly it was "Good morning Mr. Smith." "How are you doing today Mr. Smith,?"
@@nathanielerskine1875 Your comment reminded me of a friend who was a deputy DA in DelNorte Colorado. Decades ago... In the 70s... He would be intimidated by local toughs until he started to open carry his 629. Suddenly it was "Good morning Mr. Smith." "How are you doing today Mr. Smith,?"
@@nathanielerskine1875 Your comment reminded me of a friend who was a deputy DA in DelNorte Colorado. Decades ago... In the 70s... He would be intimidated by local toughs until he started to open carry his 629. Suddenly it was "Good morning Mr. Smith." "How are you doing today Mr. Smith,?"
(Texas here) I opened carried in a restaurant and my server said she asked if she could be my server because it made her feel safe. And she asked my girlfriend and I to help her pick out a gun for herself because in her words "i felt like if someone is open carrying they must know alot and be comfortable with guns" made me feel good.
Former LEO & USMC PMI with M16A2 & Beretta 92F. I always carry mostly open or under shirt/jacket if cold. Came out of a store recently and an elderly lady asked why I carry a firearm. I replied "for defense". She thanked me for my service. I had numerous people over the years thank me for carrying. It's in our (sheep dog) nature to protect and serve. OooRAH!
When I worked at Home Depot, I always felt so much safer when contractors came in open carrying. I never saw a firearm improperly holstered, and it felt like the vibe was comfortable and professional. I understand the concern about how an open carry firearm could possibly be snatched by a bad guy, but I also feel an open carry firearm is a visible symbol of civility and protection. It felt like the open carry contractors (and others) were saying, "Don't try it". (I live in Indiana)
What are your thoughts on open carry of firearms bigger than a pistol? What if someone had a rifle, shotgun or PDW safely slung around the torso on a sling?
A while back I saw someone in Food Lion open-carrying. The only part about that which worried me was that the pistol appeared to be clipped to the edge of his pocket and was flapping around. Or maybe it was just dropped into his pocket. Either way, it looked very much like someone could take it off him very easily.
@@happydogg312 possibly he had some kind of retention holster, but whatever it was, it was not clipped to his belt, it was clipped to the outside of his pocket and the whole thing was flapping around.
Glad you've finally come to understand the PR side of open carry. Everyone who chooses to OC should, ideally, understand thay they are ambassdors of 2A and present themselves as dialed in, courteous, and positive.
For I [am] of a postmaster and master/sovergn with my world of the correct-grammar-venue is with the neutrality of my volition with the carrying of my saftey/security/covery-tools.
The late great James Yeager gave a perfect response to tell someone who questions whether or not you are concealed carrying. He said, "Tell them you are wearing a colostomy bag"
I live in Tombstone Arizona. Even when we wear out old west garb, our six shooters are real and loaded. Visitors don’t realize it. I open carry a Glock 23 with a Kodex level 2 holster. Tourists from Europe and Canada get so excited and have asked me to stand for pictures.
I open carry for 3 reasons: - intimidation - inspiration - desensitization It intimidates bad people to rethink twice before they do something stupid. Sure, you could be the first target, but unless they are a hardened criminal that is ready to die and give his life for afew bucks, he probably wont go through with any attack. Seeing me carry has inspired MANY people to learn how to shoot and carry on their own. Ive had many talks with men and women saying, "how do i get my license" or "what gun is that, is it a nice shooter? " etc. Including many people that say they didnt like to carry but seeing me inspired them to keep their families safe too. Lastly, desensitization. People look at people with guns as either a cop, or a bad guy. But if you show em that you can be a nice casual person that isnt causing trouble and is armed, they become less judgemental of firearms and see its the person carrying it, not the firearm that can be a problem.
intimidation? think again bud, criminals probably smiling inside every time they see someone open carry because they know exactly who they need to end first...
@Random did you not read the part where I said unless they are hardened criminals they probably wont do anything? And did you not listen to the podcast where they gave several other examples such as them rethinking because if there's one person carrying, there may be more carrying? There's no wrong or right way to carry, but there's definitely merit to the either statement. But from what I've seen. Criminals usually go for soft targets and case areas first. When they attack to do anything big, they enter with speed and force so they're not usually looking to case and attack at the same time. Having multiple people carrying while they case an area can detter them for even trying. Having multiple people carrying when they do attack with speed and suprise is gonna be a bad day for them anyway. So again, Doesn't matter how you carry, aslong as you carry.
@B Howard literally not, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon requires action (waving the gun around/brandishing) or threatening someone with the ability to deliver on that threat immediately. Open carrying regardless of the intent of the person doesn't matter unless they do either of the two things I mentioned.
Had a situation like this at a gas station. I was just pumping my gas when this guy in a truck pulls up at the pump opposite me and gets out of his car with a pistol in a leg holster. Everyone outside froze instantly and you could hear the clench. I just looked at him, nodded, and went about my business. If SHTF, that was the guy who was gonna be next to me.
Man, these are the comments that give me a chuckle. You have no idea whether he is going to be beside you or trying to take your supplies. Don't make assumptions. If you really want to assure someone is going to be there when you need them, you build that relationship, and integrate them into your network.
I’m a truck driver , I open carry in 38 states ( everyday/everywhere). I get more thank yous than anything. Most people are oblivious to their surroundings and the people they encounter. Conceal carry is simply uncomfortable and a pain to worry about. I don’t care about printing. If you see my firearm you know I’m not the one who is gonna be doing something wrong. Criminals hide what they are going to do and how, until the last possible moment. I’m not worried about what most people think.
I have been carrying openly for a long time. I couldn't believe it wasn't legal in Texas when i got here. Glad we changed it. A lot of us fought hard for it. To many people were programmed to "hide" it. I'm happy to see the mentality of the community changing on the topic.
Had an older woman approach me the other day in the grocery and she had asked me why I was carrying a gun the way I was?? (open Carry) one of the few times I was open carrying here in Surprise Arizona, I took the time to explain to her that I was highly trained (and practice) gun use and safety and had been to Iraq, Afghanistan and other places I could not tell her about but the bottom line was if things went wrong there in the grocery store or gas station that it was my responsibility to protect her and others that cant or not prepared to protect themselves ... she thought for a moment and the said "Thank you" ... one more mind educated and changed about their original views.
Exposing everyday people to open carry is the main reason I open carry. I have had lots of good and respectful conversations while waiting in line due to the fact I open carry. When people see you open carrying and you are calm, courteous and respectful they will come to associate the happy, helpful guy with open carrying.
@@nathanielerskine1875 I have been open carrying since the law went into effect (Texas). Before the law went into effect people showed a marked lack of respect for personal space when in public, since then I have noticed a huge change in how people handle personal space.
I am always more respectful when I open carry. I do this because I want to build a good reputation for gun owners, and because I recognize that some might be uncomfortable when they see someone with a gun. I also do this because a small argument could always exoculate into something larger and you do not want that when carrying.
Never judge a book by its cover. I have been open carrying for decades. My opinion, based on personal experiences, most people who choose to open carry are extremely proficient in the functionality and operation of their weapon. They also tend to be, again for the most part, excellent marksmen with lots of experience in deploying and utilizing their weapons. Another point… people who see someone like me open carrying, has to decide if I am able and willing to engage. This IS a deterrent for would be criminals.
also applies to those of us out here who are scruffian-looking and like it that way I look scary without a guun strapped to my back (I like to carry a rifle not a pistol), soyeahhh
Maybe Warrior Poet Society should be the lead in a movement for "National Open Carry Day." I'm sure if you take the lead many other social media influencers and gun positive organizations like GOA, FPC, or SAF would join in to make the 2nd of some month National Open Carry Day. It would be one day to show how many of us there really are. Send a message to the communities and to the politicians that claim they represent our interests. Just one day to make a statement.
THIS RIGHT HERE! I concealed carry for all the tactical reasons and open carry in the woods for all the tactical reasons but I would love for society to see how many guns are in their community next to them in line at Starbucks without them ever knowing
I was going to ask that same question. We really should have and open carry day!!! I am in Maryland and you would be surprised how many or carry now. Governor wants to turn us into New York and New Jersey with every location being sensitive place
Yes please. We’re losing by not participating. It’s not enough anymore to just sit back and watch what’s unfolding and tell ourselves that we’re too buisy and other people will dedicate their lives to whatever cause fill in the blank. Even if it’s just one day it’s still something we can do to represent. We need to get loud about it. Remaining silent is no longer serving us.
I seriously think that all the major gun TH-camrs should get together and organize a month of open carry (at least for those not living in tyrannical states). Basically a form of protest, and to show how many guns are around you every day. I’m totally in.
I've always been a concealed carrier mainly due to the aspect of suprise. Since my state has decided to allow open carry, there are times I wanted to open carry but I didn't do it until I got a level 2 holster. Now I open carry more than I actually thought I would.
I had a woman approach me about 2 years ago at Walmart with her two 4 year old boys and told me how much she hated that I had a weapon on me. I asked her what she would do if right now someone else in the store started shooting which she replied “I’d get behind you.” I said that I would be more than happy to protect her and her two boys along with my son but still wondered why she approached me just to tell me what she hated about me. After our conversation i hope she had an understanding as to why I carry in public.
Walmart has a no firearms policy now. 10/10 times you will be asked to leave or cited for trespassing. I would open carry more often if there weren't so many places with their "no firearms" policy. While not enforceable by law in most states, you can still be banned/trespassed/asked to leave
Before it was commonly-accepted in WA, I was part of the Open-Carry movement and helped get lots of bulletins posted by local PD's to alert their officers that, yes, it's legal to OC in WA... many officers weren't aware and I educated multiple to the law when they questioned it out in the field. It also allowed a conversation to start with random people in the public that would usually start with "are you a police officer?" and it would go from there. You have to dress well, not like a "Bubba" or Prepper... looking nice and otherwise 'normal' opened people's eyes that carrying a gun is "Normal."
I'm not from your state, but I am a fellow American, and I thank you for all your work in creating awareness and education informing people about the basic human right to bear arms.
Yep that’s the key, I have a clean appearance, and dress well, making my firearm an accessory. If your dressed like a thug or a criminal and you open carry. You get the response your looking to get.
@@lordgrimoz6085 same situation I have. People assume I'm law enforcement if I open carry. It doesn't do much for awareness or acceptance in my opinion.
I appreciate John’s honesty around the 9 minute mark - I feel the same. When scanning for (potential) threats, one has to take into account all aspects, including visible weapons. My first instinct is to assess, but I also recognize that if the individual is using open carry, he is 99% a good guy. I’m not quite as much in mode of equipment snob like John mentioned, LOL, but respect his point. I love the idea of “bring your gun to work day,” (or equivalent) - show them our true numbers. Change their perspective to realize they’re only a vocal minority on Tik-Tok, and not representative of mainstream Americans. 🇺🇸
I'm a "2A Absolutist". I carry almost every day, sometimes open, sometimes concealed. As for other people carrying, it's not the other OCers I worry about--they tend to be some of the most intelligent, well-informed, situationally-aware, and well-trained pro-2A people I've met. It's the bad guys who carry concealed that I worry about, because you don't know who is armed, or what their intentions are. Bad Guys don't OC--the LAST thing they want to do is draw attention.Z As for the whole "OC makes you Target #1", please provide one example where this was the case, documented in a reliable news source, by a "bad guy" who wasn't wearing a badge....
Originally from Alaska and having lived many years in Colorado, open carry was a normal part of my life. We had wildlife in the area and needed to be ready when things went bad. It was accepted by others without issue, except in some of the larger cities. Currently in California, even in small towns and outer areas open carry had people reporting me to the police. Yet with all this crazy unchecked crime who wants to be unarmed. So I did what was necessary to get my first CCW, a painful process here. And Yes I'm working on leaving this insane state, hopefully will happen this year To where good people carrying guns is common place and crime is kept in check. My personal choice for now is to conceal carry so it's not known that I'm carrying. It frees the police up to go after real criminals. And it helps avoid the crazies that would target me just to get my gun. Acting in groups and/or striking from behind, it's the kind of attention I don't want to attract. Plus concealed gives me the option of presenting as a harmless old man, buying time, waiting for the right opportunity if action is needed.
I encourage everyone to abandon that dumpster-fire of a state with one caveat, please don't turn your new state into a new California. I'm planning my escape from another deep blue state and would love for there to still be places for us to go.
I have struggled which is better. The tactical side of it and social dynamics. I have been carrying both ways trying to figure out which I prefer. I will say that once I was sitting in a Subway eating by myself. A couple was sitting near by. The woman out of the blue just thanked me for carrying. I had never had that happen before. It made me feel more comfortable with deciding to open carry that day. This is good to see a great conversation about this topic.
Ninja 🥷 is secret Samurai (cowboy) is public Samurai walk down the middle of the street and ninja hide in the shadows. Overall the samurai make most not want trouble at all. Ninja on the other hand creates true terror with if they ever get outed or start fighting from surprise elements. Samurai is best over all, but in a bad bad public area… I likely go ninja when rolling solo. 2 guys open carry can be good in bad bad area.
15 years ago in Pennsylvania the state that I live in now the police were arresting anyone who opened carried even though it was legal. So gun groups had to lobby to stop the illegal arrests. It took 12 years to educate the police that the Pennsylvania law allows "open carry". So now we wear it like a badge of honor.
That's crazy..... We didn't have it that bad here in Connecticut but some were arrested and charged with Breach of Peace till they later went to court and had the charges dropped and then the lawsuits came about. Even though we can OC and CC the instructors never told us we could OC, that our permits were CC only. Our State Police sent out a memo saying that indeed, OC was infact legal. Of course Democrats always try to kill the OC part of it every year and want to make it that if a cop sees you open carrying they can stop and detain without any probable cause...
Didn’t know that. That’s crazy. I live in florida with only rural open carry. Lots of family in Pennsylvania still though so I am surprised as Pennsylvania is about only gun friendly state in northeast area except rural states like Maine and Vermont etc.
I loved this video! I’ve considered open-carry vs. concealed-carry for a long time, live in a very gun-friendly place among an armed population, and know people who do both. It seems like open-carry has a ton of major benefits, but concealed-carry has a couple of big ones. Here are my considerations, and I hope they help. :) Under each, I’ll list both advantages and possible issues mixed together. :) OPEN-CARRY: * It is a deterrent, because sometimes, hostiles will give you attention whether you’re looking for it or not, and sometimes will do so because you seemed innocuous and typical: with a clearly-visible gun, that simply will-not happen, and they will be more-inclined to step aside and not start anything. * It is quicker and smoother to access your gun than in concealed-carry. * It is easier to carry a bigger gun with more capability than in concealed-carry (a full-sized handgun, possibly with an optic, more comfortable ergonomics, greater barrel-length, and more magazine-space for extra rounds). * It is more comfortable than concealed-carry (meaning you’re more-likely to do it more-often than concealed-carry and to be more relaxed and smooth with it than concealed-carry). * It is more stylish, and it makes your gun a fashion-statement and status-symbol. * It is easier for your gun to be accessed by others or taken, especially when your back is turned or someone is at your side, so never let anyone you distrust too close to you or your weapon, and have a way to deal with it if they go for it (for example, put your hands at your sides or on your hips: it seems neutral and innocuous, but you are aware that you’re ready to bat their hand aside or peel it off the gun, if they go for, and then to either close distance in hand-to-hand or with an easily-accessible knife to get them off (or end it there) until you can access that gun, or until you create distance and access your gun, if that happens). * If you are in areas unfriendly to guns, it can be the focus of a dispute that could turn into an incident rather-easily; it could also make you a target if a mass-shooter or someone like that is also conceal-carrying and has planted themselves nearby, without your awareness (but most don’t do that-it’s not like a typical mass-shooter, adrenaline-pumping and angry, will immediately see your gun and go for you, specifically-at least not before you’ve pulled it because a guy has just run in with a gun and started firing, anyway-if he’s likely to go after anyone in-particular, at least where I’m from, it would be anyone behind the register [if there is one], since that’s where guns are often-kept), so that’s not as big of an issue as many folks would like to make it out to be in the gun-community these days; if you have a guy going in ahead-of-time and scanning the crowd while conceal-carrying, himself, in a stable and non-suspicious way that you wouldn’t already be keeping tabs on, then you’re not dealing with the typical mass-shooter or any other type of typical bad-guy. Not open-carrying because a bad-guy may see your gun and decide he wants a fight with you first to get to other people seems like throwing away all of open-carrying’s benefits for a situation that will almost-never happen (a concealed-carrying, non-suspicious, chilled-out mass-shooter who acts casual and scans the room for guns: now undercover espionage, maybe, but not most mass-shooters, or almost any type of hostile, for that matter). Besides, most-everyone assumes most-everyone is armed in gun-friendly areas, anyway. * You have honesty on your side: if anyone wants to give you trouble about carrying a gun openly, you can always say, “So you’d prefer that I try to sneak a gun into places, instead? I open-carry to be as honest as honest can be. If I were up to no-good, would I carry openly for everyone to see? I’m the good-guy: you don’t have to worry about me.”. * It helps show that guns are a part of your life and a part of culture that isn’t going away and is still going strong, and it shows more about who you are and what beliefs you hold to those who see it. * If you are in areas that are friendly to guns and gun-ownership, most-everyone assumes you’re armed anyway, so why not go open-carry and have its benefits? Concealed-Carry: * So long as you avoid printing (your gun being visible under your clothes, pretty-much), your having a gun should be secret, unless you come across metal-detectors or sniff-dogs (smelling the powder in the rounds: not the gun), and you will avoid drawing attention…maybe, I mean, because, sometimes, hostiles just might pick you to mess with, anyway, or even because you seem innocuous…. * It should be much harder for hostiles to grab your gun, though it will, also, be a bit more-challenging for you to get at it, too.
When I’m in a public area and someone openly questions why I open carry, I noticed over and over how many others around me give their full attention to my response. During this type of interaction (whether positive or negative) I see a wonderful opportunity to communicate to multiple people at the same time my easy-to-comprehend and respectful answer. To me these are good seeds that go a long way for establishing a positive image of a person (culture) who open carries.
The #1 question I get is, “Why are you carrying a gun?” My response is always, “To protect the innocent”. Plain and simple. This kind of response is difficult to argue against and often opens up a positive line of other questions. The #2 question I get is, “Are you afraid of getting robbed?” My response (in context to this question) is always, “Absolutely not” (with a respectful smile), which is usually followed by, “Then why are you carrying a gun.” My follow up is, “Carrying a gun in a responsible way and training regularly is why I am not afraid of getting robbed”. This response either shuts down further questions or results in more questions related to being a responsible gun carrier or why bad guys are fundamentally cowards and typically try to avoid conflict.
I prefer to be more gray man as well but understand why people open carry. One thing I think is overlooked is retention. Too many of the holsters I see offer no significant way to keep the gun “proprietary to the owner.” If I were to open carry I would use a level 2 or 3 retention holster. John’s comments are appreciated.
Ben definitely hit it. It can't be hidden all the time if we want our children to see it as normal. I used to be against it but now carry that way. It needs to be normal.
Many hide guns from kids. Then they find it and kill their self. When my boys were young I showed them what it would do to a bucket and told them it will do the same to your body. We’re a carrying family.
Only made it 5 minutes in and have to comment. Thank you so much for the “…there are no blue states, only blue cities…” comment. All the podcasts and media I consume trash talk California and Californians every chance they get, and as a very native Californian who is not going to move away like the rest of the cowards, it bums me out. Thank you for being the first podcast to speak the truth. The more rural folks that leave a state, the more outnumbered the rest of us are that can’t or won’t leave. City folks have absolutely no idea, no connection to the actual reality of the natural world around them outside the city. It’s tragic.
yeah bud I spent half my life in Cali, not just in major cities. Most of the people are completely braindead and spend their days working and then glued to CNN or Fox and just regurgitate whatever propaganda is shoved down their throats. No ability to think for themselves or take any kind of action to change or save their state, just work, go home, veg, rinse and repeat. The most awareness from a rural Californian is them complaining about liberal voters. But that's all they do, complain. They have never once made any sort of effort to change the trajectory of California. They just sit, complain and are still moronic enough to believe that voting actually matters and that if they vote really hard for red this time the Dems won't cheat, magically win and continue to destroy their home state...
I hear you, but I’m afraid you will never out number the wacko’s even if people didn’t keep leaving. Personally I wish they would stay there too because so many bring their commie ideas with them. It seems that they are so stupid that they know things aren’t right there, but can’t figure out what they’re running from, so they bring it with them. That’s my experience with the escapist that I’ve met anyway.
I am a fairly liberal California city dweller. when will people realize you can’t paint with a broad brush on complex topics? I vote left, I live in the city, I train with my guns regularly and I absolutely love getting out to the deserts and the mountains to enjoy all they have to offer. The reality is that most of us fall somewhere in the middle on the political spectrum and while we generally lean one way, depending on the topic, we can be on either side of the spectrum.
I am an "old geriatric " , a crippled old geriatric as well.. The only thing I have against open carry is fear of having my gun taken away. Being past my prime I avoid the possibility of being in a hand fight to defend my gun.
@@MrFixItGayou do realize open carry means everyone can see you have a gun right? Like maybe a bad guy that already has a gun. Sometimes not drawing a huge target on yourself saying “shoot me first, I’m the guy with a pistol on my hip!” Is better.
That's fair. It has to be a decision that everyone makes for themselves and if you are not comfortable with it then by all means conceal it. However, I open carry so when someone sees me open the door and am polite it changes their attitude towards gun owners.
I started open carrying daily in 2020 for all the reasons listed in this video, and as a response to the events of that year. Nutnfancy did a video "Open Carry, Hell Yes!" that came out in Spring of 2020 and made a good argument for it. He also suggested that if you're gonna do it, carry a big gun to make a statement. That's when I got into long-barrel magnum revolvers. Don't do it if your situational awareness sucks.
After 45 years of daily carry as a private citizen and a police officer, I've decided that the open carry/concealed carry thing (where both are legal options) is a lot like choosing our clothing based on what you plan to be doing. A mature adult does not show up at a formal event in shorts and flip flops, and neither do they wear a suit and tie to a beach party. What I mean is that each of us has to use some common sense on how we decide. I'm sure both of these wardrobe choices would be real conversation starters, but a mature adult would not do either. For example, if I'm going to a more rural area where I sense that others are not going to freak out over seeing my pistol on my hip, I probably wouldn't bother "covering up" when I stop at the country store for gas and coffee. But if I'm back in the city and get a call from home that I need to pick up a few things at a crowded grocery store full of city dwellers, I'm probably going to take a second after parking my car to throw my vest on over my pistol. There are a lot of people who are not comfortable with guns, and have been subjected to a steady diet of "guns are evil" propaganda. Why frighten those people? If they see my gun inadvertently and want to have a conversation, they can ask, and I'll be super nice to them and make time to talk. My default for nearly the last half century has been concealed carry unless in uniform, and open carry only in situations where I think it's in good taste and I'm not giving up a significant tactical advantage. It's not like it has to be all one way or another. Well, it sort of does for me because I retired to Florida, and although concealed carry is very easy (we go to no-permit concealed carry on July 1) open carry is generally not allowed here unless engaged in certain specified activities.
Without the police unconstitutional laws have no effect. Police don't get to decide what is ok for the people. Oathbreakers are why the 2nd amendment is so butchered up
"where legal". Hm. Why? Is legality the line showing us right from wrong? If it is, 😂 that's a funny joke. If it is not, then again why? Because it's safer to appease authorities and not break their arbitrary rules? Is that not just cowardice? Don't worry, I don't have a big argument I need to get into, just throwing out some thoughts. Y'all have a good one and stay free.
I used to only conceal carry then I decided to buy a new holster to open carry and I wore it around the house doing yard work and what not just to get used to it and my neighbors were absolutely terrified that I had a firearm that they could see. They called the cops on us and the cops had to explain to them that we have a 2nd amendment right and we live in Texas… they were crazy people but I open carried all the time after they freaked out. I just wanted to try my new holster out around the house to see if I liked it, never thought it would become such a problem. That being said, I still like open carry.
In VA we have open carry. I personally open carry everywhere I go. I use a IWB holster and tuck my shirt for the world to see. I try to hit the range once a week for practice and I am very aware of my surroundings. I've had people come up to me that tell me they feel safer or just conversations about what they carry. PROTECT 2A AT ALL COSTS.
I've been open carrying fairly regularly since 2012. I remember some of the attitudes even from the gun community about it. I've been trying to explain these points about open carry for years. It's so great to finally see folks like yourself putting these ideas out there from a much bigger platform. ❤️ "Dirty things," get concealed from public view. Guns shouldn't be one of them. The more people see how many of us there are, the more they'll come to realize we aren't the enemy: we're their neighbors, friends, allies, etc.
As a Wisconsinite, I was involved with a group called Wisconsin Carry years ago before we finally got CC. I would have loved to been involved in this conversation! Wisconsin Carry started because our former governor kept vetoing CC laws and saying we didn't need concealed carry because it was perfectly legal to open carry a firearm. Well, we as a group took him up on that. We literally had "open carry picnics" all over the state. I'm sure you can google more than a few news clips about us. We made up flyers on WI gun rights and handed them out all over including getting into parades. As I recall, Wisconsin Carry started the open carry movement here for 2 main reasons. 1st was to create an environment here to ultimately get a CC bill passed. 2nd was, well it quickly turned into, a movement to help the general public get more comfortable with an "armed society". We open carried everywhere we could and very often. At the time I had an infant daughter and I always open carried a G20. It was hilarious to see peoples reactions to me and my family living our normal lives when they noticed the firearm. Most of the time it was good but of course a few people didn't like it.....usually they asked if it was loaded and got offended when I said yes. Anyway....I could go on and on........ We didn't have nearly as many encounters with LEO than expected. Long story short, It was because of Wisconsin Carry that we ended up with the closest thing to constitutional carry as possible. I cc now 95% of the time simply to avoid all the social interaction that happens. That said.....I love it when I see people OC which happens fairly often in walmarts and such. I'm on the west coast of WI.
I'm in south central Wisconsin and joined Wisconsin Carry back before we got concealed carry. I don't see anyone OCing anymore, and I typically only do so at home now, but this video has me thinking about OCing more.
open carry is definitely a different beast. Just be respectful, use a level 2 retention holster and be aware of your surroundings which should be second nature regardless of OC, concealed or no carry. Stay safe America!!
I Open Carry EVERY SINGLE DAY. The best situation I ever had was when an elderly woman approached me in the grocery store and said "I want to thank you for open carrying in here today. I feel so much safer." So I abandoned my cart and took over hers and said "Let me escort you in your shopping today." Walking and talking with her in the grocery store made my day. I have actually met you while Open Carrying in Fort Worth. Thigh rig, full retention holster.
@@kennybrannan Depends on the state you are in. I would rather go to jail doing the right things than stand there and watch someone get assaulted or murdered and just live with the trauma and shame of doing nothing like a coward. Most of the world is filled with cowards who do nothing in the face of evil behavior. I refuse to live that way.
@amandaanderson4148 people have a duty to protect themselves. I feel no duty to protect anyone other than my family. If you consider that cowardly your just ignorant.
When I teach classes I have always said, "I fully support open carriers, because when the bad guys are attacking them it gives me time to react". I appreciate the other perspective though. Now I can share pros and cons.
That's about a shithead mentality. The whole concept of an open carrier being taken out first is ridiculous. As if the bad guy isn't all amped up with tunnel vision and is some how gonna focus on some random person in a store, building, restaurant and take them out. Keep on lickingbthe leftists boots.
I'm in North Idaho and I see quite a bit of open carry, and I feel the same as lot of the folks in the video, "This is someone signally that they take the safety of their community seriously and are willing to act." If they wanted to do something nefarious, they would hide their tools away from the public's view. People who fear guns, instead of fearing malicious intents, want us to hide them from view, which makes us look like the ne'er-do-wells.
All of those open carrying in North Idaho are scaring the California and Seattle transplants. They moved to North Idaho for the lower taxes and cheaper property, not to be living in fear of being shot...or some other nonsense.
Those who moved to N. Idaho soley for cheap property are not wanted. The people that complain that the city isn't snow-shoveling their sidewalk or that we don't have enough housing and too much Prairie, shouldn't move here. We like open carry, side-by-sides, boating, freedom from regulations, being allowed to use our property the way we see fit.
@NightStalker it was those freedoms that drew my family here. We help our neighbors shovel snow, I'm active with the VFW, and looking at homeschooling coops for my kids. I love the wilderness and open spaces everywhere.
I don't fear guns, I fear untrained people with guns. To me safety training + psych eval should be mandatory when buying any kind of firearrm. PS: I'm pro 2A
Without even listening to the points yet, my biggest case for open carry is that is so much more comfortable to carry. You don't have to worry about the gun cutting into your gut or side carrying IWB or constantly worrying about whether your shirt has rode up over your gun carrying OWB. Point being, I am more likely to carry my weapon comfortably than in discomfort.
I’m a concealed carry fan, I’ve carried all my adult life. I was a cop for 23 years and an old Marine, I don’t care how anyone carries honesty but I prefer concealed carry. I feel that if I were a bad guy and people are open carrying and I was intent on my mission they are my first targets.
@@MarcumUP The only way for people to get used to seeing, and being comfortable with people in their society carrying guns is if they see people doing it openly with no troubles occurring. All of the tactical issues involved are better with concealed carry though.
Great subject, here in Ohio we just went constitutional carry last year but always been an open carry state. I've been open carrying for 5 years now and when people ask me why I carry a gun i just ask them "why dont you?" Great show, keep up the good work, God bless.
Wisconsin resident here, I see quite a few people open carrying here and there but it’s quite rare to see these days. I live up near Genoa and around my neighborhood there’s very low crime rate, you’d have to go looking for trouble to find it. Everyone knows everyone so good luck having no witnesses. But regardless I’ve thought about getting a nice open carry holster with an optimal retention system and open carrying just because I can. Just to “stretch my legs” and exercise my right. If people don’t like guns in America, there’s the door 🚪.
John, you make some very valid points but, at the end of the day, the element of surprise is the best action needed. After 21 years of Law Enforcement experience, i realize that if i carry open i become a target for the BAD guy and can't help anyone if i'm taken out of the fight. I truly appreciate your service to the Republic and all you do. May the Lord bless you sir..in TN.
@@CowboyinDallas94 probably because they are Law ENFORCEMENT. I’ve got a few close buddies who are cops and off duty, they never open carry. And honestly that’s a pretty silly question.
As a wisconsite I tend to open carry when not working at least 98% of the time as it is legal in the state and tends to adjust people's attitudes. Also it is a great opportunity to respectfully and nicely change the opinions of people on those who tend to carry a firearm.
@@Sheepdog1314 I can respect the opinion however if you aren't unholstering or presenting then the other person is in the wrong. Remembering that you have the right to carry a firearm is the key. Also I do avoid going into certain areas that are shady and generally unsafe to this lvl as unfortunately it doesn't really matter if you have concealed or not or even have a weapon you are generally a target. Chicago/Milwaukee/Madison/Detroit/other major cities are generally unsafe no matter where you go so yeah everyone is a potential target then. Anyways again I can respect the opinion however that is a rather extreme circumstance that has many moving parts to it.
@Long Johnson the thing is, criminals are most likely not going even attempt a crime if they see someone is also carrying, because they know they'd have to deal with them first, and most criminals aren't going to just smoke you for your gun and take that chance. edit: also just to add, that if you're open carrying, then your head would be even more on a swivel than if you were carrying concealed, so you'd likey give yourself more time to react.
I've been carrying a handgun for 30+ years (here in nw Alabama)...the last 10 years have been open carrying daily. I've had no real negative experiences carrying openly, but early on I did have a few opportunities to educate people as a result. I've heard the argument countless times that open carry predisposeds one to targeting at the outset of a violent crime, but that is easily countered by considering how many people who are either genuinely unarmed or are concealed carrying and appear unarmed actually being targeted. The overwhelming majority of those attacked either are or appear to be unarmed. I made my choice a decade ago and have developed the situational awareness and retention/security mindset habits to be confident in my decision. I get a few commenters to my channel in disagreement, but to a person they are dealing in hypotheticals and theory concerning something of which they have no experience with, while I have moved way past theory and solidly into the realm of practical experience.
Canadian here...no carry allowed here [open or otherwise], but when I was in Arizona a few years ago for a conference, we went on a desert jeep ride and the drivers were all dressed up as very authentic looking cowboys and they all carried with single action revolvers, frequently two, and a bowie knife. I loved it. On the way to the desert, we stopped at a 7-11 and nobody acted like these guys were anything out of the ordinary. It should be allowed in my country to...but it's not.
I used to open carry all the time when I lived in Arizona. I moved to Indiana and everyone FREAKS OUT!! Used to be, myself and someone would just agree to have different preferences on open/concealed carry. Then in Indiana, it amazed me how ANGRY people got being against open carry.
As somebody who open carries as of right now because I am a new gun owner and I am in the process of getting my CPL as well I can tell you that every encounter that I've had so far for like the last month of me owning my firearm every encounter has been good in fact the mailman stopped me the other day and asked me what I was carrying ! The day after that one of the neighbor ladies who lives where I live came up to talk to me and since I've bought it I've kept it with me 24/7 outside my house! But I do credit myself with being very knowledgeable like I don't just stupidly purchase something without researching it and then continuously educating myself on it hence the reason why I'm watching this I actually just purchased some new belts that are rigid and specifically designed for both types of carries I personally have found it more comfortable to open appendix carry meaning that it's out in the open but it's in the appendix location forgive my vernacular like I said I'm a new gun owner the reason why is because I've noticed that if you are open carrying having it in the appendix position makes it a lot harder for anyone to get access to it unless you allow them to get close enough to you face to face to grab it and you shouldn't be letting that happen anyways in the main reason why I prefer the open carry is so I can draw it faster ... Sorry for the long comment I appreciate anyone and everyone's time for reading
I open carry in 38 states and conceal in Florida. Simply being aware and controlled is how I go through everyday as a truck driver. I get more “thank yous’ “ than any other type of interaction. I walk everywhere legally I can. I simply follow the laws and move with purpose. Staccato C2 - SouthernTrapper leather holster.
From my experience, it can attract unwanted attention, but could depend on your location. Some people become uncomfortable seeing a firearm in public. Open carrying also can identify you as a potential threat and can remove the element of suprise. There is also the possibility of being dissarmed by someone attempting to steal your sidearm. I have opted to conceal from now on.
@@JohnDoe-tv4zdNot everyone is going to open carry. Not to mention there are many places that do not allow it. I lived in Denver, where open carry is illegal, but in western Colorado it is common place. I'm currently in AZ where it is divided.
I have literally seen a man get his gun stolen while he was handing his money to the clerk in a gas station. It was in a bad part of town, in a bad town (Jackson MS). It was an earlier style retention holster, and the guy that took his gun knew exactly how to take it. I will never forget the look on that man's face. His gun was gone, and out the door before he knew what was happening. I was carrying concealed, but I wasn't about to get involved in that. My buddy's dad was grabbing something out of his work truck, and he turned around with tools in in hands to see two guys holding guns to his face. He was open carrying, and those guys only took his gun. They didn't even ask for his wallet, truck keys, or tools. Yeah.....I will continue to CC.
@@letsdothis9063 I like the idea of open carry for the reasons stated in the video, and in some comments. But man is this a compelling argument against it
I personally don't open carry, but I have always told my kids. If you see a person with a gun on their hip, that those are the people they should be comfortable with. Because those are the people who are most likley going to defend them if something goes down.
I was OC in a Starbucks in Portland, OR. A woman off to the side kept looking at me (you know that feeling, when someone is just waiting to confront you). Eventually, she came over to me and said "Excuse me?" And I was internally sighing (Great, here we go). She said "I want to thank you so much for carrying today. My father's life was saved by an open carrier." Turned into a wonderful conversation.
Always nice when the conversation goes in an unexpected, pleasant direction.
This never happened.
@@inkspot78 it 100% did man.
@@inkspot78 Yeah. Your mom.
@@alyeskaddict 1000% it did not
We should organize a 'National Open Carry Day' and do it annually: a holiday that celebrates 2A. 🇺🇲
There is one called Every 2nd Matters, where people open carry on the 2nd of every month.
@@ObamaoZedong nice
Annually or daily?
How about through the month of June... at least
Sounds like "stolen gun harvest festival day"
How about we open carry on the day of the month that our birthday is. For example, if you were born on April 20, you open carry on the 20th of each month if you were born on June 9th, you open carry on the 9th of each month.
I was open carrying and I was in line ordering food. I heard a kid say oh that’s scary and the mother immediately said something like - no it’s not he is protecting us. It made me happy to hear a mom explaining the good to kids instead of bashing.
Awesome bro
I had a moment like that when I was getting my car serviced, those moments are a breath of fresh air
@@DumbNinjaDudewhat state are you in if you don’t mind me asking?
Could you prevent someone from taking your gun?
@@mr.berimbolo827 That was little over a year ago in southern Ohio, just east of Cincinnati. Now I'm in Arizona and nobody bats an eye here lol
I retired from a police department 2years ago. When I was on duty and I saw someone open carrying, I knew I had backup from that person if I needed help.
@HielNahhorrible mindset. We carry not only to protect ourselves and other innocents, we need to protect EVERYONE. There can and have been times where our LEO brothers and sisters have been in losing battles and need support. It’s our duty as Americans to help each other.
Cops in California are scared of people that have a taser on their hip..
@@Chizzumzre-read his comment
@@MitchWojcik look at who I tagged. Someone deleted there comment.
Not all those that carry have the mindset or training that would have a favorable outcome, if needed in a gun battle. We can only hope for the best, if placed in that situation. Better to be tried by your peers, than carried by pallbearers.
I was open carrying a plastic pirate toy gun at the movie theater the other day, dressed up in costumes with my family. A manager told me i had to go put the pirate gun in my car, not allowed in the theater. I smiled and laughed heartily: hidden under my costume was a loaded Beretta 92. Irony, man.
Never let them know your next move.
I love that! Scooby snacks for you.
Lmao
My local theater didn’t allow concealed carry. They took the signs down after a certain theater shooting over 10 years ago.
The element of surprise is crucial.
I was with my family eating at a local restaurant. When we were done.I went to pay the bill and an elderly woman stop me and said “It makes me feel so good seeing guys like you are out here in the public keeping us safe.” “Thank you so much sir!” That was awesome!!!
I've had a few of those.. honestly.. it's like when someone finds out I was in the Marine Corps and says "thank you for your service".. it feels cheesy AF. It's uncomfortable for me. I'd rather just a knowing nod or a quick side comment of: "sweet", "neat", "cool", "hell yeah"..
I had a guy say something similar to me one day while I was eating at a restaurant.
Most businesses in Dem cities would kick yo ash out the door if you came in with a gun. Open carry doesn't override a businesses right to refuse you service, or tresspass you from the property
@@yourlogicalnightmare1014 Good thing I dont go to dem cities. I have zero reason to ever burden myself with that shit.
@@andrewgood7586
Most adult males feel comfortable open carrying around children and old ladies. Many of these open carry cowards wouldn't try that in gang neighborhoods, where they will quickly find out how little their life is worth
I was checking out at Walmart, and a gentleman with a sidearm on his hip helped me out with my cart. I felt so safe and at ease going through that parking lot. As a single woman in a wheelchair, I have to be on guard all the time. This man gifted me with a few moments of peace. I'll never forget his kindness.
That’s beautiful and that’s what it’s all about.
None of this happened.
What state?
@@inkspot78 Edgy edgelord is edgy. 😂😂😂
@@inkspot78 your mom says that all the time.
Shortly after permitless carry became law in Texas i was walking into a restaurant with ny wife. Saw the sign saying no weapons.
So i went back to my vehicle and put my pistol up.
I guess an old couple saw me do this, because an old man with his wife were in the line in front of us. He leaned over to me and said, "i saw you read that sign and go back to your truck."
I said "yes Sir."
He replied "yea, i saw the sign too", smiles and continues "i have learned in my years, you dont let someone els tell you when your allowed to protect yourself". And motions to his waist.
I smile back and say "thank you for the advice"
indeed
I like this man. honestly i try to listen to signs and not even conceal carry when there are signs saying they dont allow it. I think sometimes it is important to listen to signs when its like a court house, bank, stuff like that, but other than that as long as you have the training with the gun you carry, open carrying or concealed carrying should be something you edc. if you buy a gun and all you do is leave it at home or in your car, its a very expensive paper weight.
A few weeks back I was (as always) open carrying at Walmart and as I walk by I hear a little girl say “mommy he has a gun” without a pause the mom said something that both made me smile and shocked me. “ He is wearing it to protect us and everyone else here”. I do live in a rural town in PA, but I am seeing more and more people open carrying over the last few years. And I am seeing more and more people accepting it. Years ago I’d get odd looks and whispers
That’s what I love about rural Pa - everyone and their mother has guns so they’re seen as normal
I live in pa so open carry is legal for the whole state ? or depends where in pa you live ?
Sheepdog fan fiction.
@flatmatt123 Here's some info. Follow up with the statutes
Open carry is legal in Pennsylvania without a permit but you must have a permit to carry a firearm in a vehicle. See (11) and (15) below in statute Title 18 § 6106 below. From the PA State Police FAQs. Are there exceptions to carrying a firearm without a Pennsylvania License to Carry?Feb 25, 2023
PA has no law prohibiting open carry. Only in blue cities.
I met a liberal that moved out of Texas because he got scared after seeing someone open carrying a pistol. I think everyone needs to open carry now.
ETA the sad part of the story was they moved to my state...
Right now!
🤣🤣🤣 totally
For the record. You're a Super Villain to me. You train Mercenaries to kick in our door and shoot on site. You say you care about the 2A but it actually just for you and your group of racist Friends. We all losing and you're the only ones smiling. I hate you John Lovell. I promise I would take a few to the gut if i ever met you. From a fellow Veteran, when did your Oath Expire and when did you support the Boots against Americans violating the Constitution. 😢
You just sold me on open carry.
😂😂
I thanked and shook a guy's hand in TX because he was open carrying. He was surprised when he asked where I was from and I begrudgingly said CA. He could tell the disdain in my response as I choked out the word "CA". We had a good 5 minute conversation and he was surprised to hear CA has so many gun owners and supporters.
We're not alone and I agree we need to open carry more.
“Let them see our numbers”. Totally agree. Maybe we’ve been in the hiding too long. Let the criminals realize there’s more of us than they thought.
I'm a veteran 🪖 4yr & a armed security officer 🚔. Since 2002. OC is highly over rated. I've used open carry in PA, TN, GA, VA. I never had any 🥷🏻 run up on me or had any shoot outs. If you tote, a Glock 19 9mm or K frame .357magnum few people if any bother you.
By putting bait on your hip and waiting for the fish to come biting... because they won't nibble.
Just hope you survive it because they're just - barely - smart enough to wait for a moment of distraction before putting you down for that clearly visible prize.
Conceal, conceal, conceal. That gives you the opportunity to get the drop on them or, if they're locked and cocked they might not take your piece because they can't see it.
@@DavidLLambertmobile
Damn straight, brother 🤣💪🏻🇺🇸
Mad respect to you!
@@studytime3461
That’s ridiculous
@@amzarnacht6710
Perhaps you’re just a bit ignorant.
That’s why it’s ESSENTIAL to maintain situational awareness.
Perhaps you’d be caught slackin and left in a pool of your own blood. Speak for yourself 🤣 Me and MANY others show every day that it’s a fine way to carry.
In many cases, it’s a deterrent. There was a study done where they went to prisons and asked serious criminals what deters them the most from committing crimes.
Most of them said that a person that looks confident or one that is clearly armed tends to be the biggest deterrent.
Perhaps you should look in to it instead of spouting off your opinions as if concealed is the only “right” way to carry.
If that’s what you prefer, then do it. It’s not “wrong”. If one open carries, then that , in no way at all, makes him/her “wrong”.
When my wife open carries, she gets compliments, mostly from elderly women, but sometimes even men. When I open carry, people seem to look at me in disgust, or even maybe its fear; So I started holding my wife's (or kids) hands while walking, and I started getting smiles. Of course, we sometimes run into that Karen that is totally opposed to people's rights
Remember, her carrying his empowering. You carrying is toxic and oppressive 🙄
It’s sexism and h a t e towards men who are victims of crime at a 90% level compared to women, it’s pure discrimination.
When my wife open carries, she gets all sorts of old men asking her what she's afraid of. Those are the only people that approach her and talk to her about her gun. I've had all sort of people thank me, even a Marine recruiter/weapons instructor, or ask what they need to do to carry legally.
@pkoutdoors8112 You would think that men would realize that women are more likely to be targeted by criminals and a firearm is an equalizer fir a female going up against a male.
@@pkoutdoors8112
"What are you afraid of?"
"Absolutely nothing and nobody."
As soon as I turned 21 here in Texas I started open carrying my Glock and have had nothing but positive experiences with strangers while doing so. The stigma is changing
It is bro 👌🏼
what part of texas? i'm in dallas and have thought about it too
@@cannibal566 fort worth
@@PonyBoy1776 Irving
@@PonyBoy1776I’m in Fort Worth too. Can confirm your statement on normalization
I was on the board for the organization that fought hard to get open carry legalized in Texas. We had members arrested at protests and faced ridicule from gun owners and libs alike. After everything we went through, I LOVE seeing Texans open carry.
Then explain why the Tarrant County Sheriffs are arresting people for "carrying without a license" and the Tarrant County DA is prosecuting them in direct violation of the state's supremacy clause. Local LEO's are not supposed to be able to make up their own laws or directly violate the state's laws.
Well God dam, thank you for your service.
Liberals are to be expected, but for such ridicule to come from gun owners is concerning to me.
@@thebluestig2654- First I’ve heard of this. References to help us learn details?
Personally I wouldn’t depend on Texas’s permitless carry as there are so many restrictions and it is rife with traps. Examples: (1) within 1000’ of a school LTC legal, without not. (2) 30.05 or any no guns sign is legally binding on unlicensed only - with trespassing charges possible. (4) carrying in locations postered to legal standards with 30.06 or 30.07 can get charges for unlicensed but licensed carrier must be provided opportunity to rectify before charges can apply.
That school zone thing is deal breaker for me. Facing federal charges for walking down a street unaware of a school does not appeal.
@@finngamesknudson1457 It's been happening since September of last year when the permitless carry went into effect. The Tarrant County DA was bought and paid for by old Georgie Soreass.
My thoughts on open carry. I think when you choose open carry, you have a duty to present yourself as someone trustworthy, kind, and more professional. Years ago in a restaurant, a guy open carrying, came in wearing nice jeans, tucked in white button up shirt, nice leathers shoes, gun belt, with matching holster with a Glock 19. Nobody in there gave him a second thought. He could have been a detective, or county sheriff off duty. On the flip side, saw a guy at a gas station, with a flea market nylon holster toting a full size high point 45 , clipped on his wasteband, no belt, pants falling off, more concerned with getting people to see he has a gun, than holding his pants up. I knew if someone came in with bad intentions, he's the first to run and hide! Everyone was nervous with him in there. Anytime you carry you should act respectable, but I think open carry so that everyone is at ease, you should dress decent, and be polite and helpful. Just my 2 cents.
Very well said. I agree.
@@Eric_from_KansasI have noticed the same in SC
I don't think it has so much to do with how you're dressed as how you carry yourself (but bathing definitely helps), I own a tattoo shop I'm covered from my neck to my toes in tattoos . No one ever looks twice at me when I open carry which isn't often but it does happen from time to time.
Very well stated. Agreed
So, there should be a dress code for open carry?
While I agree with most of what you said, I don’t want you or anyone else to tell me how to dress, nor do you.
Excellent conversation. I'll stick with concealed carry when around town, open carry in the country.
Yes, open carry has too many negatives in the city, but it's perfectly natural in the country.
Agreed !
The reality is you will most likely need to get your weapon much faster in the city than in the country.
@@BruceCross. You let “negatives” dictate whether you open carry or not?
@@1BobsYourUncle Yes, that's my choice. You can make whatever choice you want.
I am an ex police officer from Texas and when I see someone open carry, I feel safer knowing that if something went down, help and backup is close at hand.
That’s exactly what I want the LEO to know who is standing at the door of the store I walk in. I’m armed too, so if you hear something going down in the back, don’t shoot me, I’m the good guy.
I'm happy too when I see somebody open carrying, but I must admit I think part of the reason is that I know he will be a bullet magnet (and not me) if things go sideways.
@@m16tylol if you see someone open carrying neither one of you will be a "bullet magnet" because one of you has the nuts to hang that sign up and stop the violence before it happens.
That is ridiculous. How do you know that that OC isn't a felon waiting to shoot YOU?
@@Dr.Zoidberg087 I’m a former LEO and Mil Veteran. Just because someone open carry’s does not make them a MOH recipient. One trip to the range and it’s blatantly obvious that most gun owners can’t shoot nor do they have ANY practical skills (nor does a range allow that type of practice). Unless you do IDPA type shooting or were trained in a Formal defensive shooting course, open carry does not afford ANY tactical advantage. Once the shooting starts, tactical surprise and violence of action is the key to winning the fight. And I doubt the pot bellied clowns I see open carry can do either. I conceal carry and try hard to be in condition yellow in public to avoid first then take action as THE very last resort. Anyone that says or thinks otherwise is just a keyboard hero and would wilt in an actual confrontation. Also, if open carry is such a deterrent, why not sling a extended mag tactical shotgun around?
There was a time in this country where it was seen as strange to see someone walking down the street without a gun. Let's bring that back.
I need you as a neighbor.. lol
I'm in Missouri, always carried sidearm
A well armed society is a polite society.
@@Herbster41 And it's just a bit easier to arm up in your neck of the woods, I see! Congrats on passing Constitutional Carry
@Abe Adams not true. In the early 80s concealed carry was very rare.. took an even tougher to get permit than today's CCW/CCP/CCL. Open carry was very common... even into a police station by civilians.
Normalize open carry. Normalize conceal carry. Normalize training and preparedness.
Amen!
@@tattooed1979 denormalize criminality.
Normalize no permitless carry
Situational awareness.
@@brianv3nturaFree men don't ask permission.
@24:00 As a woman who open carries, most people glance at my gun---and that's it. They carry on with our interaction without comment. When I do have someone ask about my gun, it's usually a woman, and she says her husband has been after her to start carrying or shooting---but she doesn't feel confident enough to start. I've had *awesome* conversations thanks to open carrying. One of these dialogues led to my church putting together a women's CPL class. Ladies, open carry if you can!
Open carry as a woman is a big NO NO. You will easily be overpowered by most bad guys. Humble yourself and conceal that thing Mam. Is not the same for a man and a woman to open-carry.
@@franklin9613 What in the world is this? For women, it could also be a YES, YES, YES. No, it's not the same for a man and a woman to open carry. Go have a chat with that Dylan Mulvaney fellow who wants to pretend that he's a girl. Since you obviously like to talk towards, rather than listen to, women, hearing it from another man might be more to your liking. If he carried, he'd tell you that it's next to impossible for a woman to conceal carry anything without printing it for all the world to see. Ten to one that you could be easily overpowered by a lap dancer. Therefore, you humble yourself and realize that it's NOT up to you to dictate the manner in which one chooses to carry. That's acting like a control freak leftist, and it's NOT attractive.
@@franklin9613 I started open carrying after I had bad guy trouble during walks. Open carry solved that problem. It's amazing how the visual assists in keeping the peace. Walk softly and carry a Sig, as Theodore Roosevelt might have said had he had a Sig.
@@Pro3110 "it's next to impossible for a woman to conceal carry anything without printing it for all the world to see." Not true. I know many women who conceal carry without issue; my wife among them. Cheers
More of this would be a huge asset. It really defuses people's instinctive defensiveness if it's a woman, and plants seeds for women to start thinking what it would be like to eliminate the deep seated instinct of being at a physical disadvantage among men. Once women get on board - like my wife has - gun control campaigns are history. There are no "Dads for Gun Control" groups as I saw someone point out on Twitter recently.
I conducted a social experiment during the plandemic. I would open and concealed carry into various stores. I would never wear a mask. When I open carried I was never asked to put on a mask while entering the store. When I was carrying concealed I would get asked about 80% of the time.
Interesting, and notable
No one's gonna fuck with you open carrying.
What other data sets do you have from this experiment? Were you doing it to the same stores in same areas? Alternating? How often was each done? Which state? Interesting enough data by itself but some extra points would be even more interesting.
@@MegadethTillDeth North Carolina. Same stores like Home Depot, Lowes, Best Buy, Harris Teeter, Target. Usual stuff. Over the course of a few weekends. For instance we would go to Home Depot, Target and grocery store on the same day while I was carrying concealed. I would be asked to put on a mask at Target and grocery store. Home Depot rarely cared. 🤷🏻♂️. Next weekend I would open carry in the same stores and no one asked. At first it was just accidental. Like “today I feel like open carrying”. Next weekend I said fuck it, I’ll CCW and all of a sudden people are asking. Hmmm. Interesting. Next weekend I’m open carrying, no one asked. Hmmm even more. It was really odd but then I put two and two together and actively paid attention. After being asked a couple times, I went to open carry the rest of the Plandemic and was never asked again. Not a scientific experiment by any means but it was obvious enough to where my wife noticed it as well. Now that the BS is over Im back to CCW 99% of the time.
open carry is for people who don't leave the house a lot. if you go out a lot you don't want to be policing your gear all the time
I started open carrying when I first got my 1911, but even more so when I made friends with a retired Navy SEAL who open carries wherever he goes. He has an AMAZING perspective on it and I love it. Been open carrying since; unless I carry my Hellcat which is my conceal carry (in states that recognize the 2A).. there is a place for both open and conceal carry. If I am at a wedding or formal, probably going to conceal; if I am just going out to the store, open carry. So many arguments against open carry are seeded in the land of make believe shower thoughts.. situations and scenarios that will likely never happen and which don't follow real behavior or reasoning.. you can conceal carry your entire life and never once need to use it, ergo you have NO impact on the 2A what-so-ever. By contrast when you open carry, you are ALWAYS having an impact on the 2A. Even if just visually, you are educating the public on a right that exists and should be exercise (as not to lose it) and that it's OKAY to have a gun.. the public is ever being brainwashed into thinking guns are all bad and always a crime.. by open carrying you can educate them, welcome conversation, and in the worst case scenario and the cops get called, you can calmly and politely speak with them, and if they do end up violating your 2A and 4A rights, you can get a little payday (but god forbid this ever happens to you).
Really appreciate your perspective.
When I bought my house we had to get a pest inspection. The inspector showed up open carrying and he looked legit, good holster - gun belt. I loved it and it made me realize even more that I had purchased a house in the perfect location.
Read your reply
I know it's nice when I show up to fix someone's internet or phone that no one has said anything for several years now, I carry concealed but I have to get down under desk and stuff and I know I have to print or flat out have it seen at least once in a while. Fortunately this is my main job and because of my other job I have a badge in my wallet.
I lived in California for 30 years. Loved guns. Enjoy shooting them. When I moved to Tennessee, it was a culture shock to see people carrying their gun in public. I was never scared of them, but it was a WOW moment, especially seeing it for the first time. Now, I carry as part of my day-to-day life.
I live just east of Nashville. Welcome to Tennessee!!! You’re always free to carry anytime anywhere (for the most part).
Welcome to America 💪🇺🇲
Welcome to our free state, friend.
West Tennessee here, we only accept Californians if they support the 2nd. Welcome!
I once saw a guy biking through the bad parts of Memphis wearing body armor. How’s that for open carry
Was in our small diner here in East TN a while back and the not from around here folks noticing several open carry patrons commented to the waitress that there sure are a lot of guns in here. The waitress smiled and said 'yes mam, it's the safest place in town'.
Incredible
Gotta love East TN! #GBO
@@wellsbibo6175m
@@DanRWolf xyz
I can’t believe that in Tennessee you can only open carry a long gun if it is unloaded, that needs to be changed. Every other gun law seems normal there except that one.
I love you guys for being real Americans and proud to open carry. Never let them take that away!! Never!!! The world needs people like you! Much love from Germany.
Story from Colorado!!!!
On entering church on Sunday, security team tells guy in front of me “sorry sir, you not allowed to OPEN CARRY in church…. But feel free to cover it with your shirt and come on in!” Amen brother!!!
Interesting. Since you can control who carries or not on your own property it seems reasonable you can give them permission to 'cover' on your property, even if they do not have that license and one is required to 'cover' in your state. Still, it might be wise to check out the legalities here.
@@Shawn_Raz_87You do not understand property rights. Private property owners can deny access or gun carry if they desire. It has no bearing on your open carry state law as that is whether the state can tell you if you can carry or not a church, business, homeowner can deny you entry if you carry regardless of state law.
@@Shawn_Raz_87You're constitutional rights stop at the property line of any private owner. Welcome to America; it's more than just gun rights.
Not there property though. Church dont pay taxes , it belongs to public@@mcmneverreadsreplys7318
Strange. Aren't you a member of your church? It's not Biblical to tell people they can't open carry in church.
Used to work in gun store where all employees open carried, one customer commented that you’d have to be stupid to try and rob us. I told him we draw straws every morning to see who shoots first in the event of a robbery, and the last person to shoot has to clean up😁, he just started laughing!
Ive never been to a gun store where the employees werent carrying.
@@stevepalpatine2828 Sadly, big box stores do not seem to allow employees to carry.
Always open carried in every gun shop I worked in. In one case a quite famous bank robber remarked robbing us for extra firearms was suicidal so they robbed another shop and shot Marlene Henn when she pointed a 45 at them. She was a sports shooter.
I have always felt Open Carry was a deterrent, it might make me the first target, but anyone is going to have to make that long considered decision to attack. Also, when I'm on my motorcycle, traffic treats me totally different, no cutting me off or riding my assets down the road. I discovered this fact because I couldn't effectively conceal it on my sport-bike so I just went to open-carry.
This is originally why I started carrying…when I started riding, but not open carry. That sounds like a great idea now!
If I'm the first target at least it gives a chance for everyone else to run
I slung an AR over my back & rode a flat black Ducati 25 miles across Houston to a friend's house. (He'd wanted a lesson on stripping/cleaning his new AR). Nobody tailgated me that day!
I’m from Idaho where you don’t need a permit to conceal carry and even then I preferred open carry. Growing up as a kid there, you saw people open carrying often and it always made me feel protected and not in danger. Most of the guys in my high school would leave their hunting rifles on display in their rear window racks locked up during school. We would all go hunting after school and I can’t recall ever hearing about a single school shooting ever taking place in Idaho even to this day.
Rights not exercised are rights lost.
I want to see more responsible, squared away citizens that present well, professional, upstanding, and/or in good standing with their communities open carrying.
Lost my rifle open carry private property. Took me down at gun point and threw me in nut house. Good luck.
@@dronelabs556 can you elaborate?
Amen to that!
@@radjamss6390 can’t really believe everything you hear online. But county employee saw me with my rifle and called the cops saying I was bitching at him for doing his job. 6 acre lot with couple buildings. And a dirt road middle of timberland/cornland (court didn’t even know or think I had internet). I was bringing my rifle to my shop for cleaning. Cops wouldn’t hear it. Previously I was hunting snakes with .22 snake shot in that area. So maybe that had something to do with it. But I don’t know. I ditched the guns when he pulled his phone out but police came in like I was about to hurt someone. typical cops running around my yard with ARs creating crossfire situations for themselves. Took all my stuff, but no charges! feel like I was robbed. Only some zoom hearing. No money for lawyer, no charges no public defender. Lawyer wont help for free because case is a loss due to the fact I was arrested and thrown in a mental ward where they found cannabis in my system due to a legally owned cannabis card. I don’t think I was crazy before but now idk this was too far.
You feel like you were robbed because you were. Civil asset forfeiture is the biggest racket this country has ever seen. They didn't charge you because you didn't break the law. They just wanted your stuff to sell and pocket the money. Happens everyday, coast to coast.
Great topic fellas. Retired Colorado LEO here, carried professionally for 31+ years, and carried concealed off duty every day, and still do. Even as a detective, most of the time I carried concealed under an untucked polo in summer, or a jacket in colder months. We responded to many "man with a gun" calls in public places, just as you guys described. A few of them didn't go well because once in a while, a younger cop was ignorant of state law and our municipal criminal code. Thankfully, this resulted in in-service training by our PD lawyer, and development of best-practices protocol for such situations. Eventually, unless there was an articulated threat or allegation of criminal activity, our 911 would most likely not dispatch the call...yay for that, as John would say. What Ben said about stickers on your car is spot on...don't bring attention to yourself. You make yourself an easy target for parking lot vandalism or break-in, or worse, a fake road rage incident where the anti-gun caller claims you pointed a gun at them. If you have 2A stickers on your car, the anti-gun caller could reasonably assume you have a gun. Then the cops stop you based upon the complaint, discover you DO have a gun, and then what's your defense? - "I didn't do it" - good luck with that. The cops are going to reasonably believe the lying caller based on the circumstances, and you go to jail. I encountered many "victims" who were liars, and this state is full of lefty loons who would gladly try to get one of our 2A tribe in trouble if presented with an opportunity to do so.
I'm a CC guy and would never consider open carry, for all the reasons you guys talked about. For me, it's not with the risk tactically, nor do I want to attract attention, or have a 'conversation' about 2A. Great content guys, keep it up!
There really are a lot of Lefty nuts in Colorado. Beyond brainwashed or helping. Tell them you voted for Obama and you're the greatest, tell them you voted Trump and they will cancel you in every way imaginable and that includes the city screwing you in every way possible because you got placed on their list. No one wants to admit it, but its real and actually happening. Even Fox is Left in Colorado.
great points, especially about the negatives of the "conversation" and stickers on cars
have to agree.
I’m a LEO too, no really I was born in August. Thank you for your service.
I appreciate you serving your community. I agree with you, I believe there are tactical advantages to CC that are lost with open carry, and honestly initiating a conversation does not outweigh the tactical reasons. Well said!
I don't boast or showoff, but it does warm my heart to see others open carrying.
Boast or showoff?
@@jeffreylboardsr2577 Oops!😂
I do know that when I open carry I am expected to be more open to the world in general. I had a mother notice I was carrying and she had a child with her; I quickly figured what the adult lady was attempting so I played along in a most positive way. She asked me if I had the time which triggered the child to take a closer look at who, say, mommy was talking to. Almost immediately as children do spotted the firearm and was obviously amazed. I took my time and allowed the young one to gawk and I finally told the lady the current time. This lady wanted the child to see me carrying and that the lesson was; when people are OPEN carrying you can approach them and you will find common decency not a criminal thug! Open carry opens eyes, hearts, and minds!!! Carry Always!
Back when I was a young ruffian, I noticed an older man carrying openly in a popular barbecue restaurant. He was dressed out in tactical garb but not wearing a badge. He was not a cop. This was my first introduction to open carry.
Many years later, after becoming a student of defensive handgun combat, I decided that open carry was the way to go. It's more comfortable. I can carry a larger weapon, and I can get it on target quicker. I was once converged on by 3 bad guys in front of a liquor store. One of them saw my hand on my Sig p239 and yelled GUN! All three took off running like their asses were on fire. Luckily, none of them deployed weapons as I would have surely dispatched their souls. I can't count the times that people have thanked me for carrying, including police officers. My iaido instructor asked me once why I carried a gun. I replied, "Because carrying a sword is illegal."
Love this! Great convo!
😂😂 good stuff brother
I'd be interested in what jurisdiction you live in that allowed CCW but bans carry a sword. The only places I know of that ban carrying swords are the really anti-gun cities...
I train iaido as well, great art to complement my jujutsu. I also have open carried 99% of the time for over 15 years. Here in Indiana there's no ban on any length blade, the only reason I don't carry my sword is because my wife would be really embarrassed ;)
Years ago when I was a LEO Firearms Instructor, SWAT Team member etc., I started studying Jiu Jitsu. My Sensei also a LEO with a different agency, said " I know you're a gun guy, what are you doing here ?" My reply was that in my experience you can't just shoot everybody, you have to go hands on much more often than guns up. Also, if you can control the situation with hands, you may avoid having to go to guns. He liked my answer and I trained with him for several years.
The open carry movement in Texas shifted the argument 9 years go and we need to keep the momentum. Been open carrying for nine years now since the Alamo event and glad to see some of y'all coming along. To "bear" means to wear or to carry and it's important to let people know that the bearing of the arms is part of the protected right.
The Alamo event? Could you please elaborate? I'd like to do my research
@@11superstar1997 th-cam.com/video/DzxTie9GPy4/w-d-xo.html
Open carry is important !! I live in florida that doesn’t allow open carry except for loophole in rural areas while” hunting, fishing , camping ..” etc. And a florida man with CC permit was arrested because his shirt flap came up and someone saw gun and called police . It went all the way to the florida Supreme Court but he still lost. I miss living in Alabama where it’s open carry all day long!
@@burtonkephart6239 didn't they just change to constitutional carry??? Please confirm as I am not from Florida
@@11superstar1997 yes but that is still for concealed carry . It’s basically permit less carry now.
I'm in Texas and open carry everywhere I go. My goal is to provide a positive image of gun owners and provide people who have questions about gun ownership answers to things they may not have even thought of. Ive been commenting this on your videos for a while now and am glad you have started yhinking this way.
States like Texas , Alabama, NC people look at you funny if you're not open carrying lol
@@FirstLast-gv1zl I just left the Walmart on 288 in Denton. You're welcome.
@@FirstLast-gv1zl that was a lot of words for a story of some guy not paying attention in walmart.
Got any other long stories of crap you don't like?
I'm born and raised texan. I open and conceal carry but I "print" 😂 on my shirts at times so I'm an all around offender of carrying a weapon.
Fact is if you pay attention you notice other people do not pay attention on a daily basis. If there is someone paying attention like you they may be like you or up to no good. Simple and easy to understand other than than carry how you like and be on your way.
@@driftitlikeyouownit a lot of the time just seeing someone paying attention is enough to deter someone. I will lock eyes with others looking around. Sometimes it's a subtle nod both ways, others it's someone who moves away soon after. Criminals don't like to be seen.
I live in Wisconsin right now and I personally open carry more often than I concealed carry. That being said I think that if you are going to open carry you should 100% consider a retention holster and proper training
Agree. It makes me nervous to see someone with an open top holster carrying a weapon. I use Safariland GLS for my G21 and RIA 2011 (double stack 10mm)
@@witkr904 it really depends on where you are, I have an open top holster for when I’m on my own property but I also have a 2 step retention holster for my carry pistol for when I’m in town
rifle with a strap
Safariland is the best choice for open carry in my opinion, they have been popular with military and law enforcement for years as such they have a proven track record. ALS, SLS, hood guards etc. lots of options to choose from.
"He's part of my tribe." Yup. Here in VERY rural SE Arizona, open carry is quite common. We're all ranchers and farmers and such - and damned proud of our gun culture. We exercise our freedoms. We smile and nod to each other. It's pretty awesome. A friend of mine was visiting from Kommiefornia and asked, "Why is everyone carrying a gun!? There's no crime out here!" I just smiled and said, "Yup. You think maybe there's a correlation?"
City folk just don't get it.
So, when I HAVE TO venture into a city like Tucson or Phoenix, I'll cover up. But here on my ranch and in my little town, many, many of us proudly display our freedom.
You probably know of a few open carry idiots in Tucson tho lol. I know I do.
Payson’s sort of similar, not quite so prevalent but still a very regular thing here. ♥️AZ
I used to drive through Duncan to get to Stafford to visit family when I was younger. Coming from SW New Mexico and open carry wasn't so common but wasn't so rare either. Strong gun, ranching, and hunting culture.
Same here in northern AZ. Many open carry, its not a big deal, it's normal.
The idea that open carrying makes you the primary target is a valid one but would be largely negated if there were 10% or more doing it. Sure, if you're the only open carry guy in the bank teller line then the robber will likely take you out first but, if there were 8 or 9 people openly carrying, the robber would probably never even walk in the door knowing his poor odds of success.
Valid point
100%. If you're alone in OC, you become an obvious target. But if there's 10 of you, then it's a clear deterrent instead.
I’m not sure most of these criminals have that many brain cells
Had a friend of mine open carrying a 1911 and two mags. He was the only one in the bank in the morning. A guy dressed in black and face covered opened the door, looked around saw my friend and left. The guy had been pulling armed robberies at other banks . This was in Richmond, VA about ten years ago.
@@markspruill4129 Also a thing: the kid who shot up movie theaters specifically went to the one known for being gun free. Most of these fools don't want to die, but do want to make the news.
I open carry daily in NC and have had younger and older people then me come up and say thank you for carrying i feel safer seeing that. Ive even had active service members say ive lived in other states and have never seen anyone stand for thier rights. As a vet myself i took my oath very seriously and i will continue to open carry.
I am the same way I as a Vet understand and willing to be that target if it saves a kids mother's grandparents who ever may be there lives. My wife she conceals carry why cause her job if I'm not around is to protect herself and get my mom and brother out of harm and if i am there to cover my six if something would happen. Myself I open cause I did take that oath and I still live that oath do I look for a fight no but I rather it be me then a kid
I also think it's has to do with training most people they shoot targets even "tactical courses" but they never been shot at. I don't believe there is a tactical advantage of that was true cops wouldn't open carry on normal duty im not talking swat undercover what not
Did you tell them don't feel too safe, you have literally no training?
@@dazzling3237 I do indeed have training thank you
I've been Open Carrying since I was 19. It's more comfortable, quicker draw, I can carry a larger gun with a higher capacity, its more of a visual deterrent than a "target". I love it
yep
Walking around in small towns out in Montana, you see that all the time. Puts a smile on my face every time. Love it.
This is the most thought provoking discussion I've listened to regarding open carry. I agree that let's make it a cultural thing and normalize it in society so that people aren't so quick to vote away their rights.
In WY it IS NORMAL to see open carry. One store that I go to a lot, the manager open carries all the time...... it has cut down on the crime there..... There has NOT been an armed robbery at that store since word got around.
This was our point as open carry activists since day 1!
Good conversation! I’m definitely one of the people that flipped. I only got into guns four or five years ago. I was very pro gun-control prior, until I threw myself into guns (I.e. meeting people who shoot, going shooting with them, educating myself on firearms, taking classes). I just got my CCW. I think once you educate yourself about firearms you start realizing how stupid gun control is and how it doesn’t work. It almost left me ashamed about all the years before where I had advocated for it. But now I advocate for the 2nd Amendment…A LOT.
As for Open Carry Vs. Concealed Carry, I’m torn. I prefer keeping it concealed. But here in Nevada there are TONS of people who open-carry. It never worries me. It does start some good conversations! I’m all for people just being armed in general. Whether you’re open carry or concealed carry, it’s the training and situational awareness that matters! Good video guys!
Good for you for keeping an open mind. I grew up with varmint rifles and shotguns, but not so much pistols. I also am an Army veteran. I got my CCW permit 11 years ago at age 51 and awoke to the critical nature of our 2A rights
Welcome to the fold and this is why we need to have these practices as this right is very important. I was also torn and see advantages on both ways to carry. I do advocate for everyone to train regularly and make sure they have a retention holster that has a lock that is hidden so that no one can just pull the firearm out and check to make sure the trigger housing and trigger aren't going to allow for an accidental pull of the trigger when drawing the firearm. Unfortunately there are way too many videos and examples of poor open and concealed carry methods where people simply didn't check the holsters effectively which is very sad. With the state of the world lately I have sadly concluded that it is necessary to open carry as it makes you a hardened target and most thieves usually want a soft target as it is safer for them overall. Anyways have a great day!
Same exact way I use to be. End of 2018 I got threatened with being shot on the job as a casino employee (dealer). Made me rethink my decision to have a gun or not. After going to the range and shooting a few mags with a family member who is an officer in the city we live in, I then decided to get my first firearm. After getting my license a few months later and continuing my education on the 2nd Amendment. Now, I regret the mindset I once had on guns. Now, I can’t stand being away from the range longer than 2weeks or I get irritated a bit. 😂😂 the more I’ve learned about and trained with my firearms, I’m an ammo addict🤣🤣.
Nothing wrong with being ashamed of shameful behavior. It's a good thing, helps remind you that there was a period of time you believed something quite wrong, so it keeps you open to being wrong again.
I do both. There are places I go where a lot of people are open carrying, so it would be foolish to think you're going to steal one guys gun and go on a rampage when half the people there are open carrying and I am betting a good amount are concealing. In that case I see it as a deterrent, and I actually feel safer in that circumstance than when I feel that I need to conceal because there are very few people carrying.
Had my concealed carry permit for 25 years. Have open carried for the last 42 years of my life at certain times. Always believed that it was the best way to remind people of our rights. Oh and John, I’ve been packing a 1911 in a leather holster for decades. Granted it’s a para ordinance p14-45 limited (original Canadian made) that I shot for 2 decades in USPSA matches.
Finally an opinion on this topic which I completely agree with. I have permit to conceal, but i still like carrying a larger handgun, visible if convenient.
Hmmm... This reminded me of a friend who was a deputy DA in DelNorte Colorado.
He would be intimidated by local toughs until he started to open carry his 629.
Suddenly it was
"Good morning Mr. Smith." "How are you doing today Mr. Smith,?"
@@nathanielerskine1875
Your comment reminded me of a friend who was a deputy DA in DelNorte Colorado. Decades ago... In the 70s...
He would be intimidated by local toughs until he started to open carry his 629.
Suddenly it was
"Good morning Mr. Smith." "How are you doing today Mr. Smith,?"
@@nathanielerskine1875
Your comment reminded me of a friend who was a deputy DA in DelNorte Colorado. Decades ago... In the 70s...
He would be intimidated by local toughs until he started to open carry his 629.
Suddenly it was
"Good morning Mr. Smith." "How are you doing today Mr. Smith,?"
@@nathanielerskine1875
Your comment reminded me of a friend who was a deputy DA in DelNorte Colorado. Decades ago... In the 70s...
He would be intimidated by local toughs until he started to open carry his 629.
Suddenly it was
"Good morning Mr. Smith." "How are you doing today Mr. Smith,?"
(Texas here) I opened carried in a restaurant and my server said she asked if she could be my server because it made her feel safe. And she asked my girlfriend and I to help her pick out a gun for herself because in her words "i felt like if someone is open carrying they must know alot and be comfortable with guns" made me feel good.
Meanwhile if you're OC it's the total opposite. Dudes with no training and no CCW skills 99/100😂
Look at this troll ^
@@Dook-t4yHaving fun trolling?
Former LEO & USMC PMI with M16A2 & Beretta 92F. I always carry mostly open or under shirt/jacket if cold. Came out of a store recently and an elderly lady asked why I carry a firearm. I replied "for defense". She thanked me for my service. I had numerous people over the years thank me for carrying. It's in our (sheep dog) nature to protect and serve.
OooRAH!
ooo-freakin-rah!
When I worked at Home Depot, I always felt so much safer when contractors came in open carrying. I never saw a firearm improperly holstered, and it felt like the vibe was comfortable and professional. I understand the concern about how an open carry firearm could possibly be snatched by a bad guy, but I also feel an open carry firearm is a visible symbol of civility and protection. It felt like the open carry contractors (and others) were saying, "Don't try it". (I live in Indiana)
What are your thoughts on open carry of firearms bigger than a pistol? What if someone had a rifle, shotgun or PDW safely slung around the torso on a sling?
Not actually sure if slung is a real word lol but you know what I'm asking hopefully
Not if it’s a retention holster.
A while back I saw someone in Food Lion open-carrying. The only part about that which worried me was that the pistol appeared to be clipped to the edge of his pocket and was flapping around. Or maybe it was just dropped into his pocket. Either way, it looked very much like someone could take it off him very easily.
@@happydogg312 possibly he had some kind of retention holster, but whatever it was, it was not clipped to his belt, it was clipped to the outside of his pocket and the whole thing was flapping around.
Glad you've finally come to understand the PR side of open carry. Everyone who chooses to OC should, ideally, understand thay they are ambassdors of 2A and present themselves as dialed in, courteous, and positive.
Totally agree!!
For I [am] of a postmaster and master/sovergn with my world of the correct-grammar-venue is with the neutrality of my volition with the carrying of my saftey/security/covery-tools.
The late great James Yeager gave a perfect response to tell someone who questions whether or not you are concealed carrying. He said, "Tell them you are wearing a colostomy bag"
I live in Tombstone Arizona. Even when we wear out old west garb, our six shooters are real and loaded. Visitors don’t realize it. I open carry a Glock 23 with a Kodex level 2 holster. Tourists from Europe and Canada get so excited and have asked me to stand for pictures.
I personally don't open carry, but I love seeing it. It makes me feel patriotic and I love the display of freedom.
I open carry for 3 reasons:
- intimidation
- inspiration
- desensitization
It intimidates bad people to rethink twice before they do something stupid. Sure, you could be the first target, but unless they are a hardened criminal that is ready to die and give his life for afew bucks, he probably wont go through with any attack.
Seeing me carry has inspired MANY people to learn how to shoot and carry on their own. Ive had many talks with men and women saying, "how do i get my license" or "what gun is that, is it a nice shooter? " etc. Including many people that say they didnt like to carry but seeing me inspired them to keep their families safe too.
Lastly, desensitization. People look at people with guns as either a cop, or a bad guy. But if you show em that you can be a nice casual person that isnt causing trouble and is armed, they become less judgemental of firearms and see its the person carrying it, not the firearm that can be a problem.
100% spot on
intimidation? think again bud, criminals probably smiling inside every time they see someone open carry because they know exactly who they need to end first...
@Random did you not read the part where I said unless they are hardened criminals they probably wont do anything? And did you not listen to the podcast where they gave several other examples such as them rethinking because if there's one person carrying, there may be more carrying? There's no wrong or right way to carry, but there's definitely merit to the either statement. But from what I've seen. Criminals usually go for soft targets and case areas first. When they attack to do anything big, they enter with speed and force so they're not usually looking to case and attack at the same time. Having multiple people carrying while they case an area can detter them for even trying. Having multiple people carrying when they do attack with speed and suprise is gonna be a bad day for them anyway. So again, Doesn't matter how you carry, aslong as you carry.
If you intentionally open carry a deadly weapon for the express purpose of "intimidation" that is a crime.
@B Howard literally not, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon requires action (waving the gun around/brandishing) or threatening someone with the ability to deliver on that threat immediately. Open carrying regardless of the intent of the person doesn't matter unless they do either of the two things I mentioned.
Had a situation like this at a gas station. I was just pumping my gas when this guy in a truck pulls up at the pump opposite me and gets out of his car with a pistol in a leg holster. Everyone outside froze instantly and you could hear the clench. I just looked at him, nodded, and went about my business. If SHTF, that was the guy who was gonna be next to me.
Man, these are the comments that give me a chuckle.
You have no idea whether he is going to be beside you or trying to take your supplies. Don't make assumptions. If you really want to assure someone is going to be there when you need them, you build that relationship, and integrate them into your network.
@@Osprey1994 Exactly.
I’m a truck driver , I open carry in 38 states ( everyday/everywhere). I get more thank yous than anything. Most people are oblivious to their surroundings and the people they encounter. Conceal carry is simply uncomfortable and a pain to worry about. I don’t care about printing. If you see my firearm you know I’m not the one who is gonna be doing something wrong. Criminals hide what they are going to do and how, until the last possible moment.
I’m not worried about what most people think.
I have been carrying openly for a long time. I couldn't believe it wasn't legal in Texas when i got here. Glad we changed it. A lot of us fought hard for it. To many people were programmed to "hide" it. I'm happy to see the mentality of the community changing on the topic.
Had an older woman approach me the other day in the grocery and she had asked me why I was carrying a gun the way I was?? (open Carry) one of the few times I was open carrying here in Surprise Arizona, I took the time to explain to her that I was highly trained (and practice) gun use and safety and had been to Iraq, Afghanistan and other places I could not tell her about but the bottom line was if things went wrong there in the grocery store or gas station that it was my responsibility to protect her and others that cant or not prepared to protect themselves ... she thought for a moment and the said "Thank you" ... one more mind educated and changed about their original views.
Exposing everyday people to open carry is the main reason I open carry. I have had lots of good and respectful conversations while waiting in line due to the fact I open carry. When people see you open carrying and you are calm, courteous and respectful they will come to associate the happy, helpful guy with open carrying.
Yep. When your gun is concealed, people are more willing to make drama in front of you. That has been my experience.
@@nathanielerskine1875 I have been open carrying since the law went into effect (Texas). Before the law went into effect people showed a marked lack of respect for personal space when in public, since then I have noticed a huge change in how people handle personal space.
I am always more respectful when I open carry. I do this because I want to build a good reputation for gun owners, and because I recognize that some might be uncomfortable when they see someone with a gun. I also do this because a small argument could always exoculate into something larger and you do not want that when carrying.
@@justinbennett2633 yeah. Being respectful is something everyone should try to do at all times though, not just when armed.
Same here sir.
Never judge a book by its cover. I have been open carrying for decades. My opinion, based on personal experiences, most people who choose to open carry are extremely proficient in the functionality and operation of their weapon. They also tend to be, again for the most part, excellent marksmen with lots of experience in deploying and utilizing their weapons. Another point… people who see someone like me open carrying, has to decide if I am able and willing to engage. This IS a deterrent for would be criminals.
also applies to those of us out here who are scruffian-looking and like it that way
I look scary without a guun strapped to my back (I like to carry a rifle not a pistol), soyeahhh
John we should make July “Open carry month” what a way to celebrate our Independence!
How 'bout June?,,, Anybody?
@@danlboone3966 I agree. Anything to overshadow that stupid Juneteenth.
Let's do it during pride month next year!
Open carry year?
Maybe Warrior Poet Society should be the lead in a movement for "National Open Carry Day." I'm sure if you take the lead many other social media influencers and gun positive organizations like GOA, FPC, or SAF would join in to make the 2nd of some month National Open Carry Day. It would be one day to show how many of us there really are. Send a message to the communities and to the politicians that claim they represent our interests. Just one day to make a statement.
Boy I LOVE that idea!
THIS RIGHT HERE! I concealed carry for all the tactical reasons and open carry in the woods for all the tactical reasons but I would love for society to see how many guns are in their community next to them in line at Starbucks without them ever knowing
I was going to ask that same question. We really should have and open carry day!!! I am in Maryland and you would be surprised how many or carry now. Governor wants to turn us into New York and New Jersey with every location being sensitive place
Outstanding idea
Yes please. We’re losing by not participating. It’s not enough anymore to just sit back and watch what’s unfolding and tell ourselves that we’re too buisy and other people will dedicate their lives to whatever cause fill in the blank. Even if it’s just one day it’s still something we can do to represent. We need to get loud about it. Remaining silent is no longer serving us.
I seriously think that all the major gun TH-camrs should get together and organize a month of open carry (at least for those not living in tyrannical states). Basically a form of protest, and to show how many guns are around you every day. I’m totally in.
good way to get shot and let the gov know exactly who to look out for...
I agree a nation wide open carry movement for a month would change a lot of attitudes about guns. The You Tubers should lead this charge.
I think that's actually a very sound idea. I'd love to participate.
Like him or not, I like how YankeeMarshal does the every 2nd counts stuff. He open carries the 2nd of every month to help get guns out there.
Love this idea. Maybe start a push on social media for say month of July to be Open Carry Month.
I've always been a concealed carrier mainly due to the aspect of suprise. Since my state has decided to allow open carry, there are times I wanted to open carry but I didn't do it until I got a level 2 holster. Now I open carry more than I actually thought I would.
I had a woman approach me about 2 years ago at Walmart with her two 4 year old boys and told me how much she hated that I had a weapon on me. I asked her what she would do if right now someone else in the store started shooting which she replied “I’d get behind you.” I said that I would be more than happy to protect her and her two boys along with my son but still wondered why she approached me just to tell me what she hated about me. After our conversation i hope she had an understanding as to why I carry in public.
Walmart has a no firearms policy now. 10/10 times you will be asked to leave or cited for trespassing. I would open carry more often if there weren't so many places with their "no firearms" policy. While not enforceable by law in most states, you can still be banned/trespassed/asked to leave
@@danieldotter6077 Gotta love small town ky. Do it every time.
@@danieldotter6077 I open carry in Walmart all the time. They do not have a no weapo s policy here.
@@danieldotter6077 i can at least speak for the Walmarts in Nevada plenty of open carry all the time with no issue.
Just refer her to the Adam Walsh story. They found his HEAD.
Before it was commonly-accepted in WA, I was part of the Open-Carry movement and helped get lots of bulletins posted by local PD's to alert their officers that, yes, it's legal to OC in WA... many officers weren't aware and I educated multiple to the law when they questioned it out in the field.
It also allowed a conversation to start with random people in the public that would usually start with "are you a police officer?" and it would go from there. You have to dress well, not like a "Bubba" or Prepper... looking nice and otherwise 'normal' opened people's eyes that carrying a gun is "Normal."
I'm not from your state, but I am a fellow American, and I thank you for all your work in creating awareness and education informing people about the basic human right to bear arms.
I’m a WA resident as well. I don’t open carry in general, but I do every time I’m on my Harley. It’s never been a big deal. Cheers to freedom, fellas.
Yep that’s the key, I have a clean appearance, and dress well, making my firearm an accessory. If your dressed like a thug or a criminal and you open carry. You get the response your looking to get.
@@lordgrimoz6085 same situation I have. People assume I'm law enforcement if I open carry. It doesn't do much for awareness or acceptance in my opinion.
What do you mean “before it was commonly accepted in WA”? I’m a WA resident too.
I appreciate John’s honesty around the 9 minute mark - I feel the same. When scanning for (potential) threats, one has to take into account all aspects, including visible weapons. My first instinct is to assess, but I also recognize that if the individual is using open carry, he is 99% a good guy. I’m not quite as much in mode of equipment snob like John mentioned, LOL, but respect his point. I love the idea of “bring your gun to work day,” (or equivalent) - show them our true numbers. Change their perspective to realize they’re only a vocal minority on Tik-Tok, and not representative of mainstream Americans. 🇺🇸
I'm a "2A Absolutist". I carry almost every day, sometimes open, sometimes concealed. As for other people carrying, it's not the other OCers I worry about--they tend to be some of the most intelligent, well-informed, situationally-aware, and well-trained pro-2A people I've met.
It's the bad guys who carry concealed that I worry about, because you don't know who is armed, or what their intentions are. Bad Guys don't OC--the LAST thing they want to do is draw attention.Z
As for the whole "OC makes you Target #1", please provide one example where this was the case, documented in a reliable news source, by a "bad guy" who wasn't wearing a badge....
Great points.
Amen brother
Originally from Alaska and having lived many years in Colorado, open carry was a normal part of my life. We had wildlife in the area and needed to be ready when things went bad. It was accepted by others without issue, except in some of the larger cities. Currently in California, even in small towns and outer areas open carry had people reporting me to the police. Yet with all this crazy unchecked crime who wants to be unarmed. So I did what was necessary to get my first CCW, a painful process here. And Yes I'm working on leaving this insane state, hopefully will happen this year To where good people carrying guns is common place and crime is kept in check.
My personal choice for now is to conceal carry so it's not known that I'm carrying. It frees the police up to go after real criminals. And it helps avoid the crazies that would target me just to get my gun. Acting in groups and/or striking from behind, it's the kind of attention I don't want to attract. Plus concealed gives me the option of presenting as a harmless old man, buying time, waiting for the right opportunity if action is needed.
I encourage everyone to abandon that dumpster-fire of a state with one caveat, please don't turn your new state into a new California. I'm planning my escape from another deep blue state and would love for there to still be places for us to go.
I have struggled which is better. The tactical side of it and social dynamics. I have been carrying both ways trying to figure out which I prefer. I will say that once I was sitting in a Subway eating by myself. A couple was sitting near by. The woman out of the blue just thanked me for carrying. I had never had that happen before. It made me feel more comfortable with deciding to open carry that day. This is good to see a great conversation about this topic.
Ninja 🥷 is secret
Samurai (cowboy) is public
Samurai walk down the middle of the street and ninja hide in the shadows.
Overall the samurai make most not want trouble at all. Ninja on the other hand creates true terror with if they ever get outed or start fighting from surprise elements.
Samurai is best over all, but in a bad bad public area… I likely go ninja when rolling solo.
2 guys open carry can be good in bad bad area.
15 years ago in Pennsylvania the state that I live in now the police were arresting anyone who opened carried even though it was legal. So gun groups had to lobby to stop the illegal arrests. It took 12 years to educate the police that the Pennsylvania law allows "open carry". So now we wear it like a badge of honor.
That's crazy.....
We didn't have it that bad here in Connecticut but some were arrested and charged with Breach of Peace till they later went to court and had the charges dropped and then the lawsuits came about.
Even though we can OC and CC the instructors never told us we could OC, that our permits were CC only.
Our State Police sent out a memo saying that indeed, OC was infact legal.
Of course Democrats always try to kill the OC part of it every year and want to make it that if a cop sees you open carrying they can stop and detain without any probable cause...
Didn’t know that. That’s crazy. I live in florida with only rural open carry. Lots of family in Pennsylvania still though so I am surprised as Pennsylvania is about only gun friendly state in northeast area except rural states like Maine and Vermont etc.
WOOOOOW
@@burtonkephart6239 New Hampshire is a pro 2A state. Definitely the exception in New England.
Philly cops will still harass you and brag about it.
I loved this video! I’ve considered open-carry vs. concealed-carry for a long time, live in a very gun-friendly place among an armed population, and know people who do both. It seems like open-carry has a ton of major benefits, but concealed-carry has a couple of big ones. Here are my considerations, and I hope they help. :) Under each, I’ll list both advantages and possible issues mixed together. :)
OPEN-CARRY:
* It is a deterrent, because sometimes, hostiles will give you attention whether you’re looking for it or not, and sometimes will do so because you seemed innocuous and typical: with a clearly-visible gun, that simply will-not happen, and they will be more-inclined to step aside and not start anything.
* It is quicker and smoother to access your gun than in concealed-carry.
* It is easier to carry a bigger gun with more capability than in concealed-carry (a full-sized handgun, possibly with an optic, more comfortable ergonomics, greater barrel-length, and more magazine-space for extra rounds).
* It is more comfortable than concealed-carry (meaning you’re more-likely to do it more-often than concealed-carry and to be more relaxed and smooth with it than concealed-carry).
* It is more stylish, and it makes your gun a fashion-statement and status-symbol.
* It is easier for your gun to be accessed by others or taken, especially when your back is turned or someone is at your side, so never let anyone you distrust too close to you or your weapon, and have a way to deal with it if they go for it (for example, put your hands at your sides or on your hips: it seems neutral and innocuous, but you are aware that you’re ready to bat their hand aside or peel it off the gun, if they go for, and then to either close distance in hand-to-hand or with an easily-accessible knife to get them off (or end it there) until you can access that gun, or until you create distance and access your gun, if that happens).
* If you are in areas unfriendly to guns, it can be the focus of a dispute that could turn into an incident rather-easily; it could also make you a target if a mass-shooter or someone like that is also conceal-carrying and has planted themselves nearby, without your awareness (but most don’t do that-it’s not like a typical mass-shooter, adrenaline-pumping and angry, will immediately see your gun and go for you, specifically-at least not before you’ve pulled it because a guy has just run in with a gun and started firing, anyway-if he’s likely to go after anyone in-particular, at least where I’m from, it would be anyone behind the register [if there is one], since that’s where guns are often-kept), so that’s not as big of an issue as many folks would like to make it out to be in the gun-community these days; if you have a guy going in ahead-of-time and scanning the crowd while conceal-carrying, himself, in a stable and non-suspicious way that you wouldn’t already be keeping tabs on, then you’re not dealing with the typical mass-shooter or any other type of typical bad-guy. Not open-carrying because a bad-guy may see your gun and decide he wants a fight with you first to get to other people seems like throwing away all of open-carrying’s benefits for a situation that will almost-never happen (a concealed-carrying, non-suspicious, chilled-out mass-shooter who acts casual and scans the room for guns: now undercover espionage, maybe, but not most mass-shooters, or almost any type of hostile, for that matter). Besides, most-everyone assumes most-everyone is armed in gun-friendly areas, anyway.
* You have honesty on your side: if anyone wants to give you trouble about carrying a gun openly, you can always say, “So you’d prefer that I try to sneak a gun into places, instead? I open-carry to be as honest as honest can be. If I were up to no-good, would I carry openly for everyone to see? I’m the good-guy: you don’t have to worry about me.”.
* It helps show that guns are a part of your life and a part of culture that isn’t going away and is still going strong, and it shows more about who you are and what beliefs you hold to those who see it.
* If you are in areas that are friendly to guns and gun-ownership, most-everyone assumes you’re armed anyway, so why not go open-carry and have its benefits?
Concealed-Carry:
* So long as you avoid printing (your gun being visible under your clothes, pretty-much), your having a gun should be secret, unless you come across metal-detectors or sniff-dogs (smelling the powder in the rounds: not the gun), and you will avoid drawing attention…maybe, I mean, because, sometimes, hostiles just might pick you to mess with, anyway, or even because you seem innocuous….
* It should be much harder for hostiles to grab your gun, though it will, also, be a bit more-challenging for you to get at it, too.
When I’m in a public area and someone openly questions why I open carry, I noticed over and over how many others around me give their full attention to my response. During this type of interaction (whether positive or negative) I see a wonderful opportunity to communicate to multiple people at the same time my easy-to-comprehend and respectful answer. To me these are good seeds that go a long way for establishing a positive image of a person (culture) who open carries.
The #1 question I get is, “Why are you carrying a gun?” My response is always, “To protect the innocent”. Plain and simple. This kind of response is difficult to argue against and often opens up a positive line of other questions.
The #2 question I get is, “Are you afraid of getting robbed?” My response (in context to this question) is always, “Absolutely not” (with a respectful smile), which is usually followed by, “Then why are you carrying a gun.” My follow up is, “Carrying a gun in a responsible way and training regularly is why I am not afraid of getting robbed”. This response either shuts down further questions or results in more questions related to being a responsible gun carrier or why bad guys are fundamentally cowards and typically try to avoid conflict.
James Abraham.... I don't believe you.
I prefer to be more gray man as well but understand why people open carry.
One thing I think is overlooked is retention. Too many of the holsters I see offer no significant way to keep the gun “proprietary to the owner.”
If I were to open carry I would use a level 2 or 3 retention holster.
John’s comments are appreciated.
I completely agree with you on the retention holsters. I think each has its place.
Ben definitely hit it. It can't be hidden all the time if we want our children to see it as normal. I used to be against it but now carry that way. It needs to be normal.
Many hide guns from kids. Then they find it and kill their self. When my boys were young I showed them what it would do to a bucket and told them it will do the same to your body. We’re a carrying family.
Open carry is the easiest way to make the Second Amendment normal again for blue cities.
I agree.
@@r.d.9399 it's illegal to open carry in Illinois. Not sure how to change that.
Right, because tv, movies, video games, literally every aspect of our culture hasn't done that yet.
Only made it 5 minutes in and have to comment. Thank you so much for the “…there are no blue states, only blue cities…” comment. All the podcasts and media I consume trash talk California and Californians every chance they get, and as a very native Californian who is not going to move away like the rest of the cowards, it bums me out. Thank you for being the first podcast to speak the truth. The more rural folks that leave a state, the more outnumbered the rest of us are that can’t or won’t leave. City folks have absolutely no idea, no connection to the actual reality of the natural world around them outside the city. It’s tragic.
Thank you for standing your ground , Matt. You and a few million more men with the same attitude could turn California around.
yeah bud I spent half my life in Cali, not just in major cities. Most of the people are completely braindead and spend their days working and then glued to CNN or Fox and just regurgitate whatever propaganda is shoved down their throats. No ability to think for themselves or take any kind of action to change or save their state, just work, go home, veg, rinse and repeat. The most awareness from a rural Californian is them complaining about liberal voters. But that's all they do, complain. They have never once made any sort of effort to change the trajectory of California. They just sit, complain and are still moronic enough to believe that voting actually matters and that if they vote really hard for red this time the Dems won't cheat, magically win and continue to destroy their home state...
I hear you, but I’m afraid you will never out number the wacko’s even if people didn’t keep leaving. Personally I wish they would stay there too because so many bring their commie ideas with them. It seems that they are so stupid that they know things aren’t right there, but can’t figure out what they’re running from, so they bring it with them. That’s my experience with the escapist that I’ve met anyway.
Great comment and agree with you take on this statement.
I am a fairly liberal California city dweller. when will people realize you can’t paint with a broad brush on complex topics? I vote left, I live in the city, I train with my guns regularly and I absolutely love getting out to the deserts and the mountains to enjoy all they have to offer. The reality is that most of us fall somewhere in the middle on the political spectrum and while we generally lean one way, depending on the topic, we can be on either side of the spectrum.
I am an "old geriatric " , a crippled old geriatric as well.. The only thing I have against open carry is fear of having my gun taken away. Being past my prime I avoid the possibility of being in a hand fight to defend my gun.
For sure get a retention holster
concealed carry it is!
You do realize they make retention holsters, right? If you're as situationally aware as you should be, you would probably be fine.
@@MrFixItGayou do realize open carry means everyone can see you have a gun right? Like maybe a bad guy that already has a gun. Sometimes not drawing a huge target on yourself saying “shoot me first, I’m the guy with a pistol on my hip!” Is better.
That's fair. It has to be a decision that everyone makes for themselves and if you are not comfortable with it then by all means conceal it. However, I open carry so when someone sees me open the door and am polite it changes their attitude towards gun owners.
I started open carrying daily in 2020 for all the reasons listed in this video, and as a response to the events of that year. Nutnfancy did a video "Open Carry, Hell Yes!" that came out in Spring of 2020 and made a good argument for it. He also suggested that if you're gonna do it, carry a big gun to make a statement. That's when I got into long-barrel magnum revolvers. Don't do it if your situational awareness sucks.
I like old TNP videos. I used to watch everyone about 11 years ago
@@nativewarrior5052 He's still the best.
After 45 years of daily carry as a private citizen and a police officer, I've decided that the open carry/concealed carry thing (where both are legal options) is a lot like choosing our clothing based on what you plan to be doing. A mature adult does not show up at a formal event in shorts and flip flops, and neither do they wear a suit and tie to a beach party. What I mean is that each of us has to use some common sense on how we decide. I'm sure both of these wardrobe choices would be real conversation starters, but a mature adult would not do either.
For example, if I'm going to a more rural area where I sense that others are not going to freak out over seeing my pistol on my hip, I probably wouldn't bother "covering up" when I stop at the country store for gas and coffee. But if I'm back in the city and get a call from home that I need to pick up a few things at a crowded grocery store full of city dwellers, I'm probably going to take a second after parking my car to throw my vest on over my pistol. There are a lot of people who are not comfortable with guns, and have been subjected to a steady diet of "guns are evil" propaganda. Why frighten those people? If they see my gun inadvertently and want to have a conversation, they can ask, and I'll be super nice to them and make time to talk.
My default for nearly the last half century has been concealed carry unless in uniform, and open carry only in situations where I think it's in good taste and I'm not giving up a significant tactical advantage. It's not like it has to be all one way or another. Well, it sort of does for me because I retired to Florida, and although concealed carry is very easy (we go to no-permit concealed carry on July 1) open carry is generally not allowed here unless engaged in certain specified activities.
I like the way you think Tom.
I think "we" all know why folks open carry...
Exactly, if cops can open carry so to should citizens
Without the police unconstitutional laws have no effect. Police don't get to decide what is ok for the people. Oathbreakers are why the 2nd amendment is so butchered up
"where legal". Hm. Why? Is legality the line showing us right from wrong? If it is, 😂 that's a funny joke. If it is not, then again why? Because it's safer to appease authorities and not break their arbitrary rules? Is that not just cowardice? Don't worry, I don't have a big argument I need to get into, just throwing out some thoughts. Y'all have a good one and stay free.
I used to only conceal carry then I decided to buy a new holster to open carry and I wore it around the house doing yard work and what not just to get used to it and my neighbors were absolutely terrified that I had a firearm that they could see. They called the cops on us and the cops had to explain to them that we have a 2nd amendment right and we live in Texas… they were crazy people but I open carried all the time after they freaked out. I just wanted to try my new holster out around the house to see if I liked it, never thought it would become such a problem. That being said, I still like open carry.
In VA we have open carry. I personally open carry everywhere I go. I use a IWB holster and tuck my shirt for the world to see. I try to hit the range once a week for practice and I am very aware of my surroundings. I've had people come up to me that tell me they feel safer or just conversations about what they carry. PROTECT 2A AT ALL COSTS.
I've been open carrying fairly regularly since 2012. I remember some of the attitudes even from the gun community about it. I've been trying to explain these points about open carry for years. It's so great to finally see folks like yourself putting these ideas out there from a much bigger platform. ❤️
"Dirty things," get concealed from public view. Guns shouldn't be one of them.
The more people see how many of us there are, the more they'll come to realize we aren't the enemy: we're their neighbors, friends, allies, etc.
I started to carry in 2020. Plan was to cc. But I gave op a try. And said f it I'll just stick with this.
As a Wisconsinite, I was involved with a group called Wisconsin Carry years ago before we finally got CC. I would have loved to been involved in this conversation! Wisconsin Carry started because our former governor kept vetoing CC laws and saying we didn't need concealed carry because it was perfectly legal to open carry a firearm. Well, we as a group took him up on that. We literally had "open carry picnics" all over the state. I'm sure you can google more than a few news clips about us. We made up flyers on WI gun rights and handed them out all over including getting into parades. As I recall, Wisconsin Carry started the open carry movement here for 2 main reasons. 1st was to create an environment here to ultimately get a CC bill passed. 2nd was, well it quickly turned into, a movement to help the general public get more comfortable with an "armed society". We open carried everywhere we could and very often. At the time I had an infant daughter and I always open carried a G20. It was hilarious to see peoples reactions to me and my family living our normal lives when they noticed the firearm. Most of the time it was good but of course a few people didn't like it.....usually they asked if it was loaded and got offended when I said yes. Anyway....I could go on and on........
We didn't have nearly as many encounters with LEO than expected. Long story short, It was because of Wisconsin Carry that we ended up with the closest thing to constitutional carry as possible. I cc now 95% of the time simply to avoid all the social interaction that happens. That said.....I love it when I see people OC which happens fairly often in walmarts and such. I'm on the west coast of WI.
I'm honestly surprised it wasn't an issue renewing my ccw considering who our Gov. is. I'm in southeast Wisconsin (Waukesha).
I'm in south central Wisconsin and joined Wisconsin Carry back before we got concealed carry. I don't see anyone OCing anymore, and I typically only do so at home now, but this video has me thinking about OCing more.
@@gaifu1 open carrying negates some of the legal benefits of ccw in WI. It’s smarter overall to ccw than to oc. Tactically it’s a wiser move too.
open carry is definitely a different beast. Just be respectful, use a level 2 retention holster and be aware of your surroundings which should be second nature regardless of OC, concealed or no carry. Stay safe America!!
I Open Carry EVERY SINGLE DAY. The best situation I ever had was when an elderly woman approached me in the grocery store and said "I want to thank you for open carrying in here today. I feel so much safer." So I abandoned my cart and took over hers and said "Let me escort you in your shopping today."
Walking and talking with her in the grocery store made my day.
I have actually met you while Open Carrying in Fort Worth.
Thigh rig, full retention holster.
yes, ill take that never happened for $500
But If You EVER Really Have To Actually Use It, You'll Go To JAIL!! I'm Serious!!
@@kennybrannan lol, you’re full of shit. no you won’t, as long as you defended yourself according to state and federal laws
@@kennybrannan Depends on the state you are in. I would rather go to jail doing the right things than stand there and watch someone get assaulted or murdered and just live with the trauma and shame of doing nothing like a coward. Most of the world is filled with cowards who do nothing in the face of evil behavior. I refuse to live that way.
@amandaanderson4148 people have a duty to protect themselves. I feel no duty to protect anyone other than my family. If you consider that cowardly your just ignorant.
When I teach classes I have always said, "I fully support open carriers, because when the bad guys are attacking them it gives me time to react". I appreciate the other perspective though. Now I can share pros and cons.
That's about a shithead mentality. The whole concept of an open carrier being taken out first is ridiculous. As if the bad guy isn't all amped up with tunnel vision and is some how gonna focus on some random person in a store, building, restaurant and take them out. Keep on lickingbthe leftists boots.
I'm in North Idaho and I see quite a bit of open carry, and I feel the same as lot of the folks in the video, "This is someone signally that they take the safety of their community seriously and are willing to act." If they wanted to do something nefarious, they would hide their tools away from the public's view. People who fear guns, instead of fearing malicious intents, want us to hide them from view, which makes us look like the ne'er-do-wells.
All of those open carrying in North Idaho are scaring the California and Seattle transplants. They moved to North Idaho for the lower taxes and cheaper property, not to be living in fear of being shot...or some other nonsense.
Those who moved to N. Idaho soley for cheap property are not wanted. The people that complain that the city isn't snow-shoveling their sidewalk or that we don't have enough housing and too much Prairie, shouldn't move here. We like open carry, side-by-sides, boating, freedom from regulations, being allowed to use our property the way we see fit.
@NightStalker it was those freedoms that drew my family here. We help our neighbors shovel snow, I'm active with the VFW, and looking at homeschooling coops for my kids. I love the wilderness and open spaces everywhere.
Well said
I don't fear guns, I fear untrained people with guns. To me safety training + psych eval should be mandatory when buying any kind of firearrm. PS: I'm pro 2A
Without even listening to the points yet, my biggest case for open carry is that is so much more comfortable to carry. You don't have to worry about the gun cutting into your gut or side carrying IWB or constantly worrying about whether your shirt has rode up over your gun carrying OWB. Point being, I am more likely to carry my weapon comfortably than in discomfort.
I’m a concealed carry fan, I’ve carried all my adult life. I was a cop for 23 years and an old Marine, I don’t care how anyone carries honesty but I prefer concealed carry. I feel that if I were a bad guy and people are open carrying and I was intent on my mission they are my first targets.
If you were a bad guy and noted numerous people open carrying you just might conduct business elsewhere.
@Colonel Angus bingo, but nobody seems to ever think of this. If your going to kill anyway does it even matter then. No
If I was a scumbag and I didn't see anyone with a weapon you're now playing roulette lol
My number 1 case for open carry is that isn't impossible for us to acclimatize people to the presence of guns if they never see them on people.
what?
@@MarcumUP The only way for people to get used to seeing, and being comfortable with people in their society carrying guns is if they see people doing it openly with no troubles occurring.
All of the tactical issues involved are better with concealed carry though.
enough people and enough time , no different then when everyone did open carry and our rights were taken away state by state
Great subject, here in Ohio we just went constitutional carry last year but always been an open carry state. I've been open carrying for 5 years now and when people ask me why I carry a gun i just ask them "why dont you?" Great show, keep up the good work, God bless.
I'm in Ohio as well. I open carry daily. I was hoping for constitutional carry so I didn't have to disarm every time I got in my car.
Wisconsin resident here, I see quite a few people open carrying here and there but it’s quite rare to see these days. I live up near Genoa and around my neighborhood there’s very low crime rate, you’d have to go looking for trouble to find it. Everyone knows everyone so good luck having no witnesses. But regardless I’ve thought about getting a nice open carry holster with an optimal retention system and open carrying just because I can. Just to “stretch my legs” and exercise my right. If people don’t like guns in America, there’s the door 🚪.
John, you make some very valid points but, at the end of the day, the element of surprise is the best action needed. After 21 years of Law Enforcement experience, i realize that if i carry open i become a target for the BAD guy and can't help anyone if i'm taken out of the fight. I truly appreciate your service to the Republic and all you do. May the Lord bless you sir..in TN.
Then why do LEO’s open carry?
@@CowboyinDallas94 probably because they are Law ENFORCEMENT. I’ve got a few close buddies who are cops and off duty, they never open carry. And honestly that’s a pretty silly question.
@@CowboyinDallas94 Regardless, open carry makes anyone a target.
Plenty of factors make someone a target. Having a pistol on your hip is as likely to make you a deterrent as it is to make you a target.
Roger that! After 30 years in Law Enforcement my opinion of "Open Cary" is you might as well put a sign around your neck saying "Shoot me first"!
As a wisconsite I tend to open carry when not working at least 98% of the time as it is legal in the state and tends to adjust people's attitudes. Also it is a great opportunity to respectfully and nicely change the opinions of people on those who tend to carry a firearm.
yeah until you get popped from behind
@@Sheepdog1314 I can respect the opinion however if you aren't unholstering or presenting then the other person is in the wrong. Remembering that you have the right to carry a firearm is the key. Also I do avoid going into certain areas that are shady and generally unsafe to this lvl as unfortunately it doesn't really matter if you have concealed or not or even have a weapon you are generally a target. Chicago/Milwaukee/Madison/Detroit/other major cities are generally unsafe no matter where you go so yeah everyone is a potential target then. Anyways again I can respect the opinion however that is a rather extreme circumstance that has many moving parts to it.
@@James-kg1wf the other person being in the wrong doesn’t matter when you have a golf ball sized hole in your forehead
@Long Johnson the thing is, criminals are most likely not going even attempt a crime if they see someone is also carrying, because they know they'd have to deal with them first, and most criminals aren't going to just smoke you for your gun and take that chance.
edit: also just to add, that if you're open carrying, then your head would be even more on a swivel than if you were carrying concealed, so you'd likey give yourself more time to react.
@@DirtyCiv Agreed. Wolves don't want to fight, they want to win. They don't want to get hurt.
I've been carrying a handgun for 30+ years (here in nw Alabama)...the last 10 years have been open carrying daily.
I've had no real negative experiences carrying openly, but early on I did have a few opportunities to educate people as a result.
I've heard the argument countless times that open carry predisposeds one to targeting at the outset of a violent crime, but that is easily countered by considering how many people who are either genuinely unarmed or are concealed carrying and appear unarmed actually being targeted. The overwhelming majority of those attacked either are or appear to be unarmed.
I made my choice a decade ago and have developed the situational awareness and retention/security mindset habits to be confident in my decision.
I get a few commenters to my channel in disagreement, but to a person they are dealing in hypotheticals and theory concerning something of which they have no experience with, while I have moved way past theory and solidly into the realm of practical experience.
Greetings from NE Alabama!
I grew up in northwest AL. Live in MS because family is here. I love both states!
Canadian here...no carry allowed here [open or otherwise], but when I was in Arizona a few years ago for a conference, we went on a desert jeep ride and the drivers were all dressed up as very authentic looking cowboys and they all carried with single action revolvers, frequently two, and a bowie knife. I loved it. On the way to the desert, we stopped at a 7-11 and nobody acted like these guys were anything out of the ordinary. It should be allowed in my country to...but it's not.
I used to open carry all the time when I lived in Arizona. I moved to Indiana and everyone FREAKS OUT!! Used to be, myself and someone would just agree to have different preferences on open/concealed carry. Then in Indiana, it amazed me how ANGRY people got being against open carry.
Bullshit. I've lived in Indiana most of my life and never experienced what you just wrote.
I've OC'ed a bunch in IN and well and never experienced this, but I never was in Terre Haute.
You should quit being a B and open carry two guns
Where in Indiana? I live in the NE part of IN, but I don't feel like I've heard people freaking out about it
@@Mr._Infamous Ah. Of course. Because I had a different experience than you, that MUST mean it’s BS.
As somebody who open carries as of right now because I am a new gun owner and I am in the process of getting my CPL as well I can tell you that every encounter that I've had so far for like the last month of me owning my firearm every encounter has been good in fact the mailman stopped me the other day and asked me what I was carrying ! The day after that one of the neighbor ladies who lives where I live came up to talk to me and since I've bought it I've kept it with me 24/7 outside my house! But I do credit myself with being very knowledgeable like I don't just stupidly purchase something without researching it and then continuously educating myself on it hence the reason why I'm watching this I actually just purchased some new belts that are rigid and specifically designed for both types of carries I personally have found it more comfortable to open appendix carry meaning that it's out in the open but it's in the appendix location forgive my vernacular like I said I'm a new gun owner the reason why is because I've noticed that if you are open carrying having it in the appendix position makes it a lot harder for anyone to get access to it unless you allow them to get close enough to you face to face to grab it and you shouldn't be letting that happen anyways in the main reason why I prefer the open carry is so I can draw it faster ... Sorry for the long comment I appreciate anyone and everyone's time for reading
What kind of holster do you have for open carrying in the appendix position?
I open carry in 38 states and conceal in Florida. Simply being aware and controlled is how I go through everyday as a truck driver. I get more “thank yous’ “ than any other type of interaction. I walk everywhere legally I can. I simply follow the laws and move with purpose.
Staccato C2 - SouthernTrapper leather holster.
I carry the Canik Elite SC, damn fine CC/OC pistol!
Yup. No open carry in FL... Yet
From my experience, it can attract unwanted attention, but could depend on your location. Some people become uncomfortable seeing a firearm in public. Open carrying also can identify you as a potential threat and can remove the element of suprise. There is also the possibility of being dissarmed by someone attempting to steal your sidearm. I have opted to conceal from now on.
but if everyone did it, then you wouldnt do any of those things
@@JohnDoe-tv4zdNot everyone is going to open carry. Not to mention there are many places that do not allow it. I lived in Denver, where open carry is illegal, but in western Colorado it is common place. I'm currently in AZ where it is divided.
I prefer to conceal carry and there is nothing wrong with open carry. I like to keep my gun concealed just my preferred method.
I have literally seen a man get his gun stolen while he was handing his money to the clerk in a gas station.
It was in a bad part of town, in a bad town (Jackson MS).
It was an earlier style retention holster, and the guy that took his gun knew exactly how to take it.
I will never forget the look on that man's face. His gun was gone, and out the door before he knew what was happening.
I was carrying concealed, but I wasn't about to get involved in that.
My buddy's dad was grabbing something out of his work truck, and he turned around with tools in in hands to see two guys holding guns to his face.
He was open carrying, and those guys only took his gun. They didn't even ask for his wallet, truck keys, or tools.
Yeah.....I will continue to CC.
@@letsdothis9063 I like the idea of open carry for the reasons stated in the video, and in some comments. But man is this a compelling argument against it
I personally don't open carry, but I have always told my kids. If you see a person with a gun on their hip, that those are the people they should be comfortable with. Because those are the people who are most likley going to defend them if something goes down.
Good man