Open Carry? a USCCA opinion

[sharkey]

I am just going to OC and CC a .50BMG pistol with a 7.5" barrel and be done with it….

If you have to touch one off in the car, I HOPE you get it on film!

 

[arthrimus]

If you are attacked by a criminal, one of you is going to be surprised for sure, and it's not going to be the criminal. I can't believe that this defensive element of surprise bull is still being spouted by people who should be in the know about these things. When you are being attacked, they are on offense and you are on defense. There is no such thing as a defensive surprise. There is no tactical advantage to Concealed Carry. All that matters during an attack is reaction time, and the time it takes you to coerce your weapon from it's concealed location could be the time it takes to get you killed. Open Carry is faster, and more efficient every single time, and speed is a REAL defensive tactical advantage.

The "OC makes you a target" argument is equally ridiculous. OC makes you a target alright, a HARD TARGET, as opposed to all of the much safer soft targets nearby for a criminal to choose from. It's not enough that there is no documented case of it happening, and that criminal psychologists have written papers breaking down the psychology of thieves and backing this point, simple logic alone suffices to bust this myth.

There's nothing wrong with CC, I do it as regularly as OC, but I do not fool myself into believing that CC is superior to OC in any way other than that it draws less attention from the sheeple (and is agreeable with my boss's sensibilities.)

Remember, when tenths of a second count, your deep concealment piece is only tens of seconds away.

 

[SteveM4A1]

The "OC makes you a target" argument is equally ridiculous. OC makes you a target alright, a HARD TARGET, as opposed to all of the much safer soft targets nearby for a criminal to choose from. It's not enough that there is no documented case of it happening, and that criminal psychologists have written papers breaking down the psychology of thieves and backing this point, simple logic alone suffices to bust this myth.

If you are referring to the "you'll be shot first" idea, then you are correct and I am not aware of it ever happening. If you are referring to OCer's being targeted for criminal action because of their handgun, there are a few stories where it seems criminals have targeted OCer's for their firearms.

Man Legally Carrying Gun Robbed at Gunpoint - 620 WTMJ - Milwaukee's Source for Local News and Weather

I believe one of the officers on this very site stated they had a case where an OCer was robbed of his firearm while washing his vehicle as well.

This is why situational awareness is so important. "Remember though, your best weapon is between your ears and under your scalp -provided it's loaded." — Robert A. Heinlein

This coming from an adamant open carrier.

 

[cbhausen]

If I were the victim I'd be putting one of those "rob me, my house is a GFZ" signs on that neighbor's house. And keeping my head out of my ass from now on. Oh yeah, and I'd keep carrying any way I wanted regardless of what some stupid politician says.

 

[cce1302]

If you are referring to the "you'll be shot first" idea, then you are correct and I am not aware of it ever happening. If you are referring to OCer's being targeted for criminal action because of their handgun, there are a few stories where it seems criminals have targeted OCer's for their firearms.

Man Legally Carrying Gun Robbed at Gunpoint - 620 WTMJ - Milwaukee's Source for Local News and Weather

I believe one of the officers on this very site stated they had a case where an OCer was robbed of his firearm while washing his vehicle as well.

This is why situational awareness is so important. "Remember though, your best weapon is between your ears and under your scalp -provided it's loaded." — Robert A. Heinlein

This coming from an adamant open carrier.

Read that story you linked to again. He had been mugged before when he was not open carrying.

The victim didn't want to go on camera but said he carried the gun because he had been jumped and held up at knife point in the past.

Although for some reason,

He believes, in his case, open carry made him a target and he will no longer do it.

I believe he was targeted the second time in spite of open carry, not because of it.

 

[SteveM4A1]

Read that story you linked to again. He had been mugged before when he was not open carrying.


Although for some reason,


I believe he was targeted the second time in spite of open carry, not because of it.

That's great, but you can't know for sure. If you reread my post, you will see my words "it seems".

 

[cce1302]

That's great, but you can't know for sure. If you reread my post, you will see my words "it seems".

Exactly.

That's precisely the reason that story shouldn't be used in support of the "OC will get you targeted" myth.