There always seems to be a lot of fuss over what may be considered the perfect everyday carry gun. The go-to gun tends to change over time, ranging from the GLOCK 26 to the Ruger LCP to the SIG P365.
People tend to follow trends and gun guys are no different. Haven’t we all checked out or bought a new gun because so-and-so ran it so well or That Dude Over There had one and it looked so sweet? Don’t lie, you have.
And once you’ve acquired that “perfect” carry gun, you have to…you know, carry it. OWB or IWB? AIWB or strong side hip? Open carry or concealed carry? Opinions and arguments go on, endlessly, but I’m here to end it, once and for all.
Open carry is stupid. There. Easy, right?
Before you start goin on about “muh rights,” allow me to explain. There’s really nothing I love more than a good rant.
Many years ago, there was a time I’d attend gun rights rallies or run errands with my gun—back then, usually a GLOCK—openly carried on my hip. It was amusing how the guys in Starbucks in Olympia, Washington got irritated. Somehow how the average person totally failed to understand it was My Right.
Obviously that was in an era that pre-dates the advent of the Evergreen State’s current rabidly anti-gun climate. The last gun rights rally I attended was an attempt to halt the progress of I-594, a bill I now see as the beginning of the end in that state, but I digress.
Open carrying at rallies or the store when it was wholly unnecessary was immature, reckless, and flat-out stupid. I didn’t open carry at the I-594 rally so it’s sort of appropriate it was my last Washington State gun rights protest.
What happened to change my approach? I’d been getting training, reading, and learning from people like Marty Hayes and Mas Ayoob.
Spoiler alert: good training turns you into a more responsible gun owner.
Today, I reserve open carry for my own property, classes that demand it, or private gatherings of like-minded friends where BBQ guns are a thing. You can find me in my truck driving down a fence line, filling feeders, and shooting feral hogs with a favorite handgun holstered behind my strong side hip. It’s definitely more comfortable and sure, you can also shave a few seconds off your drawstroke.
I’ve also driven across the country with a gun concealed AIWB and it was perfectly fine. If you’re curious about gun size, that was a GLOCK 48, because while I’m capable of concealing a full-sized handgun, it’s a lot easier to conceal compacts AIWB.
On a road trip? It’s definitely not ideal for me to AIWB a full-sized handgun.
From a tactical standpoint, open carry is…unwise. There are a lot of guys who will argue that having a visible firearm serves as a deterrent. Mr. Bad Dude, they reason, will see that gun and think twice about messing with [insert location here].
However, Mr. Bad Dude is just as likely to see Dude With Visible Weapon as the first target to take out. That or Bad Dude might think, hey!…a freebie!…and proceed to take that gun (ask me how many hardcore open carriers have proper handgun retention training).
When you conceal your gun, you take any potential weapons-based target off your back, you stop looking like a loot drop, and you retain the element of surprise.
Aside from that, concealed carry is a fantastic way to move through society unnoticed. No, I’m not going to go into a Gray Man rant, I’m just saying there’s never a good reason to draw unnecessary attention to yourself. There’s no need for the swagger, flash, and perceived ego stroke of an open carry handgun in your local grocery store. You can at least grab a light cover garment, guys. It isn’t that difficult.
Even better, concealed carry is legally easier than ever now thanks to the fact that permitless carry is now a thing in more than half the country. Ideally, you’re going to have some sort of training beyond a random state-mandated class—which we all know is woefully inadequate—before you carry a gun at all. But that’s not the reality of things. The reality is more gun owners don’t bother to train than do.
We all go through some sort of evolution process as gun owners. We start out with cheap nylon holsters and a general disregard for silly things like high round count training and move into better retention holsters and the occasional class. Then, hopefully, we shift into responsible gun owner/defender mode and take our training and gear seriously.
We become proponents of holsters like the PHLster Enigma and realize that turtling our heads when we shoot is silly. Our guns are tools and we learn to respect that fully—and we understand that there’s always more to learn. Well, many of us do.
Wherever you are in your story as a gun owner, this is your sign to quit with the open carry. You know I’m not talking about your holstered gun while your riding a fence or at home, I’m talking about thinking it’s A Good Idea to go pick up chips and dip at Walmart with an open carry P320 (then getting mad when you’re asked to leave or you find yourself at People of Walmart).
“But muh rights!”
Quit with all that about your rights. This isn’t about your rights. Your gun rights address your right to possess and bear arms, not your right to be a moron. Sure, being stupid isn’t illegal—but sometimes it’d be nice if it was.
Open carry doesn’t further your gun rights or anyone else’s. And it doesn’t make the kind of positive statement you think it does. It makes people who might otherwise be on the fence or allies uncomfortable—and yes, that matters.
More immediately, it turns you into a target, whether as the first victim or a loot drop. You’re inviting trouble, and that’s the exact opposite of what a responsible gun owner does.
Want to practice open carry? Go find an empty field and spin around singing about the hills being alive like Maria on the mountaintop. When you’re in public, concealed carry is the way to go, and if your skills aren’t up to that task, well, that’s a you problem. Go get some training, and grow up.
28 Responses
What a bullshit rant.
If you live in a community where no one gives a fuck, then open carry. I see people carrying all the time, and I do when I go local. There are many such places across this blessed land. In fact, if you don’t live in one, I suggest you find one and move there. It makes a difference. The pearl-clutchers that take pictures in Wal-Mart and rant on gun web sites, can go fuck themselves.
“There are a lot of guys who will argue that having a visible firearm serves as a deterrent. Mr. Bad Dude, they reason, will see that gun and think twice about messing with [insert location here].
However, Mr. Bad Dude is just as likely to see Dude With Visible Weapon as the first target to take out.”
In my world, “likelihood” refers to probability / math. We don’t have reliable stats on private citizens, but we do know that of roughly one million LEOs (almost all OCing), deterring millions of crimes, on average <2 are killed each year with their own weapons. Note that this does NOT mean “ambushed as targets of opportunity and killed because they were OCing”; it also includes the (likely substantial majority) who drew their guns for work and had them taken in a struggle.
VIDEO: Man snatches gun from man at Detroit gas station counter
https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2021/02/18/video-man-snatches-gun-from-man-at-detroit-gas-station-counter/
It can happen to anyone, anytime, anyplace. Even you.
“The Pontiac G6 they fled in did not have a license plate.”
LOLOLOL! Guess what demographic THEY belonged to!
Both of them left their prints on the door.
So, ONE story. The mass news media hates armed citizens and would love to show how terrible it is to carry. So you found one story supporting the theory that open carry makes a person a target. Should be plenty of others. I’d love to see how many you can post.
Seems like the real problem is trashy people doing trashy things in trashy ways in full view of anyone who may not be trashy.
Show a pic of any clean and kempt person properly carrying in a quality holster and most everyone would just assume that person is supposed to be doing that.
Amazing how far clean clothes and a haircut goes to differentiate yourself from gutter trash. Suddenly you’re a cop, guard, millionaire or Republican because you decided against wearing pajamas.
“Seems like the real problem is trashy people doing trashy things in trashy ways in full view of anyone who may not be trashy.”
Chris Rock nailed it years back:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zIcK8SKWn8
*Every* demographic has these people…
Geoff,
Plenty of “po’ white trash” out there. Objectively, many fewer (per capita) Indian and Asian gangbangers, but there definitely are “Asian gangs” (and they are some nasty people, too). As Viktor Frankly told us, “There are two races of men in this world, but only these two—the “race” of the decent man and the “race” of the indecent man.”
It is axiomatic that crimes overwhelmingly tend to be committed by . . . people inclined to ignore private property, disrespect the rights of others, and commit violence. Now, there are some identifiable demographic/cultural trends on the frequency of such people in certain demographic groups/cultures, but . . . such people come in all colors, shapes, and sizes.
Excellent reply, thank you.
I don’t carry open because of my age and physical abilities not to mention less mental acuteness.
I don’t see good, wear hearing aids and am not physically or mentally astute as I was once upon a time.
Yes, I realize not everyone is at my stage in life.
Concealed is ……….well concealed and what others don’t know doesn’t hurt them.
Carrying open could hurt you, if the wrong person decides to do the wrong thing.
There is no way to know the mind set of every person in one’s presence, thus a concealed gun
removes the visual side effects from the scene. If a person desires to be macho so much, then
go to a gym and flex muscles perhaps impressing the ladies.
Not every place a person may go in their community may be as tolerant of open carry and concealed
carry removes that possibility. What they don’t know doesn’t hurt them. What a person does on their
property is their business, but when in public concealed carry is simply common sense.
Real men don’t have to demonstrate their manliness in an open carry manner.
“Not every place a person may go in their community may be as tolerant of open carry and concealed
carry removes that possibility.”
While true, there’s real value in educating the public (and the cops!) that open carry is perfectly legal in limited circumstances in places like Florida, believe it or not. There’s a guy here in Florida doing yeoman’s work in acclimating the public (and the police!) that gun carry is *normal*…
https://www.youtube.com/@TheArmedFisherman
Here’s a YouTube lawyer Tom reacting to a pro se (?) deposition he gave to a cop that violated his civil rights. He flat took that cop apart :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40-lLXvqTVE&pp=ygUcYXJtZWQgZmlzaGVybWFuIGF0dG9ybmV5IHRvbQ%3D%3D
Hush,
“There is no way to know the mind set of every person in one’s presence, thus a concealed gun
removes the visual side effects from the scene.”
As usual, wisdom.
A reasoned voice responding to an accusatory ( but enjoyable) rant.
“Some guy who thinks his pocket is a holster.”
{ Raises hand }
My Ruger LCR in .357 (or .327) disappears into my front pocket slick as snot, and the long, heavy, DOA trigger works just dandy as a safety for me. *Zero* concerns about an ND while carrying.
On the upside, the cargo pants I wear have pockets so roomy, I can easily draw while driving, if I needed to.
EDIT – Dunno why, but the skinny skank with a single-shot muzzle-loader on her hip was turning me on.
Hey, deb, do you look like her? 😉
Geoff…………..,
Also a pocket carry fan….but only when I do not feel like carrying the weight of my M&P 9mm. My Glock 43 rides in a Sticky holster inside a cargo pocket. ALWAYS a pocket holster because….well…it’s a Glock.
Geoff, the DeSantis Super Fly holster works great for pocket carry. They have some other pocket holsters made for cargo pockets.
“Quit with all that about your rights. This isn’t about your rights. Your gun rights address your right to possess and bear arms, not your right to be a moron. Sure, being stupid isn’t illegal—but sometimes it’d be nice if it was.”
– Kat Stevens
And that’s where this author lost me. You don’t like how I might carry? If it’s only a personal preference and you’re not in any danger, just look the other way and promptly walk off in that direction. Geez.
Relax, Haz. Kat started off saying this was a rant. She is having some fun. And trying to provoke some dialogue.
That said, I always consider what you have to say.
She admitted the rant, yes. I just re-read the article, and I’m not seeing the “fun” angle.
“Open carrying at rallies or the store when it was wholly unnecessary was immature, reckless, and flat-out stupid.”
I’ve OC’d at stores (outside of CA in Free America), and nobody batted an eye. But now I know Kat thinks my expression of my liberty was immature, reckless, and flat-out stupid.
Haz,
I devoutly wish “open carry” WAS ‘normalized’ (it should be). But it isn’t. Even in states/places where it is legal, I don’t, because I don’t want to be hassled by some uptight, hoplophobic dumbass. Keeping it concealed just makes my life easier. Even with a good concealed carry holster, strong side hip carry is the most accessible place to have your gun (and I would argue weak side shoulder carry ranks second). But that’s a personal choice, and I try not to judge others based on my personal preferences. So, I opt for concealed carry, but if we ever succeeded in getting open carry ‘normalized’, I’d switch to it in a heartbeat.
It will never become normalized again as long as POTG keep calling it “stupid and reckless”, prompting carriers to always conceal.
Yes, CC is optimum, and I prefer it as much as anyone. But there are times when I’ll choose (when traveling in Free America) to OC. If anyone doesn’t like it, don’t worry…you aren’t with me and never even knew I was doing it, so…
We live in an era where blacks can riot with impunity while the cops, the FBI, and Congress kneel for them, homosexuals can literally engage in anal sex during pride parades, and no one bats an eye, but if you carry a firearm openly, a GOD GIVEN RIGHT, people, including, amazingly, gun owners, get upset.
We are a fucked up country.
I agree with the premise of the “rant”. I open carry out of town, forest or desert. In town concealed. Low profile old guy, stealth, wouldn’t hurt a fly, broke and watchful.
Fudds gonna Fudd
Welcome to TTAG 2.0…
“My heroes have always been cowboys….” And they all OC’d. I’ll stick with Gene Autry on this.
The PHLster Enigma
https://www.phlsterholsters.com/phlster-enigma/
Screwing the draw motion can result in quite the ballbuster.
As to the idea that open carry will get you shot, or get your gun taken away, please show me some real-world examples of that happening. After all, it should be easy. The mass news media hates armed citizens and would undoubtedly love to show how carrying openly leads to bad things happening. Therefore it should be an easy task to quote multiple recent instances of this occurring. Do I open carry? Not often, but that’s not the point. I am a sample size of one. If others want to open carry, in a responsible manner (holstered handgun), then that’s the other person’s business, not mine. Showing a bunch of examples of people open carrying badly is just stupid. Most people who carry do so using a holster, including those who open carry. If you don’t like it, then don’t do it, it’s really that simple. But stop trying to use hyperbole and a handful of outliers to convince people to not do so.