Open Carry

[Arisaka99]

Hey guys, some of you know me, some don't, but those that do, know that this year I'll hit the magical age in the firearm community, 18. One of the beauties of living in Virginia is that at 18, we can own and open carry pistols. I intend to do so fully, until I turn 21. The only problem is, most of the info I encounter on the web is tips on CC, not OC. I figured with such an array of people on the board, y'all would have some good tips and tricks that you could share. I would greatly appreciate any advice given! If it helps, I am 6'5", fairly stock build, and plan on carrying a full size 1911 cocked and locked, and I'm a lefty. Thanks guys!

[LUBEDUDE]

Congrats on turning 18 and excercising your right!

I carry a 1911 cocked and locked as well but concealed. Be prepared for noneducated types to point out how your gun is "unsafe" because it is cocked! Be patient and polite with them.

[smokeywolf]

Hope you've got an ambidextrous thumb safety.

[Jim]

Chris, you might wanna ask Wayne to teach you how to deal with confrontations. When you open carry, you can rest assured it's comin'.

[300savage]

Yeah I got a little advice. Good leather thumb break holster with a little forward cant. El Paso saddlery sells a cool one with the stars and stripes tooled into it. Wear it just behind your left hipbone with one in the pipe. Wear it with pride like it just grew there until you would rather leave home without your undies than without your pistol. Wear it until you uncomfortable without it. Not because you are paranoid, but because you are prepared. Prepared to use it to protect your life and those you care about. And not only those people but even those you don't care about, even those who would condemn or sneer at you for wearing it. And
Pray that you never have to use it to end a persons life, but also pray that if you do ever have to pull it for that reason you use it with a cool mind and you shoot it straight. And read all you can about how to handle the aftermath of a shooting so you don't become the victim of the system.

I know I would feel more comfortable with you around watching me and my families back, as I hope you would knowing I will be watching yours.

We hang together, or...

[Blammer]

this may sound really stupid but....

GO TAKE a CCH class, yes it will NOT be anygood for your CCH as it will likely expire, but the INFORMATION you get will be PRICELESS! and well worth it. you will find out exactly where you can and cannot carry CCH, then just apply it to Open carry.

They will give you LOTS of information and WHAT the LEO's will expect and how to act to keep it all calm and cool.

Get a thumbreak holster, its' MORE secure. Open carry is sorta important that way.

Rule one in open carry. If someone who works at a business or owns it asks you to leave you must. NO argueing, it doesn't matter. You must comply. Don't get mad, just feel sorry for them.

[Hamish]

What Blammer said. Excellent advice.

Congrats on being a big Lefty, rocking the 1911, we are pretty magnificent specimens!

[km101]

Why until you turn 21?

As stated, be prepared for confrontation, from both civilians who don't know/care about open carry laws and Law Enforcement who are either uncomfortable with open carry or are ignorant of the law. And yes, there are LEO's who don't know the law and you might run into one. Be calm, be courteous, and be professional, but stand up for your rights. You need to be prepared to show them the law in writing if necessary. Having a printed copy on your person would be a good idea.

We are trying to get open carry here in Texas, so I have studied some of the laws and corresponded with several "experts" on CCW and open carry. Some people don't recommend open carry because you can become a target for an armed bad guy that you are not aware of in a robbery situation. This is something that you have already decided for yourself, so you must be especially aware when you are carrying openly. The bad guys can see your weapon and you could become a target just like uniformed LEO's in any situation. You have to be very aware of your surroundings, especially when carrying openly.

It would also be a good idea to talk to an attorney and get some guidelines on how to handle yourself in the event you are ever involved in a shooting situation. You don't want to be stressed and excited with adrenaline pumping and have to make decisions at the scene as to how to respond to questions, or whether or not to make an immediate statement to law enforcement.

These are things you need to get advice on, and make decisions about, before the situation occurs not in the heat of the moment.

Congratulations on coming of age and deciding to exercise your rights! And on being a Lefty, there are lots of us good people!

[country gent]

Contact your states attorney generals website and search for the open carry laws or ask for them. Get them from there and who sent them to you. Keep these or a copy of handy, you likely need them at sometime. Ohio has open carry but other than on home property or hunting most would rather carry concealed. Saves having the law called on you every time you go out.

[TXGunNut]

Agreed on the Concealed Carry class. The one in Texas has info on safety, conflict resolution, verbal judo, justified use of force, shooting aftermath, and much more that should be, but isn't taught to peace officers. Cheapest insurance you'll ever buy.
And when asked if cocked & locked is "dangerous" the correct answer is not "I certainly hope so!" It may have worked for a certain Texas Ranger but I can't advise it.

[otter5555]

it's open carry where i live and MANY exercise the right. i only go to a town about once a month but carry simply because it's my right and a right not utilized is one that is easily taken away. the LEO's here in the mountains tend to be more used to open carry but they are NOT our friends. i think it unnerves them to know that there is a growing number of people that are better trained and more proficient than they are.

[sundog]

Otter, by your own admission, you are 18 yo. You are not yet fully equipped mentally to understand the ramifications of things that happen when humans interact with one another. YOU might think so, and maybe you have matured beyond the norm for your years. You need to understand how others will see you. Think carefully about where you are placing yourself...

[MtGun44]

When I was 20, I clearly remember (40+ yrs later) marveling at the stupid
choices I had made at 17 and 18 that could have gotten me killed. I am
certain I was not a paragon of maturity at 20, but it was clear to me
at that time that there was a very big change in my decision making processes
in two years. No offense, please, this is literally a physical and chemical
change in a young brain.

Be careful. Be safe.

Bill

[300savage]

Apparently both he and the state of Virginia think he is capable and qualified. From this point on he will need to do as we all do when we choose to open carry ,read, listen and learn. We learn responsibility not through time nor age, but from accepting it.
From the way he has presented himself, and his willingness to ask for advice shows me that he is not a common teen.

Let no man tell you that you are not ready mentally, you are a man now, I am sure that you will act accordingly.

[x101airborne]

Sundog, lets go easy on him. I dont know him personally, but I will stall my opinion until I do.
My 10 year old son is more of a man than some 40 year olds and I do allow him to carry a 32 caliber single six.
Lets give the man the respect he is due till he does something to prove us wrong.
I do agree that at 18, sometimes the body overrides the mind, and I am the poster child for that. But without finite proof of immaturity, I will give confidence that he is here to learn like the rest of us. And I think we have some of the BEST teachers here to help him along.

[Copper75]

+1 on taking a CC course. LOTS of good info there.

I personally don't like open carry. You make yourself a target in more ways than one. I'm not saying don't carry, just carry concealed.

Good thumb break holster is a must. And practice, practice, practice. If you can't hit what your shooting at you're not doing ANYONE any good.

My opinion, take it for what it's worth.
Been carrying for over 25 years.

[bgoff_ak]

I open carry in the field ( middle of no where alaska when fishing/ hunting) we have an OC /CC Up here. in town I only CC, with a retention holster. My carry is a kimber compact and I never keep it loaded in the pipe ( let's be realistic about about you deploying this vs shooting your self in the butt. Work on your deployment ( draw) it takes but a fraction of a second to chamber a round. Besides in most cases you will be going the other way.i say this with the assumption that you are not duty bound. Also some thing to think about guns make some people very uncomftable. Open carry I have always felt was more of a macho thing. There are commitments you need to make if you want to carry full time... Some really suck. Plan on shopping on places that allow you to OC/CC. There are some places you will not be allowed no matter what. You will not be allowed to carry on campus meaning you need to pull over and secure it before you are on campus. Plan on spending 15 plus min talking to the pd very now and then. When your friends are fishing and drinking you won't be allowed to and carry. The last thing is ( they should teach you in your CCW class the escalation of violiance ) you will never get in a fight again and in most cases walking away feeling like some one has gotten the better of you is going to happen. I guess after my ramble I would say

The law says you can carry, you need to ask what are the reasons you want to carry, and are there life changes that are required, are you willing to make them.

As for the OC / CC making others around you in the current political environment not jumpy is just another thing to think about.

I'll finish this up by saying. I had my CC when I was 22. I was legal to carry, but I was not ready to carry. Some years and a lot of classes later.... Hard to know the person you will be when your 40 when your 18.

[Lloyd Smale]

Open carry is legal in MI too. Once in a while when heading to camp ill strap on a sixgun open carry style. In in this very rural area it will raise eyebrows when i go into a store or gas station. It just makes people unconfortable.

[Ajax]

It makes people uncomfortable because it is not the norm. The media has made a huge effort to portray anyone with a gun as either a cop or a bad guy. It is one of the things we as responsible gun owners should be working to change.


Andy

[6bg6ga]

For reasons some have already mentioned I personally do not feel that open carry is either needed or a smart move. Open carry will certainly open you up to verbal abuse and comments. My suggestion is concealed carry as there is absolutely no reason to flaunt the ability to open carry. I personally have been challenged when carrying my 1911 officers in a concealed mode when it was seen by some customers at Walmart when simply loading some dog food into a grocery cart. Open carry in my opinion only serves to throw fuel on the fire of those so brain washed that guns are an evil.

Joe