On Open Carrying

photo by Oleg Volk

I was chatting with Breda for the first time and mentioned that Open Carrying (OC'ing) with a partner was a great idea in the beginning. I'm lucky to live in a state that allows OC'ing for HCP holders. Having both OC'ed and CC'ed, here are my thoughts on OC'ing for the novice.

Don't OC alone

You don't necessarily have to go with another who is openly carrying, but go with another person that has some experience with it. I still consider OC'ing to be slightly risky behavior since it will make you more visible to thugs of the street and the jack-booted variety. The other person will come in handy as both a deterrent and a potential witness.

Don't OC your barbecue gun

OC'ing might get you disarmed. Yes, it's bullshit to be disarmed by an Only One, but it's still a distinct possibility. As such, do NOT take your favorite 1911 if you have a Sigma handy. Trust me, the Only Ones will not treat it with the same care that you do.

Dress appropriately

I'm not talking about a page from the Blackhawk! or 5.11 catalog, either. Ladies, ya'll can get away with murder from what I've seen. Guys, be conservative. A lot of times, sheeple won't even notice the gun if you're not dressed like a conspiracy theorist or a mall ninja.

Plan your trips in the beginning

Try meeting in a relatively safe place. I love to do coffee shops, family-style restaurants, bookstores, and small local clothing stores. Drive straight there, do your business, and go home.

Be as inconspicuous as possible

Yeah, your Roscoe is dangling off your hip. Try and be calm anyway.

Retention!

If you're not comfortable drawing from a holster that has at least one level of retention, don't OC.

Have your talking points ready

You're likely to have someone ask you if you're a cop. Be prepared to answer them and make your point without being too pissy. My talking points are limited to my state's laws regarding licensing and the basic restrictions. I'm not trying to sell strangers on constitutionalism, I'm merely trying to gain some kind of ally or raise awareness that you don't have to be anything but a citizen in order to carry a weapon.

Be polite

I don't care how nice you normally are. Be nicer when you're OC'ing. We do not want visible firearms to be associated with plainclothes assholes.

Having said all of the above, I think it's a crying shame that I even felt compelled to write it. Such is the state of our country. We're going to have to exercise every right that we don't want to have legislated away from us. Let's just be smart and careful about how we do it.