# Open Carry



## Cooky (Apr 25, 2011)

What are your opinions on open carry? 
Do you want to be able to carry a loaded Glock on your hip? Do want to see me carrying a Desert Eagle in a chest holster while waiting to walk my Grandson home from school? 
Do you want to carry your favorite AR-15 all loaded up and ready to go while you are at the mall? Do you want the person standing on the corner down town to be holding a ****ed and locked AK-47?
Why?
Mods, if this is too political go ahead and delete it.


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## Loke (Sep 7, 2007)

How often do you carry your loaded firearm out on public lands, like WMAs, National Forests, and BLM land? Why would you be less comfortable seeing someone carry a loaded weapon in a safe manner any where else?


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I have mixed feelings about open carry. Just because you can doesn't mean you should at certain times and certain places. It isn't the "old west" days and there are a lot of stupid people that own guns that shouldn't. I believe open carry creates uncomfortable situations for others around. I believe concealed carry is a much better option when carrying a weapon in public.
Loke, when I am on a WMA, National Forest or BLM land I expect there to be people doing recreational activities like shooting guns or hunting, but I don't expect any target shooting or hunting to be going on in the mall, schools or a restaurant atmosphere and guns shouldn't be displayed. (There are a lot of other places they don't belong but you get my point) How do you know if someone is carrying a weapon safely? Or if they have other intentions? I have been around guns all my life and a couple of months back I was in a restaurant having breakfast with my family when a group of guys walked in all open carrying handguns on their hips. I was very uncomfortable with that situation because I didn't know them or their intentions. Would you carry a gun to church? I'm sure some do, and I would tell them this, if you need a gun at church you better find another religion. It all boils down to common sense and again some people don't have any.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

I have no problem with open carry, I just wouldn't do it. I think people who open carry in town are looking for attention. During hunting season I see alot of open carry but it's obvious they've been hunting. For some reason that seems different to me than seeing a guy walking around the mall with a 1911 on his hip.


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## Loke (Sep 7, 2007)

Where are you more likely to need a firearm for self defense? Out in the hunting grounds where the hunters roam, or in town (like at Trolley Square) where the psychos stalk their unarmed victims? It all comes down to what we have become accustomed to. It is not customary to carry a weapon in town, so we are not comfortable with seeing a fire arm. On TV and in the movies, the only folks that carry weapons are the cops and the bad guys. So if someone has a gun, and not a uniform, they must, therefor, be a bad guy, and we must fear them. That is the mentality of the sheeple. We have been taught to fear guns. Even those of us who use and love them, fear them. The media has taught us to.


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## Kevin D (Sep 15, 2007)

I am not against open carry, but I think concealed carry is a much better strategy because it doesn't draw attention to yourself. 

Now, if I see a guy dressed in fatigues packing an AR and pacing at a busy intersection across from the mall, I'm calling the cops. Meanwhile, my own CC is at the ready. If I'm a cop responding to that call, I'm approaching the culprit as I would a felon until I know what's going on. 

I think you put yourself in a more dangerous situation not only from the bad guys, but also from the good guys and cops with open carry.


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## MadHunter (Nov 17, 2009)

I do not have any issues with open carry at all. What I do have issues with is the amount of people that have psych issues now compared to the days of the old west. In addition we have to understand that culturally we are very different now than 100+ years ago.

In the old west days not everyone carried a gun, in fact less than 50% of people carried. The violence that is portrayed in movies is not accurate but greatly exaggerated for dramatic purposes. Most people that went heeled were ranchers and cattlemen. Ordinary folks rarely carried a gun.

Is there a need for guns? Yes there is a need for guns. I equate them to a seat belt in a car. I put it on but that does not mean I expect to crash. But if I do I am prepared. I think that based on our current culture and social state as well as the amount of psychos out there I would prefer people carried concealed. At least I know that whoever is carrying has been through some kind of scrutiny.


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## campfire (Sep 9, 2007)

I agree with the last 2 posts and many of the others on this thread. I compare this issue to hanging a dead animal out the back of a pickup driving through town. We have to realize that many people have different fews and feelings about hunting and GUNS. I think it is more important to portray the image of responsible gun ownership and responsible hunters than to draw unneeded and perhaps negative attention to ourselves. If you feel more comfortable armed in public, and I do, it is so ease to obtain a cc permit in Utah ( unless you should not be armed) that it just makes more sense to carry concealed.


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## campfire (Sep 9, 2007)

Addendum: There is open carry in public and open carry in public. If you are spending a day ridding on the Piaute trail and stop in a convenience store in Marysvale for a drink and a snack no one will care about even if they notice the sidearm on you hip. But if you openly carry that same sidearm into a nice restaurant in downtown Salt Lake I garentee you will attract some negative attention. People in the restaurant will be less likely to think " Now there goes a responsible gun owner and I am safer because he is here." and more likely to think, " Who is the cook who thinks he is Wiatt Erp and what the blank does he think he has to prove?" on the other hand, if you enter the same restaurant with a handgun tucked neatly into your waistband under your shirt no one will have occassionally to think anything except those of us knowledgable enough to wonder why you do not have your shirt tucked in. And we will just smile Riley and descretely tap the bulge in our own pocket and go on about our meal.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

MadHunter said:


> Is there a need for guns? Yes there is a need for guns. I equate them to a seat belt in a car. I put it on but that does not mean I expect to crash. But if I do I am prepared.


Very good analogy Mad.


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## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

One thought I had is you don't see the bad guys open carrying. They will conceal untill they use it. Just sayin


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## Cooky (Apr 25, 2011)

bowgy said:


> One thought I had is you don't see the bad guys open carrying. They will conceal untill they use it. Just sayin


Very true.

So, if we think open carry is a good thing and our right, are we allowing ignorant fear and our lack of actively exercising that right to endanger it?


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