Consider a person stopping to pump gas late evening or round midnight in a not so great part of town. A couple of pumps over, you have a thug contemplating a thump.
The open carrier turns to pick up the pump handle, exposing the weapon in a holster....the thug sees it, the two briefly lock eyes.
You've just thumped, the thump. It is likely the perp will go about his business...to live for another day.
For every instance of concealed carry, I can think of an instance to open carry....and I've not open carried once. I prefer concealed, but fully support those who carry openly.
“For every instance of concealed carry, I can think of an instance to open carry....and I’ve not open carried once. I prefer concealed, but fully support those who carry openly.”
I agree with you, and your example about late night at a gas pump is perfect.
As a young kid visiting a fiends farm in Wisconsin, I encountered for the first time a man carrying a six shooter on his hip. He had been out and about his neighboring farm and just stopped by to get an early morning cup of coffee. I remember thinking how cool it was that he had that revolver in a holster on his hip. Nowadays I’m a bit divided about some who choose to openly carry modern semiauto rifles into public places just for the heck of it. Yeah, they’re making a political point, but I’m not sure they’re helping the cause so much. If they open carried a pistol on their hip to make the same point I’m all for it. Like you, I usually prefer to carry concealed, at least most of the time while in public.
Didn’t work with this Deputy....RIP.
Before y’all pounce all over me, I get it that an ambush can happen to anyone, LEO or civilian, OC or CCW. I live in TX and have CCW. I have only seen open carry once and that was at a Home Depot. I don’t see the sense of OC in most circumstances, but that is my opinion and choice.
http://www.wthr.com/article/houston-police-officer-ambushed-at-gas-station-was-shot-15-times