This is a topic with a pretty big divide. I’ve seen people who vehemently support their side of choice. Each has it’s own communities and culture associated with how you choose to carry a weapon on yourself. Today I’m going to share my thoughts on each method, my preferred way to carry and some philosophies.
Permits First
If your going to be carrying a handgun for defense firstly you’ll need to get a permit. Unless you live in Vermont and Wyoming where you are allowed to carry without a permit or Illinois which unconstitutionally denies the right altogether. The classes are usually in the $50~$100 range and consist of classroom time and qualifying on the range. The class time will get you familiar with the laws concerning when/ where and how to use your permit and firearm. To be honest the biggest reason I got my carry permit is due to laziness. In Tennessee without a carry permit when you transport a firearm, like going to the range, you have to store the firearm and ammunition in separate compartments and unloaded. Well I drive a hatchback so I really don’t have a trunk and it’s easier to just put it all in the back seat. See sometimes laziness is a good thing.
Open Carry
Last week when I was heading to the range my buddy Gabe was all ready to head out the door with his Baretta .40 caliber on his side in a huge holster. It was as visible as you can get. If we were headed straight to the range I probably wouldn’t have minded but we were making a stop for breakfast and know how open carrying can cause a scene. I have seen people at work freak out when they see someone open carrying and run to tell managers, or even worse call the police. Which waste the police time, they will ask to see your carry permit and then “suggest” you carry concealed in the future. Most people are not accustomed to seeing armed citizens, unfortunately. I usually glance over open carriers. I assume anyone that has the balls to open carry must have a permit. Criminals don’t want you to know they have a weapon until it benefits them. Until open carry becomes as common as the wild west I will not be open carrying ever.
Concealed
I choose to conceal carry my weapon. I do this to keep from getting harassed by the police to open carrying. To keep from causing undue panic in people. I don’t need people running off telling their managers that their is a guy with a gun in the store. Another important reason I choose the concealed path is for the element of surprise during a conflict. If I need to use my weapon in an altercation I don’t want the criminal knowing I have a weapon early. They could just shoot me from a distance to eliminate the chance of being shot. They could try going for it since they know where it is. While it’s concealed they would have a hard time knowing where it is. Especially since I’m left handed and wear it on the left side. With training and practice you can get plenty fast enough to draw from concealed to mitigate any slowness you have.
Winner?
They only reasons I can even come up with for carrying openly would be a faster draw, and the possibility of scaring off any attackers before they try anything. Like I said earlier thought with practice you will be able to draw fast enough concealed to cancel out that argument. As for the threat mitigation factor I don’t think it is strong enough to outweigh the unneeded attention you get from open carry. It’s for those reasons that if I am not working and not planing on drinking my Glock 19 will be concealed on me.
Do you carry? What is your preferred way open or concealed? Let me know in the comments!
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Ok i go for either with the exception of if your goin open know how to defend yourself to keep someone from easily getting it from you, if you cant do that keep it concealed
Arizona also allows carry without permit.
Good article, though you are making some general legal assumptions based on your local laws.
In many states (like mine), there’s a very minimal process for getting a CPL, as WA is a “shall issue” state. Alternatively, no permit is required to open carry – though have fun with the Seattle PD when you try it downtown.
In terms of self defense against crime, I don’t see open carry as an advantage. While driving, or hiking it may be physically easier to draw from outside the waistband – but aside from those rare mechanical benefits, there’s no tactical advantage in letting people see your gun. Frankly, aside from the back country or the shooting range, when I see open carry it’s usually a deliberate political statement – which I respect.
“An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life.” — Robert A. Heinlein
It’s more true today than ever before.
Open carry reduces crime. It’s a moot point anyway since we will all be open carrying, and walking everywhere, in a few years
For what it’s worth, open carry is great for making a statement and normalizing guns, but we’re going to get harassed for years, maybe decades to come before it’s socially accepted everywhere.
From a tactical point of view, I always carry concealed. It’s just a better approach.
But, this is just the opinion of a middle aged Marine. You need to decide what works for you based on your local laws, your family, and your tactical situation.
I wish the CCW process was easier in DE. Prior to issuance, you must publish your name and address in the paper letting ALL know that you plan on carrying and if there is any objections. First off, I don’t want criminals knowing that my home address has a gun for them to steal. Only then, after you take all your classes, you must have three reference from in the state that support your application. Well, it’s a small state full of liberal leaning people to begin with, but if you’ve just moved there, good luck waiting until you’ve befriended someone well enough that they’d endorse your CCW app.
Up side is that we have open carry with a permit, but again, people look at you strange and police tend to harass you about it.
Our rules in PA are much different and far easier. All a CCW gives you here, is to allow you to put your coat over a firearm. You do not need a license, registration, ccw, or anything to open carry.
For the CCW permit, no classes, no fingerprints just 25 bucks, a quick 2 sided one page application, they do a quick check, might call your references, and usually 15-30 mins later they are taking your picture and handing you your permit. Responsibility is on the individual to do the right thing in life.
So given this, we have less law enforcement harassment here, and we have fewer “no carry” zones than almost anywhere: federal property, courthouses, k-12 schools, and casinos. Even no firearms signs are not legally binding at a location, the only stipulation being if asked to leave you need to leave, otherwise it’s trespassing with a firearm.
All that said. I conceal for the exact reason you state, it’s better to not let the criminally minded know you have it so that you are not the first target in an altercation. This often buys you more time than the .5-2.5 second loss on getting your firearm from concealment.
BUT
Open carry has it’s place, and I have done that as well. It does make a known presence… when breaking up a domestic dispute that happened on the street one night here, my wife and I intervened, i made sure that my shoulder holster was very visible, and I was extremely careful of positioning of myself and those we were talking with, and of reading body language and the situation… but the benefit outweighed the dangers, people did actually become a lot more measured and polite, and when level heads prevailed, people started talking and resolving issues instead of escalating things, as most domestic issues tend to play out. Never laid my finger on my firearm during that part of things.
The idea here, it’s not always going to work out that well, but each situation is different, just like each person’s life is different, and their way of dealing with situations can be different, so too will their choice of open or concealed carry, and choice of location of carry as well.
If you haven’t already check out the IDPA matches near you. Music City Tactical Shooters shoots over in Dickson on the weekends. Great place to practice drawing from concealment and firing from multiple positions on multiple targets.
One of my customers technically carried “concealed,” but as a convenience store owner he allowed his gun to peek and print, so as to let it be known he was carrying to warn off potential robbers. The dude walked into the store and asked Isaac for something off a back shelf. When Issac turned to reach for the item, the guy shot him in the side and then grabbed the register. The robber knew Isaac was armed so he was proactive in removing the threat. No good.
I think there’s a tactical disadvantage to showing your weapon, and this is why.
Isaac survived but had painful nerve damage for the rest of his life.
Politically, concealed carry is like ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ It keeps honest gun owners in the closet. There is a larger strategic reason to carry open. Tactically carry concealed, as long as we can.
I’m kind of interested in getting a permit now just to open carry and see what kind of reactions I get. I think seeing a lady in a store with a gun visible would get a much different response than a man. Men naturally seem more threatening. Seeing a man walk into a business with a gun visible would cause some tension in people. But would they feel the same if a pretty lady walked into a store with a gun clearly showing? Would they still tell the manager and call the cops? Or would they be more likely to approach her and strike up a conversation? They might be more curious than threatened about why she is openly carrying.
Women are typically seen as violent, scary, or angry, so maybe it would be easier for women to spread a political message about guns than it is for men.
I know seeing a woman open carry would definitely prompt me to strike up a conversation. I’m not sure if it would affect police/manager calls though