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I subscribe to the "grey man" theory. I keep a low profile, don't stand out in a crowd, and I nearly always carry my Kimber .45ACP concealed on my hip. I feel it gives me a tactical advantage.
Personally, some of the OCers strike me as in-your-face D-heads who give 2nd A supporters a bad name.
I consider myself a good judge of character and some of these OCers give themselves and their agenda away so easily. I can usually tell, too, when I ask them about their gun. The "regular folk" OCers are usually friendly and open to chatting about their choice of carry. The D-heads cop an attitude, get paranoid, or act like it's a national security issue to discuss their clearly displayed weapon.
I subscribe to the "grey man" theory. I keep a low profile, don't stand out in a crowd, and I nearly always carry my Kimber .45ACP concealed on my hip. I feel it gives me a tactical advantage.
However... The Grey Man idea leads you to appear, to a predator, to be a viable target, the best example I've seen described is as a young man you appear to be a wimp and as an older man you appear to be a doddery old fool. Neither of these project any appearance of danger and thus may lead to you being categorized a target. The concept requires you to identify when a threat threshold is sufficient to need to act, which demands both excellent people reading skills, and quick reflexes. If you misread then you may inadvertently threaten or attack someone who is not a threat, which is likely to result in you being arrested and charged by the police, or actively be the grey man you're attempting to appear to be.
Conversely would a predator intentionally target someone wearing a huge Rainbow Afro Wig, baggy orange trousers, multicolored shirt, 18" long red clown shoes and carrying a loud hailer?
Of the two examples, which would be noticed as being missing or being attacked given the abilities of your averagely unobservant member of the public?
The better defense is to not need to act, than to place yourself in a position where action is required.
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Originally Posted by Canyon Cat
Personally, some of the OCers strike me as in-your-face D-heads who give 2nd A supporters a bad name.
I will not disagree with this, however on the flip side there are many CC supporters who would gladly sell OC off to appease gun control fanatics, in the hope they do not come back for more later. We know that this is a completely unfounded expectation from historical evidence.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Canyon Cat
I consider myself a good judge of character and some of these OCers give themselves and their agenda away so easily. I can usually tell, too, when I ask them about their gun. The "regular folk" OCers are usually friendly and open to chatting about their choice of carry. The D-heads cop an attitude, get paranoid, or act like it's a national security issue to discuss their clearly displayed weapon.
What is the agenda of some of these OCers? Could you see how using that kind of perspective could make you appear to someone innocently going about their business as copping an attitude, getting paranoid or acting like it's a national security issue? If they think that of you, then how are they likely to respond, are they going to be open and communicative, or suspicious and defensive?
However... The Grey Man idea leads you to appear, to a predator, to be a viable target, the best example I've seen described is as a young man you appear to be a wimp and as an older man you appear to be a doddery old fool. Neither of these project any appearance of danger and thus may lead to you being categorized a target. The concept requires you to identify when a threat threshold is sufficient to need to act, which demands both excellent people reading skills, and quick reflexes. If you misread then you may inadvertently threaten or attack someone who is not a threat, which is likely to result in you being arrested and charged by the police, or actively be the grey man you're attempting to appear to be.
I am a "grey man" because I don't stand out. At 6'1", 215 lbs with an athletic build, I certainly don't look like anyone's target. Only a determined idiot would think that I look like "easy money".
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will not disagree with this, however on the flip side there are many CC supporters who would gladly sell OC off to appease gun control fanatics, in the hope they do not come back for more later. We know that this is a completely unfounded expectation from historical evidence.
I have no interest in appeasing anyone. Least of all a hoplophobe.
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What is the agenda of some of these OCers? Could you see how using that kind of perspective could make you appear to someone innocently going about their business as copping an attitude, getting paranoid or acting like it's a national security issue? If they think that of you, then how are they likely to respond, are they going to be open and communicative, or suspicious and defensive?
Not following you here at all. I would only make a comment if I were somehow engaged in conversation/business with an OCer. Then, I merely ask -- in a friendly manner -- if they like [insert gun brand here] or what caliber they use. It usually acts as an ice-breaker and shows that I am not freaked out about it.
The "flasher" isn't interested in talking guns. He is more interested in showing off his gun to the world, because he can. Their body language or conversation usually gives them away. Maybe the liberals are right and some are compensating for a small tallywhacker.
OC isn't for me personally, but I don't care if any of you law-abiding citizens pack openly as long as you aren't trying to intimidate the timid.
But don't complain if a LEO wants to make sure you are a good guy and not a felon or crazy. I would think that any of the good guys don't want criminals & certified nutcases openly toting firearms.
I work alone overnight. I would not be happy to see someone walk in with a gun on their hip.
Why not? If the gun is on their hip they're clearly not intending to use it on you. Would you be happier if they came in with their right hand holding something pointy inside their coat pocket?
I am an NRA life member and 100% pro gun rights, but I am not sold on the idea of open carry. If you're in rural bear country, or cougar country, ok fine, pack a .454 Casull on your hip. But in an urban setting, to openly carry seems to me to be an exercise in self-indulgence. In the rare event that the SHTF, you are going to be the first one targeted. You should have been carrying concealed. In the event that it doesn't you are just going to scare the living daylights out of libs and give them ammo in their quest to quash gun rights.
Here is a letter to the editor in my local paper complaining about an open carry siting in a library.
I don't have a problem with open carry. A lot of people here do it. I, personally, prefer to conceal, as I don't want to advertise I am armed. Yes, hoplophobes get bent at seeing people with iron on their hip, spewing analogies about the "wild west" and seething with self righteous indignation about "unenlightened, paranoid gun nuts". Screw em'! Get over it.
Open carry, in public, is not my thing, but, it doesn't bother me to be around armed people. Now, if some idiot is walking around with his hand on his gun, throwing the gunfighter glare at folks and such, yea, that ain't good. However, I have only seen that once in my life, and it was an armored car rentacop, not a typical citizen. I tend to only take passing notice of open carry. It's no different, to me, than someone wearing a belt knife, or other tool. Most folks herebouts are the same way, but, I just personally prefer my gun hidden. I guess I'm more self conscious about appearances. But thats just me, and I certainly won't judge someone who wants to open carry.
I support open carry for those folks who want to do it. For myself, I prefer concealed carry, and I carry at least one firearm with me everywhere I go except into the Post Office or other government buildings. I prefer concealed carry because I want to make up my own mind whether or not I will act to protect someone else in the event that a shooter comes into a store or other building I'm in and starts shooting. Police officers carry a firearm not to protect you from other people, but to protect themselves from other people, I think it is only fair that we have that same option. The problem with open carry is not the people who are doing it, the problem is with people who are ignorant and totally un-educated like the man who wrote the letter to the news paper, Mr. Allen Ross, from Tumwater, Washington. The man carrying the firearm was well within his rights to do so, the letter writer is just plain ignorant, he doesn't know the law or chooses not to mind his own business. This same thing happened to one of our military veterans a couple years ago at a Las Vegas Costco Store, though the end result was tragic. A store employee noticed the customer (a veteran) was carrying a concealed weapon, which wasn't concealed well enough because he was knelling down, and called 911 to report "man with a gun". The 911 operator should have informed the store employee there was no law broken, however she dispatched officers. When the officers arrived the store manager asked people over the public address system to exit the store. When the veteran walked outside and was in the clear he was shot. He was not contacted first or questioned. This story was in the news paper the next day. Many people are paranoid about guns and just plain ignorant. When I read about this I had second thoughts about frequenting Costco's stores again.
epitome of self-indulgence. What if...I'm gay and will walk around with crotchless chaps and nothing else w/ my boyfriend, and I don't care what others think? Or I'm from Westboro Baptist church and I'll show up at a military funeral with demeaning signs, and I don't care what others think.
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