Since my last blog on Open Carry I’ve been getting requests to elaborate on my opinion, which is that open carry should be legal and rarely done. This first part will focus on the PROS of open carry.
By way of disclaimer, let me say that 99% of the information relayed here is opinion. I know of no definitive studies to support or refute the arguments of PRO open carry.
As I see them, there are two broad sets of arguments PRO, and they can be described as “legal” and “practical/tactical.”
First, legal. When the law passes in Florida (likely outcome) it will allow people with a Concealed Weapon License to carry open everywhere they can now carry concealed, which includes restaurants, stores, parks, etc. Carry is prohibited in several types of locations, such as schools, courthouses, bars, etc., and will continue to be prohibited there.
The law will require a holster to secure the gun. Though I do not think it will be in the law, that holster should be a retention holster, which has one or more grab-resistant features to minimize someone grabbing your gun out of the holster.
One of the big fears that CWL clients have is that the wind or some inadvertent body movement will expose their gun, and then they will be guilty of brandishment, which is displaying a gun in a threatening manner. Florida law already protects us from this, but it will probably be defined in greater detail. However it comes out, it will be completely inappropriate if not illegal to “show-and-tell” your gun in public. When I was a cop, civilians used to ask me to show them my gun. I told them that if I pulled it out, I had to shoot them. Then they would drop the subject. (Nowadays some idiot would take offense to that method as well.)
On the practical/tactical side, there are several points to be made. First is that concealed carry almost always requires a change in style of dress, whether male or female. For men it may be as simple as not tucking a shirt in or throwing on a jacket, but for females it can necessitate an entirely new style of dress which includes slacks and tops rather than skirts and dresses.
With the gun exposed, the draw is much easier and quicker, which can be the difference between life and death. And with the concept of concealment discarded, one can carry a larger gun which will usually be easier to shoot and have a larger ammunition capacity.
Aside from being easier to shoot and having more firepower, a larger gun has a greater intimidation factor. And many believe that a visible gun has a strong deterrent effect.
If you choose to carry open, you MUST take gun retention training like we offer at Command Performance Firearms and Training. One thing is certain: if your gun is taken from you, it will be used to kill you.
Next blog on the topic will be the CONS of open carry.