[Topspinmo]

Open carry make no sense to me. If I was to carry I wouldn’t be broadcasting it.

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by Topspinmo

Open carry make no sense to me. If I was carry I wouldn’t be broadcasting it.

I suppose if this were the Old West it might make sense. But I get the impression that they usually took the guns off the drunken cowboys so they did not shoot up the town.

[Ray Greene]

Whats next? Dueling or gunfights at the polo grounds.
Or posses riding through the villages fund ablaze!!
Let’s move forward into the 1800’s!!!

[raananh]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

Common sense says if a gun is safe in your home then keep it there.

Common sense says if a country has a problem with gun crime then making guns even more ubiquitous is a step in the wrong direction.

Common sense says that if people are armed, then criminals will have second thoughts about doing crime or using their guns. Am I right?

[raananh]

I feel much more safe when armed people, open carry or not, are next to me. No chance a criminal will try anything.

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by raananh

Common sense says that if people are armed, then criminals will have second thoughts about doing crime or using their guns. Am I right?

The problem with that is that the bad guys do not wear black hats. Nor did the good ones wear white ones.


Crime in the Villages is very low probably because of how many weapons Villagers have in the homes and not on the streets.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by raananh

Common sense says that if people are armed, then criminals will have second thoughts about doing crime or using their guns. Am I right?

Originally Posted by raananh

I feel much more safe when armed people, open carry or not, are next to me. No chance a criminal will try anything.

You're putting your thoughts into a criminal's head - it doesn't work that way. Someone who would be a criminal doesn't see things the same way you do.

Does a weapon on the hip of a senior citizen look like a deterrent or an opportunity?
Does a weapon make an individual look tough and a hard target or does it make them look overconfident and worth challenging?

[Switter]

Originally Posted by charles_2000

As a native Texan that moved here recently, that recently got open carry. I think I saw one person open carry since it started in Texas.

I don't think it makes much sense to open carry vs concealed, you seem to just lose any tactical advantage, and could make yourself a target.

I would agree. The only time open carry is nice is if you're out hunting (which was already legal) or in an area where you might encounter wild animals, like in Ocala National forest. Then I prefer open carry. The rest of the time I would always conceal.

[Bwanajim]

To me open carry is pretty dumb. That just gives the bad guy warning. And maybe he'll just shoot you instead of trying to rob you.
I never want anyone to know that I'm carrying. I want the element of surprise on my side.

[maggie1]

Originally Posted by raananh

Common sense says that if people are armed, then criminals will have second thoughts about doing crime or using their guns. Am I right?

This could become a slippery slope for those who will now purchase a firearm and end up shooting themselves or a family member by accident. Don't forget to contact your insurance agent for an add-on to your policy, because if you accidentally shoot someone who didn't deserve to be killed, or even if they did, you'll be in a heap of trouble financially.

Don't get me wrong, I am not against gun ownership, but unless there is training involved where the gun owner is placed under stress, the heart is beating at 100+ bpm, there's shortness of breath, and the sweat is running down your face, then it's best not to carry a firearm. Just regular target practice won't get it.

The average person might think they know what to do when faced with a life-and-death situation involving a firearm, but believe me, they don't. However, I also understand the axiom of it being better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6. Lots of things to think about, but training needs to be a big part of the equation before strapping on.

[crash]

Originally Posted by Rocksnap

I’m liking Florida more and more.
Floridas AG is telling law enforcement that open carry is the law of the land, after the state supreme court decision last week, stemming from a state lower court ruling that the states open carry ban was unconstitutional.
Of course there are common sense restrictions on where you cannot open carry. But this is a step in the right direction.
Side note. It’s been 17,396 days of a loaded firearm in my dwelling. Another successful day of zero discharges. Accidental or otherwise. It’s a win win!
Florida'''s open carry ban overturned: Sheriffs laud decision but caution gun owners to know these restrictions | FOX 35 Orlando

Open carry is the exact opposite of common sense.

[Switter]

Originally Posted by maggie1

Don't get me wrong, I am not against gun ownership, but unless there is training involved where the gun owner is placed under stress, the heart is beating at 100+ bpm, there's shortness of breath, and the sweat is running down your face, then it's best not to carry a firearm. Just regular target practice won't get it.
.

I don't think you going to be able to replicate that kind of stress in training very well.

What is more important is training and repetition. Someone who is going to conceal or open carry should be at the range at least once a month. Handling a firearm should become somewhat instinctive, all the while remembering the four rules of handling any firearm: every gun is a loaded gun, never point your gun at something you're not willing to destroy, never put your finger on the trigger until you're ready to pull it, and always know what's beyond your target. And I always recommend taking a basic pistol class every couple years. Not everything with handling a handgun is obvious and doing it every couple years let someone evaluate that you're not getting sloppy.

You should also exercise a heightened sense of situational awareness when you're carrying.

The onus is on those of us who do carry to do so responsibly.

[MandoMan]

Originally Posted by Rocksnap

I’m liking Florida more and more.
Floridas AG is telling law enforcement that open carry is the law of the land, after the state supreme court decision last week, stemming from a state lower court ruling that the states open carry ban was unconstitutional.
Of course there are common sense restrictions on where you cannot open carry. But this is a step in the right direction.
Side note. It’s been 17,396 days of a loaded firearm in my dwelling. Another successful day of zero discharges. Accidental or otherwise. It’s a win win!
Florida'''s open carry ban overturned: Sheriffs laud decision but caution gun owners to know these restrictions | FOX 35 Orlando

“Utah is an open carry state, allowing adults 21 and older to openly or concealed carry a firearm without a permit if they can lawfully possess a firearm. This law, which went into effect in 2021, is known as constitutional carry. While a permit is no longer required for carrying a firearm for personal use, Utah does offer a permit for those who wish to carry in other states that have reciprocity agreements.”

[Ptmcbriz]

Concealed carry has several advantages. Open carry has no advantages compared to concealed carry. Thereby, there is only one reason to open carry vs concealed. Ego. That aspect immediately makes the person irresponsible since you know they had the choice to go the concealed route and didn’t choose it. By default, if I see an open carry in my vicinity, I would immediately be walking in the opposite direction. Can’t trust their judgment skills.

[Pennyt]

Originally Posted by raananh

Common sense says that if people are armed, then criminals will have second thoughts about doing crime or using their guns. Am I right?

To think that criminals have a second thought about disarming elderly people with firearms is laughable. Crime isn't down in The Villages because "everyone" is armed. Crime is not high in The Villages because younger, lower income people don't live here and therefore there is not as much need for crime. Has nothing to do with the armed population. I heard a policeman say once that the worst thing you can do in a public place is draw a weapon during a crime - when the police arrive all they see are people holding weapons and they don't know by looking who is the criminal. You could easily be shot for holding a weapon. Too many people have been killed in shootings in America due to our glorification of guns.