Virginia Gun Owners Forum - VGOF

As a new pistol owner, I was looking for suggestions on the preferred method of carry for a person new to carrying. I'm just getting to the range to break it in a little and see what it likes to eat. I figured either way I decide I'd take a few classes before carrying. I figure CC saves me from any hassles or eyeballing that an OCer might have to deal with.

What do you experienced folks think?

Someone who is new to carrying a gun, should carry concealed in my opinion.

Let me know if I can assist you with any training needs.

Jim

Do what you feel is right... If CC is your choice so be it...If you choose to OC then that;s the way to go.. OCing is a choice many of us make and are prepared to deal with any issues if they do arise....Always be polite, know your subject matter if asked questions,and represent the gun community in a positive manner// Don;t let them intimidate you.. Your not doing anything wrong...you;ve just decided to protect yourself in another manner,.That's my .02 ...You'll have to utimately decide for yourself what's right for you..

I would CC if I could. Just be aware that most of the time you won't have trouble OCing on occasion you may have issues. Just be ready and calm and okay with leaving.

Thats really a personal decision you shouldn't let anyone make for you. If your ready to accept the negative attention that oc could bring on,go for it. Personally,I think its better to stay off the radar.

zerodown1 wrote:Thats really a personal decision you shouldn't let anyone make for you. If your ready to accept the negative attention that oc could bring on,go for it. Personally,I think its better to stay off the radar.

Just to be clear, no one's making the decision for me, but people on this forum have A LOT more experience carrying. I just thought it would be a good idea to draw from some of that experience like a "if you had to do it over again" kind of thing.

I agree with you in that the negative attention that OC could bring is something a new carrier probably doesn't want to deal with.

Thanks for everyone's input so far.

My personal opinion is this: I don't want someone to know that I have a gun.

I carry a gun at work, 5 days a week. It gets old quick. When everyone else is aware of your weapon, you have to be constantly alert of where anyone is in relation to you. Weapon retention is also on the mind. Also, there is that whole aspect of anti-gun folks making your life difficult whenever possible (calling the cops on you, asking management to make you leave, etc.)

I prefer to carry my gun, without the potential dramma. No one needs to know I am armed unless the need to use it arises.

I would suggest you go ahead and get your CHP along with some good quality training, from a reputable instructor.

Just my 2 cents. Stay safe.
-Alex

Alex wrote: I would suggest you go ahead and get your CHP along with some good quality training, from a reputable instructor.

+1000

I used to open carry when I worked at a gun store and had no issues at all. It was fun walking into a bank with a sidearm and watch at the reactions from people in then (not the employees). Now, not working there I have no desire to open carry anywhere. If I am somewhere and a crime is being committed, I'd rather nobody know I'm carrying so I can asses the situation and whether I'm going to act with my pistol or not.

Like Alex said, with open carry you have to always be alert of here everyone is to your weapon. You definitely should have some sort of retention holster if it's going to be exposed.

Alex wrote:My personal opinion is this: I don't want someone to know that I have a gun.

There is that whole aspect of anti-gun folks making your life difficult whenever possible (calling the cops on you, asking management to make you leave, etc.)

I prefer to carry my gun, without the potential dramma. No one needs to know I am armed unless the need to use it arises.

I would suggest you go ahead and get your CHP along with some good quality training, from a reputable instructor.

+1

Alex wrote:My personal opinion is this: I don't want someone to know that I have a gun.

I carry a gun at work, 5 days a week. It gets old quick. When everyone else is aware of your weapon, you have to be constantly alert of where anyone is in relation to you. Weapon retention is also on the mind. Also, there is that whole aspect of anti-gun folks making your life difficult whenever possible (calling the cops on you, asking management to make you leave, etc.)

I prefer to carry my gun, without the potential dramma. No one needs to know I am armed unless the need to use it arises.

I would suggest you go ahead and get your CHP along with some good quality training, from a reputable instructor.

Just my 2 cents. Stay safe.
-Alex

What he said +1

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OC is done for convenience or a political/educational statement. Either is fine, but you will always have to be aware of the latter. I am fine with it, but I know much about firearms and am NOT conflict averse.

I started out with OC, and I still OC. Even if I went ahead and got the CHP, I'd still OC on a regular basis. It's a great deterrent. Also, non-gun-owners need to see well behaved, openly armed citizens in order for us to maintain our freedoms to be armed. This hiding of guns is helping to advance the false notion that no one owns guns anymore.

I keep hearing about fears of this, that, or the other, but I've never experienced any of that. I don't find myself harassed by the police (though, I did get a hard stare down from a deputy, once. I pretended not to notice him, and he left). I don't find myself arguing with anti-gunners, I've never been asked to leave an establishment, and hippie-mothers don't grab up their children and run away screaming. The worst response that I've had has been strange looks. I'm not saying that these bad things never happen, just that I've never experienced them.

Really, most people either don't notice that I'm carrying, or really don't care. The people that do notice tend to praise me for exercising my rights, or ask me sincere questions which leads to open, friendly conversation.

I prefer OC.. This is because if someone see's your shirt lift up because it gets caught on a slide release, a beavertail, or the butt of the gun.. ( Sig P220 owner )They See It, and They will get paranoid.. People tend to think your a cop or something when your OC.. Not exactly the best way to look at it.. ( do NOT! say your a cop ) The rest are just OVER paranoid if they do bother you and make a call.. Just follow the law ( study it ) and not draw attention to " Oh Yeah I got a gun " or " THIS IS MY RIGHT! HEAR ME ROAR "... It's a right that's under scrutiny.. Though I carry because I know what it is like to have a gun pulled on me.. Things happen when you NEVER expect it... There is signs and some have helped me.. Though the worst happen when you don't expect it.. If there is signs, then they are worried or under experienced.. ( higher majority or just really stupid and over confident ) Just know where you can, pay attention to no gun signs on store windows, and follow demands from officers because they are more worried you will shoot them..

smltooner wrote:

Alex wrote:
I prefer to carry my gun, without the potential dramma. No one needs to know I am armed unless the need to use it arises.

I would suggest you go ahead and get your CHP along with some good quality training, from a reputable instructor.

+1

+2

When I started out carrying, I went the CC route. I felt paranoid enough wondering if people knew I had a firearm on me. Silly, I know.
Once I gained some confidence with carrying, I decided OC doing the "Virginia tuck" when going in to a restaurant (no CC if they served alcohol used to be the law). It has been a few years now since getting my CHP, and I continue to CC mostly, with OC days occasionally.

You'll find your right mix, but consider both options!

Parry

I'm undecided on this as well, they both have the good points.

OC would be good because I have sensitive skin and the constant rubbing might chafe but would let people know I have gun. Then in a situation someone might see I have a gun and then expect me to do something or otherwise draw the attention of some miscreant.

CC would allow me in a situation to pick a moment or simply go unnoticed. But, like above, would be uncomfortable.

Either way I'm not going to act different becasue I have a gun. I'm not going to be an ass but I'm not going to be mr. smiley either. If I'm having a bad day or a good day it makes no difference if I have a gun or not.

I didn't carry at all in public until after I had my Concealed Handgun permit. Prior to that I practiced carrying concealed in the house and in the immediate environment of my house ( I think the legal term for that is curtilage ).

At first it felt very awkward since I wasn't used to the weight on my hip in either open carry or concealed carry environments. I remember the first time I concealed carry after my permit hit the mailbox. I was POSITIVE everyone I was walking passed knew I had a gun and that Stafford County SWAT were already en route to fill me full of lead. After I realized there was no way anyone could see my sidearm in a deep conceal holster I relaxed a bit. The same thing occurred when I first open carried into a Food Lion about a year later. I was sure everyone was speed dialing 911 and that the same SWAT team would be waiting for me as I left the store. After a while I learned no one cared for the most part and the people who did approach me were uniformly supportive once they learned I wasn't a LEO. After a time I got so used to my weapon being there that it felt odd to not be carrying.

I look at it like this and this is just my opinion:

Open carry pros:
Faster, easier access to your weapon in most cases
Allows for the carrying of significantly larger caliber weapons
Can set a climate for discussion of why you carry and why it's important

Open carry cons:
A perpetrator will make you target #1 thinking you're a LEO or a Hero
Requires exceptional situational awareness at all times(something we should all be doing any way)
The occasional contact with law enforcement who get calls from the clueless about your sidearm.

Concealed carry pros:
You're basically a wolf in sheep's clothing. Able to move stealthily so the other sheep aren't disturbed.
You can get away with carrying into places where open carry might prove... problematic

Concealed carry cons:
Unless you train at it constantly you will be slower deploying your weapon from it's concealment.
If your sidearm is inadvertently spotted by an uninformed person they may call the law thinking you are about to commit a crime (i.e When reaching up for an item and your shirt rises exposing your sidearm.)
It allows for no conversation regarding second amendment rights because the conversation "piece" is not viewable.

And as several folks have already stated: nothing is more important than proper training. The more you train and practice the better you will be should you ever need to defend yourself with your side arm

I hope this will help you good buddy.

CalebDor wrote:
... A perpetrator will make you target #1 thinking you're a LEO or a Hero...

I hear this argument a lot. Sure, that's a possibility. It could go the other way, too. A perpetrator may decide not to perpetrate on account of the presence of an obviously armed individual.

Aye SHMIV that is also true. I was only looking at it from a criminals point of view so ShotgunBlast could see the possibilities