National Carry Academy5 Reasons We Don’t Like to Open Carry
November 24, 2015
5 Reasons We Don’t Like to Open Carry
Okay, we are going to go there – the topic of open carry, we said it. Now the claws come out. When brought up in conversation amongst individuals, it’s funny how it has a way of bringing out inner opinions of those who otherwise don’t usually voice theirs. We aren’t talking about a mixed crowd of the Liberal Party and Tea Party advocates. These are people like you and I who are proud members of the NRA and stand by the 2nd Amendment. Now, whether you agree disagree or have no opinion, it really doesn’t matter one it, that is, as long as the carrier is being responsible.
What is our opinion on open carry? We are not against it, but we just don’t prefer it. Let me explain why. As an academy that offers permit to carry courses (both open and concealed) all over the United States, we have seen a lot of attention brought to individuals who decide to carry openly. That attention is not necessarily beneficial. We are out for the best interest of carrying individuals, after all, it is all about keeping oneself safe, right?
For Us, We Choose Not to Open Cary
National Carry Academy’s home base is an open carry state if the individual has a permit and still we don’t prefer it. We have found these 5 reasons below will help state our case why we don’t choose to open carry.
1. The Secret Weapon
Here is the scenario. I am at the local gas station in line waiting to check out with my gun assertively exposed on my hip. A sketchy looking guy walks in looking to rob the place. He panics, gun waiving, forcing everyone to the backroom making this a hostage situation. In this case, he may or may not notice I am wearing a gun, but wouldn’t you rather have that “secret weapon” just in case. This after all would allow you to defend yourself or someone else if things got to that.
2. Sticking out Like a Sore Thumb
You may like to make a statement by wearing a cool new outfit or showing off your new ride, but when it comes to carrying a gun, we don’t like to stick out of the crowd. As mentioned in number one (1.), if I am open carrying as opposed to concealed carry I am clearly sticking out in the crowd. Even if it is an innocent situation like pumping gas in my car, everyone sees the gun. Who knows, the wrong person could be watching. It could turn from ugly to worse. Criminals who can’t purchase a gun look in other ways to obtain them. The fact is, you are adding attention to yourself by showing your gun, whether it is good or bad.
3. Having the Upper Hand
Like in the scenario above of the Sheetz robbery, when you decide to conceal your weapon you have the clear advantage. The robber can’t confiscate it, if he doesn’t know you are wearing it. This plays a valuable role in protecting yourself if the situation came to it. Just like when pulling out that secret weapon it has its advantages. The positive in concealing rather than open carrying outweigh the negative in a potentially life threatening situation.
4. Some Things Are Best Left Unseen
We like the feeling of being protected and having that little secret feeling left to ourselves. Think about this, not everyone knows the laws on carrying a weapon. If you are an individual who is not typically interested in carrying a firearm you aren’t looking to know all of the laws that would enable you to lawfully carry one. For those individuals who are ignorant of the laws, they may see a lawfully open carrying citizen as a threat and may even call the police. This, although not a threat to you, does bring up the topic of intimidation. Sometimes it’s not necessary to show the world what you have packing. We like to avoid all drama at all cost. Why waste your time defending your stance when you are only looking to defend yourself from harm?
5. Ready for Target Practice? We’re not!
Consider the story in the beginning of the robber at Sheetz. Imagine he is a complete lunatic with an extensive criminal record. Using a gun does not scare him. Wouldn’t you rather him not seeing you have a gun than seeing a gun? If he does spot it on you, bets are all off. Who knows what he will do or how he will react. I don’t know about you but if faced with this situation I would be thinking to myself “I wish he didn’t see my gun! I wish he didn’t see my gun!” Now that he does know, I am a clear target. This guy could be capable of anything and may even be gun happy. Yes, this is an extreme scenario, but criminals these days, sad to say, are extreme. I prefer to not be targeted if I am caught in a hostage situation and want to keep it that way.
Think about this, when you are openly carrying a firearm, and someone wants that firearm they may try to go after it. Have you considered your reaction time? How’s your holster retention? Keeping it concealed keeps things calm cool and collected, that goes for everyone including yourself. This is just how we feel. End of story.
5 Reasons We Don’t Like to Open Carry
November 24, 2015
5 Reasons We Don’t Like to Open Carry
Okay, we are going to go there – the topic of open carry, we said it. Now the claws come out. When brought up in conversation amongst individuals, it’s funny how it has a way of bringing out inner opinions of those who otherwise don’t usually voice theirs. We aren’t talking about a mixed crowd of the Liberal Party and Tea Party advocates. These are people like you and I who are proud members of the NRA and stand by the 2nd Amendment. Now, whether you agree disagree or have no opinion, it really doesn’t matter one it, that is, as long as the carrier is being responsible.
What is our opinion on open carry? We are not against it, but we just don’t prefer it. Let me explain why. As an academy that offers permit to carry courses (both open and concealed) all over the United States, we have seen a lot of attention brought to individuals who decide to carry openly. That attention is not necessarily beneficial. We are out for the best interest of carrying individuals, after all, it is all about keeping oneself safe, right?
For Us, We Choose Not to Open Cary
National Carry Academy’s home base is an open carry state if the individual has a permit and still we don’t prefer it. We have found these 5 reasons below will help state our case why we don’t choose to open carry.
1. The Secret Weapon
Here is the scenario. I am at the local gas station in line waiting to check out with my gun assertively exposed on my hip. A sketchy looking guy walks in looking to rob the place. He panics, gun waiving, forcing everyone to the backroom making this a hostage situation. In this case, he may or may not notice I am wearing a gun, but wouldn’t you rather have that “secret weapon” just in case. This after all would allow you to defend yourself or someone else if things got to that.
2. Sticking out Like a Sore Thumb
You may like to make a statement by wearing a cool new outfit or showing off your new ride, but when it comes to carrying a gun, we don’t like to stick out of the crowd. As mentioned in number one (1.), if I am open carrying as opposed to concealed carry I am clearly sticking out in the crowd. Even if it is an innocent situation like pumping gas in my car, everyone sees the gun. Who knows, the wrong person could be watching. It could turn from ugly to worse. Criminals who can’t purchase a gun look in other ways to obtain them. The fact is, you are adding attention to yourself by showing your gun, whether it is good or bad.
3. Having the Upper Hand
Like in the scenario above of the Sheetz robbery, when you decide to conceal your weapon you have the clear advantage. The robber can’t confiscate it, if he doesn’t know you are wearing it. This plays a valuable role in protecting yourself if the situation came to it. Just like when pulling out that secret weapon it has its advantages. The positive in concealing rather than open carrying outweigh the negative in a potentially life threatening situation.
4. Some Things Are Best Left Unseen
We like the feeling of being protected and having that little secret feeling left to ourselves. Think about this, not everyone knows the laws on carrying a weapon. If you are an individual who is not typically interested in carrying a firearm you aren’t looking to know all of the laws that would enable you to lawfully carry one. For those individuals who are ignorant of the laws, they may see a lawfully open carrying citizen as a threat and may even call the police. This, although not a threat to you, does bring up the topic of intimidation. Sometimes it’s not necessary to show the world what you have packing. We like to avoid all drama at all cost. Why waste your time defending your stance when you are only looking to defend yourself from harm?
5. Ready for Target Practice? We’re not!
Consider the story in the beginning of the robber at Sheetz. Imagine he is a complete lunatic with an extensive criminal record. Using a gun does not scare him. Wouldn’t you rather him not seeing you have a gun than seeing a gun? If he does spot it on you, bets are all off. Who knows what he will do or how he will react. I don’t know about you but if faced with this situation I would be thinking to myself “I wish he didn’t see my gun! I wish he didn’t see my gun!” Now that he does know, I am a clear target. This guy could be capable of anything and may even be gun happy. Yes, this is an extreme scenario, but criminals these days, sad to say, are extreme. I prefer to not be targeted if I am caught in a hostage situation and want to keep it that way.
Think about this, when you are openly carrying a firearm, and someone wants that firearm they may try to go after it. Have you considered your reaction time? How’s your holster retention? Keeping it concealed keeps things calm cool and collected, that goes for everyone including yourself. This is just how we feel. End of story.