SC open carry?

[dale1]

i go for long walks at a local pubilc hunting area. i see people carrying rifles and shotguns all the time. i want to start carrying one of my pistols because i have ran across wild dogs and cowotyes before. am i allowed to do this? thanks

dale

 

[fordnut]

I believe that the only way you can open carry is either on your way to hunt, while you hunt, and on your way home...

Just buy a hunting lisense....LOL

Steve

 

[Red Hat]

I believe that the only way you can open carry is either on your way to hunt, while you hunt, and on your way home...

Just buy a hunting lisense....LOL

Steve

Or fishing you can OC.

 

[thebrasilian]

Why don't you just get your CWP and carry in the woods? I carry concealed when I take my almost 3 year old to the park or zoo. The only time anyone noticed is when we met an new transplant to Ft. Jackson. He noticed my Larue cap and asked about it. He noticed a small bulge and complimented that I concealed well.

 

[Drexellake]

I would agree the CWP is the way to go. If you run into bad guys in the woods and they see you're open carrying they will have the drop on you. At least that's my take.

 

[thebrasilian]

Aren't they starting to find drug labs and pot fields in the woods around here now? Another reason to keep it concealed.

 

[qwikshot]

I happened to be discussing this subjecy with a Arizona resident last month.
He said considder this.
A would be bank robber enters the targeted bank and looks around casually.
After noting that half the people in line are openly packing heat, he pretends to have frogotten something in the car and leaves.

Concealed carry has its place but open carry does too!
I vote for choice on this one.

 

[C_Carson]

I happened to be discussing this subjecy with a Arizona resident last month.
He said considder this.
A would be bank robber enters the targeted bank and looks around casually.
After noting that half the people in line are openly packing heat, he pretends to have frogotten something in the car and leaves.

Concealed carry has its place but open carry does too!
I vote for choice on this one.

+2

 

[biganimal]

I happened to be discussing this subjecy with a Arizona resident last month.
He said considder this.
A would be bank robber enters the targeted bank and looks around casually.
After noting that half the people in line are openly packing heat, he pretends to have frogotten something in the car and leaves.

Concealed carry has its place but open carry does too!
I vote for choice on this one.

Amen Brother!

 

[thebrasilian]

I happened to be discussing this subjecy with a Arizona resident last month.
He said considder this.
A would be bank robber enters the targeted bank and looks around casually.
After noting that half the people in line are openly packing heat, he pretends to have frogotten something in the car and leaves.

Concealed carry has its place but open carry does too!
I vote for choice on this one.

Or since most of my banking is done in a small bank that may have 2 or 3 other customers and I'm the only one open carry, I'm the first one shot before he announces the robbery.

 

[biganimal]

I happened to be discussing this subjecy with a Arizona resident last month.
He said considder this.
A would be bank robber enters the targeted bank and looks around casually.
After noting that half the people in line are openly packing heat, he pretends to have frogotten something in the car and leaves.

Concealed carry has its place but open carry does too!
I vote for choice on this one.

Or since most of my banking is done in a small bank that may have 2 or 3 other customers and I'm the only one open carry, I'm the first one shot before he announces the robbery.

maybe , but quikshot and others voted on having THE CHOICE to carry open or concealed. given the choice you might in this instance choose to conceal..................keyword is choice

 

[C_Carson]

I happened to be discussing this subjecy with a Arizona resident last month.
He said considder this.
A would be bank robber enters the targeted bank and looks around casually.
After noting that half the people in line are openly packing heat, he pretends to have frogotten something in the car and leaves.

Concealed carry has its place but open carry does too!
I vote for choice on this one.

Or since most of my banking is done in a small bank that may have 2 or 3 other customers and I'm the only one open carry, I'm the first one shot before he announces the robbery.

maybe , but quikshot and others voted on having THE CHOICE to carry open or concealed. given the choice you might in this instance choose to conceal..................keyword is choice

Amen, amen, amen!!!
Everyone should have the option to carry how THEY want. Right now SC does not give us a choice.

 

[C_Carson]

I happened to be discussing this subjecy with a Arizona resident last month.
He said considder this.
A would be bank robber enters the targeted bank and looks around casually.
After noting that half the people in line are openly packing heat, he pretends to have frogotten something in the car and leaves.

Concealed carry has its place but open carry does too!
I vote for choice on this one.

Or since most of my banking is done in a small bank that may have 2 or 3 other customers and I'm the only one open carry, I'm the first one shot before he announces the robbery.

I'm not trying to spark an argument (and the people on this forum are incredible at reasonable debating, so I trust you won't take this as a challenge; merely a calm discussion) but that scenario is as realistic as unicorns.

I once thought the same way; that CC gave me a tactical advantage. But the more I learned about it, the more my thoughts changed. Look at it this way: A gun in a holster is better than one drawn and dispensing bullets. Concealed forces the latter. To me, open carrying versus concealed carrying is a lot like having a big dog sleeping in your front yard, and your neighbor doesn't. Which home seems less risky to rob?
I would say the majority of criminals are cowards, and are looking for people that can't fight back. Getting into a fight reduces your chances of survival, and survival is paramount to criminals being able to continue preying on the innocent and the helpless.

I think my biggest frustration though, is that we have to pay the government to be able to exercise our 2A right; and when you have to pay for it, it becomes a privilege, not a right.

Here's an couple examples of OC deterring crime:

http://www2.vcdl.org/webapps/vcdl/vadet ... ID=1022854

On Tuesday the 26th of December I went down to the Sun Trust bank in Hopewell to complete some financial transactions. I got there just as they were opening and entered with a woman who had been waiting outside. There
were three tellers in position to the left, one customer service associate at a desk to the right, and the manager was seated in his office to the rear right, so there were seven of us in the bank.

I have been banking there for years and know the tellers fairly well, who are quite used to me walking in with my holstered 1911 government model..45 and two reserve magazines. As I was transacting business with my teller, a man came in through the front door on this warm December morning wearing a full ski mask, with only his eyes showing. He was wringing his hands and glanced furtively toward the office and then swept his eyes across the room, finally towards me and the tellers. At that, he turned and BOLTED back out the door!

The teller next to my position was the first to recognize the implications of what had just happened, and yelled for the manager who came rushing out from his office. He glanced toward me before sticking his head out the front door, looking both ways down the sidewalk, and pronouncing that the suspicious character had apparently left the area. The same teller then expressed her relief that I had been there, and mentioned that the next Sun Trust down on Route 10 (Iron Bridge Road) had just been robbed the week before.

http://forum.pafoa.org/open-carry-144/1 ... unter.html

I went over to Youngstown Ohio around ten to take advantage of the lower gas prices. As I stepped out to insert my card, a car with three black males in their early 20s pulled up in a late model buick regal. Not to be stereotypical, but they were all dressed in typical banger attire, with one exception that really stood out to me: each one wore a black hat that was facing the right way and pulled down low. This struck me as odd. One went into the store and walked around and appeared to be looking at everything and nothing at the same time. I saw the guy inside throw a thumbs up to the guys outside. One guy got in the driver seat and started the car. The other guy started to walk toward the store entrance, walking about 5 feet away from me. As he walked by I saw him glance at me. I was turned strong side facing him.

What happened next, to my mind, can only be attributed to the fact that I was OC.
As he drew parallel to me, he looked at me, looked at my firearm, looked at me again and stopped. He stared at me for about 5 seconds (I think) and I kinda stared back. He turned around and went back to the car, getting in the passenger seat. He got his cell phone, and ten seconds later the guy in the store came walking out. He looked at me as he passed by but didn't say anything. He got in the car and they left.

I went into the store to talk to the clerk, a very nice Arab fellow. He knows me, as I OC there frequently.

Azmat: I think those guys were rob me.
Me: I agree.
Azmat: You scare them off?
Me: I didn't say a word to them.
Azmat: Your gun scare them off.
Me: Perhaps. You should call the police and report this.
Azmat: Yes, I will. You stay and talk to them too?
Me: Sure.

He called the police and ten minutes later they arrived. I was standing outside with Azmat.
Officer 1: That's going to stay in its holster, right?
Me: It typically does unless I tell it otherwise.
Officer 2: Ok no problem, youre not gonna see any Canton PD **** out of us.
Me: It's nice to see that some of the good guys really ARE good guys.
Officer 2: Yeah, so what happened?

We told them the story, and Azmat showed them the tape.

Officer 1: They were definately going to hit the place. However since no crime was actually committed, the best we can do is look for them and see if we hit anything when we pull them over. You guys did great.
Officer 2 (to me): You should submit this to the NRA armed citizen column. We can corroborate your story.
Me: Thanks, I may do that. You guys be extra safe going after these losers.
Both of them: Will do, you guys have a good night.

That was a very interesting night for me. Nobody got hurt, and I met some really good officers.

http://forum.opencarry.org/forums/showt ... rred+crime

On Friday I received a surprise call from the gun owner who has been in the press this week for saving lives at a Richmond store. The gun owner used a replica 1875 Remington Army .45 Long Colt with a 7 1/2 inch barrel to stop a criminal who had shot the store's owner.

He wanted to remain anonymous, but called so that the story could be set straight, as much of what was in the press wasn't accurate.

Board member Dennis O'Connor and I ended up meeting with him today (Saturday) at the Golden Market store, where the shooting had taken place one week earlier.

Besides being able to actually see the layout of the store, Dennis and I got to see the security videos of the shooting!

We also got to meet the store owner who had been shot twice during the hold up, but is now back at his store. More on this great man later.

Here is what we know from talking to the gun owner and watching the
videos:

The gun owner (GO) was in the store waiting in line to pay for an item when the bad guy (BG) came in wearing dark sunglasses and trying to coverup his face while brandishing a revolver. The BG yelled for everyone to get down and before anybody could react, immediately walked over to the store owner and in a cold-blooded fashion shot him twice. The owner then dropped down behind the counter. It wasn't more than 2 seconds after the BG first walked in the doors that he shot the store owner.

Those shots at the store owner missed a teenage boy's head by inches.

The GO yelled for the BG to drop his gun as the GO drew his gun. The BG opened fire on the GO. The GO returned fire, hitting the BG as the GO dove hard for the floor behind some barrels full of ice and drinks.

The BG ran towards the back of the store, aiming his gun at an innocent man laying prone on the floor. Luckily the BG was too distracted by the GO to shoot the man. There is no doubt in my mind that the man would have been shot in cold blood that day if it weren't for that GO returning fire.

The BG kept trying to get to the front of the store by walking up various aisles and firing shots at the GO as he did so. At one point cans of tinned meat exploded on a shelf as the BG took a shot at the GO.

What was bizarre was that the BG actually was strutting around like he owned the place while under fire! As he approached the front of one aisle, he again pointed a gun at a person on the ground and was about to execute him, when he was again distracted by the GO.

Finally the GO spotted the BG at the front of an aisle standing in the open.

Much to his surprise, the GO discovered that when he dove hard for the floor he had somehow broken the trigger on his gun!

But the gun was a single action, so the GO pushing himself up with one arm, aimed the gun, pulled the hammer back and let it fly forward - twice.

Although seriously wounded three times, the BG came at the GO. The BG tried to grab the GO's gun since the BG's gun was out of ammunition. A life-and-death struggle began. The GO got a grip on the BG's gun and the GO hit the BG twice hard on the temple with the 7 1/2" barrel on his rather heavy gun.

The BG finally broke off the engagement, tried to run out the front door, but collapsed at the door.

The GO secured the BG's gun and keeping an eye on the now unconscious bad guy, called 9-1-1.

The BG has now died (he was in critical condition since the shooting).

The police showed up a minute or so after the 9-1-1 call and initially had everyone in the store at gun point and handcuffed some until they could figure out who was who.

What really impressed me was that on the surveillance video, the owner, while shot twice by the BG, was walking around making sure that all of his customers were OK after the shooting had ended. He only let himself collapse after he was sure they were OK! Words fail me on this. I am so glad that he made it. What a dichotomy - a BG who shoots an innocent person without provocation, almost killing a teenager while doing so - caring for no one but himself. And then the store owner who, while seriously wounded, making sure his customers were OK. Evil exists and so does Good. Both were on display in those two minutes of terror. Luckily only the bad guy was killed. The owner was walking with a limp, clearly in some pain. :-(

A lot of people owe their lives to that GO. However, he is having none of it, saying that he simply did what he had to do.

--

The GO wanted me to share the following points:

* Buy a quality gun - don't use some cheap $90 gun to protect your life. He considered his gun to be a good one and even then the trigger broke under the extreme stress of a life-and-death battle.

* Practice with your gun, get training, and be good with that gun.

* More and more BGs are choosing to kill in cold blood to get what they want. If they can't live the "good life, " then they don't care if their crimes send them to jail.

* He also noted that fewer and fewer BGs are getting any jail time.

--

Here are my thoughts from watching that tape:

* Talk about a cold-blooded, fast attack where an innocent was shot without warning! Unbelievable. Situational awareness is really important. Luck doesn't hurt, either.

* Open carry was an advantage in this case because in the video I saw just how fast the GO managed to draw his gun and begin to return fire. You always hear about how open carry is so bad tactically - you'll be the first one shot, etc. Oh, yeah? The GO had a HUGE gun in plain sight and he was NOT shot. Who got shot first? An unarmed store owner.

* I am betting that the BG was on drugs, big time. He was hit with THREE 45-CALIBER BULLETS, with at least two of those hits causing grievous injury, and he continued the fight as if he had not even been hit at all! In fact he was strutting like a peacock who owned the place as he was walking up and down the aisles trying to get to a position where he could shoot the GO. As a gun owner, you need to be prepared for that eventuality and keep shooting the BG in his center of mass until he stops his attack. Don't think one shot, or even two shots, are going to do it. And a head shot might well be what it takes to stop such an attack quickly.

* If you are out of ammunition, a gun does make a great weapon with which to bludgeon someone in hand-to-hand combat.

* This shooting bolstered both sides of the argument about how much ammunition one should carry. The good guy got off only four shots (of course his gun had a broken trigger and that didn't help). The bad guy got off six shots and ran out of ammunition (thankfully). But in my mind, and having had some advanced training, I think an extra magazine for a semi-auto, or a reloader for a revolver, is a good idea. WIth someone like the BG above, if you run out of ammunition before he does, he will execute you. Period.

http://www.nraila.org/issues/articles/read.aspx?id=117

Fifty-six percent of the felons surveyed agreed that "A criminal is not going to mess around with a victim he knows is armed with a gun;" 74% agreed that "One reason burglars avoid houses when people are at home is that they fear being shot."

A 57% majority agreed that "Most criminals are more worried about meeting an armed victim than they are about running into the police."

Significantly, almost 40% said there was at least one time when the criminal "decided not to do a crime because [he] knew or believed that the victim was carrying a gun."

Now, I'm not saying OC is the only way to go and that everyone should do it, but we should have the right to choose, and people should have enough facts to make an informed decision so they can choose what is most comfortable to them. Take this information for what it is worth to you, and do as you will

 

[HHB Guns]

Just my two cents. As a deputy I do not ever open carry. I wouldnt do it if it was allowed in SC anyway. I tell you why. I have been in LE for 13 years and I can tell you from experience with CRIMINALS that they ALWAYS have the tactical advantage over someone who is open carrying. Reason is because if they see yo with a gun on they know exactly who they have to take out to complete the crime. NO IF"S ANDS OR BUTTS. FBI STATISTIC from officers being killed because they opened carried and never saw it coming. Something to think about. You can bet they will know about you before you know about them.

 

[C_Carson]

This is where situational awareness comes into play. Also, being a cop/security guard is different from being the average Joe Schmoe citizen.

Can you provide any links or cites to an open carrying, law abiding citizen being targeted by a criminal merely because s/he carried a gun in open view? I truly don't believe carrying a gun on one's hip where all can see makes said individual a target. If it were true, wouldn't there be stories galore from the 43 states that do have open carry, about the average armed citizen being shot down while they were waiting in line at the bank?

I've posted a few examples where OC deterred crime; rather than putting those individuals in the cross hairs. I'm certain I could find many, many more examples.

Could it happen? Sure. Has it happened? So far, I haven't been able to find any such incidents. I can only conclude that the scenario you mentioned is akin to being afraid of swimming in a river for fear you'll be bitten by a shark. Could it happen? Yes. Is it likely? No.

 

[HHB Guns]

All I can say is the difference of having a badge on your hip or not makes no difference. Badge or no badge having a gun on your hip makes you a threat to a criminal trying to do something. Now with that being said....Maybe its a criminal on the fence on whether to do something or not and maybe seeing you carry a gun openly changes his mind into not commiting the crime. Can it happen? Yes Is it likely? No. A true hard core criminal that I deal with in SC would take you out and wouldnt think twice. I don't know where you got your statistics but if you can and they are open to the public you should research FBI stastics which is a rather large number of officer involved off duty shootings. Just because it isnt listed on the carry websites as happening doesnt mean it didnt happen with civilians. The FBI just doesnt keep track of that as far as I know..

The bottom line is I know you are 100% for open carry based on your previous vacation. I say good on you. I just wouldnt do it.

 

[C_Carson]

First of all, thank you for your service.

Second, if OC is no deterrent & has no tactical advantage, then why do LEOs OC?
Are these LEOs you mentioned targeted because of how they carried, or because they were cops?

I am for open carry (actually, for consitutional carry, really) for many reasons, but I am not trying to convince you or anyone else that they should do things "my way". I believe we should all have the freedom to choose. You (and the majority of members here) prefer to conceal. I support that choice. What I can't support is the belief that open carrying makes you a target. Everything I have learned on the subject contradicts this belief, and I only want the record straight.
Conceal if you are more comfortable, but don't make the decision based on illogical assumptions or fear.

 

[Dirk Pitt]

First of all, thank you for your service.

Second, if OC is no deterrent & has no tactical advantage, then why do LEOs OC?
Are these LEOs you mentioned targeted because of how they carried, or because they were cops?

I am for open carry (actually, for consitutional carry, really) for many reasons, but I am not trying to convince you or anyone else that they should do things "my way". I believe we should all have the freedom to choose. You (and the majority of members here) prefer to conceal. I support that choice. What I can't support is the belief that open carrying makes you a target. Everything I have learned on the subject contradicts this belief, and I only want the record straight.
Conceal if you are more comfortable, but don't make the decision based on illogical assumptions or fear.

Well cops in uniform open carry because they are all ready identified as cops, since we aren't England we know they carry guns. For them to conceal carry serves no purpose.

To assume you can understand the mindset of all criminals is ignorant I think. To some criminals you might deter them, to others you may just be the guy they decide to hit in the back of the head with a brick because you had a firearm they could use to commit their next crime or you were the citizen who might have attempted to stop him from the crime they're about to commit so you're their first target.

I don't want to be identified as a threat to the criminal and made his priority.

 

[C_Carson]

But if open carry were so dangerous, why would the cops have started using it at all? We have 43 states where LACs open carry every day. I've posted 3 links to actual events where a crime was averted; if this scenario of having a bulls eye on your hip is true, surely you can find multiple (but I'll only ask for 3) cases from any of these states where ordinary people were shot by a criminal merely for open carrying.

To assume you can understand the mindset of all criminals is ignorant I think.

Umm...respectfully, I'm not the one assuming I know the criminal mindset. So far, the posts I've replied to have said "The criminal will see me and make me a target." Isn't that assuming?

Now, I have said, that based on actual experiences from everyday people, (see 3 links provided above; there are more for the asking) and not cops, and not statistics, (which I place no faith in), that most criminals will be deterred. Why? The psychology of the average, garden variety criminal is that of a cowardly predator. A gang banger, a thug, a robber, a thief...they aren't looking to duel at 20 paces with anyone. It is a fact, backed up by numerous studies over decades, predators look for easy prey.

Also, I'll assume you're familiar with tunnel vision? A perp about to commit a crime isn't looking for an armed citizen going about their business (where, again, having SA is a huge factor!!!) especially if s/he is jacked up on adrenaline and possibly something else.

Take the Arizona shooting with Jared Loughner. Being in Arizona, based on the sheer number of people at the event in question, at least ONE person (probably more) had to be open carrying. But he didn't "take them out". I would also not classify him as just an ordinary criminal. Use whatever adjective you feel is best; psychotic, evil....it still did not make him Rambo. He did not "eliminate the threat." I doubt he even looked for it.

The shooting at Fort Hood, or Virginia Tech? Places where no one had the means to fight back. Criminals want to go home at the end of the day, just like everyone else.

.....but I guess we are just going to have to agree to disagree. I'm pretty sure no matter how many facts, studies, stories or news articles I post, we'll all just continue to beat a dead horse.

 

[Shrapnel762]

This is good! here's my two cents,

criminals hide their weapons for a reason. I am not a criminal. I would like my constitutional right of open carry and make my descision daily to do or not to do so.

I am so glad that I don't live my life worried about "tactical advantages" with every single thing I do. Is that guy pumping gas going to blow up the station? Are the people behind me in line at piggly wiggly going to manuver into an echelon right formation and attack my position? Get that MK19 up! Fix Bayonets!

Know your surroundings and act accordingly.