This will likely upset some people, but open carry is a bad idea for average, private citizens. Yes, police officers open carry all the time. Your everyday carry gun is not an on-duty police gun. Here are four reasons you should rethink open carry.
1. Gives Criminals Time
If a person with negative intent can see your gun, he or she now has time to formulate a plan. That plan might involve taking your gun and using it against you or others. Having your gun in an exposed holster is asking for your gun to get stolen.
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2. It’s Not Intimidating
Real criminals will not be scared off by seeing a gun. Your open carry handgun is not a deterrent to the most dangerous bad actors. They are not afraid of your everyday carry gun. Without an extra focus on retention while training, you’re simply giving criminals more time to plan an attack.
3. Open Carry Scares People
We will never win over the anti-gunners. And while you may want to show off that you have a gun and “don’t care if it makes non-gun owners angry,” you may actually be intimidating people who are concealed carry curious.
4. Advice From Massad Ayoob
As Massad puts it, “Concealed carry provides the criminal the maximum possibility to make a fatal error in the victim selection process.” Concealing your handgun gives you a tactical advantage. The criminal gets to choose the time and place of his or her assault. You’re already one step behind. But producing a concealed firearm changes that dynamic, forcing the assailant to also change tactics.
