To Conceal Carry or To Open Carry

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In many states, whether you can concealed carry a weapon or you must open carry is a state or local decision. However, there are a few states where you have a choice about how you carry your weapon.

When gun owners have the option of carrying a firearm either concealed or openly in the state where they live, it is worth weighing the advantages of each.

Open carry is not as widespread as concealed carry. Law enforcement officers are accustomed to open carry. For some of them, making the change to concealed carry is an adjustment.

For each, there are different challenges. Both also have advantages and drawbacks.

The general public is shocked or, at the very least, uncomfortable with open carry by anyone except law enforcement.

Images of pistol packing students on a university campus, gun toting moms in grocery stores, and fathers open carrying while they push their kids on the swings jar people’s feeling of safety.

When we see open carry handguns we hope the owner is an off-duty police officer, or that he was careless about concealing his weapon.

We aren’t conditioned to see holsters that clearly are not intended for concealing a weapon.

In Wisconsin, there is open carry. But, right next door, Illinois is a concealed carry state. 

While Illinoisans agree with their neighbor state’s right to carry, they just don’t feel relaxed seeing weapons openly displayed. 

Here’s another dilemma. Let’s say a person who openly carries is in a  convenience store with his toddler in his arms. And a robber bursts into that store. What does the father do? How can he deal with his child in his arms and an armed robber in the store?

What if someone tries to grab your open carry gun? An open carry holster provides little protection for that weapon. 

But open carry is not all bad news. Consider these advantages:

1. Open carry of your weapon often offers a deterrent to criminals. They shy away from someone who is clearly armed. If you carry openly fewer people will mess with you.
2. Once someone sees an individual with a weapon, he is unlikely to target that person for muggings, theft, carjacking.
3. Open carry firearms require greater care because environmental conditions like rain, snow, extreme cold, humidity, and smog impact their performance to a greater extent than concealed carry. Knowing this, most who choose to open carry take greater care of their weapons.
4. Open carry enthusiasts insist their draw is quicker than that of someone who must or who chooses to conceal carry.
5. Open carry people don’t have to fuss about selecting clothes that will work for concealed carry weapons. This often avoids that nasty habit of printing. Your weapon is there, in plain sight. 

Whether you open carry or conceal carry your weapon is often mandated by law. However, in states where you can do either, it is wise to consider the advantages and drawbacks of each.

Either way, there is a great responsibility that comes with carrying a weapon.