Why you should conceal and carry vs. open carry.

Why should you conceal and carry vs. Open Carry.

First, there’s the social implications. Let’s say you want to spend a beautiful Saturday afternoon taking a walk on the stone arch bridge… while prominently displaying your Dirty Harry .44 Magnum on your hip. Well, it’s not going to take long for the sweet old lady on the park bench to grab her purse, whip out her cell phone and call 911. When the dispatcher hears that there’s a man with a gun in a prominent area with high pedestrian traffic, you can bet more than a few police officers will we sent to contain the situation. You’re not doing anything wrong, but you’re going to be explaining that for a while to about a dozen Law Enforcement Officers who are less than amused with your lack of discretion.

You’re no threat to public safety, but the police will respond to that phone call assuming the worst. And as long as we’re assuming the worst, KARE11 has shown up to find out why SWAT has cordoned off a very public area, and the police scanner is going wild with every unit in a 14-block radius heading straight for you. Today you’ve made no friends for the right to carry. You won’t get in legal trouble for all this, but you have ruined your afternoon, distracted police officers who probably had something better to do, and you’ve been a poor ambassador for gun rights and the second amendment.

In short, it’s just not socially acceptable in your state yet to open carry. And while the above scenario might not happen to you, it just as easily could. Depending on where you go, it’s more a matter of “when,” rather than “if” you’ll have the cops stuck on you.

Reason two: The Tactical Implications. I once talked to a Permit to Carry holder who said that he chose to open carry to get people used to seeing a gun, and demonstrate to them that a legal permit holder exercising his (or her) right to carry is nothing to be afraid of. In our conceal and carry course we aim (pun intended) to teach students how to survive lethal encounters and not how to attempt to change the culture of their state. This is why at Midwest Carry Academy we advocate for concealed carry.

Ultimately we can break it down to this: As a private citizen, guns are for defense, not deterrence. As an armed citizen, you’ve chosen to refuse to be a victim. But there’s a big difference between on-duty FBI Field Agent and armed citizen. Your role is purely a defensive one, so that is what you’re trained for. If you happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, chances are your reflexes wont be as fast as an armed criminal dripping with adrenaline. If you’re open carrying, he’s going to see the gun on your hip before you even look up from the vending machine. It’s not easy to catch a professional off-guard, but in this moment, you’re not a professional—and you’re not on your guard. It’ll be too late. It’s better to let the bad guy think you’re no threat until you’re ready (or have no choice) to use your last and most lethal line of defense. You’d much rather catch him off guard in this situation—and give yourself the most options for a safe outcome!