Open carry has been legal for Texas carry permit holders for a few months. During my last visit to the Lone Star State in January, cold weather limited my OC opportunities. After becoming a proud grandfather (again), I loaded up the car, left Arizona and headed to Texas for another go. In Van Horn, Texas, I had my first encounter . . .
I grabbed the last motel room in town around midnight. I was carrying in an older, Israeli Fobus holser, cross draw (ideal for carrying in a vehicle). The motel manager/owner and her son did notice, and paid attention. I would do the same when a last minute guest stops in at midnight, on a day when the motels are maxed out.
“Are you a cop?” the owner asked, handing me the key. “Not any more.” I replied. I mentioned that Texas’ new open carry law made it easy not to worry if I was wearing a jacket. The owner nodded without further comment.
The next day I’d just paid for fuel at a gas station off of exit 177 on Interstate 20. As I was leaving the store the driver of a white truck with a city emblem on the door leaned out the window. “Is that a 17 or a 19?” he asked, referring to the GLOCK I was wearing in the cross draw position. “Seventeen,” I replied. “The cross draw works better with seat belts, and keeps the pistol from passengers.” The city truck gave me a wide grin and a thumbs up as we went our separate ways.
I open carried in the Benbrook public library; nobody said a thing. I opened carried on a three-mile exercise run; no comments. Visiting my daughter, her husband, their 18-month-old son and my new granddaughter was a delight. The day before I left, I went for another run. And that’s when it happened. Or more precisely, didn’t . . .
I ran North on Marsh Drive, and turned West on Rosemeade Parkway. About 15 minutes into the run I turned around and started back. About a minute later, a blue and white police SUV drove past. It was clear the officer saw me. The unit immediately started slowing down. But traffic was heavy, and started backing up behind the police unit. The officer sped up, then made a right turn down a side street.
I did not vary my pace. I was wearing the outfit in the picture above: Glock 17 in a Fobus retention holster on the the strong side; also a IPhone 6+ in a holster, and the Cold Steel XL Voyager in the right front pocket. I had the Dan Baum Gun Guy red hat on, along with ESS shooting/sunglasses. I had my ID and carry permit with me.
As I approached the side street, about 11:39 a.m., the PD unit reappeared and stopped, waiting for traffic, and for me to cross, giving them a good opportunity to look me over and evaluate what they saw.
I didn’t stop or hesitate. As I drew near the unit, I looked directly at the driver’s position and made a brief nod in acknowledgement.
I passed, the unit pulled out into traffic and then passed me for the second time. Two minutes later, an SUV with “Constable” markings went past. I don’t know if they were curious, or if it was a simple coincidence.
The officer(s) handled this just right. Open carry of modern handguns is still new to Dallas. The officer saw something unusual, and checked it out. That’s good police work. They made their evaluation, saw that there was no probable cause or reasonable suspicion, and went on their way.
No news is good news, but it’s not often news. In state after state, disarmists claim that restoration of gun rights — whether that’s open carry or campus carry or the removal of barriers to concealed carry — leads to blood in the streets. When it doesn’t, they ignore the truth, and continue to use the exact same argument for gun control.
In the case of Texas’ permitted open carry law, as in so many others, the antis’ fear-mongering has been — and continues to be — quietly proven false. Paving the way for the next step in Texas’ evolution: Constitutional carry. And further reforms further afield.
©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Gun Watch
Shoulda had your pith helmet on. Bet the cops would have made contact then.
‘Dr. Livingstone, I presume?’ would have been one helluva opener.
One Justice Away. #OneJusticeAway
https://vimeo.com/156860470
7:30 minutes of totally awesome by Ted Cruz.
Three landmark Supreme Court decisions defending not only our 1st and 2nd amendment rights but also the very sovereignty of our nation. Consider the timeline of events and the consequences if these three cases had gone the other way. 0bama would have been handed a dictatorship on a silver platter when he became president. Fortunately the right man was in the right place at the right time with the courage and conviction to defend our Constitutional rights and the sovereignty of our nation.
Ted Cruz has earned and deserves our respect and support.
He is the only choice to preserve the very future of our nation.
You said it. Vote accordingly.
I sorry, but he was flat out wrong about the 10 Commandments monuments. The thought of government showing any preference with religion scares me almost as much as the removal of the second amendment.
That’s what I thought of when I saw the pic.
Baseball cap: normal. Pith helmet: possible EDP.
“The officer saw something unusual, and checked it out. That’s good police work. They made their evaluation, saw that there was no probable cause or reasonable suspicion, and went on their way.”
That is exactly how police work should go. Kudos to those police officers!
Yes, Dean described it perfectly, However, I guarantee it would not have gone that way if it was Austin.
Nicely written and done, Dean.
Typically, the antis predictions of mayhem when law abiding citizens are armed simply don’t come true. I’m sure they’re disappointed that people are not getting killed, even thought they claim to care for people.
Compare that to the USAF member/former FBI agent who committed murder/suicide this week at a San Antonio area Air Force base. Once again one of the oh so trustworthy, privileged class commits an unspeakable act, yet it’s everyday citizen carriers whom the government revels in harassing.
That’s deserving of a “Should have been a defensive gun use” article.
The thing is, it wasn’t an “oh, so privileged” person who did the shooting. Military members (like the Lt Col who was killed) aren’t allowed to carry on base. That is very slowly starting to change, but there are only pilot programs right now–and there’s a LOT of oversight and commander discretion.
Inevitably, the antis predictions of mayhem when law abiding citizens are armed simply don’t come true.
FTFY
Inevitably, the antis predictions of anything simply don’t come true.
And, FIFY!
Nearly everything they say/predict/believe is basically proved false daily by simple observation in the real world. They live in a dream world designed for them by those they choose to listen to/believe.
That’s why there is far more movement from ‘anti’ to POTG. Once an “anti” gets exposed to what they believe is not really true, and demonstrably so, Cognitive Dissonance sets in.
With that strong motivator to resolve the discomfort, they ask questions, seek information, do their own experiments (go shooting, for example).
The entirety of the anti’s argument is premised on a house of cards that simply cannot hold any weight at all.
I hope you have permit from a state that Texas recognizes because they don’t have reciprocity with Wisconsin.
A G17 along a jog?
I tried once with my G21, or 2 to be exact, with 3 spare mags as per daily EDC
Then i bought a treadmill
My chuckle got the day
Well played sir!
For a while I’ve been debating a bumper sticker which reads: “Bad Cop, no donut.” The possible outcomes seem infinite.
Well hats off to the Benbrook PD.
They acted quite reasonably and this is the response all Gun Rights people are working towards.
How was the grandchild? In this small town in Ks. Deputy Sheriff. told 68 yr. old friend of mine,” Well, see your carrying, keep it up good for you. Its your right yah know.”
They were both fine.
Honestly Dean? Ack. I avoid the seat belt problem by refusing to wear ’em. Anyway, looking forward to my yearly Texas visits now. I hated having to change to CC when in Texas.
I seldom pick up hitchhikers, but I have done it. The last two I picked up I did not like the look of, but it was the middle of the desert. I made them ride in the pickup bed. The more I learned of them, the less I liked them. I put them in the “urban grifter” or semi-pro panhandler category. They had no class and I dropped them off at the second exit in Yuma. They said they were heading to California, without plans or friends waiting for them.
The cross draw allows drawing with either hand, which is difficult with the retention holster.
Riding for any distance with a pistol in the back is a literal pain.
I hadn’t considered that you were talking about hitchhikers. I used to pick up a lot of hitchhikers. Fewer nowadays, but I have given some rides hundreds of miles.
I wear a Safariland SLS, so I’m still not so worried about them accessing my gun easily.
I guess the real concern is them accessing their own gun while you’re occupied driving.
Not really. You think a guy is going to shoot you while you are going 70 MPH? He pulls a gun and you speed up to 140 MPH. That’s Phase 1. I won’t mention Phase 2 because of the attorneys. Phase 3 is profit.
That is actually a very good point, and the same thing I have always considered to be the response to a situation like that. But, better not to have the situation arise at all.
If you wear a gun in a car you should have tried to think of all scenarios. What happens if a guy sticks a gun in your face at a stop light or parking spot? If you haven’t thought about every scenario you can think of ahead of time and decided on one or more courses of action, do so now. Right now. Do not pass go, do not collect $200.
Yeah but one of the advantages to thinking of those scenarios is to think of ways to prevent them. When I’m stopping in traffic I leave space in front of me so I can get around the car in front (over medium, onto shoulder, etc). The same could go for how you carry a gun or IF you pick up hitchhikers.
The last hitchicker I picked up (1979) pulled a knife out of his backpack.
Did you shoot him because you were in fear for your life?
+1
I did reach under the seat an pull pistol though, he wanted out
So…. you’re willing to carry a gun to stop the infinitesimal chance of an armed robbery or other criminal violence against you, but you won’t wear a seat belt to protect yourself from a fatal traffic accident, which is one of the top 10 killers in the united states?
You may want to work on your priorities a bit.
Have to agree with you on this one. I carry a gun AND wear my seat belt.
Yet you use an under-column handgun holster. Ask an auto engineer how smart that is. Yes, I am an engineer in the auto industry.
Do I think it’s a horrible idea? No more than not wearing a seat belt. One is your choice, one is my choice. Liberty. It’s not just a slogan for the less educated.
Nope, no seat belt. And yes, I have gotten ticketed for it.
Not wearing a seat belt actually saved me one time, but that’s not why I do it.
Engineer me a car I can work on Danny, please, these new cars are killing me. No room under hood to fit a wrench, wires going to wires that go to a black box with wires that go to where a carburator used to be. And why do I have to take off the quarter panel to change a headlight? Who put the fuel pump in the gas tank? What does an external sprgitnzer colalator equalizer valve do?
Mudshark, feel free to email me at dannylgriffin at gmail.com. RIP Frank.
“Not wearing a seat belt actually saved me one time, but that’s not why I do it.”
Gonna keep us in suspense as to why? 🙂
More power to you, I sure hope for your family’s sake your life insurance payments are current.
On the holster, for a while I had one attached to the shoulder harness. Worked great.
(When I bought an old Datsun 240Z the seats were shot and with the heavy swaybar and gas shocks on it I was constantly fighting to stay in the seat while ‘spirited’ driving. So I started using the seatbelts cinched up tight and it was a driving revelation. It was a *lot* easier to just focus on the driving while cornering. Worn ’em ever since. When I got nailed head-on, I walked away from the twisted hulk I just bought new six *weeks* earlier.)
Not an issue. I was t-boned in the driver’s door by a guy going 60 MPH. Had I been wearing my seat belt I would have been very seriously injured. As it was I was simply transported instantly from the LH side of the car to the RH side of the car. Today I can walk.
But as I say, that’s not why I do it. I refused to wear a seat belt before the accident, I refuse to wear a seat belt after the accident. The accident makes no difference.
Datsun 240Z. LOL. Nowadays I drive a new Corvette so I feel your pain.
Although I do have a modicum of LI (a few hundred thousand) it’s only because I get it free of charge. I am self-insured.
I usually wear a seat belt, (I work in EMS, I see some really bad MVC’s that people walk away from without a scratch because of seat belts and air bags), but the one time I didn’t, I was also T-boned on the driver side by a driver doing about 60 MPH. I was pushed 2′ across the bench seat with minimal injury from breaking off the gear shift with my leg. But with a belt I would have been severely injured with a crushed pelvis and massive internal injuries. I probably would have died.
Honestly, I do not like the seat belt law, saved lives or not. Its not turn signals,stop signs, or speed limits, seat belt laws were put into effect because insurance companies were paying out to much on head injuries. To me seat belts should be preference not government says so.
I agree with that as well, but it’s still a really good idea, just like wearing a helmet when riding a bike.
“To me seat belts should be preference not government says so.”
Here in Florida, riding with no helmet is legal if your motorcycle insurance specifies ‘no helmet’.
To me, that’s a rational way of dealing with it. ‘No helmet’ motorcycle insurance is considerably more expensive than the helmeted variety however…
Geoff PR
While I understand that and prefer it to the legislative solution of forcing everyone to wear them I don’t think we want to go down the “a la carte” theory of insurance very far. They’re already doing their best to worm their way into our lives as much as possible with ‘lifestyle’ issues (i.e smoking) and they’ll happily go further and whatever savings accrues will likely end up in the hands of their stockholders.
What’s the solution to carrying in a car? When going IWB, it feels like I have a book in my kidneys, and I can’t keep upholstering and registering every time I get out of the car. But I’d like to be able to draw if I was in the car.
Anyone?
I have a holster mount that goes under the steering column. You can buy them at the NRA store. It makes it fast and simple to carry and draw. Just be sure you buy an ambidextrous holster to go with it because you have to have a holster that is the opposite of your strong side for the mount.
Check the rules in your state. I can’t utilize that in Washington because the law proscribes that loaded weapons must be on my person when I’m in the vehicle for it to be legal. I just carry small of the back for CC and deal with it – I’m skinny and it makes me sit up straighter than I ever did as a kid.
Yeah, that’s good advice. You have to understand your state laws. Here in Virginia it’s completely legal.
I have a belt mounted version of this and it’s good to go, I imagine this would be also.
http://www.daraholsters.com/level-ii-duty-ram-mounted-dara-holster
Honestly, the solution is to stop being afraid to open carry. But if you are hell-bent on keeping your gun hidden, switch to a Crossbreed or similar (Comp-Tac MTAC) holster. That will solve your problems.
I caution against cheaper knock-offs.
Agree on the Crossbreed holster. That’s my holster of choice.
“What’s the solution to carrying in a car?”
Mount a holster on the outside of the shoulder belt.
With under the steering column holsters you run the risk of seriously ugly knee damage in a collision…
Appendix works well.
Adub,
Carry outside waistband at 3:00 O’Clock position (on your strong side hip). That should fit in the roughly triangular space between your body, seat back, center console, and seat belt clasp. It is fairly comfortable on all but the longest of rides. (I recently carried that way on a 5 hour drive without any discomfort.)
This would be my answer as well.
When I first started carrying my full sized piston in a Crossbreed, I started with the gun way to far back. I thought I wanted it about 4:30 or so.
Now I’m about 3:15-3:30 ish…just aft of a straight 3:00. It’s the sweet spot for me.
I also find I print less when concealing, too. Too far back and the grip on my pistol stands out like a cheap street walker which encouraged me to slide farther back to get concealment. That got me pain in my back and side while sitting (not just driving).
Also, might want to play around with cant of the holster to see if that helps.
Glad that you have experienced a state with more freedom.
“I passed, the unit pulled out into traffic and then passed me for the second time. Two minutes later, an SUV with “Constable” markings went past. I don’t know if they were curious, or if it was a simple coincidence.
The officer(s) handled this just right. Open carry of modern handguns is still new to Dallas. The officer saw something unusual, and checked it out. That’s good police work. They made their evaluation, saw that there was no probable cause or reasonable suspicion, and went on their way.”
That’s AWESOME. That means that the more police have to check out each and every law abiding citizen who is OC-ing, the more distracted they’ll be. We were looking for a way to prevent police from harassing real criminals and it looks like we’ve found it!
No, what it means is that after they’ve gotten used to seeing law-abiding people open carrying they’ll stop bothering about it and get back to taking care of people who are actually committing crimes.
Of all the ways police are being pushed to not ‘hassle’ criminals this is very low on the scale.
“That means that the more police have to check out each and every law abiding citizen who is OC-ing,”
That is idiotic, anti-OC propaganda.
If they are “law abiding,” why do police have to check out EVERY ONE OF THEM?
Cliff’s answer above is your hint.
Officer: dispatch, this is Farva, we have a guy running with a holstered pistol in my vicinity.
Dispatch: He’s up to some Shenanigans huh?
Officer: hold up, he’s an old dude with a goofy hat that says “gun guy” on it.
Dispatch: Chipotle ninja huh? Better not mess with him. Harass him about that pistol and next week we’ll have constutional carry legislation in the works.
Officer: Well, f@!$, have Foster circle around to check him out one more time. I gotta head back, my stomach isn’t liking all that syrup I drank this morning.
Glad it worked out for you but I still think it’s better to conceal it that reveal it. You got a lot more attention from cops and regular folk alike than you need.
Nothing says “retired cop” like a Glock and a porn-stache.
Maybe open carry fans that are open carrying will get over it now that nobody gives a sh*t.
Why are you invested in how other people carry?
I’d like to hear more open carry stories for Houston. Police out here are so ignorant of the law. A good many of them are coming out of California to work. So far I have not seen one open carrier.
I think that it’s great to celebrate Texas Open Carry. I’m also going to celebrate Dean Weingarten. He is one stalwart dude.
And the next bomb 2017 HB 308 goes in law ^^
Would like to hear the experience on OC from a 21-25 year old African American in a similar scenario.
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