I had read about Moms Demanding Action’s shrill demands for a boycott of Kroger over their dislike of the exercise of the Second Amendment. I also noted the new media’s urging to show support for Kroger’s polite reply that the MDA’s should mind their own business. Of course, political manipulation is MDA’s stock in trade…and that runs exactly contrary to the limits on government that allow for toleration of others . . .

So I stopped at a local Fry’s (which is owned by Kroger) and topped off the tank. I was open carrying, as I usually am in Arizona, especially at this time of year. Opening day of dove season reached 112 degrees. I and a young friend had shot some doves and I needed to pick up some potatoes, garlic, onions, and carrots to go with the birds I was going to cook. I shop at Fry’s on a semi-regular basis and have never had any problem open carrying there.

This time I decided to take a picture to help enlighten those who aren’t fortunate enough to live in a place like Arizona. I believe the temperature was 106 when I walked in the door.

I asked the first passerby, a lady, to take my picture and to be sure that the Fry’s sign on the ice machine was visible in the background. She was happy to help out and I gave her a card and told her that I wrote a blog.

The clerk, bagger, and I talked for a few minutes about the weather, dove hunting, and the relatively low number of birds that most hunters were seeing, in spite of increased bag limits. Both of them regretted that they hadn’t been able to get out to the field yet. I gave them a card as well. Neither Joe nor I had gotten close to a bag limit, but we didn’t worry about it.

Open carry has come a long way since we intensified the push to exercise our rights in the late 80’s and 90’s. I suspect that trajectory will be followed in other states as well.

©2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.

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64 COMMENTS

  1. Such a well trained and behaved sidearm you have… it didn’t jump out of it’s holster and start attacking everyone in sight as predicted MUST happen everytime it’s let out of the gun store to exist in public by the Evil Mom’s.

    Here in Louisiana the reaction to OC in most areas can be summed up in three letters… MEH. It’s becoming quite a common practice.

    • Great post! That is especially the case here in my area of South Louisiana. If you don’t carry, you are odd and had better hope someone is around who does. It is the gators, four and two legged kind.

    • OC just became legal where I live about two years ago. With a resounding MEH. So far I’ve only seen one fellow OCing, and he was handicapped. IWB was a no-go for him.

  2. As long as its not over done for the sake of scaring folks who are very ignorant about fire arms.
    Im all for open carry.
    More so because the more folks see a holstered weapon the less attention it will get.
    No one has ever said word boo to me in 35 years if seeing my holstered gun whether its printing a bit or unintentionally outside my untucked t-shirt as I reach for something hi off the self of a store,
    Yet even I can be a bit fuddish when I see reports of a few or even 5 guys running around with a rifle slung over their shoulder to do some thing, just because they can.
    Unfortunately I cant OC here in Florida.
    We need to do something about that down here.

      • Washington is an open carry state. Generally, when you conceal carry, you need a CPL. However, there are several exceptions. You don’t need one while hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, etc. I’m not sure if the exceptions apply while traveling to and from your destination, though.

      • Try panthers. My uncle got mauled recently while turkey hunting. Nothing that required a trip to the ER thankfully, so he continued his hunt. I’m betting he kept his .44 magnum on him that day anyway though.

    • When last I checked, in CA of all places it was legal to conceal carry without a permit while actually fishing.

      • This is true. I suspect that your chances of coming across a police officer who knows about this obscure tidbit of the law are roughly the same as the chances that a Texas-based gun blogger we all know will end up married to Marin Herman.

  3. That’s cool.
    Having never seen fry’s the grocery store, I immediately thought of the electronics store…

        • LMAO, no the Frys in Ca that does Electronics is not the same company… Just coincidence they have the same name… I used to think the same thing until I talked to a GM one time about it,,,

        • Marcus, you got that backwards. The potatoes are batteries for the used laptops. You stick a copper strip in one end, some zinc wire or galvanized nail in the other. With the right combination of series and parallels, voila!

    • Fry’s grocery and Fry’s electronics are only tangentially related. The founder of Fry’s Electronics is the son of the grocery store founder. They are completely separate chains today.

      • I had wondered if the two stores had any relation… We have a couple of the Electronics stores here in Phoenix. Elsewhere I suppose it’s more likely to see the electronics store.

        As to the topic of the blog. Here in Arizona, it is common enough to see people with firearms on them that nobody really pays much attention to it. It would be rare to see anyone get upset about a gun in a holster. More likely to see someone look at you funny if you are afraid of guns. Well unless you live in Tucson… Those weenies are just too caught up in the love of Obama…

        • When manning a booth for AZCDL (Arizona Citizens Defense League, the 2A lobby group for AZ) during a fourth of July event this year, we were yelled at by an angry OFWG liberal (wearing a Navy Veteran shirt of all things) because he didn’t like we were open carrying. Started screaming we were a threat to the children or something, I dunno, I was trying to talk to another attendee. This was in southern AZ too.

    • I had a similar reaction when I first moved to Arizona and found out I lived down the street from a Fry’s. Imagine my disappointment when I found out it was a grocery store. I later found out that I did live down the street from a Fry’s Electronics and all was well again.

  4. I OC every once in awhile in the Phoenix area. I have yet to see a raised eyebrow, let alone have any problems over it.

    • Do you know if it’s the same company? I used to shop at Fry’s electronics often, when I lived in the SF Bay area.

        • Fry’s is/was a supermarket chain founded in CA. They were bought out by Kroeger and the brand was phased out in many markets(the Fry’s near me became a SaveMart sometime in the early 90s).

          Fry’s Electronics was started by the family of the founder of Fry’s Food and Drug, after they were bought out by Kroger’s.

    • No, it’s Higgins. He left the estate to finally travel to Middle America and he finally bought a new pistol after his Webley got crushed. He also decided that khaki tops weren’t cool anymore and he would be better off tactically with forest green. Can’t tell if he kept the socks.

  7. I believe in open carry even if it just to exercise that right. I think it helps reduce crime also.

    Jerry Miculek has a good video on his You Tube page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGslzXxDhEU

    He makes the point if you are going to open carry that you need to use at least a level 2 retention holster and a good solid police belt. Since I work in a courthouse that is exactly how I carry because I have an obligation to keep criminal from getting my gun. It just takes some time at the range to learn how to draw and fire from a retention holster and it becomes second nature.The belt is needed because if the retention holster does it’s job, a potential thief is going to drag you along with him if he tries to steal the gun.

    It is also good for public relations to show the police and others we are responsible gun owners Obviously a “pocket pistol” in your pocket is exempt because by definition it is not “open carry.”

  8. Are we just going to sit back and ignore the Fry’s with a checkout LANE vs the checkout cattle chute?! Amazing!

  10. amazingly, after 9/11 (like weekend immediately after), I open carried at a Kroger in liberal Ann Arbor. . . . I had J.E.D. (my S&W .357 magnum) with me in a normal holster OWB. . . . . no one batted an eye, said anything, made any comment. I really think that people freak out about long rifles because it is so unusual. That said, I would hope the Chipotle ninjas thought about their “image” more. Yes, it sucks you cannot OC a handgun. But instead of OC a long rifle to make a point in a Chipotle, how about doing it while handing out free turkeys to a poor neighborhood so the press sees that aspect. or helping kids trick or treat on Halloween (ie, but stopping traffic or acting as a crossing guard) or organizing a blood drive, or something that serves as a harmless public image? Eventually, the long rifle becomes your brand and it is a positive one that Shannon cannot harp away at.

    • Well, Dirk, who will that leave you to harp away at? 🙂

      (Channeling my inner Bastard Operator From Hell -“Sometimes I just kill me!”)

      Side note – Spyderco makes a nice stainless Hawkbill knife called “Harpy”

  11. I wanted to reply on how lucky we are to live in Az also. I live in the lower regions on the Border so Security is always a primary concern especially with the open border policy and trust me it is just about that.. Not against the awesome Agents doing their Job however you all know what I mean. I am a Frequent Fry’s Shopper as is my wife and we both always have a sidearm on. We have never had people look at us as though we are weird etc.. as a matter fact we get some very nice people saying how nice and clean our weapons are.. As Dave said above I have yet to ever see either of our sidearms jump up and attack people… However there have been times that I have seen thugs simply go the other way as they could see we meant business.. Americans have the rights to defend themselves and NO Liberals it does not mean assaulting people it means protecting your life and that of your family. Simply said the ONLY people who do not need to carry are the very people we need to protect ourselves from…

    God Bless America and God Bless Arizona and ALL 2nd Amendment Loving States,

  12. I moved to Arizona back in February. My experience with open carry in Arizona is that a lot of people, total strangers, want to talk to you about their guns, your gun, hunting, the last time they were at the range, the 2nd amendment, and everything else about guns. Don’t get me wrong, I like talking to these wonderful people about guns. Unfortunately, I am often in an hurry, so I conceal carry most of the time. Let me say that it is great to live in a state where OC is an inconvenience for that reason. Dean, thank you for helping to create this wonderful paradise.

  14. One thing I’m concerned about with OC of a handgun, is whether someone might choose to exploit that information during a dispute. A routine fender bender could turn out worse, not as in a shootout, but as in a disorderly conduct charge, if the other guy sees your sidearm and then claims to the cops that you threatened him before they arrived.

    Maybe a dispute over a parking spot, an overcooked steak, or a lost hotel reservation becomes a retaliatory call to the police with a fabricated story. If no one knew you were carrying, they probably wouldn’t think of that particular lie. We know that people do SWAT others, after all, so it’s not outside the realm of probability.

    Also, my lawyer advises clients against displaying firearms related stickers, plate frames, etc. on your vehicle, lest you tip off a road rager that you’re apt to have a firearm he could lie about. He says he’s had some cases like that before. So I don’t know.

    • Everyone is free to choose the battles and risks acceptable to them. We have always had legal open carry in Arizona, but we had to fight to keep it.

      With ubiquitous recording devices, lying is becoming dangerous.

      I think those that put others at risk with false police reports should be prosecuted.

      • I agree. And if the concept really worries you, its time for a body camera, with the thought of keeping it to yourself until someone makes such a claim, then press charges against him. Couple times, that fun disappears.

    • I seem to recall more than a few discussions here that have revolved around the idea that, when carrying it’s best to avoid all confrontations and arguments. In other words, let them have the parking spot if an “excuse me, I believe I had it first” doesn’t pan out.

      • I’m thinking in over 50 years of driving I’ve never had an argument over a parking spot, although I’ve driven in every state and several foreign countries. WTF? OTOH, if I had one, I could care about who has a firearm, my concern would be the spotless paint on my car.

  15. I shopped at Kroger in Carytown Richmond tonight. I cc’ed…and guess what, no moms, dads, little kids, college students or hipsters had any idea. Kiss my azz MDA. Maybe I’ll oc next time.

  16. For god’s sake, stop already. You’re not doing anything positive by doing this. You’re scaring people for no good reason. You’re pathetic attention-seekers doing NO GOOD for the 2nd Amendment. Enough already.

    • meandmealone, this really is what happens every day all over Arizona. People OC all the time, and they have been doing it for decades. Sure, Arizonians may be disturbed if you drive around with an Mk. 19 mounted on your car, or if you walk into the store with an M-60 machine gun; but, OC a properly holstered pistol, no one except for tourists and a splattering of leftists care.

    • And with such a silly post, you actually sound (on a site like this) much like a pathetic attention-seeker! If you have an actual objection, let’s hear it. If you just want to whine and call strangers names, there are sites for that. In this thread alone there are numerous reports of OC where absolutely nobody cares, nobody is afraid, nobody is endangered, then here you come with your total unsupported nonsense, calling other people names. You’re pitiful.

  17. Meandmealone you don’t understand Arizona very well. OC here isn’t a statement, you’ll see it every day, multiple times a day. People don’t fear guns here.

  18. I saw the mention of Kroger and wondered if this was going to be about the flash mob beat down of the Kroger employees in Memphis. I’m surprised that story hasn’t been posted, because it should have been a DGU.

  19. Open carry has come a long way since we intensified the push to exercise our rights in the late 80′s and 90′s. I suspect that trajectory will be followed in other states as well.

    When CT is as cold as AZ is will Open Carry be acceptable as is shown in this post. The liberal mind has no concept of change. (Note, Republicans are closed minded too, a point I do not dispute)

  20. “I suspect that trajectory will be followed in other states as well.”

    Well, every trajectory has its peak, then it falls as fast as it rose. Unless the projectile hits something dense and immovable, such as the prevailing mindset of the upper east coast of the US. Or Chicago.

  21. oc is legal in pa, i was once asked “why would you do that?” (in a real snotty way, think he was saying carrying in general) my reply “why not?” “but why?” “ahhh why not?” i’ll have a reasonable conversation with anyone but i aint defending my right to do it if you don’t even have a reason i shouldn’t

  22. Fry’s grocery here in Phoenix is the greatest. I as a both conceal and open carry have NEVER, EVER had a problem at Fry’s…even the fellow shoppers never give you a second look as here in Arizona carrying a gun is no more something to fear! No one runs to mgmt screaming her children will be killed (except for the businesses that MOMs that Demand Shit have blackmailed) other than that Phoenix welcomes gun lovers….we’ve never had mass killing of any kind that I am aware of so take notice of how it works here in the Valley of the Sun and Guns….so if you HATE guns, second guess living in Arizona or “deal with it” as one of us could save your life one day!

  23. I am at Ahwatukee Sporuts, they have a “No Firearms Allowed” sign clearly visable on both sides of the doors, so I put my FN in the car.
    When we’re done here, we’re going to Frys 🙂

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