We’ll be reporting on our open carry experiences in the Lone Star State over the days ahead. Meanwhile, here’s a blast from the past – 2009 to be precise – that tells you that Texas is only now catching up with its international reputation for gun slingerness. Baby steps people. Baby steps!

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56 COMMENTS

  1. I open carried in Michigan and Missouri. Meh. no one said anything. no one screamed. no one really noticed the S&W 65 .357 mag on my hip. Welcome to the party. this will be a non-event soon enough

    • I have the same gun. Just curious; what grips do you have on it? I have Pacmayr’s on mine…kinda looking for some sexy wood.

      Ew, that sounded creepy.

      • they have original grips, rubber. gun is untouched since I bought it new, sept 1998. thinking of having night sights put on it but it is a 3in barrel beauty.

      • Wood grips are in my opinion, elegant. They never go out of style, and they almost add a warmth to your handgun.
        And yes, they are sexy, almost like good fitting jeans on a beautiful woman. Something every heterosexual male is going to look at and go….damn, that is nice!
        I had Pachmayr grips on my nickle plated Python and they were clearly a nice feeling grip, but you just can’t compare it to some beautiful wood grips.
        I have the Rosewood grip on my P229 Elite and I would never take them off.

    • Think it is already a non-event, after the Open Carry rally at the Texas Capitol, Subway Sandwich shop on Congress invited Open Carriers to come in for sandwiches.
      Killeen PD, Round Rock PD are running PSAs to educate the citizens in their area about new law allowing open display of a handgun in belt holster or shoulder holster. And finally asking callers to assess the situation before calling 911 such as does the subject have the gun out of the holster & acting irradicailly – if answer is no, then subject is legally open carry. So much for antis thinking they can “swat” Open Carry individuals. Hope small town LEOs got the memo

      • I wish that were the case here, in Houston and the surrounding areas 30.07 signs are popping up like anthills, and its becoming a huge pain for me as a firearms instructor to find places to host my classes now.

  2. We have had open carry in Missouri since, wait for it… 1875.
    It is neither common nor “a big deal” either one

    • I hear lots of people from OC states say similar things. However, youtube is filled with videos of police in those states hassling open carriers nonetheless. Likewise, google searches reveal such cases having to go to criminal court before being resolved in the carrier’s favor. Some of those cases do result in civil suits and modest settlements in the carrier’s favor, too, but none of that is equal to open carry being no big deal and completely routine.

      Even in Texas, where we’ve had open carry of long guns since forever, too, that can result in police harassment and even criminal charges here. Factor in that there are antis out there vowing to call 911 at every sight of a handgun, hoping at least for serious carrier inconvenience, if not violence, and this open carry business becomes serious business and not so humdrum.

        • Statists, tyrants and progressives (but I repeat myself), have been at war with America and it’s traditions of individual freedom, symbolized by our right to KABA, for over a hundred years.

          This is a relatively easy way to help turn the tide in public opinion and make what was once the norm, the OC of firearms, the norm again.

        • Just a suggestion, but as a resolution for the New Year can we standardize the acronym for The Right to Keep and Bear Arms? Standard form dictates that the/to/and, and similar terms, are ignored in acronyms (unless needed for stylistic purposes to form a recognizable word, for instance). Therefore, RKBA would be the ideal abbreviation for the longer phrase.

          As I said, just a suggestion for simplicity and recognizability. Happy New Year.

          • You know what one of the best thing is with respect to the legalization of Open Carry in Texas? Each day that passes will be a testament to just how bigoted and marginalized your view truly is.

      • Jonathan – Houston,

        In my open carry state, there were a spat of improper/illegal police detentions/arrests of open carriers that started in earnest about 5 to 10 years ago when people started carrying handguns openly in earnest. During that time, the police have lost EVERY single time. And “losses” include prosecutors dropping cases, juries finding defendants not-guilty, and police departments losing civil cases.

        As you might expect, in such a legal environment, police rarely, if ever, hassle anyone any more. And I have yet to see any large scale effort in any police department to educate their officers much less the public. I think they all just figured it out after losing all their cases. (Word apparently got around.)

        Given that various Texas police departments are educating their officers and the public, I anticipate that you will see far less examples where the police harass open carriers. Will the police frequently stop open carriers and ask to see their handgun carry license and identification early on? Probably. Within a couple years, I imagine such actions will only happen when there is some sort of dispute that leads someone to call police for another reason.

    • This was excerpted from a longer Glock brand Glock commercial with R. Lee Ermy coming in at the end.

  4. Though in my county open carry has always been legal, as of 7-1-14 state preempts all localities and open carry is state wide.

    Watta ya know, nothing happened. I still almost never open carry and seems the same for everybody else..

    Texas ,welcome to the not so wild west.

  5. Personally, don’t see the point in getting a CCW and then open carrying, since here, open carry requires nothing. I suppose though, it’s like getting a new shiny toy, and you have to show it off. Once you get tired of your new shiny toy, you realize the old one works just as well.

    • Well Jon, It’s to show people that it is not just the state paid enforcers that can and do take responsibility for defending themselves, and for me, my fellow citizens, from predators, by the bearing of firearms.

      To normalize what is the first human right and the symbol of being a free person versus peasant, peon and slave for all of recorded history.

      We have a freedom that is denied over 6 billion people on this planet. I take great pride and delight in acting on this freedom, and by doing so, I also have the side benefit of putting a stick in the eye of all statists, tyrants and progressives that say That I, as an american citizen, should only depend on the state for me defense needs.

      Yep. America. Greatest country in the world.

      • Maybe I’m just tainted by the lack of permitting in this state. I’m not saying it’s wrong, or not to do it, I just feel it’s wrong to force a permit to do so.

  6. Eight years of OC in New Mexico, much of it in Albuquerque, even across the street from the University of New Mexico and it’s cess pit of Progressivism. Not one bad experience with the citizens, nor the cops.

    It is definitely time for “The Great of Texas” to start to live up to it’s name. Like it’s been said, baby steps.

    • New Mexico’s been a state only since 1912. Texas is already closing in on two centuries of statehood, with a statehood history that predates the Civil War. We’ve been bogged down with the legacy of post-Civil War anti-gun racist repression that New Mexico didn’t have to deal with.

      Now, I’m sure it’s very comforting for New Mexico to have been born on third base and to think it hit a triple, but it doesn’t entitle you to lecture Texas on living up to one’s reputation, especially from the vantage point of a glass house. To wit:

      In New Mexico, you cannot consume any alcohol while carrying concealed, not even a glass of wine with dinner. In Texas, you may not be intoxicated while carrying, which is a more sensible standard and the same as for driving. New Mexico is the “Land of Enchantment”……….if you find lacking a Castle Doctrine or Stand Your Ground law enchanting.

      It’s time for New Mexico to live up to its hype. Maybe next year? I’ll check back.

      • Sensitive are we J-H? All the stuff you brought up? Details to be worked on. But I can still OC a loaded weapon without a license and I can CC an unloaded pistol with a mag on my belt without a license. We also have Shall Issue Conceal Carry. This is the Land Of Enchantment.

        But in the end, your TEXAS. People expect more of you.

        New Mexico? Most people think we are part of Mexico. Many Americans ask if they need pass ports to visit or do we speak English here.

        I like it that way.

        But in the end, we are all in this together, friendly state rivalry aside. As someone once said, “we shall stand together, or we shall surely hang seperately”. or something like that.

        • “Sensitive are we J-H?” lol Just a little bit…..

          Were you and I out having drinks with a few buddies right now, this would be the point where we all laugh and somebody says “It’s all good, boys. Another round over here, please, barkeep!” That’s the spirit in which I meant it, which by your measured response is clear to me you interpreted correctly.

          All in it together, indeed, my good man! And you are a good man, ThomasR. May 2016 be a year of prosperity, personal responsibility, and expansion of firearms liberty for all.

        • Well, thank you J-H. You are a good man as well. G-d willing, our freedoms will continue to grow by people waking up to what is required for people to be free.

  7. Congrats to Texas. The general public there will find that they’ve taken their first step into a broader reality.

  8. It was no big deal in MS when implemented. Pretty unexciting. I get to see what some are carrying out of curiosity. Whoopty dooo…

    Once I explained to several chicken littles that anyone could have a gun on them so why be scared of the ones you can see? They calmed down, well most of them. Some people hate reality. I live in Realsville.

  9. For all but the insignificant minority of Open Carry Obsessed, the novelty factor and “hey everybody look at me I’m strapped” gratification and enthusiasm will quickly wane once they realize that instead of shock and awe the most common reaction from their fellow Texans will be the old “you’re a dumbass” glance or stare.

    Of course there are a few settings and circumstances, especially in here in Texas, where open carry won’t make the wearer stick out as dumbass seeking attention, but not many. As I’ve said many times before, just because open carry is legal doesn’t make it smart, and the biggest positive of open carry in Texas is that the few armed dumbasses who’ve always been in our midst will be easy to spot starting today and the rest of us who actually carry for defensive purposes will continue to do so concealed

    • “Dumbass”?

      Tell us how you really feel, and then try to explain why ANY of us should agree with you. Oh, and keep in mind that the owner of this Blog, who so graciously allowed your comment to stand without a FLAME DELETED in its place, is a staunch supporter of Open Carry.

      As another stylistic note, can we agree that Open Carry should be given the honor of always being capitalized?

      • Cliff, I fully support the Texas law now in effect which affords the privilege of open carry to those properly licensed. By law a Texas handgun licensee is now entitled to be a dumbass if he so chooses and I’ll defend that privilege. With few exceptions, openly displaying a handgun carried for defensive purposes cedes all tactical advantage by unnecessarily providing a means for criminal predators to identify armed citizens who would otherwise be in a better position to defend themselves or others if the criminal predator could not easily determine who’s armed and might pose a threat to the criminal. So yep, I believe the Open Carry Obsessed who opt to open carry at Kroger rank right up there on the dumbass scale with the fools openly carrying a long gun at the coffee shop or while grocery shopping..

        • And yet many of us “dumbasses” who do occasionally Open Carry believe that the deterrent effect of a potential criminal seeing an armed citizen IS a tactical advantage that would more likely result in the criminal finding other stomping grounds, not an inevitable shoot-out or “shoot me first” scenario, since in most situations the intent of petty criminals is economic, not homicidal.

          In a similar situation where a criminal does not see an armed victim they may attempt to commit their crime anyway and force the Concealed Carrier to intercede, with all that entails. We believe that Open Carry is like a DGU where no shot is fired. Criminal sees gun, criminal flees the scene. Problem solved.

          This is a discussion/argument that will no doubt continue on this site ad infinitum, like caliber wars.

        • Not true Cliff, the fear of the unknown as to which person they encounter might be armed is a much more effective deterrent to criminal predators. Pretending open carry is a deterrent is nothing more than a talking point the Open Carry Obsessed cling to as rationalization for a tactically unsound and unwise practice.

          • Not true Cliff, the fear of the unknown as to which person they encounter might be armed is a much more effective deterrent to criminal predators.

            That’s cute; you think criminals think, and evaluate risk, rationally.

            Pretending open carry is deterrent is nothing more than a talking point the Open Carry Obsessed cling to as rationalization for a tactically unsound and unwise practice.

            There is documented evidence of open carry deterring criminals. Get back to us when you can produce similar evidence of criminals being deterred by concealed carry.

    • Ted, want to explain why I would be a “dumb ass” when I can carry a standard size pistol with 13+rounds
      openly rather than a “compact” with 7 to 8 rounds. As a mature woman of 65,”look at me days” were over about 40 yrs. ago. Sometimes due to bad knee I walk with a cane, Open carry is less prey looking than the gun not seen. In cold days like today with a heavy coat, Open carry is not very apparent anyway so what’s your problem?
      You carry however you want and I won’t call you a dumb ass and let others carry however works best for without being insulted by someone who comes across as an arrogant a**hole

      • TxGal concealing a handgun with a 13 round capacity requires even less effort under Texas open carry law. Even when concealed carry was required, Texas did not obsess over printing or incidental exposure of the handgun like other States that created a demand for those ridiculously uncomfortable inside the waistband holsters. If nothing else the new OC law in Texas makes common sense concealed carry of full size handguns easier since there’s even less need to worry about incidental movement of vest or shirt that might make the weapon visible for an instant.

        Sounds like you’ve bought into to the fallacy that exposing your handgun and ceding a valuable tactical advantage to any criminal predator you might encounter somehow creates a magic protective bubble that will serve as a deterrent to dissuade potential attacks; you’re sadly mistaken mam, and in my opinion, pretending OC creates an effective deterrent is not only tactically unsound and unwise, it’s just plain old dumb as in “dumbass”.

        • If you want to ever be taken seriously you’ll need to adopt a much more respectful mode of discourse. Until then, please go away.

  10. I open carried my “Yosemite Sam” gun today. 6″ Taurus Judge. When we decided to go see “Star Wars,” I noticed my first 30.07 sign on the door and walked in carrying concealed.

  11. I went out about 1100 today and almost couldn’t get out of the driveway due to all the stacked biddies and blood in the streets. This was after OC had been legal for only 11 hours.

  12. OC is legal in Washington State, and Idaho. When You do come across it regularly, It’s usually folks either going hunting or camping or trailheads by Backpackers , Smaller towns more than cities..

    • When I lived in Tacoma I had a friend whose sister was Seattle PD. It seems that the official Seattle PD policy was that if someone called in a “man with a gun” or an officer saw someone Open Carrying they would approach and question the individual. Policy required that the officer take the weapon into “protective custody” for the officer’s safety while questioning the open carrier. Any objection to that action could and often did lead to escalation and eventually being placed under arrest for some other subsequent violation, and the pistol confiscated, possibly forever.

      Even though Washington state law allowed for Open Carry, and state pre-emption, this Seattle policy effectively created a No Open Carry zone in the city since the majority of people didn’t want to deal with LEOs and potential consequences and so just did not Open Carry in the Sea-Tac area. More than one way to get around the intent of the legislature, as we will no doubt see from BHO in the near future.

      • While that sort of strategic hassling by LE is very likely in liberal strongholds like Austin at the behest of their liberal anti-gun Chief Art Acevedo, most Texas Chiefs and Sheriffs have already put policies in place to discourage that sort of negative interaction that the Open Carry Obsessed have come to thrive on.

        So Cliff, the most common reaction you’re likely to get from a Texas Peace Officer is the same “you’re a dumbass” glance or stare you’ll probably get from most Texans.

        • Even Art Acevedo, just prior to January 1st. 2016 released a statement to Austin American Statesman Newspaper, that instructed LEOs not to request Open Carriers to show CHL
          without cause. Believe training also provided to 911 operators, have other Texas cities.
          As far as statement on inadvertent display has never been a problem and to say so is a lie may or may not be true. I do know during session prior to 2015, where CHL classes the minimum number of required hours were reduced, designated pistol or revolver, if a revolver was used for range test was eliminated. Also penalty for accidental display of concealed handgun was formally eliminated. So that was not a concern, the concern was a panicked citizen calling 911. It only stands to reason, if legal open carry of long guns resulted to panic calls, not much of a stretch to image same as a displayed pistol. I believe that is the reason it was codified in the laws. There was enough support to restore legal Open Carry in Texas, so insulting those who choose to OC, is pretty dumb ass and saying you support the right to OC is disingenuous. Frankly, I don’t get you, it’s no skin off your hide how people carry!

        • You’re absolutely right TXGal, it’s no skin off my hide, if properly licensed it’s now your privilege to openly carry no matter how dumbassed it may be.

  13. Congratulations Texas! A step in the right direction. Here in Floruda they traded away legal OC in favor of permission slip CCW. There is a bill to legalize OC for CCW permit-holders. The best thing is it will give CCW holders flexibility and immunity from being falsely hassled by police and prosecutors over what constitutes “brief unintentional exposure” vs brandishing. If it passes it will be a step in the right direction. Our end goal is unpermitted, uninfringed exercise of the Second Amendment right.

    • Wood you might want to study up on concealed carry in Texas before commenting, there has never been a problem with Texas Peace Officers hassling licensed carriers over “brief unintentional exposure” and any suggestion that such a problem has ever existed here in Texas is an outright lie.
      .
      Attempts to enact Constitutional carry in Texas failed miserably during the last legislative session mostly because the Open Carry Obsessed pushing for the measure were apparently oblivious to the fact that the Texas Constitution expressly empowers the Legislature to “regulate the wearing of arms”.

      Hate to break the news to you Wood, but our new open carry regulation here in the Lone Star State is that only those properly licensed are afforded the privilege of open carry, so the enactment of our new open carry law in Texas pretty much guarantees that constitutional carry is a dead issue in future sessions of the Texas Legislature since historically there has been little support in the Texas House or Senate, or by the voting public, for an amendment to the Texas Constitution necessary to implement Constitutional carry.

      Please note the following applicable section of the Texas Constitution which might prove useful in expressing an educated and informed opinion:

      Sec. 23. RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS. Every citizen shall have the right to keep and bear arms in the lawful defense of himself or the State; but the Legislature shall have power, by law, to regulate the wearing of arms, with a view to prevent crime.
      .

      • Did you read my comment? Everything after the word “Florida” was in relation to documented conditions in Florida, not Texas. I’m happy your cops are less belligerent and your prosecutors less preening self important tools.

    • OkieRim I was working in Oklahoma in the months after the OC law went into effect and have been back several times a year since and in all that time have encountered less than a dozen folks openly carrying a handgun, and most of those were during deer season. I’m sure the Sooner State has it’s fair share of the Open Carry Obsessed, but obviously they’re not as vocal nor visible as the Chipolte Ninjas and various other idiots here in Texas.

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