Today I played "Open Carry"

[ldmaster]

And went into several stores, in multiple jurisdictions.

I don't have much use for IWB, so it was a Serpa with a Glock 19. Red T-shirt and denim shorts.

I went into thrift stores, department stores, walked down a mall (entered via a door that did not prohibit carrying weapons), did an exchange at a major department store, went to a jewelry store, bought a new grill, went to a pharmacy went to a government building and used their LE storage lockers.

Went a lot of places, did a lot of things.

I ONLY got stares and looks from people who appeared to be latino, and not native to the USA. Even those stares weren't impolite.

Nobody asked me about the gun, I made sure I stayed long enough for someone to call the police. No clerk even commented on it, and while I was looking, none of them stared at it.

I have a scanner, and never heard a dispatch for me. yes, it's a trunking scanner.

In short, nobody seemed to care enough to do the old panic call to 911. Nobody gasped and ran away. Nobody pointed. No store owner acted scared or nervous, and I made a point to ask a question or ask to see something.


I live in Arapahoe County and did this in several of the cities around me.

I am still free at this moment.

Anybody else ever done this?

[bobbyfairbanks]

Open carry is legal in CO. You do know that dont you? Also carrying a gun is like playing poker. Don't show your hand to the other players. But hey do what you feel is right.

[Byte Stryke]

funny thing that Open carry law...

Allot of people from the peoples republik of Kalifornia currently residing in Colorado aren't aware of this and don't agree.

rest assured, the ones that are aware are working towards the outlaw of such blatant use of constitutional rights.



edit, and most probably assumed you were a gay cop...

Denim Shorts, Really?

[KevDen2005]

funny thing that Open carry law...



edit, and most probably assumed you were a gay cop...

Denim Shorts, Really?

Oh my God,

The only thing I was going to reply to this is, someone should have called the fashion police...Denim shorts are out man...you should have carried the gun in your fanny pack instead

[Byte Stryke]

Oh my God,

The only thing I was going to reply to this is, someone should have called the fashion police...Denim shorts are out man...you should have carried the gun in your fanny pack instead

[sniper7]

glad things went well. but I prefer to not draw any attention at all.

[ghettodub]

edit, and most probably assumed you were a gay cop...

Denim Shorts, Really?

[Irving]

How did you go into a government building without getting beat up and arrested? Every time I even ASK about them storing the gun for me (like the law says they are supposed to do) they get all testy and tell me that they can't/won't do it.

I've open carried before. The kid behind the counter at Chipotle called his off-duty cop buddy over, after I left the counter, and the off-duty approached me about it. Then I left it in the car at the next stop.

EDIT: Aren't you a cop though? Off duty cops still act like cops, even if they are dressed like Lt. Dangle of the Reno PD.

[JohnTRourke]

I've had the same experiences you did.
Nobody even notices. (which doesn't shock me given the way most people drive).

My friend was wondering about open carry and do people freak out, etc.
so, a week or so passes and we go out to lunch, we get home, etc.

I say to him, remember when you asked about open carry?

"yeah"

well, not only did nobody notice while we went out for lunch, you didn't notice either.

[BPTactical]

I think a lot of folks are either ignorant that CO is an "open carry" state or just think you are LE.
I am happy to exercise my Constitutional right but choose to do such with discretion. As was noted earlier, LE personnel do not always understand the law they are trusted to uphold and I would just as soon NOT go through the process of educating them.

I also look at it this way- we are the "ambassadors" of the firearms world to the uneducated and as such should conduct ourselves appropriately. The clown in Aurora over the parking space is a prime example. All it takes is one asshat to reflect a bad light upon us all. This just gives the Anti's more fuel for the fire.
Why feed the fucks if we don't have to?
All it takes is one soccer mom to see your open carry and freak out "for the children" and then more negative press.
Firearms are demonized in our society today. We need to present a positive image so we can help dissuade some of the demonization.