Do you have any popcorn? Discussions on this topic get about as heated as discussions about what caliber is best. 
Hopefully cooler heads prevail and the trolls aren't fed.
Many folks will say that you become a target if you open carry. To a point, this is true. You're a target for gun theft. So if you open carry, get some retention training. If a criminal is INTENT on doing harm to people then yes, you will be the first person taken out.
I postulate, however, that it is not as common as you think and it's perceived that this could be a common occurrence due to media portrayals.
OC can also be a detterent. COMMON criminals do not want anything to do with someone who is OC'ing. If you're a robber, why rob someone who can fight back? Move on to an easier target. Common Criminals don't want the added charge or the risk.
People often site bank robbers as an example. I beg to differ. Common bank robbers want to get in and out as quickly as possible. They don't want the risk of being injured or tacking on an extra charge to the crime they're already committing.
That being said, can OC'ing make you a target? Absolutely. Can it be a deterrent? Absolutely.
I prefer CC b/e it's less hassle, but I do OC when it's convenient (going into the store on the way home from the range). I don't get stares or hassles b/e of how I look when OC'ing. Bearing and appearance have a lot to do with how people perceive you when you OC. ANd we all know that perception IS reality. If you look like you SHOULD have the gun, then most people won't even notice or will just tick it off as "oh, he's LE, etc."
So there you go, my $0.02. Some will disagree, others will agree. I'm a bit old school in the idea that not every criminal is out to get into a violent encounter and not every person is going to get into a protracted gun battle.
D
Hopefully cooler heads prevail and the trolls aren't fed.
Many folks will say that you become a target if you open carry. To a point, this is true. You're a target for gun theft. So if you open carry, get some retention training. If a criminal is INTENT on doing harm to people then yes, you will be the first person taken out.
I postulate, however, that it is not as common as you think and it's perceived that this could be a common occurrence due to media portrayals.
OC can also be a detterent. COMMON criminals do not want anything to do with someone who is OC'ing. If you're a robber, why rob someone who can fight back? Move on to an easier target. Common Criminals don't want the added charge or the risk.
People often site bank robbers as an example. I beg to differ. Common bank robbers want to get in and out as quickly as possible. They don't want the risk of being injured or tacking on an extra charge to the crime they're already committing.
That being said, can OC'ing make you a target? Absolutely. Can it be a deterrent? Absolutely.
I prefer CC b/e it's less hassle, but I do OC when it's convenient (going into the store on the way home from the range). I don't get stares or hassles b/e of how I look when OC'ing. Bearing and appearance have a lot to do with how people perceive you when you OC. ANd we all know that perception IS reality. If you look like you SHOULD have the gun, then most people won't even notice or will just tick it off as "oh, he's LE, etc."
So there you go, my $0.02. Some will disagree, others will agree. I'm a bit old school in the idea that not every criminal is out to get into a violent encounter and not every person is going to get into a protracted gun battle.
D
