SkipCoryell
Campaign Veteran
imported post
Hi guys. I've been writing a 3-part series on open carry for MCRGO and have been getting a lot of email about it, most of it favorable.
Please read the email below about a man concerned about being disarmed while carrying openly. What are your thoughts and comments.
Skip Coryell
http://www.mwtac.com
http://www.skipcoryell.com
[line]
Skip, I just readyour 2nd installment on this topic in the MCRGO newsletter today and I too fall into column #3: Support with some reservation. For me, here is my reservation to open carry that I do not believe you have touched upon just yet... Someone is going to get attacked and/or killed BECAUSE they decided to open carry! When you have a gun on your belt, in a way, you are making yourself a "target" for attack from the bold criminal who; 1) wants a gun; 2). feels emboldened by their surroundings or the drugs running through their bloodstream (or BOTH!)to think they could "take it" from you fairly easily... When a weapon is concealed, neither of the above applies... Since none of us has eyes on the back ofour heads, the task of taking an openly carried firearm would NOT be a terribly difficult undertaking... One quick blow to the back of the head with a blunt instrument would be all that would be necessary for said open carrier to be relinquished of their weapon, and then possibly even killed with the same. Plain and simple, unless you are in a group of people who are also carrying weapons, concealed or otherwise, you are making yourself a HUGE target for just such an attack...
Just so you know, I am 6' 1" tall and weight @ 230 lbs. Iknow that I can handle myself pretty well in a "fist fight", but I would NEVER choose to open-carry unless I was in a group of armed people as described above or unless I was in a controlled environment where ANY person that I should come across would automatically be considered an adversary (like if I were guarding a house or a building while armed, etc...). I also cannot see any correlation between what I describe above and to what a uniformed LEO experiences when they open carry... First of all, LEO's have the liberty of drawing their weapon when they even just "feel" threatened by questionable characters. This is legal for them to do as they perform their duty as a LEO. Private citizens, even carrying in the open, CANNOT draw their weapon simply because "nefarious looking people" are in close proximity. Second, LEO's usually have a partner with them when on foot patrols in questionable areas. LEO's usually even have partners when on patrol in cars at night, because of the higher possibilities of physical confrontations at those times. Neither of these are situations we private citizens have the luxury of... Finally, even LEOs DO get stripped of their weapons a lot more frequently than we all would like to admit (even ONCE is too much if you ask me). Ifthis can happen to a cop whohasalso had some training in hand to hand combat, how easy would it be to disarm "Joe Six-pack" when he is all alone, walking past a group of gang-bangers or thieves...? Skip,I am a very staunch supporter of ALL THINGS "2nd Amendment" (I personally own 2- .50BMG rifles). Believe me, I am also an "in your face" kind ofguy when it comes to dealing with the liberal anti-gun types too... But, you had better be careful with what you suggest people do with this open carry topic... Just because "we CAN" open carry, doesn't mean "we SHOULD"... Sincerely, name witheld
Hi guys. I've been writing a 3-part series on open carry for MCRGO and have been getting a lot of email about it, most of it favorable.
Please read the email below about a man concerned about being disarmed while carrying openly. What are your thoughts and comments.
Skip Coryell
http://www.mwtac.com
http://www.skipcoryell.com
[line]
Skip, I just readyour 2nd installment on this topic in the MCRGO newsletter today and I too fall into column #3: Support with some reservation. For me, here is my reservation to open carry that I do not believe you have touched upon just yet... Someone is going to get attacked and/or killed BECAUSE they decided to open carry! When you have a gun on your belt, in a way, you are making yourself a "target" for attack from the bold criminal who; 1) wants a gun; 2). feels emboldened by their surroundings or the drugs running through their bloodstream (or BOTH!)to think they could "take it" from you fairly easily... When a weapon is concealed, neither of the above applies... Since none of us has eyes on the back ofour heads, the task of taking an openly carried firearm would NOT be a terribly difficult undertaking... One quick blow to the back of the head with a blunt instrument would be all that would be necessary for said open carrier to be relinquished of their weapon, and then possibly even killed with the same. Plain and simple, unless you are in a group of people who are also carrying weapons, concealed or otherwise, you are making yourself a HUGE target for just such an attack...
Just so you know, I am 6' 1" tall and weight @ 230 lbs. Iknow that I can handle myself pretty well in a "fist fight", but I would NEVER choose to open-carry unless I was in a group of armed people as described above or unless I was in a controlled environment where ANY person that I should come across would automatically be considered an adversary (like if I were guarding a house or a building while armed, etc...). I also cannot see any correlation between what I describe above and to what a uniformed LEO experiences when they open carry... First of all, LEO's have the liberty of drawing their weapon when they even just "feel" threatened by questionable characters. This is legal for them to do as they perform their duty as a LEO. Private citizens, even carrying in the open, CANNOT draw their weapon simply because "nefarious looking people" are in close proximity. Second, LEO's usually have a partner with them when on foot patrols in questionable areas. LEO's usually even have partners when on patrol in cars at night, because of the higher possibilities of physical confrontations at those times. Neither of these are situations we private citizens have the luxury of... Finally, even LEOs DO get stripped of their weapons a lot more frequently than we all would like to admit (even ONCE is too much if you ask me). Ifthis can happen to a cop whohasalso had some training in hand to hand combat, how easy would it be to disarm "Joe Six-pack" when he is all alone, walking past a group of gang-bangers or thieves...? Skip,I am a very staunch supporter of ALL THINGS "2nd Amendment" (I personally own 2- .50BMG rifles). Believe me, I am also an "in your face" kind ofguy when it comes to dealing with the liberal anti-gun types too... But, you had better be careful with what you suggest people do with this open carry topic... Just because "we CAN" open carry, doesn't mean "we SHOULD"... Sincerely, name witheld