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Larry0071
Regular Member
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Posted: Tue Jun 30th, 2009 08:58 pm |
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I have been on here a few times reading, I just decided to register and share some of my (good) experiances.
I carry 2 pistols, a Glock 17 OC on my right hip and a Beretta Tomcat 3032 in a pocket or an ankle holster.
I have had a permit to carry concealed since 1994 and have carried concealed on and off since then.
Recently, I began to carry open. So much more comfortable! At 5'9" and 190 lbs, if I try to put a pistol inside or even outside a waistband, my fat gut gets pinched and it's really not comfortable unless the shirt is tucked in between me and the pistol. So by alowing me to tuck the shirt and wear a paddle style retention holster I am comfortable carrying and now tend to carry on my days off from morning until night.
I can not have a firearm in my vehicle on company property, and we have security that has the ability to search any person/car/items at will, so the pistols stay at home Monday-Friday for my work day.
I have been carrying as much as I can, pretty much Friday evening until Sunday night. I have been to the movie theator at the Beaver Valley mall twice with my son to see movies, eaten at Pizza Hut in Baden twice, Visited WallMart in Monaca once, and was even in the Sheetz in Rochester while a LEO was there... who visually noticed the Glock but only looked at it with mild interest.
I have yet to have anyone that did not know me question me or the exposed pistol. Now... family members... that is a different story! My Father-in-Law thought I was going to get arrested. One brother in law still thinks that there is no way it can be legal.
In the end, the comfort of wearing a single shirt and the ability to wear the pistol without pain (the damn fat gut thing) makes open carry a major pluss! I don't really see the need to conceal unless I am at a place that a pistol in view would be like a man in a dress. For most average days eating, shopping, fishing, hiking and what ever else.... the open carry has not had any down sides to speak of.
I was very nervous at first, I thought I would be "coached" by every LEO I came across. Absolutely not. I thought folks would stare at me and make me feel odd, and it barely happens. Most folks never notice or if they do, I think that they assume I am an off duty LEO.... only a few times have I saw someone really take acute notice and do something like tap thier spouse and point me out. Even that only bothered me on a small level. They have a right to notice and gawk if they wish... who am I to take offense of it?
My 13 yr old boy had a pal over, and his dad came drop this off in the late morning. He saw me out in the driveway and got out to introduce himself and he noticed the Glock. He asked about it and we started talking. He is shopping for his very first pistol, and he had wondered about the Glock vs the SA XDm series. I offered to take him out back and allow him to shoot the Glock, so his first time in his life shooting was that morning. He loved it. He had asked about my open carry and I explained it to him. He said he did not know if he felt bold enough to do it, but thought the law allowing it was a good thing. I offered to spend time with him when he picks up his new ?? brand pistol showing him how to clean it as well as safe handling. He was very excited.
I hope I am not alone as a person having a very posative experiance with open carry. If you had asked me a year ago if I thought I would open carry, I would have told you that OC is illegal (Because I had no clue!) and that I would never do such a thing.
Things change.
Larry in Beaver County PA.
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Wonderer
Regular Member
| Joined: | Thu Sep 11th, 2008 |
| Location: | Beaver County, USA |
| Posts: | 46 |
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Offline
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Posted: Thu Jul 2nd, 2009 01:24 am |
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There are several oc'ers in beaver county welcome aboard!!! most of the police this way have now been trained and some are supportive.
see you at the dinner maybe!!!
Last edited on Thu Jul 2nd, 2009 01:38 am by Wonderer
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Larry0071
Regular Member
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Posted: Mon Aug 17th, 2009 10:42 pm |
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Yep, nothing new. Movies at the Beaver Valley Mall, Wall-Mart in Monaca, Toy-R-Us at the mall, Olive Garden in Cranberry, Ichibon in Cranberry, new pizza place in Cranberry called....I forget, but it ROCKS! In the new plaza where Verizon moved to.
Basically, when not at work, I open carry. No frantic old ladies beating me with canes.... no LEO harrasment..... no irate customers in stores or resturaunts. I just get dressed and go about my life.
I was at a family reunion most of the day yesterday and got to "educate" 5 folks there about some of the PA gun laws, and the Sherif drove by so we even stopped him so that these guys could "put me on the spot" and verify what I said with the Sherif. He agreed with me, gave me a smile and a nod and left. They were amazed I was not afraid to confront a Sherif while open carrying in a local park.
I'm still fighting the good fight, and happy to say it has been VERY UNEVENTFULL!
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Farmer Troy
Regular Member
| Joined: | Wed Feb 20th, 2008 |
| Location: | Western PA |
| Posts: | 101 |
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Posted: Tue Aug 18th, 2009 10:38 am |
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Good stuff . . . thanks for sharing!!!
Troy
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Mtn Jack
Regular Member
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Posted: Thu Aug 20th, 2009 01:53 pm |
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Nice to see you here larry, we have to get togeather soon and shoot something. Jack
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Larry0071
Regular Member
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Posted: Wed Aug 26th, 2009 09:00 pm |
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Jack, anytime you want.....on weekends! I can't have weapons in my car at work, you know what I'm saying.....it's a long drive home and back! But on weekends I am free to carry anything I wish in the mighty Civic!
I don't have near the cool toys that you had at your range that night. That boy has some serious money spent on his hooby of choice!
Have your girls help you copy that file I got to you, then return the red chip to me so I can keep using it.
Thanks for saying hello, tell you family I say hi.... and shoot the damn pig already. That thing kinda freaks me out. Seriously. It is scary dude.
God Bless, and be safe!
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Mtn Jack
Regular Member
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Posted: Thu Sep 3rd, 2009 04:11 am |
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Larry i am going to start carrying the pig with me oink oink  Hey a pig a glock and my Bible.
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Wonderer
Regular Member
| Joined: | Thu Sep 11th, 2008 |
| Location: | Beaver County, USA |
| Posts: | 46 |
| Status: |
Offline
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Posted: Sat Sep 19th, 2009 07:09 pm |
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Larry0071 wrote: Jack, anytime you want.....on weekends! I can't have weapons in my car at work, you know what I'm saying.....it's a long drive home and back! But on weekends I am free to carry anything I wish in the mighty Civic!
I don't have near the cool toys that you had at your range that night. That boy has some serious money spent on his hooby of choice!
Have your girls help you copy that file I got to you, then return the red chip to me so I can keep using it.
Thanks for saying hello, tell you family I say hi.... and shoot the damn pig already. That thing kinda freaks me out. Seriously. It is scary dude.
God Bless, and be safe!
Thanks for all and looking forward to seeing you again!!
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