Bill Would Allow Guns To Be Carried Uncovered(Fl)

wesh.com ^ | 21 March, 2011 | NA

[marktwain]

WINTER PARK, Fla. -- In Florida, gun owners can't holster their guns outside of their clothing, but that could change if a piece of legislation turns into law.

It's called "open carry" and it's drawing plenty of attention from advocates and opponents alike.

Charles O'Meara of Shoot Straight, a firearms store, thinks the law would scare those who don't own guns and create opportunities for crime.

"I don't think it's fair to make those people feel uncomfortable, but the bigger part is, what happens when someone walks up behind the gun owner and pulls the gun out of its holster? Now you have someone who should not have one, with a gun in their hands," said O'Meara.

SURVEY Do you think open carry should pass? Yes No Results | Disclaimer | E-Mail

Under House Bill 517, which has already passed in the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee, a person would need to have a valid concealed weapon or firearm license in order to carry a weapon or firearm openly.

[Travis McGee]

Hey, I support your desire to open carry. It’s a free world. But I don’t have Magic Ninja Powers, so I don’t want constantly be looking behind me.

As for examples, you are I hope aware that many cops are killed with their own pistols?

I don’t think a civilian will be less prone to having his plain-view uber-pistol heisted than a uniformed cop.

And it happens to them all the time.

[Travis McGee]

I agree with all of that.

[Travis McGee]

Suit yourself. I support open carry for those who want it.

[Travis McGee]

Another addendum to my prior post on being OC bushwacked...the way police sometimes are. You walk into a crowd of people you can’t shoot, they turn aggressive while bumping you, and somebody grabs your OC pistol. Ask OC cops if this scenario worries them. It sure does, and for good reason: it happens!

Next case: the nasty brawling bad guy you told to stop hassling the ladies heads your way to pound your face.

But he sees your OC pistol, and thinks better. So he goes out to his truck and gets his own pistol, shotgun or rifle, and sits in the cab brooding until you come out.

This is just a sample scenario, but the point is it’s tactically stupid to tell an enemy to get out of pistol range, get cover, get a long arm and blow you away from ambush.

[Cyber Liberty]

The police have no common sense when it comes to accidental firearm exposure.

Fixed it...

[PeterPrinciple]

It's called “open carry”

---

I thought it was called “constitutional carry”

[AvOrdVet]

And it happens to them all the time

Hmm, don't seem to read about 'em all the time and I must be on the wrong channels because I'm missing them all in my daily perusing... darn high tech cable box thingy. ;-)

[Travis McGee]

You really haven’t heard of it? Really?

And it’s not the only reason why OC is tactically stupid.

It may be contitutionally the best thing since sliced bread, but tactically, it’s stupid to warn an enemy to get out of pistol range and kill you from ambush or long range.

[AvOrdVet]

I thought it was called “constitutional carry”

"Constitutional Carry" is the unrestricted carry of a firearm as guaranteed by your natural rights.

Open Carry is just a mode of transporting your firearm... "Unrestricted"

[Red in Blue PA]

Not really, you gotta remember Glocks are one of the "popular" guns

With gun owners, yes.

Non-gun owners, not so much.

That's just a theory.....don't mean to get anything started;-)

[Red in Blue PA]

It may be contitutionally the best thing since sliced bread, but tactically, it’s stupid to warn an enemy to get out of pistol range and kill you from ambush or long range.

And yet you cannot cite any examples of this!

[Red in Blue PA]

LOL! Too rich.

All hypotheticals!

In the age of the internet, surely you can find one example of an OC case paralleling one of your examples.

[Red in Blue PA]

I don’t want constantly be looking behind me.

Experts will tell you take if you are carrying at all (OC or CC), situational awareness is important. Knowing what is around you at all times. A fairly athletic teen can rush you from 21 feet faster than most people could draw. Saying you do not want to be nothered to be aware of what is behind you is a mystery to me if you are as serious as you make it sound in your posts.

Even if I CC I am cognizant of what is behind me. But hey, that's just me. And no ninja powers involved. That was a silly thing to say in the first place.

[Joe Brower]

A sneak-peek at the cover of Matt's upcoming book, 'Castigo Cay', is at post #22.

[Billthedrill]

Congratulations! McGee BTT.

[Red in Blue PA]

As for examples, you are I hope aware that many cops are killed with their own pistols? I don’t think a civilian will be less prone to having his plain-view uber-pistol heisted than a uniformed cop. And it happens to them all the time.

Where cops walk patrols, I do not need to.

One of the first rules of staying safe is staying away from where the BG's are if possible. Cops cannot do that, hence the takeaways that sometimes happen.

But show me where that happens with OCers.

[Road Warrior ‘04]

I’ll keep mine concealed, thanks.

As will I. But, I would like the option to open carry.

[Ramius]

Another addendum to my prior post on being OC bushwacked...the way police sometimes are. You walk into a crowd of people you can’t shoot, they turn aggressive while bumping you, and somebody grabs your OC pistol. Ask OC cops if this scenario worries them. It sure does, and for good reason: it happens!

I've got some personal experience that agrees... way back in a former life I was a Coastie, and conducted many boardings of vessels large and small. Mostly large. I was always hyper-aware, wearing a .45 on my hip in a regular leather thumb-strap holster. There's no such thing as "personal space". We were just by nature always in very close quarters with civilians at our elbows constantly.

There's few things as unsettling as going down a ladder through a hatch into a dark space, where the gun is the first thing after my feet to go into the space. Both hands are busy on the ladder... anybody down there that wanted that gun could probably take it if they were quick enough. It never happened to anybody I know, but I still hated that part.

I kept saying over and over that we needed to adopt a shoulder rig, as it's just inherently more secure for weapons-retention. It fell on deaf ears, unfortunately.

[FreedomPoster]

LOL! Boy is that ever the truth!

And it isn’t a “going to” situation, I’m sure it already has.

[FreedomPoster]

Is there going to be a signed pre-order opportunity for FReepers?