“This is why you shouldn’t open carry!”

“You shouldn’t open carry because someone is gonna sneak up behind you and take your gun and shoot you with it. Also, if you open carry, well now you become the target. Oh and by the way, you open carrying gives us all a bad name… so stop it. NOW!”

There’s always been the discussion of why you shouldn’t open carry. I’ve seen videos and read articles on this and I just keep finding myself not agreeing a whole lot with people who say that open carry is a “bad” idea.

Now, I totally understand that there are situations where open carry is NOT a good idea, and we’ll get to those in a minute but to say that it’s just completely wrong, well, that is where I can’t agree.

If you don’t feel comfortable open carrying then don’t do it. Please. BUT, if you’ve been thinking about it then maybe this video will help. At the end it’s all up to you.

Now, I prefer concealed carry but not because of the reasons we are going to mention here today. I’m the owner of Bravo Concealment and I am constantly showing how well our holsters conceal. Also, when Texas became a concealed carry state it was just that, concealed carry. It’s only been recently where we can now open carry. I’ve been concealed carrying for over 20 years. I’m just so used to it. It’s practically become second nature to me.

Let me just be clear. I am in no way claiming that I am an expert in open carry. The fact of the matter is that I rarely open carry. Unless it’s a quick fill-up to the gas station or when I’m out in the country, I hardly open carry. But it’s not because of the reasons we’re gonna mention here.

I own Bravo Concealment, manufactures of the best in everyday concealed carry holsters. So I am constantly showing how well our holsters conceal. I’ve been concealed carrying for well over 20 years due to the fact that Texas was first a concealed carry state. It wasn’t until 4 years ago when you can open carry. So I’m used to concealed carry. It’s second nature to me.

I also just don’t want to make people around me uncomfortable BUT I will say this; the older I get, the less I care about that.

Many of these thoughts on why it’s bad to open carry can be evaluated through just simple common sense. And that is what we are here to do, to evaluate the notions on why open carry is such a bad idea.

So, I’m going to break down the top 3 reasons why people say you shouldn’t open carry. Here we go.

-Reason number one: “They’re just gonna sneak up from behind and take your gun.”

Can this happen? Sure it can just like 2” of snow can happen in South Texas. It’s rare but it can happen. But if I was a betting man, I wouldn’t bet on it.

The fact of the matter is that this rarely happens. Why, because most criminals are cowards and they are not going to take a chance like that. Most criminals take the path of least resistance. This is why there’s way more crime in “Gun Free Zones” This is also why most guns that are stolen are from a home or vehicle. Not while the person is wearing it.

“Well someone can clobber you over the head and take your gun while you are laying there unconscious! What then?” Ok, let’s examine that. If a criminal wants to hit you over the head because you are carrying a gun… That goes against everything we know about how most criminals are cowards.

Is it possible? Sure, just like 2” of snow in South Texas. This is why I said earlier, If you don’t feel that open carry is for you, don’t do it. BUT, you are more likely to get clobbered over the head with a 2x4 if the perp knows you are not carrying a gun or something you can defend yourself with. That is a fact!

Which brings me to a very important point. You need to be aware of your situation. “Situational Awareness” is something that needs to be practiced. Whether you are carrying a gun openly, carrying concealed or not carrying at all. Situational awareness is super important. It’s just simply your best defense in surviving a potential attack.

Many say that you should wear a level II or level III type holster if you are going to open carry. What is a Level II or Level III type holster? Let’s talk about this.

A Bravo Concealment holster is a level I retention holster meaning the holster itself is a form of retention. Our 3.0 holster also have a retention screw to set your desired level of retention but it still remains a Level I holster.

A level II holster has another form of retention, this could be a hood over the back of the slide and frame or a lever type retention like the ones found on the Serpa holster. A level III has 3 forms of retention meaning that there are 3 actions needed to draw the gun.

If you feel that you need a level II or III type holster then by all means do it. Most people that open carry usually just run level I retention holster.

Level I holsters that are design to a specific gun like a Bravo Concealment holster or a leather or Kydex type holster will hold the gun securely. This means that in order to draw the gun it needs to be pulled straight up from the holster. Trying to pull the gun out at an angle will not work.

Why am I saying this? Well, if someone is going to creep up behind you and take your gun from your holster they would have to know this and be specific in how they draw the gun.

-Ok, now let’s talk about reason number 2: The element of surprise is gone.

I understand this statement and I agree with it but up to only a certain point. Why?, because I automatically think about deterrence.

Again, most criminals are cowards. This is why they rob convenience stores in the middle of the night with a BB gun. Or they break into a house when they know the owners are not there.

Imagine if we would go by the “element of surprise” principle in “NOT” open carrying well then why do we have security officers at a bank open carrying? Or at an event or at a movie theater?

I understand that most of us are not sworn officers or have a level II or level III certification to be a security officer BUT aren’t they creating a deterrence to protect property and lives? Isn’t that what they do when we see them out there? Isn’t that what we do when we carry our guns? Do we not protect our families when they’re with us?

I think that deterrence by open carry is very underrated in the eyes of most of us who carry on a daily basis.

There’s people that say that you can be the first targeted when open carrying if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time? Yes. But, this brings up an interesting point that I mentioned earlier.

Know when to open carry. There are certain places that don’t lend themselves well to open carrying. Large, crowded areas are not ideal to OWB carry. If you are walking shoulder to shoulder with people you don’t know, you may want to stay away from carrying openly.

Or, if you are in an area where law and order is practically non existent or heavily frowned upon. An area that you feel you need a whole posse just to walk through it and be safe, you may want to carry concealed. Or just get outta Dodge man, what are you doing there?

Be prudent. Use common sense when open carrying. Like I said, there are certain areas that don’t lend themselves well to it so just be mindful of that.

-Reson numero tres: “You’re giving all of us a bad name by flaunting that gun”

I don’t get this one. I do understand why they say that but I just can’t seem to even entertain this notion.

You practicing your God given right to not only protect yourself and those around you but to do it legally, if open carry is legal in your state of course. It just baffles me why people get upset when they see someone open carry.

“Well, they’re doing it just to show off!” Well, how do you know that? What are you a mind reader? How do you know their intent to open carry? Maybe they just can’t stand carrying IWB so they go OWB on a hot summer day. Who cares???… to me they’re just practicing their right to protect themselves. As long as they’re not bothering anyone, who cares?!

You need a safe space now? We mustn’t bother the delicacy of this fellow 2nd amendment advocate? Yeah… as long as you don’t open carry, he’s fine.

BTW: Go check out our video “IWB is so uncomfortable!”

I’ve had people tell me, “this is why they keep coming after us and our rights!

Because we walk around showboating them” They come after our second amendment rights because they just hate guns and gun owners. It doesn’t matter if you play nice or not. Their intent is to get rid of guns, period. So, don’t let political correctness keep you from carrying whether it’s concealed or open carry.

I have no issues whatsoever when I see people open carrying. I love seeing that and I’ve actually praised them personally. To me it just screams AMERICA!

This video is simply the other side of the argument on open carry. At the end, it’s all on you. Know your state and local laws. Do your due diligence and find out what it is you can and can’t do. This is an important decision which can really only be made by you. But if you’ve been thinking about carrying, well it starts now.

Rene Aguirre is the founder and owner of Bravo Concealment. Rene has been carrying concealed on a daily basis for over 8 years and has been a CHL (concealed handgun license) holder for more than 20 years. Finding a high interest in firearms for many years, Rene started Bravo because of the “lack of” a good concealed carry holster.