Did open carry backfire?

[Artos]

Yep and I'm afraid many more will follow

I really think if this happens, their wallets could very well suffer...the world is a scary place & 1st time handgun buyers are out in record & CHL classes in this area are staying booked.

jmo...

[Pkripper]

For businesses such as mine we have people from other states and countries on a daily basis. Whether I like it or not, concealed carry is out of sight out of mind. People do not even think about it. When you are from a different state or country and see a normal person packing heat it can be unsettling. Not saying that is right or wrong, justified or not justified, just how it is. I personally believe without any factual evidence that open carry will end up decreasing where you can carry in Texas for now. The amount of emails over the past 2 weeks form corporate, management companies, attorneys and risk management folks is crazy.Other businesses in the same industry calling asking how we would proceed. I just think for the near term for sure it will hurt and has backfired.

[jak]

I have not read all the posts, but I agree with the original post. The office building I work in, a two story building with about 10 businesses in it, previously never displayed a 30.06 sign, however, as of yesterday we now have a 30.06 and 30.07 sign. I'm not sure the reasoning behind both signs, but I do believe that the 30.06 sign would not have gone up if open carry was not passed.

I personally have not open carried since it passed, nor plan to. I have been concealed carrying a whole lot more though.

[Artos]

For businesses such as mine we have people from other states and countries on a daily basis. Whether I like it or not, concealed carry is out of sight out of mind. People do not even think about it. When you are from a different state or country and see a normal person packing heat it can be unsettling. Not saying that is right or wrong, justified or not justified, just how it is. I personally believe without any factual evidence that open carry will end up decreasing where you can carry in Texas for now. The amount of emails over the past 2 weeks form corporate, management companies, attorneys and risk management folks is crazy.Other businesses in the same industry calling asking how we would proceed. I just think for the near term for sure it will hurt and has backfired.

I really think Texas is suffering from overdose of social / instant media & why the state is dealing with the concern (albeit irrational) You gotta remember that we are I think the 45th state to have OC, so all these people you talk about likely already have the same law...it's just there was no facebook, tweeting, etc to jabber about.

Again, jmo but the fact so many (even gun guys here on tbh) were so wound up about how bad this OC would be without taking into account that their fears in 44 other states could not be confirmed anywhere tells me something. There is no hard data available to label OC as negative in anyway...just hope all the hysteria calms down after a while.

[Pkripper]

I really think if this happens, their wallets could very well suffer...the world is a scary place & 1st time handgun buyers are out in record & CHL classes in this area are staying booked.

jmo...

Artos, i agree with all that you have written until now. I do not think businesses will suffer at all. People who conceal regardless of signage will continue to do so. But I think businesses from a liability standpoint will post rather than have the majority of their clients, guest, customers etc.. uncomfortable. When you look at permits vs population in Texas it is really a no brainer. We do not have postings and will not post as we have looked at things objectively and feel there are not enough open carry people to really have to worry.

[Artos]

Well, I didn't take into account any CHL holders breaking the law & ignoring 30-06 signs...I just assumed we were better than that & take our $$$ elsewhere.

[Pkripper]

Well, I didn't take into account any CHL holders breaking the law & ignoring 30-06 signs...I just assumed we were better than that & take our $$$ elsewhere.

For the record I agree with you except for I just don't think that posting will limit sales to a degree that it will hurt, at least in Dallas. Rural areas I am sure will be much different. And in regards to your post above, I was referring to post 38.

[Wyatt 545]

I still have yet to see anyone carrying openly.

[chwfish]

I think part of it is people on here are looking at it through the lense of a well informed person comfortable with firearms. Think about it from the perspective of a business owned by someone who has never shot a gun or been around responsible firearm owners. someone who is intimidated by guns because they don't have any experience in the matter. With all the publicity about opencarry they ask someone (maybe their attorney maybe their insurance broker), how do I keep guns out of my store? Answer: put up these signs. They don't distinguish or even consider the question of open v concealed. I can easily see how this happened. I think it has backfired and it was the intense publicity by both pro (celebrating) and against open carry that brought it up again to the public's conscious.

[chwfish]

By they way, great post OP. I think these types of discussions are part of what makes this site great. Different perspectives being shared in a (mostly) respectful manner.

[Leon County Slayer]

Speaking from a place of ignorance, I'd like to learn how many of the other 40 some o.c. states have similar open carry laws to Texas or are they more strict?

I too, think many businesses who didn't post a sign before may post both because they either don't understand or feel like they have to make a decision to do it and feel like they may as well put them both up with out much thought past the 30.07 sign itself

[Flint knapper]

It's simple, if they have a 3096 sign, I won't go there! If they have a 2007 sign, then I really don't have a problem, it will be concealed!

If a business thinks so little of my safety while on their property that they would deny me the ability to defend myself, then I will not patronize them!

[Artos]

Maybe the bigger question is why we do not hear about all the other no OC signs in other 44 states & gun guys crying??

Could it be the law was passed years ago before all the evil social media & so few OC are even occurring??

The signs are irrational & hope to see it pass over & removed...they are quite the eye sore. Again, you just aren't seeing them here in the valley.

[Leon County Slayer]

Maybe the bigger question is why we do not hear about all the other no OC signs in other 44 states & gun guys crying??

Could it be the law was passed years ago before all the evil social media & so few OC are even occurring??

The signs are irrational & hope to see it pass over & removed...they are quite the eye sore. Again, you just aren't seeing them here in the valley.

Good point and I think it's a lot more likely to see them in Houston than in smaller towns and cities myself. I know if I saw one in my small hunting town, there would be a riot or town meeting pretty quick.

I think your point to Social media is a possibility but also media related to events since and including 911 as well as like you say, the other states have probably had them on the books for such a long time, the signs and debates never took place or were minimal from the onset.

[Jaq]

Not for me. I carry everywhere that I don't have to get naked. Nobody cares 'cause nobody knows.

my favorite comment in regards to 30.06 and concealed carry. i rather have it when I need it, and risk the possibility of getting caught, than not have it at all.