I was not sure where to put this subject. Probably been covered 1000 times but it is June 2025 and I am wondering if you do carry concealed and if so what do you use?
Most of the time I carry open, 45 CCP Walther my favorite, if going around where might be 2 legged dangers, rare here. 10mm hard cast penetrators if fishing or in the woods in Alaska.
But I have been thinking what is concealable but comfortable to shoot.
So I thought well I will ask the PSA Tribe for their recommendation. I honestly carry Walther in the seat most times when driving but not concealed.
This is always an interesting subject with many perspectives. For me, I consider a handgun, really any gun, a tool. I’m not ripping a 2x6 with a handsaw or breaking concrete out with a ball peen hammer. The tool has to be fit for purpose. If I’m going to a large room like a church I carry something a bit larger like a full sized 1911 or my Springfield XD. Most of the time I’m carrying either a Kimber Micro 9 or my new S&W Bodyguard 2.0.
Most of the time in my shorts im carrying my 938 or 238 sigs.. a 9mm or 380mm.. i figure if i need anything more than that, well im in a gunfight not a defence situation and well things have already escalated past survivability most likely.
To me it is kind of weird, because I wonder if open carry is more preventive than concealed. The problem with open carry is that it has become culturally unacceptable but I think it would be 10x more preventive than concealed. I see a guy at the local grocery store strapping a 1911 one his hip and I am like yeah no fool is going to go crazy here. It exudes a certain power. Concealed has no power. I was just getting a few chicken strips and I was like this guy is open carry (Absolutely legal here and concealed) but he was confident with it. I bet that would scare to death these incel beta males.
IMHO<< A older guy open carrying is an invitation for a young buck/s to take him down.
When I see open carry, I play in my head how I would take them down or seize their weapon.
BTW Any criminal with a gun would have it out and shoot the open carrier first. I would.
Remember >> IMHO <<
I agree, open carry creates a lot of questionable scenarios that concealed doesn’t. My brother in law used to argue with me about it often, he is a much bigger dude than I am, so people often didn’t mess with him regardless, but he’d always say “I don’t care who knows I have my gun on me.”
I’d tell him “but you’re inviting conflict” and his reply was “bring it on.” I told him even someone my size at 5’9” 170lbs could take him at 6’3” 240 with a cheap shot from behind. Bottle or pipe to the head, punch to the back of the neck, whatever. One cheap shot and your gun’s gone.
If you have it concealed properly, nobody knows it’s there. You’re not painting yourself as a target. You keep the element of surprise on your side.
Not to mention stopping the less intelligent of the populace from freaking out and drawing attention to it.
I’m all for the right to open carry, and to each their own, but IMO, keeping it concealed is smart, open is far less so.
Open carry, In my opinion, would necessitate level 2 or 3 holster a large amount of weapon retention training and you will be the first to draw fire. Let me be the guy they are not expecting return fire from!