Open Carry, Concealed carry or no carry while do business
Property Manager · San Antonio Texas · Member since 2018 · 21 posts · 29 votes
Open Carry, Concealed carry or no carry while do business
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Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
7yOpen carry is an immediate deterrent. However, someone that's not planning a crime and not familiar with guns (thanks, media!) may see it as a threat so concealed carry may be better. I don't think there's a perfect answer.
When I carry, which is rare, I carry concealed just because I don't want to be seen as a threat to anyone.
No matter which one you choose, be sure to practice and ensure you are comfortable with the draw and know how to carry safely with one in the chamber. You may not have time to rack when the time comes.
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113 Replies
- Rental Property Investor · Lubbock, TX · Member since 2010 · 55 posts · 17 votes7y
Wow... all the back and forth about gun carry. I thought I was on Bigger Pockets for real estate investing information.
- Rental Property Investor · Ashland, KY · Member since 2019 · 9 posts · 2 votes7y
@Robert Higdon I completely agree. Anytime I carry is concealed. You stick out like a sore thumb if an assailant is making a quick scan of a place to attack.
- Severna Park, MD · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 7k+ votes7y
"They say God made man , Sam Colt made them equal "
I believe its a personal decision
- Rental Property Investor · Ithaca, NY · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes7y
@Renay Reese
Concealed, you don’t want people to know what you’re hiding. That way when someone pulls up and causes problems...then they have a surprise waiting for them.
- Saint Joseph, MO · Member since 2018 · 401 posts · 244 votes7y
@Renay Reese
I believe in the right to open carry, but would never do it in a public setting. Only in the woods or something. I always see people open carrying in Walmart all bent over grabbing something and I could just walk right up and snatch it. Concealed is concealed, and always keep a neutral face.
- Rental Property Investor · Lehi, UT (Lehi) · Member since 2018 · 91 posts · 99 votes7y
@Nathan G. I love your post and always agree with you but I gotta disagree with you on this one. I was born and raised in Idaho and I would bet my life savings that 9 out of 10 people when faced with an incident where they need to act quickly and correctly with a gun and actually shoot at someone would either a. Miss and shoot someone else or themselves. B. Keep the gun on safety and/or have no bullet in the chamber then get killed by the person they are in conflict with or c. Forget they are even carrying a gun at all. Just cause you hunt or target practice in your backyard. When faced with a real situation you have no idea what to do or you are too frantic in the moment to do it correctly. I am 110% for guns. I love them they love me life is better with them but my goodness people these days don’t even know how to wipe their own Butt correctly let alone act in a life or death situation. Pepper spray is best for the general population or a taser.
- Member since 2019 · 1 post · 4 votes7y
Concealed carry is best. This allows you to have the self defense tool you need (if/ when/ how you choose to use it) and not have it exposed for all to feel. It's my firm belief that when you open carry your not only letting the criminal know that you have the gun but you giving them the ability to plan to accommodate the threat you pose to them as well. You're also making those who don't like guns extremely uncomfortable and possibly creating an opportunity be harassed by LEOs under public nuisance laws.
Not carrying in today's environment is just foolish.
- Rental Property Investor · Aztec, NM · Member since 2019 · 15 posts · 17 votes7y
@Renay Reese Always carry concealed unless you’re hiking out in the woods. Open carry brings too much attention. If you carry a gun be trained to use it above and beyond the standard CCW course. Shoot and train with a gun often. Don’t let people deter you from carrying a gun if that’s what makes you feel safe. You can’t avoid unsafe situations because you never know when you’ll be in one. Pepper spray is a good option, my wife carries it because she more comfortable with that than a gun. I prefer a gun. Do whatever you’re most comfortable with and ignore the naysayers and critics. Land lording can be a very dangerous business, you have to take care of yourself you can’t count on anyone else to do that for you.
- Rental Property Investor · Aztec, NM · Member since 2019 · 15 posts · 17 votes7y
@Renay Reese Also carry a gun with a laser. It will improve accuracy in a stressful situation. Most importantly is that you will not get an opportunity to shoot because as soon as criminals see the laser on their chest they will most likely run or stop being the aggressor and put their hand up.
- Investor · USA · Member since 2015 · 325 posts · 447 votes7y
@Renay Reese
@Nathan G.
I used to take the whole “I am a tough guy and can handle myself” attitude until I was actually assaulted by a tenant. I knew I was going into a bad situation but was too fearless. Now when I am going into a bad situation I ask the police to be close by or escort me. I don’t think it’s overkill anymore.
- Member since 2019 · 21 posts · 2 votes7y
@Renay Reese
I conceal carry. I would open carry but in MA it's not really allowed. Conceal carrying is just another piece of clothing to get hung up on and slow you down.
I don't buy into the whole "open carry means you're first shot". Criminals are typically high or on an adrenaline rush and won't think of checking for armed bystander's, not to mention it's not that noticable (most people think it's a phone at first glance).
- Member since 2019 · 1 post · 2 votes7y
I do not leave my house with out my firearm I carry concealed and do not go anywhere that that does not allowed concealed carry.
- Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2019 · 512 posts · 301 votes7y
@Renay Reese 100 percent concealed
Whatever reason you have for carrying it, people will take it differently. “Oh he has a gun? It must not be safe here” “looks like they have a huge security problem”
It’s terrible marketing. Hide it
- Member since 2019 · 1 post · 1 vote7y
As an Armed Security professional and a Bounty Hunter in my state, I am used to open and conceal carry. I carry a S&W M&P 2.0 with a Streamlight HL. Also, I work a lot of Section 8 in the Greater Memphis, TN area and in contact with plenty of Property Managers and Owners. Most don’t care for firearms, most only have Armed Security due to insurance and the county DA requires it. Personally I am so used to open carry, I walk out of the house with one showing on my hip or thigh without thinking twice. Personally, if I go somewhere I know will regret the firearm from the property, I will conceal a compact firearm. Most places, I just open carry. Since I am a Bounty Hunter, most time I have my thigh holster, badge on said holster, handcuffs, and city wide radio. No I am not looking to impersonate. I work a lot of files and the states requires visible marking stating who I am.
Now I realize this is a site meant for realtors. I have worked with several realtors who are current or retired police. Most of those individuals don’t mind the sight of a large firearm, or it looks big because of the light on it.
I’ve been a couple situations where I walked in to a situation where the realtor was in a bad circumstance because he/she wasn’t armed and I was. (People hate being rejected for financing on the house they want.) I was just coming to look at it.
Bottom line, I highly encourage everyone to carry something: firearm, knife, ball point pen, etc. Anything and everything can be used as a weapon as long as you know how to used it in your favor.
Alexander Redditt
- Rental Property Investor · Member since 2018 · 69 posts · 19 votes7y
@Renay Reese why carry a gun?? Do you have so much faith in the ppl you do business with?? Maybe change your profession
Just my 2 cents
- Severna Park, MD · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 7k+ votes7y
If you live in Maryland , you have a better chance of hitting the lottery than receiving a concealed carry permit , forget open carry at all ( this is for a handgun ) . But as I have read it , open carry of a long gun is legal . But I think you would draw a bit too much attention to yourself walking thru Balto city with a scary black gun .
- Real Estate Agent · Washington, D.C. · Member since 2012 · 17k+ posts · 30k+ votes7y
Originally posted by @Matthew Paul:
If you live in Maryland , you have a better chance of hitting the lottery than receiving a concealed carry permit , forget open carry at all ( this is for a handgun ) . But as I have read it , open carry of a long gun is legal . But I think you would draw a bit too much attention to yourself walking thru Balto city with a scary black gun .
Realtors are one of the few that can get conceal carry in Maryland. About a dozen agents in my office have it, I do not though.
District Invest Group545 Reviews - Severna Park, MD · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 7k+ votes7y
Originally posted by @Russell Brazil:
Originally posted by @Matthew Paul:
If you live in Maryland , you have a better chance of hitting the lottery than receiving a concealed carry permit , forget open carry at all ( this is for a handgun ) . But as I have read it , open carry of a long gun is legal . But I think you would draw a bit too much attention to yourself walking thru Balto city with a scary black gun .
Realtors are one of the few that can get conceal carry in Maryland. About a dozen agents in my office have it, I do not though.
I have heard that while reading in another forum about handgun permits in Maryland , they recommended to get your Real Estate license prior to applying for a CCP .
- Property Manager · San Antonio Texas · Member since 2018 · 21 posts · 29 votes7y
Just to keep the conversation going and to argue both sides (not personally having taking a position because i am really thinking about this) 1. Why are there some police or security / staff at events etc undercover and some that are not? Just the mere sight of some officers calm people in my experience.
Im not asking if one should try to impersonate a police to be very clear and I do understand that I can call the police and we do call the constables in our county all the time during evictions.
Other Side Argument: How many times have y'all personally experienced?, not online post of someone getting shot first somewhere during a robby because he or she was opening carrying and they where not the original target?
i guess the question i ask is making someone notice your weapon and maybe making them feel a certain way about it more important then displaying a hard(er) target?
I asked a convicted murder this question and he said that "I'd rather attack or kick door (break into a house) that is easier. You can get(assault) anybody or get into any house but i'm robin' cause i want it easy the" .
thank you to everyone for there comments especially with members that have full time experience in these matter!
im just sharing my thoughts not taking a particular side listing to both sides thinking about these ideas during my day. For example I recently thought about this post question while witnessing a recently deceased tenant daughter threaten to kill her sister if she did not allow her to take her mothers Elvis memorabilia. just for the record i love Elvis!
- Basking Ridge, NJ · Member since 2017 · 28 posts · 7 votes7y
@Renay Reese. Concealed is always best
- Realtor · Boulder, CO · Member since 2016 · 3k+ posts · 5k+ votes7y
This thread reminds me of the story of Tsukahara Bokuden, one of the most famous martial artists of all time. He lived in 15th century Japan where the personal defense weapon of choice was the sword. It was a time period marked by social upheaval, political instability, the collapse of the feudal system and near-constant military conflict. At that time and place if you carried a sword you found yourself being challenged to duels. He won his first duel at age 17 and then continued racking up kills until he had bested 221 opponents, becoming one of the most successful samurai in history. However what was most unusual about Bokuden was that later in life he developed the philosophy that there was more merit in avoiding conflict than there was in being victorious in a fight. While this is generally accepted within martial arts philosophy today, during Bokuden’s day it was all but unheard of. He developed a revolutionary style of martial art called "winning with no hands", the basis of which was developing tactics to avoid having to fight. One time his new pacifist style was ridiculed by an unmannered ruffian who challenged him to show off the new style. Bokuden agreed to the duel but suggested they fight on a nearby island where neither could escape and no bystanders would be injured. As they approached the island the brute jumped out of the boat and drew his sword, ready to fight. Bokuden quickly took over the oars and back-paddled into deep waters, stranding the irate and embarrassed young samurai on the island. "Welcome to my school of 'winning with no sword'", he shouted to the young ruffian as he paddled away laughing.
It's probably obvious to everyone but since it hasn't been said yet on this thread I feel compelled to say this as a reminder: getting into a physical altercation of any kind is a fool's errand. If you find yourself throwing a punch in a street fight, you've already lost. There is no good outcome from that point on even if you "win" the fight. The same basic principle applies in situations requiring a gun only multiplied 10X: if you draw your gun you've already lost and if you're in a shootout you should expect to be shot.
To address the actual question though "What is best, concealed carry, open carry or no carry?": the best option is to go to the "school of no sword" and master the art of "winning with no hands", so you are never in a situation where you need to carry. If you fail at that then concealed is a far better option than open carry in my opinion due to maintaining the element of surprise and avoiding all the complications of how the majority of the public views open carry. You never know, you could find yourself being dragged into duels with arrogant unmannered ruffians.
In my opinion taking a basic self-defense course and maintaining a solid level of physical fitness would benefit a majority of people a lot more than taking a CCW class and carrying a gun. I have my black belt as well as my CCW license and I can tell you the self defense training is far more helpful than the CCW class (which was a total joke in my opinion). I hope to never have to use either but the martial arts training certainly prepares me better to NOT use it than carrying a CCW does, if that makes any sense. Modern self-defense classes almost always begin by focusing on the importance of identifying and avoiding situations where you would ever need to employ the techniques being taught.
The RE field can be a little dangerous but there are so many ways to avoid situations that may become violent. @Jill F. has done a good job describing some of them here in this thread. Even if you fail to avoid a situation, once you find yourself in one 99% of the time simply running away is a better option than shooting somebody. Best case scenario if you get into a gunfight is you are able to shoot first and not get shot, but the result of that will still be awful as the legal ramifications of shooting someone are not something anyone wants to deal with, even if it is completely justified your life will suck for a while afterward. Lawyers, police, emotional stress, your name associated with a shooting, stigma on your building, opportunity cost by being distracted, possible jail time... none of that is good for business.
I know there are rare situations where running away isn't an option and I'm not saying we have to choose between self defense lessons or carrying a firearm, it's great we live in a free country and can choose all the above. My point is that taking a self defense course in order to get better at identifying and avoiding situations is often overlooked while getting a gun is oversold. The wisest option in my opinion, as a better starting point than CCW, would be to train yourself in identifying and avoiding situations to begin with. Once guns are drawn or fists are raised, it's already too late for a good outcome. Becoming a master in "no sword" tactics is more practical than carrying a weapon.
Though he lived in times that were far more violent than ours, Tsukahara Bokuden still managed to develop a peaceful philosophy and believed that it was better to spend energy learning ways to avoid conflict altogether than to carry a sword and win fights. So kudos to Jill F., the Bokuden of Bigger Pockets lol.
- Rental Property Investor · Chappaqua, NY · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 947 votes7y
@Renay Reese good q.
I can’t carry a gun I have a criminal record a remnant of a misspent youth
I carry pepper spray I’ve used it once. The victim had stolen from me, was larger much younger and high on drugs.
I had no time to grab the pepper spray before the altercation began. I had confronted a tenant that I heard stole copper from the apt above while we were renovating.
Punches and wresting ensued I began to feel like I was a bit over my head. Too late. things were in full swing and we had tumbled down a flight of stairs together.
I was able to get free hand and get the spray on him....and apply some low end not so nice blows my dad taught me to use when battling a stronger opponent ....then I called the cops.
I daily have to tell people to move off my property and tell them they can’t sit or pee here or there. I’ve had about 5 fights on that corner in 2 years.
@Steve K. said it well. I’m approaching 50 so maybe it’s time I read up on the no hands.....
- Real Estate Broker · Cleveland, OH · Member since 2017 · 719 posts · 658 votes7y
Originally posted by @Tobias Stoll:
@Renay Reese why carry a gun?? Do you have so much faith in the ppl you do business with?? Maybe change your profession
Just my 2 cents
Realtors get killed more often than cops - should they all change profession? Or just be ready?
Investors might not but landlords interacting with tenants and sometimes with the neiborhood of the tenants....it might get heated quickly.
I'm glad I never had to point a gun to anyone but I do have it in my car and my house. I had few open houses where I chose to have a gun on me. Let's say, you're holding open a farm house where you don't see a neighbor. Alone. $300K. You're a target - sitting duck.
I work mostly with investors, so we go into empty distressed houses or I do alone if I preview it for OOS client. Can I meet a squatter? Sure. Why would I go unarmed?
Pepper spray is not for me - I'm not going to get that close to anyone I feel dangerous about.
It's not always a choice to be or not to be in a wrong place in wrong time. You have to do what you have to do. Better be prepared to do it right.
Guns are like insurance: you buy it in case you need it but you hope you won't need it ever.
- Rental Property Investor · Member since 2018 · 69 posts · 19 votes7y
@Irina Belkofer
No guns no problems....
You are tiring to fight fire with fire...
Why would one kill a realtor??
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