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
Most Popular Reply
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 · OK · Member since 2019 · 29 posts · 4 votes7y
Concealed.
Anyone want to start a thread on immigration or abortion now? How about Republican or Democrat?
Just kidding!
- Rental Property Investor · Member since 2018 · 69 posts · 19 votes7y
@Irina Belkofer
I am from Germany never ever held a weapon in my hand...
It's just unimaginable for me getting in trouble doing business...
There is always a reason which would trigger a behavior in this case drawing a gun a threatening you or anyone else...
Just my 2 cents
- Specialist · New Smyrna Beach, FL · Member since 2016 · 20 posts · 14 votes7y
@Renay Reese, I agree woth your need assessment. I advocate and do an open carry with a hip or back holster. i either carry a beretta 32 or glock 26/40 hollow points. i always have a jacket or shirt covering it. and then there are areas that if i see a perceived threat, thats not an area for me to work in
- Specialist · Orange, CA · Member since 2013 · 37 posts · 35 votes7y
@Joe Splitrock I've been around pepper spray it doesn't just go on them it sprays Everywhere!!! So just when you think your only spraying perpetrator, you have it on you too and it burns a great deal. It's not effective as you think! I'm not worried about crazy on meth it's not very often but, I'm carrying concealed and not stopping at one bullet. If I feel threatened to the point of harm and yes it has happened to me, I'm shooting.
- Specialist · Orange, CA · Member since 2013 · 37 posts · 35 votes7y
@Nathan G. Agreed!!!! All the way see my post about pepper spray. I've been around someone who has sprayed it. It goes everywhere!!! So yes I agree. Been thru many scary issues as a young girl. I'm carrying!!!
- Specialist · Orange, CA · Member since 2013 · 37 posts · 35 votes7y
@Matthew Paul because I know Realtors that have been in a threatening situation showing a house and nobody in there with her. There have been Realtors murdered. I've had too many scary things happen to me as a women. I'm carrying and concealed so if a man approaches me I know when to pull my firearm out they won't expect.
- Investor · Fort Washington, MD · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes7y
I feel if a person is afraid of the business they are in they need to get out. Open carry is stupid in my opinion. Too much potential for something to go wrong. If I were a tenant I would feel disrespected and insulted if I was law abiding and following the rules and someone rolled up in my home with a weapon. It would probably be all kinds of instances with the same police excuse "I feared for my life". I feel people should just stick to places they feel safe.
- Rental Property Investor · Hartford. CT · Member since 2018 · 178 posts · 54 votes7y
Originally posted by @Steven McLarty:
Concealed.
Anyone want to start a thread on immigration or abortion now? How about Republican or Democrat?
Just kidding!
The immigration issue is actually totally relevant to BP ! We should be pro illegal immigration in my opinion. It lowers wages for us, construction wages have not gone up since 1960 likely due to illegal immigration. Additionally the more people in the United States the better. It increases housing demand and increases the need for rental properties. Some of the dis benefits are an increased likelihood of a tenant being less stable since they cannot be on the books for an employer, and an increase in gang related activity coming into your property due to the sad realities south of the border.
(Edit) but in the end I think the numbers would be on our side and most are good hard working people.
- Investor · Central Arkansas · Member since 2018 · 109 posts · 58 votes7y
Concealed carry, without a doubt. Less headache for everyone and you are protected. Like others have stated, learn how to carry with one in the chamber and be safe. Like the OP said, better to have it and not need it that to need it and not have it.
- Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2017 · 523 posts · 476 votes7y
I am definitely a 2nd Amendment supporter, but concealed carry is rare here in CA, and I can't say I operate in areas where fear of violent crime is high enough that I would feel a need to be carrying. With that said, I've come across people who operate in some of the rougher areas of Cleveland or Memphis or other cities, and I can't blame them for wanting to be packing on the job. I would personally not want to operate in such an area, but I respect those who do.
I would say that concealed carry makes much more sense. I mean, without it, you lose the element of surprise. Also, you might (unintentionally) scare off potential tenants or potential employees, contractors etc, who think the area is dangerous and they should stay away, or you're an overly aggressive, tough person who will cause issues. This might be an unfair perception of folks who open carry - but it is still a real concern, and one which is not going to help you. Concealed carry seems like a better fit all around.
- Real Estate Broker · Canton, GA · Member since 2010 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes7y
The problem is a gun just like any external weapon can give the person carrying it the false sense of superiority.
It amazes how many people practice with a gun yet a gun is not allowed in a ton of places nationally. So the one thing you train with it is not there in a majority of the places you go.
What is there? Your arms,legs, etc. go everywhere with you. Train with the one thing you have with you all the time FIRST and then go to external weapons if you like.
I hear all the time from some 400 pound fat guy they have a gun and go to the range once a week but if they walk more than 20 feet they get out of breath.
People that believe the police will save you that is also not really that accurate. From the time a call is placed to 911 to the time police show up is a lifetime in seconds and minutes. Altercations are usually over very fast in a matter of seconds or minutes. By the time the cops get there even with best efforts it might be too late. By then they are documenting what happened to someone versus what IS happening and how to help and stop it in the moment. Again people give themselves false confidence carrying weapons, believing police will get there in time to save them, etc. That is when they can get cocky and that is even worse than someone who doesn't think any of that but reacts and is ready without being overconfident.
I have actually been attacked in the past so can speak from experience. Those that have not been through it are talking about training and theory. Mine was back when I was 18 years old. We were walking on the beach Panama city in broad daylight with a group of 2 of my friends. One of my friends was approached and the next thing he new he was turned upside down. It was a gang not staying at any hotels they were on the beach looking to rob people for drug money. Luckily others came to help us and the gang leader and another guy fought from the beach into the ocean. We were staying 5 hotels down. By the time we came back security had pepper sprayed the gang leader and he ran into one of the rooms after breaking the glass and rinsed his eyes out and ran away. When police finally arrived the gang was all gone and police said this happens and finding them is almost impossible as they do not stay at any hotels and drive down from the Carolinas etc. to cause problems and mischief.
I came back and took martial arts for decades and made it up to 3rd degree black belt. We did a lot of Krav and weapons training as well. Best thing to do is be alert and try to stay away when you spot potential sign of trouble coming your way. The martial arts promoted heavy conditioning. If it was 3 to 4 on 1 you outran all of them and if 1 was still chasing you then you had to take them out to stop them. If 4 on 1 and nowhere to go you took the first person and did the worst thing to them possible so that the others individually would think twice about trying to attack you.
I am not advocating or saying to do any of that at all. I am just sharing real life experience. In martial arts people would barely be hitting the pads or on sparring. I would mention to them this is not going to cut it in the real world facing an attacker. There are old style martial arts that are outdated for todays times and then there are progressive martial arts that use techniques for real world self defense.
No legal advice given.
- Flipper/Rehabber · Cambridge, MA · Member since 2019 · 65 posts · 8 votes7y
@Renay Reese depends on the state, but concealed carry if you have the training and experience.
- Rock Star Extraordinaire · Northeast, TN · Member since 2015 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes7y
If you are going to carry you should do it concealed. Not only for the element of surprise, but also for the comfort of everyone around you and not advertising the availability of a weapon to anyone who might want that weapon. If you're going to carry a weapon, I don't really want to know about it. Without knowing you, I don't have any way of knowing if you're a good guy or someone about to go crazy shooting people.
As for the value of carrying, I believe it's minimal. Several people have already mentioned some of the reasons:
- Successfully hitting a target in a high stress situation is very low probability. I got recertified in the military on my weapon every 6 months and without regular practice and in a controlled environment I still had difficulty with the target.
- It gives many (not all) people a false sense of security, like they're going to pull out their weapon and go Steven Segal on the situation, when the most appropriate response most of the time is to exit the situation (run/hide/etc).
- There are reasonable alternatives to carrying a firearm that are at least worth considering for your particular situation.
Now, having said all that, I'm not against carry at all. The only time I do/would carry is if I am in an area where there is no reasonable expectation of any kind of public assistance, such as hiking in a very remote area. Beyond that, I simply avoid voluntarily putting myself in situations that might require a better than average likelihood of needing to defend myself or others.
Beyond that, carrying - whether concealed or open - is mostly an exercise in machismo, since the vast majority of individuals that carry are men. This is backwards, since women tend to be physically smaller and thus more vulnerable to attack, and are the overwhelming target of sexual assault.
Being armed at home is a different story. Depending on where you live having a home firearm might literally be your only line of defense, since you have the disadvantage of being a fixed target, not knowing the mind of the potential assailant, and possibly being very far from police or other responders. Outside the walls of my home, in the general public, I can't think of a single instance in my half century on the planet where having a firearm would have changed a situation or where I found myself in a situation that I could not walk/run away from to avoid conflict altogether. I'm a pretty good sized guy but there's no shame in taking the "no hands" approach :)
Skyline Properties - Realtor · Jonesboro, AR · Member since 2018 · 18 posts · 7 votes7y
@Nathan G. I’ve spent 15+ years in law enforcement and i agree with you 100%. I stopped carrying pepper spray when i was working the streets because it was so ineffective and it did as much harm to officers as it did the bad guys. Our tasers work quite well but they were far from a sure thing and are very easily turned against you. I wish we lived in a world where people didn’t want to do us harm but that’s just not reality, and as long as that remains true i will be a very vocal advocate for armed, and trained, Real Estate professionals.
- Rental Property Investor · Oceanside, CA · Member since 2019 · 63 posts · 51 votes7y
@Renay Reese
Hi Renay,
Conceal carry gives you the best of both worlds. Your concern is that open carry could potentially scare business away. With a CC you don’t have to worry about scaring customers away and you also protect yourself.
Also, if I were looking to commit a violent crime, my first person I’d target is someone with a visible firearm. Another great benefit of CC.
At the end of the day, you’re responsible for your own safety. I hope none of the above comments are getting in the way of that. Best of luck!
Jon
- Member since 2019 · 2 posts · 0 votes7y
@Renay Reese
Better to have it and not need it, than need and not have. Stick to a revolver. Gun safety courses are cheap enogh. A smaller cheaper caliber can be used to get comfortable with it. Comfort shows confidence. Crimals prey of the fearful more than the confident. Today's world you could save numerous lives and the answer to the prayers caused from a mass shooter. Hope I did not break any platform rules getting on my box.
- Rental Property Investor · Virginia Beach, VA · Member since 2019 · 16 posts · 9 votes7y
@Renay Reese absolutely 100% concealed carry. There is no need to bring undue impressions/judgements from people you are trying to buy from/sell to/ rent to etc. I ALWAYS have a gun on me concealed even in the “nice parts” of towns. If I knew when I was going to need a gun I would never need a gun. That being said, NEVER carry a gun if you are not 100% capable physically and emotionally to deploy it if needed.
I just feel that open carry brings poor connotations along with it (even from me an avid shooter and gun lover).
- Westchester, NY · Member since 2018 · 38 posts · 52 votes7y
Originally posted by @Bryan Devitt:
@Andre Debs if you're going to give stats, give honest ones. 2/3 of gun deaths are suicides, how many bike accidents were? Compare accidental deaths to accidental deaths
Care to explain how the stats weren’t “honest”? I wasn’t the one who stipulated deaths vs suicides vs accidental vs anything else. Please read the post I was responding to for context.
- Westchester, NY · Member since 2018 · 38 posts · 52 votes7y
Originally posted by @Andrew Cornstubble:
@Andre Debs YOU... I'm not even reading past this before i say what 27 other people will.
MOTORCYCLE
I have no idea what you’re attempting to say.
- Rental Property Investor · Beaumont, TX · Member since 2018 · 16 posts · 17 votes7y
@Renay Reese
Texas statute 30.06 allows a business or employer to ban firearms on their property. That being said I always carry concealed and encourage my employees to do the same if they are comfortable.
- Miami, FL · Member since 2017 · 11 posts · 3 votes7y
I'm not interested in the gun debate but am a concealed carry permit holder. However, I rarely carry.
I am also trained in jiu jitsu. Rule number one is always avoid a situation where there could be any danger and try de-escalate any situation that you can't avoid. I think this solves about 99% of problems. But if it does get to that point where I have to defend myself I keep in mind what my professor says; "Once they put their hands on you, they made the decision that you are going to break their arm."
Be safe out there.
- NH · Member since 2019 · 20 posts · 7 votes7y
As a former cop and retired military, I always carry concealed. As many people have mentioned, open carry either makes you a target or makes others feel like you are the threat.
On the subject of using a gun vs hands vs knives, it is most important to remember your brain is going to be your most powerful weapon. Avoiding violence at all costs should always be the ultimate goal. I would suggest reading, When Violence is the Answer by Tim Larkin. He is a self defense expert and he starts the book with this quote. "Violence is rarely the answer, but when it is, it is the only answer."
- 7yMike CumbieBusiness MemberREALTOR® · Brockport, NY · Member since 2015 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
I get asked to look at abandoned/distressed properties all the time. "My dad passed away three years ago can you go see what it's worth, nobody has been there in years". I've walked in on Squatters, High school kids, former tenants, some rather angry Racoons, Stray Dogs and even one unhappy Deer.
Even though I always knock, shout out throughout the house that I am there and who I am, try to keep an open escape route and continue to call out as I go. I have still walked in on people and animals who are either hiding (afraid I am there to bust someone) or just hear very poorly. I have never had to pull, but I can see the reason where keeping it concealed makes sense. There may come a day where I am backed into a room, can't talk my way out of it or something rabid thinks I look tasty.
- Investor · Boston, MA · Member since 2018 · 61 posts · 46 votes7y
Open carry, in my opinion, is never a good idea. Tons of people will be turned off/intimidated by it.
Despite what the media says, your odds of becoming a victim of a violent crime are extremely small unless your a drug addict or gang member. It's not zero, but it's small. Now out of that small percentage, there's an even smaller percentage where the extra 1/10th of a second you get by carrying open makes a difference. Those odds are so small, it's just not worth the extra business you can lose.
Would you stop driving because of the odds of getting in a car accident? Absolutely not, you'd lose tons of business by not being able to get places. But you're massively more likely to get in a car accident than be in a position where open carry would've made a difference over concealed.
Whether or not you decide to carry is your own decision, but the real secret is to do everything you can to avoid a situation where you would ever need it. This means placing quality tenants, avoiding excessive displays of wealth in poorer areas, and most importantly, not getting involved in things unnecessarily. If you expect trouble, see if the local police will escort you, or do the job for you (in the event of evictions). If they won't, and you really do expect trouble, it would be worth it to pay some off duty cop to escort you, or if you don't want to spare that kind of money, a local bouncer. Shoot, you can always bring a big dog with you if you have one.
Will this eliminate your chances of being a victim? No, especially if you invest in lower income areas or rehab vacant houses where squatters swarm to. But you can avoid all but random attacks by just using your brain and sticking to sound principles.
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