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Most all the valid reasons not to open carry have already been made. I'm a believer in being the Gray Man. Blend into the background and don't stand out at all. Be completely un-noticeable. As a friend of mine once said "The bad guy should never realize that you're armed until the second bullet hits him in the chest."

Just as some others have already said, I don't want to advertise as someone who carries. I also don't want to be treated any differently than if I wasn't carrying. I just want to mind my own business and carry on with my day without getting weird snickers from the uninformed and/or being asked to leave even if there wasn't any postage stating "guns are prohibited."

Israel Weapons Industries (IWI) US is opening a plant in Andersonville. That's up next to Norris in Anderson county not too far north of Knoxville. https://www.wate.com/news/anderson-county-news/iwi-us-inc-firearms-plant-coming-to-andersonville/

1. SOLD to mike_f This one is made from 1/8" thick D2 steel. OAL is 7 3/4" and blade is 3 1/4'. Handles made from elk. Pins and finger guard are also D2 steel. Comes with leather sheath shown. $110 . 2. This two one is made from 3/16" 1084 carbon steel. OAL is 10 1/4" and the blade is 5". Handles are walnut with a simple brass wire inlay. Comes with combo leather/kdex sheath with dangler. $115 .

Glock 19 gen 3 for sale. Included is everything from time of purchase. Little wear on slide catch as shown in pictures. Purchased in 2014 from Gander MTN. Located in Knoxville, TN. Prefer to meet in person close to Knoxville and complete BOS. Ask you have HCP. Was mostly kept in the safe aside from when I went to the range and originally was my CC. Think pictures cover all the Qs but if not happy to address Qs. New member here so if I omitted anything let me know.

I told my wife that on the day open carry became legal I was going to put my 357 on my belt for everyone to see. I didn't, no one single reason, I just didn't. It's good to know that I can should I wish to. My biggest reason for approving open carry is not having to worry about flashing since I no longer carry IWB. Open carry is quicker if the correct holster is employed. Open carry will desensitize an overly alarmed populace. If everyone who carries were to carry open it wouldn't be an issue. People would see that there are plenty of people who actually go armed every day and understand we are not abnormal. For drawing attention to oneself, I haven't seen it to be an issue. I have seen (men primarily) people open carry both here in Shelbyville and in Murfreesboro and most people don't even notice. If you choose a good holster and pistol that doesn't stand out it would be the same as wearing two different shoes. Most people are so self absorbed they will never see anything. Now, I prefer stainless or hard chrome. I'm currently working on being comfortable with polymer framed black pistol other than my ever present P32 so things may change, but for now, open carry for me would draw some eyes. And I will most likely not open carry on a regular basis. I have also moved toward being "gray" as my hair led the way. I learned in the service to be average, don't draw attention, so there's that. Wasn't always that way. If you study and train, being dis-armed becomes a non issue. For example, in some situations my arm stays glued to my hip. Not hand on pistol, just arm covering it. Just habit when people are close. I have to add that my wife is accustomed to me constantly scanning when we are out. She has learned I'm not looking for another woman but rather keeping the one I have safe. My friends know that my lack of eye contact in conversations isn't lack of interest in what they have to say but interest in us not being a target. Just because one is paranoid does not mean there isn't someone out to get them.

I find OC to be a slippery slope. I can think of a couple of reasons the right to OC is important 1) in some states simply printing is considered open carrying, and if open carrying isn't legal in that jurisdiction the person can be charged. Legal OC prevents this. 2) in certain circumstances I prefer to OC but I'm not likely to encounter others while doing so, such as hiking and back country camping. So while I believe the right to open carry is important, I don't believe in doing so in public, which is tricky because I also believe that we will lose freedoms we don't exercise. Also, the last thing I want to deal with on a grocery run is some opinionated Karen, that is offended by the presence of my firearm. She will make a scene and I'm not going to educate her, or change her mind. If you are into those kinds of confrontations then open carry may be for you.

I don’t think it’s any more complicated than simply the fact that they are not allowed to do so. If the law were to change there, as I believe it should, you would likely see an initial explosion of the OC zealots doing their thing. But after a while, good sense and social stigma would result in an in-state of affairs as you have here, or nearly everywhere else in which it is legal and tolerated.

Maybe -- just speculating here -- it's because Tennesseans in general are smarter than Floridians. Cheers, Whisper

When I first started carrying I was a proponent of open carry for all of the reasons your friends have mentioned. The longer I carried, and the more experience I gained with firearms the less desire I had to open carry. The only benefit of being allowed to open carry at this point is if at the end of the day of range Larping I just want to get home, I can just get in the car and go and not worry about it if I have to stop and get gas or something along the way. Otherwise, there is no benefit to advertising that I have a firearm on me . my view at this point boils down to this. Should you have the right to open carry, yes. Should you open carry, no.

I think open carry is dumb and FAR too often the only people I see open carrying have some sorry, poor excuse for a holster and usually a cheaper handgun to go with it - all which tells me they are probably new, not very trained and/or experienced in actual practice/training. I saw one person at a family event open carrying a LCP, seriously!? Also, it screams "look at me, I have a gun, this means I'm xxxx". Plus if a situation comes up where you need a firearm, they have possibly already given away one their best tools - the element of surprise. If I was a bad guy going to rob or shoot up a place and saw someone open carrying, I'd just off them first then start the mayhem. And another thing, it probably makes anti-gun people more nervous and fearful for no real gain. Better discussion in my opinion, why would someone open carry? I'll give them comfort, but throw a button up or vest over it you got your comfort and concealment.

Great looking forum. I'm more of an observer than a talker. Former Marine now an old fat guy and life long gun and gun rights enthusiast.

Sevierville sold

Beautiful pistol with factory locking case. I took it as a trade thinking i might try competition but could use the money. $1650 tn resident only, prefer hcp holder, im near Memphis

Most of the folks currently OCing in public around here are a horrible representative of gunowners. Pretty much every OCer I see in the store has a scowl on their face, a $3 holster, and no idea that someone is standing two feet behind them. They almost have “I’m OCing just cause and you can kiss my ass” written on their forehead. I think my wife could disarm most of them.

I know when the TN law changed there were comments about we would see more open carrying and all the (problems) that come with that. Yet I noticed no change at all.

IWB = Painful Spare Tire...

Now you can say you've seen one. Ultimately it comes down the motivation of an attacker, which is something entirely outside of our control, so we must instead modify our own target indicators to modify the attacker's selection process. Many criminals are doubtlessly deterred, at least temporarily, by open carriers (until the OC'er leaves). They are generally opportunists, and are also some of the most likely to be deterred by the mere presentation of a concealed pistol. Its the one that isn't deterred that is the problem. They will be much more willing to do violence from the onset, so why give them any edge?

The main reason I don't open carry is that I want it to be a surprise in the event that I need to draw it. About the only time I'll open carry is when I'm hiking. Hiking with an IWB holster on is unpleasant. Additionally nobody really looks at you twice when you've got a piece on your hip out in the woods.

I see open carry from time to time, and honestly, I wish those folks would conceal. We all know that LOTS of people are uncomfortable seeing a sidearm strapped to a hip. My preference is concealed for few reasons: I don't want to call undue attention to myself. I don't want to cause worry to others. I don't like the idea of being the first target if some nutcase decides to start shooting inside a store that I'm visiting. I carry unconcealed when I'm walking in the woods and often on my own property. But in every other circumstance I want to be as discrete as possible. I suspect that a sizeable proportion of those who carry openly do so just because they can, not because it fulfills a necessary purpose.

For Sale Smith and Wesson Model 22A .22 caliber Very Good Condition in box With BSA RD30 Scope 2 each Magazines $275.00 FTF Transaction 75.00

If anyone missed out in these, sorry. Many Thanks to Willis68 for putting these together! The top one is from 2017 the bottom is the latest.

Brand new in the box Henry 360 Buckhammer, never fired, comes with 3 boxes of ammo.

Agreed wholeheartedly! This is the one reason I would encourage open carry. It would take a lot of participants though to move the needle.

I wouldn't begin to debate whether this person or anyone else were targeted because of open carry. I'm going slightly off center of the topic and say this should be the training vid for situational awareness. I use earplugs when I mow, shoot or other high noise activity. I use earbuds if I am in the office. To be out on a public street engrossed in whatever he was listening to, or your phone, or your conversation is total lack of tactics. be aware of everything you can see and hear around you at all times. Never ever should one be as totally unaware of their surroundings as this man was. Never surrender your firearm no matter what the TV LEO does. You are then unarmed and IMHO responsible for whatever your firearm is used for. this man was attacked with deadly force and had he been alert his first move after being hit would have been to put his hand on his pistol. Once he saw the perp exit armed it would have then been draw, aim, fire end of action. The expert states he was correct in running, this is a half truth. Move and shoot but don't turn your back on a shooter. Most of us do not have the training for that but mental preparedness will help. No one can outrun or dodge the slowest bullet. Popular saying to be applied. "If you find yourself in a fair fight your tactics suck"

See if they would accept a CD with those files on it with the paper forms, at least the fingerprint files.

These are exceptionally beautiful. I'm sure these will go quick,

I should clarify that “explosion” is a relative term. The amount of folks actually interested in open carrying is a vanishingly small percentage over an admittedly small percentage who wish to regularly carry a firearm.

The only times I open carry is when I wear a suit and take off my jacket at dinner or to get into a car etc. It is no never intentional when I leave home but sometimes it’s not worth putting a blazer on to grab a burger or gas especially on a hot day. I have definitely caught myself rolling my eyes at guys in Lowe’s with an OWB nylon holster a few times. They always seem to have their hands full and a dog leash around one arm too. Most would be an easy target.

Number one would have been my pick, but I was late again. Great work GT.

I will take #, please.

Gorgeous knives, as always. GLWS

Howdy folks, I actually joined this site over a year ago and then completely forgot that I did. I moved here 2+ years ago from Washington state. After spending 20+ years fighting the good fight for the 2a in WA, my wife and I threw in the towel and headed east. We still had plenty of fight left in us, but it became pretty apparent that we were in the minority. I'm a C&R collector with a penchant for .32ACP pocket pistols, British/Commonwealth firearms, and inert ordnance. I also enjoy long range rifle shooting and 3-gun. I'm a member of the Tennessee Military Collectors Association and the Ohio Valley Military Society. Outside of that I like offroading, fishing, BBQing, and weird microelectronics projects. I joke that I'm a high-tech redneck. Just happy to be here

Welcome to the gun lovers corner of the world.

Pm’d

Sorry there is no data showing this to be true. You may think that but that does not make it true. I have looked and I have asked this very same question here in the past. I can not find and no one can provide an example of an open carrying person to be the first target when things so south. For a criminal getting in a gun fight is the last thing they want. (Unless they are just there to kill everyone anyway) If a bad guy sees someone armed they are much more likely to go find a softer target than to just shoot at the guy with a gun to get him out of the way. That's why most all self defense classes teach to make yourself a hard target. Ever wonder why gun shops are hardly ever robbed? Most conceal carriers are not that concealed anyway. I spot them all the time printing or otherwise showing they are armed to anyone paying attention. There are plenty of good reasons to conceal carry but this is not one of them.

OC is like showing your cards when playing poker….makes in harder to win. secondly, it’s like a gay pride T-shirt, it’s offensive and I don’t care or want to know.

People who open carry are going to be the first person to get shot when trouble comes

Darrell, I find your last sentence to be spot on! It’s almost comical, when friends who are visiting me choose to open carry just because they can while in Tennessee and cannot do it in their home state of Florida. I’m always quick to tell them that their OWB full-size 1911 better not be messing up my leather upholstery.

I’ve got a little secret for y’all…ammo lasts for decades if not longer. Doesn’t matter what it looks like on the outside unless it is obviously corroded.

Jennifer and Dave at Protech have been so good to me, that I may just do another run in the future, they absolutely love TGO and go out of their way to make our knives