[Glock23-4-Me]

I posted this question under another post but should not have. I should have started a new thread for it since it was a little off topic. My appologies. Here is my question............

I want to know what you guys/gals think about wearing a shirt other than NRA that would advertise that you are armed. I know that florida does not allow Open Carry but it seems that a lot of people on this forum (per survey I saw) would open carry depending on where they were going. Since we can not do so, would you be willing to advertise that you are carrying????

I ask because I am on the fence about open carry. I think since we are in florida and can not OC then advertising with a shirt that says "I love my Smith" or "team Glock" etc..... is the next best thing to say that you are armed and to do so legally. I have family that lives in GA where OC is legal and have read some OC forums. I am on the fence because I think both persons for and against OC have good points. Like CC says I dont want to bring attention to myself and I want to be able to sneak up on someone. OC people think that it can keep things from happening in the 1st place. For example, there is some BG casing a 7-11 waiting for the right time to go in and rob the place, he sees you get out of your car with a shirt on that would advertise you may be armed. He very well could wait until you left before he attacked. I think this is a GOOD possibility. The only way it would not work is if he was hell bent on killing the people in the store in which case you probably would be shot before you could react anyway. Just my .02

 

[RoadGlider]

I would be against wearing a shirt or anything advertising, "Hey, look at me--I've got a gun!" In my mind, "concealed" not only means the covering/hiding of a weapon but also my presence (body and mind). People see me but not as a stand-out but only as just another person. I certainly don't want someone approaching me to give me a hard time because of opposite views on guns. I'm not sure Florida society is ready for open carry and I'm not so sure I want to know, either. In my circle of friends there are several who carry and I trust them. However, if I saw some guy (or gal) wearing a shirt like a neon sign I would tend to be wary of them because it would give me the impression that ego was more at play than self defense.

 

[Glock23-4-Me]

I understand and appreciate your point and look forward to hearing others. It seems that you are against OC. I wonder what people who are for OC think. IMHO there is no right or wrong answer. I think there is a time and a place for everything.

 

[MamaBear]

Ok, here is a woman's point of view. I'm a stay at home homeschooling mom. My environment does not afford me the luxury of advertising that I'm carrying a gun. My intuition tells me that most of the moms I'm around would do a shriek and freak that I would have the audacity to have guns around their kids. Forget the fact that I've been carrying every day since I got my license/gun and none of them suspect anything. What they don't know is just fine with me.

I would love to have that 'practice diversity' t-shirt that has a gazillion guns on the back of the shirt. I do not have the nerve to wear it though.

Basically, the short answer is I'm taking the word 'concealed' to the Nth degree. I'm a suburb mom living on a cul-de-sac who hangs around kids pretty much 100% of the time. If I lived in the country (in my dreams) I would open carry and probably have a shotgun slung across my shoulders just because I could.

MamaBear

 

[OLDJEEP813]

First off I don't think wearing a shirt like "Team Glock" says hey look I'm carrying a gun, it does say you like Glocks which means you like to shoot, maybe in LE. Now wearing a shirt that said "Florida Concealed Carry member" would definitely say "hey I got a gun". Down here in Florida there are lots of people that have guns and even carry but not neccesarly concealed so unless the shirt says something specific about concealed carry I don't see a problem, but also like you said different places require different attire, I wouldn't wear a "kill them all and let God sort them out" type T-shirt to church (actually I wouldn't wear that anywhere). This issue is precisely why I don't have any USCCA type lapel pins or bumper stickers, but I do have a NRA sticker on my work van to show I support firearms and there legal use.

 

[deadeyedick]

I believe the vast majority of people are not even cognizant of the fact that there are individuals around them carrying concealed firearms all the time. They can't imagine themselves packing heat and thus cannot imagine anyone around them doing likewise. Wearing an NRA shirt will have little impact on that livestock-animal mentality in others...they may even venture a guess that you're a gun owner, but it still probably won't occur to them that you might actually be carrying one on your person. :laughing

The only people who'll suspect you're carrying concealed will be LEOs (maybe), other CCers (so what?) and criminals. As far as the notion that you may be singled out for a pre-emptive criminal attack because of your attire (or if you were actually openly carrying, for that matter), I call BS. Criminals, for the most part, are not looking to be 'big-game hunters' by going after the most dangerous potential victim they can find, like a cop or an armed civilian...they want victims that can't or won't fight back.

Unless, of course, you're dealing with a group of well-organized, action-movie type uber-villains with automatic weapons...then all bets are off. You're probably screwed no matter what you're wearing. :doh

 

[henryher]

I believe the vast majority of people are not even cognizant of the fact that there are individuals around them carrying concealed firearms all the time. They can't imagine themselves packing heat and thus cannot imagine anyone around them doing likewise.

I agree with Deadeyedick on this. Most people don't know or are in nana land and don't realize that there might be some around them carrying a gun. They especially don't know that when they are in Wal Mart Deadeyedick is packing a darn arsenal.

Criminals, for the most part, are not looking to be 'big-game hunters'

I think Deadeyedick is right on this one also. The bad guy wants money not a fight. If he can take candy from a baby he is not going to try and take the cub from the mamabear.

 

[roy d. mercer]

I tend to avoid them as they say "shoot me first". I like CC and think the element of surprise can work in your favor.

 

[flor1]

Why not just where a sign that says shoot me first.:rolf

 

[RWBShooter]

I've lived in three states where OC is legal. Except for LEOs and in rural areas, I rarely saw anyone carrying concealed.

I support OC. I think FL should have OC. There are two reasons. (1) I want to know I won't get in trouble if my shirt rides up over my CC pistol and someone notices. (2) It would allow me to carry NOW while I am waiting for my CC license to arrive from Tallahassee.

As soon as my license arrives, I will CC. Even if OC becomes legal, I would rather carry concealed. I work with the biggest left-wing, bleeding heart, Baaa-aaa-a-aa-ing sheep liberals. They are gun-phobic and (frankly) more afraid that I might be carrying than that they might get robbed. (It's irrational, I know. We've had two recent unoccupied vehicle smash and grabs in our parking lot in the last few months. We've had bikes stolen - locks cut and ridden away - during broad daylight. Yet they still think my legally carried concealed firearm is a bigger danger to them than the guy lurking in the shadows of our parking lot.)

So OC would not be my first choice, but it'd offer people like me a chance to carry while awaiting an ID card from Tallahassee and assure we'd not get prosecuted for inadvertant OC if our concealment scheme failed.

- Str8Shooter

 

[aharley1]

I don't think that would be a very good idea. It may give the impression, "Hey, I'm looking for a fight". I'd just as soon keep it hidden until I need it.

 

[NkmG19]

Would something like this scream "I'm carrying". This is from one of the sponsors on this site.

 

[henryher]

I've lived in three states where OC is legal. Except for LEOs and in rural areas, I rarely saw anyone carrying concealed.

Oxymoron alert!

How about this shirt?:rolf

 

[SuperTrkrE2812]

I Like that.

Flron,
I like that design a lot.
I would buy one of those because it is not obvious that you are carrying.
:drinks

 

[JoeSixPack(ing)]

I'll Pass on the I Carry Billboard....

Heres is what I think to be the best reason of all not to advertise your carry.

Any gun-grabber anti carry liberal nut bird could pick up the cell and call the cops to report a man with a gun. They might even report that you brandished it. Wether or not you did, you will be detained with a gun explaining yourself. The shirt might help the cop see it your way, but why put your right to carry in jeopardy?

I went to a belly bag for my motorcycle riding for the much the same logic. I think belly bags scream I have a gun when walking, but I didn't want my shirt blowing up/out exposing my IWB carry (grip showing) and have some motorist report a man with a gun on motorcycle. There are a lot of people that hate guns and motorcycles. Why give them a chance to screw with me? Just a thought...

 

[Bang Gunley]

In my 'arsenal' of t-shirts are two with gun related messages: Value Diversity in white letters with numerous handguns pictured below and the NRA T that states: The 2nd Amendment; Our Original Homeland Security. In all the time I've owned and worn these shirts I have received numerous positive and not one bit of negative feedback.

The shirts, by themselves, don't necessarily say. 'Hey, this guy is carrying!'. They simply show I support the 2nd A, in one case, and that I probably like guns in the other.

As for OC, I spent 11 weeks in NH this late summer/early fall and did OC a couple of times. Once I did so while shopping at a Walmart in Hampton and people were totally blase about my presence. Another time I walked Hampton Beach from end to end -- which I did almost daily, BTW -- and did receive a few 'looks' but nothing more.

Were OC legal here in Florida I suspect I'd do so rarely because I think CC has many personal advantages I would not want to give up; the 'Shoot Me First' scenario is a serious concern. OC would protect us from the problems associated with accidental display of our firearms while carrying concealed, I agree. Since I think everyone should be allowed to carry, openly or concealed, I do, however, support changing our law to allow OC.

Have a day. Bang Gunley

 

[henryher]

Since I think everyone should be allowed to carry, openly or concealed, I do, however, support changing our law to allow OC.

I second that.

 

[FLRon]

Flron,
I like that design a lot.
I would buy one of those because it is not obvious that you are carrying.
:drinks

I am wondering what the copyright laws are for the seal of the State of Florida? I would imagine there might be restrictions on it's usage. Perhaps I will try to do some research after the Christmas season when I have more time.

 

[SuperTrkrE2812]

I understand there would be costs associated with the development of a forum style t-shirt, but with computers and available graphics programs out there, the setup costs would be substantially less than they used to be in the "old days":rolf.
I am not 100% sure, but i don't think that the seal of Florida is copyrighted, just like the great seal of the united states would be copyrighted. I would think that the seals would belong to the residents of the state. But I'm not sure on that, so don't hold me to that.

I know this forum wasn't started to make money off of, if it was, it wouldn't be free to join, given that, the shirts would cost less than a for-profit company would sell them for, but they would have to cost enough to reimburse whomever undertakes this endeavor for their time and costs associated with product purchase, packaging, and postage to who ever purchased them.

The forum could get an idea of how many would be needed for sale from feedback on the forum.

All we would need is an O.K. from the moderators of the forum, decide on a design, whether to have them silk screened or have patches made that could be sewn on a shirt of the wearers choice, or to just sell the patches.
There are plenty of ways this could be accomplished.

All it takes is input from other forum members.:dancingbanana

 

[capngeo]

We use cafepress on another forum I'm on