Yes, I do get nervous often when I have seen people open carry.
I am in the Army and I have spent hundreds of hours being trained how to safely and effectively utilize firearms. I have been taught, whilst under the scrutiny of experts, under what circumstances those firearms ought be discharged and how to evaluate danger and what level of force ought be applied under what situation. A firearm is a powerful and lethal tool, not an accessory or a statement to the world about being a badass. (If you have to advertise you are a badass…you aren’t)
When I see people casually standing around in a crowd of people or on the street with a loaded firearm they couldn’t be arsed to even maintain positive control of and it is just hanging off them on a sling I know they haven’t the training required to be in public with that firearm or a sufficient appreciation for what it is they have hanging off of them. You do not need to know what you are doing to kill someone with a gun, and the less you know the more likely you are to shoot the wrong person, including yourself.
EDIT: I am not here to argue the legalities of the 2nd Amendment or Open/Concealed Carry legislation. That isn’t the question asked or answered here. The question is do people in the US who Open Carrying make me nervous, and the answer is yes they do. My answer is entirely about adherence to the principles of firearm safety.
The take away is this: If you are standing around with a firearm in public and things are so relaxed that you can use your rifle as an arm rest or have it slung and just hanging off of you there is absolutely no reason to have that firearm loaded. REMOVE THE MAGAZINE AND CLEAR THE CHAMBER.
If they are walking around with a hot gun on the off handed chance some shit is going to go down (which is ridiculous as the only people armed during these displays are all on the same side) anyone with any time with a firearm can load a mag and cock the action in less than a second…and if you can’t you need more time with your firearm and you are too inexperienced to be in public with it.
Case in point:
Tacticooled out for a protest about wearing masks. I wouldn’t want to be on a range with these bozos let alone see them on the street while going about my business.
I know that gun weighs about eight pounds but if you don’t have the energy or stamina to maintain the direction of that barrel you need to at least remove the magazine and rounds and display that firearm for what it is…a show piece.
I can’t even…
This is a soldier with a slung weapon…notice no magazine affixed.
This is how you carry a loaded firearm when moving around.
Or what about these two people? She has her finger on the trigger pointing the barrel at people and not even looking where that gun is aimed? He has that weapon pointed at people he isn’t even looking at. This does not instill confidence.
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