Open carry pistol while metal detekting

L.C. BAKER

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Sep 9, 2012
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I had a concealed carry permit for 5 years, but never/ever carried. I let it expire. It is a very serious thing to carry - knowing you are willing to kill another human being.

I just could not do that as the thought of killing another person in this world is a very, very heavy thing. I couldn't do that any more. The permit lapsed. But I do know that anyone coming up this holler with bad intentions won't walk back down the road.

I kind of feel like you do, but I would not hesitate to kneecap a bad guy and call 911 so they did not limp away.:icon_thumleft:

P.S. Any animal that attacks me in the woods will be dinner for me or the buzzards!
 

IMAUDIGGER

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Mar 16, 2016
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When it comes to two legged critters I was told there are two circles around you at all times.
The size of the circles are dependent on the situation.

The biggest circle determines when your considered by a jury to be safe or have alternatives.
The smallest circle determines when an attacker could rush you faster than you can react.

I want to say it was 18' and 13'.
Basically a 5' grey area that allows you to make decisions and act on them.

Adrenaline rushing, fine motor skills lost, tunnel vision..your litterally a couple seconds from possibly leaving this earth. Purposely wounding an attacker in the legs or arms is not something I would think about.

I met two different men who's freedom were determined by mere inches.
This was related to a lethal threat crossing the threshold of a home.
 

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A#1

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Feb 18, 2018
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I'm sorry, but the circle around me when I'm in the woods is much larger.

An opposing force doesn't need to be within a ? foot circle to pose a threat.

Maybe in hand to hand combat, but even the smallest of guns can be accurate and deadly at that distance, knives and rocks can be thrown.

By the time an attacker gets to within 13 feet of me, chances are the reaper is there for one of us.
 

tinpan

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Hi, Where I go mding there's nothing that would interest criminals so I never give the idea a second thought.TP
 

IMAUDIGGER

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I'm sorry, but the circle around me when I'm in the woods is much larger.

An opposing force doesn't need to be within a ? foot circle to pose a threat.

Maybe in hand to hand combat, but even the smallest of guns can be accurate and deadly at that distance, knives and rocks can be thrown.

By the time an attacker gets to within 13 feet of me, chances are the reaper is there for one of us.

As I said depends on the situation. One thing that doesn't change is the fact the the outer circle is determined by your peers ultimately.

It's a personal decision. Based on research and my conscience I'm going to do whatever I can narrow those circles down as small as possible. God forbid something happens, I want to know it was unavoidable AND be confident I will be continuing to enjoy life. It's something that I have taken very seriously.
 

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IMAUDIGGER

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This topic highlights the importance of researching ownership and getting permission.
Some guy wagging a detector around and shooting bullets above his head is going to probably be considered a threat to most people. Ya that was a joke, but there are loads of people probably stupid enough to act like that. Maybe we need to pack to protect us from each other? ;)
 

A#1

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It's a personal decision. Based on research and my conscience I'm going to do whatever I can narrow those circles down as small as possible. God forbid something happens, I want to know it was unavoidable AND be confident I will be continuing to enjoy life. It's something that I have taken very seriously.
Agreed...just sayin real life may not agree with jury rules of thumb. An evil-doer won't be playing by those rules either. Everything would be completely dependant on the circumstance
 

TerryC

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You sure you want to be sticking this particular weapon in your waist band??!?!
I LIKE it, Ron! Ha! What's all the fuss about? The question was do you carry while detecting. Here in AZ, YES. And when going to Home Depot, and Walmart, and anywhere else I go. Doesn't embarrass me at all! TTC
 

BC1969

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I'm all for open carry with one exception.
If you open carry, then your situational awareness needs to be 100%
Otherwise you are marking yourself and increasing your odds of conflict with someone else.
You become a target.

Yesterday in a Walmart, I seen a man who was looking at jeans.
I walked right behind him without him realizing it and told him to watch his six as some young guys are eyeing your firearm in your holster.
Guys like that shouldn't open carry.

BC
 

travisbickle

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Apr 5, 2019
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I tuck the gun in my waist band if i feel the need to carry. I do not have a permit and the gun is a "throw away" in case i do put someone down. I filed down the latch on the trigger so you barely touch it and it will fire. Sometimes i can tap on the side of the gun and it will fire. The reaction time is super fast as a result. If I hear a noise behind me, i turn with the barrel blazing and can get 4 or 5 down range before im fully turned. That is how fast this gun is. I then inspect once the smoke clears. Sometimes if im not having luck metal detecting, i will aim the gun straight up in the air and fire it to see how close the bullet lands to me. If i get it pretty straight up and down, i can get the bullet to land within 10 feet. I practice a lot and hope to get within 5 feet in the next few months. If anyone is up this way, let me know and we can go metal detecting sometime.

Hi! I'm ineterested.
 

DigDug216

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Feb 22, 2016
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Hi, Where I go mding there's nothing that would interest criminals so I never give the idea a second thought.TP

The homeless go any where and every where and some are very dangerous - if they come across you and your alone, you could be in some serious trouble. I learned really fast in the military that its better to be over prepared than under prepared.
 

TerryC

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I'm all for open carry with one exception.
If you open carry, then your situational awareness needs to be 100%
Otherwise you are marking yourself and increasing your odds of conflict with someone else.
You become a target.

Yesterday in a Walmart, I seen a man who was looking at jeans.
I walked right behind him without him realizing it and told him to watch his six as some young guys are eyeing your firearm in your holster.
Guys like that shouldn't open carry.

BC
When in a grocery store in Wickenburg several years ago, a woman in her 80s stopped me to tell me she admired my sidearm. She then showed me her derringer in her purse! TTC
 

TerryC

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Jun 26, 2008
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Yarnell, AZ
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Ace 250 (2), Ace 300, Gold Bug 2, Tesoro Cortes, Garrett Sea Hunter, Whites TDI SL SE, Fisher Impulse 8, Minelab Monster 1000, Minelab CTX3030, Falcon MD20, Garrett Pro-pointer, Calvin Bunker digger.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting

TerryC

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Jun 26, 2008
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Yarnell, AZ
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Ace 250 (2), Ace 300, Gold Bug 2, Tesoro Cortes, Garrett Sea Hunter, Whites TDI SL SE, Fisher Impulse 8, Minelab Monster 1000, Minelab CTX3030, Falcon MD20, Garrett Pro-pointer, Calvin Bunker digger.
Primary Interest:
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I kind of feel like you do, but I would not hesitate to kneecap a bad guy and call 911 so they did not limp away.:icon_thumleft:

P.S. Any animal that attacks me in the woods will be dinner for me or the buzzards!
An aggressive animal attacks from instinct. He has no "decision" in the matter. "Kneecapping" a human who makes a decision to kill me will only sue me to recover all I own. As a combat veteran, I am alive because I did not hesitate to "stop" those that were trying to kill me. If called again to save my life or the lives of my friends or family, I will NOT hesitate to STOP an aggressor bent on doing us in. If he dies, so be it. I am a very good shot but when the adrenaline is pumping and the aggressor moving fast or shooting at me, I don't think I could kneecap someone. CENTERMASS assures my efforts the best chance at hitting SOMETHING. TTC
 

IMAUDIGGER

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Mar 16, 2016
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An aggressive animal attacks from instinct. He has no "decision" in the matter. "Kneecapping" a human who makes a decision to kill me will only sue me to recover all I own. As a combat veteran, I am alive because I did not hesitate to "stop" those that were trying to kill me. If called again to save my life or the lives of my friends or family, I will NOT hesitate to STOP an aggressor bent on doing us in. If he dies, so be it. I am a very good shot but when the adrenaline is pumping and the aggressor moving fast or shooting at me, I don't think I could kneecap someone. CENTERMASS assures my efforts the best chance at hitting SOMETHING. TTC

Purposely wounding someone in the legs could be viewed as evidence that your life really wasn't actually in danger. You had time to think, take careful aim, ect. The remainder of your life depends on how you react. Very serious stuff worth pondering. Luckily more crimes are prevented from ever happening by gun owners than the situation that is being discussed.
 

kenpodetector

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Jan 1, 2012
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Scare a black bear? I think you want a little more fire power than a 9mm. If your just wanting to scare them I get it but I can tell you a 9mm will not stop a charging bear even a smaller one. So why not get something with some stopping power 44mag? You can always shoot away to "scare" off the critter but what if you can't scare it away? The 9 just don't cut it for bear. Maybe you want some bear spray instead if your worried about putting one down? I carry a Taurus Judge .45LC when I am out detecting and have a 44Mag lever action nearby also. I do not have bears and usually just more concerned with scum bags in the middle of nowhere.
 

Apr 5, 2019
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Open carry on club gold claims, occasionally open carry in some stores, businesses. I don't have a secure holster. Just another worry. Mostly CCW for 12 years now. We have bears, mountain lions and strange guys that just quickly show up..45 ACP or 357mag. New Mexico. Open carry state, but LOTS of folks out here don't want you to have a gun. State government thinks more of illegals than of it's citizens..
 

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