Open Carry at Harbor Freight

By Dean Weingarten

Open Carry at Harbor Freight
Open Carry at Harbor Freight

Arizona – -(Ammoland.com)- The pistol range at the Ranch needed some trimming, so I stopped at Harbor Freight to pick up some inexpensive tools.

That is a bow saw on the counter. The couple behind me were gracious and volunteered to take my picture.

Hispanic? Black? Caucasian? Mixed?  I could not tell, but they were the type of people that a civilization needs to thrive.  I thought they might be immigrants, but their English was perfect and colloquial.  Yuma is a pretty cosmopolitan place.  They were polite, helpful, and friendly.

Courtni, the clerk at the counter, was also helpful and friendly.  She was enthusiastic about having her picture taken for Gun Watch.  She was saving up for her Arizona Concealed Carry permit.

I said a permit was not needed to carry concealed in Arizona.  She said that she knew that, but all her friends were gun owners and shooters, and she thought the permit was worth it.

You can see that the pistol range at the Ranch needs trimming.  The target is at 50 yards on the 65 yard range.   The mesquite on the left is watered to provide some afternoon shade.  The creosote bushes on the right have received above average rain in this El Nino year.  The camera angle makes the ground look sloped, but it is flat with a couple of berms.


About Dean Weingarten;

Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of constitutional carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and recently retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.

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Randy Crawford

Or, you can open carry a gun with no firing pin inside it, and only snap-caps for ammunition. If anybody makes a grab for it, then your concealed carry hot and loaded back-up gun or guns can be pulled out from wherever, [and only you know where from if you are competent at concealment]. Why give a sucker an even break if his intentions are homicidal?

Robert

I have CCW from 3 states and only carry concealed. My son-in-law carries open and so doe’s my daughter. I figure that while they are busy with them I can spring into action.
That last comment was in jest.I happen to agree that to keep the criminal guessing is best, but if you are in a state that won’t issue concealed then open is better then unarmed.

whaddacrock

Why am I not surprised that someone posting as “anonymous” would come on this site and make claims that the NRA has enabled felons, including murderers and child molesters to acquire CCW permits? I tend to follow the NRA and 2nd Amendment issues pretty closely, but perhaps I missed something – can anyone provide cites from reputable sources to confirm these claims? TIA, Fred

james

I guess all of us should stay locked inside our homes or apartments,
you just never know if some crazy person will attack us.

I’ll have to give up driving my cars too, too much of a chance for a car jacker to jack me up.

Clark Kent

That is correct, you never know when someone will attack you. Why make it easier for them to take your firearm and shoot you with it? You do lock your car doors and keep the keys out of the ignition when parked, don’t you?

George

Open carrying in the burbs is a lot different than in the hood, but I’m sure the author knows that. The public is used to seeing handguns on police and security guards, so it is a “ho-hum” issue. It’s when open carry activists walk into Taco Bell lugging their AK-47 is what causes people to freak out. Why? Because it is out of context. Walk in with a pistol on your hip and we are back to the “ho-hum” issue. I’m all for open carry, and the expression of your rights, but try to keep it in context so Henny… Read more »

Orland Rodriguez

Cudos to states like Arizona, Alaska, Vermont, Florida my home state, and thirty more that have acceptable carry laws in place. The problem is that “We The People” who believe in the 2nd Amendment are monetarily out gunned by the Bloombergs of this country who will stop at nothing ” including lies and misrepresentation” to take away our rights.

Dr Dave

Florida has an open carry law as long as you are fishing not an unlimited open carry law.
It is fair and reasonable to get a CCW permit but that requires CONCEALED carrier to be used
Did something happen that I messed about FL open carry?

anonymous

The whole point of a concealed carry permit is to show you at the time of the permit application passed muster. Now in some states due to NRA meddling convicted felons including murderers and child molesters have gotten concealed carry permits which enables them to shoot somebody and not be charged. Open carry if not on your property or you are not a law enforcement or otherwise person that would require open carry just invites annoyance and trouble. Several open carriers have been robbed and attacked whereas if they had been carrying a concealed gun they could have gotten the… Read more »

Robert H.

Please provide sources and documentation for your bizarre assertion that “..due to NRA meddling convicted felons including murderers and child molesters have gotten concealed carry permits which enables them to shoot somebody and not be charged.”

Superman

Clark, you are an idiot. If you walked around as your true identity, instead of “hiding”, nobody would bother you. How one should carry, where it is legal, is their business. Most of us would think a criminal is more likely to mess with someone who is concealed (and pay the price), than some one you KNOW and can plainly see is open carrying.

Clark Kent

Superman: You have been too close to Kryptonite lately. So I am LESS likely to have my car stolen with the keys in the ignition? THINK before you post……..

Clark Kent

And while you are making nice with the clerk the guy behind you taking the photo ‘graciously’ hits you in the head with a Harbor Freight hammer. Then he ‘graciously’ takes your firearm out of your holster while you are unconscious on the floor and runs out of the store. He ‘graciously’ does not shoot you in the back before fleeing. Why risk it when a $10 Wal-Mart light nylon or cotton jacket covers your pistol? Just because you CAN do something does not mean you SHOULD.

2nd Amender

Clark, your concerns are valid!

The point of the article however was about the “carry laws” now in effect in Arizona.

But……it might not be a good idea to attempt this “proofing experiment” in mid-town Phoenix/Tempe.

Vanns40

Ah me, just another doom and gloom nay sayer of open carry. Will they ever stop? Probably not because they seize upon any flight of fantasy, any anecdotal report to condemn open carry. I’ve open carried in Virginia, where it’s been legal for more than 150 years, for more than 25 years. How many times has someone hit me with a hammer and taken my gun, come up behind me and attacked me and grabbed my gun? Let me think for a sec…oh yeah ZERO! Get over your predjudice, all of you.

Clark Kent

That is akin to saying: “I’ve never had a flat tire in all my years of driving”. Could happen tomorrow, amigo. Time to wake up and open your eyes.

RichardH

While your scenario is possible, an open carry or concealed carry person normally has learned tactical awareness that would prevent most of what you described. This same shopper with a hammer could just as easily use that hammer on a uniformed police officer buying something at the counter as well. I personally would always prefer concealed carry for tactical advantages and only wear openly when hunting.

Clark Kent

And where are said firearms carriers learning said ‘tactical awareness’?