I love open carrying my revolver. The wife took these pix tonight at the WalMart here in Casper, Wyoming.
Open carry is legal here, but it is not common. In seven months of living here, the only people we’ve seen carrying are us, and a few members of the Free State Wyoming project.
We love Wyoming in ever way, and for every reason, and this is one more reason. If I’d tried this in Southern California, a cop would have pointed a gun at my head and I’d have been arrested, probably within minutes of leaving the house.
Gun is a Taurus model 605, .357 magnum snubbie. I’m also carrying two loaded speedloaders in the little pouches.
Photos by Debra Jean Dean. Photos and post covered by Creative Commons, Cc-by-sa 3.0.
– Michael W. Dean
Tags: guns and walmart, open carry, open carry photos, open carry pictures, Wyoming
Right on, Michael!
Serious question, Michael. What do Wyoming natives think when they see people open carrying? I wonder if it’s just like, meh, whatever, or do they think, gee, another transplant with a boner for firearms walking around showing it off? I’m just curious, I’ve seen a couple people open-carry in PA (although I am not sure what the laws are here regarding that) and it doesn’t bother me, I guess I just want to know if you fit in there or do they look at you like you’re some city slicker?
When I encounter open carriers around here, the reaction of whoever I’m with can be predicted, 100% of the time, based on their politics. If I’m with a liberal coworker, they are appalled. Anybody else, they don’t even mention it, unless they’re confused about what model it is.
Matt,
The only time we’ve ever gotten strange looks or comments it’s out of town at places that tourists stop, like truck stops, hotels, roadside restaurants etc. Anyone who’s ever been visibly upset or said anything (only happened a few times), they’ve been from somewhere else, passing through.
Mostly only little kids notice it, because they’re at eye level. (and they’re usually just curious.)
I usually wear black pants, I have a black holster and a black gun. It all blends in, and really, people don’t usually look at other people’s belt lines. Out of the corner of their eye, they probably think it’s a cell phone or a hunting knife, and don’t investigate further.
I think some people probably don’t know that open carry of pistols is legal, and probably think I’m an off-duty cop. I do nothing to propagate that idea, and would tell them otherwise if they asked, but I do have a pretty square haircut.
If I looked unkempt and dressed like a thug, and/or carried myself in an aggressive manner, I think I’d get a lot more looks, and probably get stopped and questioned by the cops. I do NOT carry myself in an aggressive manner. I carry myself in a confident manner, but do not act badass or cocky at all. I also smile a lot anyway, but smile more when open carrying, and try to be an emissary for open carry….go out of my way to open doors for old ladies, things like that.
Open carry of knives here is much more common, I’d say one in four adult males has a knife on his belt, usually a four or five-inch blade. Partially for self-defense, partially just as a tool. I’ve often been around a male who whips out a knife when I need to open a box or strip some wires.
I even saw a youngish looking gal (about 19 or 20) working at a hardware store with a HUGE (like nine inch) knife in a sheath. It was not store issue, no one else working there had one. I assume it was for opening boxes, and for protection.
MWD
-Serious question, Michael. What do Wyoming natives think when they see people open carrying? I wonder if it’s just like, meh, whatever, or do they think, gee, another transplant with a boner for firearms walking around showing it off?-
My guess would be about half and half, but what do I know? I live in Montana, not Wyoming, LOL. I’m a member of the former most of the time, but I have been a member of the latter a time or two. Some people just make it a little TOO obvious that they’re pretty proud of the fact that they’re strapped and it’s pretty obvious when they’re like a kid in a candy store about it. To most of us that grew up around here though, a gun on someone’s hip doesn’t draw any more attention than a Leatherman tool or a cell phone unless the person appears to have ill intent. Most people that wear a gun on their hip have no ill intent whatsoever, or else they’d have their gun illegally hidden. Hence the reason why it doesn’t garner a lot of attention. I’m sure some of the transplants that live here might not think too much of it, but fortunately most take a “when in Rome” position, and keep their mouths shut. Unfortunately they don’t vote accordingly however.
Downtown? Might make me raise an eyebrow, but only out of concern for the person carrying. Montana doesn’t have a state law protecting open carry like Wyoming does, so a lot of towns have city ordinances against it. I’m not a big fan of people who mean no harm getting beaten down by jackbooted thugs when they aren’t doing anything “wrong”. Just because some nanny stater made a law against it, that doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily “wrong”.
Out in the woods? Never give it a second thought. Look through all of my hunting, fishing, and ATV pictures, and you’ll be hard pressed to find one of me without a firearm close at hand. Even my kids are packing in a lot of them.
-I’d say one in four adult males has a knife on his belt-
I’d say 2.99 out of the other three has a knife in his POCKET. I don’t know many guys that don’t carry a pocket knife. I have since I was about 4 years old, and so have pretty much all of my friends. I used to carry a Buck lockblade on my belt years ago, but I lost it, so now I just have my little fold up toad sticker in my pocket. The only time I took it out and left it home, was the one time I got on an airplane to fly off to . . . California of all places, LOL. I actually forgot that I had it until the last minute and had to hand it off to my wife when she dropped me off at the airport.
Justin
From Spain,we think you`re crazy.open carry it`s for insane people
zeed –
We’ll get by.
And for a country who spent much of their history conquering other lands with guns in your hands, I’m surprised Spain thinks I’m crazy for protecting myself in as a peace-lovin’ man in Wyoming – one of the few places Spain didn’t occupy!
MWD
[...] not content merely showing off their guns at Wal-Mart, Starbucks, and our national parks, a group of gun-hot-mouth-breathers open-carry advocates [...]
So depending on where you open carry your gun, what does that indicate? Left hip you’re a bottom? Right hip you’re a top? What about a shoulder holster? What does THAT mean in your community? Does your wife also carry? Please send pic! It’s great to see folks taking such pride in their lifestyle choices.
David –
Pistols at dawn, motherfucker!
I’ll meet you inside the WalGreens on the corner of Castro and 18th!
lol,
Michael W. Dean
Of course the wife also carries, and I’m sure you’ll find something to say about the pictures:
http://www.stinkfight.com/2009/06/05/open-carry-vacation-to-wyoming-day-3/
You satellite folks are funny for gun grabbers. I wonder if a few of you actually even might own guns, but think they should be kept home. Is that accurate?
MWD
You’re mostly right. Legal guns are legal guns. How you carry it is less important to me than what the gun is (pistol/rifle vs. submachine gun). Don’t think any Satellite Show folks actually have guns, though I do come from a long line of respectful gun owners. In fact, reducing the open-carry issue to the level of the quotidian (family vacations, et al) will probably do more for your cause than anything else.
Fuck it, open-carry makes me more inclined to want a gun now. That way I can accesorize it with with my European man-purse and deep V-neck tee. Chest hair not optional.
Nice pics. I always like to see pictures of Wal-Mart. I don’t get into them much out here in Cal-i-for-ni-a, on account of actually having numerous other places to shop.
The gf was also impressed by your knowledge of SF commercial geography, btw.
>The gf was also impressed by your knowledge of SF commercial geography, btw.
Lol…. San Francisco doesn’t have a WalMart in which to have our duel, so I picked the gay Walgreens, so we can practice our hanky codes.
I lived in San Francisco from 1986-2001. And in Los Angeles from 2001 until I moved to Wyoming a year ago.
Living that long in NannyFornia (and feeling helpless while being mugged, twice) is probably what makes me wanna strut around with guns…i.e. because now I *can*.
You know, there IS a gay gun group, (it’s in San Francisco of course). They’re called The Pink Pistols.
http://www.pinkpistols.org/
Good guys, and I love the fact that they confuse a lot of cookie-cutter liberals who aren’t sure to love ‘em just for being gay or hate ‘em just for packin’ heat.
MWD
Here’s how I carry:
http://www.libertarianpunk.com/2010/04/a-brace-of-snubbies/
(pix 5 and 6). I go back and forth from open carry to concealed carry several times a day, depending on my mood, and the weather. With a tuck of the shirt. I don’t carry as defiantly as some (i.e. all the time), it’s more about choice. And open carry really is better if you have to actually USE your gun, i.e. one is pointed at you and you need to stop it. If it’s tucked under a shirt it takes a couple extra seconds to get it, and that amount of time can kill you.
MWD