In states where open carry of a handgun is legal, you can use visible methods to carry your firearm as you go about your daily activities. While open carry laws give you more freedom, it’s still important to remember to obey other regulations that govern where you can take your handgun. Once you’ve covered the basics of how you can carry and store your firearm, you can then consider these benefits of choosing to carry your handgun openly, explained below by the firearms experts from LTC Austin, your premier choice for Austin conceal carry online classes.
Decrease Your Draw Time
A firearm is meant to be a tool you can use in a life-threatening situation. During your firearms training, you’ll learn about when it’s best to leave your gun in its holster. However, there may come a time when you need to draw your firearm quickly. Open carrying options allow you to access your firearm quickly so it can serve its purpose. Since open carry laws mean you can wear your firearm on the outside of your clothing, you don’t have to worry about fumbling through layers of fabric or bending over to pull a gun out from around your ankles.
Keep Your Firearm Close During Sporting Activities
Many people prefer to carry their handguns during outdoor activities when they may face human or animal threats. Bicyclists, hikers, and other outdoor sports lovers tend to find concealed carry laws make it harder to have their firearms available when they need them. With open carry laws, you don’t have to worry about whether or not your firearm will show when you’re going on a hike, for example.
Let Others Know You’re Armed
There’s also the possible benefit that people need to see your firearm. Although open carrying doesn’t give you the element of surprise that concealed carry does, it’s likely that potential criminals will think twice when they see your weapon. As always, you want to be cautious about where you carry your firearm in public, but having it in sight could stop a crime from happening. In general, however, we recommend carrying concealed.
Carry Your Firearm More Comfortably
When the temperatures outside begin to rise, it often becomes uncomfortable to wear even the most basic types of clothing. Adding the warmth of a leather or fabric holster to your skin increases the risk of irritation. Open carry laws let you make decisions about how you want to wear your holster. Many types go over clothing to reduce problems such as chafing.
Reduce the Risk of Theft
Concealed carry laws sometimes cause people to choose methods for carrying their handguns that involve placing them in other containers. For instance, a person might choose to store his or her firearm in a purse or backpack. This may hide the firearm, but it increases the risk that someone might inadvertently steal the gun while trying to take the purse or bag. Carrying your firearm on your body increases your ability to keep it in your possession.
If you’re carrying a firearm in Texas, it’s essential to make sure you learn how to do it safely and follow all the applicable laws. License to Carry Austin is committed to providing the best firearms training available. Whether you want to take an Austin concealed carry class online to get your carry permit or you simply want to learn how to shoot and handle a gun safely, LTC Austin has what you need. Give us a call today at 512-766-3039.