ABC Nightline on grassroots gun rights groups.

[virginia mountainman]

Here is a link to the Nightline show the other night that dealt with the growing power of grassroots gun rights groups.

Overall it was a very good piece. The glaring problem was that someone watching the story might get the impression that gun rights groups had pressured Starbucks into allowing carry on their premises.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Starbucks had never objected to someone carrying *legally* on their property. No pressure from gun owners was even necessary.

It was the anti-gun groups, like the Brady Campaign, that had wet their pants and tried to pressure Starbucks into denying service to gun owners. They had protests, petitions, press releases, threats of boycotts, collected $20, etc. aimed at Starbucks.

in the end, Starbucks, did NOT buckle to the waning pressure the Republican led, Brady Campaign, and did NOTHING.

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/open-carry-gun-laws-pro-gun-grassroots-groups/story?id=11313221

Gun Control advocates, never forget this simple fact...

THE GUN RIGHTS MOVEMENT OF TODAY, WAS CREATED BY YOU, by your activism, back almost two decades ago, you have helped bring on your worst nightmares.

And I, like many others, could not be happier.

[X_Digger]

1. Their numbers seem off as well..

80M owners, ~300M guns.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

2. The other part that is happening is that the VPC and the Brady Bunch are being exposed

as virtually memberless organizations being propped up from outside.

[Bold Lib]

3. K & R

[RamboLiberal]

4. A few of these people at the open carry picnic

make me a gun owner nervous. Cheap holsters, cheap belts, stupid position position on belt(check the one with appendix carry), one revolver trigger not covered and always the one tactical weenie with the ill fitting strapped to the thigh tactical holster.

A few of them make me wonder if they ever practice with the gun and holster or have taken a good pistol class.

[PavePusher]

5. Wow. I didn't know that we had to seek approval for how we wanted to carry.

Oh wait... that's right, we don't.

You're criticizing style over substance here. Get a grip.

Edit after watching vid: Other than the appendix position (and what's wrong with that?), I didn't see the same things you did. Revolver trigger was covered, I'm not sure what you mean by "cheap holsters", and what's wrong with a thigh holster? I've used them and they can be very comfortable and can be positioned so that you barely have to move your hand to draw, unlike the chicken-wing effect you can get with a belt holster. If you are a military person that may be what you're used to using. (Try wearing a belt holster with full body armor and front and rear plates, or while sitting in a cramped vehicle... it don't work well.)

[RamboLiberal]

6. My critique is educated

I've spent enough time on the range nearly every weekend, read enough info, taken enough classes & hung out with some very good shooters/instructors to have a clue who knows what they are doing with a handgun by how they carry it. Most who show up with the rigs I mentioned usually haven't spent that much time practicing drawing.

And I still say anyone not in military not wearing body armor walking a city/surburan environment wearing a thigh rig looks like a tactical wannabee weenie. Go ask on a good gun forum about wearing a thigh holster for open carry on the street. Most will tell you only mall ninjas open carry in that fashion on street if they are not military/police or working with a long gun.

Belts need to be made to carry a gun or you get a lot of sag. Holsters should be a good leather or kydex that permits one hand reholstering without sweeping your support hand trying to hold the holster open. Appendix carry can be appropriate for some situations but can be uncomfortable sitting and it also can make you sweep your leg, groin, femoral artery on draw and reholster.

And the one lady with a revolver does look like the trigger is uncovered - little hard to see in video. We wouldn't allow a holster like that in IDPA competition. Unsafe.

Bad/cheapie holsters are how we hear of people who have accidents in retail store restrooms shooting someone in the next stall.

I also think the holsters with mag pouch are impractical for the most part cause of having to reach across yourself to get spare mag. For semi-autos mag pouch should be worn non-dominant side of body. Revolvers are different and most will wear a speedloader strong side front of body.

If you're going to spend $400+ for a gun why spend $19.99 for a cheapie holster that is generic & not made specifically for your gun? And if the SHTF some of these cheapie holsters are slow to draw from. Also IMHO if you're going to open carry you should have a holster that helps you defeat a gun grab.

I don't give a damn how someone carries but I'm entitled to my opinion of thinking they look like they don't know what they are doing. Now there are some people in that video who look very knowledgeable by the holsters, belts & how they carry. But about half to me look like they are less than knowledgeable.

[chibajoe]

7. Have you considered that many of those people probably are not used

to open carrying? It's possible that they are predominantly CCers, but didn't want to spend the $100-$200 for a decent OC rig that they might wear once or twice a year to one of these rallies. I know that I would have a hard time finding a good OC rig in any of my gear, even though I have several excellent IWB holsters since I don't OC.

[RamboLiberal]

9. You can open carry an IWB unless it's a deep cover IWB

Just tuck the shirt. Sorry, but IMHO about half these people are poseurs. Seen enough on the range. And as I said even majority on gun forums consider people open carrying in a thigh rig in an urban/surburban setting as "mall ninjas".

[Taitertots]

8. Should they be denied equal legal status because they don't have as much money as you

We are not all rich enough to spend thousands of dollars on gear, range time, and instruction like you. We can't all be wannabe Jeff Coopers.

[RamboLiberal]

10. Yeah right

Spend $500 + on a gun then $19.95 on a holster & your saggy ass thin belt you bought 10+ years ago. You'll read the same critique on gun forums.

Believe me I don't spend thousands on gear, range time or instruction. But I do spend what I need to.

You can get good belts & holsters for under $100-$150 and it is a good investment. A good Kydex holster can be found for $25. A Serpa retention holster for under $60. Good holster belts for under $40.

Find a local tactical pistol class from a good instructor if you can't afford to travel to the big name schools. Sure you have to make a one-time investment in some ammo. I probably spent under a $1000 for a good 3 day class & the ammo locally.

Go to some IDPA or USPSA matches to get in some shooting time allowing you to draw from holster & shoot on the move & from different positions. $10-20 a match.

All I was commenting on was some of these people at the open carry gathering looked more like poseurs to me than someone who actually knew anything about firearms.

Met quite a few of them this year on the range with the Tea Party & open carry movements. And a few of them made me nervous(like not exactly keeping the gun pointed down range when unloading or moving, getting shirt hung up in holster, lent one a holster so he wouldn't sweep his support hand trying to reholster his Glock, etc) till they get up to speed. I'm not at all snobbish about newbies, in fact I've talked quite a few in to coming out to IDPA matches. Everyone was a noob once. But you gotta be safe for yourself & the rest of us around you.

But damn, if you're going to CCW or open carry - know your stuff! One bad incident reflects on all of us who carry.

Sorry if I offend you by thinking some of these people remind me of this guy.