Scheduling issues and Macaroni Grill

So last night (the 29th) I went into my work to check my schedule and ensure that I could attend the North County Calguns.net Shooting Trip and while checking my schedule I was strapped and had no issues. A set of regulars came by and chatted with me and said how cool it was that I am open carrying. Gotta love support.

Then tonight, I met with some friends at Macaroni Grill for an impromptu birthday dinner. We waited in the lobby for about 40min for a table and only one person made a vocal announcement about me packing, everyone else was "meh" about it. Same deal on the way out.

Well, that's about it. I might go have a beer with another friend of mine. Until next time.

-N8

LA DA MEMO ON OPEN CARRY!

So this got posted up by hoffmang on calguns.net on his website. I am so excited by this memo, I can hardly contain myself. It is from the Los Angles District Attorney's office and it was sent to all LEO and LEA personnel.

This document is linked in the "Essential Links" side bar! Click here for quicker access.

WOO HOO!

For you Mustangworld.com viewers

So I have been reading the thread that you guys started on open carry over on mustangworld.com (Link here) and I would like to link you guys to a few of my blog posts so you can inform yourselves better of the open carry movement. I would post such a thing on mustangworld but I have not had my account approved yet :(

Here is my 1st blog post and original opening statement.

Someone said it is badass to carry a revolver. Well boys, I do!

This is a very well written reason why we open carry. Not my own words, Q&A format.

Just to answer a few other comments/remarks about open carry.

-While open carrying unloaded is kind of lame, it is the only real way of legally bearing arms in this semi-socialist state. It is not preferred, but it is what we have and I and others are doing what we can, with what we have, where we are. This is not some attempt to scare soccer moms nor to aggravate policemen, this is about exercising what rights we have in an attempt not to lose them entirely. California is always at the tip of some asinine gun legislation and by fostering the spirit of the 2nd amendment to those less inclined to gun knowledge is a sure way to spread the word against these regulations. We need more friends, not less.

-While I would prefer to have a CCW permit that allows for both conceal and open carry, the issuance and maintenance policies of California and the issuing sheriffs, including San Diego's, are reprehensible at best and for the moment, unchangeable. Until Nordyke is brought to the head of the issue then we can't do much in the way of reform.

-There are probably other things that I could articulate but as of right now I am a little hungry.

With that, fellow brethren and keepers of the flame, let us not go forth and project disdain and scorn upon those that desire to be sheepdogs instead of sheep, to fight for what is right instead of cowering behind closed doors and hoping that you will not be noticed.

As my older brother Sam once posted on Calguns.net

"Too many of us are scuttling along the bottom of the ocean of life, hoping to God that if we're quiet enough and inconspicuous enough, the state won't totally destroy the rest of our rights before we leave this planet.

Not me." -elsensei

Another good quote by Justice William O. Douglas:

"Those who profess to favor freedom and yet depreciate agitation, are people who want crops without ploughing the ground; they want rain without thunder and lightning; they want the ocean without the roar of its many waters. The struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, or it may be both. But it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand; it never has and it never will" — Justice William O. Douglas

I look forward to commentary and discussion.

Carry on!

-N8

My Busy Day!

Well, I had a fairly prolific shopping day with my brother and sister and at every location possible I had my Tracker strapped to my side. Here is a rundown of my day

After I went to Sunday Mass, I headed back home, changed into normal clothes and hopped into my car with my brother and sister, OJ and Ashley, to go to Fry's Electronics in San Marcos to check out digital picture frames for the primary birthgiver (my Mom). The whole event was uneventful to say the least. My sister thinks I am dumb for doing it but she doesn't get the point of exercising one's rights quite yet. Oh well, it happens.

After being disappointed by Fry's wide yet totally crappy selection of digital picture frames, we headed over to Best Buy across the street to see what was going on over there, though it came to pass as yet another shopping disappointment. I nearly bought a Sony voice recorder to replace the one I am borrowing from my friend but I want to learn more on the specifications first so I passed. Overall, uneventful.

Feeling a bit hungry, we hopped on the 78 and exited Nordahl to go to a hole-in-the-wall sushi place. However, that place was totally packed so we went next door to a taco shop for some good roasted chicken. However, Ashley didn't want to eat there so then we got back in the car and I placed the Tracker on the center console and drove across the street to another sushi place, which was closed. FINALLY, we decided on Rubio's and actually ordered food. This event, like all others, was eventless. No one seemed to notice and if they did they said nothing. I sat right next to a father and daughter having lunch and after the initial glance they just continued their conversation about Christmas.

After we finished our respective burritos, we walked over to the Tmobile store so OJ could show Ashley the G1 Google phone, but alas! No working example was to be had! We left within a few minutes.

We then went to Costco to pick up a few things but since I cannot carry in there due to their policy I just wore my holster.

The last three stops at Target, World Market and Albertsons (all near Valley Parkway) were done without OCing though I did have my holster on like I did in Costco. I hate that 1000' rule, I pray that it gets done away with soon!

Well, I am going to go try to cheer my friend up by watching A Muppet Christmas with her. Freaking love classic Christmas movies!

Also, thanks to whomever posted my blog on Mustangworld.com for doing so, I always love knowing that my blog is getting out there!

Sincerely,

N8

Shooting trip breakfast

While waiting for my friend and his dad to arrive at our rendezvous point at Big 5 so we could caravan up to the hallowed shooting grounds of the Lake Wholford shooting range, I decided to grab a bite to eat at Spire's Family Restaurant across the parking lot. Per the usual trend, I had no issues while carrying and the old folks didn't seem to really mind, not even the older gentlemen sitting two seats away. The waitress didn't even see the voice recorder going while I ate my breakfast.

Highlight of the back page of the NC Times...Burger King now has a fragrance out, with a hint of meat in it. Freaking weird!

Well, that's all for now. Time to watch an episode of House and turn in.

-N8

Turners and Roadhouse

So I went today with my friend JP to transfer his first gun, a Ruger Single Six, to his name at Turner's San Marcos and I open carried while there. While waiting during the paperwork process, one employee (kinda looks like Clark Kent) said "Dude, you're printing!" to which I said, "Yeah, it's supposed to!" I then chatted up the other guy behind the counter that was doing the paperwork (can't remember his name, but he is totally cool!) about my stories, some of the laws, etc. and we have a good laugh about a few things. One customer overheard me talking about OCing and asked me about some of the laws and I filled him in on the basics and gave him my blog address and told him that he could find more of the legal stuff on the side bar.

After that was finished (and I molested two CZ-75s), JP and I went over to the Original Roadhouse across the street and I did my thing over there. JP said he was a little nervous about it and told me to go in ahead of him to be safe but no one really noticed and our meal went without issue.

Time to clean up a few things. Good night all!

-N8

UCSDPD WEAPON SEARCH!!!

So I went to UCSD on 12/5/08 to undergo my orientation and I was detained and searched by the UCSDPD because someone said that I was carrying a handgun on campus! Completely bogus and a really great way to welcome a new student to UCSD. Here we go...

During our orientation, we all went upstairs in the Price Center to see all the clubs and services offered to UCSD students. One of the tables there was the Sexual Assault and Rape Center (SARC). Being the curious person that I am, I engaged a woman by the name of Cynthia in a discussion about the most recent rape and I asked her questions about the new memo going around about banning certain weapons on campus and her feeling on it. After that little icebreaker, we had about a 20 minute conversation on how LEOs have no legal compulsion per the multiple Supreme Court rulings to protect one's life (came as a shocker to her, that poor social worker!), UCSD's R.A.D. (Rape Aggression Defense) program for women, how banning weapons on campus only makes it easier for criminals to perpetrate crimes than it already is, etc. Eventually, I began to explain to her gun laws and I imparted some of my OC stories as well.

Concluding this conversation, Cynthia asked me if I would like to be contacted as a a consultant to the policy makers for the college, to which I responded "Yes!" and gave my Calguns.net handle, my email address and my blog address for her to peruse later

1.5 grueling hours (spent in orientation) later, orientation was finally concluded. Walking down to the Student Center with our orientation group while on my way to my car, I was confronted by Officer Larry Darwent, who pulled me aside and asked to talk with me. When I asked what was wrong, I was told to not make a scene and that I knew what was going on. Still completely clueless, he said that he needed to search me for weapons and told me to put my hands behind my back. Upon complying with that request, I was given a Terry search and cleared. Once released, I was informed that a member of the college informed them that she had reason to believe I was carrying a weapon, particularly a handgun. I suspect that it was the woman that I was talking with (Cynthia) that gave me the Judas kiss, because the piece of paper where I wrote down my contact information was with the printout of my driver's license. After my search was completed, I was told that I could leave but I decided to talk with the officer.

After the Terry search, two more officers showed up and joined in the conversation. Apparently, they had checked my arrest record and pistol registration before they made contact with me. I had a chat with them about open carry and answered one officer's questions about my activities to humor myself, since I am pretty sure he was trying to size me up on what I know of the law (In the end, he got totally schooled.) I asked them about some of the other weapons policies, particularly knives, to which they proceeded to misquote 626.10, saying that it was illegal to have a knife over 2.5", but I have since proven (via e-mail to Larry) that the penal code dictates that one cannot have have a FIXED BLADE over 2.5" and there is no length limit on folding knives on California university campuses.

Here is the police report (just received today)






This is an artist's rendering of the UCSD rapist. Apparently, the call came in as that I looked like the UCSD rapist (AFTER ADVOCATING FOR ARMED WOMEN ON CAMPUS!), hence the "possible 261" code. Next to it is what I look like (a good photo, from what I have been told)




Letter that was sent to Larry Darwent once I got home from UCSD

Lessons learned about this incident...

A) Freaking know your 4th amendment rights! I did not exercise mine and I should have. I was kind of out of my element and didn't know what to do. Next time, I will be prepared.

B) Carry a voice recorder, even when not OCing. That way, I can prove that these guys potentially violated my rights. It isn't that I have anything to hide, it is just the principle of the matter.

Now, before everyone starts (potentially) posting with "Why would you talk about guns at school?" or any other such nonsense, let me tell you now that I made absolutely no threats or anything to Cynthia about me possibly carrying a gun. The only mention I made about carrying a gun is the fact that I did it off-campus and I wrote my stories up in a blog.

As usual, I am open for commentary both here and on calguns.net (THREAD HERE) and I will do my best to answer your questions, respond to comments, etc. While you have not experienced the writing abilities of my brother Sam quite yet, I will let you know beforehand that I am not as eloquent as he is nor is my passive memory as detailed so therefore the best details come out when I am asked questions.

With that, I must depart for work. I look forward to your commentary!

Oil change

I went over to Mossy Nissan today and experienced no issues while open carrying for an hour in the waiting room while reading a few things on my kick-ass Kindle. Afterwards I came home and had a bite to eat and then typed this blog.

Off to pick up my sister!

Intrafamilial Debate (II)- Response

This response was sent in by a fellow calgunner by the name of Nick and I decided to post this as a blog post since posting as a comment would negate the italics and other editing measures that are present in this response.

With that, here it is.


“I think its an infringement of my rights to tell me that I NEED to carry a gun to protect myself, I am supposed to be paying people like the police to do that for me. If everyone should have guns, then I should save some tax money shouldn't I?. If I told Fox news that, they would call me "soft on crime."”

Well, to state the obvious, the police, even with the best of intentions, can’t possibly be there for every single individual. They can clean up the mess and find the responsible, yes, but other than that, it’s chancy. Moreover, in many, if not most states, including California, it was determined that the police doesn’t have the obligation to protect an individual, just the society as a whole. Which doesn’t really help the individual potential victim of a crime all that much.

Another problem with this expectation is the spirit of depending on the government, as opposed to striving for individual independence. A society of independent individuals can be great, as this country has proven over the first 100-150 years of its existence. The societies where people depend on their government… Well, do I really need to say more on this?

As far as saving the tax money on the police, it’s also not a good idea. While they can’t necessarily protect one directly, they do a lot to protect one indirectly by putting criminals behind bars, keeping public order (and as such keeping the society from getting into a state similar to that of New Orleans after Katrina, which, armed or not, makes the danger to an individual much greater), and deterring many crimes just by being present. Personally, I don’t begrudge my tax money to the police (well, I would to some departments, such as NOPD, but luckily I don’t live in any such place).

Also, saying that you need to carry a gun for self-protection, which of your rights does it infringe on? Someone other than the government saying this to you doesn’t have any power over you other than that of an advice, which you can either heed or not, as you see fit.

How do we stop 4 and 5 year olds from being caught in the crossfire of gang shootings? Obviously they cannot carry guns or protect themselves, and I think we'll all agree that even if these kids are safely in their houses, sometimes stray bullets come through windows and kill them, obviously this cannot be completely blamed on their parents. I would like a solution from the people on this forum that address this problem.

Well, first of all, we can’t prevent 4 and 5 year old kids from being caught in the crossfire of gang shootings 100%. No matter what you do, you’ll never eliminate 100% of the crime. Nothing really works 100% in this world, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Moreover, one has to consider the cost of doing things. For instance, Vlad Tepes prided himself on eliminating theft in his domain. Do I need to detail how he achieved such a feat? Just a hint, it had to do with mass executions in a very gruesome fashion. Moreover, he still PRIDED himself in it, it doesn’t mean theft was non-existent there.

Now, on this specific topic, first of all, the guns used in such crimes are usually obtained illegally, and whatever “gun control” laws are passed to combat it, they will apply to legally owned guns. By definition, law-abiding citizens are those who abide by the laws, and criminals are those who break them. So, a criminal willing to shoot someone will be stopped by the fact that the law prohibits him from having a gun?

Besides, even attempting to deal with the criminals’ guns would still be fighting the instrument, and not the cause of the crime. The cause being that gangs exist, and can operate without much of a deterrent.

The various steps that could be taken to deal with this would be to promote (and demand) greater integration of immigrants and various minorities into our society (as it is we promote the opposite), abandoning political correctness which prevents us from doing so, arming the population so that committing a crime becomes a dangerous proposition, changing the laws in a way that doesn’t punish people for defending themselves, get the government out of the family, so that families can exist (as gangsters come from dysfunctional families more often than not), ensure that the punishment matches the crime (and that includes death penalty), the list goes on.



There is some serious logic missing from the discussion. I'm just asking questions here, and they seem to be crucifying me. Also, I don't live in downtown Chicago. I live in a nice neighborhood with virtually zero crime, and I'm sure not every household has a gun. I love guns, I love the technology, I love the history, I'm not anti-gun by any means.

Well, tempers tend to run hot in such a debate. Part of living among humans. Although a bit more civility would be nice, I agree.

I live in a nice neighborhood which until recently had very little crime. It’s changing though, thanks to a liberal mayor and political correctness. The criminals discovered that nice safe neighborhoods are safe to commit crimes, too, as the people and the police are less prepared.


I'm sure everyone heard the story about the 8 year old who killed his parents and his neighbor with a .22 rifle 2-3 weeks ago. I'm sure that if he didn't have access to that rifle, they would still be alive right now (its a lot harder for an 8 year old to kill his parents with a knife then it is with a gun). Obviously that kid was messed up, and mentally unstable people will always find a way to kill each other, but seriously... it was pretty easy for that 8 year old. I don't think it should be that easy... this is where my questions come from. Incidents like that make me question everyone's right to own a gun. Obviously the parents are the blame for not teaching him and not keeping the gun locked up, but honestly, some parents are as irresponsible as 3-year old, and I wish we could say "alright, all the responsible citizens can have guns, and all the stupid ones can't" but that isn't what people on this forum are advocating.

Well, there’re a few issues here, but first I’d like to say that accidents, mistakes, etc. will ALWAYS happen. It’s simply impossible to prevent them 100%, and it’s dangerous and detrimental to the society to even try. Preventing them within reason is what the society should strive for. Which is why I have the problem even with the title of the No Child Left Behind act, but that’s a whole other can of worms.

I agree, if the kid in question didn’t have the access to that rifle, this wouldn’t have happened. And he wasn’t supposed to gain access to that rifle. In California, there’s a law saying that if there are kids in the house, guns have to be locked up. Like with any law, there will be people breaking it, but the law itself (and its proper enforcement) are good enough to deal with this issue. Trying to do more would only mean more government intrusion into the family without much of an improvement.

Preventing the good people from having guns (or driving cars, or… well, you get the idea) because of the few idiots/miscreants doesn’t sound like something that promotes a good society, or a sustainable society in the first place. It seems like that’s where we’re heading though. Also, call me callous, but we keep trying to eliminate natural selection. And to remove people’s responsibility for their own actions (and the consequences). While the former is a noble goal, I don’t think it’s a good idea. I also don’t think that the cost to society is worth it.

When you say "everyone should have the right to own a gun" I get confused, because time and time again, we are shown that some people just can't handle it.

Yep, and some people can’t handle driving a car, flying a plane, or using a gas stove. Humans are imperfect, and we have to recognize such incidents for what they are.

How do we differentiate between the people who should have the right and the people who shouldn't?

Well, the above should’ve addressed it. I can only add that there’re common sense provisions already in place (such as not allowing criminals or mentally ill people have guns). Beyond that, I don’t think any government involvement would do any good, both to prevent such incidents, and as far as costs to the society are concerned.


Second of all, I agree that everyone should have the right, but its just a hard problem to fix ya know? Obviously if innocent people get killed, and cops get shot while trying to defend themselves, there is a problem with our current setup. If the guys on the forums don't believe the system is flawed, then maybe that is where our different paths of thinking emerge from.

Once again, no amount of legislating will make the society perfect. If nothing else, it’ll make the society crappy to live in, just look at California. Moreover, I’m not sure I’d want to live in such a “perfect” society. Criminals will always have weapons, including guns, and our task should be to protect the non-criminals and to make committing a crime hard. I don’t see how taking guns away from law-abiding citizens and punishing them for self-defense achieves either one of these goals.

It rather reminds me of the debate of eliminating collateral damage (a.k.a. innocent bystanders) on the battlefield. A noble goal, but impossible to achieve (and the attempt to achieve it without common sense, as usually happens, lead to severe costs to society, once again).

You can post it if you want, but obviously I didn't expect to change minds, I just wanted my questions answered, and no one has been able to tell me how to give everyone guns, but keep cops and 4 year olds from being shot to death.

I think, the above addresses it. Also, approaching such matters only from emotional standpoint doesn’t usually lead to any good. To give an example, the last Russian tzar was quite a nice man, much nicer than most of his predecessors. That led to the suffering and deaths of tens of millions.

If people on the forum don't think that those deaths are a problem, and that there isn't a problem with guns in this country, then that is where we differ.

Once again, not all problems can and should be addressed 100%, and this what this seems to call for.
------

Thank you for your response Nick, you have done an excellent job.

Carry on!

-N8

Intrafamilial Debate

So I sent an article, The Life and Death Cost of Gun Control over to my Chicagoan cousin Andrew this morning for his perusal, as we have been discussing the merits and demerits of gun control as of late. In response to this article, he sent me the following excerpt via email...


I think its an infringement of my rights to tell me that I NEED to carry a gun to protect myself, I am supposed to be paying people like the police to do that for me. If everyone should have guns, then I should save some tax money shouldn't I?. If I told Fox news that, they would call me "soft on crime."


Ah, the conundrum....

See if your blog followers will support that idea :)

So what have you, fellow readers? What do you think of this idea? Most of you all know my viewpoint on the matter but I (more so, my cousin) am interested in seeing your viewpoints.

Post comments here or on the calguns.net thread referring to this blog post!

UPDATE FROM ANDREW (the cousin)

I have re-read the documents and would like you to post this new quote from me.

"The previous cases you informed me about more than prove your point, and you've convinced me. I agree that police have no duty to protect you as an individual. I need some questions answered though...

How do we stop 4 and 5 year olds from being caught in the crossfire of gang shootings? Obviously they cannot carry guns or protect themselves, and I think we'll all agree that even if these kids are safely in their houses, sometimes stray bullets come through windows and kill them, obviously this cannot be completely blamed on their parents. I would like a solution from the people on this forum that address this problem.

Thanks man,

Talk to you later.

Lets all comment on this one now!

UPDATE: More argument fodder


There is some serious logic missing from the discussion. I'm just asking questions here, and they seem to be crucifying me. Also, I don't live in downtown Chicago. I live in a nice neighborhood with virtually zero crime, and I'm sure not every household has a gun. I love guns, I love the technology, I love the history, I'm not anti-gun by any means.

I'm sure everyone heard the story about the 8 year old who killed his parents and his neighbor with a .22 rifle 2-3 weeks ago. I'm sure that if he didn't have access to that rifle, they would still be alive right now (its a lot harder for an 8 year old to kill his parents with a knife then it is with a gun). Obviously that kid was messed up, and mentally unstable people will always find a way to kill each other, but seriously... it was pretty easy for that 8 year old. I don't think it should be that easy... this is where my questions come from. Incidents like that make me question everyone's right to own a gun. Obviously the parents are the blame for not teaching him and not keeping the gun locked up, but honestly, some parents are as irresponsible as 3-year old, and I wish we could say "alright, all the responsible citizens can have guns, and all the stupid ones can't" but that isn't what people on this forum are advocating.

When you say "everyone should have the right to own a gun" I get confused, because time and time again, we are shown that some people just can't handle it.

How do we differentiate between the people who should have the right and the people who shouldn't?

Sent in a later email...

Second of all, I agree that everyone should have the right, but its just a hard problem to fix ya know? Obviously if innocent people get killed, and cops get shot while trying to defend themselves, there is a problem with our current setup. If the guys on the forums don't believe the system is flawed, then maybe that is where our different paths of thinking emerge from.

You can post it if you want, but obviously I didn't expect to change minds, I just wanted my questions answered, and no one has been able to tell me how to give everyone guns, but keep cops and 4 year olds from being shot to death.

If people on the forum don't think that those deaths are a problem, and that there isn't a problem with guns in this country, then that is where we differ.


Let's keep this topic going. Come on everyone!

Chili's Oceanside

I stopped by Chili's Oceanside on my way to Iron Sights with a friend to get some food and I carried while there. Place was packed with people for the football game and there was no commotion. I did get eyed by one guy that was at eye-level with my sidearm but he didn't freak. Server was cute and nice and no one complained. Overall, a nice experience.

Also, please don't eat the Habanero Crispers, it makes OC spray look like green salsa ;)

-N8

My Simply Rugged Opinion

In our society, it is not uncommon for someone to have a die-hard affinity for a brand affiliation and coat their lives in it. We pretty much tend to gloss over the lesser bandages and go for Band-Aids, skip the local hardware store tools and go for Craftsman tool sets, the list goes on.

While I have tried to resist this blanket outlook on life by purchasing value instead of a name, I feel that I have succumbed to exclusively suiting up my guns in holsters from a certain leather working company, one that not only gives me a great value but OUTSTANDING customer service and a feeling of pride every time I slip on my belt and holster in the morning. That, fellow readers, is none other than Simply Rugged.

It all started when I turned 21 and purchased a Taurus Tracker .44mag to match my Winchester 94AE Trapper .44mag. Noticing that a handgun is pretty much worthless unless you can carry it on your person, I started searching around on the 'net to see what was out there for good holsters. Bunches of names flashed up, like Mernickle, Hume, Blackhawk, Our Bandit Leather, Levergun Leatherworks and River Junction Leatherworks, just to name a few. I knew that I did not want to go with kydex since it is clunky and just wouldn't look right with a revolver and while I would be OK with going ultra basic and buying an Uncle Mike's synthetic holster, I knew wanted something more stylish, comfortable and durable.

Not sure which company was worth their salt and my money, I asked about holsters on levergunscommunity.com and calguns.net, with an emphasis on leather holsters. Looking through all the responses (mostly western-style rigs), I came across Simply Rugged, hailed as a well-priced and highly recommended holster maker.

With a little bit of reading around and a few emails to the owner, Rob Leahy, I made my first purchase, which consisted of a Sourdough holster for my Tracker, a split-six speedloader pouch, a most versatile pouch and a Real Man's belt, all in black (wardrobe requires versatility, though I totally should have done oxblood)

My first impression upon opening that box of USPS wrapped joy is indescribable, everything was perfect! The black dye was applied evenly, the stitching was tight, there were no blemishes whatsoever. The only issue I had was that I ordered my holster with inside-out straps (in case I am to ever get a CCW in this stupid state) and a removable thumb break. Not wanting to part with my new-found piece of leather perfection since it fit my gun like a glove, Rob gave me a 40 dollar credit for my next holster purchase. Just FYI, this is a rare occurrence at Rob's shop and he handled it with the utmost professional courtesy.

It wasn't too long after my first revolver that I started getting more handguns. Shortly thereafter I procured a Ruger Single Six and I used my credit for it. Once again, the holster was absolutely beautiful and perfect and made my Single Six feel like a natural part of my body, you don't even feel the full weight of it, even though the little sucker weighs over 35oz. The full-length coverage protects my gun in the thickest brush and it keeps at the perfect angle for that necessary quick draw.

As necessity would have it and luck would bring it, I came across one of my family's favorite handguns, the venerable and highly reliable Bulgarian Makarov in 9x18 Makarov. Itching to spend some hard earned cash from a recently completed side job, I asked Rob if he could possibly make a holster for the Makarov, even though it is not on his list of guns he makes holsters for, figuring that it might be possible since he makes holsters for the Walther PPK, which is the basis of the beefier Makarov. Rob said that he could make one but he would need measurements, so I took detailed pictures of my Makarov against a tape measure, made a detailed tracing and mailed them on over to his place in Alaska. Several weeks later, yet another beautiful holster came in the mail, along with a matching double magazine pouch. This holster also came with a set of inside-out straps (again, planning for that ever-elusive CCW permit) and my gun sits PERFECTLY on the inside of my waistband. He also sent me a another holster for my Tracker as a bonus! Again, the quality was unsurpassed. It damn near brought tears to my eyes.

My latest purchase from Rob was absolutely extraordinary. Since Rob has decided that he is no longer making holsters in black, I got in under the wire and snagged one last black holster for my Ruger MKII and one of the last black Chesty Puller rigs. I also sent back a few items for Rob to modify for me, like my belt (ordered it too long) and my original Tracker holster (wanted inside-out straps put on it). When I saw that little USPS box outside my door a week later, I nearly had a heart attack! Not only was my Tracker holster fitted for inside-out straps, he made me a brand new holster for it as well! He not only cut down my belt, he gave it a new coating of black! I was so ecstatic I could hardly contain myself. I took that new holster and put it on IWB and wore it that way to break it in and I even showed a guy at one of the local gun shops and told him about Rob while I told him about my .44mag gun selection.

Rob Leahy and his top-notch operation at Simply Rugged make a holster that simply cannot be beat. The quality is unsurpassed, the way his holsters fit your body is almost magical, the customer service is unparalleled and his ability to customize your holster to your specifications means that not only will your holster be your gun's favorite tuxedo, your gun will be there just when you need it, every time.

Sincerely,

Nathan

Simply Rugged

This is from the cover of our local rad, the San Diego Reader. The article is here.



Using my 2nd Amendment to protect my 1st at the Third Calguns.net San Diego Open Carry Meet



From the back. Holds tight, high and perfect.



Belt, Most Versatile Pouch, Split-Six speedloader holder and holster, all from Rob!


I carried my gun in this configuration for 10 hours over 7 miles and I barely felt a thing. No fatigue, no sore spots, no aches. Absolutely an incredible feel!

The three photos above were taken by my friend and therefore all credit goes to her. Click here for here for her website.

Shooting with two of my favorite firearms, my Ruger 10/22 and the Ruger MKII. Ruger MKII holstered by a Simply Rugged Open Top



Packing all kinds of guns here. Tracker on cross draw and the Single Six on strongside (Makarov in SOB with a ClipDraw)



Chesty Puller rig with my Single Six. This rig makes having an extra pistol really convenient, especially when you are donning body armor or need the waist real estate for ammunition, a knife, etc.



Chesty Puller rig from the back



MK II on the hip while shooting the Tracker. Even with body armor on, these holsters still work perfectly!

Funny Turner's Story

I went with my brother OJ today to Turner's Outdoorsman to check out what they had and possibly put some .44spl ammo on order since I am running low. As usual, I was I was open carrying and the experience was great up until the very end, which then turned hilarious.

I know Turner's has a "no loaded guns" policy, with the exception of LEO and valid CCW permit holders but since I was unloaded anyways I took no notice. I found out later that they actually CHECK the firearm if it is unloaded prior to entering the store, which has been a failure on their part for the last few transactions I have done through them.

Anyways, I was in the store for about 15min and nobody took notice of my sidearm. It was only on checking out (picked up a bore snake and some Breakfree) that the cashier decided to enforce her apparent cashier duties. Here is the conversation: \

Cashier: Are you law enforcement?
Me: No
Cashier: Is that gun unloaded?
Me: Yes
Cashier: May I check if it is unloaded? We have a store policy about loaded guns.
Me: Oh, OK. Would you like to come over and remove my gun or would you like me to hand it to you?
*Cashier looks confuzzled* *I hand her gun, she checks it*
Cashier: Yeah, just be careful with carrying that around.
Me: Open carry is legal actually, as long as unloaded.
Cashier: Just be careful with it
Brother OJ: Yeah, like don't pull it out and shoot anyone with it. *Laughter*
(OJ hates it when dumb people get the last word)

We then left.

Now I know I shouldn't be counting on the fact that cashiers at a sporting goods store be up-to-date on the intricacies of the law but they should be at least supportive and non-idiotic about it.

In-n-Out gathering

So two nights ago I went to the local In-n-Out joint to have a burger with some friends that I haven't seen in a few years. Since the gathering was at 12AM, it is not all that well-lit and I am, as usual, a concerned citizen, I decided to pack the Tracker.

The result? 2 hours of bliss! About 95% of the people didn't notice I was strapped and when they did they just asked a few questions about it and were not alarmed. I even got a few non-shooters to want to go with me on a range trip sometime so I am pretty stoked about some new converts!

Yet another eventless yet productive open carry outing. Love it.

-N8

Union Bank SD

Made a deposit at UBOC on the way back from my brother's house and had no issues.

Sam got arrested for OCing!

Yep, Sam got arrested for legally open carrying his firearm down in San Diego today! He was released upon getting down to the station when the cops cracked open a copy of the penal code and realized that he was legal.

The full story will be released once legal consul has been retained and the OK has been given. I will keep you guys posted!

Pleasant Ralphs Experience

In order to kill some time after work and stock up for my weekend post-shooting trip barbeque, I decided to head over to the Ralphs near my work (strapped!) and pick up a few things.

Upon heading in, I grabbed a newspaper ad detailing the specials and sat down at the internal coffee venue (Coffee Bean, I think) to peruse it. After a few minutes I got up and walked to the meat section. At this point, the general manager looked a little nervous but she was not hysterical nor were the employees acting weird.

Since Porterhouse steaks were on sale for 3.99/lb, I picked up a few flats and headed to the self-checkout. I scanned in my first of 3 packs and the computer said to wait for an attendant. Lo and behold, the manager came over and we had a congenial conversation about OCing. Here is how it went..

Me: Umm, it says to get an attendant, do I just put in my phone number?
Manager: Is that a real gun (said really fast)
Me: Pardon me?
Manager: Is that a real gun?
Me: Yep.
Manager: Are you a sheriff or something?
Me: Nope, just a normal citizen.
Manager: Are you allowed to do that with some sort of permit or something? Why not conceal it?
Me: Well, open carry doesn't require a permit and if I conceal without a permit it is a misdemeanor *explained rules here*
Manager: Oh, alright then. Yes, put your phone number in here....

Then she walked away. No problems whatsoever, no rampant calls, no freaking out.

After I left the store I called my dad and asked if he wanted any steaks or anything while I was there and he said to pick up some beans, so went back in and got a few pounds and left again. No problems.

Hot damn people!

OK, off for some errands.

-N8

Denny's

I went with my friend Mel after work to grab some Denny's since she apparently had some coupons or some crap like that. Despite her mild protests about my apparent psychological insecurities and accusations of me attempting to prove my manhood by carrying, much less owning a gun, I packed the Tracker and had no issues. We were only there for 6min or so total since not one waiter greeted us so we bailed and went over to Chili's. No open carrying there, too close to a middle school :(

Pumpkin Spice Starbucks.

I am at my friend's house right now and we got back a little while ago from Starbucks and grabbing a late-night crappucino, er frappucino. Open carried with no issues. One lady looked confused but didn't ask any questions or raise alarm.

Love it.

More open carry joy.

Well, things have been a little interesting as of late. With encouragement from my fellow Calgunner brethren, I have just put in a complaint against the Professional Security Company out of Los Angeles, CA for illegally detaining me at North County Fair in Escondido, CA in a manner not pursuant with the Merchant Law. Overall, I am looking for a written apology and a reviewing of training procedures for their guards. If they want to throw me cash for college I am cool with that too :)

Also, I got this PRICELESS letter from a calguns.net member named "crazedeaglesfan" about how I am a "raticle" for open carrying. Here is the letter...


I assume you were picked on in school so much to the point you now have to carry an open firearm into the mall to prove a point? I'm a supporter of the right to have a firearm but you are what us regular people refer to as raticle. You are the prime example of why they might eventually outlaw all firearms.

You want to carry a gun? Join the military. Although they'd problably throw you out. You're an idiot.

Grow up and get a real job.

Mind you, this poor excuse for a citizen signed up on calguns.net for the SOLE PURPOSE of sending me this letter. Sad? Yes, indeed!

Well, I gotta clean up a few things and stuff. I will keep everyone here posted!

-N8

Walmart Learning Experience

Feeling a little gloomy after seeing that our nation was duped into electing that gun-grabbing socialist rat bastard Obama, I headed down to my friend Omar's house to chill out. Since the night was young (10pm)and I was still in need of work shoes (previous post explains why I didn't buy them before ;) ), Omar and I headed over to Walmart.

Slipping the Tracker into her rightful place, I noticed a sheriff in his car parked directly in front and to the right of the entrance. My friend made it a point not to cover up the fact I was packing (little bugger ;) ) and no issue was made over it. The entrance way to Walmart, BTW, is 1/2 way lit.

After picking out my new TredSafe shoes, I decided to stop by the ammo counter and pick up a Federal .22 550 pack. While waiting for the key, the teller in the area asked me if I was an LEO and was surprised when I said no. He began asking me about the laws and such and I gave him the basic run down. I also wrote down my blog address and calguns.net and my calguns.net handle if he has any more questions and whatnot. He was also pretty stoked about my mall story.

After that, I went to buy a voice recorder but then my friend said that he had one I could borrow so that is just another 40 bucks I don't have to spend. It is in jacket chest pocket right now. :)

Well, off to work a bit early to read. Gotta figure out what I am going to do with a potential impending ban.

-N8

MALL ALERT! MALL ALERT!

Well everyone, I FINALLY got the cops called on me!

It all started with getting off of work and then heading up north to go to N. County Fair to get some badly needed work shoes. Per my usual routine, I strapped Tracker into her rightful spot and waltzed on through the mall. Half way to my destination (Payless) I encountered a fairly cute Israeli girl trying to sell me some Dead Sea lotions or something of that nature and spent 10 minutes entertaining her marketing endeavors. She either did not notice I was packing or did not care.

Heading into Payless I asked the cashier where I might find Safe-T-Step shoes and she directed me to the back wall. As I selected a pair of shoes to try on and sat down I looked out of the corner of my eye and saw several security guards grouping outside the door, to which I snickered to myself and proceeded to try on shoes.

About 10 seconds later, 4 security guards surrounded me and the head honcho began to ask me questions. Now, Liberty1, please don't beat (much less pistol whip) me for this but I don't have my freaking tape recorder yet so I didn't get the conversation! I will list what questions I can remember that they asked me and list my responses.

-Is that real? -Yes
-Are you an LEO? -Nope
-Do you have a license for that? -As long as I am not concealing it, I am unloaded and not within 1000' of a school it is perfectly legal.
-Do you have any bullets on you? -5 in a speedloader in my left pocket
-I think that is illegal -Nope, its not.
-Is that a knife? -Yes, it is
-Geez, do you always shop like that? -Not always, though I always have a knife with me
-What are you carrying that for? -Protection

As I sat there, holding a size 12 shoe with both of my hands, the head guy kept telling me to not make any sudden movements "for our safety" and to remain seated, etc. Apparently, telling someone that 5 times doesn't normally sink in because he kept repeating it.

Meanwhile, the cops were called in and were on their way. While waiting (15 minutes I think) I discussed the military jobs of the leader and one of his lackeys (both were ex-Marines), legalities of open carry and other such topics. The leader kept saying that he appreciated my cooperation and thanked me for my understanding of the situation and how I just can't be doing this now, given the day and age, etc. He did mention one recent shooting in Arkansas or something and people being nervous about it, to which I asked "A gun-free zone, I presume?" He said he didn't know... it probably was.

After 15 or so minutes and multiple directions for the police to arrive, two officers showed up. I greeted them and they withdrew the Tracker and my knife and escorted me outside. I offered them the opportunity to remove my speedloader but the cop said that I could keep it since I would be better off throwing it at someone at this point.

Here is the conversation that I had with the one officer to my left as I walked out of the mall to the parking lot.

-Him: Do you have a license for this?
-Me: No, I do not need a license for open carry. As long as I am not within 1000' of a school, I am not concealing the firearm and I am unloaded I am perfectly legal in carrying my weapon.

Furthermore, I believe that a memo was released to the Escondido PD about the legality of open carry, if I am not mistaken.

-Him: Ok, Ok. COuld you please explain to me then how the gun was in your pocket?
-Me: The gun was not in any pocket, it was in the holster just as you guys saw it the first time. If I may, may I turn and show you the holster? *Turn and show holster, hands in the air*
-Him: Ok, lets go outside right now. I didn't know that you had a holster on.

So we get outside and I sit down on the curb and they ask me my name, DOB, address and phone number. They ask me if I have any felonies and if the gun is registered to me, to which I reply "no" and "yes", respectively. One officer ran my gun in the computer and one talked with me and another stood to my right. The one in front of me taking my name down and whatnot chatted with me about guns and stuff. I told him about my blog and he wrote it down for future reference and I told the other two cops about it as well. Two of the three cops made it a point to tell me that they are pro-2nd amendment and that they understood why I am doing what I am doing and they mentioned how hard it was to get a CCW permit. I told them I wanted one but that I wasn't a "butt buddy" with the sheriff nor was I a jeweler. I also told them about the OC lunches and the difference in LEO reactions to the first and second ones and they had a good chuckle about it.

About 15 minutes after I was taken outside I was given my gun back and I was allowed to reholster it. The policemen said that I was perfectly legal and everything was kosher and it was now between mall security and myself. Turning to the head of security he said that he appreciated my understanding and hoped that I was treated in a professional manner but the mall can't allow me to have a gun, particularly when children are 10' away. I told him that I understand but that I am not the guy that is trying to cause harm to anyone, I am the guy trying to prevent it. He seemed to have written me off over it. With that, I shook everyone's hand and walked around the mall parking lot to secure my weapon and leave for home.

All in all, it was a decent experience. I wasn't even really nervous at all and if I was nervous it was faaar less than the first few times I OC'd. So now, I guess I am just going to have to go with a really BIG knife or my tomahawk.

A few things I learned.

-Carry at least one brochure.
-Carry and use the tape recorder (Liberty1, it is next on my shopping list, I swear!)
-Mall security, even when ex-military, don't know a lot of laws. (Not surprised, but still...)

Questions I have to ask...
1) The cops took about 20min to get to where I was at, which was about 70' from an entrance. WTF would have happened if I were a determined criminal?
2) What is mall security going to do about someone that is armed and intent on killing people? Beg them to death?
3) Why are law-abiding citizens, such as myself, such a rampant threat to mall security? No parents were freaking out nor were kids scared, it was the security detail that was all hot and bothered over it!

Phew! Glad this writeup is over. Of course, if you guys have questions or whatever feel free to comment either here or on Calguns.net and I will respond to them!

Sincerely,

Nathan
"pullnshoot25"

P.S. I have the phone number of the head of security for those that care to have it.... ;)

Appaloosa movie

So I went to see the movie Appaloosa tonight at the Escondido Regal Cinema on the advice of my brother-in-arms Matt and whilst viewing I packed the Tracker. As usual, I had no problems but that may be attributed, at least in part, to the fact that there was no one else in the theatre. I saw perhaps 3 staff members and but when I got into the theatre I discovered that I WAS THE ONLY ONE IN THERE! It was pretty cool being able to give commentary on the movie without worrying about bugging other people.

Gun synopsis:

-FREAKING SWEET 8 gauge SxS with exposed hammers, brand unknown but still insanely cool. I want one really, really bad now (same old story, just a different gun)
-1873 Winchester(s)
-Lots of Colt SAA (I think)
-Various other leverguns, some of which looked to be of Henry manufacture.

That is pretty much it everyone, off to bed I shall go, for my garden requires attention in the morning.

-N8

Shooting trip 10-25-08

Ok, its not open carry but still cool! I went to Palm Springs for a shooting trip with my friend Tom and while there I discovered that we had THREE generations of Ruger MK .22 pistols in the midst! Being the geek I am, I had to have a picture taken of them all.

Left is Ruger MKI, I have the MKII and Tom has the MKIII

UPS, FedEx, Jimbo's, Ace Hardware,

Yep, open carried into each of these places and no one said a word.

Went to UPS to do a price check on shipping a package and then went home (this is en-route on errands)

A few hours later I went to FedEx and got a price check and ended up shipping my object with them since it was 30% less than UPS. I was in there for 10min, no problems.

Curious about the beer selection at Jimbo's, I went inside and perused for a little bit. I was quite stoked to see the shelves stocked with Stone, Harp and some other assorted good looking brews. After November 18th I shall have to try some of them out, yay!

After that I went into Ace Hardware to get a special screwdriver for a prank I am thinking of pulling. Everyone was cordial and unconcerned.

Just to let everyone know, the UPS, Jimbo's and Ace Hardware are all in the same shopping center and in very close proximity to a Sheriff substation. It is funny to note that the sheriffs come into my work all the time and stuff so I am really anxious to serve them sometime and quiz them on some gun laws (if I can segue into that conversation without being too eager.)

Off to pack, I have a shooting trip in the morning!

-N8

Sam OC'ed after the lunch!

My brother Sam sent me this story this morning and I am posting it with his permission. This happened after the OC lunch.

Oj and I went to UTC mall afterward, and I OC'ed for about 2 hours, all kinds of stores, Nordstrom twice, Apple store, Sears, etc. Hung out sitting on a bench in the shade for 20 minutes or so, people watching...plenty of time for a security guard to find us but they didn't. Only one or two people said anything and they just asked why but no one freaked out. Saw one security guard with his walkie-talkie and handcuffs, but he may have not seen I was carrying...or maybe he did, as he seemed to just slink along the wall trying really hard not to look in my direction.

Kind of boring, actually. :)
----

Another success! Thanks Sam!

Meet and Eat While Packing Heat... El Indio Lunch 10-19-08

So today was the 2nd Calguns.net Open Carry Lunch at El Indio and it was, yet again, a success! We had a great turnout of about 27 people and it was really nice to put tag handles to faces and THEN remember everyone's real names, haha!

As a whole we really didn't have any problems with protesters or over-hyped soccer moms. We had a couple ladies come in to the patio area and think that we were cops and Liberty01 took the liberty (hehe) of giving them fliers and telling them of calguns.net and if interest is any indication, we might have two pretty women joining the ranks! My brothers, gir007 and I also had a good chat with a patron of El Indio from Seattle about the legality of open carry and how it was unlikely that gangbangers would try to confront armed folk because the ones that would do such a thing have been weeded out by Darwin's Theory of Evolution (aided by lead poisoning :) ) Grammaton76 and I had a good laugh about one girl confusedly eyeballing his sidearm as he opened the door for her on his way out, that was pretty funny, hehe :) .

Well, here are the photos and such of the outing. Just for all those that dont know, the guy with the shaved head and the guy in the kilt are 2 of my 3 older brothers, OJ and Sam.

Yes, we have been known to call OJ by "Killer" :)

Looking right from my position (Grammaton76 in the khaki, SOneThreeCoupe inhaling a quesadilla, Decoligny immediately to the right)

Looking left from my position (David is to the immediate left and my brother OJ is in the striped shirt)

Looking straight from my position (elsensei)

Brother OJ checking his email.

Chatting near the patio entrance (gir007 at center, SOneThreeCoupe at right, Spiggy behind gir007)

Nearly the whole group

This photo looks funny, but Sam is actually 6'2"

Gir007 with a friend.

OJ, Sam and myself.

Doing the can-can :)

Sam and OJ having a chat in front of El Indio.

I can hardly wait for the next one! Thanks for organizing gir007 and I am sure we will do some hanging out soon!

Decoligny, just know before you go and take the plunge!

Peace out everyone and happy OCing!

Sincerely,

Nathan
"pullnshoot25"

P.S. If you are in these photos, please let me know so I can attach your calguns.net handle (Sorry I couldn't remember all of them!)

Work

So I went into work (wasn't on the clock, just came in to eat) and settled a bet with a regular I've had about carrying into bars/bar areas (He is from Texas and thinks it is illegal in California... proved him wrong, hehe.) I got more interested looks from my coworkers and one of them was asking "Why? I see no point to doing that." I told her that not everyone has a personal bodyguard, to which she responded "Well, you shouldn't be so concerned about your safety." What a joke! I told her that if I wasn't concerned about my own safety, who was going to be concerned about it?

Ahh, such is my life.

AMC La Jolla: Max Payne!

My brother, my brother's friend and I went to see Max Payne at the AMC in La Jolla tonight and everything went without a hitch and no one said a word, despite the fact I went into the theatre and back outside twice. Sat in the lobby waiting for my other brother to show up upon entering the theatre the second time and there were no problems with that either.

The movie was OK but I was really stoked to see that they had not one but TWO Taurus Judges (GO TAURUS!) used in that movie. Also on the list of mentionables was the H&K MP-5 (Grasshopper, maybe?), Beretta 92FS, Mossberg 500 Cruiser, maaaaybe a Remington 870 (it was in the credits) and there were some other really cool looking weapons in there that I will have to look up later.

With that, I am going to watch Sledgehammer with my brother before going home. Peace out for now.

-N8

Starbucks and WAMU

My friend and I went to Starbucks this morning on a whim and I packed the Tracker. Nothing alarming there.

Later on, I went into WAMU to cash a check and while several clerks saw it (I am sure of it) not a word was mentioned about it.

Off to see Max Payne!

Starbucks near college

After attending a diocesan class on the writings of St. Paul in San Marcos, I headed over to the Starbucks directly across from CSUSM to wait for my friend to get out of class. While I waited I was carrying the Tracker and reading Atlas Shrugged on my totally bitchin' Kindle. There was a circle of students participating in a Bible study about 20 feet from me and were not alarmed in any way.

Things just keep getting better :)

Why we Open Carry

A series of questions was posted by a newcomer to the calguns.net scene about the reasons for the open carry movement. Here are his list of questions...


1. Why are you carrying openly in public? Do you really think that this will push lawmakers to allow OC in California? I personally don't think so, after all this is California, and it is hard enough to get a CCW, let alone OC. People view OC as odd, and we can't blame Mrs. Soccer Mom for that, citizens have not been conditioned to see guns on the hips of other citizens. We do not have the right to make people around us nervous or uncomfortable because we believe we are exercising our right to bear arms.

2. You guys are obviously causing local law enforcement to utilize critical resources to cover your activities. Although you are doing nothing illegal, don't you feel responsible for the costs the local authorities are incurring due to your activities? The local law has an obligation to cover your events. Although you all may be outstanding citizens, an outsider, or a group of outsiders who has/have a different viewpoint on the 2nd amendment, may not be as "civil" in making their stance known. It is an issue of "public safety" (yours and their's) for the local cops

3. Due to the costs and logistical challenges you may be causing local law enforcement, how do you feel the Sheriff/Chief of Police view your activities? Are any of you concerned that your activities may cause a "knee jerk" response from local law makers? Remember, the Black Panthers, a radical 60's group, did essentially the same thing by taking advantage of existing gun laws and look where that got us.

4. I noticed a thread wherein someone from the site stated that "some crazy soccer mom called 911". Well, was she crazy, or just being a prudent observer? After all, hand guns displayed in holsters, are usually associated with uniforms or at least badges displayed openly where they can be seen. As a CCW license holder, I can not even allow my firearm to "print", under a cover garment, as that could be considered brandishing a weapon, and will get my license revoked. How is OC any different?

5. How many of you are really ready to carry? I ask this as I noticed that not one person I saw in your luncheon pics was wearing a belt specifically designed to carry a weapon in a holster. All of the belts shown showed a significant degree of sag, and this was without the additional weight of loaded magazines in the weapons.

I hope some of you take the time to answer my questions. I am not ignoring you, but I will not be able to respond back, as I will be out of town until about the 20th, hunting one of the coveted North-Eastern California X zones. It's only a 16 day season so I have to spend as much time as possible actively pursuing the largest Muley buck I can find. Once I get my buck, I will be spending the rest of the my time shooting ground squirrels from the bench.

Respectfully,

Jim


...Fortunately and with great eloquence, a long-time member and OC favorite, CitaDel, answered all of his questions. Here are CitaDel's responses...


I am not a participant in the San Diego meetings. However I do consider myself an experienced open carry pioneer. I am happy to provide answers to your questions.

Why are you carrying openly in public?

I carry in public as a political statement and as a responsible demonstration of legal self-defense in California. Gun owners have wrongly been villified by legislators and media over the past 40+ years and we have sat back and allowed them to mark us as criminals though we have done nothing wrong. It is my intent to show the public that gun owners are regular people who are their neighbors, people they see grocery shopping, people who fuel their cars and eat at restaurants. With exposure and repetition will come tolerance.

You say it is difficult to get a license and imply it is more difficult to open carry--- but to open carry you don't need a background check, fingerprinting, or waive your second, forth, fifth, and forteenth amendment rights ---or have to pay a tax to excersize that right.

People do not have a right to be free from fear. If we did, someone would demand that nightlights be made available for someones irrational fear of the dark or ban skyscrapers because of someone's vertigo. Soccer Mom's who are nervous or uncomfortable simply from the sight of a holstered weapon are just as unreasonable as a child tucked in bed at night or a sightseer unable to release their grip of the railing on the Empire State building. These fears can be overcome with slow and steady exposure and restore a rational response to observers.

Don't you feel responsible for the costs the local authorities are incurring due to your activities?

No. Do you feel pangs of guilt for wasting an officers time while he writes you up for a traffic ticket? How about when you call them to report a loud party in your neighborhood? Peace officers are civil servants paid to do this job and I am glad for it, but they and those who command them are voluntarily expending respources on the observation and investigation of a non-crime. Eventually, open carry could become a non-event in California as it has in many jurisdictions throughout the country.

How do you feel the Sheriff/Chief of Police view your activities?

I know my local Sheriff does not approve of my activities. Since I am not doing anything illegal and he has no grounds to arrest me- his opinion of my lawful conduct is irrelevant. He should be more concerned with what I intend to do about his re-election.

How is OC any different (from brandishing)?

Open carry is different from brandishing because it does not fulfill all the elements of a crime. While someone carrying a firearm openly in a holster may be considered a display, provided it is not done in a rude, angry, or threatening way, no crime is evident. The restriction that prevents you from even printing shows us that "CCW" is not the excersize of a right, but a highly regulated privilege, subject to an issuing authorities arbitrary revocation.

How many of you are really ready to carry?

Everyone is 'ready' to carry- It is a fundemental liberty to have a means to protect yourself regardless of the accessories available. I do not believe in mandatory training, mandatory equipment, or just cause. While it is in the best interest of those participating to be educated, to be well equiped, to be responsible and excersize all due safety- I must give them the benefit of the doubt or risk infringing on their right to carry.

I hope this adequately satisfies your curiosity.

... So there you have it gentlemen, a better articulated reason as to why we Californians open carry despite the laws and policy. Hopefully, one day, we can acquire loaded open carry and shall-issue CCW permits.

Thank you CitaDel for your permission to repost.

Keep the movement strong people.

-N8

Computerized Cobbler

My primary Tracker holster needs a little TLC from some leather oil so while going through the mall (NCF) I packed the Tracker in my secondary holster. It was an interesting experience to say the least, for this holster has a more aggressive cant and it feels kinda funny on my side. Nevertheless, no problems were experienced.

Big 5 and stuff

Went to Big 5 today before work while OC'ing to pick up some targets and had no issues or odd looks. No big feat by any means, being a sporting goods store and stuff but it is in a kind of liberal area so that is pretty cool.

OK, back to doing other stuff :)

Blockbuster

I went to my friend's house last night and since there wasn't enough time to go to the range (I am insatiable!), we settled on renting a movie. Open carrying the usual piece was a breeze and no alarms were raised.

Just a heads up to all my readers out there, Dan in Real Life is a freaking good movie. Good soundtrack, cast, setting, etc... reminds me a lot of my family actually, come to think of it :)

Off to do some more of my father's accounting!

-N8

Shooting Trip 9-30-08

Well, it isn't open carrying but I got to practice a bit. My friend John is going away to gunsmithing school in Colorado for 14 months and we had a small shooting trip get-together with my friend Chris, John's dad and myself up at our favorite place in the hills of Hemet.

My highlights for the day are that I hit a 2.5'x1.5' piece of metal in the shape of a spade at 75yds with my Makarov AND my MKII! I am so stoked that I am not a complete failure with my handguns! Of course, I need to practice more with the Tracker using .44spl ammunition but I am ever hopeful!

Here are some pictures.

Another Vons trip

Oh, what a busy day! On my way back from visiting a friend I had my other friend call me and tell me that he is spending the night tonight. Knowing that dinner will not be complete without some additional food, I headed over to the Vons and picked up some London Broil on sale. The Tracker accompanied me and I had no problems.

Seems that the general populace is not really worried about guns. I love it!

San Diego Credit Union and Union Bank

So today I felt a little frisky and decided to open carry at not one but TWO banks.

At bank number one, San Diego County Credit Union, I had to help my friend out with a car payment (kind of a dork.) I had one guy behind me looking at the Tracker like a 5 year old in a candy store but other than that there were no problems.

At bank number two, Union Bank, I had to activate my debit card and make a large deposit. No one really noticed and if they did they didn't make it known. There was one unarmed security guy that eyeballed me but made no attempt to confront me and even gave me a general "hey, whats up?" nod. After the teller and I finished counting out the change and the inordinate amount of one dollar bills (told her I was a stripper in Mexico ;) ) I left and went home.

Now, I am off to go see a friend and try to find some glove oil, for Tracker's holster needs a little bit of TLC. :)

Shopping at Vons

So I had a church function to go to today and the requirement was to bring something to drink or eat, like soda or chips. Feeling my usual adventurous streak, I went out to the local Vons and busted out the Tracker. Oh, the joyous feeling of my companion at my side after such a long respite!

OK, enough of that :)

I was inside of Vons for approximately 20 minutes and no one raised any objections. After settling on 8 specialty sodas and going to the checkout, an employee looked over and asked how I was and I responded with the usual "Just peachy, how are you?" All in all, very cordial.

Same thing on the way out.

Didn't carry at the church function since it was at a park and youth leaders aren't allowed to be armed or something like that (haven't objected to me packin' steel though, though I would probably ignore them if they did anyways!)

That's all I got for now. I can't wait for the open carry lunch on Oct 19th!

-N8

Open Carry Lunch!

You might have seen this on calguns.net but I am gonna post it here to get the word out!

When: Oct 19, 2008, 11am-12pm
Where: El Indio Restaraunt. 3695 India St, San Diego, CA 92103
What to bring: A smile on your face, cash in your pocket and a gun at your side!

As usual, no bringing guns out of their holsters to show your eager participants and no clothing or holster rigs that could be considered concealing. Lets play by the book and protest the lack of CCW issuance in SD county and California overall!

Your brother in arms,

Nathan

High Road Mutiny

Thehighroad.com had a mutiny! The rat bastard forum admin locked out Oleg Volk! Read Mr. Volk's blog here.

http://olegvolk.livejournal.com/474369.html

Someone needs a Georgia ass whoopin'

-N8

Tracker is back!

Just got the Tracker back today and I am quite stoked! I shall resume my open carrying activities in short order!

Sorry for the lack of stories.

Sorry guys for the lack of stories, but Tracker is on loan with a friend at the moment and so I cannot open carry quite like I should and the magazine pouches for Mak are not right so I have to send them back. I shall be getting Tracker from him in short order though!

Ciao!

-N8

16 more days...

Only 16 more days until I can start open carrying again! Gosh, I feel like a friggin prisoner!

Well, off to the beach to be with family.

-N8

Standing down on open carry...

It has come to my attention through the calguns.net community that it might not be the best idea to open carry until at least August 31st, as that is when the law making session ends for the time being and whatnot. The other reasons are a little bit fuzzy at the moment because I have not taken the time to give them a closer look but it seems that they also has to do with getting California incorporated with respect to the Heller decision and the possibility of having "shall-issue" CCW permits being a contestable issue.

With the legal benefits of Heller incorporation outweighing at least the educational benefits of open carry, I will respectfully stand down on my activities for the sake of my fellow brethren in arms.

Until August 31st...

Sincerely,

Nate

Donut shop, Old Navy and the Mall.

I took my sister today to get her oil changed and while waiting for the billing and stuff I slipped the Tracker into her holster and went over to the donut shop (I love donuts!). I ordered my French Crueller (one of the few things the French have done right) and despite the blatant hippie (yes, he was from SF!) in the place there were no alarms raised.

Then, we hopped into the car and went over to Old Navy to scoop up some clothes on sale. No alarms were raised here either. Fitting room lady had no issues and even joked with me about the lack of jeans in my size at the cash register.

After that, we went to the mall (North County Fair) and I walked over to MasterCuts (aka BastardCuts) from the rear entrance near Red Robin to get my head shaved for an exorbitant fee. The hair stylist didn't notice much and didn't say anything if she did. It should be noted that the cape I had on covered the gun while I was getting a haircut so I am not sure if I was illegally concealing? I did pull it up and over a little bit for posterity... then again, maybe I am being a little paranoid?

I got done a little early (she decided not to use her artistic talent in sculpting my hair, that unimaginative dork) so I called my sister and met her down at New York and Co. No problems or looks going to and being in the store.

Same with on the way out.

As usual, everything was eventless.

With that, I am off to clean my car... it is in need of at least a good vacuuming!

-N8

Cold Stone and Dark Knight

So my friend Stephanie and I, both kindred spirits of things geeky and cool (I practice geekiness in a more moderate tone, she is FULL-OUT geeky... LOVE IT!) went out to see The Dark Knight at the local Esconghetto theatre. Since this area is usually filled with some questionable characters, especially late at night, I decided that the Tracker would accompany me.

So right after Bible study, Steph jumped into my car and we headed over to the theatre. I nearly stopped at my favorite donut joint but Steph, anxious to get to the damned movie 30min prior to the start time, jockeyed me along.

Steph initially balked at me packing when we got to the theatre and caught sight of Tracker being pulled in a sloooow manner out of my gun bag but I insisted that it was OK and everything was legal. After inserting Tracker into her rightful home, a hankering for ColdStone(r) hit me so we both went in. There were 4 teenage girls in the typical late night "I was going to bed but then decided to get ColdStone(r)" look of wrinkled Juicy pants and gaudy tank tops, as well as a married couple with their child. Everyone saw I was carrying and made no hint of alarm.

After excessive joking and bantering with Steph about all manner of nonsense in ColdStone(r) while waiting to be helped, we finally selected, paid and carried out our Love It-sized cheesecake, Oreo and Reese's Pieces masterpiece of glucose wonder to the area in front of the theatre and ate it. Again, no alarms were raised.

After paying for our tickets we both walked into the theatre. Again, no alarms were raised. Same with selecting our seat (it was fully lit at the time) and watching the movie (then again, who is going to see it?)

Walking out was a non-issue as well.

I love having a little faith instilled in me! I must admit, I got a big jolt of butterflies going into there for the first time but now I feel completely fine. Only one other time in my life have I gotten butterflies that bad but that was actually for a good thing :0)

Anyways, I have to go to bed. I have to take my sister to class and have my genetically bastardized teeth drilled and filled, sans numbing, later in the afternoon. Maybe I should carry into the dentist's office... naw, better not make her nervous, teeth hurt like hell!

Until next time...
-N8

To Office Depot we shall go...

So apparently, my sister's speech class is fairly needy so my mom asked me to go take her to get some supplies at Office Depot. After my usual quick legal check (closest school was 1300' away) I grabbed the Tracker and I headed out.

As usual, it was a blissful experience. There were two greeters at the door (they were slow) and while they saw I was open carrying they didn't even bat an eye. Looking through the mechanical pencils and pens with my 15-year-old sister there were quite a few people that passed me by and no alarm was raised. Joked with a few old ladies about the price of replacement erasers, had a few laughs with the sister and then we went to the checkout. Again, no problems of any kind. The cashier didn't seem to notice and on my way out the greeters were very nice as well.

I must say, my opinions about the prevalence of the anti-gun stigmas I so often read about seem to have very shallow ground out here in SD County. My faith in at least people accepting the fact that guns are not evil is growing each and every day.

Of course, I do have my opposition. Both my Mom and Dad would prefer that I don't open carry and my Dad has gone so far as to say that what I am doing is meaningless and stupid since it "scares people" and that I should focus on my studies or other such subjects. He also laid the big one on me by saying he has gotten along for his whole life without a gun at his side (meaning that since he never needed one, no one needs one) and that my analogies to peaceable demonstrations (e.g. Martin Luther King, etc) were "crap." Needless to say, I was kind of bummed out when I heard his opinion about it last night after eating at the Fish House but then I realized the generation gap (63 vs. 21) and he doesn't realize the full importance of exercising one's rights, especially in a state that is at the forefront for most gun legislation and bias.

Don't get me wrong, I do love my parents, but they can be a bit close-minded at times. I guess I will just have to do this without their support.

Besides, I am in college...one has to protest SOMETHING, right?

Adios for now.

-N8

OWB photo of the Makarov

Once this pistol is registered to me (and cleaned up a little bit) I will be open carrying it. (For those observant readers, this is the 2nd Makarov that I have procured)






This holster is great. Rob of Simply Rugged has never made a holster for the Makarov (he does the Walther PP and PPK though, the Makarov gets the design from the Walther PPK) so I sent him a tracing and detailed photos with measurements and he made me this little gem. While I would have preferred a thumb strap, this holster hugs this gun so well it doesn't need one.

This gun is also pretty nice as it has a ClipDraw on it for small of back carry... just for those occasions that you never know will come up. It fits in the holster just fine while on the gun, which is nice.

Well, adios for now.

-N8

Quality Circle meeting.

So this morning I went to a "Quality Circle Meeting" (aka get together and talk about what is going on in the workplace) for my job and since this was an invitation meeting at an alternate location (Paneras), I decided to pack the Tracker.

I must admit, stepping into Paneras for the first time was pretty scary. My stomach was feeling a bit butterfly-ish but I quickly got over that as I knew that I was well within my legal confines. The only major threat was a preschool nearby but since preschools are not government mandated institutions, I was in the legal clear.

It is funny to mention that my boss actually joked with me about carrying my revolver to the meeting a few days prior and actually said I could carry it in. Part of me thinks he was joking because the look on his eyes when I showed up was priceless. Nevertheless, he made no further objections than the usual comments of "Why do you have that thing?" and the meeting went just fine. Little did I know that although we (the 12 of us) were invited to come, we were all actually getting paid and getting breakfast as well (chocolate bagels are my favorite!) so I guess I got to pack heat while on company time... pretty sweet!

It is also funny to note that one of my coworkers, Brian, is a complete and utter tool and was trying to tell me how illegal it was to conceal carry. When I told him it was open carrying and that one could conceal with a license, he still said I was in the legal wrong. I bet him 20 bucks that I was legal and even told him that he could call his cop cousin (who also works with me on occasion) to verify. Of course, all my coworkers told him that they trusted me in this legal matter and he promptly shut his trap... for the time being.

Later on, he did call his cousin and he said that it was legal for me to do that. Brian told me that the laws were "passed recently", that I was asking for trouble and police harassment (let them come!) and that "psychos" like me shouldn't be allowed to carry or own a gun, especially since Columbine happened. I told him that shootings always happen in "gun free zones" and he responded with "Exactly!" Like I said, he is a tool and has, in several ways, advocated for a police state.

After that, I stopped by Costco at my mother's request to see if there were some Disney tickets to be had. Unfortunately, they were out so I proceeded to my "happiest place on earth"... THE GUN SHOW!!!

Now, I know that California gun shows are severely dumbed down, but I still find great joy in them. With Heller reaffirming what everyone already knows, a .44mag strapped to my side and 200 bucks in my pocket, why shouldn't I be happy?

Very soon after my entrance I found a kid buying a parkerized Cold Steel Bushman, a knife that I have been looking for FOREVER! Unfortunately, it was the last one so I will have to wait a while longer but I did get to talk with Michael Miller of American Street Combat and Frank Griffin of Gryphon Detective Agency about open carrying and the like. These fine gentlemen both gave me their business cards and I was offered a free combat lesson to boot! In exchange, I gave them the address to this blog.

While my search for what I wanted (good safe, Cold Steel Trailhawk tomahawks and other such nonsense) came up short, I did walk out with 250rds of 225gr .44mag ammo, a set of .44mag snap caps, a brick of .22 (10 bucks!) and some cleaning supplies. I did figure out the safe that I need/want to buy so now I have to just search around and find it. I was offered a good deal at the gun show for a Patriot P22 but I did not want to go on an impulse buy so I decided to stick it out for a little longer. The P40 looks SOOOO tempting too but alas! Out of my budget.

With that, I must depart. The garden has need of my TLC.

Until next time.

-N8

Links to previous stories.

Here are the links to the open carry stories that I have posted over on calguns.net

At Crusin' Grand
http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=97115

Nursery and Macaroni Grill
http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=97843

At Costco
http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=98012

At North County Fair (mall)
http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=106028

My tools.

OK, here are the two guns that I carry with me on my treks through life.

One is my Taurus Tracker .44mag, or "Tracker" for short. Weighing in at 34.8oz, it is the 3rd lighest .44Mag revolver on the market (that I know of), following the S&W 329PD and the Taurus UltraLite .44mag. I chose this particular handgun since it forms a "matched pair" with its bigger brother, the Puma 92 .44Mag. The stainless steel is really easy to keep up and the porting is a real winner in keeping everything under control. Since bears are not usually seen on my walks through life here in San Diego, I keep .44spl in the speedloaders.

To accompany the Taurus Tracker is a Sourdough holster, speedloader pouch and "Most Versatile" pouch, all from Simply Rugged. For those of you that don't already know, Rob Leahy makes an insanely good holster that you simply cannot beat for the price. I cannot recommend his holsters enough. My next purchase is going to be the harness system so I can tuck my guns in a shoulder holster configuration.










The next gun is my trusty Bulgarian Makarov in 9x18 Makarov, forever dubbed "the Mak". Weighing in at approximately 22oz, this little bit of ComBloc goodness is truly a family favorite. Lightweight, strong and extremely reliable, this pistol will share in my open carry travels when wardrobe and other such factors call this pistol into action.

It is carried in an Open Top holster from Simply Rugged.

To accompany it (and therefore keep in compliance with California laws regarding the concealment of loaded magazines) is a double magazine pouch, also from Simply Rugged.

Pictured below is the holster and setup. Please note that I do not utilize the IWB (inside-the-waistband) configuration while open carrying, but I did order this holster with that ability and took pictures in that configuration for aesthetic purposes. I will post pictures of my holster in OWB (outside the waistband) configuration in short order.












With that, I must depart for bed. It is 4am you know!

Sincerely,

Nathan