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New Member and OC/CC experiances

mberish92

Newbie
Joined
Dec 17, 2014
Messages
1
Location
Salem, NH
Hello all,
Name is Matt and I'm new to the forums. 22 years old, husband, father of a beautiful 5 month old daughter, and 4+ year vet of the US Army (got out for one year then found myself reenlisting again) in multiple MOS of 13B Field Artillery Cannon Crewmember, 11B Infantryman, and 31B Military Police. I've been a gun owner for 5 months (bought my first when my daughter was born) with a Glock 19 Gen 3 and a recently acquired Glock 42. Grew up in Upstate NY where as you know if you're not hunting then you're a criminal/mentally unstable for owning a gun, and I carried that mentality until the Sandy Hook shootings where I found myself saying "Man, if only someone had a gun there to stop it." which is when that realization sets in that "Even if bad guys carry guns, then good guys must carry them too." Just alittle info about myself.

I came here to basically talk and learn a couple things from the gun owners of the great state of New Hampshire where you can own any gun we want (almost any) and can carry without permit with no questions asked, and without stupid magazine restrictions.

Main reason of this post is to just share some good OC and CC stories I came across in my first 5 months of gun ownership.

1)Now first I'll admit that when I first started carrying I was uncomfortable carrying because I felt like everyone was going to overreact at the sight of a firearm (especially living right on the MA border) but those nerves were settled quickly with a visit to the grocery store. I'll admit I'm a huge supporter of Law Enforcement as that is something I eventually want to make my career in and I always thank a police officer when I see them for what they do everyday,one day my wife sent me to our local grocery store to grab more baby diapers and a Red Box movie. Either way I'm walking from the parking lot to the store when I stop at the road to let a motorcycle Police Officer ride through without having to stop, he acknowledges and waves, me praying he didn't see me open carrying my Glock 19. On the way out I stop at the Red Box and as I grab the disc from the tray I notice the yellow reflective jacket of said police officer standing behind me, I begin to panic as to what he's going to say when I turn around. So I turn around and make eye contact with the officer, he looks at me and extends his hand for a handshake and says "Thank you", I said "For what officer?" and he responds "Its people like you that deter or put an end to violent crimes. It makes my job easier when I know there are citizens out there willing to protect themselves or others, no questions asked." Of course that made my day and made me a lot more rest assured to carry anywhere.

2)This one is alittle less on the positive side. One day on my way to work I stopped at a Subway to grab myself lunch, and at that time was concealed carrying my 19. Now, I'm not the most heavy set guy in the world so concealing a 19 was alittle bit of a struggle for me (hence why I got a Glock 42). Either way there's a middle-aged gentleman behind in line, so standing there all of a sudden I feel a tap on my shoulder, I turn around and this guy asks me in the middle of a crowded restaurant "Why are you carrying a gun? Are you a cop or something?" I respond politely "No sir I'm not a cop, just a legal gun owner." and I turn back around. He then says quite loudly "How do I know your not going to start shooting up the place? You can be a lunatic for all I know." At this point I just want to get out of there without any more attention coming my way, so I turn around and say quietly "Sir, I have 4 years of military experience and have never been arrested of any crimes, I assure you I'd be the one stopping a lunatic, not being one." I'm just ready to end this conversation and leave with my food. This guy then proceeds to ask an employee to have his manager remove me because I was creating "a hostile environment" solely because I was carrying a firearm, luckily I knew the employee because we used to be roommates before I got married (and I proudly still get a discount at that Subway :) )

He tells the guy "I'm not asking him to leave, he's not breaking any laws." to which the man replies "Well you just lost a paying customer!" to which my friend replies back sarcastically "Well if I kicked him out I would have lost one either way so it doesn't bother me." To which a couple other people in the restaurant found that funny and began laughing out loud. The man got all red and PO'd and left in a huff.

Sorry to bore you all with my stories, but I'm glad to be apart of the forums!
 
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KBCraig

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2007
Messages
4,886
Location
Granite State of Mind
Welcome to (relative) gun freedom. :)

I moved to NH from Texas, which has a reputation as "gun friendly", but is actually very restrictive about carrying handguns. My daughter-in-law is from far western NY (the eastern shore of Erie), which as far from NYC regarding gun rights, as it is geographically. Even she has a bit of mental adjustment when it comes to the ease of carrying in NH. :)

I don't make a point to open carry in NH, but I also don't make any special effort to conceal. When the weather is warm enough to avoid any kind of jacket, I tend to take care to dress nicely. I can't avoid being an old fat white guy, but I can avoid looking like a scruffy slob, so I do. And because my "resting face" looks hostile (I once made a TSA agent recoil in fear without saying a word), I go out of my way to smile and give friendly greetings to everyone I meet. :lol:

As for proximity to the MA border, I'm at the far northern end of the state, but I did have occasion to visit the Pheasant Lane Mall in Nashua this past year. We stepped out the south door, and I pointed out to my daughter the line carved through the parking lot that denotes the line between relative freedom, and a felony.

We walked to our car as one of us was on one side of the line, and the other was across it. I won't say which was which. ;)
 

Rusty Young Man

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2013
Messages
1,548
Location
Árida Zona
SNIP...This guy then proceeds to ask an employee to have his manager remove me because I was creating "a hostile environment" solely because I was carrying a firearm, luckily I knew the employee because we used to be roommates before I got married (and I proudly still get a discount at that Subway :) ) He tells the guy "I'm not asking him to leave, he's not breaking any laws." to which the man replies "Well you just lost a paying customer!" to which my friend replies back sarcastically "Well if I kicked him out I would have lost one either way so it doesn't bother me." To which a couple other people in the restaurant found that funny and began laughing out loud. The man got all red and PO'd and left in a huff.

Sorry to bore you all with my stories, but I'm glad to be apart of the forums!

Welcome to OCDO, and greetings from (usually:uhoh:) sunny, dry Arizona mberish92!:)

In my opinion, the best encounter an OCer can have with an LEO is a non-encounter, but getting a "thanks for OCing" might be even better. As to the raging anti: some folks just hate it when they're forced to face the fact that not everyone is willing to be an easy target for the criminal element in society (which doesn't obey the laws).

Sounds like you're beginning to get comfortable with OC, though I can say I understand your reticence given your previous state of residence.
 

skidmark

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jan 15, 2007
Messages
10,444
Location
Valhalla
Welcome to OCDO. Hope you choose to join either New Hampshire Firearm Coalition http://www.nhfc-ontarget.org or Pro-Gun New Hampshire www.pgnh.org or both. You are correct that you have things pretty good right now, but eternal vigilance is needed - especially with all the liberals from Taxachusetts discovering that the commute is "really not all that bad" while seeking to make NH just like the place they left.

I'm still trying to figure out how to get to NH from VA without going through NJ, NY, and MA. (Sorry, but TSA and I just do not get along well, so flying is not an option.)

stay safe.
 

Tactical9mm

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2011
Messages
138
Location
Manchester, New Hampshire
Welcome to OCDO. Hope you choose to join either New Hampshire Firearm Coalition http://www.nhfc-ontarget.org or Pro-Gun New Hampshire www.pgnh.org or both. You are correct that you have things pretty good right now, but eternal vigilance is needed - especially with all the liberals from Taxachusetts discovering that the commute is "really not all that bad" while seeking to make NH just like the place they left.

I'm still trying to figure out how to get to NH from VA without going through NJ, NY, and MA. (Sorry, but TSA and I just do not get along well, so flying is not an option.)

stay safe.

Hi Skid,

You don't have to go through New Jersey at all. When I moved from Nevada I drove cross-country with my pistols stored in the trunk of my vehicle (FOPA-compliant) during the winter. I took a route through the lower part of the country to avoid snow issues, and went up through Virginia. I eventually went into PA, then across NY into CT. Eventually I went up through MA into NH to settle down (after staying a few months in CT).

Unfortunately, if you plan on driving, you will have to deal with travel through either NY or MA. The other option is going up the coast by boat from VA. NH does have a shoreline area, so who knows, this might be an option for you.

Happy holidays.
 

skidmark

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jan 15, 2007
Messages
10,444
Location
Valhalla
I don't know why they call PA the Keystone State when it's NY that gums everything up.

stay safe.
 

KBCraig

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2007
Messages
4,886
Location
Granite State of Mind
Unfortunately, if you plan on driving, you will have to deal with travel through either NY or MA.

If driving, you always have to travel through NY, unfortunately. Or Canada, which is even worse.

And practically speaking, you have to deal with MA (and probably CT), since east-west travel through VT is scenic, but circuitous.
 
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skidmark

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jan 15, 2007
Messages
10,444
Location
Valhalla
If driving, you always have to travel through NY, unfortunately. Or Canada, which is even worse.

And practically speaking, you have to deal with MA (and probably CT), since east-west travel through VT is scenic, but circuitous.

New York, or Canada, or TSA? Let me think a minute about that.

Of course, shipping my guns to myself at my destination avoids a few complications but leaves me disarmed while travelling.

My feeble mind keeps trying to tell me there used to be a ferry from Deleware to Rhode Island, and then another ferry from RI to Maine. Can't find anything to show my mind was not just making that up.

stay safe.
 
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