Open Carry vs. Concealed Carry — Why Carrying Concealed Is the Safer Choice

Behind the Holster Episode 8 with Jody Picou and Matt Wheeler tackles the open carry vs. concealed carry debate. Concealed Coalition trains on concealed carry, and both hosts come into the conversation skeptical of open carry as a civilian choice. They also open the episode with a real invitation. If you carry open and have an argument they haven’t heard, you can come on the show as a guest to make the case directly with them.Matt builds the case for concealed carry across several angles. A visible firearm in a violent encounter does not deter a determined attacker, it identifies the carrier as the first threat. In the Walmart scenario he walks through, a shooter intent on maximum harm sees an open-carried firearm and targets that person first. Concealed carry preserves the element of surprise and lets the carrier choose the response rather than scramble in the moment.Both hosts push back on the idea that situational awareness can be sustained at 100%. Constant vigilance spikes cortisol and is not physiologically realistic over a lifetime. Concealed Coalition teaches baseline awareness instead, knowing what your environment normally looks like and reacting when something falls outside that baseline. Jody shares a story from Walmart where a friend pranking him with his hand in a gun shape showed exactly how the gap between expectation and surprise plays out in real life.The episode also covers holster retention. Many civilian open carry holsters lack retention features, and there are countless documented cases of people walking up behind an open carrier, pulling the firearm, and leaving. Concealed carry, done correctly without printing, eliminates this risk and aligns with what Concealed Coalition calls the “guardian always” mindset, where the carrier blends in with everyone else until action is needed.Matt then walks through the civilian use of force ladder, from open hand control to deadly force, and explains why law enforcement starts that ladder at officer presence. The principle applies to civilians too. By open carrying, a civilian is already executing a level of force in any public space, which can invite civilian complaints, police calls, and protocol-driven interactions that would not otherwise happen. A deeper dive on holster selection for both concealed and open carry lives in the Concealed Coalition members-only episode releasing the following week.Behind the Holster is educational, approachable, and judgment-free, focused on protection, not politics. Whether you’re brand new to firearms or have years of experience carrying, this podcast is here to help you better understand gun safety, personal protection, and the responsibilities that come with owning and carrying a firearm.For more information, as well as in-person and online training options and additional firearm safety resources, visit the Concealed Coalition website:https://www.concealedcoalition.com/?c=23186&s1=opencarryvsconcealedcarryYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ConcealedCoalitionFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConcealedCoalitionIG: https://www.instagram.com/concealedcoalitionLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/concealedcoalitionTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@concealedcoalitionX: https://x.com/TheCCCoalitionMedium: https://medium.com/@concealedcoalitionSubstack: https://concealedcoalition.substack.com/Trustpilot: https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.concealedcoalition.comSupport the show