A guy just shot himself in the bathroom of the cyber cafe I am posting from (Open carry activist)

[ProgressiveProfessor]

173. Far from it...your statement is much like the creationists going after evolution...its that basic

I'll try a common sense approach...though I may be able to find training documents or book excerpts on a gun website.

An externally carried sidearm is in holster with some sort of safety device (strap etc). The trigger is protected, it is secure against falling out. Normally the holster is designated for the sidearm in question. If the firearm were to somehow discharge the majority of the time it would be parallel to the leg of the wearer, and do minimal damage.

Concealed holsters often rely on friction to maintain control of the weapon and may not retain the sidearm during rapid movement, or other physical activity. Depending on style of holsters, triggers are not protected nearly as well and the sidearms themselves are rarely secured. Additionally some people choose to concealed carry without a holster which has a much higher accident rate. An accidental discharge while concealed carrying is almost always injurious to the wearer. We have all heard stories of the gang banger hurting himself when he shoved his pistol in his pants...

The above is based solely on weapon safety. It does not take into account the impact on members of the public when they see someone open carrying in civilian attire in public areas. It does not account for level of training either. The Sherpa style holster is an example of an external holster that while functioning very well, has had accidental discharge issues due to lesser trained users.

Personally when I carry in public, I do it concealed with a shoulder holster with a thumb break strap. Its old school but it gives me all the protection of the external holster. It can be "read" more easily than a pancake style holster, but its a risk I accept. It is also much less likely to get lost or discharge in an accident. YMMV