Retention Holsters and Awareness Matter More Than Open Carry's Deterrent Effect

A short video from gun rights commentator Colion Noir is making the rounds for a simple reason: it uses a real-world open carry incident to show how fast a holstered gun can become someone else's weapon. For anyone who carries openly, or is thinking about it, the clip is a blunt reminder that a visible firearm is not automatically a safer firearm — and that retention and awareness matter more than the gun itself.

The short version

In the video, posted to his YouTube channel as a short, Colion Noir walks through an incident in which an open carrier's firearm was reportedly exposed or grabbed in a way that put the carrier in serious danger. According to the video's framing, the setup is a familiar one: someone with a gun on their hip in a public place, likely a gas station, where distraction and close proximity to strangers created an opening. Noir uses the moment to argue that open carry advertises a target, and that without solid retention habits and constant situational awareness, the carrier is handing an attacker a head start rather than a deterrent.

The available metadata does not spell out every detail of the incident Noir references, including exactly who was involved, where it happened, or how it was ultimately resolved. What is clear is the takeaway Noir pushes: concealment and retention discipline beat visibility, and carrying a gun is not the same thing as being prepared to keep it.

Key points

• The core warning: Colion Noir uses a real incident involving an openly carried firearm to argue that visible carry can invite an attempt to grab or disarm the carrier.
• Location risk: The video points to gas stations and similar public spots as places where carriers are distracted, close to strangers, and vulnerable to a quick grab.
• Retention over visibility: Noir's argument is that a holstered gun someone can see is only as safe as the retention and reaction plan behind it, not the gun itself.
• Concealed carry recommendation: The video reportedly favors concealed carry as a way to reduce the odds of becoming a target in the first place.
• Situational awareness angle: A recurring theme is that the mistake wasn't just the holster or the location, it was losing track of who was nearby and what they were doing.

Bottom line

Whether you open carry, conceal carry, or haven't settled on a method yet, this is a useful nudge to think about retention holsters, positioning, and awareness rather than assuming a visible gun does the deterring for you. It matters most for open carriers in states where it's common practice, and for anyone who spends time in gas stations, parking lots, or other close-quarters public spaces where a stranger could close distance before you notice.

Summary by Firearm Discounts. Watch the full video from Colion Noir on YouTube.