hard to stay concealed some days

[Vermonter]

IWB would have prevented this

IWB carry really helps. In my area flannel shirts and heavy shortsleve fishing shirts are very common. They have more weight to them than a standard polo shirt. The extra weight solves most of these problems. The other thing that helps is IWB carry. it greatly reduces the amount of gun you have to cover. I can carry a subcompact Glock IWB and conceal it better than a J frame owb because of the way the OWB holster hangs below the belt line.

 

[ClydeFrog]

Han Solo...

I plan to update my CCW license soon & may buy a cotton black vest to conceal my strong-side SERPA .45acp Compact.
I might get a few "Han Solo" jokes but that's okay.
The cooler weather will help & there are newer concealment vests that don't have the PMC look of SW Asia.
I avoid wearing long sleeve shirts untucked but in cool/fall climates a thicker fabric can conceal most weapons.

Clyde

 

[Phidelt208]

I have to agree with everyone else. Most people don't notice, and there are lots of ways to carry your pistol, try something different.
Just don't forget WHY YOUR CARRYING in first place.
Concealment and deployment are always a trade off.

You understand their are evil people committing evil acts everyday, knowing that fact, you have chosen as an informed American, Father, and or Husband to protect yourself and your loved ones. It's your right to do so, and its nothing to be embarrassed about (not that you are). I wouldn't worry so much about hiding it 100% of the time.

People get to hung up on the conceal part of CCW, and forget WHY they are actually carrying.

 

[Brit]

Try sewing a quarter into the front bottom hem of your cover shirt, or else a little lead fishing weight. It adds just enough weight to prevent the blowing-open problem, and tends to help with all but the most egregious snags.

pax
__________________
Kathy Jackson
My personal website: Cornered Cat
pax is offline Report Post

Good advice Kathy.

 

[Brit]

In Florida we have the new helper law, just showing briefly (whatever that means is OK), A few months ago, putting stuff in the back of the Jeep, I felt a tug on my shirt. Looking to my right, saw a female uniformed Deputy, walking in to Lowe's.

I called out thanks, she just waved, did not stop, or turn around.

It is quite a well known fact, bad people do not carry in holsters, on a belt.
If you get into a major problem, people have done on occasion you know, I reckon I can take the challenge of concealing my Glock 19.

 

[Seeker]

I think I misunderstood...
the female deputy was close enough to you to straighten your shirt tail, and had done so before you noticed her?

-
my experience has been that people don't pay very much attention to the folks around them. I sometimes open carry, depending on circumstances, and nobody seems to notice or maybe they don't care. Did have a police officer in Portland tell me I couldn't open carry, but I explained the law to him (and contacted Lars Larsen who spoke with the chief of police about reminding the officers that open carry with is legal in Portland if you have a CHL). - note: IMO open carry should always involve a retention type holster.

 

[dieselbeef]

in fl incidental exposure isnt a problem....

 

[Tactical Jackalope]

in fl incidental exposure isnt a problem....

Yeah, this is true.

Can I say a funny story though? I don't know if it's appropriate though..
Okay never mind. What I will say is this though, it's not a "problem" legally. But it can be. It's really a big gray area though. The process it takes to not be a problem is a PITA for both the officer and citizen.

You're made and the first assumption to a citizen is "I'm a good guy! Stop!"

The first assumption to the officer is "Let me check this guy out ASAP!"

There have been several cases where good guys have had knees in their backs and are detained while being checked out. DL, CWP, Serial number..etc.

It's not fun when that happens. It's officer and public safety though.

However the gray area is this, some officers who are more decorated and rough around the edges don't get too excited for this when it's seen and you'll get stopped if you print or exposed they'll ask to see your permit and you'll go on about your day.

A rookie or an officer who isn't as decorated may do the part where I mentioned a knee in the back and all that fun stuff.


So every officer is different. Hence the gray area. You need to just do your part, you don't know what the officer has gone through to be a little jumpy or anything. So being snappy won't help. Be the change you wish to see.

 

[Wyosmith]

In Wyoming we have "Constitutional Carry".
It means that if you can lawfully own a gun you can carry it almost anywhere, any time in any way you like. Schools are an exception, but probably about 99.5% of the places are lawful for carry.
It’s great, but also sad in how it shows how badly we as citizens of most of the USA have let our rights go and largely without any fight.

In Wyoming we had to pass a law to make the LAW the law.

 

[Brit]

SEEKER.

I think I misunderstood...
the female deputy was close enough to you to straighten your shirt tail, and had done so before you noticed her?

-
my experience has been that people don't pay very much attention to the folks around them. I sometimes open carry, depending on circumstances, and nobody seems to notice or maybe they don't care. Did have a police officer in Portland tell me I couldn't open carry, but I explained the law to him (and contacted Lars Larsen who spoke with the chief of police about reminding the officers that open carry with is legal in Portland if you have a CHL). - note: IMO open carry should always involve a retention type holster.
__________________

Missed this, Seeker, I had the tailgate up, and was placing my purchases behind the seat, leaned way in.

Dangerous on my part, not thinking. Will not happen again.

 

[BurgerBoy]

Kentucky is a CC and OC state so I don't worry about it one way or another. If it shows - it shows.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Not a huge concern.
But, still that is why I choose a small .380 pocket pistol and keep it in a pocket. I don't want to sacrifice comfort, especially in hot weather, for concealment.

 

[TheNocturnus]

I have two carry methods for my CCW. I carry a Glock 30 in a serpa cqc holster on my right hip most of the time. When I am at work I switch to an uncle mike's iwb holster for deep concealment.

I have been made once by a random. I was putting groceries in the back of my car and my shirt rode up over the butt of my gun. A woman with a 6 year old child was getting out of the car next to me and she looked at me with the widest eyes I have ever seen. She grabbed her daughter and quickly rushed inside the store.

Point is, this stuff happens and as long as you have good intentions I think you will stay out of trouble.

 

[MountainDrew]

I seem to notice that most non gun people are not well attuned to this kind of quick slip. with all the sell phone holsters and other crap people wear on their belt, nobody really gives a doubletake if they see a black bulge on a belt out of the corner of their eye. WE might, because guns on belts are part of our world, but they are not really on the radar for the non gun public.

 

[SamNavy]

It's been my experience through careful observation that 999/1000 people who happen to notice a civilian with a HOLSTERED firearm don't register anything positive or negative. Noticing something is different than having a reaction to it. People see a holster and are conditioned to assume that the person is law-enforcement, which equates to "good guy". Even a very short and mostly concealed IWB holster is enough of a "holster" to trigger the "good guy" response, which is to have no reaction at all, just like they have no reaction to the gun a cop is carrying. Even if they've seen enough TV to know that you're not LEO, the holster is what convinces them you're not a bad guy.

On the other hand, seeing a person carrying a non-holstered firearm (tucked in a pocket, hanging on a belt, shoved down your pants, etc)... causes immediate red-flags for everybody. You assume after watching thousands of TV shows that the person is up to no good... we're conditioned.

 

[JERRYS.]

no matter what your mode of carry is, you will expose your gun when you extend your clothing beyond its designed fit. ankle carry conceals well, until you cross your legs or strike a Capt. Morgan pose. IWB works well until you strike a Y or A in the YMCA pose.

if you are not conscious of your gun, you will expose it regularly.

 

[PawPaw]

The past couple of days I have accidently exposed my pistol twice, and both times it was in a very public place. No one seems to have noticed, but that does not reduce my concern about it.

Chalk it up to the digital age. Lots of people carry holsters on their belts these days, carrying devices, and now no one notices holsters any more. The total lack of situational awareness that most people have is exacerbated by the fact that a sizable portion of the population carries black holsters on their belts in the places we'd normally assume might be a firearm. It's not, and most people don't look for guns anyway.

I'm a schoolhouse cop, and I look at people's belts. Over the past several years the phones have gotten a little bigger (Think Samsung Galaxy S4) and the holsters have also gotten bigger. Folks are used to them and think nothing of a holster on someone's belt.

 

[rdmallory]

Just moved to FL from KY. It it is showing in KY LE sees it you will be stopped.
He will want to know how you like the gun, if you had any luck deer/turkey hunting this year and do you think UK is going to beat Louisville this year.

FL is a little different story. 80% are Yankees and don't understand.

Doug

 

[SVTCobra306]

^^^LOL! Iowa isn't much different really. We do have to have a permit to carry, regardless of if it is concealed or not, so there isn't much of a big deal made out of it. I wear XXL polo shirts when I go to a larger city, but around the sticks where I live, I just wear my usual XL T shirts, if it prints it prints. I'd rather have access to it if it is needed. I may try having a weight sewn into the polos, that's a great idea.

I agree that 99 percent if not 99.9 percent of people will never notice.. and the other percent or so either carries themselves or is in some way a LEO.

 

[Brit]

When I still lived in Canada, years ago, a big IPSC/USPSA match in Arizona, a buddy and I attended.

There was a question on carry concealed, open ok, concealed not.

Spoke to local Police Officer in a mall. We both had vests on, he said what are you carrying, Colt 1911, what belt, and cost, magazines, same questions.
That's partially concealed. And we were Canadians.

A gang banger, with a .32 in his pocket, with 3 different manufacturers ammo, that's concealed! Said he.

Interpretation Arizona style.