awkward ccw places

I know the feeling... Both feelings. My wife always giving me greif about carrying everywhere we go. And constantly worrying about it peeking out. I'm always in HW stores reaching, bending, loading lumber... And I'll admit many times in only in a t shirt.
We were taught in ccw class here in IL, that the gun must be concealed, or mostly concealed. He explained that it ment if you reach for that high shelf and some one sees it, its not a crime. Not a good idea, of course, but not a crime. Other states (fla perhaps?) Consider it brandishing even if the gun prints slightly. That's outrageous. I feel like it could lead to some problems.... Your ex-GF knows you carry. Sees you out and about, calls the cops saying she saw a gun, meaning (in the eyes of the law) that you threatened her with a gun. Something like that.

Not really...

I have been carrying daily since getting my permit nearly 15 years ago. I pocket carry 95% of the time when out and about in public, and have NEVER had an unintended exposure issue.

No worries here at all.

The first few months after I started carrying I kind of felt like that even though it was deeply concealed and never had any issues.

That wore off pretty quick for me though. I now mostly carry OWB with a cover garment and don't worry about a slight bulge or the bottom of the holster becoming slightly exposed.

A lot depends on the state. Where I live, it's most prudent to make certain that the gun is never seen...and if that means a compromise on what you carry, you make it.

It's actually one of the arguments in favor of shall-issue. Anyone with a CCW in a maybe-issue state has to sacrifice for concealment.

Oilhunter, you're in PA, right? Please set aside your worry. You aren't going to be in violation of the law and it would be unlikely in the extreme that you'd be violating a local restaurant policy, either.

Choose a good cover garment and stop worrying about it. Keep your hands off of it and trust that it will stay covered.

And trust that if your gun gets noticed you'll probably get a wink and a smile.

If the gun is repeatedly becoming exposed you need to work on your concealment. Maybe go up a size in your shirts.

Unless I am legally prohibited I'm carrying. Doesn't matter where I'm going or why (excepting the above caveat) if I walk out my front door I'm armed. There is no "Should I? Shouldn't I?

I've been carrying long enough to be used to it so I don't give it much thought. People in my circle know me well enough to assume I'm armed. I don't give others reason to assume I even own a firearm.

ohihunter2014 said:

Any of you guys ccw in a store or specifically a restaurant and it just drives you crazy thinking its going to come uncovered, someone might see it and start problems, etc? ...

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By the end of 1975 any such thoughts/worries/concerns were long gone.

ohihunter2014 said:

Ohio. I've carried for years at work and ccw but lately it's been making me nervous.

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How do you normally dress?

ohihunter2014 said:

Everyone says I'm paranoid taking it to dinner but you cant even eat or go to a movie without people murdering people.

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Not paranoid at all. A key reason Texas citizens get to carry concealed is due to a mass shooting in a restaurant years ago.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luby's_shooting

milemaker13 writes:

Other states (fla perhaps?) Consider it brandishing even if the gun prints slightly.

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Definitely not Florida. Florida has a specific exception to its requirement that handguns be concealed that allows for the "brief open display" of an otherwise-concealed firearm as long as it is not in a threatening manner (unless used in lawful self-defense.)

Florida does not prohibit "printing", either. It only requires that the firearm be concealed, and defines a concealed firearm as one that is "concealed from the ordinary sight of another person."

Yes, I've carried in places in which I knew discovery might be more problematic than in others, especially in areas where a lot of children may be around. I think I'm over the paranoia, though. I've been carrying for several years now, and did even before when I was "on the job." As far as I know, I've never been made. If I have been, I was probably taken for an off-duty LEO. I'm another who carries at virtually all "upright hours."

I try to make sure my pistol doesn't peek out, but I do not get freaked out if it does. I am ALWAYS armed, and legal, so I really don't worry about it. Like Sam 1911 said, if I'm noticed I will probably get wink around here.

I never worry about it. Although WI was the 49th state to adopt CCW, it had been open carry for a century or so. If my IWB carry becomes visible from an untucked shirt or something like that, no big deal. The first couple of months I CCW'd I was a little bit self concious about it, but that quickly faded. I don't purposefully display it or open carry unless I am around my house or at the range, but I don't fret about it.

ohihunter2014 said:

Everyone says I'm paranoid taking it to dinner but you cant even eat or go to a movie without people murdering people.

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Not "everyone" says you're paranoid because you carry a gun while you're dining out. I sure don't.

milemaker13 said:

My wife always giving me greif about carrying everywhere we go.

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I can't imagine my wife giving me "grief about carrying everywhere we go." My wife carries everywhere we go, just like I do - everywhere it's legal, that is.

But to answer your question about worrying if my handgun is going to become uncovered ohihunter - yes there is one place we go (church) where I worry about it. Every time we have to stand up to sing or listen to this or that, I reach back and make sure my loose fitting shirt hasn't risen up. In fact, seeing as how my wife and I are "greeters" at the front doors as people come into the church before service, I constantly worry one of them is going to notice my gun because a good many of the women are "huggers."
For the above reasons, I'm going to switch back to an IWB "tuckable" holster. My wife carries in her purse anyway, so she doesn't have the same worries as I about her gun being noticed.
BTW - we're not the only people in our church who carry. AND we know we're not invulnerable to attack because a few people in our church have handguns. Once service begins every Sunday morning, everyone in the congregation is sitting with their backs to the front, unlocked doors. It's sad that I worry about someone coming in through those doors with an AR, but I do. And I don't consider myself "paranoid."

I'll admit that i felt that way at first...

One day, many years ago, I was at a supermarket shopping.
I had a full size 1911 cocked and locked in an "In The Pants" holster, covered by a tee shirt.
I had been walking around like that all day, and nobody seemed to be noticing so I thought I was O.K. I was still nervous about being "Outed" and didn't want to be the center of a big problem because somebody freaked out.
So, I was putting the stuff up on the little conveyor belt, right?
I reached down into the bottom of that basket, grabbed a case of water bottles, and pivoted around to set them on the counter.. and as I did i felt the "POP" of my tee shirt flipping up over the top of my pistol and exposing it.

OH CRAP!

I spun around, quickly grabbing my tee shirt and yanked it back down over the top of that big obvious stainless handgun, and looked right into the eyes of some housewife standing about two feet away.

I looked at her and mumbled some sort of apology, and said "That wasn't supposed to happen". And then waited for her to scream or wig out in whatever fashion she chose. I expected a big scene no matter what.

She looked at me, totally deadpan, and said "What? You think you're the only one in here that has one of those?" and then turned her back to me like it was nothing.

Man. what a relief.

That was at least a dozen years ago, maybe 15.

I have had LOTS of folks notice my gun since then. Some smile. Some ask me "What Ya Carryin'?" Most ignore me. Not a single one has ever freaked out or made a scene.

Carrying a handgun is a normal, healthy thing for an honest adult to do, and most folks seem to recognize that.

Dress around the gun, sit in the corner.

For IWB carry I wear my holster at 3 oclock or appendix. With an untucked overshirt this keeps me from printing while bending over and gives me easy control over printing when reaching up high. I personally don't like anything further back than 3 o'clock.

I don't worry so much about needing the EDC, or being the victim of an attack,
am much as having some jerk-hole anti-gun Social Justice Warrior grab my gun
from the holster, and do something stupid, in public, to "prove a point", and then
waltz away, leaving me holding the bag. I've taken to deep pocket carry, as a result.

I may not be able to respond as quickly, but nobody else is getting their hands on it, either.

Two words: sport coat.

A sport coat will accomplish two things. First, you will no longer look like a slob. Second, your concealment worries go away.

easy said:

.. sit in the corner.

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Aww dang! I always hafta sit in the corner! (Every chance I get...)


And definitely jackets. I am fond of a nice fleece vest, the fuzz hides the firearm, feels like I am the rugged hiker getting provisions for the troop at the post. (Really I am just wondering if anyone would think worse of me if I duct tape my five year olds hands to the shopping cart at the Miejer.)

never worried about it