That is not to say some local police officer may not harrass you.
My wife doesn't ask any more, she knows, whether it is obvious or not and she stays on my off side.I don't open carry because it makes me feel self conscious and uncomfortable.
But luckily as an HCP holder in Tennessee, I don't have to obsess over printing. I usually pocket carry(Bulge Carry?) a J-frame snubbie. Now my new Pachmayr grips peak out of my pocket. At first that freaked me out. Now I realize nobody notices or cares. Even my wife doesn't notice. She asks if I'm carrying almost every time we go out.
Would a peak at a Pachmyer under my untucked shirt be considered brandishing in other states?
Actually if you think it through you will realize that it generally will deter a threat as opposed to putting a "target on your back".
The problem is the law doesn't define "conceal" clearly enough for some Texas DAs who have already shown they are prone to "interpreting" the law (check out the controversy that followed the legislature's reinterpretation of "traveling"), which means the LEOs in their counties may get you for any trace of the firearm being visible, i.e. bulging, or, if you're lucky, they might say it just needs to be covered up so the firearm itself isn't visible. It's all still subjective.Texas law doesn't say anything about "printing" or anything like that at all. Texas law just says:
Accidental exposure, or simply having an bulge under clothing are not crimes. Intent to show a weapon would be part of the question. You may very well run into some cop with a bad attitude but I think you will have a hard time finding examples of carriers charged with this. It just doesn't come up that often.
I agree.Texas really needs to put on its big boy pants and pass open carry legislation. Summers are too darn hot down here to worry about concealed carry. Of course, I have to admit the current situation is better than the old "thou shalt not carry under any circumstances" with no permits at all.
I do know of one incident in Houston where a CHL holder almost got arrested when a lady at a supermarket called the police because she "thought" he might be carrying a gun. She never actually saw any part of the firearm, but the guy was packing and the cops hassled him for printing.
In these days of smart phones, PDAs, iPods, etc. the idea that a bulge is a gun won't even enter most people's heads
Unfortunately, the Harris County DA sets the pace for an awful lot of agencies and is one of the most influential DAs in the state. And the cop's actions don't mean he had a bad attitude; he could just have been following the policies he was given.Right, cops with bad attitudes, but no actual arrests for bulges or printing. I've never heard of a single charge actually filed for it in Texas. Would love to see one if it's actually happened. It very well might have, but I've never seen anything on it.
A cop spotted MY carry gun once at a grocery store when I bent over to pick up something from a bottom shelf. All he did was walk up real close and whisper "your gun is visible when you bend over, might keep that in mind" and he walked off. Didn't even ask me for ID.
This one Houston DA, that's not even in office anymore, made people so afraid of everything it's just sad.
Unfortunately, the Harris County DA sets the pace for an awful lot of agencies and is one of the most influential DAs in the state.
On February 15, 2008, Rosenthal resigned shortly after a lawsuit was filed by attorney Lloyd Kelley, seeking to remove Rosenthal from office on the grounds of official misconduct, incompetency or intoxication.
I suppose there are also a few stories of how an open-carry proponent took one in the back of the head because some guys thought it would be nice to steal his gun.
Like many things.....it all depends.
No, just seeing it as a likely outcome.
If more people openly carried there would probably be plenty of such stories. In reality, actual open carry is pretty much non-existent except in a few isolated rural areas where it is seen mostly by coyotes.
In Minnesota I have never seen a single person open carry in my life.....not one. I don't expect it's greatly different most other places.
Sooner or later, some bad guys will see you as a source for a free gun.