CCW clothing 'tells'

[Eleven Mike]

someone watching with a knowledgeable will spot it in a heartbeat.

Ooh, what are these knowledgeables and where can I get one?

I'm a gun guy, been a gun guy for several years now. I don't have any gunnie friends, or at least they never talk about their guns very much. But I do read THR and gun mags, and I know what 5.11 pants are, and other CCW stuff. I have never carried in civilian clothes, but I plan on getting there eventually.

That said, I have never made anyone. Maybe it's because my state just got CCW a few years back. But the point is, every time I see a funny-looking something on someone's hip, it turns out to be a phone or a PDA. Or if it is a gun, it seems pretty obvious they're a cop. Or maybe I'm oblivious, too.

 

[Ian]

I once had a stranger notice my Galco instructor's belt and start up a gun conversion because of it...

 

[Geronimo45]

Ooh, what are these knowledgeables and where can I get one?

At any upscale Mall.

 

[Boats]

I got tired of always trying to figure out non-goofy looking covering garments and now simply go with the mostly baggy and relaxed fit pants that just scream "normal" and selected pocket carriable revolvers as my CCW. I don't miss IWB carry at all.

 

[Guns_and_Labs]

I don't even know what 5.11, or however it's written, pants are.

A very practical alternative to jeans, designed by Royal Robbins for rockclimbing long before they became tacticool. I wear them all the time. In the Bay Area, they are considered more "Berkeley" than "gun", particularly the shorts.

Of course, the vests are a bit more obvious. The pockets are all wrong for photography, but if you stick a dry fly or two on your lapel, they look a lot like a fishing vest (in fact, that's all I use mine for is fishing).

 

[Gordon Fink]

I wear Danner boots and sometimes put on a fleece vest when it gets cold, but I live in California, so I am usually unarmed. Please don’t hurt me!

~G. Fink

 

[secamp32]

The other day I was driving down parkway when I saw a great license plate

"762x39" I laughed at that and of course my wife had no idea what that meant.

 

[tmajors]

If you live in a high CCW area like I do you can go hang out at Walmart for an hour and people watch. On an average grocery trip I can make at least one other definite CCWer and a few possibles.

 

[DomMega]

I would say for IWB holsters, I wouldn't even buy one for any less than $65-100 minimum. My XD 40 Galco IWB was about $70 or so and I know if I get a glock, that holster will be about $100 and last forever.

 

[SniperStraz]

Say what now?

 

[Big Calhoun]

I observe the usual...fanny packs, baggy clothing, awkward touching or adjusting, bulges where they shouldn't be, awkward augmentation of the body to turn/lift/etc.

Personally, I prefer to dress in loose and untucked clothing. For a night on the town, I'll thrown on a blazer.

 

[Sage of Seattle]

When I was in high school and early college, I dressed like crap. Sweat pants and untucked (obviously) shirts were the norm -- with holes in the sweats even. In 1988 I bought a trench coat, navy blue, and wore that all year round for like, ten years. After I got my CWP in 1992, I carried a 5" 1911 in a shoulder rig under the jacket or trench coat I wore and I only got made once when the leather of the shoulder rig peeked out a bit from under my jacket one day. It was in a pizza parlor and the pizza guy said, "do you carry a gun?" I responded, "yeah." And he said, "Oh. That's cool."

More recently, I just dress in business casual for the most part. Khakis and button down shirts, a tie once in a while, even on weekends. Since I'm a big proponent of open carry, I think a hurkin' chunk of stainless steel in a black leather holster is a fairly obvious clue that one is carrying...

As far as CC is concerned, especially now since I'm in a wheelchair, crossdraw is my only viable option, so I'll go for a Commander-sized .45 in a belly band under the shirt. I've found those to be the most comfortable.

 

[arthurcw]

I love these threads.

Repeat after me: “We live in a free country. We do not have to wear what everyone else does. It’s called freedom of expression. I will learn to deal with it even among my fellow gunnies.”*

Wear what ever makes it easy to keep a gun on you. If it torques off a gunny or non gunny, who cares?

I think I would have been pretty put out if someone came up to me out of the blue and asked about a concealed weapon that was still concealed by any legal definition.

Now if it’s pokin’ out and about to get a person in trouble, then a polite, “ahem…,” is very much in order.

Really people, this is a gun board not a fashion show. Making people feel like a pariah for having the audacity to carry a gun with out “style” or in insufficiently muted clothing is really off the mission statement.

When some guy (other than the rebel guards aboard Princes Leia’s ship) gets shot first for wearing a vest or fanny pack or some tacticool jeans, then maybe it will warrant the deep consideration many seem to put into this topic.

No one but gunnies ever notice. There are no schools that teach this to criminals. Any criminal masterminds that do know about this are most likely NOT the ones you are going to face in a SD situation.

However, if you are in a high rise and a group of well funded terrorists attack or on board a space ship running from the Empire, then you may be toast.**


*Full disclosure: I used to care; now I don’t. Too many other things to worry about.

**the poster assumes no responsibility if you are shot by stormtroopers, strangled by Darth Vader, forced to sit thorough countless puns of the lead bad guy/terrorist, or laughed at by teenagers.

 

[Geronimo45]

Arthurcw, couldn't agree with ya more.

I now quote one of my heroes (me):

"Unless you guys are pocket carrying (which is apparently not the norm here), or ankle carrying (hated), you're probably carrying a gun on your belt. Since most states don't allow open carry, I'm thinking that you've got to have a cover garment of some kind... and I doubt that you're being stylish.

You folks seem to be more afraid of the 'Queer Eye' gang jumping you than you are of an axe murderer." - Geronimo45.

 

[george29]

I believe people tend to notice the things that interest them, so yes, a CCW person will automatically play the "I wonder If He is Carrying Game", I know I do it automatically, it is about mental awareness and being in the proper condition. My ex is a Dentist, the first thing she notices about people is their teeth (seriously), then their hands (I don't know why) and then their eyes. I think this may be a female thing as past GF's have shown similar inclinations. As has been previously mentioned, I doubt most people notice much at all and I too am afflicted with the constant holster touch, even when I used to wear a unform. It is a reassuring thing and I think I got into this habit as a young 7 year old watching Adam-12 where Reed (the younger cop) lost his revolver in a foot pursuit, somehow this made a huge impression on me. I carry OWB with a Bianchi Accumold (one of the best OWB holsters I ever owned) though my main carry is front pocket and in certain pants the print is obvious so I sometimes jam a spare wallet over it to break the print.

 

[Sage of Seattle]

You folks seem to be more afraid of the 'Queer Eye' gang jumping you than you are of an axe murderer." - Geronimo45.

Well, frankly with how some of the gunnies dress, which do you think is much more likely?

 

[arthurcw]

You folks seem to be more afraid of the 'Queer Eye' gang jumping you than you are of an axe murderer." - Geronimo45.

CAN'T BREATH!!!
LAUGHING TOO HARD!!!

Well, frankly with how some of the gunnies dress, which do you think is much more likely?

Ok. We need to get a CCW'er nominated to "What Not to Wear" and make the hosts dress them around their weapon. They could do a location shoot since we wouldn't want Emperor Bloomberg to fudge his huggies.

 

[Sage of Seattle]

We need to get a CCW'er nominated to "What Not to Wear" and make the hosts dress them around their weapon.

OOH! OOHH! PICK ME! PICK ME!

I think Stacy can sass me any ole time! And even though I generally prefer brunettes, Carmindy is drop dead gorgeous. I'm gonna go dig out those old sweat pants!

 

[MarkDido]

Wow... I must not be a CCW'er... I have no facial hair... Darn... then what the heck is this pesky Smitty 4506 doing on my belt? However did that get there?

I only have a moustache, which allows me to carry my KT P-32

If I grow a goatee, maybe I can carry mt PT-911?

 

[sm]

It was I that mentioned Knives clipped to pockets gives off perspectives.

Now Mindset and how one carries themselves, is a huge part of CCW.
Add the fact some folks are totally oblivious to surroundings, I mean they walk into bright yellow parked car, because they did not see it.

I have stood behind questionable persons and listened to them "case a person" and tactical knives are one thing they do watch for.
If the guy is dressed where pretty obvious he is a workman of some type, the Razor knives are often seen, as are Buck 110s and Lethermans on belts.

Still the way some carry themselves, like fiddling with that knife or being un-natural in how they move do tip off BGs.

They made a off duty cop in plainclothes in a heart beat. They even knew the "COD".
First tip was the tactical knife, second was how he moved.

Now I have met some on this board, some in LEO and these LEOs do not carry themselves "like a cop".


Security Folks, from $8 an hour to armed to more skilled an experienced look for "tips".
I listened at a Place, with metal detectors and they game was picking out folks before they got to the Security area.

They blew it with one lady, UC LEO and they had no hint what so ever of being armed, and she had legal business allowing her stay armed.

I bought a large amount of Levi Jeans 20 years ago, before everything went Political and Boycott.

I have attended Anti-Gun, PETA meeting and other such events, to "know thy enemy" and "Levis are good they support us" was shared. "Us" meaning gun grabbers. "Guns are bad" and you name it.
I was armed, so were others with me, of my kind.
Yep, somehow them boxes of gun locks and literature walked off too...

Heck I have Anti-Guns folks ride in a vehicle with me, and other Pro Gun College Students for a Class Project and never even know there were two shotguns in the vehicle. They sat their gear right next to them, and even moved them over.


Perceptions, I speak of perceptions.

I have also had bad representatives of Gun Owners invite me out to learn how to shoot, even learn how to shoot skeet with a shotgun.
"I thought only Military and Police could own and use semi-auto shotguns" I said.

Forget the fact I only had 11 shotguns in the truck, and most were semi-autos. We won't mention 6 ARs.

 

[JohnRov]

You folks seem to be more afraid of the 'Queer Eye' gang jumping you than you are of an axe murderer." - Geronimo45.

I'll be the first to admit that I am completely vain. I wouldn't be caught dead in a photog vest or Hawaiin shirt. That said, I don't care how others dress.

 

[PPGMD]

I might be caught in a photog vest, but I am often hauling two D200s and a 400 2.8 on a monopod while wearing it.

Now a Hawaiian shirt, move to Florida, light Hawaiian type shirts are quite popular here. Personally I just use a cheap Fobus holster until I decide exactly what I want to use for concealed carry, then I am going to get a nice Tucker Gun Leather holster.

 

[PaladinX13]

Lifted, shamelessly, from GT:

-Pulling down a shirt or jacket.
-Odd or inappropriate clothing for conditions. Vests/jackets in hot weather for example.
-Fanny packs when pants have plenty of pockets.
-Fanny packs that obviously have something heavy in them.
-One arm kept close to where a holster probably would be. This arm doesn't swing freely with walking motions. Shoulder holsters generally have this "tell" more often than waist holsters because shoulder holsters tend to flop around a bit.
-Hitching up trousers often. There is a reason those pants keep falling down. Could be suspenders are needed or it could be something heavy on the belt or in the pocket keeps dragging them down.
-Exceptionally long pant legs with one leg where the material doesn't "flow" as well as the other when walking. Indication of a possible ankle holster restricting the pant leg's motion.
-Elbow checking gun.
-Belt at an angle. Possible weight pulling it down.
-Sagging pants or jacket pockets.
-Reluctance to remove a jacket when inside a building.
-One arm furtively holding a shirt from riding up when reaching for something.
-Shoulder going up before exiting a car as the gun is either reholsterd, checked for positioning, or clothing adjusted.
-Keeping one side of the body at a slight angle away from the person in front of them.
-Sudden "ramping up" of awareness level when a stranger gets too close to the gun side.
-Changing positions to keep one side away when approached by a stranger.
-Swinging wider than necessary to get through a door.
-Taking an advantageous position in a room when there are plenty of other places available.
-Constantly scanning the area showing a high level of awareness and alertness but without any signs of fear.
-Keeping attention on a shady character but without any signs of fear or apprehension.
-A hand goes into a pocket, and stays there, when a shady character is spotted.
-Even how a person walks can be an indicator. Heavy weights on one side cause a slight lean that goes unnoticed by the person carrying.
-Hugging with arms under the other person's arms forcing their arms away from bumping a gun.
-A dull "thud" if something is bumped into.
-General demeanor............... Ever notice the mannerisms and vibes projected by an off duty cop? Concealed carriers have a somewhat similar but lesser degree of confidence and situational awareness that shows.
-And even the smell of leather... unless a person is wearing a leather garment of some kind the smell of leather can indicate a holster.

---
For my part, whenever I'm in PA or upstate NY, I try to spot those concealing and carrying, and often catch quite a few. In NJ, where basically no one carries, I'm convinced they'd be spotted (although, not necessarily "outed" because people here would- probably- largely assume them to be cops). I think the State you're in determines how much people are willing to "tolerate" a bulge... I suspect what qualifies for "invisible" in a lot of other places wouldn't fly here, sadly.

 

[karben17]

How about some input from the women out there? I haven't found a way to carry in a belt holster with my normal dress without printing. I have a fanny pack, and agree it looks pretty dumb. My latest idea is a Galco backpack with holster compartment. I know it isn't useful for quick access, but here in the Northeast, the styling and basic black leather blends in well. The only tell-tale sign is maybe the side zipper.

Here it is:
http://www.copsplus.com/prodnum1924.php

 

[BADUNAME13]

Since so many are worrying 'WHY' we are talking about this (Why not)
I will explain my reasoning:
Some people choose to carry in a location where they will be arrested if they are 'made' these people should be extra careful as (Some) Cops are fairly skilled at picking out people who carry.

Also, do NOT underestimate the criminal mind...

IMHO, looking out for people 'packing' is just another part of living in condition yellow.
(And I spoke to him when there was no one else there.)

My problem is... I walk/stand/sit like a Marine... so i am often mistaken for a cop. This helps when someone's acting big and bad... and is bad when/if I ever run into someone with something to prove.
(Which is why I prefer NOT to open carry when I'm in a state where it's legal...)

Carry on.