Conceal carry option on gun finish/color

[The_shooter]

Concealed carry can be tricky with full size guns and running a simple waist holster with a shirt pulled over. What I want to know is do any of you think finish of the gun has a eye drawing effect such as stainless or cerakote Finishes.

 

[Speedo66]

I would think a dark finish would attract the eye less if a shirt gets pulled up while bending over, etc.

Same for black holsters.

 

[Deus Machina]

Not really, as long as it isn't flashy or clashing.
Polished stainless? A lot more obvious than brushed. In the same way you're more likely to notice a chrome belt buckle, or a silver Rolex over a black Casio.
Brushed stainless is a pretty good go-to unless you're always into all-black wear. Black or blued, even gloss, hide pretty well in anything.
Maybe don't go for the sand-colored cerakote if you wear all dark colors, and don't go for the bubblegum pink unless you've got a much different fashion sense than me or you're going to a cancer awareness barbecue.

If your manner of dress never risks riding up or flashing anything beneath, get a cheetah pattern in bubblegum and lime for all anyone else cares.

 

[lemaymiami]

I carried a sidearm for 22 years down here in paradise (when I wasn't on duty...). Because of our environment down around Miami most that I knew only chose the finish on their weapons based on it's corrosion benefits.. Put simply a blued steel sidearm (what many of mine were) is tough to keep the rust off of... Stainless steel is far preferred but in my era (1973 to 1995) many of the S & W revolvers in stainless would begin to bind when they got hot at the range - so there was no such thing as the ideal concealed or open carry handgun for us.... The last ten years of my career I became convinced that it was a poor choice having an off-duty weapon that was smaller, lighter - and more importantly - less capable, than my duty weapon... That realization lead me to carry my duty weapon (first a European model Beretta 92, then an issued Sig Sauer P229 in 40cal...) when off duty as well. Turned out that I never needed it (as you get older you also, if you're lucky, get smarter....) but it was nice knowing that I was well armed for anything I might run into off duty...

To sum it up, if it were me... I'd worry a lot less about whether a shiny gun is more visible when "concealed" than whether you need something that won't cause rust problems - every time...

 

[bikerdoc]

Concealed means concealed!

 

[tarosean]

Are you wearing your birthday suit or fishnet clothing???


Guarantee 100% of the people I come in contact with on a daily basis have zero clue what color/material/brand my CCW is.

 

[FFGColorado]

Concealed carry can be tricky with full size guns and running a simple waist holster with a shirt pulled over. What I want to know is do any of you think finish of the gun has a eye drawing effect such as stainless or cerakote Finishes.

If it's concealed, why would any eyes be drawn to it?
I 'think' the gent is asking..full size, not concealed real well or easily..which finish would attract the least attention..And probably something finished 'dark'..Also, wear a dark TShirt underneath that shirt pulled over. Helps protect the gun too, not against the skin.

 

[md7]

Finish/color on a ccw pistol won’t matter as much in reality as it does in our minds.

 

[hso]

What I want to know is do any of you think finish of the gun has a eye drawing effect such as stainless or cerakote Finishes.

Taken as simply as possible, yes. A bright shiny finish will be more visible if exposed. Considering the number of black phones and phone cases you might find that it draws less attention if only minimally exposed against clothing. The coating color might contrast more or less depending upon what you wear it against, but that's a clothing choice.

BUT, most people focus on what people are doing and aren't aware of what others are wearing or carrying on a belt anyway so it may be a concern that is minimal.

 

[The_shooter]

Never liked polished guns anyways but along the lines of these new tacticool finishes like coyote tan or od green or camouflage to gun enthusiasts and people who’ve only seen guns in movies which would catch either eye in a public scenario

 

[Coyote3855]

Never liked polished guns anyways but along the lines of these new tacticool finishes like coyote tan or od green or camouflage to gun enthusiasts and people who’ve only seen guns in movies which would catch either eye in a public scenario

I don't understand your post. As others have pointed out, if your firearm is concealed as it should be, the finish doesn't matter at all. If there is an inadvertent reveal, the color of your clothes (matching gun and holster color/finish) will make the firearm less likely to be perceived.

 

[Riomouse911]

Since the whole idea of a CCW is the concealed part, I agree with lemaymiami that the properties of the CCW guns overall corrosion resistance are more important than the guns color or standard of polish.

My old SIG Sauer P-226 had the slide finish wear off in a matter of weeks from simple duty holster wear. I had the slide plated with Np3 electroless nickel and it went for years and years in rain, sweat and snow without another issue.

Spending a day out in 120 degree heat here in the desert will bathe anything and everything you’re wearing in sweat. Once I’ve chosen the gun I want to use, getting it in a finish that doesn’t look like it was recovered from a shipwreck after a hard week of use would be my focus.

Stay safe.

 

[JTQ]

Assuming just about any concealed firearm can become temporarily un-concealed in the right circumstances, I think there is some advantage to black guns and holsters.

I often look at pictures of folks at training classes, whether it is Gunsite, or Thunder Ranch, or Shootrite, or whatever class where folks are wearing a gun holstered on a belt with some mag pouches. Even though you know they are holstered guns in the picture, it's a lot more difficult to identify the black guns in a black holster as a holstered gun, than the chrome/stainless guns/mags holstered in tan leather/FDE kydex holsters/mag pouches.

 

[herrwalther]

Almost all my shirts are black. Almost all my firearms are black. It could be that both facts help me conceal better but I doubt there is much truth in it.

 

[The_shooter]

Assuming just about any concealed firearm can become temporarily un-concealed in the right circumstances, I think there is some advantage to black guns and holsters.

I often look at pictures of folks at training classes, whether it is Gunsite, or Thunder Ranch, or Shootrite, or whatever class where folks are wearing a gun holstered on a belt with some mag pouches. Even though you know they are holstered guns in the picture, it's a lot more difficult to identify the black guns in a black holster as a holstered gun, than the chrome/stainless guns/mags holstered in tan leather/FDE kydex holsters/mag pouches.

That’s what I was trying to ask sorry for my confusion everybody

 

[RETG]

Camouflage carry.

And there is more to that then meets the eye. PUN INTENDED!

 

[edwardware]

I don't see finish being significant for a concealed sidearm. My EDC is brushed stainless, but it's concealed. . . provided it's not actually glowing I don't think it matters.

 

[bassjam]

I don't think it matters. Polished stainless might be more flashy, but modern TV shows condition the average person to more easily recognise the color and shape of your average flat black Glock/M&P/P226/etc.

As long as you're legally carrying and following all the local laws why does it matter if someone else gets a quick accidental glimpse of your handgun anyway?

 

[JR24]

The only thing I've ever noticed with color is the brown on my Glock 19x didn't bleed through as much as my black guns do when wearing a thinner, white, t-shirt.

Of course I don't wear thin white t-shirts when carrying most of the time so it's of limited benefit.

 

[wcwhitey]

I have carried 24/7 for well over 30 years both personally and professionally. My gun choices were for the most part dictated by the agency. My trick was to either use open top holsters that covered the entire gun in an OWB configuration and rode high on the belt or IWB like Milt Sparks Summer Special types that sat deep. Never did I wear a holster that would allow a barrel or trigger guard to be exposed, at the very most a set of grips. In business attire I found black holsters with matching belts to just look better and therefore be less alarming if flashed. For civilian off duty type attire I like dark brown. Being retired now I am definitely more concerned with printing or exposure. I mostly carry in the right front pocket. Long Carhartt T-shirts’ help untucked if I do carry in the waist. Good topic, good holsters and carry techniques take a while for a person to develop and would also be dictated by your local. In some places printing and flashing are huge no-no’s others not so much. I always thought of concealed carry as part of the element of surprise, I don’t want anyone knowing my business.

 

[Mike J]

In all honesty I believe how a person chooses to dress and holster selection matters more than the finish of the gun. I have never really wanted a shiny pistol anyway. As someone else mentioned traditional bluing is prone to rust. A coat of Johnson's Paste Wax helps. I prefer either a matte stainless finish or a salt nitrided finish (tenifer, melonite, armonite depending on which manufacturers product you buy) for something I am going to carry. I have used a belt slide holster that rides high & it concealed okay. Now I use an Inside Waist Band kydex holster & it seems to work better for me. I try to wear loose fitting shirts. A plaid shirt or shirt with a pattern on it seems to help break up the outline of the gun if it does print. I am more concerned about keeping my pistol out of sight than what color it is.


Edited to add: When I used an outside the waistband holster I was always concerned about my shirt tail riding up exposing the bottom of my holster. Since going IWB I don't have to be so concerned about that though I know if I bend over too far the grip will print.

 

[Varminterror]

Don’t overthink it.

My skin, less my naturally abundant fur covering, is white. Most typically pale white around the middle, as I have abandoned the days of working shirtless outside. I’m not dark black, not FDE, not stainless, not purple... no color of gun matches my skin. Most commonly, I wear blue jeans, but have never owned a denim holster nor a mid-blue pistol or revolver... sure, we can speculate that phones are black and a small portion of the population remains nerdy enough to wear their phones on their belt, but the human eye catches contrast, and frankly, many of us will readily be caught by a belt-phone, considering, indeed, the owner is a ridiculous nerd for it... lump, bumps, contrasting colors, movement, all of it catches attention...

Keep your ass covered and nobody will see your ass...

 

[Jonesy814]

On one of the Outdoor channel gun programs a few years ago one of the "experts" said he carried a purple LC9. He said if anyone suspected he carried/ saw gun print or whatever, and tried to say he pulled it on them he would have cop ask them to describe the gun. He figures they would never guess purple

 

[Offhand McFlan]

I think generally dark is better and blends in with most clothing, especially if your holster is also dark. People never seem to look much at me even when I carry OWB, which is about 90% of the time...at least since last Fall. I know my barrel peeks out a little. I glance down at my hip now and then while shopping just to get an idea of what other people see.

I just started carrying my new Windicator 357 with a roughly 3.625" barrel in a black nylon holster. So far so good. Unless you're really staring it could be anything: A cell phone, knife, flashlight....hard to tell. Summer will be a different story and then I'll probably switch back to my Shield, IWB.

Unless I'm in a real sensitive area I dont stress much over a little printing these days.

 

[Howland937]

If your shirt rides up and reveals your carry weapon, I wouldn't worry about the finish attracting attention. Nah...go get a tramp stamp and I promise nobody will notice your gun.