concealed carry while playing pool( printing ?)

Status
Not open for further replies.
S

shotgunsandkitties

Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2015
Messages
12
My friend is 21 and has a concealed carry license for our state. Our college is near a pool hall/bar and our state allows ccw in a bar if you don't drink. We were wondering what position would be good for when bending over in situations like playing pool.
 
Last edited:
If you want to be certain you don't print, pocket carry or ankle carry would work.

The thing about carrying concealed is that you have to make allowances for it in the way you dress.

You also have to be very aware of the fact that every encounter you get into is an armed encounter when you carry. You can't escalate any disagreement that might happen with someone in the bar who is drinking. You don't want it to turn into a fight.

You are much more likely to end up using your firearm in a bar situation that turns physical then you would be to use it to protect yourself from a robber.

Bars, especially bars that are frequented by the college crowd are often places where immaturity, alcohol and testosterone make a very volatile mix.

Someone doesn't like the way someone else looks at his girlfriend, words turn to shoves, turn to punches then a gun is thrown into the mix and at least two lives change forever.

I'm not telling you not to carry there if it's legal, I'm asking you to really, really think about some things before you make that decision.
 
I usually wear light leather jacket when I'm playing pool. This may seem odd to some, but it's just something I've been doing for many years in the pool halls. So what I usually do is, I carry a compact 9mm in the inside pocket.

If I don't have a coat on, I'll wear it IWB with my shirt covering it. But I've never liked wearing it in my back side, I like it cross draw. That way it doesn't get in my way while playing.

GS
 
We were wondering what position would be good for when bending over in situations like playing pool.
Click to expand...

Avoidance would be the best postion. The situation the three S's rule: Stupid places, stupid people doing stupid things.

Optimus Prime; ROTFLMAO!
 
Avoidance would be the best position. The situation the three S's rule: Stupid places, stupid people doing stupid things.
Click to expand...

There are just certain places and environments that spell trouble. This is one such instance. I fully agree with the above quote.
 
Though I advocate CC wherever and when ever you can. A bar, regardless of your state law, may be a bad idea. As you said, as long as you don't have any booze, what about all the others there that do, and a lot of the time have too much? Some trashed dude sees the weapon, tries to be joe cool, tries to grab it, etc., etc. You get the picture. JMHO, Coogs.
 
I'd drop my P32 in a front pocket. And, yes, folks, I'd carry were it permitted in my state (I actually have carried in a couple of "non-bar" billiard rooms.)

I'm not one who sees the gun as a solution to everything, and the OP may well be the same way. Even if he abstains from carry, will that make all the other patrons do so as well?

Those of you who would dread the idea of being armed in a pool room may well be inflecting some of your own personalities into what you perceive as risk, at least, those personalities you had when you were 21. The OP would be wise to consider that but, as mentioned, going unarmed in a place where others may not be exercising that restraint may also carry some risk.
 
I pocket carry.

But I also don't frequent bars or pool halls, and especially in college environments.

It's unlikely my concealed handgun would be discovered, unless I was subjected to a formal search by an law enforcement officer. Certain places invite this, and you're looking a one with all the bad elements. :uhoh:
 
Cross draw with an untucked shirt. When you lean over, your stomach and the table protect the flash or print. Of course, it depends on how in shape you are to how effective it would be...in this case, less shape more effective. Try it at home first.
 
I'd say ankle, pocket, bellyband and kangaroo carry would be the most secure. Bars in college areas may have some nice female scenery, but there's too much bull crap that goes on in those places. I'd rather just go to a local sports bar where there's enough control and civility that families feel comfortable eating there. Nothing good ever happens after 1am.
 
Appendix carry works for the young buff crowd, same as Thunderwear. The "mature" physique, not so much. Shoulder carry gets more props as carriers get older.

Not all pool halls are dens of violence - apparently there are a lot of posters who only see them in their locality as being that. Small town halls that open at 10AM aren't frequented by loud mouth drunks needing a beat down during daylight hours, and the owner and local cops keep it that way.

It's the bar hopping crowd looking for excitement after the sun goes down who bring trouble.

As for indulging in a confrontation, I suspect that being able to get a gun out at all will be an exercise in luck. If a fight is going to start, cues and balls are the weapons of first resort, followed by beer mugs and bar stools if handy. Since the distances are at arms length, the cue can make up on reach quite easily.

So far the discussion, as usual, is completely focused on a firearm, when in reality, the firearms are usually late to the party and frequently the bearer at a disadvantage - because he is firearms focused in his method. HE is the one who has to back down, where a non firearms combatant can indulge their whim to get into a fist fight all they want. The firearms user is less likely to consider engaging with expedient weapons at hand, where the unarmed combatant depends on them.

If you go around basing your protection on a firearm, don't get into the mindset that it's your only option - but do be aware it does severely restrict your response, and it does force the responsible to back down and take their lumps on the ego when that loud mouth bully presses his advantage. And be aware that they may well be armed better than you - as the Waco shootout has demonstrated.

They could even be undercover cops playing to the crowd for credibility.

Approach the situation with an eye for what it is - a bar with a pool table is one thing, a pool hall that serves beer, another. Plenty of those in better hotels and motels, rather than the local roadhouse with 23 bikes parked out front. Use your discretion and be mindful of how a gun puts you at a disadvantage overall.
 
It's a good question, and really it's a question applicable to a LOT of activities we routinely involve ourselves in.

What about jogging? What about working on cars as a mechanic? What about hot weather? What about various construction jobs? What about at the office in the office dress code? What about for women?

And another kinda funny time that's been brought up on THR that most people don't think about...what about those times in the bathrom when you have to sit to do your business?

No one answer will cover every situation. The best way to figure these things out, therefore, is often to quit trying to make your "normal" method of carry work when it obviously won't.

If you normally carry a full sized semi-auto IWB, that just ain't gonna be too practical wearing flimsy jogging shorts on a daily run. Change the shorts, change the gun, change the holster rig...change SOMETHING to match the reality of the circumstances.

An important part of the equation, OP, therefore includes information you haven't provided. What kind of gun is it, what size is it, what kind of holster/retention does your friend use, and how does he dress, for example.

Heck, even location and type of customers who typically frequent the bar may make a difference. There are places where people just don't care about printing and such because so many who frequent the place already carry. (Though being near a college campus tends to rule that out in most places...but I can think of a few.)
 
MedWheeler said:
I'd drop my P32 in a front pocket. And, yes, folks, I'd carry were it permitted in my state (I actually have carried in a couple of "non-bar" billiard rooms.)

I'm not one who sees the gun as a solution to everything, and the OP may well be the same way. Even if he abstains from carry, will that make all the other patrons do so as well?

Those of you who would dread the idea of being armed in a pool room may well be inflecting some of your own personalities into what you perceive as risk, at least, those personalities you had when you were 21. The OP would be wise to consider that but, as mentioned, going unarmed in a place where others may not be exercising that restraint may also carry some risk.
Click to expand...
I spoke from experience in my post. When I was young and dumb, I did carry, though a knife, not a gun, into bars that had pool. In one instance, a guy was shooting (pool) and I tried to squeeze between him and the wall, as I'd done many times before at that particular table. (It was set between a stairway and the bathrooms, with just enough room to pass through if....) If the person shooting wasn't the type to embellish their shots with wild, grand gestures of exaggeratedly drawing the cue way back to shoot, then tapping the cue ball just right. (Yes, this guy was a good pool player. I'd played against him before.) Anyhoo, I was trying to get through before he shot, and he whipped that cue back and hit two balls, very hard, I might add! What astonished me was that instead of apologizing to me for that, as I would have done, he started screaming, "You F'd up my shot, sh**head!" I responded with, "Sorry, man, but you also hit me in the sac pretty hard, too, ya know." His reply; "Ya F'ing deserve it-I oughta kick your a**!" (Note: there was no money riding on this game, just the table.) I pulled a $5 out of my pocket and said, "That should cover you if you lose this game." He glared at me for a second, ans said "You wanna step out side?" (Note-This bar was on the third floor of a restuarant. the only exits were down the aforementioned stairs, which were usually crowded/block at that time of night, or down a fire escape type stairs out the back of the bar.)
Fortunately, I didn't have to answer that, because the three friends I was with came to see what the commotion was about. At that point, the light must have finally went off in his head. He was alone, not well liked there anyway, and no bigger than I in size. He just made a digusted gesture, and we all walked back to the corner of the bar we were at, opposite were he was. We kept a good eye on him all night; fortunately, he didn't act on it further, though his self-puffery could be heard all through the bar. On the way out, my best friend couldn't resist murmuring to him "My friend has a knife on him and is very good with it. Still wanna meet him out side?" The guy turned white as a ghost....

Yes, it was stupid as hell for me, whether legal or not, to do so. Two of the guys with me that night had pool tables in their houses, we could have sat around all night at their places, and if one of them had tagged me with a cue shooting, we'd have all just burst out laughing, no fisticuffs necessary. :)

And yes, I could have just hauled off and attacked that guy for sac tapping me with his cue, a lot of people there would have seen it as justified. I doubt a judge would have, though. :scrutiny:

Those of you who would dread the idea of being armed in a pool room may well be inflecting some of your own personalities into what you perceive as risk, at least, those personalities you had when you were 21. The OP would be wise to consider that but, as mentioned, going unarmed in a place where others may not be exercising that restraint may also carry some risk.
Click to expand...

Obiviously I had no dread of going armed into a pool room. (I was not yet 21 then.) I also hadn't thought the situation through either. I did do my best to de-escalate the situation, but only a show of disparity of force (my friends showing up) resolved the issue. It could have ended quite differently.....:uhoh:


Anyhoo, I mention the Three S's rule again: Avoid Stupid places, with stupid people doing stupid things.

And I swatted my best friend on the head for saying what he did to the guy on the way out. Then laughed thinking about that guy's reaction.;)

Next time I saw that guy there, he avoided eye contact, and stayed away from me. (Yes I was stupid enough to go back there, but we'd been going there for years by then, and knew the staff well.)
 
Last edited:
Gun in a bar?? Where is that allowed? Bad idea.
We used to go to happy hour a few times per week. I bet I saw 20 fights start with a sober guy being put into a situation of fight or be sucker punched by some drunk determined to show how big and bad he was. I am glad that guns never came into the mix.
 
Gun in a bar?? Where is that allowed? Bad idea.
Click to expand...
PA, for one, and in fact it is legal to drink while carrying. Oddly, we have no more blood in the streets, nor in our bars, than any other state...and a lot less than some.

We have this debate every few months. It is a worry that bothers a lot of people way out of proportion to how things actually ARE.

We used to go to happy hour a few times per week. I bet I saw 20 fights start with a sober guy being put into a situation of fight or be sucker punched by some drunk determined to show how big and bad he was. I am glad that guns never came into the mix.
Click to expand...
So, if I'm going to visit a place would I rather be armed, in case I'm attacked, or unarmed, in case I'm attacked? Question really seems quite simple to me.

I'm not a fighter, not a brawler or trouble-maker. If someone attacks me, I do reserve the right to defend myself in any place that might happen, with the most effective tool I have.

It is a logical disconnect to say, "wow, I'm likely to be attacked here! Sure am glad I don't have a weapon on me!" What, are we buying into the myth that it's ok to be in bar fights because they'll probably just beat you up "a little" and you wouldn't want to introduce a gun into a little gentlemanly arse-whoopin'? :scrutiny:

If you think you're likely to be attacked DON'T GO THERE.
If you are willing to go to a place, go armed.
 
RetiredUSNChief said:
SC recently changed the state law to allowed concealed carry in places that serve food or alcohol.

So far we haven't seen any epidemics of bloodshed by gunfire yet.
Click to expand...

"SC recently..."

It's been 13 months. If the media had any basis to even imagine the bloodshed were getting out of control, they wouldn't keep it a secret.

Instead, profound silence. And a little more freedom.
 
I've been in a few scraps in my life. Was a bouncer for a few years in college. None of those guys needed to be shot. However, college bars in college towns. I'm pretty sure none of them were out to kill me either. Point being....even if I could have carried 25 years ago, I would not have.

Out to dinner with my wife and family today? Of course.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

gonoles_1980
  • Locked
Understanding Florida's concealed carry law
Replies
24
Views
3K
JSH1
J
T
  • Locked
Victim of violence the other night.
Replies
11
Views
1K
Jeff White
J
S
  • Locked
Recreation and Carry
Replies
14
Views
520
Duke of Doubt
D
V
  • Locked
How many people actually carry concealed?
2 3
Replies
59
Views
2K
Deltaboy1984
Deltaboy1984
R
  • Locked
Dealing with Citizens legally carrying a concealed weapon.
Replies
2
Views
349
JShirley
JShirley
Back
Top