Giving and receiving hugs while conceal carrying

[BobTheTomato]

Just jump back and yell Stranger Danger! Other than that I might recommend pocket carry.

 

[dirtengineer]

Another vote for pocket carry when you are going into a hug zone.

 

[WestKentucky]

This thread is kinda funny. With all the junk people carry now a person I'd doing well to notice a pronounced bulging print, let alone feel a gun well enough to identify it during a hug. I carry and hug folks at church regularly, the only one who ever acted like she noticed was my mother in law who just started laughing.

 

[plodder]

I carry small of back, IWB. If hugging and somebody has their hands that low & back there, she's probably already pretty familiar with me and my habits (or wants to be )

 

[Shaq]

I suspect many of us don't hug folks who'd be surprised or otherwise concerned that we're carrying a concealed handgun. I personally don't care for people who aren't really good friends attempting to hug me.

One can always demure, saying, sorry, I have an ostomy and there's a ... you know ...

Me neither. In fact, I went to Youngstown for a cousin's wedding & a (male) friend of their family was visiting them from France. When I was introduced, I extended my hand & he tried to KISS me. I put my hands up to block him & he looked surprised. I wasn't familiar with French customs. After my dad stopped laughing, he explained that that was a normal way of greeting people in France.

On topic, I have had a couple of people hug me while I was carrying at 4:00. I simply hugged them back with my left arm & kept my right arm & elbow over the gun. They never knew.

 

[Branko_D]

The biggest problem I have is when the grandkids run up to hug me, more than one of them have banged their head into my gun. I've started getting more adept at guiding them away from it, but sometimes they'll surprise me in the store or somewhere like that.

Small children are great at causing awkward situations. Eg. the "Daddy has a new gun, it's *this* big" at the top of his voice when picking up the kids in the kindergarten, etc

Best brushed off by a smile and a joke, though.

 

[MaterDei]

People I hug wouldn't be surprised to feel a gun on my person.

 

[rondog]

"What, that? That's just my lil' buddy Roscoe....."

 

[GRIZ22]

Just use the line in the movie Serpico when he was giving the girl a ride on his motorcycle,

"...that's a gun, why are you carrying a gun?"

"Would you believe I'm a lion tamer".

 

[psyopspec]

Telekineses hit it on the head. In addition to being great for always having the weapon in your peripheral vision and the good concealment location, AIWB is good in social settings.

In a social setting where hugs are expected and guns aren't necessarily so by others, I'm not going to be so standoffish as to be that guy, nor am I so cavalier as to not care if my weapon is discovered. I've found it best to keep certain affairs to myself. CCW is one such affair.

 

[CajunBass]

I'm an old, hugging, backslapping Baptist from WAY back. We generally have a big "hug around" at the start of every service.

I do the strong arm low thing and most of the time it's enough, but to tell you the truth, I don't really worry about it too much. I've never been one to keep it a secret that I carry a gun. I don't blow a bugle and make an announcement, but I sure don't go out of my way to hide it.

I remember once I was being fitted for a Tux for my step-son's wedding. Lady grabbed a tape measure, reached around me, and her eyes got sort of wide..."What in the world?...OH....Well, we'll just allow a little extra for that." and went on about her business. (That was a Colt Commander at the time). I told her don't worry about it. The wedding was in Wisconsin, so I wouldn't have "that" with me.

 

[Speedo66]

We haven't even begun to explore the act of dancing with a new partner.......

 

[340PD]

We haven't even begun to explore the act of dancing with a new partner.......

In that situation, IWB may evoke a interesting response.

 

[Paladin7]

Personally, I just turn the non-gun side of my body toward the person and give them a hug with one arm. My other arm covers my gun. This way if someone does reach around, my arm is there to cover my gun.

One other point that's worth mentioning... anytime you need to pick something up from the floor, etc. while carrying...bend at the knees, NOT the waist.

Check out some of Mas Ayoob's writings on this in his book, "Combat Handgunnery," printed by the Gun Digest. It's available on Amazon.

 

[Dave P]

"who cares if people suddenly discover a gun in socially compromising situations. "

Yes, I am fortunate that I am not required to attend any socially compromising situations or events. Also, I don't feel the need to hide (from the neighbors) a rifle under a blankets whist loading up for a range trip.

 

[USAav8r]

In addition to the arms low hug, I will try to do the weak arm only hug as someone else said, with the strong arm covering the weapon. Occasionally it doesnt work but the only time I ever have anyone notice it enough to ask, its always been a kid, and telling them its a phone stops the line of questioning. The novelty has worn off of phones enough now.

 

[caribou]

Yes, indeed, this is a very good as well as humorus

Maybe Im socialy backwards.....

I shake Mens hands, and I'll hug a Woman Im familiar very with, if she initiates it, most likely a daughter or close relative. To them, I'm all open for hugs.

The wife and I hooked up in 1992 got married in 1995, and I havent had to explain a large hard item in my pants since........ but it was usually along the line of; "Thats not my knee...."

Most will remember 1992 as the year Trojan lost stock points ~~LOL!!~~

 

[herrwalther]

I don't hug. Problem solved.

 

[MartinS]

You have started a semi secret society of Those Who Know I'm Heeled.
Since, besides hugging, people like to talk to one another, these societies tend to grow quickly. I find that a slightly cold and aloof demeanor prevents these things from spreading.

 

[Panzerschwein]

I don't do hugs.

If you're a woman and you try to hug me, I'll move away, unless you're totally hot. If you're a man and you try to hug me, I'll put you on the ground.

Works for me.

 

[jim in Anchorage]

I don't do hugs.

If you're a woman and you try to hug me, I'll move away. If you're a man and you try to hug me, I'll put you on the ground.

Works for me.

Guess you don't know Tony Soprano.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Guess you don't know Tony Soprano.

No, I don't know him personally but have tasted his spaghetti sauce. It has a smooth flavor.

 

[coloradokevin]

I used to worry more about this issue, these days I don't care. Many of my friends carry, or know that I do, and the few liberals that I occasionally hug either wouldn't recognize that I was carrying a gun, or wouldn't be surprised that I was.

Either way, if I'm hugging someone I'm going to assume that they aren't someone I'm particularly concerned about knowing that I'm concealing.

 

[TarDevil]

0

If you're a man and you try to hug me, I'll put you on the ground.

Really.

Someone offers a gesture of friendship and you respond with assault.

If I don't want to hug, I simply extent my hand for a shake. That way I don't give the guy I just assaulted a legitimate reason to reach for his gun.

Works for me.

 

[Officers'Wife]

I don't do hugs.

If you're a woman and you try to hug me, I'll move away, unless you're totally hot. If you're a man and you try to hug me, I'll put you on the ground.

Works for me.

Too each their own, my grandfather was a man's man that was everything John Wayne wished he could pretend to be. He always greeted my Dad and my uncle with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

When my uncle was still alive, on the days he played blacksmith he had a hammer holstered on each hip and a third in a shoulder holster sort of thing. Invariably when he hugged me the hammer would whop me on the head... I would gladly put up with the discomfort and possible concussion for just one more hug from the man. You never know what that hug could mean to someone.