If you print, do you worry about it alot?

[PUMC_TomG]

I've only been made once...

and that one time was by a waitress friend of mine at the Hooters here in Lafayette.... We were talking and as she went to leave to get me another drink she ran her hand down my side to pat me on my hip... except she didn't get my hip... she got the frame of my 4013TSW instead...

Her eyes widened a little bit, then she just went back to business as usual... she never mentioned it again... even though she gave me the "I know you know I know" look.

 

[manwithoutahome]

Fugly print of the shirt helps to conceal any embarassing bulges.

Does that work for beer guts also .

Actually, jfruser is right but they do kinda frown at hawiian shirts at work . (I actually like them).

It's easy not to print during the winter, jackets and all. But the summer is a pain in the holster!

M

 

[rgc]

Printing?

I once saw an add for T-shirts that simply said "Am I Printing?" To tell you the truth I've always thought that shirt was funny. Bet ya I could where it while CCW and 98% of the people would not know what it meant or what I was CCWing. I don't think the other 2% would care.

 

[Quartus]

Well you guys havent been around my 7 year old daughter. Being a holster maker and having her help me in my quest for years now......she's a bloody pro at spotting printing on damn near everyone.

She once told a cop she could see is J frame in a Tuckable holster.......
And he thanked her for it.......

I love that! Teach your children well!

they do kinda frown at hawiian shirts at work . (I actually like them).

Y'know, you can get help for that. There's a good 12 Step group for Hawiian shirt fans....









I'm with P95Carry on this - a bulge is one thing, but a clear outline is likely to stampede the herd.

 

[Jim PHL]

No one has ever "made" me just by looking. I did get a surprise hug once, and gave a big surprise back to the hugger! Dense crowds and family/friend hug-fests are more likely to get your CCW noticed.

 

[SapperLeader]

My usual mode of atire is a t-shirt or sweatshirt covering the iwb holster and gun. There have been several times where a slight bulge was noticeble, usually from the grip brushing agains the t-shirt. Ive only "printed" once, in a bad way. I put on a orange t-shirt, and went about my business around the house. I walked into the living room, where my siblings were, and they both chimed up with, "Your Printing!". I imediatly looked down, didnt see any bulges or anything and became confused. I went over to a mirror, and checked it out. To my horror, the entire gun was visible through the light colored t-shirt, and one could almost read the serial number! Ever since then, I check myself in a mirror before going out, and dont worry about the occasional bulge, and still ahve nightmares of going out with a thin t-shirt like that into public.

 

[Cacique500]

I don't normally concern myself with it as I'm in an open carry state - but I do subscribe to the Hawaiian Shirt method.

A *good* gunbelt & IWB holster are a must and will go a long way towards concealing your weapon.

Somebody needs to hunt down that "Am I Printing?" t-shirt link...I want one

 

[Eskimo Jim]

No, I don't worry about it. I definitely try to avoid it though. Most people don't know what it is anyway. Could be cell phone, pager, little hand held computer thing etc etc

-Jim

 

[Treylis]

I could open carry with a white shirt that says "Hello, My name is Chris and I am currently carrying a fully loaded .45 caliber semi automatic handgun. Have a nice day!" emblazoned in road hazard orange letters and still most people would be clueless.

While I don't have a shirt like that, I tend to stand out due to my great height and I open carry, and, yep, most people are way too zoned out to notice.

When open carry was all we had, I wanted to get a t-shirt that read...
YES, it's real!
YES, it's loaded!
NO! I'm not psychotic!

Ah, yes. The eternal drawback of open carry: on those rare occasions when people do notice and are curious, it's all "is that real, is that loaded, do you know your gun is cocked (1911), your gun is cocked, isn't that dangerous, why do you carry a gun, have you ever shot/killed anyone, are you a cop, etc., etc., etc."

Personally, I'm amused by such questions, though.

 

[Carbon_15]

I have four pouches (two knives, zippo, surefire)

What, no pepper spray or decoder ring

 

[Greg L]

Well, there was that one time that I was in a meeting & we were sitting on folding chairs. After it was over & everyone was standing up I suddenly realized that my chair decided to come along with me & was hanging off of my belt .

The funniest part was that everyone there made fun of the chair that loved me but nobody (either there or later) made the connection that it was hanging off the butt of my USP .

People are clueless, it isn't worth your time worrying about it.

Greg

 

[jamz]

A couple of weeks ago I had just come into work, and hadn't taken my jacket off yet. One of the Doctors here comes up from behind and says "Hey how ya dooin?" and slaps me open handed- directly on the grip of my P-22* in the IWB at 4:00. He didn't say anything though, we just kept talking about other things. I hope he assumed that is was just some stuff in my coat pocket.

-James



*It's what I would carry if I didn't feel I could get away with the 1911.

 

[ksnecktieman]

This thread is very enlightening to me. It appears we all measure "concealed" in a different fashion. I have always thought that if I was "lumpy" I was not concealed well enough. When I see the local leos around town in their civvies I try to locate their ccw piece. Quite often I do not find it, even with careful observation.

Now I think I understand how so many of you can ccw a full size combat handgun. For my own needs I will stick to my keltec P11, S & W .38 snubby, and smaller guns.

Does anyone else think a lump is a failure of concealment system?

 

[PUMC_TomG]

Does anyone else think a lump is a failure of concealment system

I sure do. In Florida it is looked down upon ALOT, and could get you into trouble... Granted someone may not KNOW that it is a firearm... but lets be honest. Most handguns print differently than a cell-phone.

 

[manyironsinfire]

Yes, I stay aware if I'm printing. Discreet carry means just that and if I see someone that I know and if he's printing, I'll mention that fact to him.Granted, it's other gunguys that notice. I just don't want the BG'S to know... My wifes carry is off body.

 

[Brass Balls]

Whenever these discussions occur I find that I'm more on the side of being conscientious about printing. I'm sure I'm not the most anal about it by I'm pretty careful.

While I generally agree with the fact that most people aren't particularly aware of anything let alone a concealed handgun, I also think there's a big difference between visiting a store and being in close confines with coworkers and customers for extended periods. The latter, imho, requires better concealment.

A few things I do accomplish good concealment are these:

• Use slim guns. I like 1911s with slim grips.
• Select the right clothing. Jackets and vests make concealment a piece of cake, however concealing under a shirt requires a little more thought.
• Be conscious of those movements that can create printing and avoid them when in the proximity of others.