Printing Paranoia.

[plodder]

Even though my fair state is open carry, when I first started concealed carrying I was a bit paranoid too. After a while you don't even think much about it. Tuck a shirt around it best you can, good to go. I will admit though that when going to church I am a little bit more diligent.

I often think to myself when in a public setting with a crowd around that I am going to make an effort to "read" those who are CC'ing. I always forget to do so and that is probably why unless you are flagrantly "flashing" or brandishing, John & Jane Q. Public never seem to notice or care.

 

[bubba in ca]

Eating salads can be dangerous

I had a friend in a no open carry state go to a local hamburger joint and his shirt rode up while he was getting some salad from underneath the contortionist glass thing at the salad bar. As he was sitting down to eat with his family they were surrounded by 4 deputies who wanted to have a chat. His ccw was ok and he was not arrested, but he was warned that concealed means concealed. He never knew if it was an employee or a customer who called the police.


A while back I was coming back from a drive in the country where I always go armed with a large revolver. On the way back, I stopped in a supermarket. I didn't want to leave my revolver in the car unattended, so I put it in a fanny pack. I was surprised to be followed by a store dick the entire time I was in the store. Nothing came of it, but a reminder that if a gun is too big to conceal in a warm climate it is very noticeable. I think the weight-- the way it sagged in the fanny pack, is what gave it away.

 

[holdencm9]

I agree after awhile your friend will just get over it, I used to be really worried and wouldn't even carry my LCP IWB without a baggy shirt, now i will carry the CW9 in a relatively tight-fitting t-shirt...but I think some people are a bit too casual or cavalier about it. I think it is still a good idea to be somewhat cognizant of whether or not you are printing. Don't want the wrong person spotting it.

 

[TonyDedo]

There are specific instances here in Massachusetts where CCW holders have lost their license because they flashed their firearm while carrying. Once in particular, a CCW holder was walking out of a restaurant as a cop was walking in, wind from the open door blew his concealment garment back. The cop took his information, but let him go. The next day chief of police was informed, and had his license revoked.

That being said, concealed means concealed, not "an attempt at concealment but I want the world to know I have a gun." Lots of good reasons to keep it concealed, none to show it off. If you have to, tuck it a little deeper.

 

[Blackstone]

If your permit is revoked, is it permanent or can you reapply for it?

 

[Sam1911]

If your permit is revoked, is it permanent or can you reapply for it?

That all depends on the state, or sometimes the county within the state, where you reside. And on why it was revoked, and the opinions and beliefs of the issuing authorities, etc.

 

[Sam1911]

That being said, concealed means concealed, not "an attempt at concealment but I want the world to know I have a gun." Lots of good reasons to keep it concealed, none to show it off. If you have to, tuck it a little deeper.

Of course, that is, unless you open-carry. Then it may be seen.

Either concealed completely, or completely open. In between is VERY VERY BAD!

(Apparently... )

 

[TonyDedo]

In this particular case it took 8 years and many thousands of dollars in legal fees for the gun owner to get his permit and his guns back. It's the cautionary tale here in Massachusetts.

 

[Akita1]

Just picked up a Sig P238 for CC. It fits on my front pocket and, if it ever does "print", it looks like a cell phone. I also have an IWB holster that effectively makes it disappear, even with just a tshirt tucked in!

 

[PavePusher]

I used to be worried about carrying books and newspapers in public. What if someone saw them? Many folks get nervous around books and newspapers, considering them to be very dangerous objects, and their owners uniformly careless people, with no regard for the feelings of others. I tried to keep them hidden from view, often going so far as to wear clothing completely inappropriate to the occasion or weather, carrying them in ridiculous containers and bags to camoflauge their identity, securing them to my body in various unlikely, uncomfortable places and making drastic changes in travel plans and public appearances so as to keep people from knowing what objects I was in lawful, peaceful possesion of.

Then one day I stopped careing what stupid people thought of me. And nothing bad happened.

The end.

P.S. Oh, we were talking about the Second Amendment? I see no difference in principles.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

I used to be worried about carrying books and newspapers in public. What if someone saw them? Many folks get nervous around books and newspapers, considering them to be very dangerous objects, and their owners uniformly careless people, with no regard for the feelings of others.

Yeah! We should ban books, too!

Oh wait...we fight that battle frequently, too...

 

[PavePusher]

Yeah! We should ban books, too!

Oh wait...we fight that battle frequently, too...

Exactly. No matter what you do, someone is going to have a hissy-fit. I don't indulge children who throw tantrums, why should we cater to adults who never grew up?

 

[shafter]

In some states require concealed carry to be exactly that - concealed. If I lived in a state that allowed open carry I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[uncle joe]

MS has no open carry and if concealed must be completely concealed, printing is frowned upon. They are trying to reinstate open carry but until it passes, keep it hidden.

 

[Averageman]

In a time when nearly everyone carries a cell phone in their hip, keys in a pocket, a wallet...and the prudent a flashlight, knife and multi-tool.
I would suggest to you as I told the friend "No one is looking at you, nobody."
No one noticed and your for the most part are just paranoid, get over it and carry your pistol and an extra magazine everyday, everywhere.

 

[Elkins45]

I often carry a J frame in the front pocket of my dress pants. To my eye it looks like a giant shape that screams "gun", but I have been working in the same office since 2006 and I have yet to have a single person ask about the bulge in my pocket.

Maybe they all whisper about the nut with the obvious gun bulge when I'm not around, but I suspect that in reality most people just don't look at my pants all that often.

 

[Jackal]

I say "who cares" if your gun is printing. Very few people look at other folks with enough interest to pick out anything. So long as the gun is concealed from view, its all good. It took me a long time to figure out that no one really looks at you.

 

[MrTwigg]

Open carry is lawful where I live and I open carry (all arguments of OPSEC aside) frequently and live near the border of Massachusetts. From time to time I'll have a ma-hole gape and stare at me in the supermarket or diner but nobody's ever called the cops on me.

When I do bother to conceal I just throw on an overshirt or jacket and let it be. I don't care if it rides up or flies open. Heck, most folks never notice my sidearm and it's usually a 1911 Govt.

I do have pocket guns for when I wish to be truly discrete and no one's ever asked me if I had a gun in my pocket or if I was just happy to see them.

 

[colorado_handgunner]

Accidentally open carried in Walmart one winter in Colorado. Took off my coat forgetting I was wearing owb that day. Walked around the whole store and no one seemed to notice. Now OC was legal there. But like others said, most folks are too busy with their own lives to even notice OC, much less printing.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[Xiphoticness]

I've never had any problems with printing or being made. I did open carry for about a year before I got my CCW and in all that time I had one negative experience and one that I wouldn't call bad but significant. The negative experience was in a K-Mart and I was minding my own business looking through the bargain DVD bin when an assistant manager, one of the types who wears a pantsuit instead of a uniform, came up to me and asked if my Ruger .45 Blackhawk was real. I told her yes mam it is, to which she replied "Well you can't have that in public." I responded by informing her of the legal status of open carry in NC and the lack of signage indicating a policy forbidding my carry in their store. She was flustered by the fact that I wasn't just a dumb kid, I was 21 but when I shave I look about 16, and actually knew the law. Her intelligent response was "Well I remember your face so if anybody gets shot I'll know you did it" before walking off. Brilliant, so you're going to tell the guy you expect to go on a shooting rampage that if he wants to get away with it he needs to make sure to get you? :banghead: Some people don't know how to logic.
The other was when I was in Wal-mart and the cops were called on me. That was more fun than anything bad though as I ended up having about a 30 minute conversation with the two cops who responded on the state of carry laws in NC. The first one on the scene had no clue but the backup guy knew all about open carry and he and I basically went over it with the first one and then just shot the breeze a bit. They did ask permission, politely and explicitly recognizing that it was a voluntary thing on my part, to run the serial number and make sure it wasn't stolen. I told them I was fine with that, gave them the number and after it came out good I shook the officers hand and told them to have a nice day. If only every interaction with the police could be that pleasant.

 

[kgpcr]

i pocket carry a .357 snub and its hard to see as i am a big guy and wear big pants. You have to really look for it to know i have it there.

 

[Xiphoticness]

Perhaps I should have mentioned I'm a slim tall guy at 6'3" and 150lbs. but I don't even own anything that would be considered compact. I now carry either a full size Witness .45 or more often a Ruger Service Six .357 4" and while I have some issues with printing with the Witness because of the angles I have never had any issues concealing the revolver.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Lots of paranoia over nothing, IMO.

 

[Torian]

I've never had issues with printing. Most cops I've been around don't really care unless you start acting strange, like constantly readjusting your weapon on your belt, and just draw unnecessary attention to you. Then, once some sheep sees the "print" and bleets to the cops, they are forced to confirm you are lawfully carrying. Once that happens, just hope the cops have enough tact to not try to conduct a felony-type arrest while confirming your lawful CCW status.

Most cops really don't care as long as you don't look like some gang banger with your pants hanging down around your ankles. They know there are a lot of lawful CCW out there, and they are busy enough as it is dealing with real crime.

 

[cl4de6]

From what I have noticed, most people are in their own little world, walking around in condition white.

Lots of people carry around a multitude of crap on their belt these days. It's common to see people with two cell phones.

I don't think anybody really cares or even notices.