"Printing" -- why care?

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ArmedBear

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I'm not trying to make a particular point. I'm just curious to hear various points of view.

I know some states have laws about "printing" but where I live, I can legally open-carry a holstered pistol downtown, so there aren't any legal reasons to avoid "printing" at all costs. Of course, I also understand that there are good reasons not to advertise that you're carrying in populated places, including politeness, tactics, etc.

However, barring extreme cases, I'd think that most concerns about "printing" assume that someone is looking closely. Maybe I'm wrong about that.

So...

How important is it to avoid "printing", to you, with a concealed handgun?

Why is it or isn't it?

Other thoughts?
 
Laws have strange consequences.

In our state open carry is legal but licensed conceal carry must be just that, totally concealed, no printing.

Also, because of some (arguably improper) local restrictions in some cities you need a concealed permit to legally open carry - go figure.
 
In our state open carry is legal but licensed conceal carry must be just that, totally concealed, no printing.
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Wait... So (assuming you're licensed and following all other laws) if you pull your IWB holster out of your pants and hang it outside, from your belt, it's legal, but if you stuff it inside your waistband, you're breaking the law if someone thinks they can tell you have a gun in there?

Wow.
 
Printing isn't an issue at all, unless you're packing a big gun under a tight shirt. It would take something really extreme to get "made".

Last year, I carried a 4" M-29 under a Hawaiian shirt for a couple of weeks. I'm 5'9" tall and weigh 155 lbs, so the gun stuck out a mile. It looked like I had half a large steel grapefruit stuck to my side. The double speedloader pouch was almost as bad.

No one noticed a thing.

The fact is, people are too wrapped up in their own lives to pay any attention to you. No one's looking for guns. They don't expect to see guns. It doesn't occur to them that you might be packing.

Don't worry about it.
 
We are not allowed to print in Arkansas. It's not a concealed weapon at that point in time.

So I use a Smartcarry for light summer wear and it's really deep concealed. Now if I could get some of that brass to print for the ladies.... :neener:
 
How is the "printing" rule enforced, exactly?

I mean we all can guess that a Model 29 stuffed under a tight wifebeater would be "printing". But what about Japle, above?
 
Texas does not have open carry and is obsessive about printing.

However, as a practical matter, it is Texas and many people don't care, probably notice and simply don't bleed from the ears like they might elsewhere (I used to live in NY and MD - can you tell?)

I even wonder about open carry - there's a restaurant I frequent where a largish fellow, 5' 20", I would guess, routinely wears what I've come to call a "BBQ gun" in full regalia. Nobody has ever questioned him though there's no, zip, nada, LEO indications anywhere - I think they simply assume him to be a Texas Ranger and go about munching their black-eyed peas.

Makes me wonder if those of us less suited to the rangers could simply invest in a thousand dollars worth of hand tooled leather, a couple of thousand worth of boots, a hat with an endangered species commemorative leather band and a 3,500.00 1911 and carry openly with impunity. The ability of folks to jump to a "gotta be a LEO" assumption seems boundless, if the accessories are right.
 
I don't want to print; I'm legally carrying, but I'd rather avoid any negative attention. Like someone notices and the police are contacted to see if I have a permit, could cause a scene, might inconvience me.
 
I bet anyone can walk around in tactical 5.11 BDU's with black boots and carry a sidearm around and carry on with your business and no one would say anything. They'd probably glance over a couple of times and assume that you're a LEO.
 
How important is it to avoid "printing", to you, with a concealed handgun?
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To me avoiding "anything" that lets others know that I am carrying concealed is of paramount importance. To go to the trouble to achieve an effective concealed carry and then give it all away by allowing printing (which is totally avoidable with just a little care) lacks both care and intelligence. To me it is very, very important that printing be avoided at all times.:confused:
 
I’ve never heard of it being a problem here in Washington. I was once read the riot act about concealed carry; a well rehearsed one at that, from a police officer. He went on and on about how concealed means concealed and even pointed to the word ‘concealed’ on my CPL. I then pointed out that I was not carrying a concealed pistol; that I was carrying it openly, and short circuited his lecture.
 
How important is it to avoid "printing", to you, with a concealed handgun?

Why is it or isn't it?
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The only reason I could think of to worry about it would be it looks like you're trying to hide it and failing I could see some one thinking you're a criminal because of that.

But that IS pure speculation
 
I’ve never heard of it being a problem here in Washington. I was once read the riot act about concealed carry; a well rehearsed one at that, from a police officer. He went on and on about how concealed means concealed and even pointed to the word ‘concealed’ on my CPL. I then pointed out that I was not carrying a concealed pistol; that I was carrying it openly, and short circuited his lecture.
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I have heard that the POlice are not fans of Open carry here in Wa, Yes o/c is legal here but still, I was just wondering about printing myself... I dont want to draw attn to myself but if it happens it happens...
 
A couple of trainers who were cops for many years told our class that, while it's no big deal in rural or wilderness areas here, they didn't believe open carry is a good idea in urban areas.

Their reason was that, should you actually find yourself in a store, bank or restaurant that's being robbed, you will be the first target if shooting starts. If the robbers don't know you have a gun, you have a tremendous tactical advantage.
 
Just for sake of argument, the proper term is "concealed carry". Printing obviously removes "concealed" from this right.

Personally don't care whether or not you print since I'm not going try and rob you or break into your car or home, but if anyone is acting suspiciously , at least I'll be forewarned.
 
I have heard that the POlice are not fans of Open carry here in Wa...
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They're not a fan of it anywhere. Printing is not illegal in WA, don't let them tell you otherwise.
 
What I don't understand about what you write about WA is this:

If cops think "printing" is a bad idea (and many do, for what I see as some legitimate reasons), why don't they just say that?

"Sir, I'm not sure if you know this, but I could tell you were carrying a gun from a block away. From my experience, that could put you in danger. You don't know where my back-up gun is, and there's a good reason for that. We recommend more careful concealment, because it provides you with much more effective self-defense -- and it keeps you from being bothered by cops like me, too."

That wouldn't be a rude or bad thing to tell someone, whether or not he fully agrees with the cop.
 
I wonder if printing is really a concern of the general population. How many of them really do recognize that what "is printed" is actually a firearm? With so many folks with belt holsters for cell phones and PDAs I suspect the printing might be mistaken for one of them.

Expert witnesses, like LEOs, know the difference and I suspect would be the first to recognize the issue. Other CCL holders would fall into this category as well.
 
Could it be he owns the joint? Business owners have had that right for some time; the new castle doctrine really reinforces it.
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Anything's possible but he was just eating lunch with the rest of us with what appeared like family and left when he was done.

Guy could have gotten work as a Texas Ranger poster boy though.

Next time I see him I'm going to ask where he got the spiffy leather.
 
Printing isn't an issue at all, unless you're packing a big gun under a tight shirt. It would take something really extreme to get "made".
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I put a North Face shell over my Sig P6 in an OWB holster the other day.

It printed so bad you could tell what model Sig it was thru my jacket. :D
 
Could it be he owns the joint? Business owners have had that right for some time; the new castle doctrine really reinforces it.
Click to expand...

I'm amazed at how wildly different gun laws can be in different states.

This right has been specifically written into the law in California for a long time -- I think it's been there since the laws were made that limited open and concealed carry in populated areas. Hell, I think that it was even legal in DC (with extreme limits on the guns that a business owner could legally obtain, of course).

I guess it surprises me that it was EVER illegal in Texas for a business owner to carry in his/her own business.

I wonder where each state gets all the different ideas for what exactly is and isn't legal.
 
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