You have a bulge in your pants.

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BP Hunter

BP Hunter

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Jan 9, 2006
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Location
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I am a new concealed carry citizen, 3 months into it and am carrying regularly. I may not be at the comfort level of many of you who have carried for years. I try my best to carry nearly completely concealed hoping to avoid people shouting "He's got a GUN!"

The other day at Barnes and Noble. I was reading a gun magazine. This fellow came next to me and pulled out a gun magazine also. His shirt was untucked and I was quite sure that bulge from his right hip was a gun. I was tempted to ask if he was carrying then follow up saying that I was also carrying.

How many of you would ask him if he was carrying? As a gun enthusiast, I feel the need to share it with somebody who may also have the same love for the sport. But I fear I may get the get an unfriendly response because he got "busted".
 
I would NEVER ask a stranger about what he's hiding in his pants. Not a gun, not herpes, not anything. :)

I try my best to carry nearly completely concealed hoping to avoid people shouting "He's got a GUN!"
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They won't. At least they never have. Some people have looked at a gun I was OC'ing; others haven't even looked. One guy smiled as he drove by and I was getting gas with a Smith on my hip. Old guy with a big beard.

I CC usually because it's less of a hassle, OC outside town. I've started to OC in town sometimes, especially on the way to a trail or something, just to see if people care. It's less of a big deal than you might imagine.

That said, I don't much care for the vibe in Seattle. People are jerks there. Not quite the MYOB Western culture of Wyoming, Idaho or Arizona.
 
Ask/tell?

DON'T ASK and DON'T TELL. It is better that way. You can't ask quietly enough and he just may have friends close by that want your piece as well as thier own. Don't think it can't happen!
 
Get one of these t-shirts and avoid such dilemmas in the future.:D

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What makes it a really bad idea is that you could be wrong, then he thinks you're trying to pick him up or something.

I'll never forget when I was about fifteen (1973) and asked a friend of mine if his mother was pregnant when she was standing about ten feet away from us, belly hanging out, with a cigarette in one hand and a Schlitz in the other. Beer came out her nose... :D

Les
 
BPH,

Welcome to concealed carry! I agree with others that it's not best to ask.

Another consideration is how are you going to respond if someone asks you if your carrying and / or you accidentally flash your CCW?

One thing I've learned during years of carrying is that folks will reply based on your response to being "outed." Fortunately it's only happened a couple of times (wind!), but by making nothing of it and saying "it's a beautiful day out, isn't it?" goes a long way.

It may happen to you, just be prepared to answer and calm any nerves.

Take care,
DFW1911
 
I never call people out and I also try to be discrete enough that they never spot my carry.

I was in a gun shop this spring, looking at holsters and discussing solutions for CCW with the sales guy behind the counter, when another customer overheard my questions and stepped forward to make some good recommendations and show me what he was using. It was obviously working perfectly for him. I'd have never spotted his IWB carry.

I appreciated the help and suggestions but I would have never asked him first. I think most folks carry concealed simply because they do not want to call attention to themselves.

If you feel the need to share (and I understand that), help your significant other get through CCW training ... or perhaps some of your closest friends. Much better sharing with those you care about than with strangers anyway.
 
I would NEVER ask a stranger about what he's hiding in his pants. Not a gun, not herpes, not anything.
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Exactly. Some people may have one of those crotch carry holsters.:D:D:D
 
A bulge in the pants is usually from carrying something too big or not concealing it with the proper clothing.


ConcealedCarry.gif
 
she must of been a real classy broad.
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Yes indeed. It was the good ol' days. I don't know what happened to her. My friend ended up doing fifteen years, so we kinda drifted apart.

les
 
You ask somebody about the bulge in their pants and may get an answer you're not likely to be comfortable with.
 
I was tempted to ask if he was carrying
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Potential mistake number one. Whatever it is, he has his shirt pulled over it and doesn't want you seeing it for a reason. Take note, then mind your own business and maintain situational awareness.

then follow up saying that I was also carrying
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Potential mistake numbers two through five. You wear your gun concealed for a reason. I don't care if the pope is packing. You don't need to tell him you're walking heavy too.

CCW doesn't make you part of a mystical brotherhood or secret society where your gun is a membership card. Your gun is just a tool you carry with you that might just save your life if you need it. It's just one tool too, and not the most important one. The "hey, this is cool" effect will eventually wear off as it did when you started carrying a wallet, cell phone, car keys, etc. Until it does, you should try to contain yourself.
 
Those were good responses. I guess I was on the right track. And...thanks for the pictures! LOL:D:D
 
CCW doesn't make you part of a mystical brotherhood or secret society where your gun is a membership card. Your gun is just a tool you carry with you that might just save your life if you need it. It's just one tool too, and not the most important one. The "hey, this is cool" effect will eventually wear off as it did when you started carrying a wallet, cell phone, car keys, etc. Until it does, you should try to contain yourself.
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Well said. Keep it to yourself until it becomes nothing more than a responsibility-motivated PITA. Once it does, you will have even greater appreciation for why you should keep it to yourself. I carry everyday, and I would be alarmed by someone noticing, and then informing me they were also carrying. I try to stay aware of my surroundings, and that behavior would have me a little concerned about you. Second, what if the guy with a gun was a LEO? You would have just failed to conceal to a cop. In Texas, that can get your CHL suspended or revoked. I'm with Clinton on this one--Don't ask, don't tell.
 
Ask yourself how you would respond to a random stranger asking if you were armed. I'd go straight to defcon 2

In Germany it is considered rude to engage a stranger in conversation I guess I brought that back with me.
 
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