Why do you carry concealed? How well do you conceal it?
- Thread starter Plainsman
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Our state requires a CCW be “not noticable by a casual passerby.” IE covered and printing isnt a big deal legally. We use to allow open carry, since CCW has gotten so big, that went away, unfortunately.
I use to open carry a LOT. When out and about, a .22 or .44 revolver were on my hip a lot. They were “work” guns on the farm. If I went somewhere and one was on my belt, not a problem.
Now we have to CCW, but I find myself with OWB often and simply have an outer garment draped over it. Legally covered. Im not worried about “hiding” my gun from people.
How about you?
I use to open carry a LOT. When out and about, a .22 or .44 revolver were on my hip a lot. They were “work” guns on the farm. If I went somewhere and one was on my belt, not a problem.
Now we have to CCW, but I find myself with OWB often and simply have an outer garment draped over it. Legally covered. Im not worried about “hiding” my gun from people.
How about you?
I either carry my small 9mm concealed, I have it under a t-shirt but it might occasionally print, the importtant thing ifor me is retention. Which is the reason for the concealment. My larger 10mm EDC is OWB in a level 2. I may wear a cover garment for that as needed but not really to conceal it.
I make no effort to conceal.
Around town it's concealed I prefer to be low key, but I'm not normally in town. So most often it's open carry OWB because it is more comfortable.
I’ve only had my CCW since last September, and initially I was concerned about printing. A couple of months ago my wife asked me if I ever carry when we go shopping…
I told her I carry every time I leave the house and half the time I’m just outside on the property
Haven’t worried about printing since then
I told her I carry every time I leave the house and half the time I’m just outside on the property
Haven’t worried about printing since then
I’d like to add that living in NY there are a LOT of places that I’m not allowed to carry. I have a lock box in my truck located under the drivers seat, but I can only access it from the rear door (there’s no room to slide it under the seat from the front). When I have to store it I keep my holster on my person and lock up the pistol—that’s the quickest way to unholster/reholster the weapon, but I try to be extremely careful about anyone seeing me do so. Not trying to drift away from the point of the thread but not printing doesn’t mean much if people SEE you with the weapon
I should add that it’s not legal in NY to store the pistol in the console or glove box even if they lock.
I should add that it’s not legal in NY to store the pistol in the console or glove box even if they lock.
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When I carried, it was with a concealed-carry permit issued personally by the County Sheriff. A credible threat had been made against my family and me. I carried concealed so as not to attract the notice and attention that open carry generates.
I took care that the weapon didn't print against my outer clothing. Depending on the weather/situation I carried in a custom-made upside-down shoulder holster under my right arm, in a Roy's Pancake Holster on my left hip, or in an IWB holster that I could carry strong-side on the left or cross-draw on the right. I'm left-handed.
How effective? I really don't know. I never had anyone react, gasp or complain.
I took care that the weapon didn't print against my outer clothing. Depending on the weather/situation I carried in a custom-made upside-down shoulder holster under my right arm, in a Roy's Pancake Holster on my left hip, or in an IWB holster that I could carry strong-side on the left or cross-draw on the right. I'm left-handed.
How effective? I really don't know. I never had anyone react, gasp or complain.
I off body carry these days. Or a bum bag. Everybody has some kind of bag these days so I don’t stand out anyway.
I purposefully IWB appendix carry concealed and do try to *not* show a print (S&W Mod 66 usually or Glock 43X).
Open carry or obvious printing might make you a target for planned criminal behavior. When I am concealed carrying, nobody knows I am but me. I look like the average working class guy. The gray man that criminals see no value in robbing, nor would criminals see me as a threat in protecting the dufuss imbecile who chooses to advertise their worn or driven “wealth”.
I am pro open carry, but it just doesn’t makes sense to me to maximize my life’s potential and thus my family’s potential.
Open carry or obvious printing might make you a target for planned criminal behavior. When I am concealed carrying, nobody knows I am but me. I look like the average working class guy. The gray man that criminals see no value in robbing, nor would criminals see me as a threat in protecting the dufuss imbecile who chooses to advertise their worn or driven “wealth”.
I am pro open carry, but it just doesn’t makes sense to me to maximize my life’s potential and thus my family’s potential.
My State is open carry. Also have a concealed permit. How and what I carry is very dependent on where I am and what I’m doing.
Sometimes deep concealment, sometimes more obvious.
Proud pops here. My daughter signed herself up for and is at a Concealed Carry class tonight. Should be on her way home anytime now.
Sometimes deep concealment, sometimes more obvious.
Proud pops here. My daughter signed herself up for and is at a Concealed Carry class tonight. Should be on her way home anytime now.
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Me neither. I have a slim single stack I carry in a nice close carrying upperhand holster, that is usually paired with a shirtjac or flannel - incidental concealment. Same with a compact or full size CZ in a level 2. My only nod to concealment is that I don't like black holsters - nothing I wear is black, so its some shade of green usually which fades into my pants or shirts.
But we've got two griz up and moving around our little town now, and I don't want anything between me and my 10mm on a draw - nothing. I don't care who says they can sweep, draw and present quickly, it will never be faster as long as you have to sweep. So the 10mm does not get covered, at all, not even incidentally, when carried. Which will be anytime I'm outside, even to throw the ball with the dogs, in probably a couple of weeks.
If I had to label my view on carry, it would be: I-don't-care-what-you-think-carry. You do you boo.
Career yeti
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90% of the time I conceal under a t shirt. OWB, I carry 95% of waking hours.
RJM52
Guide
Have had a CC license since 1970 when I turned 18. Connecticut had CC since I can't remember when... Went to school in Boston and had a Mass. Out of State CC license which was easier for me to get as a non-resident than my friends who were residents.
Have carried daily ever since.
Have never ever open carried except while hunting. You loose all of your tactical advantage doing so. Just took a 3600 mile visiting friends and family and very few of them ever saw my gun. The few that did were those I went shooting with.
That is the other half of "concealed"....if you tell someone you carry, your gun is no longer concealed... And for every person they tell it's that less concealed.
Bob
Have carried daily ever since.
Have never ever open carried except while hunting. You loose all of your tactical advantage doing so. Just took a 3600 mile visiting friends and family and very few of them ever saw my gun. The few that did were those I went shooting with.
That is the other half of "concealed"....if you tell someone you carry, your gun is no longer concealed... And for every person they tell it's that less concealed.
Bob
I guess that it would depend on the setting. Sometimes, if I'm dressed up, I'll be wearing a compact 9mm in a tuckable holster and all you'll see is a belt clip. Sometimes I open carry. Sometimes in a fanny pack. Most of the time it's "casual carry", e.g., mostly concealed, but if I print or it becomes exposed or I take off my cover garment, I'm not really that worried about it.
I've been carrying concealed since November 1999 and carrying everywhere, everyday since October 2, 2010. I've never had an adverse reaction from another person.
I've been carrying concealed since November 1999 and carrying everywhere, everyday since October 2, 2010. I've never had an adverse reaction from another person.
I carry concealed because although open carry is a right, I think it is a bad tactic.
No one has ever asked about or said anything to me about my pistol printing.
No one has ever asked about or said anything to me about my pistol printing.
JeffG
Bushmaster
Pants on, gun on. Glock 43, IWB kydex... I make sure even the daily tee shirt that I wear is cut large enough to conceal. Friends, family and neighbors never even see it. Concealed, right?
*ZAP*
Tracker
Yes.
Sure do.
Sure do.
IWB appendix w/Shield 40. One extra mag.
Always concealed, always carried. Always.
To my knowledge, no one knows.
Drop leg, thigh holster while hunting with a bigger, higher capacity side arm.
Always concealed, always carried. Always.
To my knowledge, no one knows.
Drop leg, thigh holster while hunting with a bigger, higher capacity side arm.
biglazycamper
Bushmaster
Back when I started carrying, I made an effort not to print. State laws changed and CC became much more common, and I quit caring as much about minor printing. Generally a relatively loose-fitting shirt was "good enough".
I generally don't bother these days. I can't carry at work, can't even have it in the car, so carrying on the commute is out too, which is 90% of my time away from home. It isn't a toothless "company rule" situation that I can just ignore with impunity, either.
If and when I do carry, it tends to be off-body, and "really" concealed.
I generally don't bother these days. I can't carry at work, can't even have it in the car, so carrying on the commute is out too, which is 90% of my time away from home. It isn't a toothless "company rule" situation that I can just ignore with impunity, either.
If and when I do carry, it tends to be off-body, and "really" concealed.
in my tame suburbs i carry deeply concealed, i simply don’t want the hassle of being made. these days my preferred ccw is a keltec p32 pistol. it rides in a strong side, slide holster on my waist. over it is an untucked shirt. in my pocket is an extra mag. i really like the p32: small, handy, reliable, shootable, accurate at a legitimate defensive distance. a naa bugout 22lr minirevolver is my deeper-yet pocket ccw choice, with a speedstrip reload.
if im outdoorsing, though open carry is technically lawful, i never do so. i don’t want my quiet walks disturbed by opinionated antigunners or by a park ranger simply doing his job. in winter i carry in my outer coat pocket a triggerguard-less bond arms derringer in a sticky holster, with a couple of speedstrips in the opposite pocket. in warmer weather i carry in a nondescript, non-gunner, sporting-logo, fanny pack a ruger bearcat single-action 22lr revolver or a s&w 642 airweight 38sp snubbie, either with speedstrips. no quadraped apex predators on my trails, though i often wish my life had taken a turn to those places.
note that i am a firm believer in carrying reloads. i highly doubt that i would ever sally forth armed without a reload or two.
if im outdoorsing, though open carry is technically lawful, i never do so. i don’t want my quiet walks disturbed by opinionated antigunners or by a park ranger simply doing his job. in winter i carry in my outer coat pocket a triggerguard-less bond arms derringer in a sticky holster, with a couple of speedstrips in the opposite pocket. in warmer weather i carry in a nondescript, non-gunner, sporting-logo, fanny pack a ruger bearcat single-action 22lr revolver or a s&w 642 airweight 38sp snubbie, either with speedstrips. no quadraped apex predators on my trails, though i often wish my life had taken a turn to those places.
note that i am a firm believer in carrying reloads. i highly doubt that i would ever sally forth armed without a reload or two.
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*ZAP*
Tracker
Ccarry is a good thing. Not being obvious is a good thing. Being proficient is a good thing.
Something to think about:
Initial purchase(grip) is so very important. You may want to become very proficient at getting that crushing-correct initial grip from your edc carry choice. Proper grip is everything when discharging a handgun.
Sit in your vehicle behind the wheel buckled in. Can you get to your holster? Can you draw easily? Can you address a threat at you left side without sweeping your body? Sweeping your body while you have the intention to discharge is a very big problem.
If you cannot easily-safely address a threat while buckled in behind the wheel you may need to figure that situation out to resolve that issue.
If your carry holster choice does not allow a good crushing grip from the initial purchase you may need to figure that situation out.
Along the same line of thought on grip it may be a good thing to become pre-disposed to picking a handgun up off of a surface it is laying on with your off side hand so you can get a good firm initial purchase on the grip. Otherwise your grip will not be the best and you may need to use the other hand to stabilize that grip which is slower than picking the handgun up with the off side hand.
And finally become very proficient shooting with just one hand. My opinion is that one handed shooting proficiency is greatly overlooked.
JMO-YMMV.
Something to think about:
Initial purchase(grip) is so very important. You may want to become very proficient at getting that crushing-correct initial grip from your edc carry choice. Proper grip is everything when discharging a handgun.
Sit in your vehicle behind the wheel buckled in. Can you get to your holster? Can you draw easily? Can you address a threat at you left side without sweeping your body? Sweeping your body while you have the intention to discharge is a very big problem.
If you cannot easily-safely address a threat while buckled in behind the wheel you may need to figure that situation out to resolve that issue.
If your carry holster choice does not allow a good crushing grip from the initial purchase you may need to figure that situation out.
Along the same line of thought on grip it may be a good thing to become pre-disposed to picking a handgun up off of a surface it is laying on with your off side hand so you can get a good firm initial purchase on the grip. Otherwise your grip will not be the best and you may need to use the other hand to stabilize that grip which is slower than picking the handgun up with the off side hand.
And finally become very proficient shooting with just one hand. My opinion is that one handed shooting proficiency is greatly overlooked.
JMO-YMMV.
good points @*ZAP*. a crossdraw holster is essential, and i admit that my most liked holsters aren’t. generally while seated at the steering wheel of a motor vehicle i want two hands on the wheel to maneuver my 3000lb sledgehammer, hopefully away from trouble, but if not then as a weapon. the hugely vulnerable time is stopped in dense traffic or at a drive thru or ingress/egress to pump gas.
I carry concealed and try my best not to print. I never open carry unless I'm plinking with a .22 pistol on our property.
Much excellent advice in your comments that reflect my experiences as well.
*ZAP*
Tracker
I have been legally concealing a firearm since 1987.
The biggest mistakes that I see made by folks new to carrying concealed firearms are first considering that law enforcement officers self defense needs are congruent to civilian self defense needs, as they are not and selection of a bloody hand cannon that makes concealment difficult and carrying a chore.
The point about not being law enforcement should be considered. As civilians, we are not legally or morally obligated to stop malfeasance that is not directed at ourselves or our family. In fact "getting involved" might end up with you having to defend your liberty in a court of law. For instance, you're in that Shop-N-Rob gas station when it gets, well, robbed, in most parts of the country you may not uncover your firearm until YOUR life is threatened and I would add that you had better be able to demonstrate that threat to your life to a subsequent jury. Law enforcement can point firearms at people, civilians may not. In much of the country civilians have a legal power of self defense but I would add that power does not extend to us sheepdoging, intimidating otherwise pointing that firearm at others.
My point about hand cannons. How many times have I been in a gun store, gun show, read a gun magazine or online expert expand on what gun a person MUST carry to be ready for every situation. Many folks get sold the same full sized hand gun that the local law enforcement carry. The supposition is that LEO carry guns all day so they must be experts. The reality is that many LEO carry what their department attorney has found acceptable to insulate the department from liability or worse, the best deal the department could work to equip everyone. The truth is that most LEO about as much about firearms as they do about the flashlight or handcuffs on their belts. Do they know how to use these objects? Yes, but does that make them experts in flashlights, handcuffs or handguns? Absolutely not.
The best, hard learned advice that I can offer is to first sort out HOW you will carry a firearm and then sort out WHAT firearm you will carry. This was a long journey of experiences and learning for myself. My journey included wearing suspenders instead of belts thanks to diabetes. My journey included several spinal and knee injuries that limit where I can physically carry a handgun. All those great but large handguns that I have carried concealed in the past, M1911, GP35, P226, P229, 66, 629, G17, M&P9, M&P45, P220 etc just did not work out as planned. Because I am not a cop and do not HAVE to carry a handgun, these large cannons ended up being awkward to carry, impossible to sit down with and generally complicated my life. My spinal injury made it less painful to carry weights below the injury. More often than not I found myself slipping a hammerless S&W revolver into my pocket along with a few Bianchi speed strips in a different pocket. Stuck in a DeSantis pocket sleeve, this was so comfortable that it always came with me when I stepped out. The system that I have used since at least 2000 is that I walk about with this seemingly inadequate sidearm concealed one my body, while I have in the vehicle a much larger, more competent firearm concealed in a cross-body style concealed carry bag (maxpedition, 5.11 Helkon, etc). In the last 15 years or so I have pocket carried a Glock 19 or Shadow Systems version but these are really too much for my spine. I normally carry an original version of the S&W Shield in 9x19mm. I can shoot this better than the J frame and this does not have the cylinder bulge. If I am going somewhere where I anticipate that I might encounter a natural animal threat i carry a Glock 40 in 10mm Auto.
Concealed or open carry? That's the wrong question. That choice is quite personal to the individual and their needs. What legally works for you, in your situation, is fine by me. The better questions are what firearm actually suit YOUR needs and HOW is that firearm going to be carried in such a fashion that it does not get left at home.
The biggest mistakes that I see made by folks new to carrying concealed firearms are first considering that law enforcement officers self defense needs are congruent to civilian self defense needs, as they are not and selection of a bloody hand cannon that makes concealment difficult and carrying a chore.
The point about not being law enforcement should be considered. As civilians, we are not legally or morally obligated to stop malfeasance that is not directed at ourselves or our family. In fact "getting involved" might end up with you having to defend your liberty in a court of law. For instance, you're in that Shop-N-Rob gas station when it gets, well, robbed, in most parts of the country you may not uncover your firearm until YOUR life is threatened and I would add that you had better be able to demonstrate that threat to your life to a subsequent jury. Law enforcement can point firearms at people, civilians may not. In much of the country civilians have a legal power of self defense but I would add that power does not extend to us sheepdoging, intimidating otherwise pointing that firearm at others.
My point about hand cannons. How many times have I been in a gun store, gun show, read a gun magazine or online expert expand on what gun a person MUST carry to be ready for every situation. Many folks get sold the same full sized hand gun that the local law enforcement carry. The supposition is that LEO carry guns all day so they must be experts. The reality is that many LEO carry what their department attorney has found acceptable to insulate the department from liability or worse, the best deal the department could work to equip everyone. The truth is that most LEO about as much about firearms as they do about the flashlight or handcuffs on their belts. Do they know how to use these objects? Yes, but does that make them experts in flashlights, handcuffs or handguns? Absolutely not.
The best, hard learned advice that I can offer is to first sort out HOW you will carry a firearm and then sort out WHAT firearm you will carry. This was a long journey of experiences and learning for myself. My journey included wearing suspenders instead of belts thanks to diabetes. My journey included several spinal and knee injuries that limit where I can physically carry a handgun. All those great but large handguns that I have carried concealed in the past, M1911, GP35, P226, P229, 66, 629, G17, M&P9, M&P45, P220 etc just did not work out as planned. Because I am not a cop and do not HAVE to carry a handgun, these large cannons ended up being awkward to carry, impossible to sit down with and generally complicated my life. My spinal injury made it less painful to carry weights below the injury. More often than not I found myself slipping a hammerless S&W revolver into my pocket along with a few Bianchi speed strips in a different pocket. Stuck in a DeSantis pocket sleeve, this was so comfortable that it always came with me when I stepped out. The system that I have used since at least 2000 is that I walk about with this seemingly inadequate sidearm concealed one my body, while I have in the vehicle a much larger, more competent firearm concealed in a cross-body style concealed carry bag (maxpedition, 5.11 Helkon, etc). In the last 15 years or so I have pocket carried a Glock 19 or Shadow Systems version but these are really too much for my spine. I normally carry an original version of the S&W Shield in 9x19mm. I can shoot this better than the J frame and this does not have the cylinder bulge. If I am going somewhere where I anticipate that I might encounter a natural animal threat i carry a Glock 40 in 10mm Auto.
Concealed or open carry? That's the wrong question. That choice is quite personal to the individual and their needs. What legally works for you, in your situation, is fine by me. The better questions are what firearm actually suit YOUR needs and HOW is that firearm going to be carried in such a fashion that it does not get left at home.
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