Day 2 of Oregon CHL Carry

[Pete F]

If the gun I am carrying does not fit in my vest holster, I use Safariland OWB paddle holsters/mag holders - easy on and easy off. No threading through your belt in between belt loops. The holsters can be belt mounted if preferred. I do have several leather (buffalo) and woven reinforced polymer (nylon) belts that I wear in concert with the paddle holsters to keep them secure.

Like you, I find that I carry much more often lately. There are so many good choices in belts, I won't even get into brands.

 

[Ironbar]

Milestone alert, today marked my second full day of concealed carry in public.

The preparation and training and research and waiting was all worth it.

I've had the CHL since 2017, got it shortly after I purchased my carry gun, but never actually found a setup that I wanted to carry. I got lots of good exposure to firearms growing up and now practice at the range every month. Draw and dry fire practice in my home. IDPA matches gave me confidence that I could use my pistol in multiple situations and still maintain accuracy.

Settled on a TLR-6 WML for my S&W M&P Shield 9.

I studied carry positions and worked out the best for my body and clothes type. Settled on an appendix IWB kydex clip holster. Dialed in the retention, loaded up my chamber and had a decent little concealed rig which felt completely doable!

Took it out all day, if my pants are on, my gun is on. Determined I need a sturdier belt.

So many folks posted their experiences online and it really built up my confidence to just clip the gun in my pants and live life like i did before, acting like the gun is not even there. Because at the end of the day its there for an emergency which is very unlikely to happen.

I didn't want the gun to significantly change my subconscious behavior. I'm still as situationally aware as I was before but now i just have that one extra EDC tool that will sure come in handy if I need it.

The gist of the story is that I can't believe I waited this long. I wasn't "made" at any point in the last two days, and at no point did I feel like I was burdened excessively by shepherding a gun around town.

The final thing I want to ask is whether anybody has any tips for me now, and if there are any recommendations for CHL lawyers in the Portland area.

Thanks for your time.

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I really don't mean to burst your bubble, especially after that lengthy report, but as time goes by you're going to soon discover a very important truth: nobody notices when you're carrying concealed.

You may think that every person walking by has their eyes on your waistband, and someone is going to cry foul if they see you printing. You couldn't be more wrong.

The general public is completely oblivious. They do not notice nor do they care. They are walking around in their own little world thinking they got a good bead on things, when in reality they wouldn't notice your pistol even if you were wearing it under a skin-tight catsuit.

 

[HA556]

when in reality they wouldn't notice your pistol even if you were wearing it under a skin-tight catsuit.

Must be a pretty small pistol!

 

[skyscam]

Again, kudos to you @skyscam for taking all these aspects so seriously. We know of course they are, but life often gets in the way of treating them as such.

Thanks WillametteWill, I could not stand leaving the house strapped and not know what I would do if I did need to discharge my handgun in response to a life threat. Post-incident is a situation where we're better together than on our own.

If the gun I am carrying does not fit in my vest holster, I use Safariland OWB paddle holsters/mag holders - easy on and easy off. No threading through your belt in between belt loops. The holsters can be belt mounted if preferred. I do have several leather (buffalo) and woven reinforced polymer (nylon) belts that I wear in concert with the paddle holsters to keep them secure.

Like you, I find that I carry much more often lately. There are so many good choices in belts, I won't even get into brands.

Tony from Oregon Rifleworks had high praise for the Safariland paddle design also, so I have one for my G17 with Surefire X300U-A and RMR. Love the ALS holster I got, just wish I had gotten the SafariSeven (7392RDS) material instead of the SafariLaminate on my 6390RDS.

The paddle contour creates the most comfortable paddle I've had the pleasure of using. Unfortunately, due to my body type, it's not comfortable for concealed daily carry. Maybe if I could open carry without half the town coming down on me (I miss living in Arizona for this reason).

I really don't mean to burst your bubble, especially after that lengthy report, but as time goes by you're going to soon discover a very important truth: nobody notices when you're carrying concealed.

You may think that every person walking by has their eyes on your waistband, and someone is going to cry foul if they see you printing. You couldn't be more wrong.

The general public is completely oblivious. They do not notice nor do they care. They are walking around in their own little world thinking they got a good bead on things, when in reality they wouldn't notice your pistol even if you were wearing it under a skin-tight catsuit.

100% agree with you Ironbar, and I think I'm less concerned about printing or showing the handgrip or holster briefly. What does concern me is reactions from regular folks who, once they catch that glimpse, even if I promptly correct my unintentional showing and it only is seen by this one person, they will make an issue and not drop it. I think the big difference is whether that person is the proprietor of the business or just another patron. I know there are regular folks out there who can't mind their own business. They turn minor transgressions into huge scenes and I can see it ruining my restaurant, retail or public venue visit to the point where myself and my friends will need to leave. I respect business owners and their right to refuse service, but it's the regular folks with something to prove that bugs me.