Today was my very FIRST sighting in the wild...How 'bout you?

[CHLChris]

Plus, I wear an insulin pump (type 1 diabetic)

That sounds like awesome cover! A little visual sleight of hand. I'm sure it's a daily struggle to maintain your health, but at least the bright side is you'd be able to OC a Desert Eagle .44Mag and nobody would notice!

 

[Hayshaker]

Having CC'd for most of the 40+ years that I've had a permit ;I've never been approached. When I get hugs I always try to present my right side ~being a lefty. In todays world with all the cells and tablets :anything is carry able in holster sized packages. NO body notices what your wearing unless you bring attention to your self in some manner.

 

[CHLChris]

Speaking of getting hugs...certainly the moment with greatest "danger" of being made. I have had only one person grab my love handle when hugging me (an aunt and I wasn't carrying at the time). In almost every case, people just don't grab as low on the torso as the gun rides...it is just considered too personal. I am often thoughtful when someone is hugging me as to whether or not their left hand is going to touch my gun, but it has never happened.

I'd love to see somebody's face if they did. Unless they were a gun person, I highly doubt anyone would think twice about it. They would probably make incorrect assumptions (cellphone, etc.) and not even make a connection that they just touched my gun.

 

[CHLChris]

So, @Kid@Heart, is there much visible carrying in the Couv?

 

[Kid@Heart]

I have actually spotted quite a few. Most in the last couple of years.

Quite a few open carry types around.

 

[soberups]

Speaking of getting hugs...certainly the moment with greatest "danger" of being made. I have had only one person grab my love handle when hugging me (an aunt and I wasn't carrying at the time). In almost every case, people just don't grab as low on the torso as the gun rides...it is just considered too personal. I am often thoughtful when someone is hugging me as to whether or not their left hand is going to touch my gun, but it has never happened.

I'd love to see somebody's face if they did. Unless they were a gun person, I highly doubt anyone would think twice about it. They would probably make incorrect assumptions (cellphone, etc.) and not even make a connection that they just touched my gun.

The trick to dealing with hugs when carrying is to "go low." When facing an imminent hug, I always make sure to bring my arms up under the other person's, so that their hands wind up on my middle or upper back and safely above any point where they could accidentally feel my gun.

 

[Flopsweat]

The trick to dealing with hugs when carrying is to "go low." When facing an imminent hug, I always make sure to bring my arms up under the other person's, so that their hands wind up on my middle or upper back and safely above any point where they could accidentally feel my gun.

My trick is that I'm pretty particular about who I hug.

 

[mjbskwim]

Sheez man,anyone who hugs me would expect me to have a gun on me.
And I'm not particular who I hug

 

[Kid@Heart]

Saw one today at Sportsman"s Warehouse. Actually, he was not trying to conceal it at all.

 

[1sgdavo]

Wash is an open carry state, could care less if someone see. Don't go out of my way to show but if it does oh well

 

[CHLChris]

Being visible as a carrier is a big issue for me. I don't really have a good open carry rig, so if someone nefarious sees my non-retentive concealed-carry rig I may be a target for theft.

In my humble opinion, a rig that is possibly visible (thus, open carry) should have some sort of retention. Quite frankly, I even think that an open carry rig should look quite good (think barbecue gun). In our decision to go open-carry we are also deciding to be ambassadors of the gun culture.

 

[Flopsweat]

Being visible as a carrier is a big issue for me. I don't really have a good open carry rig, so if someone nefarious sees my non-retentive concealed-carry rig I may be a target for theft.

In my humble opinion, a rig that is possibly visible (thus, open carry) should have some sort of retention. Quite frankly, I even think that an open carry rig should look quite good (think barbecue gun). In our decision to go open-carry we are also deciding to be ambassadors of the gun culture.

Right on. I've got a couple of nice looking holsters for social open carry and they have good, solid retention features. A secure holster is a good idea regardless. Suppose you fall and roll down a hill or stairs or something. Right when you're in less condition or mood to go searching for your lost piece, you might just have to do so. Don't get me wrong - I don't test my holsters by rolling down hills.

 

[M. D. Van Norman]

One of my staff thought she could spot someone carrying a gun. Given the percentage of licensees in our area, I suggested that she probably doesn't spot a hundred or more every day.

 

[NWGlockgal]

I don't make it a habit of looking at men!

I do.

 

[blackadder]

Mine was at the put put golf course in Sumner/Bonnie Lake. Guy didn't have a long enough shirt. Also saw a cowboy in MT one time with his shirt tucked in, but I could see his holster belt clip and the way he walked was a dead giveaway.
Walk through Costco in Mt Vernon, hella ppl carrying. Spotted 5 in one evening.

 

[4Freedom]

I've been carrying daily for 6 years or so. I am always on some level of lookout for someone printing or inadvertently showing their holstered firearm. I've seen only a couple of people open-carrying, several people whose outfit screamed gun but I couldn't see anything, and of course people I assumed were carrying when I've met them to do a NWFA deal. But today was the FIRST time I saw someone's gun. They were leaning over filling their gas can at the gas station and their short T-shirt kept riding up, even though he kept yanking at his shirt tail.

Leather, open-bottomed OWB holster. I couldn't tell from the little barrel showing out the bottom (just the tip) what exact gun he was sporting, but could tell it was a single-stack black gun of some sort. It took everything in me to not go up and say something, but there are so many ways that he could misinterpret that I just let it go.

I'm no longer an I-can-see-your-gu-un virgin. When did you lose your virginity and realize that there actually are people concealed carrying in your community?

I have seen a lot of people carrying and could easily see their prints. Many people around here just don't give a crap. . Especially, these days with all the junk people carry on their body. I usually wear a light North Face or Columbia vest and have been in places where I know that people are paranoid of guns and people never have noticed. Even I walked right by the Seattle PD station, in anti-gun Seattle, with my gun and cops looking at me and never a bat of the eyelash.

However, with the hot weather and the fact that I just don't give much of a crap anymore, since there is nothing illegal about a licensed CHL holder carrying a pistol, I will carry without my vest. I remove my mag pouches and pepper spray on my belt that seem to attract more attention than my gun. So, I will be carrying my full size S&W M&P and there will be a bit of a print. The only people in Seattle or Portland who would even think it is a gun would be people like you and me. As much as I don't really like Seattle people I have found them to be very reserved and the type of people who seem to mind their own business. Unless I am outright open-carrying a gun on my hip, nobody will even try to think twice of what that bump sticking out of my shirt is all about. I do carry IWB with a hybrid pancake/kydex holster, but a big gun like mine and a tight shirt still makes it somewhat noticeable.

A funny story about Seattle. I carry large can of some pretty powerful pepper spray with me. I use to carry it in my vest and it had the habit of keep falling out. One day I was at coffeeshop and it fell out right next to this lady who was sitting at table with her children, including her baby. I didn't even notice it. She, tapped me on the shoulder and was holding my pepper spray, saying "Oh Excuse Me Sir, you dropped this." I felt a little embarrassed and took my can of MUgger Fogger and was , like "OH, umm, geez, Thank you". I am sure if that was a gun it would have been a different situation, but it just goes to show you the mentality of people. The polite and non-invasive nature of people is somewhat beneficial to concealed carriers.

ANybody, carrying OWB with a shirt over their gun is essentially open-carrying. I would say it's not the brightest idea, but then again, I don't think many in this area will care unless your shirt has the habit of flapping up and exposing the entire gun.

And all this time I was worried about seeing that "Plumbers crack"...... Personally I would rather see a gun than 2/3rds of a fat guys @$$............

That should be considered brandishing and made illegal..

 

[Flopsweat]

I have seen a lot of people carrying and could easily see their prints. Many people around here just don't give a crap. . Especially, these days with all the junk people carry on their body. I usually wear a light North Face or Columbia vest and have been in places where I know that people are paranoid of guns and people never have noticed. Even I walked right by the Seattle PD station, in anti-gun Seattle, with my gun and cops looking at me and never a bat of the eyelash.

However, with the hot weather and the fact that I just don't give much of a crap anymore, since there is nothing illegal about a licensed CHL holder carrying a pistol, I will carry without my vest. I remove my mag pouches and pepper spray on my belt that seem to attract more attention than my gun. So, I will be carrying my full size S&W M&P and there will be a bit of a print. The only people in Seattle or Portland who would even think it is a gun would be people like you and me. As much as I don't really like Seattle people I have found them to be very reserved and the type of people who seem to mind their own business. Unless I am outright open-carrying a gun on my hip, nobody will even try to think twice of what that bump sticking out of my shirt is all about. I do carry IWB with a hybrid pancake/kydex holster, but a big gun like mine and a tight shirt still makes it somewhat noticeable.

A funny story about Seattle. I carry large can of some pretty powerful pepper spray with me. I use to carry it in my vest and it had the habit of keep falling out. One day I was at coffeeshop and it fell out right next to this lady who was sitting at table with her children, including her baby. I didn't even notice it. She, tapped me on the shoulder and was holding my pepper spray, saying "Oh Excuse Me Sir, you dropped this." I felt a little embarrassed and took my can of MUgger Fogger and was , like "OH, umm, geez, Thank you". I am sure if that was a gun it would have been a different situation, but it just goes to show you the mentality of people. The polite and non-invasive nature of people is somewhat beneficial to concealed carriers.

ANybody, carrying OWB with a shirt over their gun is essentially open-carrying. I would say it's not the brightest idea, but then again, I don't think many in this area will care unless your shirt has the habit of flapping up and exposing the entire gun.




That should be considered brandishing and made illegal..

I'm picturing a little old lady handing you your full size M&P and saying "Oh Excuse Me Sir, you dropped this." I've finished my post and it's still kinda funny.

 

[blackadder]

I carry a full sized M&P40 in a hybrid IWB holster, prints a little but not too bad.

 

[Hayshaker]

Always OWB ~~ IWB drives me nuts ~ plus not easy to draw. Loose shirt covers me good ~~ maybe the type of body build ~~ no beer belly ' If I'm wearing something trucked in I use my "Sneaky Pete" ~~ looks like large cell/ small tablet carrier. Have never been questioned

 

[MamaBear]

The first I saw, over a decade ago, was an open carrier up in the mountain town near us long before open carry became illegal in California. Hubby and I struck up a conversation since we had not seen it before in the state. After that I started watching, I never saw an open carrier in California again before they outlawed it, but I once saw belt clips that I figured were holster clips for an IWB.

Few years later had a friend of a friend come out to see our horses, noticed he would never bend over, but would always squat. Figured he must be carrying. Looked at his right hip and could not see anything, later as I was showing him how to ride I learned he was left handed, and yup I could see a tel tel "bump" on his left hip. Must have been a "pocket pistol" or a j frame since it was quite small and once he got off the horse, the "printing" went away.

We have a close family friend that also has horses. I once saw a small bit of leather peaking out from the edge of his shirt that I wondered if it was a shoulder holster, but thought it rude to ask. I tried watching to see if I could see something, but never did see any noticeable printing. Later I learned he does have a CCW and he does indeed carry a FS 1911 in a shoulder holster (he's a pretty big guy), and he always carries it outside his work (they don't allow carry), even when riding. I could never tell and still can't even though I now know it's there.

But then again, CC is not common in California, even amongst the range buddies I know, the subject of not being able to carry would sometimes come up. The two Californians I personally knew who did have a CCW were fortunate enough to live in one of the handful of counties that the Sheriff was CCW friendly and the city didn't require you to go through the city police. It's easier now to get a CCW, but in some cities it is still very hard to nearly impossible, including the town I currently reside. My town is one that prevents you from going through the sheriff and require you go through the city police, good luck with that!

Now Idaho is a different story....