Printing

[EMB145]

This is an old subject of concealed carry, but as the weather changes, so does my method of carry and observations on the subject.

 

I'm 5' 3" tall. Stocky at 168 lbs. I don't hide things very easily.

 

During the warmer months, I carry a Sig P238 in a pocket holster, right front pocket. Never an issue, looks like a wallet. The colder months, I carry a Glock 26 in the combat holster. Keeps very close to my body. I do not care for an IWB. Nothing wrong with it, it just doesn't work for me.

 

Recently I purchased the Crossbreed mini slide along with the mini slide mag holders. It prints wearing it, but not crazy like. You have to actually be looking for a gun or something "off" with my appearance.

 

Now to my observations. I think I've been too worried about concealment as the majority of people pay no attention to people around them. I've tested this with the Glock 26 with a pull over shirt. Printing big time, no one ever questioned me as I honestly don't think they notice anything out of the ordinary.

 

I think I have been overly cautious with the whole printing issue in the past. If its not hanging out there and obvious for the world to see, I've found I can go about my day without anyone every questioning me. If I'm ever questioned about it, well its my insulin pump or what not. Point is, I don't think printing is as big of an issue as people make it out to be, or at least its not as big of an issue as I thought it was.

 

Have any of you guys/girls had any issues with printing while carrying? 

 

[DaveTN]

Have any of you guys/girls had any issues with printing while carrying?

No, and I don’t like IWB holster either; but I do like to stay concealed. My reasons for wanting to stay concealed have nothing to do with what people think; it’s the way I was trained and my experience.

I’ve never been ask if I was carrying, but depending on who it was I wouldn’t have a problem with answering honestly.

[peejman]

75% of the people wouldn't notice if you were on fire. 75% of those who notice won't do anything about it. Printing is only an issue in states that require concealment.

I was at a popular area of the Smoky Mtns park a while back. There was a guy walking around wearing a not very loose fitting smith & wesson t-shirt. It was covering, but certainly not concealing, the pistol on his hip. I was able to observe for nearly an hour... no one appeared to notice.

[EMB145]

No, and I don’t like IWB holster either; but I do like to stay concealed. My reasons for wanting to stay concealed have nothing to do with what people think; it’s the way I was trained and my experience.
n 
I’ve never been ask if I was carrying, but depending on who it was I wouldn’t have a problem with answering honestly.

 

I would probably answer honestly depending who was asking, (LEO ect). I think my hang up is the fact that I've been to focused on the point of printing at all. Fact is, people simply don't notice. Its good for me as I can bring the  Glock 26 on all my adventures without concern. If I am questioned and asked to leave a place, so be it, I leave that place. 

 

My whole concern was being detected as having a firearm on me at all. I seriously think the public is to stupid to notice. Interesting times that we live in.

Edited December 9, 2015 by EMB145

[jgradyc]

1. I agree that the general public is oblivious to printing. I do think that criminals are more observant, so I am careful not to print.
2. Once the temperature drops below 70, I wear long sleeves and a lightweight vest. Vests do an outstanding job of concealing because they're thick enough to never print, yet you can wear them indoors without getting too hot. I have a wide selection of vests... puffy vests ski vests, yuppie running vests, and even a couple of hey-I'm-carrying-a-gun vests. :pleased:  I usually wear the latter when I'm in the country and the former when I'm around town. However, I carry at 5 o'clock. If you carry at 3 o'clock, you're probably going to have the occasional wardrobe malfunction where it would be visible for a couple of seconds, but again, the general public won't notice.

Edited December 9, 2015 by jgradyc

[Tuffus]

I don't worry about printing too much any more even though I try to conceal most of the time. People don't really notice from my experience. My wife hates guns, in the last year on 3 occasions we have been in restaurants where open carriers were eating and she didn't even notice. I carry all the time and she only recently found that out. ( I guess I am pretty sneaky). Most people are oblivious to their surroundings only caring about their own quest for the latest and greatest whatever they are shopping for and don't care. The only people that notice will be people like us that are also carrying, and we like it.

[none]

 
Have any of you guys/girls had any issues with printing while carrying

Its not so much the printing as it is peoples mannerisms. As others have said people don't notice anything that is not on their phone.

Its sad the lack of sa that the majority of the public demonstrates.

But again people do not notice anything. I carry at church normally I don't carry iwb its not practical or preferred. But I bought. A Hybrid holster that's iwb for Sunday only. I was sure everyone would know I was carrying because to me the black clips stood out like a sore thumb. One person noticed.

[TMF]

I OWB my 1911, and the muzzle normally sticks out the bottom of my shirt. I was uncomfortable carrying it this way for a while, and was very aware of the people around me and whether they would notice. I never observed anyone notice.

While living in TN I'd see a person open carrying every once and a while. I would use that opportunity to watch the people around him to see who noticed. The only time I saw someone notice a OC was in Rural King, and I believe it was only because the observer was standing behind the OCer in line at the counter. Even then, the reaction was nothing. I saw the guy glance down and give a puzzled look. I think he was more interested in what the guy was carrying rather than that he was carrying.

I was eating at a Chinese buffet one afternoon and saw an older guy there who was OCing a full size M&P in a Serpa holster. Stood out to me such that it was the first thing I noticed about the guy. Four Clarksville PD came in a short time later for lunch and sat at a table near him. I watched the whole time to see if they noticed. If any of them did, they didn't make it obvious and they never talked to the guy.

Carry comfortably. No one will notice.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[monkeylizard]

I watched a guy walk into a CVS with a full cowboy leather gun belt with ammo in the little loops and some kind of giant hog-leg revolver. He walked right past at least 10 people, picked up some Sprite from the cooler, and checked out. I'm 100% certain nobody noticed except me, including the cashier. He walked past my normally observant wife....twice....and she never saw him.

 

The lesson here is that nobody's looking at you.

Edited December 9, 2015 by monkeylizard

[Jamie Jackson]

I've legally carried daily for better than 25 years now. Not once has anyone questioned whether or not I was armed. And most of my shooting buds and friends back down south were LEO of various sorts...Don't judge me for the company I keep . :cool:

 

I carried a 1911 for about 6-7 years OWB, but went to carrying a Glock 19 IWB, now AIWB (>10 yrs) and again...never an issue.

 

fwiw I usually wear Carhartt carpenter jeans and a Tee shirt...2nd gun in a pocket...2 spare mags offside...

 

As mentioned, folks pay you little attention. They are way too narcissistic for that.

But just don't fiddle with the gun or your ancillary gear. Wear a proper quality gun belt (THE foundation of the system, a quality holster and mag carriers) and rest assured they will be were you need them, when you need them. :2cents:

[R_Bert]

The easiest way to divert attention from printing is to have your zipper down. Trust me, you can OC, and they will not see the gun. That one... anyway.

Edited December 9, 2015 by R_Bert

[Jamie Jackson]

The easiest way to divert attention from printing is to have your zipper down. Trust me, you can OC, and they will not see the gun. That one... anyway.

 

 

That's just wrong :ugh:  LOL

 

But it'd probably work...

[R_Bert]

prag, on 09 Dec 2015 - 07:58 AM, said:

That's just wrong :ugh:  LOL

 

But it'd probably work...

unfortunately, empirical evidence has been collected....

[Titansfan]

Like one earlier 3 out of 4 people won't notice anyone "printing" or OCing in the first place.  While on vacation in May, I had my Glock 17 concealed by a shirt in Orange Beach, AL.  While driving around, we crossed into Florida and while there we made our grocery store stop.  I store clerk noticed my Glock, I told him I have a permit to carry and conversation ended soon afterwards on a positive note.  Then I remember, I am in Florida where OC much less "printing" is a no-no.  We went on your way back to AL.  

 

I've tried the IWB holsters and they don't work for me.  I am currently a big fan of Undertech shirts and it works very well for me, both winter and summer.  

[E4 No More]

Pretty much, I no longer care if I'm printing. The vast majority of the people don't notice.

[BrasilNuts]

unfortunately, empirical evidence has been collected....

Bert "Two guns"

As for the OP, I don't even own a IWB holster anymore. The OWB holster I wear usually hangs about an inch out of my shirt, I simply don't care anymore because no one notices.

[felinesNfreedom]

I stopped worrying about printing a long time ago. As everyone has said most people don't know what's going on around them. I carry a fullsize M&P because if I need to use a handgun I want more than 7 or 8 rounds. Nothing wrong with the smaller guns I just like having the full size frame, grip and mag capacity.

[M1_Garand]

I don't worry about printing. Most people are too buried in their cell phones to notice.

[Patton]

I hate printing about as much as carrying IWB. This has worked well for me over the last five years with many holsters including the Glock Sport Combat holster.

Edited December 9, 2015 by Patton

[Spots]

I will add one thing that has been mentioned once already. Like most people said the public doesn't notice printing or even OC very much. But if you act nervous and are constantly touching and adjusting your holster or gun, then it draws attention to it.

Sent from behind the anvil

[E4 No More]

I will add one thing that has been mentioned once already. Like most people said the public doesn't notice printing or even OC very much. But if you act nervous and are constantly touching and adjusting your holster or gun, then it draws attention to it.

Sent from behind the anvil

Yes, don't "fap" your pistol in public!

[bersaguy]

Unless you are in a Gun Free Zone which I am sure you would not be then what difference does it make? If you are legal to carry and like most have said, not nervous about someone seeing you your good to go...........jmho

[Ron Padilla]

telling them it is part of a colostomy bag, and they can take a peak if they like would turn them off, just like a zipper down.

[gregintenn]

You'll get over the printing fear once you carry a while and see just how little other people notice you.

 

I look for conceal carry, and rarely see it except for very obvious examples. When I do see it, I immediately watch others to see if they appear to notice. NO ONE EVER DOES.

[E4 No More]

telling them it is part of a colostomy bag, and they can take a peak if they like would turn them off, just like a zipper down.

Eeeeewwwwww!