I was shopping in a hardware store and carrying IWB at 4:00 with shirt tucked in and zipped up jacket. Local acquaintance approaches and playfully punches me in attempt to say hi. He ended up punching my gun square on, quickly recoiling and shaking his hand wondering out loud what I had under my coat that was so hard. I quickly smiled and said it was my cell phone and moved the conversation to how his family was doing. He knew it wasn't my cell phone but said nothing further. After thinking about this encounter later in the day, it provoked a thought about how other EDC citizens have managed being "made" in public.

I don't try to hide it like I'm ashamed as many seem to be I just say "you don't want to know,but it's legal don't worry"

If they have a problem then they don't need to be around me.

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Life's a grave,dig it!

A good number of female acquaintances are huggers. I'll attempt to get my arms under theirs and bend a bit to keep them well above my waistband. Haven't had anyone "punch" me in the gun yet.

Anyone that knows me enough to hug or playfully touch me knows I am packing, as a matter of fact in the circles I travel in most are also
Packing.

That's easy. I don't have any friends.

...

The fact that I carry a gun is my business and my family's. I made the mistake of telling a couple of friends when I first got my permit and they told other people against my wishes, lesson learned.

As others have mentioned, if you know me well enough to put your hands on me you already know I'm carrying a gun.

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Retired Career Security Guard

My response: "My abs. Now, hold still, 'cause it's my turn..."

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Pisgah

nobody needs to knew minus SO's and other family members , the Good Lord above already knows.....

do not .......I repeat , do not , give "others" the opportunity to "Red Flag" you...

Crazy neighbors / strangers will do so at any given opportunity....
just saying.......

Anyone who sneaks up behind me and tries to punch me will not like my repsonse, never mind the hard metallic object that they just collided with.

This is not middle school gym class, nor the YMCA boxing ring. Adults will keep their hands to themselves, or will be reminded of the lessons that they should have learned well prior.

Reminds me of a helpful quote from the Duke 'I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them'

....Oh, and you can see my signature for further clarification....

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On the Oak Savannah

Just announce in your best Mae West voice "I'm just glad to see you".

They won't do it again. In fact, you'll probably never see them again.

Another aspect of this discussion should be situational awareness. I do my best to see who's around me. I'm not always successful and it bugs me when somebody gets close enough to greet me before I spot them. If somebody were to get close enough to punch me in the gun, I'd be really bugged. Not so much at them, but at myself for not spotting them and evading their "friendly jab."

Family and close friends know I’m armed. I maintain a high level of situational awareness at all times so it’s rare that someone gets close enough to put their hands on me. If they do, I give them a mean look for a few seconds. They usually get the point. What happens afterwards depends on them.

I could care less if they’re guessing that I’m armed.

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Life Is A Gift. Defend it!

Am I the only person here who read this far, fearing that the rest of the story was going to involve him drawing on his friend after being caught off-guard by his friend hitting him?

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

They were not friends! Be Safe,

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I BACK OUR BLUE

I would double over in pain and say “you just hit my external pacemaker!” or “you almos popped my colostomy bag!” and that would pretty quickly end it.

Yeah, just you.

If you were carrying a Glock it wouldn’t have hurt as much.

Fortunately, as a career LEO everyone knows I am always packing. Keeps the smart ones from running up and punching me.

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213th FBINA

To these devices you can add "insulin pump".

My strategy for hugs is to turn and engage with my "unloaded" side.

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What, me worry?

I pocket carry. I don't get a lot of jabs or hugs below the equator.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

After thinking about this encounter later in the day, it provoked a thought about how other EDC citizens have managed being "made" in public.[/QUOTE]
no big deal to me just move along

I was in Sears many years ago when a salesman greeted me w/a playful slap on my gun side (off-duty IWB w/untucked shirt). Recognizing it was a gun he recoiled and asked if I was an FBI agent. I said no and walked away.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

I think the majority of the people that know me would at least suspect I carry, since a main hobby is shooting. A high percentage of my friends carry and I suspect a good portion of acquaintances do also. I would have probably laughed at his response and moved the conversation to a different topic. I don't advertise I carry but certainly don't care if someone knows or thinks I am armed.

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Is that a gun No a lifesaver

Might get a fast elbow in the face.........................

I married into a "hugging family"..... drives me nuts.....no reason to hug everyone in the room when you arrive or they depart......God gave us the "knuckle bump" for a reason!!!

I aint doing no "Knuckle bump". Shake hands like a Man. I feel the same way about "High 5, good game", etc. As for the salesman from Sears in post 21... after which ever of us ended up in the hospital got out I would be filing sexual assault charges. slapping at iwb indeed. I also come from a Vary large family where everyone has to hug everyone. NO BIG DEAL THAT'S FAMILY. Everyone else keep your hands to yourself. SAFireman put it best "This is not middle school gym class, nor the YMCA boxing ring. Adults will keep their hands to themselves, or will be reminded of the lessons that they should have learned well prior."

My Boys and I have been doing the "knuckle bump" since they were little...... when we pass each other.......hugs when they come home or are going out.

But Second cousins of my wife and their rug rats...... not so much.

I'd just tell them it's my squid pack. Move on to "What's new?

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Deplorable Me!

I think it's time for a group hug...

Did he hurt the gun when he punched it?

My sister hugged my gun once at Thanksgiving dinner.
She never said a word, she was raised by the same people as e

"I was in Sears many years ago when a salesman greeted me w/a playful slap on my gun side (off-duty IWB w/untucked shirt). Recognizing it was a gun he recoiled and asked if I was an FBI agent. I said no and walked away. Old Cop, LEO (Ret.)"

I think it's foolish to deceive about legal carry, if someone accidentally discovers it. Making a big deal only draws attention to it, which is counter productive.
If he was Police, I would have said "Police" or maybe "Undercover" in a whisper. I always had my badge clipped to my belt in front of the piece.
As a civilian, I would say "It's legal, I have a permit." And move away, no further discussion. Period.

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NRA LIFE
Reserve Officer 9yrs

How odd. I've never had someone who is not a family member do that.

Reminds me of a comment I heard: " Do not violate my intimate space".

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SWCA #3356, SWHF#611

Not in public.....
But, I was having an x-ray made on my last visit to the sports med center after dis-locating my knee.

The tech kept looking at the overlay and turning it...
I finally told him that was my ankle gun.
He said,"Oh, I guess it is, I been thinking about getting a rig like that."

And ended that conversation.

This lady was front of me, and I use that term purty loosely in this incident,
I was in line at the grocery store and my jacket kinda swept back
as I was fetchin' my wallet from my back pocket.

She says, "Your carrying a gun ! I'm calling the law !"

I replied, "What do ya want to call me?"

.

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

The previous post indicates revealing his piece while reaching for his wallet. When I started CC I switched my wallet to my other side back pocket... another alternative is to change how you reach for the wallet. In stead of pushing the cover garment back, as most of us do, reach behind an lift the hem of your short jacket. No, doesn't work well with long coats.

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NRA LIFE
Reserve Officer 9yrs

Well I usually carry IWB cross draw so I'm covered.

One old timer in church, with whom I've had many pleasant conversations about shooting at fellowship meals, walked up to me one Sunday, pointed at my cell phone holster, and in a voice you could hear across the room asked " IS THAT WHERE YOU KEEP YOUR GAT ? ". I just showed him the cell phone and left him standing befuddled. Later, in private, I asked him not to ask such questions in public.

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I need ammo, not a ride.

A Pastor at my church left for a missions post in Uganda. The week after he left his replacement preached the Sunday morning sermon.

The Pastor being replaced was the head of the security team and a retired cop and carries.

The new pastor started preaching by sharing a story of the first time he met the guy who was leaving for Uganda. Five minutes into his sermon he outed the outgoing Pastor to about 3000 people.

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Retired Career Security Guard

I'm surprised I've never been "caught" carrying. I thought it would be a problem but its not. But I pocket carry. It could be anything.

I tell people it's a colostomy bag. That usually brings conversation to a screeching halt.

Being a resident of Oklahoma, I would just say "that was my gun dumbass" and not worry about it. Nobody cares here, other than a very few liberal idiots, and nobody wants them around anyway.

I was in a store once when a couple of kids were running around goofing off. One came roaring towards me down one of the aisles that intersected the one I was walking in. The kid was looking over his shoulder while running away from his buddy when he turned his head towards me and firmly planted his face in my OWB EDC. His head was the same height as my belt and he never saw it coming.

He was shocked that he went from 60 to zero in about a quarter of a second. He said, "Owww," rubbed his head, apologized, and ran off.

No explanation needed.

Bill

Once upon a time, in some shady places, "clingy" or "friendly" girls were "discreetly" frisking for vice cops.

When I was 19, I worked for a lady who would pinch my butt every time she walked by. One time I said, quite loudly, “Wow. Your nose is cold!”

I have been made before. I had to remove my belt and therefore holster once to collect a wayward (and very sweet) dog in Seattle once to prevent it being hit by a car. I made my belt into collar-and-leash and then had a holstered pistol to put someplace.
I stuffed the holstered gun into the front of my pants and tugged my sweater down as far as it would go but I looked properly weird.
While walking back to the car (some ten blocks) i was so uncomfortable that I removed my sweater and wrapped the holstered pistol in it and carried the bundle in my arm.
I dont know how many people saw me do that but it was dozens.

That's what I was fixing to say........

And people do dumb things all of the time. The only reason I would say "cell phone" if someone touches my gun would be for third parties around us so I don't get anyone's attention. Not that I really care but I try to be polite about things....

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Come and take it!!

Shortly after retiring from LE, I dropped by my wife's office to deliver some papers she needed. She works for a different agency with whom we had letters of agreement to share LE response. I'd worked with their officers almost 15 years. While off-duty cc inside their offices was acceptable while I was a LE, non-LE were prohibited from carrying inside any of their agency's buildings.

While I was talking with my wife and others, one of their LEOs walked up on my six and slapped a hand on my strong side waist to see if I was armed. I gave him a questioning look like wth, and he backed off. "Just checking," he said. Others were puzzled and embarrassed. Nobody knew I had a subcompact 9mm in a crossdraw, and I never advised them differently. I was in the wrong for carrying inside their building, but having had each others' back for so many years, I never imagined my being armed would be an issue.

Funny you should say this. I thought my neighbor carried. Turns out he has a colostomy bag.

I've always been very careful about keeping my gun concealed. Good holsters, proper belts and attire. Cautious of windy conditions. I reach under my cover garment to get my bill fold and reach for the waist of huggers.
To the best of my knowledge, I've only been made once.
Many years ago my wife was working at the local Central Hardware store and I dropped by to talk to her about something. After I left the head of security walked over to her and asked "How long has your husband been carrying a gun?" It turns out that he made me as soon as I walked in the door. In fact, he was discretely watching me the whole time I was there. He was very good at his job.
The truth is that the vast majority of people aren't looking. If you get made, its likely you did something wrong.

I was getting out of my car at the dry cleaners one day and my shirt rode up and exposed the .380 OWB at 4 o'clock on my right hip. I had already picked up on the panhandler approaching me from the right. He saw it of course.

He puts his hands up as he's walking across the parking lot. "Don't shoot mister! Don't shoot! Could you help a brother out?"

I gave him $5.00.

Several years ago I stopped in a biker shop to look at patches and jackets. I was looking at jackets & and the lady that owned the shop came over to give me a hand. She suggested one in my size that was on sale and wanted me to try it on. About this time a couple rode up on a Goldwing and came in the shop. I quietly advised the the shop owner that I was carrying Evil Iron. She replied not a problem and glad to have me there with my friend. So I proceeded to try on jackets while she went to assist the GW riders. The woman half of the GW was wandering around the shop and low and behold noticed my Kimber in condition one. She exclaimed to her husband "he's got a gun" He being of sound mind tried to shush her to no avail. She then accosted the shop owner and wanted the police called. Wait for it........!!
The shop owner replied "I am aware he is carrying but if it makes you uncomfortable i suggest you leave. If you insist on talking to an officer I will
call him over and you can complain to him yourself"

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SWCA LM#2190 SWHF#414