Decision Fatigue With First Concealed Carry

[minconrevo]

There is a regional joke in these parts about "must wear CC gun to Walmart" on the first out of home trip. Carrying around the house is good practice prior to this. A quick look in the mirror will tell if it's concealed. Carriers quickly notice that the "shepple" are pretty much oblivious to a reasonably concealed handgun. Over time CCW carriers will get the wardrobe, body movement and holster kinks worked out to the point that only a really skilled observer MIGHT be aware you are CCWing. A lockbox for the car that can easily be transferred to a hotel room or office has merit.

 

[Llance]

Speaking for myself only; it's called concealed carry for a reason. I carry everywhere except the county offices where they do a magnetometer check. So far as I know, no one has even noticed I was carrying unless the wind opened my vest or jacket. In our county you can't take anything into the county building except papers. No cell phones, knives, guns, nothing that can be used as a weapon. I'm fairly lucky in that they don't take my belt buckle away.

Shootingfish, you will get used to having the firearm around, just give it time. Sometimes I forget i have it on and take my jacket off even when I'm in a restaurant. Nobody has ever said anything to me except my friend and we were sitting in a local bar. ooops.

 

[mikerjf]

Sometimes looser clothing can help.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AudGd7-QkN8[/ame]

 

[swsig]

I am licensed in Texas, and I only travel outside of Texas to states that honor our license. I never leave the gun in the car unless I'm going someplace where I know a gun is prohibited. For that purpose, I have a sturdy lock box that is attached by a strong cable to the driver's seat frame.

When I drive long-distance, I carry my gun (a Shield 45) in a DeSantis pocket holster inserted into the pocket of a 5.11 brand holster undershirt. The undershirt is made from tight-fitting lycra, and it holds my Shield securely against my left side, slightly under my arm. With any type of ordinary outer shirt, NO ONE can tell I'm carrying. Best of all, it's easy to retrieve the gun while seated in the car, and it's always with me when I leave the car. That's a carry solution I can recommend for your husband, but I can understand that it may not work for you. A cross-body purse can work if you are absolutely obsessed with its security every time you take it off.

Your post indicates to me that you are very uncomfortable with carrying. Carrying an unloaded gun is pointless IMHO. You might as well carry a brick to throw at a bad guy. The place to start getting comfortable with carrying is to get familiar with your gun. You should be spending as much range time as you can learning to handle and shoot it. Take lessons if you need to. Then practice carrying it loaded. Do what we in Texas call a "Wally Walk". Go to your nearest friendly Walmart and walk around for an hour or so with your loaded gun. Then start carrying it around your house and everywhere else you go, not just on trips. And keep going to the range. After a while, you'll feel uncomfortable going anywhere without your gun.

Good Luck!

 

[ironhead7544]

You have to dress around your firearm. I use oversized T-shirts made from heavy material. They are long enough that if I forget to wear pants, no one will notice. I use an IWB at 2 o'clock, not pointing into my crotch.

I lived in FL for many years and hid my issue G17 with no one ever noticing. These days I use my G26 with a 2 shot extension on the magazine. 17 shot magazine in my left pocket. The holster is from Andrews Custom Leather. Not cheap but will last a long time. It has adjustable cant. Once it breaks in to your body, it is very comfortable. The firearm will not fall out. Check out Sam's website and call him.

You might end up with a bunch of holsters in the closet like the rest of us. That's normal. Check the gun websites for used holsters too.

Dont give up. You are carrying emergency life saving equipment.

 

[BigBelle]

It would be nice to know what gun you have but you obviously need a good holster that could help you carry easily.

 

[stansdds]

I remember when I first started concealed carry. You do learn the value of loose fitting clothing for carrying inside the waistband or bulky coats if you decide on outside the waistband or a shoulder holster. So far, I have been spotted only once and that was when I first started to carry. I was trying a Bianchi X15 and one of my office staff spotted it the first day. I was wearing a sport coat and the bulk of the holster made one side of the coat stick out more than the other side. I learned from that mistake. Dress properly for the mode of carry.

 

[rogerwnuss]

Hubby and I carried a gun for the first time on our trip this past weekend. We left Friday morning and by Sat morning I was exhausted worrying about that gun and what to do with it. Every time we stopped to get gas, we took turns leaving the car. The hotel did not have a safe. He wore the wrong clothes to conceal. I carried in my cross-body handbag most of the time. Sometimes we said *** and left it in the car shoved up under the seat. 10 hours on the road Monday and constantly concerned when we stopped. The gun was never loaded but we acted as if. Hopefully CC will get easier.

Pardon if this was already covered and I just missed it....were you going out of state, and if so, were you going where your CC is honored? Cause Bog forbid you'd be traveling to say, Illinois.....this place doesn't recognize anyone else's permits..... you've no doubt checked on such things, but worth mentioning. And why was it unloaded, may I ask ?

 

[tops]

Until you actually need it.

In a crowd I have my hand on my gun and drawing with my hand already on my gun is super fast. In a restaurant I have room to stretch my leg and I can still reach in my pocket. The car is pretty tight so it can placed on the seat beside me. Larry

 

[SF VET]

it does take time to get used to CC, and learning which firearm and "rig" seems to work well. Here in SC, in the summer heat, it is more complex for me, since I don't tolerate heat and humidity well, after some chemo. Like yesterday, had to try on several different shirts and a vest for our Ash Wednesday noon service.

In the summer, I have to wear two garments, one to keep my firearm off my bare skin, the other to "conceal" my pistol, usually a Sig 365.

It takes time to get used to CC. At first, I imagined that every one was watching me. In time, I realized that even if wore a machete no one would notice. NV

 

[Shootingfish]

Pardon if this was already covered and I just missed it....were you going out of state, and if so, were you going where your CC is honored? Cause Bog forbid you'd be traveling to say, Illinois.....this place doesn't recognize anyone else's permits..... you've no doubt checked on such things, but worth mentioning. And why was it unloaded, may I ask ?

Yes we carried out of state, GA to FL which does have reciprocity for GA CCL. FL has a 3-step law about guns in the car— ammo and unloaded gun separate. Which, if I understand correctly, means you would have to load the gun before carrying it inside Q-trip. (I guess that is where speed loaders would come in handy.) It was unloaded most of the time as most of our trip was spent in the car. We did have ammo with us, but we are learning. I guess we should have gone into Walmat. hahaha

The purpose of our trip was to see my quilt on display in an International Quilt Show in Daytona at Ocean Center. We weren't sure if Ocean Center had metal detectors and if they did, would they throw me out and I would miss the whole point of the trip. After Daytona we went down to West Palm (which is a terrible area in places) to visit family. Family doesn't CC but do keep loaded gun in the house.

Lots of good suggestions in this thread. I see we need to start dressing to carry especially when not together. Hubby is a very fit (ex Spartan Racer) and he will have to quit wearing his tight shirts! We also need a safe in the car and secured to the seat.

That's another good question - if you and your wife both carry, do you both carry if you are together? Or just the one's that's the best shot?

 

[bigwheelzip]

..... if you and your wife both carry, do you both carry if you are together? Or just the one's that's the best shot?

In our case, neither of us leaves home without our carry, unless one of us might have a drink. Then the other carries and doesn't drink.
We always back each other up, right down to answering unexpected knocks on the door.



Sent from my motorola one 5G using Tapatalk

 

[glenwolde]

Let's not forget leaving it on the floor under the bowl when you exit.... Or maybe hanging it on the hook of the door and.....

A friends son is a restaurant manager for a large and very busy location of a national chain. They get 1-2 handguns turned in per month that were left in the restrooms. He speculates some are found and kept occasionally as he gets inquiries about ones that did not get turned in.

Corporate made him install a small bullet trap for clearing and they had an NRA instructor come in and "certify" all the managers on how to clear handguns and the use of the trap.

It's picked up some since "Constitutional Carry". Boy there's a joke in there somewhere....going for your morning "Constitutional".....?

 

[ladder13]

I don't let clothes get in the way of my carry method. Don't need to look at my wardrobe. Same light handgun every time in my pocket. LCP MAX or Seecamp 32.
With deep pockets a P365.
No 1911's, N frames or even a K frame. My .02

 

[RobzGuns]

Amazing how simple armed life is with a small firearm in a pocket holster.

Unfortunately, a majority of women's pants/jeans do not have 'real' (functional) pockets. most are barely large enough to hold half a cellphone.

Until you actually need it.

and you, most likely, have not found the right pants.

 

[mikerjf]

Shootingfish, not sure that that Florida law would apply to those with an honored permit.

Before I had a permit in FL I used to keep mine in the car unloaded in a "secure" (zippered gun rug is good enough) case on the floor in front of me, and a speedloader pouch on my belt.

Many other states allow you to have a loaded gun in the car, but not concealed on your person and not carried into bathrooms etc during stops. The car is kind of an extension of your home. Depends on the state of course.

With your GA permit reprocity I think you'd be fine carrying loaded and concealed in FL at all times. I'm not a lawyer of course, that's just my understanding of it, so check into it.

 

[bigwheelzip]

Same light handgun every time in my pocket.

With deep pockets ....

If that's advice for the female OP rather than a simple statement, it seems your unaware of most clothing designed for females.

Since this is an oft repeated, less than helpful comment, let me show y'all what my sub-compact SIG P238 looks like in my deepest jeans pocket. Other jeans have no real pocket at all, with the pocket opening sewn closed.

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[Buford57]

sit it on the T.P holder and walk away forgetting it?

Michigan State Police trooper did exactly that about 5 years ago. His issued weapon was next seen 2 years later when the local Sheriff removed it from the possession of a convicted felon.

 

[Buford57]

As you have learned, it takes practice and experimentation. Don't be discouraged. Don't assume the gun is the problem. It isn't. Your 642 is very concealable. The holster might be part of the problem. That's the experimentation part. I have a box of J-frame holsters in the garage that I wore once or twice before returning to the Galco pocket holster I started with.

Your main hurdle is the fact that you are self-conscious about it for now. That's ok. You should be aware that you are armed, but in time it will become second nature. That's the practice part. I do agree with those who say you gain nothing by carrying unloaded. Your S&W is a model of safety in a proper holster.

There is specialty clothing for female concealed carriers and may their tribe increase (the clothiers and the carriers) and even making pocket depth a criterion when buying non-specialty clothes makes a difference. My wife has managed to find lady's jeans and khakis that work. Carrying concealed does mean dressing around the gun, even for those of us who pocket carry, but that is all part of preparedness. It's worth it. Don't give up.

 

[sigp220.45]

What do you do with the darn thing when you have to use a public restroom...?
p.s. This is just a rhetorical question.

J.

There's a reason Fish, who was always headed to the john, wore a shoulder holster.