How "concealed" are you in your personal life?

[max503]

I don't want people to think "gun" when they see me.
Out of sight, out of mind.
My wife knows I have a permit, and she has seen me disarm in the car when we are going into a forbidden place, but I don't think she knows that a gun is in my pocket as I go around the house. I carry always.
She'll see me with a gun in my hand but she won't see it go into a pocket.
I don't tell my friends, other than one or two close shooting buddies.
I've lied to people who've asked if I carry.
I don't think it's polite to walk around with a visible gun. It's the main reason I don't often use my pancake holster.
When people talk about their carry guns at work I stand by quietly or walk away.
My grandson wants to carry when he gets to be 21. I tell him that's good, and I take him shooting, and I let him shoot my carry guns. But even with him I don't draw attention to the fact that I have a gun on my person. He knows I have a permit.
I treat it like sex or going to the bathroom. Yes, it happens but we don't discuss it in polite company.
I encourage people, and I help people, and I take them to the range - but I avoid telling them I'm always armed. I'm not at all ashamed. It's just something I'd rather they didn't have on their mind when they see me or think of me.
How do you all treat it?

 

[CH4]

As a cop I guess I generally don’t care cuz I am used to folks seeing me with one, especially those who know me. However, there are those times and places that I try to be more discreet.

 

[haywood]

I treat it as a, “Need to Know situation”, if I feel it’s OK for someone to know, I don’t hide the fact that I carry 24/7 when legal.

 

[Jim1392]

I carry everyday. My wife knows I carry and at home there is a gun within reach in most places in our home. She also knows where they are just in case she needs one if I'm not there. As far as our friends none know I'm always armed and there is no reason for any of them to know.

 

[Maddog 521]

If I'm there, it's not a gun free zone.
My wife knows, but she is special.

 

[ken158]

Carrying is a personal decision and there is absolutely no reason to tell anyone. Why would you tell? You tell only to gauge acceptance or rejection from another but it none of their business. And if you do tell anyone, they will surely tell someone else... and now you are being judged by others you don’t even know.

 

[Daniel Howe]

I do not try to hide the fact that I always carry but I also do not like to advertise. I'm confined to a wheel chair so my carry options are limited but I always have a .45acp derringer in my pocket. If it's cool enough to where a shirt or lite jacket I will carry a revolver in a shoulder holster. There is always at least two loaded handguns within reach. From where I am sitting I can see 6 guns. Most on display. Everyone knows I like guns. I'm a retired Marine machine gunner I would be crazy not to like guns.

 

[sotexas]

My immediate family and my small group at the range. I have shot with the same 4-6 people for several years. We started shooting together as friends for recreation and over time evolved into carry at our own pace. We openly discuss all aspects of gun ownership. I carry everyday (except work) and do so discreetly. Since I started EDC I have found it's much easier to notice others that are carrying.

 

[BE Mike]

Max503, I think your approach is very wise indeed! Not only don't others need to know if you are armed, it is a tactical advantage for others not to know. Besides my close relatives and a few long time friends, nobody knows or suspects that I am armed. I also don't discuss my owning guns with acquaintances, like your co-workers. "Loose lips sink ships!"

 

[Pisgah]

I carry a handgun for self defense. Part of my strategy for self-defense is the use of surprise. It's no secret to people who know me that I am licensed to carry, but I never volunteer that information to anyone. If someone attacks me with deadly intent, the first time I want my attacker to know I am armed is when my gun goes off.

 

[joeintexas]

My immediate family knows I carry and always have one within a few feet if I don't have one on me. I shoot with my sons and daughters and one of my grandkids is a LEO here in town so my carrying a firearm is a no brainer to them. I don't mention it to anyone else, they might tear my shirt pocket off trying to get to my bullet. (Barney Fife).

 

[Smoke]

I practice different levels of OPSEC depending on who I'm dealing with. I try really hard to keep my private life private. People I don’t know well don’t need to know the details of my life; there just isn’t any reason for it.

I'm careful about who I let know that I own guns even among my friends. I've learned the hard way that it really only takes one wrong person to find out and the information is out there. I've told this story before but I had a "friend" who found out I had a permit because he "Made" me. He then proceeded to tell everyone he knew even after I asked him to keep his mouth shut because he thought it was "cool" . I ended up having to drop him because he wouldn't shut up about it.

As for my coworkers I make it a rule my personal life begins and ends at the front gate. I don't talk about my personal life at work I don't talk about what I do on my off time at work. I don't give my co-workers or the client employees any reason to suspect that I own guns or even have any interest in them. If the topic comes up I ignore it or act like I find it extremely boring.

I don't advertise my gun ownership to the general public on any level. I make it a habit not to wear clothing with logos of any kind (except a couple of hats that say Alaska or Estes Park). Nothing political or firearms related and no bumper stickers on my car. I don’t give strangers any reason to assume I might be armed.

 

[stansdds]

For me, such information is regarded as a need to know thing. My wife knows, I'm pretty sure she knows everything. My two step-children know, one even has their own CCW permit. My mother knows. Of course, anyone at the local court house can find my records and some newspapers like to obtain those records and publish them... sooooo...

 

[Muss Muggins]

Those closest to you should always know if you're carrying a gun . . .

 

[The Big D]

Not very... except for the CCW part.

I am a social person. I like people and enjoy bars, sports, big cities, and social interactions.

I do NOT dress like most...my tastes trend toward ‘flashy’ if you will. Last night at Globe Life Park (Texas Rangers stadium) I was approached by several people unknown to me who complimented my attire.

Perhaps of interest is the fact none of them had any idea I was toting a G43 strong side, IWB. In fact, several new friends were on this trip and as we exchanged introductory stories during the last couple days most of them asked if I still carried a gun in retirement. They had no idea that I was doing so at that very moment. Didn’t tell them I was, either. Note: I intentionally separated myself from them as we entered the ballpark so they would not witness the entry protocol. (See ‘Dallas, TX’ thread for more info.).

One of my close friends has no idea I carry. He lives in Maryland with a Kentucky CCW permit and forever is asking ‘why don’t we get Maryland permits.’ (Have one already but he does not know that, either. )

I am careful to conceal my gun. Only once in my LEO/CCW life have I been approached by a LEO and questioned re: suspicion I was carrying. Just once! And that now encompasses more that 45 years of my life. Bear in mind that my career was spent in Washington, DC, New York City, and Boston with ‘on the clock’ carry in 46 states and carry in all 50 of them.

Be safe.

 

[Gundalow]

Armed Robberies in Bars

This may be a little off target regarding the thread, but a large number of members likely carry concealed and also carry a badge presented after retirement, or their current badge if still active. You may also have occasion to visit a bar. Thus, below may be of interest to you.

Back in the 70’s, Firearm’s instructors at NYPD’s Rodman’s Neck range included the below during one of their classroom instructions:

If you are in a bar after your tour of duty, in plain clothes, and the bar gets held up, identify available cover. If the thieves decide to also rob the patrons, and start searching each for wallets, it is recommended that you consider making a move for the cover when the thieves are distracted, and draw your service revolver to engage the thieves. This advice was based on a statistic that has stuck in my mind since that class. Statistics complied by NYPD disclosed that if the thieves found your shield while searching the patrons, you had an 86% chance of being executed on the spot, because in the mind of the thieves, you are the biggest threat to identify them after the armed robbery.

The instructors also relayed an incident in which an off duty officer having a drink was killed during a bar robbery. The thief had his gun drawn, facing the bar tender; the officer decided to intervene and identified himself as a police officer while withdrawing his service revolver. The thief turned quickly and shot the officer in the shoulder, knocking him off the bar stool before the officer could fully raise his revolver. The thief then went over and executed the officer. The instructors advised it would have been best for the officer to have done nothing, unless the officer had no choice, in which case his first move should have been for cover, if available. The instructors also stated that identifying himself to the armed assailant before having the gun fully drawn was a deadly mistake.

 

[colt_saa]

I think the way we each handle this subject is directly related to political bias of where we live

Here is Florida almost 10% of the residents have Concealed Carry Permits, so it is a very friendly environment. In States like Illinois, California or New Jersey I would bet that the opposite is true, and let's not even think of New York city

I have had a Smith and Wesson J-frame with me almost every day since 1980. Through the years as a backup in my ankle rig, but these days as my primary carry piece

While I do not advertise the issue, and seldom bring it up in conversation, I do not hide it either. Everyone that knows me takes it for granted that I carry at least one firearm.

I am a firearms instructor, so it is a topic among students that I teach because we alwasy talk about concealment. Especially with those students seeking their Florida Concealed Weapons Permit

 

[ContinentalOp]

Very few people know I carry. I can count them on one hand, including immediate family. I conceal my gun as well as I can, and dress to reduce any printing that may occur. There may be some indistinct bulging here and there, but nothing that would scream, "GUN!" I can conceal my PX4 Compact to this standard, but sometimes I'll switch to my 642 if I need even more discretion. I've mentioned this story before, but I once saw a man with a polo shirt cover garment so tight I could tell that he was concealing a Glock 26 or 27 in an IWB holster by the printing. I would not call that "discreet."

I don't talk about guns in casual conversation with people I don't know. When I was young my dad made it a very important point not to talk about his guns, or that we even had guns in the house. Similarly, he told me not to talk about any martial arts I study, which is advice I still follow. Very few people, pretty much the same ones that know I carry, know I've studied any martial arts.

I try my best not to stand out in general. I've been told I dress like an old retired guy, but I'm not sure if that's good or not.

 

[Borderboss]

Everyone in my immediate family know I carry all the time. With the exception of my one idiot brother-in-law, they all have the sense to not talk about it or ask about it in public. The best thing about carrying concealed is that the bad guy doesn't know who has a gun.

If someone outside of my family circle asks if I'm carrying, I never tell them the truth. It's not appropriate for them to ask so they don't deserve a truthful response.

Like one of the others said, wherever I'm at is not a "gun free" zone.

 

[Whitwabit]

My wife and 2 kids know but other then them only a couple of close friends who also carry know but that's all ..

Concealed to me means only a few select people should know that you are armed !!