Concealed carry

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Roadkill

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This is going to sound stupid but it works. Problem I have with my concelaed carry gun is making sure absolutely no one knows I have it. I've tried several types of shoulder holsters and in the pants clip holsters, but an experienced observer can always spot them either by printing or by type of clothing. I decided on a Walther PP in .32. I use a nylon holster with a pocket for a second magazine. I use a nylon rifle sling with lock down keeper. I dress with the holster and gun secured by the strap around my waist. Its located in the small of my back. Then I cover it with undershirt and outer shirt, tuck them in pants over the gun, and secure with normal outer belt. All I have to do to access it is pull out shirt and undershirt. Plus it doesn't hit the floor when the bathroom trip is necessary. The PP is slender and flat enough not to print when covered with layers. Access is reasonably fast and there are no clips on the belt or top of gun showing. I practice with the .32 and am very good with it. It works for me.

rk
 
It works for me.
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If it works for you, that is all that matters. However, most experienced CCWers will tell you that it took them quite some time to overcome their "paranoia" of being made. That is not to trivialize the impact of being noticed, only that very few people are what you call an "experienced observer."

If you are seeking other options that are similar "deep concealment," try Smartcarry or the Kramer Undercover
 
Don't tuck in your shirt.Or at the very least,buy button-up overshirts that don't need to be tucked in.(Think Hawaiian style shirts,or the Barber look)It works well,just remember to kneel,not bend,when picking things up off the floor.
 
Good post.

If you're worried, try "practicing" CCW at home. See if your spouse or other family members "make" you.

Fact is, most people who see a bulge at the waistline assume its a cell phone, pager, etc. Nobody except a gunnie thinks "gun."
 
Walther PP in .32...

..is a good choce for CCW. I use a KAHR P9..very thin..with a velcro cloth "under the arm" holster. Great for summer.

Of course with cooler weather and the different "layers" you can wear, it's no problem...and I'll be taking my S&W 65-3 out for some fresh air!

Take Care
 
If it don't come in .45, I ain't gonna carry it. :neener:

That said, we always tend to be paranoid about being made, even in places where Open and CCW carry are legal. That goes away after a few monhs or maybe a year of carrying at most. I don't much fuss about it now, I'm just looking for the option that allows me to draw the fastest and isn't exactly "open carry".
 
I use a black nylon holster that raps around your mid section almost like a back support you can carry on either side , front or back. It works real nice
 
Choice of cover garment is everything - and even here in peak summer I can and do conceal a full size - SIG 226 usually. That does mean tho being able to wear a vest, open shirt etc - if work or other factors limit choices then downsizing is perhaps necessary.

Printing is an entity but I think many folks worry about it way too much. I do not regard a slight ''excess'' - or protrusion from say grips - as being printing - it could be cell phone, pager, multi-tool. printing to me is a shape that blatently suggests gun and even then - so many people drifting around in condition white - doubt if even 10% would look and actually see!
 
For the ultimate in deep concealment, check out a Kel-tec P3AT in .380ACP. They are super small and with a simple metal clip can hide underneath your belt and look just like a pocket knife. AND the .380 has a bit more punch than a .32. I'd be worried about the lack of takedown power with that caliber.

During the summer I carry a J-frame smith in a Desantis Nemesis pocket holster and it simply disappears. The .38SPL isn't super powerful either, but Corbon makes a great +p round with the Barnes DPX bullet. Nasty little combo.

I also worried about getting "made" while out and about but with time you find that most people just don't notice. Today my carry choice is a Walther P99c AS in 9mm loaded up with Corbon 9mm+p DPX in a Tucker Gunleather "The Answer" IWB holster. Even with the shortest untucked t-shirt it doesn't print at all and I feel much safer with 21 rounds of 9mm than 5-10 rounds of something smaller.
 
Roadkill said:
I use a nylon rifle sling with lock down keeper.
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There's part of your problem. A good molded leather or Kydex holster will hold the gun much more securely and tighter to the body.


But the main thing keeping you from "perfect concealment" is your state of mind.

I've been CCWing 24/7 for the last few years ... I started CCWing when I lived in a non CCW state so I had a lot of incentive to keep it concealed (was only a minor misdemeanor, and the advice of most of the cops I knew was "don't do anything stupid with it and I'll never know ... if you end up needing it then preemption will cover you in court").

What I learned long ago is that most people don't see guns...even when worn openly.

I've had my shirt ride up, my jacket get tucked in between me and my gun and had people bump into my gun, and NOBODY noticed.

More important than cover garment, more important than holster, more important than choice of gun is mindset. If you're nervous that people can see your gun, or if you keep "adjusting" your cover garment or holster THAT is when people will realize you're packing.

If you just walk around like there's nothing amiss ... nothing out of the ordinary and you're doing nothing wrong you could probably get away with an AR-15 on a tactical chest sling and most people wouldn't notice.

Big problem with extreme deep carry is that when you need a gun you need it RIGHT EFFING NOW! ... so digging under two shirts to get to your gun could cost you your life.

NineseveN said:
...we always tend to be paranoid about being made, even in places where Open and CCW carry are legal. That goes away after a few monhs or maybe a year of carrying at most.
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Exactly. Now days I could care less if the wind blows my cover garment or if I have to bend over to get something off the bottom shelf at the grocery store. My gun is as natural on my hip as my watch is on my wrist (in fact after you carry 24/7 for a while, not having your gun is more disconcerting than leaving the house without your watch).

it gets easier with time.

So relax. :)
 
Exactly. Now days I could care less if the wind blows my cover garment or if I have to bend over to get something off the bottom shelf at the grocery store. My gun is as natural on my hip as my watch is on my wrist (in fact after you carry 24/7 for a while, not having your gun is more disconcerting than leaving the house without your watch).
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+1 to that. Really, everyone I know carries full-size firearms (Glock 31, Glock 22, Bereta 92FS, Ruger P95, Walther P99, Springfield XD, HK USP .45 Compact <--which is as big as any of those other "full-size" guns hehe) morning, noon and night through all 4 seasons. Been carrying for quite some time and the only time I know I've been made was by a State Trooper when my shirt rode up and got caught behind the grip.

He didn't make a fuss, he nodded to me and said, "that a Walther?". I replied, "yup. 9mm, wish I had gotten a .40 so I could get a .357sig barrel" without being nervous.

He said, "Oh nice, I have a Glock 31 I carry off-duty, of course, I don't let my shirt ride up behind it with a tropper behind me, you have a permit for that, right?" and he smiled as he asked.

"Sure do sir, signed by Sherrif Defazio himself, vie electronic absentee ballot of course". We both had a chuckle and I pulled my shirt out a bit and let it cover the gun.

Then he said, "Funny thing is, 4 people passed right behind you and didn't even notice."

Me: "I think people notice intent more than the tool. If you're sweating bullets and twitching at the line in the bank, they tend to notice the butt of a gun sticking out from your wasteband. Never had anyone mention anything to me or seem nervous either of the times I wore a light shirt and flashed my piece when getting my wallet out in front of the teller."

Him: "Good point, have a nice evening sir".

Me: "Did you need to run my license?"

Him: "no need sir, good evening."
 
Ken L Null

I do not like shoulder rigs but if I did I would check out Ken K Null: http://www.klnullholsters.com/ Ken is the master of concealed carry. Regards, Richard :D
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the main thing to avoid detection in my opinion is the attitude and actions DO NOT PET YOUR PIECE its hard at first when you get out of your car or up from a chair or somebody bumps you I notice when ppl do cops notice and gunnies notice
 
I also have a .32 Walther PP, but you don't need to go with a thin gun just to avoid printing.

SmartCarry works for me. I carry a G26 and a spare mag, with finger extensions on both mags. Even my wife can't tell when I'm carrying, no matter how I'm dressed. It really disappears. The possibility of being 'made' never worries me. On the contrary, I have to be careful because sometimes I forget I have it on me.

Fast draw is not a problem. Just slip your hand in your pants, grab the grip and pull it out.
 
At 54 I see things a lot differently than when I was 25. I want to be armed and still go about my daily life without having the concern that someone who does not care for guns knows I have it. Its none of anyone's business and is not a conversation I care to have with people who will see it negatively regardless of what I say. I don't want the attention. I don't want LEOs or bad guys to print me and make me a target or item of immediate concern. Thanks for the comments

rk
 
Roadkill,

As a wise man once told me: "If it ain't broken, don't fix it."

If it works for you, use it in good health.
 
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