Has anyone ever had this happen while caring concealed?

[MrFreeze]

You didn't clear it when you handed it to him? It's like a reflex for me, I won't a gun to anyone without clearing it first.

I would guess that there are cops out there who'd shoot the gunowner on accident...actually, come to think of it, I believe I've read a story where it actually happened. But I'm not going to be making any sudden moves with a firearm in hand and an officer right next to me. Seems like a good way to get him to shoot you on purpose

Have you ever told a cop you're carrying a pocketknife? Even a large tactical folder? I don't see much difference with a gun.

The law clearly makes a distinction between the two. And unless I'm a ninja, if he's out of arm's reach and I have a knife inside the car, he can feel safe in his "comfort zone." Not so with a gun.

My 2.14159 cents

Travis

 

[carpettbaggerr]

Yes, the difference is guns shoot bullets and knives don't. But as to telling the cop you're carrying one or the other, I don't see a difference. They're both weapons, and if the cop asked I'd tell him what I had; but unless the law required me to I wouldn't tell him about either.

And I wouldn't make any sudden moves with a gun in my hand, but pointing it in a safe direction and pressing the magazine release shouldn't alarm anyone. Although if a cop was paranoid enough to take a legal weapon, I would probably ask his permission before I cleared the chamber.

 

[Ukraine Train]

A couple people mention having their ID ready before the officer even gets to the window. I've always heard to not do anything until the officer gets there because even if you're just reaching for you wallet the cop only sees you fumbling around for *something* through your back window.

 

[artherd]

I put my keys and hands on the roof of the car and KEEP THEM THERE untill the cop gets there.

He can take the time to watch me, slowly, reach for my wallet an dig for my registration papers.

Several cops have complimented me on the whole hands thing. It's just a respect thing to me, I usually say something like "a buddy of mine is in LE, he says the most dangerous thing he does is basic traffic stops. I figure the least I can do for both our sakes is not give you reason to shoot me "

 

[artherd]

I would also clear any weapon I hand over, again slowly, and announcing I was doing so before I made any movement.

 

[P95Carry]

I am probably repeating myself but .. seems to me the best approach is - put yourself in the cop's position ..... that way you can be as sensible as needed with your hands, to avoid that ''nervous'' spell before papers etc have been presented. Seems logical to me.

I have to admit - I for one would not be a happy camper having to do traffic stops!!!

 

[geegee]

Show respect and you will receive it in return...at least in Texas.

Amen to that. Here's my favorite story of being stopped while carrying.

I was driving from Abilene to Lubbock (can be pretty sparse, for those of you who have never had the pleasure), and I have to admit , I sure as heck was speeding. Hardly saw anyone around for a while until some guy comes up behind me, then another, then one more, to make four of us flying down the highway.

Sure enough, as I'm heading up a hill, I saw the DPS car-but too late. I slowed to 85... ...then looked behind me to see his brake lights. I pulled over, and so did the rest of my convoy. Within minutes, the trooper approaches my window.

I was sitting there, hands on the wheel, and handed over my license and CHL. I told him"Officer, just so you're aware of it, I'm carrying today."
"OK," he says. "Where?"
"On my right hip," I said.
"Have any other guns with you sir?"
""Yes I do. Two or three more in the trunk, and a lot of ammo."
"Really?" says the trooper. "Plan on doing some shooting?"
"Yeah," I said. "When I travel, I'll often take a few guns and some ammo, so if I get an evening free, I can go to a local range."
"OK," he says. "I'll be right back."
He returned about 5 minutes later, and handed me what I thought was a ticket. He told me "I'm just giving you a warning today, sir. Slow it down, will you?"
I assured him I would, then thanked him for his courtesy and drove away. God, I love Texas so! geegee

 

[joelr]

There's musts, and must-nots, and the rest is a matter of tradeoffs. Among the musts, of course, is complying with the LEO's orders; among the must-nots is jerking around in a way to scare the guy.

Beyond that . . . if you can get your wallet out without the jerking around stuff, why not?

As to mentioning that you're carrying, that's a tradeoff. (Except, of course, in those states where you're legally required to bring it up.) On the plus side, assuming the cop is well-trained, experienced, and professional, that should reassure him that you're not a problem. As a bonus, it may get you out of a ticket. On the minus side, if the cop has no experience with permit holders, or has an attitude problem and is looking to hassle somebody, that gives him an opportunity.

Now, if you could tell by looking which kind of cop you have, great. Me, I can't. So my attitude is that I'm not going to mention the issue unless he or she brings it up, unless, for some reason he or she is going to see the gun. In either case, it's "my permit is in my wallet, and my pistol is [wherever]."

 

[SapperLeader]

I haven't been made while carrying concealed yet , or at least in public. I learned a very important lesson one night walking around the house. I was wearing a t-shirt like normal, over my iwb rig, jsut like dozens of times before. My brother and sister came home, and I went upstairs to greet them. Almost immediatly, they were giving me funny looks, and pointed out they could see my sidearm. Baffled, I looked down and checked the hem of my t-shirt. It was all the way down, and covered my sidearm. I then looked in the mirror in horror, at my black firearm shining throught he yellow t-shirt. Im really glad I didn't go out like that, and I learned the lesson of checking myself in the mirror after getting dressed in the morning.

 

[joelr]

Oh, sure, you can be made if you're not careful.

On the other hand . . . in some rather safe-to-do-it places, I've lately been taking to carrying my snubby, with its Barami Hipgrips, technically unconcealed -- just stuck in the back of my pants. I've yet to get so much as a glance or a comment.

 

[gp59]

Iv'e never had any one spot my carry piece but have been stopped and asked if I was packing by a LEO because when he ran my reg.&lic. the first thing that came up was that I had a CPL. I told him I was and all he said was that the next time I was pulled over to let the officer know i had a CPL and if I was packing. he was nice about it and told me to have a nice night. I wish all LEO's were that nice. the law on CPL here in the state of washington states that you don't have to tell the LEO if your carrying but some LEO's appreciate it.

 

[Edward429451]

I've never been made while ccw. I open carry at times also. A few years back I open carried into K mart. I'd done it before rather than leave an unattended weapon in the truck, I just pull my shirt tail out loose a bit to make it not so noticable, keeping my arm close and turning here and there to not alarm people while still technically carrying openly. The store people spotted it and a mgr type approaches and says sir is that a real gun and if so is it loaded? I said yes and yes. He said would you mind unloading it please? I said I'd rather not even remove it from the holster b/c if an off duty LEO rounded that corner and seen me with a weapon in my hand that he may shoot me and I wouldn't want that. So he says then he must escort me from the store. I said I totally understand and that I'm sorry if I offended him as I meant no harm. He says quite alright but I would have to leave. Then escorted me to the door. I think the man handled it very well and I respect him for it.

 

[clubsoda22]

I was in a bookstore in a nearby town that had an LEO there for security. When I went for my wallet to pay for my items he saw my gun and said 'Packin' heat?'. He didn't even ask to see the permit.

Bad things to do in this situation: "No, it's a gun-shaped cell phone...here's your sign!"

 

[geeman]

tisk tisk tisk

Edward,
You totally understand and you're sorry???

Do you and were you or were you just being polite?

I suspect that you do not understand and should not have apologized...

I am not always PC and never apologize for who/what I am or my rights.

Garry

 

[Edward429451]

Of course I was being polite!

Uh, I understand that I was talking to a sheeple and was on private property. The man could have called in a bunch of LEO's and stacked me up with a bunch of felony's, contrived or not. Instead of doing that he was polite and respectful to me.

I don't mind giving a little ground to private citizens within reason, when they respect me. There's a time and a place to stand up for ones rights and pushing the issue on private property is neither.

I'm polite but more matter of fact on the street. It wasn't a big deal and I spent my money elsewhere that day. You think I should've handled it differently?

 

[joelr]

FWIW, I think you handled it just fine.

There's times and places to pick your battles. Declining to shop at a place that doesn't want your business is, it seems to me, a fine one; refusing to leave somebody's establishment after that somebody has asked you to isn't one.

 

[Grayrock]

Edward- do they allow open carry in Colorado? or are you an officer of the law? Here in Texas, we have CHL's for private citizens, but the weapon HAS to be concealed.

 

[Edward429451]

Yes they allow open carry in Colorado but like anywhere else, some places its well received and other places it makes them uncomfortable. I go with the flow but generally try and conceal it from most except LEO's b/c I chose to not get a cwp realizing that gun legislation technically only applies to federal citizens that reside in federally owned territories. I know its a fine line and a dangerous walk but dangit, I know its the truth and it is something that I can do that gives reality to my rights and American heritage. So far so good, 20 yrs.

I am not an officer of the law. I do realize though that regardless of the laws for ccw holders that the prudent thing to do is to conceal my weapon to not alarm the general populace. Its a ballet dance on a very tight rope! God be with me.

If you do a search for "Constitution" and my screen name, you'll find a lot of posts with references which document the federal citizen thing and goes into detail with references etc..

Some say I'm mad.

 

[LynnMassGuy]

I think C.H.Luke was reffering to New England. Sounds like Massachusetts law.

 

[Defender00]

Here is my situation I posted at another BB.

I have read articles that recommend you never under any circumstances volunteer information that you are carrying a concealed weapon because most LEO's don't know the laws and immediately freak out.

Having my CCP for NC & PA, I always carry when legal and definitely when traveling.

A couple weeks ago I was stopped when traveling north on I95 by a NC State Trooper for speeding. Not paying attention and rolling along I noticed a Trooper on the side of the road and looked down to see that I was indeed exceeding the 70-mph speed limit. He immediately entered the highway and caught up to me. As I was pulling over I pictured being face down on the ground in hand cuffs with numerous police vehicles surrounding me. With little time to make a decision, I decided that if that be the case, so be it but I was going to do the right thing. NC is a must inform state.

I placed my hands on the steering wheel and waited. He walked up and requested my license and registration at which time I replied with "You see both of my hands are on the steering wheel." He looked at me a little strangely and I continued to explain that I have a CCP and I have two pistols in the vehicle. At that point he did take a step back and ask there location. One was in the door of the vehicle so he opened the door and removed the pistil and ask if it was loaded, which it was. He asked the location of the other one and then told me to get my CCP, license, and registration. After providing him with the documents, he ask me to come to his vehicle and placed the pistol back in the door.

After checking me on the laptop in his cruiser, he asked if I always traveled with two guns. Explaining that I wasn't trying to be a smart @&$, I asked if he watched the news. He looked at me and nodded his head as to say "I understand."

I did receive a ticket for 80 mph in a 70-mph area and was on my way. I thought I would share this so others that may have a misconception that all LEO's don't know the laws or will over react is not true and applauded the calm yet controlling approach he took was respected by this law abiding citizen, well, most of the time. Speeding is breaking the law.

TS

 

[C. H. Luke]

"A CCW in Nebraska? Or do you mean NorthEast? Fur as I know, there ain't no such thing as a Nebraska CCW."

JB

My apologies JB, I did mean the North East.


Lynn: Very Close! Upstate NY...........

 

[JamisJockey]

On the courtesy ride back from a car dealer, getting my car serviced, I used to have a P95....it was IWB, small of the back (I know....I know...), and when I got out my shirt flew up in the strong wind Marilyn-Monroe style....exposing the P95....I hear a muttered '????!' behind me as he pulled out of my driveway.....


Oh yea...I work in a 'secure' location....meaning I cannot bring any weapons inside the perimiter....instead relying on one lone security guard with a .38 special for my security .....I got pulled over for running the stopsign right in front of my work (off a deserted dead end road....if you don't work back there you don't have reason to be there) and immediately handed the cop my DL and CHL...and informed him "I've got a permit but I'm not armed" He replied "thanks". Ran my information and gave me a verbal warning.
Whenever my car is parked across the street, my coworkers know whats up....its funny as hell....

 

[tire iron]

I have been 'made' while CCW'ing. It was a community function, large room, fold up metal chairs. My wife and I were sitting right in front of another couple we know. After the seminar, the husband told his wife that I was carrying a concealed handgun. I was - I was carrying my G23 in a Blade-Tech IWB holster, with my sweater pulled over the top of it - and a jacket over the sweater. Crazy part is - he never saw it - as he is 100% BLIND! Dude CANNOT see. A baseball bat has better vision than he does. He said he 'sensed' it.

I have never been 'made' by a 'seeing' person though.

Also - I have been pulled over twice in the last 10 years - both times for speeding - both times when the officer approached my truck I had my hands on top of the steering wheel - palms up.

When he asked for the DL I also handed over my CCW permit. On both occasions - I *DIDN'T* get a ticket! ALL the other times (5) that I have been pulled over for speeding I have gotten a ticket. Don't know whether my CCW has anthing to do with my not getting a ticket when I showed it - but it does make me go....HMMMmmmm.

cheers

tire iron

 

[Andrew Rothman]

...fold up metal chairs....the husband told his wife that I was carrying a concealed handgun. I was - I was carrying my G23 in a Blade-Tech IWB holster, with my sweater pulled over the top of it - and a jacket over the sweater....He said he 'sensed' it.

Suuuuuure he did. Blind people get ESP when they lose their sight.

More likely, he heard it "clunk" against the metal folding chair when you sat down.

 

[tire iron]

Yeah I kind of wondered about that myself, however, I usually am aware that it would clunk, so I sit down kind of 'soft' to avoid the 'clunk'. I am quite self conscious about 'printing' and 'clunking' (which I guess it 'printing' with noise).

Could be though.

On the other hand - since my ears don't work so good anymore (one too many shots without hearing protection when I was younger and dumber) - what I thought was sitting down quietly - to him could have been CLUNK!!

cheers

tire iron