Newsflash: Concealed Carrying is a PITA!

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

It dawned on me about Wednesday this last week: After carrying with CCW license for 13 years, the "fun" of it has finally completely worn off, and now it's just a chore. A necessary chore I will continue to undertake for the safety of myself and my loved ones, but nevertheless a pain the rear, to put on, take off, conceal effectively, stash in car or elsewhere when going somewhere that gun cannot go with, etc, etc. Training with handgun is still fun, but the actual mechanics of carrying are now just another to-do on the list of things I have to do to get ready to go anywhere.

 

[Javelin]

I suggest you get a Kel-Tec P3AT. It is easy to conceal.

 

[Chicken-Farmer]

Welcome to the club! This is exactly what i tell people when they start to consider concealed carry. The new wears off very quick and the reality of the situation sets in. I believe everyone at first felt like they were a super hero the first couple of times, after all batman never complained about his utility belt being too heavy did he? I've been CCW for 10 years, fortunately i live in a state where there are very few places that i can't carry. I don't have to leave my gun in the car. I found that a good quality, thick belt makes all the difference. I like my gun to ride high on my hip and to bond to my side.

Chicken-Farmer

 

[CPshooter]

I have to ask..

What's your current concealed carry rig? I'm just thinking maybe you are one of the guys that are trying to carry a 40oz full-size 1911 with a crappy holster! Just kidding..I'm sure after 13 years of carrying you have probably come across something a little easier to carry than that. But what do you carry?

I have a Ruger LCP that has been totally reliable both before and after the recall upgrades. It's so small and unnoticeable that there's no excuse to not bring it with me wherever I go.

 

[Hungry Seagull]

Cheer up. Weapons get smaller with the passing years along with everything else.

Remember ENIAC? (Spelling?) used for computing artillery? Now we can do the same thing with a scope on a rifle today for bullet drop.

Remember the movie MIB? That little bitty shooter?

I hope that when I am ancient, I still have the strength to lift a weapon strong enough to matter LOL.

 

[lanternlad1]

What gun are you carrying Dr. Tad? Sometimes WHAT you carry can be a pain. For instance, I alternate between a PF-9 and a 642. Same size, but the 642 carries much easier than the PF-9. I can carry the 642 all day and never know its there. Don't know why. Maybe you need to change up your carry piece. And regarding places where I can't carry, I just don't go there if I can help it.

 

[lanternlad1]

oops. double post.

 

[9mmepiphany]

i'm looking seriously at the Kahr line-up for just that reason...i've been carrying for over 30 years.

the Kahrs are just as slim as a 1911, point just as well and are more compact.

polymer frame makes them light and the trigger is very learnable

 

[woad_yurt]

I suggest you get a Kel-Tec P3AT. It is easy to conceal.

What he said. It's like having a pack of cigarettes in your pocket. You'll forget it's there.

 

[1KPerDay]

Try pocket carrying a j-frame or LCP. No PITA. You forget it's there. I recognize the tradeoffs but for me it works.

 

[bonedust]

wow, i was doing it all wrong. i didnt know i was supposed to having fun!

 

[gpr]

kt

do do that kt p3at in your front pocket....you will find your self patting your pocket to see if it's there....gpr

 

[jimk0512]

I suggest you get a Kel-Tec P3AT. It is easy to conceal.

+2 on the Kel-Tec. Pocket carry in the summer, you never know it is there.

 

[22lr]

Real men CCW S&W 3rd gen steel frame pistols, LOL just kidding.

I agree with the OP Ive only had my CCW for a few months and its a pain, big time, one I go through but its still a pain. Ya maybe my big honking steel frame 9mm auto probably isnt the best CCW but right now its the only concealable gun that I have any desire to carry so I make do.

 

[searcher451]

It's more than a PITA. It's also an formidable responsibility. But in the world we live in today, sadly, it's also a necessary responsibility, which is the very reason why so many of us go through the process every day.

 

[Geezer Glide]

After 13 years, I would have thought you would have come upon the right weapon/holster/belt combination for the most comfort and concealibility. I have carried for about the same amount of time and I have had my share of problems. After countless gun and holster combinations, I eventually found a system that is comfortable and conceals well.

The type of clothes that I am wearing for a particular day dictates what and how I will be carrying. If I can wear a jacket or cover shirt, I will carry my Glock 21 or Glock 30 in an MTAC holster with a belt by the Beltman.

If I can wear jeans/shorts and a T shirt, I will carry my Glock 26, also in an MTAC and the same belt.

For times when I cannot carry IWB, I will pocket carry my Kel-Tec PF-9 with a Galco pocket holster.

And for the ultimate in discreet, my Kel-Tec P3AT, also in a Galco pocket holster.

All of these are very comfortable and have become second nature, just part of my every day necessities like my wallet, keys, and cell phone.

 

[Kind of Blued]

Maybe you should take a vacation to Chicago for a while...

 

[orionengnr]

I think I'm going in the opposite direction.

In five years as a TX CHL holder, I've gone from a G-23 (too fat) through a number of J-frames (too heavy steel models, too nasty .357 Scandium models) to just right in the Kahr PM9...

But I still kept experimenting. I bought four Kel-Tecs (two P3ATs, a P32 and a P-11) and none was reliable, so I finally gave up on K-Ts. (FWIW, I now own an LCP, which is reliable, but am not quite sure I trust the .380 cartridge, so I don't carry it.)

Last fall I started carrying either an alloy 1911 (.45 acp) or an L-or-N frame S&W (.357, .45acp., .45LC or, the most recent addition, .41 Mag). This is nowhere near as convenient, but I finally have a handgun I am confident in carrying.

As someone once said, it's supposed to be comforting, not comfortable

As Spring and Summer approach, this will be a challenge--in Texas, we have a long Summer. We'll see how it works out.

 

[JonB]

I don't carry everyday, mostly when I ride motorcycle out of town geocaching. Then it's the Glock 20 or XD9. But looking at a Kahr PM9 for everyday carry.

 

[Duke of Doubt]

My carry has evolved over the past five years. Part of it is living in a state where guns are accepted as normal, compared to the other places I spent my earlier years. At first, my emphasis was on concealment. I selected a very small gun for the time, a FEG PMK380. Now THAT was a PITA; way too heavy mainspring and trigger. As I got comfortable carrying, I moved up to a Beretta 92FS. With experience I learned to plan ahead for carry to avoid legal problems, and worked out comfortable and practical means of carry and transport, some of them off-body. I don't intend to get complacent, but it really isn't necessary to "hide" the gun up here. Brandishing laws just aren't enforced against bona fide concealed carriers. I've witnessed some pretty spectacular concealment fails, which would have triggered a SWAT response in DC or Chicago but which drew laughter and assistance, here. It's too bad my line of work takes me into a lot of places I can't carry, especially as some of those places are precisely where I'd worry most about getting attacked. But it's a fact of life, and I deal.

 

[hankdatank1362]

A wise man once said "Carrying a gun is supposed to be comforting, not comfortable."

 

[sohcgt2]

It's just like driving, 15 years ago I would go for a drive to relax now I plan ahead and combine trips to minimize my driving and not just because gas is expensive. I just don't enjoy driving like I used to. After the thrill is gone your left with the responsibilties of your life. Must protect yourself in order to protect your family. Too old to fight and too tired to run.

 

[20nickels]

Where was this thread last month before I got my license! Half the reason I got my license was because when I go to the range or travel in my car I had anywhere from 1 to 8 handguns that I now had to keep in the back of the vehicle, with the ammo in a separate area, blah, blah, blah. Now I just put them in the vehicle where I want, loaded if I want, and don't have to worry about if I left a bullet in my front pocket and am now breaking some serious laws.

 

[Seven For Sure]

A small gun is better than no gun. That's the conclusion most people who have carried for years come to. I've left the house unarmed maybe five times in the last six years. I gave up trying to carry my Glock 20 a long time ago.

 

[Walkalong]

Which is why my NAA .22 Mag or .32 Seecamp go with me a lot. Lazy I guess. All depends on my mood, and where I am going.