Spotting someone carrying

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I agree with all the comments indicating that most people don't notice if you're carrying or not and wouldn't even if you were very obvious about it.

I'm not worried about them. It's the very few people who do notice and who are looking that worry me a bit.
 
But why worry about it? If you are legal, there is nothing to worry about.
just my opinion though.....
 
Someone who is IWBing without a holster will probably have a hand there pretty obviously. It's a pretty common illegal carry method, because it takes no preparation and it's easy to get to. Downside is it will fall out easy.


That page is less targeted at people who have a tight-fitting CCW rig, that's harder to spot.
 
But why worry about it? If you are legal, there is nothing to worry about.
just my opinion though.....
You don't think like a predator. I'm not worried about the cops, they're on my side. If they get confused I have evidence to prove it in my wallet and more if they start really checking on me.
 
For those who carry "Mexican" or without a holster, ask Plaxico Burress how that worked out for him. Even a cheap $20 holster is better than nothin. If you can't afford that, then you cant afford a box of ammo either.
 
I've been carrying ten years straight. I was fidgety for the first week, but I knew that it had to become natural... feel natural... and look natural.

I carry a Kimber Compact Stainless II (steel frame, 36 ounces empty)

I use a sturdy, double thick 1.5" leather belt and a Crossbreed holster. Spare ammo for the 1911 goes in a Galco double mag carrier. Both conceal extremely well. A great carry system is a must.

Just for the hell of it, today, I carried the 1911, 4 spare mags, and my Sig P238 with a spare.

Not to brag, but I have become very good at concealing. I am a concealment ninja. I make pocket guns look bad. On top of that, I am a fantastically casual looking guy. You know what makes a 3-piece suit look great? A casual demeanor. When I put on a suit, I imagine that I've been wearing suits in a day-in-day-out high-stress job for years. I wear it like a worn-out divorce lawyer. This is one way to look casual, in a suit or with a gun. You've got to BE casual. You've got to walk around like you've already worked 14 hours today.

When I do make adjustments, they are themselves concealed as common behaviors or fidgets. I can "scratch my nose" and sneak a taste of what my wife is cooking, every time. This is no different. Totally casual, totally concealed.

So long as you can play this part, no one will be the wiser... even if they ARE looking. By the way, the second art of concealment is to casually keep your head on a swivel and your eyes nonchalantly roaming. You will actually be able to spot casers, thugs, druggies, con artists, undercover cops, and even fellow CCW'ers... without them ever knowing it.

You're still just casually poking around, minding your own business, doing whatever it is you do, looking semi-bored... totally casual...

Learn it, live it, make it part of you. I sling steel in my waistband as casually as the wedding tackle.
 
I am very conscience of my keys.
Over the past several months I have become very comfortable carrying my Walther P99 at 4 pm. My knife is clipped on my right side pocket. The knife has been there since the day I bought it. Since firearms are off limits in my office, it goes everywhere I go. My cell phone provides some cover for the gun too.
I did make a tactical error at the grocery store this week though.:banghead: It was pouring down rain and about 40 degrees. I had on my long jacket and my unbottoned shirt. I got to the check out and went to pay. Without thinking about it, I reached for my wallet. Bad move.:eek: I swept back my coat and shirt because they are long and low, and behold, there was my gun. A very nice lady at the check out only said two words, "Very Nice.":) I am married and she wasn't looking at me. That was all she said.... So, I am rethinking which pocket to carry my wallet in. I also need help with carrying that extra mag. It really weighs my pocket down too much or sticks out on my belt too much.
Lesson: Think about being just a little too comfortable with your clothes.
If I were single, I think I might have to go shopping at that check out agian!;)
 
I think that pic is aimed at those who CC illegally. And a lot of folks are oblivious to their surroundings anyway. Just a few days ago I got a chuckle out of someone who couldn't figure out why the pump wouldn't work, despite the 8x10 sign at eye level that said "PRE-PAY ONLY" in bold red letters on a white background. I used to have to fight a laugh, but its not as funny as it used to be. Gets old after a while...

Wasn't there something posted on here a long time ago about the tendency for people who carry guns to also have a folding knife clipped in their front pocket as well?
In my area its not unusual at all for a man to carry a knife clipped in their front pocket. Its actually pretty unusual to spot a man who's not carrying a pocketknife.

So, I am rethinking which pocket to carry my wallet in.
I was in a similar situation. Guy was paying for his groceries, and I told him carrying his wallet in his left pocket wouldn't be a bad idea. He looked like a dear in the headlights for a minute.

I planned ahead, and switched pockets in high school. Its really weird at first, but you get used to it.
 
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What I notice are khaki colored "tactical vests" that hang below the waist. It's like a big flashing neon sign to me saying "I'm carrying a 'concealed' gun!" I don't care, I just notice.

:D
 
Hell...I open carry around my house and property. Guest coming into the house don't even notice the Kimber UCC II in a Yaqui Slide until they see the magazine on the opposit side. Then it's a quick glance and "Nice"....People just don't pay any attention as to what might be causing that "bulge" on your side. Let alone pay any attention to their immediate surroundings.
 
One sign or "red flag" i've noticed is someone carrying a cellphone on left side of their belt even though they're obviously right handed.

If you're going to do that at least learn to use your left hand to retrieve it!

I was watching someone in line at a store once with that setup. It was painfully obvious it was difficult for them to retrieve their phone using their right hand in sort of a cross draw motion. It didn't help when they dropped it on the floor and proved my suspicions when they bent over to retrieve it.
 
here is a snip from the study...it was a look at shootings at LEO.

link...

http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum55/34804.html

It is fascinating read. There is a war in the tactics forum right now point shooting...

Shooting Style
Twenty-six of the offenders [about 60%], including all of the street combat veterans, "claimed to be instinctive shooters, pointing and firing the weapon without consciously aligning the sights," the study says.
"They practice getting the gun out and using it," Davis explained. "They shoot for effect." Or as one of the offenders put it: "[W]e're not working with no marksmanship..We just putting it in your direction, you know..It don't matter.as long as it's gonna hit you.if it's up at your head or your chest, down at your legs, whatever..Once I squeeze and you fall, then.if I want to execute you, then I could go from there."

Hit Rate
More often than the officers they attacked, offenders delivered at least some rounds on target in their encounters. Nearly 70% of assailants were successful in that regard with handguns, compared to about 40% of the victim officers, the study found. (Efforts of offenders and officers to get on target were considered successful if any rounds struck, regardless of the number fired.)


back to "tells"


Missed Cues
Officers would less likely be caught off guard by attackers if they were more observant of indicators of concealed weapons, the study concludes. These particularly include manners of dress, ways of moving and unconscious gestures often related to carrying.
"Officers should look for unnatural protrusions or bulges in the waist, back and crotch areas," the study says, and watch for "shirts that appear rippled or wavy on one side of the body while the fabric on the other side appears smooth." In warm weather, multilayered clothing inappropriate to the temperature may be a giveaway. On cold or rainy days, a subject's jacket hood may not be covering his head because it is being used to conceal a handgun.
Because they eschew holsters, offenders reported frequently touching a concealed gun with hands or arms "to assure themselves that it is still hidden, secure and accessible" and hasn't shifted. Such gestures are especially noticeable "whenever individuals change body positions, such as standing, sitting or exiting a vehicle." If they run, they may need to keep a constant grip on a hidden gun to control it.
Just as cops generally blade their body to make their sidearm less accessible, armed criminals "do the same in encounters with LEOs to ensure concealment and easy access."
An irony, Davis noted, is that officers who are assigned to look for concealed weapons, while working off-duty security at night clubs for instance, are often highly proficient at detecting them. "But then when they go back to the street without that specific assignment, they seem to 'turn off' that skill," and thus are startled--sometimes fatally--when a suspect suddenly produces a weapon and attacks.
 
If you want a good way to check on your gun without drawing attention, you can use your forarm. After over 30 years, this works best if you strong side carry. Simply brushing your elbow area or scratching your thigh, you can get pretty good at being undetected when checking on your gun. It will also let you know without looking after a while, if the weapon has slid too far forward or bent out too far. It takes a little practice and finnese but can be done easily with practice.
 
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