Unintentionally funny news graphic

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Dmath

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This has probably been mentioned on this board before, but the graphic is worth some grins.

http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/publicfiles/pdf/spotting-a-hidden-handgun.pdf

It purports to show how you can spot somebody carrying a concealed handgun. It's credited to some former NYC cop, and he's providing the kind of material the non-gun-owning people in the news media just love to eat up, but it's lame. As infographics go, this one is worth a C-minus. I mean, speaking as an illustrator, it looks good, but it misinforms.

"The weighted grip slips downward." It does? The grip of a revolver is heavier then the combined weight of the cylinder, frame, and barrel? On what planet does this take place -- the one where a grown man is thrown backward by the impact of a .38 Special bullet?

Also, having pocket-carried both a J-frame revolver and a small-frame auto (in a proper pocket holster) for over a decade, I know that most of the tell-tale physical behavior in those illustrations just does not take place. But you just gotta love "Oversized or mismatched coat seems incompatible with other clothing." Yes! Remember, Crimestoppers, a giant argyle-patterned coat is a dead giveaway.




http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/publicfiles/pdf/spotting-a-hidden-handgun.pdf
 
I saw this a while back. My thought was ..."really?" Some was maybe some was...well...not so sure.

I'm not good at this. However, my wife spots guns every so often.

Mark
 
Here's my method:

Folding knife clip visible on pants pocket = Good guy with a gun.

Name on a ballot = Bad guy with a gun.
 
Not so much "funny" as amateurish. The guy in a tight T-shirt (honest workin' Joe in a bad neighborhood, from the looks of him :fire:) trying to conceal with a shoulder holster was pretty bad, as were the Noir-esque clothing choices depicted otherwise. Anyone notice the hoodie? Or the guy leanin' on a post flippin' a nickel? :D Should have included "gun twirling" as a tell.

I don't carry, and even I can tell that nearly all those 'tells' are from A) not carrying the gun in a real holster, and B) being unused to carrying. For legit or experienced carriers, neither is likely, but for a hood(ie) who bought or borrowed a disposable piece for temporary use, I can see those being frequent signs. So the tells probably aren't completely useless. Do note that all are highly subjective, and most are based on perceived non-conformity --kind of odd considering the anti-profiling measures supposedly being implemented in many gun control hot-beds.

Lesson: if you use a holster and carry regularly and dress intelligently (not even appropriately), you have absolutely nothing to worry about as a violent young hood(ie) or legal citizen. Just don't catch an officer's gaze ;)

TCB
 
Here's my method:

Folding knife clip visible on pants pocket = Good guy with a gun.

Name on a ballot = Bad guy with a gun.
I might be hijacking my own thread here, but --

Knife clip on pants pocket is definitely an identifier. But it's much less noticeable if it isn't a bright steel clip. To that end, a couple of days ago, I removed the clip from my Spyderco and dunked it in Plastidip, that liquid-rubber stuff that's used for coating tool handles. It actually worked. The clip is still visible, but far less noticeable than before. And if I brush against the side of my car, it's less likely to scratch the paint. Win-win.
 
Edward Tufte uses this as an example of an excellent infographic.

It's not a bad infographic, but it oversells itself, most of the tells that it details are mistakes made by someone who's not comfortable with concealed carry, or who doesn't use a good holster/belt combination.
 
Only thing of these I have ever done was the hold while running at the end. Supertuck hides everything else, and just act normal. Don't face someone a certain way because your worried they might see a weapon. Make it so they don't.
 
FWIW, a while back, a local news outlet reported that security at a casino spotted and discretely confronted a patron who appeared to be carrying. It turns out that he did normally carry, but had left his gun in his vehicle. He was apparently mortified that he had developed such obvious bad habits.
 
The graphic is pretty accurate for the types of people who you don't want to have a gun. Most criminals don't put the thought or effort into buying a quality concealment holster or system. If trying to identify kids in schools or street thugs who may be up to no good this graphic would be pretty good. Which is what it is meant for. Not to spot legitimate and legal concealed carriers.
 
Edward Tufte uses this as an example of an excellent infographic.

It's not a bad infographic, but it oversells itself, most of the tells that it details are mistakes made by someone who's not comfortable with concealed carry, or who doesn't use a good holster/belt combination.

Exactly what I was thinking.

Tucking a gun inside a waistband bill almost certainly cause a lot of these indications.

As for how a person turns their body...that's baloney as far as a reliable indicator of gun possession. A person naturally turns their strong side away from an aggressor in almost all circumstances anyway. There is power in movement and limbs which travel a further distance take advantage of increased speed and leverage as well as shifts in body mass.

In general, there ARE some good indicators in this, but people should remember that this is what they are..."indicators", not rock-solid evidence.
 
This is a pretty good graphic.

Keep in mind the background of the author- he was a robbery detective. So his experience was in looking for criminals carrying guns in the role of an armed robber.

Armed robbers virtually never wear holsters, which leads to most of the tells indicated in the graphic.

I have limited experience observing people loiter with criminal intent, but the few times I have seen it, the weapons tells were there and pretty similar to what the detective who made this describes.

If anyone in the news media picks it up on a way to spot CCWers, it will be much less helpful.
 
"The weighted grip slips downward." It does? The grip of a revolver is heavier then the combined weight of the cylinder, frame, and barrel? On what planet does this take place -- the one where a grown man is thrown backward by the impact of a .38 Special bullet?

Its talking about how the weight of the grip effects the position the gun will move to in a pocket. If a revolver is placed in a loose pocket barrel down it will shift to a more horizontal position.
 
as a person with a foot drop from a herniated disc. I can tell you the short step on one side is NOT from a gun.

Running across the street in the rain, with a cell phone in a loose pocket, I've grabbed p my jacket.

I've know some men who run HOT and rarely close a jacket and some that run cold and always wear a jacket.

That being said.. I'm sure those signs along with OTHERS can add up to carrying.
 
Being a carrier of a j-frame myself, this does look pretty accurate to someone carrying without a proper holster. I typically appendix carry IWB but if I make a spur of the moment Walmart run and don't put on my holster I'll either shove it in my pants pocket or jacket. The walking part seems over exagerated in my opinion unless you are really inexperienced with it in your pocket. In the jacket pocket it does naturally want to lay in a horizontal position depending how big the pocket is. I actually prefer it horizontal in the jacket pocket especially if I were ever to need to shoot from the pocket. As far as the uneven weight distrobution, if the jacket is zipped up then its not even noticeable. Plus I'd have my phone and keys in the other pocket so it would look pretty much the same.
 
Forgive my ignorance. I didn't know that a guy with a folding knife in his pocket was a dead give away that he was packing. Wow, in that case, there are alot of us out there...well here in my area.
 
Forgive my ignorance. I didn't know that a guy with a folding knife in his pocket was a dead give away that he was packing. Wow, in that case, there are alot of us out there...well here in my area.
I am guessing that the poster who said that (and I agreed with him) was making a joking-but-still-largely-true reference to the concept that there is a lot of overlap between people who carry and people who have knives with pocket clips. It's not a lock, but it's still pretty durn likely.
 
as a person with a foot drop from a herniated disc. I can tell you the short step on one side is NOT from a gun.

Uh yep, same here...

Running across the street in the rain, with a cell phone in a loose pocket, I've grabbed p my jacket.

At the moment, I have to carry 2 cell phones but I have a very good IWB holster. So if I have to run (not easy, see comment above) each hand grabs a phone. The gun is not a problem.
 
That is hysterical.

Overall it is not bad advice. Assuming the person carrying a concealed handgun is not comfortable with doing so, and does not have a good holster.

What I found funny was the set of images. Like the guy that looks like Mr Clean carrying a steel girder on a job site, and is packing a snub revo around in case he needs to shoot a bag of redi-mix open or something.

I also liked the 1930's hard boiled detective, smoking a camel while thinkin' 'bout dames.

My favorite is the Italian style clown (sans little hat) who is confronting the flasher in a overcoat.

Whoever drew the images is either a prankster having fun with the NYPD, or a disturbed person who watches too many weird movies on late night TV.
 
On the knife pocket clip showing in the pocket...no connection with guns. Unless one out of 5 men is carrying and about half the women. Out where I live anyway. Way too common with working class folk for any connection to CCW. Especially considering how difficult it is to get a carry permit for a gun. Those who carry have fewer "tells".

Cell phones make much of the pocket carry and protection points obsolete. A heavy side of a coat or jacket is often a cell phone or wallet.

tipoc
 
That is amusing. Some of those may of once of been a indicator, but these days it is a lot more likely the person owns a cell phone.
 
When I pocket carry, I exhibit many of the same characteristics. I don't do it often enough to get used to the gun.

I probably exhibited most of them the first couple of weeks I carried with a proper holster. Then I got used to it, and I negotiate stairs, ladders, attics, and crawlspaces without a thought.

For "loose gun gun carried gangsta style", I'd say the graphic pretty much nails it. Remember, a cop isn't going to be applying these metrics to ordinary people, but ones who look "hinky" for some reason already.
 
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