CCW: Print

[Warehouse 13]

There is so much discussion out there about "print" it's making me nervous sometimes about clothing, movement, etc.. Some folks say don't worry about it. Others say don't let it happen. Is there a middle ground on this topic? In my experience, as a CCW licensee, I don't notice "print" when others are carrying unless I know they are carrying (e.g., a friend) and they are bending down right in front of me to pick up a box or something. Anyone else get uncomfortable sometimes? Or, should I relax and do the best I can and not be so conscious of it all the time?

[wyntrout]

I wear long loose T-shirts or Polos... Duluth Polos in size Large, though I'm medium. I like loose and untucked for easy draw from IWB using a good holster and gun belt.
I only worry about some of my lighter and thinner T-shirts or Polos being a little too sheer.
As for others, I don't try to "notice" other people carrying, though some make it pretty easy with too-short shirts and on-belt carry. It's hard not to "notice" the holster or even the gun barrel sticking below shirts that are too short at some point.
I check my self for top shelf reaching and general visibility before okaying a shirt for CCW.
I do try to make sure my shirt is in place... micro-adjustments when getting out of the car. I've found the shirt rides up on top of the pistol sometimes, getting out of the car.
I've come close to losing my pistol and actually had it fall on the floor at self-checkout in Walmart... my P380 AND the holster. The pistol stayed in the holster. There was a nice woman in front of me picking up her bags to leave and she turned and saw the pistol on the floor. I kind of shrugged and smiled, then picked it up. She kind of smiled and left... no problem with her... stuff happens. I say nice lady, because she seemed "middle-class" and a Lady... not the "run of the mill Walmarters"
That was using a plastic clip-on IWB soft holster in drawstring shorts on a quick trip for a few groceries.
I wear that around the house, but it's not good for outings... in and out of the car or walking around much.
Just watch yourself in the mirror... raise your arms and get an idea what to expect when you're out and about, especially shopping off higher shelves. :)
Wynn

[Bawanna]

Most people are completely oblivious to stuff around them. I too am often concerned if I'm printing but don't really need to be. The ones that will notice are other concealed carriers (sheepdogs or posers) and cops.
If your not doing anything that would attract their attention in a negative way they won't be looking to close unless of course your in New York or one of them places that specifically looks for gun toters.
I can almost always pick out a concealed gun, there's tell tale signs, mannerisms etc, like garment adjustments, favoring one side or not swinging the arm on the gun side. It's easy if you know what to look for. I also try to avoid those same mannerisms much as I can.
We're an open carry state which I like in case your gun play peek a boo but I don't ever open carry and never will, bad idea in my mind.
All that being said, I'd follow Wyntrouts idea's but don't get too worked up about it, most people aren't gonna notice, they are sleep walking most of the time.

[DavidR]

I'm very careful about printing. I'm prohibited from carrying at work but outside of work I always carry. Literally, I believe that none of the people I interact socially, at church or in the neighborhood have any idea that I carry and I'd prefer to keep it that way. For me this means that I carry small guns (P365, CM9 or CT380) and wear an appropriate cover garment.

Concealing tucked has been an issue but I think I've solved with a Vedder Light Tuck.

Here's a picture of me with my 30 year old special needs daughter as we were heading out to a Tim Tebow Foundation sponsored event Friday at the church I attend. I'm carrying my P365 strong side at 1:00 in a Vedder Light Tuck. Reasonably comfortable (as long as I don't eat too much!). We have a lot of guys working undercover security. None of them know I carry. I also sat less that six feet away from two police officers doing volunteer security for half an hour.

http://i.imgur.com/AKunFsvl.jpg (https://imgur.com/AKunFsv)

[Bawanna]

I forgot about not being allowed to carry at work. Then it's especially important to maintain concealment.
I worked for 22 years at the PD as an office puke. Armorer but not allowed to carry a gun myself. Carried every single day.
Most everybody knew it but the people that mattered and they weren't smart enough to look close.
My part time gig now doesn't allow firearms even in your vehicle in the parking lot, liberal uneducated corporate bunch. PM45 on the ankle every single time. I put stuff together so go the ankle route to keep it out of the way as I'm wrestling wheelbarrows and such together.
Rather get fired than be a sheep in the pasture with the wolf's on the loose.

David, you and the daughter are looking fine, I can see it but only because I'm looking for it, the sheep will never notice.
You must be someplace nice, I see a palm tree. We're cold and mostly flooded at the moment, I'm on top of a hill but the valley we drive out on is a lake. No fish that I can detect.

[DavidR]

David, you and the daughter are looking fine, I can see it but only because I'm looking for it, the sheep will never notice.
You must be someplace nice, I see a palm tree. We're cold and mostly flooded at the moment, I'm on top of a hill but the valley we drive out on is a lake. No fish that I can detect.

Yeah - the clip on the belt does give it away, along with slight bulge. I prefer shirt out.

Palm trees abound. I live in central Palm Beach county, about 10 miles due west of Mar A Lago. Winter is pleasant but we have eight months of hot and humid. I've lived in south Florida most of my life. I'm five months from retirement and a year or so away from relocating to the Raleigh, NC area as that's where my grandkids are.

[berettabone]

In all my years of concealed carry, including pocket carry, IWB, OWB, & AIWB, and under just about every social circumstance, I've only noticed that 2 people have noticed I was carrying. In one circumstance, they noticed it in my front pocket at a grocery store, and in the other, it was OWB underneath a sweatshirt at a busy buffet at a restaurant. It was up nort, so they are a bit more used to the fact that everyone has a firearm up there. They would know more about what to look for. The waitress noticed. Business as usual. The people in the city are brain dead and wouldn't notice if a train ran over the mother in law. I'm also in an open carry state, so I've never really worried about it. I have open carried up nort, but not in the big city. Different mind set...………………………...

[Bawanna]

Yeah - the clip on the belt does give it away, along with slight bulge. I prefer shirt out.

Palm trees abound. I live in central Palm Beach county, about 10 miles due west of Mar A Lago. Winter is pleasant but we have eight months of hot and humid. I've lived in south Florida most of my life. I'm five months from retirement and a year or so away from relocating to the Raleigh, NC area as that's where my grandkids are.

My son in laws family is in NC, around Charlotte, sounds like a pretty cool place. I'm two months into retirement, still figuring it out and my daughter and NC husband just bought 160 acres in Montana, it'll be a few years I suspect before they get it ready, power, water and a house and such but I imagine we'll be moving that way too. Grandma can't be that far away from the grandkids and I'm sick of Washington politics and I'm sure I can find a nice shooting spot on 160 acres to call my very own.
Course that separates us from my two sons who aren't married yet so time will tell. Or perhaps more accurately Grandma will tell.

[Bawanna]

Ironically I much prefer a tucked in shirt, always wear a belt. In the warm weather I just have to wear a shirt with tails out. I never belt carry with like a T shirt, I will when it's cool with a sweat shirt or pullover sweater.
If it gets to warm or concealment is paramount I just strap on the ankle holster with the PM45, often times wear it anyhow along with a belt gun which is generally a 1911.

Actually one big advantage to a wheelchair, you can hide a lot in a wheelchair. I used to just put a gun in my back pack or front bag but came to the conclusion that if I get out of the chair for whatever reason, I want the guns, knives, flash bangs etc to come with me.

[Islander]

My experience is that you could walk into a busy store open carrying a bazooka and no one will notice. Point being, I don't worry about it.

[berettabone]

I always thought that an untucked shirt looked kind of sloppy. Prefer a tucked in shirt. Always tucked in my shirt, always. Since I started carrying, I had to adjust that idea and become more flexible. Lately I've been enjoying carrying in my new DH Jit OWB holster. High and tight under a sweatshirt works well for me. I really don't like to leave t-shirts untucked, but I'm comfortable using a Remora in that situation. I use every holster I own, and dress accordingly. The Jit style works well under t-shirts also.

[I_Like_Turtles]

When I first started carrying a firearm at the ripe old age of 21 I too was worried someone would spot it. It's a pretty normal fear but like others have stated, not much need for it. Most people notice NOTHING. They are too busy looking down at their phones or simply in condition White.

Even when I've open carried most people don't seem to notice. However this is a very firearm friendly state, which has to be a factor.

I have, over the years, carried in a couple of "deep carry" holsters that did allow one to carry with nearly zero risk of it being seen, even by police. One was the (don't laugh) Thunderwear holster and the other was in the Kramer Holster Shirt (formerly the "Confidant"). Of the two the Kramer was better but both were slow draws. If I needed "deep carry" again I'd go for the Kramer. The Thunderwear (Smartcarry is a competitor) requires both hands to draw, which is always a bad idea.

I never like a weapon to touch my skin, I always wear a tee shirt as an undershirt. Most of the time I pocket carry a J-frame but the only kind of pants I wear are khakis and the pockets are generally large.

I have ankle carried but only as backup or part of the New York Reload. It also works well when seated.

I prefer pocket carry most of the time and sometimes I know it's printing but again, no one seems to notice!

In time, you will find, most people don't notice, those that do won't care, and you'll relax too.

[BubbleHead]

Where I live in liberal Northern Virginia, I use a belly band holster and avoid printing like the bubonic plague. Around here, there are way way WAY too many people who will call the cops if they see a gun on anyone not in a cop's uniform. How I carry won't necessarily be the same as how someone carries out in the boonies of Oklahoma, and that's perfectly fine. I dress for the occasion.

[Ken L]

I carry all the time. When I'm working it's with tucked in shirts, so I just make sure that they are not tucked in tight so there isn't a chance of printing. When I'm not working I use the same IWB holster, but it might be an untucked t-shirt. Just need to make sure they're long enough to reach for stuff. My whole family knows that I carry, but I've never been busted by printing. I've had them outright ask me if I am carrying, and I always ask them if it's a day that ends in "y".

I swear that 99% of the population is oblivious to the world around them. I followed a guy that was carrying a full-sized Glock "concealed" IWB wearing a t-shirt and sweat pants. The sweats were sagging around the pistol and the t-shirt was one size too small for him without the pistol. That's how I knew it was a Glock. I was going to tell him, but when the rest of the people around us didn't notice I just let it go.

[I_Like_Turtles]

I have a friend who used to live in NOVA and he would go about open carrying the same Kahr CW 45 I now own, in the same Mitch Rosen thumb break. He never mentioned a "MWAG" call. He did tell me he had very pleasant conversations with people on the 2nd Amendment and open carry.

I was in the cell phone store some months ago and a man was sorta "concealed" with a Glock in a Fobus holster showing from under his tee shirt as he'd bend over. The lady in front of me was oblivious.....when I pointed it out to her she seemed a bit shocked (she said nothing nor did she act out). People are just not paying attention.