Jim-Bob

CC Folks - Dress smart ! CONCEALED CARRY means keeping it out of site period. We have all seen the guy with the snug T-Shirt stretched over a pistol/holster; I wasn't

impressed, and don't think it is cool either. Same for that exposed barrel/holster bottom, or T-shirt with logos like "Kill'em all-let God sort them out"., or wearing BDUs out to

dinner with combat boots. THINK! It DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT (DLR) Active Duty Military are the exception. Keep OPEN CARRY for Police in Uniforms, to do otherwise makes

YOU a TARGET for observant Bad Guys and or the Police - NOT GOOD!

Personal Cars - bumper stickers like "Keep Honking - I'm reloading as fast as I can" not recomended. Same for "CCP Holder" - what are these folks thinking??? The ELEMENT

of SURPRISE is too Important!!!

Be Smart - Complacency can get you killed.



Wow - where did this come from you ask? I went to Walmart with my wife this morning; and saw everything I mentioned there. UFB (you should figure this 1 out).

360glitch

All of this during one trip? Yikes.

Gett Daddy

Well, Corey, it was a Wal Mart. Anyhow, good advice, JB. You got me thinking, though, about active duty military. Whatever happened to dress uniforms? I remember a time when soldiers were in the public they either wore civvies or dress uniforms. Also, don't get me started on the Army's marketing strategy, giving away black berets to look cool. I have had friends who were Rangers, and I think it's a slap in their faces. Next, if recruitment is slow, are they gonna give out green berets?



Also, I believe I did figure out UFB (LOL), couldn't agree more, and we may need to add that to the Acronym thread!

sigp229r

I knew UFB... I used to use it all the time. Anyways, I agree 100% regarding advertisement. The element of surprise is to your advantage. As far as open carry, I think you're just asking for trouble. Especially, if you are in a crowded area and you are not familiar with proper weapon retention. Here in California, it is legal to carry open carry, but unloaded. You can have loaded magazines on your person but your weapon must not be loaded. I went to Turners one day and there was an Open Carry support group set up in the entry way, educating people about open carry, unloaded is legal in California. I told the person who was "educating" me that it's more trouble than not. All they were doing was sporting a very expensive paper weight on their hip... and then I walked away. I understand that they are just exercising their right to open carry, but I think for the untrained person, someone could snatch the unloaded gun and the loaded magazine, load the gun and use it against the person who was open carrying, unloaded.

GrumpyBiker

+1, that place seems to attrack the strange ones.

Jim-Bob

They walk among us: http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/



Can't get enough: http://www.facebook.com/PeopleOfWalmartFanPage?v=info

360glitch

Came across this site from the peopleofwalmart site...



http://damnthatlooksgood.com/



Grumpy could probably get on that page pretty easily. I know he's got my vote!

txshurricane

In response to the original post: what do you think an un-tucked plaid shirt says? How about a sport jacket? Anyone with some CCW savvy can spot carriers all day long. Some are obvious; some aren't.



I don't necessarily agree that the situation you observed was as irresponsible as you're assuming. If what I happened to grab from the closet doesn't facilitate complete concealment, then guess what? I'm still packing. Either that, or I don't go out. I'm not replacing my entire wardrobe just because someone may or may not see an ambiguous bulge in my shirt.



Whether or not it's legal is between that gentleman and the police. It may send a message to the bad guys, but it also sends a message to me: ammo resource.





Edit: This morning I decided that this post merited one more quick thought...



Too many people consider carrying a gun to be the pinnacle of self-defense. I'm not accusing anyone here of doing that, but it is apparent to me that at least one person has assumed that someone at Wal-Mart was. What you do know about the gentleman is that he was carrying a gun. What you don't know about him is a host of things - like, was he carrying with a permit? Did he have any concealed backup guns? Is he deadlier with his hands than with his gun? Does he have a death wish? Is he aware that his weapon's concealment was compromised? Was the gun even loaded?



Without knowing what other (or fewer) measures the man had taken, there's no way to tell exactly why you saw what you saw. I think the message in the original post is very, very valid and an important step in carrying...I don't necessarily believe that being open about your views on carrying is necessarily a bad thing.

VADavid

I agree with txshurricane that an experienced concealed carrier can pick out another fairly easily. We make it a game at times to spot the CCW. It's certainly a valid observation point to find the weapons in any room. It used to bother me that *I* could make out my concealed weapon. I've long ago realized that most people can't or don't notice. And I don't think the average goblin is that observant. Heck, I've worked swim meets with just a white t-shirt over my IWB holster and P239; with folks very close to me as I leaned over a table. No worries. I'm not careless, but I've relaxed over how worried I get.



That said, I think a lot of CCW folks, especially when new, have a hard time getting over wanting to show off just a bit. I've have people make a point of talking about their "state" at very inappropriate times, and wonder why I won't engage in continuing the conversation, or why I leave abruptly. I don't sweat my carry, but I don't share it either.

Jim-Bob

I do believe that most involved in this Forum are adults, and as such must be responsible for their actions. A cavalier attitude about CC can get attention You don't want, draw unwanted attention



to yourself & whoever you are with, get you hurt, or killed. I consider my carry options whenever I add anything to my wardrobe; why wouldn't you? My designers are Carhartt, Levi Strauss,



Wrangler, Columbia Sportswear, SIG, etc. If Carhartt made a "Sport Coat" , I would buy one in each color. I do own a SIG tactical Jacket. I like to play - "What If" - most of the time; if you're not



prepared, you're unprepared. If you don't train you aren't going to respond consistently. Most people won't notice, but you can believe most serious bad guys will. When someone, once they learn

a bit about my background, asks - "so, are you packing" I respond with a smile & " let's hope nobody here has to find out". Those who "show-off" are only demonstrating their lack of good



judgement, which should be a requirement for CC. My family, close friends, & team members know what I carry and where to find it. You may own multiple weapons, but they could belong to



whoever can get their hands on them! If I struck a nerve; it happens. If I made you think, Good. Be Smart & Be Safe, JB



* Warning this Post was not intended to be Grammatically correct or Politically correct - only to convey my thoughts.

txshurricane

I don't mean to point a finger back at you, but phrases like this are why I am very careful about giving advice or admonishment to other carriers. I have been carrying for almost two years, so I'm still a young'un, and I learn new things on a weekly basis. New methods of carry, new legal stipulations, etc. One of the first things I've learned from my short experience is that someone who answers, "Maybe," is mostly likely carrying a gun. Someone who isn't packing will tell you, "No," nine times out of ten because they don't want to alarm the unarmed and they do want backup from the armed.



By being coy about your carrying state you are still showing off - instead of your gun, though, you're showing off your confidence...confidence that only someone with protection on their hip displays. That not only gives you away to a savvy bad guy, but it is potentially more dangerous because you assume that they aren't aware of your state. You would be much better served by saying, "No" - and letting them decide whether or not they believe you - than by being coy and tricking yourself instead.



"You" in this case is the understood "you", and not Jim-Bob in particular, which includes me.

Jim-Bob

YOU are entitled to Your opinion; thanks for sharing!