first time


vidtech

New member
Today was also my first time. I went to Wal-Mart. I thought everyone know. It was a strange feeling to have my Glock 23 on my side. I do need a better holster I have a cheap gun show holster. Any tips on how to dress. I had a camp shirt over a a t-shirt.
 

Depends. Are you female? Before you go out, look in a full length mirror. Turn around. Look around you. Ask your partner to look at your outfit. Does s/he sees you printing? If not, you will be fine. You have to get used to carrying. Carry even at home and carry constantly. Make your gun part of your outfit. Very soon you will not even feel you're carrying because your gun has become a part of you. Practice different ways of concealing...Glock 23 is a very good gun. I will assume you are a woman. It's my carry gun too. I bought 2 men's shorts with large pockets a SAMs a few months back. I don't even have to holster my gun. I love those shorts. I can't find them anymore at SAMs. When wearing a dress, I thigh carry. Dress and act normally...it is not easy at first, but you'll soon get used to it...

'Hpe this helps.
 
I don't carry a compact like the Glock 23, because my hands are the size of meat hooks, and a compact just doesn't work for me. I carry an XD-40 4" in a Sidearmor IWB at 4 o'clock. I wear a tight A-type undershirt and a snug black or grey T-shirt, with an Oxford dress shirt open over that, just about every day. People just think that that is my "look". The gun goes between the undershirt and the T-shirt. With regular practice, the draw is seamless. The extra layer makes concealment absolutely reliable, a high priority for me. For the first few days using this method, I asked for my wife's inspection, lean over, wrap my arms around and the whole thing. She could not tell that I was carrying, and she clearly knows my body better than anyone. And you will get used to it. After a week or two, any sense of physical discomfiture will be completely gone.
 
Welcome to the weird world of concealed carry where even men obsess over their "outfits" because printing is a bad thing. Most people spend a great deal of time, effort and money before they manage to settle on workable ways to combine firearm, holster and clothing in a way which conceals but still allows access without causing too much discomfort. The United States Concealed Carry Association publishes a magazine for members which routinely addresses these matters and provides for downloading .pdf versions of past issues for such research. It's not an alternative to USA Carry, it's complimentary.
 
You get used to it quickly. I would suggest a vest, I have EOTAC vests from Sportsmanguide and they are light, comfy, have lots of pockets and a bit longer so they conceal your gun very nicely.
 
While this is not a hard and fast rule... those that are aware will know you are packing even when you conceal well and those that do not have ccw on their minds will rarely notice when you conceal poorly... :)
 
While this is not a hard and fast rule... those that are aware will know you are packing even when you conceal well and those that do not have ccw on their minds will rarely notice when you conceal poorly... :)

+1 And as noted above, Welcome to the weird world of CCW. There is a ton to learn. Tuckers Mom gives some great advice as well.

Today I wore a Hanes "wifebeater" with a loose Yellow Gold Mizzou shirt for cover, non matching denim shorts, with sandals, matching bullhide gunbelt and crossbreed holster. LOL Yeah, figuring out what to wear is too fun. Having a wonderful wife to help you doesn't hurt! Get used to it or go insane!
 
Two of my favorites are the SmartCarry holster (smartcarry.com) and a shoulder holster/Air Marshal from
deepconceal.com. Both are extremely comfortable and with the SmartCarry my Glock is absolutetly
undetectable.
 
What is with the apparent obsession tht the concealed carry community seems to have with Walmart? Personally, I really hate going to Walmart (armed or otherwise).

I am a photography buff, and for a long time, their photoprinting was top notch, but the last time I went, they had different equipment, and the print quality was just mediocre. So now, I really don't have any real reason to visit
Walmart.
 
Most of us are on a budget, guns tend to eat up a lot of ammo and Walmart is one of the cheapest offline places to get decent brass cased ammo. Guess that's it, really. And I hate going there, too!
 
I can still remember the day I got my first permit and started carrying. I had to go to the bank and then to a school function for a granddaughter. I felt like every eye was on me and everyone knew. Some probably did because of my lack of comfort not because I was printing. (School carry is OK in Oregon so no flaming is necessary)

That day I decided to make a couple of changes. I made a rule, pants on-gun on, pants off-gun at hand.

Now years later and living in a different state I have the same rules. Becoming comfortable and confident in your carry is in my opinion extremely important. I carry a full sized 1911 at the 3:30 in a IWB holster with my shirt tucked in most of the time. In warm weather I wear a tank type undershirt to keep the gun and holster away from my skin and a shirt over the whole thing. In cooler weather it gets a lot easier.

Practice will make your carry a lot more relaxed.
 

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