Spotting people CCW? How often do you see it? What are the give-aways?

D

Daven

"Gimpy"
I live in Phoenix. I wear shirts untucked, I wear a t-shirt. I wear the t-shirt even in 110 weather because I carry IWB at 8 o'clock. When I see others wearing two shirts, I see that as a probably give-away they are CCW. It's simply too hot to wear two shirts normally. IF they are wearing a tucked in shirt, It's easy to tell, if you see clips on the belt, it's almost a given they are CCW. In AZ there are SO many people CCW, I see someone I suspect is carrying or know they are almost everyday. Besides that it's not at all uncommon to see people open-carrying. When I do, I like to see what is most popular. So far it's generally 1911's and glocks. I'm glad to say it's been mostly 1911 so far.

So, how often do you spot other CCW's What gives them away?
 
I have worn an undershirt since puberty and have only carried for a couple of years - I sweat right through my shirts in 60º weather, so an undershirt is just about mandatory - and yes, this was true when I spend time in Arizona in that crazy heat.

That said, since most people I know who carry use terrible holsters, I figure most normal carriers do as well - the unsightly bulge on the hip is a dead giveaway on my friends and I've seen it while out and about quite a bit as well. These are of course the same people how tell me you can't carry anything larger than an LCP until I lift up my shirt and show a fullsize M&P9 with a TLR-1 on it...
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Me too

I'm also in the Phoenix area and I carry a KelTec P11 IWB with their belt clip, no holster. I'm hot 10 months of the year here so it's almost always a t-shirt over jeans or shorts.

I don't really look out for others too much but I have noticed a few that weren't hidden very well.
 
I frequently hear folks on this and other forums comment that most people are too oblivious to notice that people are carrying concealed. In general I agree. However, there is another element to this. I'm moving to Oregon soon and was talking to my father in law about concealed carry there. He said he sees it all the time, no big deal. He said he notices most often at restaurants. Granted, he is a pretty observant guy. Nevertheless, I think we need to make allowance for the fact that our concealed weapons are noticed more often than we realize. I think there is a not-insignificant percentage of people out there who notice and don't care (not threatened by it, supportive of it, etc.). Just because people don't comment or react to our concealed weapons doesn't necessarily mean they don't notice.
 
Here in NC it's not so common, I have yet to run into anybody that I could spot for sure. Have not been made out either, yet.
 
FiremanPaul said:
I frequently hear folks on this and other forums comment that most people are too oblivious to notice that people are carrying concealed. In general I agree. However, there is another element to this. I'm moving to Oregon soon and was talking to my father in law about concealed carry there. He said he sees it all the time, no big deal. He said he notices most often at restaurants. Granted, he is a pretty observant guy. Nevertheless, I think we need to make allowance for the fact that our concealed weapons are noticed more often than we realize. I think there is a not-insignificant percentage of people out there who notice and don't care (not threatened by it, supportive of it, etc.). Just because people don't comment or react to our concealed weapons doesn't necessarily mean they don't notice.
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Good post, and I suspect this reasoning to be very true...
 
I most often spot folks carrying not by printing but how they walk or carry themselves, spotted a guy today resting his hand on weapon not hip, I may or may not have been carrying since Texas allowed CC and would bet you cannot tell if I am carrying or not, that is if I had a license to carry concealed and if I have actually been carrying since it was legal. With that said 90% or more of most folks on street in Texas would not even notice you carrying open, this is not legal in Texas yet.
 
In my daily outings I've become used to observing everyone and everything around me, so naturally, once I got my CHP looking for other people carrying concealed became second nature. Yes it's rather easy, even if the person in pocket carrying. But nearly everyone who I know who do not have a CHP seem to not have a clue, and isn't that the whole purpose of concealed carry? :confused:
 
Maybe it's just me,but I am VERY surprised that open carry isn't legal in Texas. I guess I've watched too much Walker, Texas Ranger. LOL
 
From the movie "Miss Congeniality"

Kathy Morningside: Of course he had a gun. This is Texas! Everybody has a gun. My florist has a gun!

Stan Fields: I don't own a gun. My ancestors were Quakers.
 
Lakeland Man, I just noticed your sig. reminds me of my saying... "I'll keep clinging to my religion, freedom and Gun's, you can keep the Change". :)
 
I notice the 'belt hitch' mostly. Guilty of it myself, but am always aware of how I'm doing it/what it may look like. Saw a feller in chick-fil-a last night with his kids, wearing a tucked in dress shirt into a crossbreed tuckable (I have one just like it). The only thing it made me think was if the jello hits the fan while I'm in here, he's the first person I make plans with, if there's time.
 
I spot folks every once in a while. Normally, it's because they are doing something that makes them stands out like wearing a jacket on a hot day or wearing too much coat for the weather. I've spotted folks on occasion because they were using too tight or too light a cover garment and the gun ended up printing. A square-ish shaped bulge high on your hip kinda screams, 'MY GUN IS RIGHT HERE,' to me. Another thing I see a lot is way they hitching up their pants or adjusting the holster when standing up from a seated position or when they get out of a car.

Off duty cops can be the worst offenders. I saw a local PD officer (I knew him from my working at a gun shop) trying to 'conceal' a full size SIG under a thin white T-shirt in the local mall once. Folks were seeing it and basically running away. He thought since he was a cop, it didn't matter until I pointed out that the folks that saw him didn't know he was a cop- they just saw a guy with a very poorly concealed gun on him.
 
Whenever I see a tactical vest (or a vest of any kind, for that matter) on someone I automatically start looking for tale-tail bulge. Hitching the belt, adjusting themselves all give clues that they've got a gun hidden. Whenever, I exit my car, I always reach down and tug the bottom of my shirt on the gun side to ensure the shirt hadn't ridden up while sitting. I always wear polo type shirts, which are a tad heavier than t-shirts and therefore help hide better. Only thing I've really got to watch is bending over, as I usually carry OWB at 4 o'clock, bending over ensures the grip will print enough to be seen.
 
Rarely if ever here in Central MS.
Several in our motorcycle club CC and easily hidden with their vests.

I'm trying a different holster today actually. I usually wear shirts un-tucked and use a Fobus paddle SP-11.
We stopped by dealer yesterday to pick out a holster for my wife and she spotted a Taugu Belt Snap for my .45. Tried it on and liked it. Gun rides a little lower but is much closer to the body. With my dress style, it doesn't show at all where the Fobus did once and a while. More comfortable also.
 
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