summer time carry


Ilive in virginia,i carry a kel-tec p-32 with winchester silvertip hollowpoints.Iam a retired 1sg and ive shot over 800 rounds through this pistol ,no problems.It is small ,light no ones knows you are carring,i see some open carry around where i live in s.w.va.but i like carring concealed.the element of surprize is what can and will save your life.just think if im going to rob a store see man carring a gun open carry who is the first person i am going to shoot?
 

Cari,
I carry the same w/ me year round - Glock 30. What has worked for me might for you seeing as we both seem to be "country, jeans & a flannel" style. I have found that carrying in the heat w/my shirt untucked is uncomfortable against my bare side. So, what I personally found to work is wearing a muscle shirt {( or known to some as a wife beater.... sorry) my wife isnt sure how to take that one, lol! } tucked into my pants, and on top of that wear a regular shirt. The base shirt is minimal fabric, and rather thin, so I really don't notice it. If you are worried about the printing, wear a shirt w/ a pattern so it breaks up the printing of the weapon. I can even get away w/ a button down unbuttoned over top instead of a t-shirt.

Good luck, mot

Great idea...never thought of that. I do have a few of those type of t-shirts in the drawer, will have to dig them out and start wearing them again.

I do agree with what one person said, I prefer the element of surprise, however, depending on the situation, I am not going to play hero. I applaud the woman who came out of the bathroom and let her potential attacker know that she wasn't going to take his BS. Good for her!!
 
Crazy Horse Lady:

One of the reasons for a concealed carry is the tactic of surprise. Quite a few people claim a perpetrator will eliminate an obvious threat first. If someone conducts a crime while you are near, and they see you are armed, you are likely to be one of their first targets.

A local woman with a CCW permit told a story: she stopped at an empty rest stop, and entered the rest room with her handgun concealed. When she came out, a burly man waited to assault her, but when she pulled the gun, he went away, mumbling curses.

She felt strongly that, had he known she had a handgun when she walked into the restroom, that he would have struck her as she exited, disarming her.

It might be best, even if you are proud that you carry, to conceal that fact.

Crazy Horse Lady,

Of course you are going to hear the other side of the opinion as well. For centuries the "element of surprise" has been, militarily, an offensive strategy. Of course, we do not carry our weapons for offensive maneuvers, we carry them for self defense. Militarily, nations use a visible display of capability of force as the defensive maneuver of choice. This is half of the very reason that we keep our aircraft carriers deployed during peacetime, as a visible display of deterrent force, within close proximately to the potential threat, that shows that there will be severe consequences should they choose to mess with us.

Of course you will hear from the CCer that they are forced into taking an offensive maneuver by the perpetrator when they are attacked, and, therefore, since they are so foced into offensive action the element of surprise then works to their favor. I would rather show the usual criminal who is only interested in an easy target right away that I am not going to be an easy target and just let them move on to the next guy who appears to be a much easier target than I am.
 
I carry a Glock 30 and I had carried a S&W CS45 prior to that here in Arizona. I also sometimes carry my .38 Ruger SPNY. I usually wear shorts and t-shirts year round.

My carry holster is an inside-the-waistband AKJ AKJ Concealco LLC - Concealment gun holsters, personal defense related equipment, and other gunleather. for the .45s and a simple ruff leather inside-the-waistband holter with belt clip from Desantis for the .38. Nylon ones work well also.

The holster from AKJ can be ordered with a sweat shield which means they extend the leather up above the rim of the holster and keeps the gun off your skin. Expect to wait up to 6 months for this custom made holster but for $65 for a handmade holster it is worth it.

Another great holster that I use with no-belt loop shorts, or when I am wearing dress clothes and have to tuck in my shirt is the Thunderwear Gun Holsters Glock Holsters Concealment Holsters NOBODY knows I'm carrying when I wear this.

Just some ideas for you.
 
Summer carry

3 summer carry methods that are easily concealed by an untucked t-shirt:
-Kel-Tec P3AT holstered in pants pocket (put a package of gum in front of it to break outline).
-S&W model 442 (J frame) with Barami hip grip and Tyler T grip adapter, no holster required. (Hides extremely well)
-Baby Glock 26/27 or Kahr PM9/ PM40 in FIST Kydex clip on holster.
 
Interesting enough, Monday I was in Fairfax with a good friends wife, who's husband carries too, to do some shopping and we decided to stop at Logan's to get a bite to eat. Knowing they serve alcohol, pulled my sweatshirt back from my weapon, then we walked in and the waitress sat us down. I always give a once or twice over of who I am sitting by and what is behind and to the side of me. Were sitting there talking and laughing when our waitress comes up to us and says that the two tables near us and the men at it (the men were in button down and ties or suites) told her several times that there was a woman carrying a gun and pointed to our table.

I looked over, smiles politely then chuckled and told her that I was well in the law in the state of VA and I apologize if THEY were uncomfortable. The waitress laughed and said no she thought it was cool that a woman had a gun. :no: After that I continued to eat my lunch, my friend and I had a good time and I actually thought nothing more of what others thought about my personal choice. If the liberal democratic nay sayers want to be uncomfortable, that is their problem. So I am thinking, by summer and t-shirts, I won't mind the stares or the pointing. And too, what really made me giggle and so did my friend I was with, was if they thought my presence was uncomfortable to them, they should of had my husband sitting there with a big ole .10mm Glock on his hip!! THAT is a large weapon!

On a side note, I got my Ruger catalog, and boy has that been fun to peruse through, and I may downsize to a smaller pistol from them. Some very nice ones with comparative prices too!
 
Don't Taunt the Liberals

Crazy Horse Lady:

I admire your pluck and determination, and your passion to make your point about being allowed to carry.

However, I am am not being critical, just thinking out loud, is it detrimental to our 'cause' to inflame those how do not carry?

I feel people who do not carry are threatened by those who do. I beleive this is because they do not trust those who carry to be discrete and rationale in their use of a weapon. They have no reason to trust, because they do not know the people carrying.

I think the best course is to carefully conceal and avoid attention.

I recall the discussion in our CCW class: Why do you want to avoid people knowing you carry?

Because in a battle situation, the bad guys will do their best to eliminate those who they know may be a threat.

Just a thought. Thanks for considering it.
 
Crazy Horse Lady:

I admire your pluck and determination, and your passion to make your point about being allowed to carry.

However, I am am not being critical, just thinking out loud, is it detrimental to our 'cause' to inflame those how do not carry?

I feel people who do not carry are threatened by those who do. I beleive this is because they do not trust those who carry to be discrete and rationale in their use of a weapon. They have no reason to trust, because they do not know the people carrying.

I think the best course is to carefully conceal and avoid attention.

I recall the discussion in our CCW class: Why do you want to avoid people knowing you carry?

Because in a battle situation, the bad guys will do their best to eliminate those who they know may be a threat.

Just a thought. Thanks for considering it.

If people see folks carrying on a regular basis they will begin to see guns as a normal part of life and maybe some of those who aren't really pro- or anti-gun will get on our side of the fence when it is time to vote.
 
New (sort of) concealed carrier in VA

I've had my VA CCW since the summer of 2005, but rarely carried since I had a full size GLOCK 21. Personally, I just didn't want the hassle of people knowing I was carrying... but have since downgraded to a GLOCK 27. Turns out for me, with my wardrobe, that too can sometimes be a hassle to conceal, especially if I'm in jeans and a T shirt. My roomate is letting me try out his snub nose S&W .357 to see how I like it (after 2 days it's night and day). The next gun show up my way, I'm trading my GLOCK in for something similar, as these types of weapons don't spot too much with anything you wear... glad to be carrying again though...
 
Crazy Horse Lady:

I admire your pluck and determination, and your passion to make your point about being allowed to carry.

However, I am am not being critical, just thinking out loud, is it detrimental to our 'cause' to inflame those how do not carry?

I feel people who do not carry are threatened by those who do. I believe this is because they do not trust those who carry to be discrete and rationale in their use of a weapon. They have no reason to trust, because they do not know the people carrying.

I think the best course is to carefully conceal and avoid attention.

I recall the discussion in our CCW class: Why do you want to avoid people knowing you carry?

Because in a battle situation, the bad guys will do their best to eliminate those who they know may be a threat.

Just a thought. Thanks for considering it.

JDavid...your not being critical, I am here to learn and to hear others opinions, so I value everyone who has commented.

If I don't have to carry open I don't. I was at a restaurant that served alcohol, therefore, I had to carry open. For the moment, Virginia does not allow those who carry a weapon to carry concealed where alcohol is being served. That was why I had my sweatshirt tucked behind my weapon.

Otherwise, your spot on...I don't want the bad guy to know I am the first one they should take out, want to go home to my family and be able to hug them.

But too, others have given some great ideas and their thoughts on why they carry open, and as I get even more comfortable I will not mind the stares or the off comments or snide remarks. And who knows, maybe those men at the restraunt read their history and were thinking about Calamity Jane and her way with pistols? :sarcastic:
 
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I carry a Kimber 1911 in what passes for winter here in Central Texas, but when it's warm I'm usually in cargo shorts and a t-shirt. I pocket carry a Kahr PM-9 in a Mika or DeSantis pocket holster. I think open carry is fine, but I prefer that my gun be a surprise to anyone I might need to use it on. Pocket carry is a great way to solve that problem. You can keep your hand on the gun and nobody knows ...
 
I've had my VA CCW since the summer of 2005, but rarely carried since I had a full size GLOCK 21. Personally, I just didn't want the hassle of people knowing I was carrying... but have since downgraded to a GLOCK 27. Turns out for me, with my wardrobe, that too can sometimes be a hassle to conceal, especially if I'm in jeans and a T shirt. My roomate is letting me try out his snub nose S&W .357 to see how I like it (after 2 days it's night and day). The next gun show up my way, I'm trading my GLOCK in for something similar, as these types of weapons don't spot too much with anything you wear... glad to be carrying again though...


Hey Spuds,

Change your wardrobe and holster, not your gun. :triniti: There is no need to keep downsizing. Pay for a quality IWB holster SPECIFICALLY made for your gun. Then, buy shorts and t-shirts one size bigger. I carry here in Arizona where the temps get up to 115 and I carried a S&W .45 Chiefs Special and now a Glock 30 .45 and I have no problems. :dance3:
 
As the weather becomes warmer. you have to be a bit more 'creative' in dressing around your sidearm. There are a variety of ways to go if you prefer to stay concealed. Choose which of your sidearms is preferred - and then 'dress around it'.
 
To Cari A.

I have and carry a North American Arms .22. It is very small and easy to conceal in any pocket. True, it is only a .22, but it is a good "get away from me" gun. I can hold it folded (it folds into its onw handle) in one hand and conceal it. check it out.
 

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