Testing your CC skills....

[Duxman]

Just attended my first homeowner's board meeting @ MS13 gang infested Herndon, VA. Sat next to several neighbors wearing a button down shirt (tucked out) with a bikini holster @ 2 o'clock.

None of my neighbors (12 or so folks) noticed that I was carrying.

I was slightly nervous that the weapon would print (because the shirt was light colored) or the gun would fall out of its holster while sitting down, but none of the above happened.

Q: To all of you - What was your first big Concealed Carry test? How did it go?

[itgoesboom]

My first big test was while on assignment for a newspaper. I usually have a rule about not carrying while photographing, but this was in a not so nice neighborhood, at night, and I had about $8k in gear on me. Also, this was only a few weeks after I had gotten my CHL, and I had only carried a few times at this point.

I was covering a local election, and photographing the candidates at their parties prior to finding out the results.

So my assigment sheet just listed an address and who the candidate was, and I show up. Most of the parties that night were at restraunts or bars, occasionally you get one at a private home. This one looked just like a normal bar, until I got inside. Immediatly I see that everyone has their head on a swivel, and checks me out, and I mean everyone. And anytime I walked past anyone, their conversation stopped, and their eyes would go to me.

Turns out it was the local police union bar and meeting place for the city Police force, and I had just walked in with a gun on my hip. :eek: I couldn't wait to get out of there, I just felt like everyone had to know, although nobody said anything, so I don't think they knew.

If 75+ cops didn't notice, than I don't think anyone will.

I.G.B.

[spacemanspiff]

i dont care what the reason, nothing a man can wear should ever have the word 'bikini' in it. unless you are somehow moonlighting as a bikini coat rack or something.

:D


i dont recall my first time carrying. i do remember that it only took a few days of mexican carry to realize i needed to get a holster. i do remember the first time i carried my kimber. going from a steyr m9 (about same dimensions as glock 26) to the full size 1911 was interesting.

[brett23]

I was at a local restuarant recently. It was a buffet and a local police eatery. I did not know this or I wouldn't have carried it in. I was nervous as hell the whole time I was in there but nobody ever gave me a second glance. I just got my ccw so this is the first time I've gotten nervous with it on me. One thing I have done at home is purposely make myself print to see how bad it looks and I honestly don't think anyone could tell it was a gun unless they were looking for one specifically.

[PaulBk]

First 'big' test was my first New Year's Eve party.

It is pretty easy for me to conceal while wearing casual/business casual clothes, but carrying in a very crowed environment, dancing, etc., while in my tux was my big challenge.

-PB

[TheBluesMan]

I made my first CCW trip to Home Depot with my Makarov in an Uncle Mike's holster SOB. Had an extra long loose fitting polo shirt untucked along with denim shorts. I had also "practiced" in front of a mirror before going out. To avoid printing, I found that I had to bend my knees and squat down to look on the bottom shelf instead of just bending over.

Winter was a piece of cake for me carrying my PT145 in a CompTac Pro Undercover at 10 o'clock, crossdraw style under a long wool coat. I'm going to try to stick to the .45 this summer in a High Noon Hidden Ally, but will probably have to go to my Smart Carry holster once in a while.

[TallPine]

I'm not sure I want to know what a "bikini holster" is ....? :confused:
(no pictures, please :p )

If you can carry around cops without getting nervous, then you have it made :D

[chris in va]

It was the WalMart in Manassas. Nervous as hell of course. But you know what...I hardly think about it anymore. Now that I have a P11 with IWB, even if it does 'print' some most people don't even notice, but even so the others probably think cell phone or something.

Half the time I leave it in the truck when at a restaraunt just so I don't have to dress for open carry. It's not the people I worry about, just having to adjust my wardrobe. Sure is nice when I go to WV...you can conceal in restaraunts.

[jonathon]

I carry a pistol every day on my person at my dad's business(as the office manager), and at the Shoe Shop. No one knows a thing, and I've carried an old OP in a basic hip holster, all the way up to the SBH in a shoulder rig I built. I'm a big guy, and I can probably hide a full size shotgun(with a pistol grip) under my day to day coat if I wanted to ;)

[Wildalaska]

Waay too many years ago......

WildcodgerAlaska

[Bobarino]

went to a departure ceremony for the 81st infantry brigade at the Tacoma Dome before they headed to Iraq. my cousin was amongst them. i was runing late and parking was very scarce. i ended up parking about a mile away and hoofing it to the dome. its uphill all the way. by the time i got there was just aout panting. i get to the entrance and some MP's have that yellow and black metal detector out and they are wanding people at random and searchig bags. i didn't have a bag, safe there, but i was carrying (IWB 4:00, covered with a sweatshirt) and NOWHERE was it posted that weapons were prohibited. so i proceed, pick the busiest line and hope for the best. the guard asks me to open my jacket, which i did, kind of opening it and lifting it up at the same time and he waves me through. PHEW! i enjoyed the ceremony. i was REALLY happy not to have been spotted because a) i didn't want MP's tackling me and if they were just going to make me leave it in the car i didn't want to have to B) hoof it back down to the car and then back up again.

almost identical situation at the last Sonic's game i went to at Key center. got waved through. it is posted "no weapons" blah blah blah but its unenforcable according to state law RCW 9.41.300 (2)(b)

http://search.leg.wa.gov/pub/textsearch/ViewRoot.asp?Action=Html&Item=1&X=423121947&p=1

still i'm sure it would have been a hassle. glad it didn't get noticed.

Bobby

[Capt Charlie]

Well, I don't think it was my first test, but I sure flunked it. Keep in mind that I've been packing for around 27 years and don't give it a second thought. Kinda like wearing your BVD's. Day off and I decided to eat out. Got to my favorite restraunt and it was closed. Bummer. Now I'm in Ohio, but I could literally throw a rock and hit West Virginia, and PA is a 5 minute drive away. Sooo, I decided to drive up to Robinson Town Center in PA for a nice steak dinner, and maybe a movie afterward. Well I took in the late late show and was the only one in the lobby except for the cashier and a local police officer working security. Got my ticket and nodded hi to the officer, and started into the theater, when the cop says "Sir, may I speak with you a moment?" Huh? Sure! Cop: "Are you carrying a gun?" Me: blank. Sudden realization. Freak out :eek: Now this was well before the Peace Officer's Safety Act was in effect, and carrying out of jurisdiction was a big no-no on my dept. So I him-hawed around trying to explain to him that I was a cop in Ohio and completely forgot I even had it on me. I badged him and he started laughing, and said "just don't shoot in the theater; too much paperwork". So I enjoyed the movie knowing it was at his mercy. What I still don't understand is how he spotted it. I was carrying my Walther PPK in the inside pocket of my very puffy down vest. I thought it was completely invisible. Apparently not :o Still, he had a damned good eye for detail. :D

[armedandsafe]

Shortly after the "It's a Crime, Bill" passed, I was lecturing a group of Feds, State LEOs, county LEOs and city LEOs on the meaning of the bill. I showed them a rifle, demonstrating the "high capacity" magazine, the "semi-automatic" operation, the "telescoping stock" and noting that this particular rifle was not YET defined as an "assault weapon." Then I taped an empty cartridge box onto the muzzle to act as a "flash hider" and noted that I had just "manufactured" an "assault weapon." The rifle was a Daisy Legacy .22. I then hung around the meeting and talked with some of the agents for awhile.

When I went back out to my rig, I unlocked the saddle bag to get my carry piece and it wasn't there. I had forgotten to disarm before going in to lecture. I wasn't made, but it bothered me that I was so careless.

Pops

[Dwight55]

My first was an auto parts store, . . . hadda go get some brake fluid, . . . in and out like I owned the place. :)

Most memorable was a bit different: went into a restaurant here in Ohio, . . . and had dinner. Part way through, . . . I realized the place had a bar, . . . which makes it illegal to carry in Ohio. :eek:

All of a sudden, . . . the food didn't taste as good, . . . I couldn't wait to get out of there. Won't make that mistake again. ;)

May God bless,
Dwight

[JohnKSa]

I don't remember the first time I carried.

To my knowledge in ten years (or so :o ) of packing, I have never been made. Even my wife can't tell I'm carrying without patting me down.

[lee n. field]

I made my first CCW trip to Home Depot with my Makarov in an Uncle Mike's holster SOB.

The Uncle Mike's cloth IWB? You trust that thing? I had one, and don't.

[Duxman]

Great stories. Thanks guys. :p

[mikikanazawa]

Haha, good post...

My first CC outing was Halloween after 9/11. My wife (then girlfriend) wanted to go to W. Hollywood for the Halloween parade/freakshow. I was kinda figuring it'd be a perfect target for the terrorist or undesirable. My "package" was a Kimber compact 1911, cocked 'n locked. I carried it in an Alessi tanktop holster. My back was screaming at the end of the night. Since then I have switched to strong side hip carry in leather.

[xmastree]

I'm not sure I want to know what a "bikini holster" is ....?Out here in the Philippines, this (http://www.xmastree.34sp.com/ebay/bigside.jpg) is known as a bikini holster.

And a nice butt too. ;)

[Edward429451]

Not my first time carrying but my first big test. Was in Columbus Ohio, downtown on the freeway and ran out of gas. pulled over, got the gas can out and set it by the road, tossed a blanket over some of my stuff in the car. I couldn't leave my 45 in the car unattended so last thing before starting the walk for gas bent into the driver compartment and retrieved the gun and stuffed it into my waistband and turned around to find myself face to face with a LEO, hadn't noticed him slide in behind me. :eek:

He was a real nice guy. I rode in his front seat down to the gas station and back C&L all the way, very nervous, no cwp or anything. Of course I didn't tell him for fear of being locked up.

I sat next to that LEO fully armed and you know what? The officer was safe for some strange reason, despite what the media and some LEO's say. :confused: :D

[nonamesleft]

Walked to Kroger with my wife, who doesn't like guns and had no clue. Was carrying my Glock 17 and a spare mag in my Smart Carry in sweats. Was a little nervous when we arrrived at Kroger, as they have metal-detector looking thingies at the door, but I think they're for shoplifters.

[jonathon]

Out here in the Philippines, this is known as a bikini holster.

And a nice butt too.

Agreed ;)

[JDLittle]

On a side note to how observent, or rather how non-observent, some people can be: My mother-in-law was over for dinner a week or so ago. I had been working around the house all day, so I was just in a t-shirt and jeans with my Kimber in an OWB. She knows I carry and thinks it's wonderful. I help in the kitchen and do a little cleaning. Then we eat. As I'm clearing the plates from the table, she asks me "Do you carry all the time? I've never seen your gun." Now, I'm standing less than 5 feet from her and she is sitting down at the table. At this point her line of sight is right in line with my pistol. I respond "You mean the gun on my hip right now?" She says something about snakes and being bitten. I had been around her for over an hour with my pistol in plain, glaring sight and she didn't register its prescence. We had a good chuckle about it.

[xmastree]

Agreed About the description of bikini? Or the butt (of the gun, obviously...) ;)

Here (http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1425652&postcount=9) she is again, just in case.

[jburtonpdx]

Quote:
Agreed

About the description of bikini? Or the butt (of the gun, obviously...)

Here she is again, just in case.

Nice -err uhm.... Gun, yes thats what I was looking at the gun...

[Charlie Golf]

Here she is again, just in case.

Stop...please stop....my wife is wondering why I'm getting so excited looking at a "gun" site. ;)