Comments on intentionally revealing my IWB weapon.

[aznav]

I'm traveling with my wife this week. We had reservations at a well known motel chain. It happened that our first floor room was "around back". Driving into our parking spot in front of the room I saw a group of young and middle aged men all gathered next to my room smoking and joking. Several of the guys looked "hard", if you know what I mean. All eyes were on our car when we pulled in. My wife is also quite attractive (strictly objective observation). On a quick command decision I raised my shirt just enough to expose the grip and hammer. I looked one in the eye and gave a polite "hello". He greeted me back. Conversation had ceased when we got out. We got in and locked up for the night. No problems all night. Thoughts? I don' know if that was wise or not. Part of me says I'd rather let them know that there is a firearm in the room if any had alternative ideas. The beer was flowing pretty well when we got there.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[SpringerXD]

I see that your location is listed as Tucson, so my first question is, does Arizona allow open carry? If so, then that clears the first issue out of the way. I assume that you're aware of "brandishing" laws?

As to your original question, I suppose it's a judgment call. Personally, I would rather do what you did to let the presence of my weapon be known as opposed to not doing so and actually having to draw it later.

[dunndw]

I've had to do it before. I was pumping gas at one of those Home Depot fuels. There was a group of peoplefilling up several (I counted 4) cars all on the same CC. They'd fill one up, it would pull away and the next one would pull in.
One of the guys saw me pumping gas, said something to his buddies in spanish and started walking over to me very intently with a really bad false smile on his face.
I took off my cover shirt and just stood there, 1911, two mags, fixed blade knife, all for the world to see.
He quit "smiling" spin around and walked back to his buddies.
I finished my business, got in the truck, called the police to report a possible stolen credit card and left.

[rottkeeper]

No matter what the laws are on brandishing you gave up your secret. IMHO a bad move. To me it would be construed as a show of aggression to lift your shirt and show your weapon, like offering up a challenge.

Concealed mean concealed.

[SpringerXD]

No matter what the laws are on brandishing you gave up your secret. IMHO a bad move. To me it would be construed as a show of aggression to lift your shirt and show your weapon, like offering up a challenge.

Concealed mean concealed.

I have mixed feelings on this. On the one hand, I totally agree 100% with you; don't lay your cards on the table unnecessarily. On the other hand, what he did may very well have discouraged that crowd from doing something they shouldn't have been doing.

So I think it's a judgment call. From the way the OP described that particular group of "gentlemen," they don't seem like the types who would be calling the cops on him because they probably don't want cops anywhere near them. And besides, even if they did, he had his wife as a witness that he didn't threaten them in any way, plus he could always claim that revealing the gun was accidental.

Just my opinion.

[SIXTO]

Thats just it; a judgement call. You got to do what you got to do. No matter what, you are rolling the dice.

[aznav]

Currently, I'm in Colorado. I made it "look" accidental. That is, shirt all the way down except "hooked" on my grip. That actually happens sometimes with the seatbelt latch. So, I was not trying to look aggressive or chest butting. Just a bad juju feeling. One of the older guys had prison tattoos up and down his arms.

ps. c'mon Sixto, nobody's as cool as actimmy!

[SpringerXD]

Currently, I'm in Colorado. I made it "look" accidental. That is, shirt all the way down except "hooked" on my grip. That actually happens sometimes with the seatbelt latch. So, I was not trying to look aggressive or chest butting. Just a bad juju feeling. One of the older guys had prison tattoos up and down his arms.

I'll say for the record that I believe you did the right thing.

[Eagleks]

I would not have done it.

[nosights]

You made yourself a target! I see no advantage to this brandishing. IF they saw the weapon...they then knew they must take you out to get to your wife (assuming that intention).


I think it is VERY seldomly a good idea to brandish your weapon (after all that IS what you did).

[retsupt99]

In your situation, I may have done the same...

[21bubba]

I have a elderly aunt that lives in what was once a very nice apt./ condo complex. It's not so nice now, to the point that my wife won't go there by herself.

Whenever we go to visit i have no problem letting my carry piece "accidentaly" show for all that may be looking.

And no i can't get her to move, ain't happening, no way. Her words not mine, she's 93.

[Jackle1886]

You made yourself a target! I see no advantage to this brandishing. IF they saw the weapon...they then knew they must take you out to get to your wife (assuming that intention).


I think it is VERY seldomly a good idea to brandish your weapon (after all that IS what you did).

bran⋅dish
  /ˈbrændɪʃ/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [bran-dish] Show IPA
Use brandishing in a Sentence
See web results for brandishing
See images of brandishing
–verb (used with object)
1. to shake or wave, as a weapon; flourish: Brandishing his sword, he rode into battle.
–noun
2. a flourish or waving, as of a weapon.

I see no waving, handling, or pointing of the gun in question. So, by definition, this was not brandishing.

[SpringerXD]

I think it is VERY seldomly a good idea to brandish your weapon (after all that IS what you did).

He did no such thing.

Brandishing:

Waving a gun around in an attempt to intimidate while saying, "Come on, punk. You want some of this?!?!"

Not Brandishing:

Momentarily allowing a weapon to be seen and doing so in a manner that could easily be mistaken as untentional.

No offense, but the entire "brandishing" thing has gotten a bit out of hand in some circles.

I had a friendly disagreement with a Staff Sergeant when I was in the Air Force. The scenario is that you're alone at an interstate rest stop parking lot when two or three angry males approach with tire irons.

His solution: Tell them, "I have a gun. Come closer and I'll shoot." If they take one more step, start shooting.

My solution: Draw and align the gun on them and make them believe it.

In his solution, they probably wouldn't have believed him and he would have had to shoot one or more of them. In my solution, they *most likely* would leave.

He told me, "You never pull out a gun and wave it around." I replied that if someone is approaching in a life-threatening manner, it's not "waving it around."

So anyway, I personally feel that the "no brandishing" concept goes too far sometimes.

In the OP's case, I think he was better off sending a subtle signal that told them, "Find someone else to mess with." And again, he was smart to make it look accidental.

[dukalmighty]

What are you gonna do if they call the cops and say we were hanging out and this guy pulled a gun on us before he went in his room.Cop asks you do you have a gun,you answer yes and cop says how would they know it if you didn't pull it.