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Been compromised in public?

4K views 40 replies 35 participants last post by  friesepferd 
#1 ·
Have any of you been in a public place and had a holster mishap or dropped your piece? I'm waiting on a new Crossbreed, and for the time being, I am using one of those soft Uncle Mikes IWB. I went to Wal Mart to pick up a few things to keep in my hotel room and I was just casually walking along pushing my cart and went to pull up my shorts a bit and then it happened...the holster actually came loose and the only thing holding it in place was my arm held against my side......I was starting to get nervous, well I was with a coworker, and I he does not know that I CC, we are from different work sites, just met him on this trip and decided not to tell him.

Well, I told him that I was gonna go to the rest room and that I'd meet up with him....so I calmly made my way to the restrooms, hopefully not looking to strange with my arm against my side and hand in my pocket....I was able to adjust the holster and everything was good...but boy was I nervous...I just didn't want to drop it on the floor. Has anything like this happened to any of you guys or gals? What did you do?
 
#15 ·
Yeah, the clip sucks...Oh I can't wait, I had a Crossbreed for a Sig P245 and I really liked it, so I'm anxious to get it...I am trying the quick clip this time.
 
#3 ·
I think it is fair to say it happens to everyone, especially at first.
The real measure of the man is how he handles it, it sounds like you did just fine.
I've had a few unintentional 'flashes', usually when loading lumber on my truck or something like that... TN doesn't legislate against showing a holstered gun though, I could open carry if so desired.
 
#4 ·
I compromized self gassing up first year of carry.

Shirt was inside rig instead of outside covering. Gassed up and thought guy on next pump was viewing my truck - same as his. I then walzed into office to pay - not realizing I was showing.

Only when getting back in my truck did I realize. Nearly wondered if ''man with a gun'' had gotten called in!

No gun drops yet - despite two quite amusing tumbles ... (flat on butt type) ... but gun stayed put.
 
#6 ·
Once dropped my HK USP in my driveway. don't think the neighbors saw, but it really was a bad feeling to see it hit pavement.
 
#7 ·
Haven't had a gun drop, but pretty close. I too have an Uncle Mikes IWB and am waiting on a K&D Defender. Man I cant wait. I dispise this holster.
I carry a 642 and several times after getting out of the car, about the time I get up to the door of where I'm going, it rides high like the gun is going to come out. I've heard of the plastic clips on the Uncle Mikes, I have a metal one that holds pretty good. The holster has never come out, the gun wants to come out of the holster.
 
#10 ·
Mine was also in an uncle mikes style nylon IWB. The clip held but I was changing a flat and the gun actual worked out of the holster and dropped on the side of the road! No one saw and Ohio doesn't legislate against "flash" but it was the last time I used that POS holster. I make my own Kydex rigs now and I have a K&D Cochise Defender on order for my primary.
 
#11 ·
In 15 years or so I have had one incident. I was getting out of the Jeep and my shirt had ridden up over my gun. When I realized it(only moments out of the door I noticed an elderly gentleman in a truck that was looking at me. I smiled, waved and got right back in the Jeep and went home. Man was I embarrassed.
 
#12 ·
Heh, interesting to see this up today. Today, while walking from my car to a resturaunt, the wind blew my shirttail up enough to expose my Uncle Mike's IWB (is there a pattern here?) and the grip of my XD. I don't know how long it was exposed, as I didn't notice until I was nearly at the door of the building.

There were people who might have seen, but I don't know if I was spotted.
 
#13 ·
I don't think my one experience really counts, but today I was doing some trimming with an electric trimmer, rounded the corner of the house and finished the whole side before I realized the extension was very easy to pull. It had gotten wedged between me and my IWB PX4 and had pulled my shirt over the grip. I live on a corner with a stop sign across the street, I just hope no one noticed. Oh, I was using a Comp-Tac ProUndercover and it did its job perfectly, though I was not very professional with it.
 
#14 ·
Never flashed in public, have to be cognizant of your clothing and equipment...Now, as I say this I will do something stupid and get nailed for it..You just hope for the best I reckon. I too am anxiously awaiting my K&D for my Kimber, expect a nice setup from Kevin.
 
#16 ·
Never...

Almost all of my holsters are from Fist, with clips...
You couldn't remove the holster with 'two' hands...the clip must be opened...tough clip...

That would be embarrassing though...glad it work out well...

Stay armed...hang on to your gun...stay safe!

ret:urla9ub:
 
#17 ·
I've told most of these here before, so I'll be brief.

- ~30 years ago in Harvard Square, PRC (MA). Sat down in the restaurant before removing my coat (wore holster SOB). Got up and went to put the jacket on, didn't realize that the entire wall behind me was mirrored! :embarassed: Waiters and bartender were acting very antsy . . . i realized that I was outed and we left before anything happened.

- Town Meeting at the High School auditorium. I got up to speak and heard many gasps behind me. Realized that the light jacket I was wearing rode up over the butt of my gun (SOB holster again). Chuckled to myself since if anyone said anything to any of the officers present they would have been told 'he's one of us".

- I've had a few "clatter" on men's room floor incidents with these same cheap leather IWB holsters (the ones that fit almost any gun . . . equally badly)! Each time I retrieved it, no harm no foul. Now I'm a lot smarter and pay real money for real holsters which won't just drop a gun on me.

Another SOB holster story. I "met" an experienced female shooter from VA on a MA focused eList many years ago. She took a sabbatical from the VA college she taught at and came up to the Boston area to teach for a semester. We arranged to meet for some range time a couple of times. Afterwards we went out for lunch at the local Chinese restaurant. All of a sudden she tells me "oh, oh" her holster came off, so she carefully made her way to the ladies' room to fix it. Also a SOB holster!

If you buy good quality holsters, customized for the gun and a good gun belt, you won't have these problems!!
 
#18 ·
Dropped my 642 in a mattress store right in front of the sales person. I was lucky that we were the only ones in the store at the time.

I was being stupid. I had my 642 in my pocket with no holster. This was before I came to believe in the pocket holster. I now have a Mica's and use it often. Works well.
 
#19 ·
I carry owb and let me tell ya, on my way into the grocery store today I was printing big time. The wind was blowing so hard it had my shirt plastered to my body for all the world to see. My wife said "honey, you can see your gun through your shirt" and I said "thanks dear...I know"
I just kept walking and hoped nobody took notice.
 
#22 ·
People not acustomed to carrying don't really seem to notice or pay attention to it. I try to becareful and not let it happen but it's amazing what poeple just don't notice. Like it just doesn't register. A couple years ago or so I worked in a friends tattoo shop temporarily to help him out. I wore my gun every day. many times I bent down to pick something up or twisted to my left pointing my right finger at something ect ect. My buddy knew I had it and stated that no one ever noticed. Three of the other artists were very suprised to learn that I carried. They were all good friends that never knew I carried at all but since we were now working together it seemed right to me to let them know. They were comforted by the fact. They all said they had seen something poking at my shirt at times but it never occured to them it would be a gun.
 
#21 ·
I was walking into a Wal-mart the wind blew my shirt out like a cape exposing my XD in a OWB. I don’t think anyone other then myself noticed:embarassed:. No one ran screaming from the area nor did I get a tap on the shoulder from a LEO.
 
#23 ·
I was over a female friend's place. As I got up my shirt revealed my XD9. It must not have bugged her too much because I've been over since and once,I think I caught it without anyone noticing, in a store
 
#24 ·
Nope, never happened to me..

But I love reading the stories of those that it has happened to!

Let me rephrase my original statement - Nope, it hasn't happened to me... YET. I hope when and if it does, I handle it as good as some of you.
 
#26 ·
I'm surprised my husband hasn't checked into this thread yet. He has a more interested story to tell than I do, but I'll let him tell it.

I've never had a public oops. I've had a few "wardrobe malfunctions" but nothing so bad as to spill my gun out on a public floor.

I dropped my gun out of a shoulder holster at a tanning salon but it wasn't in public (I was in the little tanning booth room) and all anyone heard was the very loud CRASH from it falling and hitting the floor.

I guess there have been a few times at stores or something where reaching has made my gun show, but that's understandable.
 
#27 ·
I am a lefty and carry my wallet in my left rear pocket.

I went to pay for something at Wal-Mart. Without thinking, I swept my shirt back to get to the pocket exposing the but of my Taurus. The cashier saw it and kind of gasped as if she had seen a ghost. When I went to hand her my card I noticed she was still looking at my waistline in the area that I have the gun. She stuttered for a second then regained her composure and carried on like nothing ever happened. She handled it well. She looked me in the eyes as she handed my card back, so we exchanged courtesies.

I got a chance to educate her later on about carry, but that is another story for another time.

That is the only one that I can think of at the moment.
 
#33 ·
I am a lefty and carry my wallet in my left rear pocket.

Makes me think I need to spend the time I am waiting for my permit to become more right handed. I carry my phone and wallet on the left, even walk the dog holding leash in left hand. Guess I need to move those to weak side, bet it's a harder habit to break than I think. By the way, YJ(Jeep?), what do you like in left hand carry guns?
 
#28 ·
I do not carry as of yet in public. no CCW yet. however to prepare myself to be ready for anything i do carry my holsters(s) still trhroughout the day and night even at home or the store. I have been noticing that as my lovely wife shrinks my work shirts that sometimes on my new M&P bladetech OWB holster shows some. mostly the bottom of the holster. however when i use my Don Hume for my S&W 910 IWB I never have this problem. EVER! somy conclusion is that, Bladetech holster are great, but not for me. so if anyone would like to buy a very nice Bladetech OWB holster for a .40 cal M&P let me know...lol:rofl:
 
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