Exposed weapon!

[AMH]

I have been carrying off and on for about 9 years now. I have always been very discreet and never had an incident where someone saw my weapon. But this week I have had 2 situations where my weapon was spotted.

The first was on Halloween night. My wife and I took our daughter to our friend’s parent’s house to trick or treat and they invited us in. I have been over before on numerous occasion and they are very nice people. And also very gun friendly. Their front room is full of trophies from various shooting competitions and the bathroom is always stocked full of gun related reading material. Despite this we never discussed CCW, I don’t know if they carry, and they certainly don’t know that I carry.
I was sitting in their very comfy recliner. The cushions are thick and deep and I completely sunk in. When I stood up to leave my shirt some got pulled up and my weapon was completely exposed for everyone in the room to see. Awkward. Our friend questioned me as to why I was carrying, but the mom quickly interjected and said I was doing the right thing. She totally defended me. Not another word was spoken about it and we went on our way.

The second incident was last night. My wife and I decide to go to blockbuster to rent a film. I had my weapon strong side, outside the waist band in a belt holster. On my week side I had 2 extra mags outside the waist band in a Galco pouch. I had a t-shirt tucked in and a button down dress shirt that I left un-buttoned and un-tucked. My rig was totally concealed with no printing.
It was a little chilly last night and blockbuster had their heat cranking. When I opened the door to the store the difference in air pressured caused a huge wind, grabbed my shirt and totally blew it up and exposed my whole rig. Several patrons and store employees looked at me like deer’s in headlights. Coincidently enough, several patrons who looked like “gang banger” want-to-bees promptly left the store.
I gapped my shirt, buttoned the bottom button and went about my business as though nothing happened. The whole time I was in the store I was nervous that the police would show up and harass me or even worse that those “gang bangers” would come back and try to prove something. But nothing happened. I got me movies and went home without a hitch.

This kind of stuff has never happened to me. Then all of a sudden it happens twice in one week! Maybe I am becoming complacent?

Has anything like this every happened to any of you?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[AirForceShooter]

it happens in 3's.
One more to go.
As for Blockbuster they all probably thought you were a LEO.

AFS

[glock27mark]

glad to hear everything went ok, for me, so far so good.but im sure
my day will come sometime.(and ofcourse at the worst possible moment).

[ccw9mm]

So far, I've always found it possible to have my cover garment buttoned or zipped, to avoid that. But, at some point it's going to happen, I'm sure of that. Much of the year, though, the simple step of keeping my hand in the pocket of the jacket serves to help keep that side down in the wind, maintaining concealment. Being a bit gimp in the hip, too, affords me a decent amount of "covering" movements that look innocent enough but serve to keep the garment in place, as folks are watching the hitch in my stride and not that my strong-side hand goes to the outside of the garment.

[P95Carry]

Complacency? Perhaps a bit of that - something we all might be prone to after years of carry.

That said there are or will be those odd occasions when circumstances and the elements will get the better of you. Any risk of 'wind-blow', whether outside or going into a store always make me utilize the ''elbow-in-to-side'' approach as a precaution ..... or as CCW9 mentioned ........ doing up a bottom button or two.

Not infallible but - I think an approach based on assuming any situation will expose potentially - can then make for a strategy of just-in-case ..... using subtle methods that folks will not notice. Instance here the deep cushions problem in the recliner ........... assume getting up will expose things and so adopt a method to nullify any risk.

Twice in a short time is pure coincidence IMO but - reminders perhaps to be a tad more aware of potential problems of exposure and preempt them.

[ENSANE1970]

I agree no matter how careful you are it can happen to the best of us. About a year ago I was outside the shop, talking to a customer about their vehicle. I had my PT-145 in an OWB, with a t-shirt over it, with a button down shirt, untucked, over that. It hadn't been windy all day, when all of a sudden a gust of wind, blows both my shirts up and over the gun and holster. The customer looked at me kinda funny, I promptly pulled the shirts back down and kept on talking.

[SonofASniper]

Bad week. Every once in a while I have the "shirt lifts up and snags on the gun" problem, but I just quickly straigten out my shirt and act naturally. Most people don't even know, they just think I am trying not to look like a slob.

Get in the habbit of buttoning the bottom buttons of your over shirt. The little bit of printing you have that way is far less than when you have your shirt fly open and clearly reveal everything. If you have to, buy some larger shirts. Don't be concerned about those 1 or 2 buttons slowing you down when you need to draw, I assure you that they will break off quite quickly as you reach for your gun.

[P7fanatic]

it happens in 3's.
One more to go.

[Manan]

Unfortunately, I work in a position where I under no circumstances could allow an accidental exposure to occur.

I have become very comfortable with using several shoulder holsters worn under a button dress shirt and tie. I admit it won't be the fastest draw. But better to have it with me than in the car. Also, I literally have practiced ripping my shirt open, popping the buttons, for an unanticipated draw situation.

(Old shirts, ready for the cleaning rag pile)

[steve63]

I have never shown my pistol, but I was at an IHOP and while getting into the booth my kydex magazine pouch caught on the edge of the booth. It broke the pouch, rolling it in the middle of the aisle for everybody to see. I picked it up red faced and stuffed it in a pocket. Luckily, nobody said anything or even seemed to notice.

[Pro2A]

I've gotten into the habit of pulling my shirt down anytime I get out of a car or up from a seat. It prevents any problems.

[HotGuns]

About the worst thing to happen to me was in a restaurant. I had been sitting at a table and my Colt Commander XSE kind of wedged itself in one of the slats on the back of the chair. When I got up to leave, the chair was stuck to my pistol. So here I am standing up with a chair stuck to my waist. My wife was about to spazz out and one of the guys I was eating with started laughing and said " Man..you need to unholster that chair".

By then everyone in the whole place was looking. I calmly grabbed the chair with my right hand, unhooked it and put it where it belonged. Red faced I might add. I don't think anyone actually ever saw the gun, but it didn't take much imagination to figure it out either...

[chiboxer]

I've been an LEO for about 11 years, I have carried concealed most of that time. Let me tell you most people don't expect you to be carrying and if they see your gun won't mentally register that's what it actually is. Prime example: I attend college part-time at a local university (known for its rather liberal anti-gun, anti-GOP, etc. atmosphere). One day while taking my jacket off to sit in my seat for class, I realized that my sweater had ridden up over my OWB rig and my Glock 22. I didn't say anything and (casually) pulled the sweater down and sat in my seat. Honestly, people really don't expect to see it and thus don't notice it when they do.

[HotGuns]

With all of the crap hanging form one waist nowadays(cellphones ,pagers,palm pilots) its not suprising.

[Thumper]

Well, lesson learned. Stuff happens!

Like we used to say in the corps, "____ __, it don't mean nothin'!"