Define concealed carry?

[cl00bie]

I've been on several handgun forums and read lots of discussion on how best to conceal your handgun. I'm confused. A lot of emphasis on not imprinting etc. What do I care?

If a citizen notices that you are carrying a gun, and calls the police with a "man with a gun" call, the police will approach you as a dangerous threat until the fact that you're legal can be sorted out.

This might mean "assuming the position", being cuffed, and generally detained.

If I have a concealed carry permit and I have a jacket or sweater or fanny pack covering the weapon, what do I care if it imprints? What do I care if a LEO can tell I'm carrying? I have a license to carry?

Well, the LEO might stop you to determine if you're legal taking time out of your day, making you late for an appointment, etc.

Is this just a matter of being politically correct?

No, it's a matter of not revealing what is private, not alarming the , and not revealing to a BG that he ought to shoot you first.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Thumper]

con·ceal (kn-sl)
tr.v. con·cealed, con·ceal·ing, con·ceals
To keep from being seen, found, observed, or discovered; hide

I conceal my weapon in order to maintain my tactical advantage.

If I print, it's unintentional and my loss. I'm not too concerned how printing might affect the unintended viewer.

I've been a cop... if someone calls on me, no biggie.

The reality is, even if I do a poor job of concealing, most non-gun people won't even notice it being far too consumed with their own appearance!

[bman505]

NM is an open carry state, so imprinting is ok.. I am constantly checking though to make sure my firearm is not showing. Just a habit I guess.

[tokerblue]

I'm looking for a particular case about a guy who accidentally exposed some of his sidearm while waiting in the "take out" area of a restaurant. The scaredy person running the till saw it, screamed bloody murder, police were called, he was handled roughly, and I believe he's still trying to get his permit back. All he did was bend over to pick something up. [/U]

James Goldberg was arrested when an employee spotted his gun when he was picking up food at a Ruby Tuesdays. The charges were dropped, but he still did not get his permit back.
Concealment and the Second Amendment | Radio Vice Online

[ocadmirer]

Generally, I don't worry about printing in VA (but I still dress around the gun)...but if I were to go to SC, TX, FL (where OC is prohibited/not usual), I would keep it concealed.

In FL, the definition of a "concealed" firearm is simply out of normal view so printing isn't illegal. Statutes also disallow open carrying of firearms unless hunting, fishing and/or camping or on the way to or from such activities. lol

[obxned]

Sometimes when we are out and about and my wife feels a bit nervious, she will 'accidentally' bump into me to see if I'm carrying.

On unusually hot day last fall at work, I removed my cover shirt while we were loading a truck (carry at work is normal for us). The boss asked "Hey, when did you get a shoulder holster?" " About 3 months ago". I repied.

When the people who expect that you are probably carrying can't tell what, where, how, or even if you have a firearm, that's how I define concealed.

[kelcarry]

Hey Y'all: Outside of the pistol grip sticking out of your pocket in an obvious fashion, unless you are somehow looking at most of us with superman xray eyes or staring at someone's pockets and crotch like we stare at womens' breasts, I do not understand this whole "imprint thing". Maybe if you have a big 1911 45 or equivalent, but the usual smaller carry in a pocket has no real imprint IMO. If you have the "big gun", you obviously have to have a big holster of sorts and it obviously has to be hidden under a loose shirt or equivalent--again--where is the imprint there?

[cl00bie]

James Goldberg was arrested when an employee spotted his gun when he was picking up food at a Ruby Tuesdays. The charges were dropped, but he still did not get his permit back.
Concealment and the Second Amendment | Radio Vice Online

"In short, an employee saw Goldberg’s pistol while he was waiting to pick up some take out food, called law enforcement, and started to move people away from him. When police arrived, they too saw the holstered weapon and arrested him for breach of peace."

His violation wasn't weapon related. It translates into: "He panicked the sheep". A lesson for all of us who are cavalier about our concealment.

[Ridgeline]

If someone can see it are someone can make it out since you are printing... it isn't concealed.