[AndyC]

Alright well I took my ccdw class today and I used my Glock 23 to take the class. My instructor which is a former LEO asked me what I was planning to use for my carry gun and I told him I was gonna use this Glock 23. Well he looked at me like I had lost my mind. Said that gun will print like crazy under just a t-shirt in summer and make me nothing more than a target for a criminal or whoever may be looking to cause trouble. I had never thought of it like that, I mean I knew I was gonna print with this gun but being in Kentucky where open carry and everything else is legal I just didn't care that I was gonna print. I never thought about the fact of it making me a target in a shooting if someone were to come in behind me, or make me a target for someone who may want to attempt to still my gun. Anyone have opinion on this as far as is printing a big deal in that it will make me an obvious target? My instructor went so far as almost telling me to trade the 23 for a 43 to make sure I did little to no printing. I mean he almost made printing out to sound illegal it was such a big deal and would just get me shot in the back one day.

 

[RonM0710]

Andy, I would not worry about it. Living in an open carry state, you will not be noticed as much as those that open carry.

 

[Aquaman]

Not sure on your build or body type but I'm 5'9" 180 lbs and my main carry is a Glock 23 with a Crossbreed super-tuck at about 3:00 to 3:30 position and I wear a lot of Harley t-shirts and it doesn't hardly print at all.
I think your instructor is wrong.

 

[msgt/ret]

While I am not familiar with Glocks I do carry 1911s and have never worried about printing. If it is a worry just wear a slightly larger T-shirt, I normally wear a large size and have not had a problem with printing. Ans as far as the pistol showing or even open carrying I have never read of someone being targeted for either. Here in North Carolina open carry an I do see some on occasion and it is a total non- issue.

 

[wizard7mm08]

Sounds like another pretentious instructor. If you wear a large enough t-shirt, and I don't mean one you drown in, you should be able to conceal it just fine. There are other members who have photographic evidence of carrying full size handguns with just a t-shirt with little to no printing. However, I am not one of them.

 

[AndyC]

Up until my class today I didn't care one bit about printing because like I said this is a permitless open carry state and there is nothing illegal at all about printing. However I had never thought about it the way he was thinking about it, in that if someone were to idk enter a gas station and scan the room and notice me printing it will make me his number 1 first target. I had just never looked at printing that way before, like I said I looked at it like who cares if I print some. As far as my build 6'1 190 lbs and typically in the summer months I wear shirts that I guess you would say fit they aren't skin tight but they aren't big either they are just my ideal fit sized shirts. I typically wear a size L, sometimes a M.

 

[Mike1956]

Sounds like another pretentious instructor. If you wear a large enough t-shirt, and I don't mean one you drown in, you should be able to conceal it just fine. There are other members who have photographic evidence of carrying full size handguns with just a t-shirt with little to no printing. However, I am not one of them.

"Pretentious" wasn't the first descriptor to come to mind. The instructor knows nothing about effective concealed carry.

 

[Mike1956]

Up until my class today I didn't care one bit about printing because like I said this is a permitless open carry state and there is nothing illegal at all about printing. However I had never thought about it the way he was thinking about it, in that if someone were to idk enter a gas station and scan the room and notice me printing it will make me his number 1 first target. I had just never looked at printing that way before, like I said I looked at it like who cares if I print some. As far as my build 6'1 190 lbs and typically in the summer months I wear shirts that I guess you would say fit they aren't skin tight but they aren't big either they are just my ideal fit sized shirts. I typically wear a size L, sometimes a M.

A decent holster, size-larger trousers or shorts, a good belt and an XL t-shirt and there will be no printing. You will need to find the sweet spot on your waist line. A twenty-two degree forward cant holster worn at 3:00 makes my Glock 21 vanish. I'm 5'10" and 200 lbs.

 

[KyBill]

Seems like the instructor is overly paranoid. I would guess a criminal would bypass a robbery if they knew other armed citizens were present. Most thugs are cowards not looking to go to jail for murder.

My daughter took and passed her ccw today at Buds in Lexington. Apparently she can get her flash pack on line and submit for the permit online also. Good changes. I think it was 4-6 weeks waiting on my flashpack from Richmond then nearly another 90 days after submitting that to the sherrifs office when I got mine.

 

[AndyC]

A decent holster, size-larger trousers or shorts, a good belt and an XL t-shirt and there will be no printing. You will need to find the sweet spot on your waist line. A twenty-two degree forward cant holster worn at 3:00 makes my Glock 21 vanish. I'm 5'10" and 200 lbs.

I already wear a larger size in jeans so that's no issue, what if I didn't change shirt size and just allowed the grip of the gun and back of the slide to print a little, I mean is he correct in that printing is just asking for trouble and I should try to avoid printing like it's the plague or is he just overly cautious and printing is no big deal at all?

 

[msgt/ret]

With the billboard size of some phones today is it a gun or phone under your shirt???

 

[CDW4ME]

Many people carry Glock 19/23 size pistols without printing, given appropriate holster and clothing.
I always wear a thin t-shirt bwteen the holster and my body with a loose fitting cover shirt.
Full size 1911 pictured, a Glock 23/32 is easy and I avoid printing.

 

[kmanick]

besides the printing is a G23 comfortable to carry around all the time?
I agree with the other comments in regards to proper dress a good belt and a good holster
but is a gun that size comfortable?
I used to carry a FS M&P .40 in a N82 pro and it concealed quite well (6' 210 pounds 34" waist)
but I found that the size and weight of it bothered me (especially when driving)
Now I rotate my EDC between a Shield 9, an M&P9C and an XDM 3.8C .45.
IWB and OWB , all 3 of these are much more comfortable to carry around all day and are easy to conceal.

 

[hardluk1]

Most of use carry what pass's for a full size handgun . For me its a p320c for me but most of us also have smaller handguns for concealed carry too . I carried for 29 years and in a open carry state for the last 19 or so and have yet to open carry . Simple don't care to advertise . . If I'm going to wear a T shirt only that fits will I drop handgun size as needed .

 

[TeflonDon]

Up until my class today I didn't care one bit about printing because like I said this is a permitless open carry state and there is nothing illegal at all about printing. However I had never thought about it the way he was thinking about it, in that if someone were to idk enter a gas station and scan the room and notice me printing it will make me his number 1 first target. I had just never looked at printing that way before, like I said I looked at it like who cares if I print some. As far as my build 6'1 190 lbs and typically in the summer months I wear shirts that I guess you would say fit they aren't skin tight but they aren't big either they are just my ideal fit sized shirts. I typically wear a size L, sometimes a M.

People aren't going to notice. I carry and XD Mod2 compact in OWB holsters with medium t-shirts similar to what you described. I'm a small guy who weighs around 170 lbs. No one notices my firearm printing. I walk by rent-a-cops and off duty police officers countless times over the years who are doing security at banks, movie theaters, and other places where guns aren't allowed, and they or other employees do not notice. I've been around antigun family members, to my kids soccer games, restaurants, to a number of local malls (where guns aren't allowed), and no one notices. I've even seen a few people open carrying in my state (it's legal here), and they lived to tell about it. When I'm out and about, I'm not staring everyone down, and unless it's a nice looking female, I'm not staring and critique everyone I see are walk by.

I think all this Paranoid "printing" crap, what ifs, and horror stories are mostly something that's in gun owner's heads. Anything could make you a target for a crime. Carrying a wallet, driving a nice car, wearing jewelry, carrying a purse, having the latest and greatest iphone or electronics, taking out cash and/or receiving change whiles paying for services or goods, etc. Those are all things criminals are more likely to pay attention to and notice and these are things people do and open carry on a daily basis... It's just an unwarranted fear in my experience and opinion fulled by a couple of cases of anecdotal evidence at best.

I took a carry class 3x. Once for myself, once with a friend, and again for my Utah carry permit. In all of those cases the instructors attempted to indoctrinate with their opinions and personal biases on method of carry, brand of gun, type of holster, etc instead of just giving the pros and cons on the subject and letting the individual decide. In one class, the instructor was giving out incorrect and dated legal information. I learned to take their opinions with a grain of salt instead of fact.

 

[Aquaman]

I already wear a larger size in jeans so that's no issue, what if I didn't change shirt size and just allowed the grip of the gun and back of the slide to print a little, I mean is he correct in that printing is just asking for trouble and I should try to avoid printing like it's the plague or is he just overly cautious and printing is no big deal at all?

I wear size large shirts, I'm a little wider at the shoulders so they usually fit just right, mediums are usually tight across the shoulders and most x-large the shirts look a little sloppy on me, I wouldn't sweat it to much, you probably don't print as much as you think you do and most people are so absorbed in their own little world theyecare wouldn't even notice.

 

[Mike1956]

besides the printing is a G23 comfortable to carry around all the time?
I agree with the other comments in regards to proper dress a good belt and a good holster
but is a gun that size comfortable?
I used to carry a FS M&P .40 in a N82 pro and it concealed quite well (6' 210 pounds 34" waist)
but I found that the size and weight of it bothered me (especially when driving)
Now I rotate my EDC between a Shield 9, an M&P9C and an XDM 3.8C .45.
IWB and OWB , all 3 of these are much more comfortable to carry around all day and are easy to conceal.

The print profile of the Glock 23 and M&P9C with the pinky-extension mag are pretty much identical. The M&P40 adds about 3/4 of an inch grip length over the Glock 23.

With 3:00 carry, I can drive comfortably.

 

[AndyC]

I guess what I'm getting at here is A is printing gonna make me a target in a rare but potential situation where someone with bad intentions comes up behind me to rob me or a store or what have you, and B should I do what I can to avoid or atleast minimize printing or just wear the clothes I want with the gun I want and just be carefree about printing?

 

[Mike1956]

I already wear a larger size in jeans so that's no issue, what if I didn't change shirt size and just allowed the grip of the gun and back of the slide to print a little, I mean is he correct in that printing is just asking for trouble and I should try to avoid printing like it's the plague or is he just overly cautious and printing is no big deal at all?

A good (IMO) holster will draw the grip snugly against your body, which will minimize printing with a regular shirt.

 

[kmanick]

The print profile of the Glock 23 and M&P9C with the pinky-extension mag are pretty much identical. The M&P40 adds about 3/4 of an inch grip length over the Glock 23.

With 3:00 carry, I can drive comfortably.

Really , I was under the assumption that the 23 was quite a bit larger than the 9C, my bad, I drive around with my 9C all the time ...no problemo