I have started seeing more and more stories where Concealed Carry individuals are being outed like in this recent article from guns.com. In this story a neighbor found out a father was carrying concealed and posted signs with his picture saying, “This man carries a loaded gun around your children every day”. One of the biggest benefits to carrying concealed is the element of surprise. However, if everyone knows your carrying that is blown.
So I ask the question again, who knows you’re carrying? In the story above, I can’t help to wonder, how did she find out he was a Concealed Carry permit holder? Below are 6 common mistakes new and veteran CCW holders make that can help identify you as a CCW permit holder and possible get you outed like this poor fella.
1) Congrats! You just received your CCW permit. DO NOT get diarrhea of the mouth. If you have to tell someone keep it to your family and closest of friends. Acquaintance should not be trusted.
2) Hip Checker. Trust me it is still there, you don’t need to check it every 5 minutes. This one is really hard for individuals just starting to carry.
3) Adjusting your firearm. Needing to adjust your CCW is bound to happen from time to time. When you find yourself needing to adjust it, do so out of sight of others. A nearby restroom is always a good place to use.
4) Excessive shirt tugging. A quick tug to make sure it’s covered never hurts. However, if you are tugging at it every 5 minutes you could be outing yourself.
5) Wearing firearm related attire. Yes, 5.11 may be the in thing to wear right now, for firearm enthusiast, but it is also a big red bullseye saying, I HAVE A GUN! Veteran CCW holders are the biggest offenders of this one.
6) “Printing” this is when you can see the outline of the gun through your cloths. The key is finding the correct holster. I know I have gone through quite a few before finding one that worked for me.