First week carrying

F

fatboy02

New member
Well I have been carrying now for a week and it feels pretty good as i am getting used to it. I am carrying my full size Colt 1911 in a Galco summer comfort IWB I am 6' 245lbs it conceals very easy I was very suprised at how easy it was co conceal a full size 1911 and how comfortable it is to wear. :cool:

I am looking for a compact 1911 but they are in short supply around here. Some times it feels like everyone is looking at me and I get self concious about having it on me, But last night I met my GF at the store and she did not even know I was carrying until she put her arm around me.

According to the paper here the number of concealed permits issued has more than tripled in Michigan.
 
Some times it feels like everyone is looking at me and I get self concious about having it on me,...
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That too shall pass.;) It took me a couple weeks to realize just how blind people really are. Unless your wearing your gun IWB under a spandex t-shirt, most people will never have even the foggiest idea. Heck, I'd guess 50% or more wouldn't notice if it WAS under a spandex shirt.
 
We all go through the "everyone is looking at me, OMG they know I have a gun!" phase.

While my wife and I were waiting on our permits to arrive, I had already purchased my Crossbreed Supertuck holster, and would wear it around the house. I told my wife that I would never tell her when or if I was carrying, but asked her to be on the lookout so she could tell me whenever she saw a print or identified that I was wearing the gun.

For the two months that it took for those permits to arrive, she called me out exactly one time. That one time, I was working on something, and had to bend down and twist in a way that my shirt came up and exposed the butt of my Sig. She said, "I see your gun". I knew it was exposed at that moment, and was concentrating so on what I was trying to do that I didn't bother to fix the shirt.

This little exercise at home gave me a lot of confidence for my first carrying out of the house experiences, but I still felt like I had a big red neon sign above my head and everyone was looking at me. If anybody has ever noticed, they sure haven't let me in on the secret.
 
Thought I would say hello to the fellow michigander! I am in the process of getting my permit and am kind of anxious to start carrying, and figure I will go through the same feelings. For now I have just been working on my situational awareness all of the time. Also shopping for what I want to carry once I can.
 
good luck Tophe, I bought a holster for my 1911 because I have not been able to find a compact that I want to carry I am looking for a compact 1911. It only took three weeks to get my post card that my permit was ready to pick up.
 
Some times it feels like everyone is looking at me and I get self concious about having it on me,...
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I used to feel the same way but it passes pretty quickly. You'll soon realize that even if most people notice any that different around your waist they'll assume it's a PDA or a cell phone. Most people are just oblivious.
 
after you carry for long enough somebody will realize you are carring, it took four years for me, I bent down to pick up some groceries after a bag ripped and heard a "that man has a gun" behind me. i chose to pretend I didn't hear, went about my buisness (certain to have a squad car pull me over just out of the parking lot) and nothing came of it, I do wonder what type of situation would result over such a call though? Is accidently showing a crime?
 
Some times it feels like everyone is looking at me and I get self concious about having it on me,
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Been there. A good holster/belt combo makes a lot of that feeling go away. The right dress does, too. Sounds like you're on the right track.
 
michigan, livingston and genesse county mostly, I think open carry is legal in this state, not sure if accidently flashing your concealed weapon would be considered "brandishing a weapon" or not
 
The weather is finally starting to warm up a little here, I have been wearing a size larger than usual sweatshirt or one of my Harley jean shirts untucked over a t-shirt. I can bend over and touch my toes without exposing my 1911.

I do need a better belt though, I am looking at beltman and doing some searches. My leather belt is OK but I think a better belt will make a world of difference.
 
Hey Fatboy. Congrats on your first week. Your a lucky guy. I will probably have to move out of IL before being able to carry concealed. Unless some sort of miracle happens and the State passes a carry law.
 
It's good to have the mentality, you are carrying a lethal self-defense tool after all. It make me unease when I encounter people who take their CCW lightly, those are the one get themselves in troubles and endogenous the people around them.
 
The feelings you have about carrying now will pass. In a matter of time it will become opposite, and you'll feel strange without your gun. It's a huge responsibility. carry safe. carry smart, and carry often.
 
I've been carrying for maybe three months now. My uneasy feeling has pretty much gone away, though for some stupid reason I still get nervous around LEOs. I guess I'm worried one will spot it and over-react. That too shall pass I'm sure. Went without carrying for the first time in months yesterday (had to be on a school campus so no gun even in my car:barf:) and I felt surprisingly vulnerable. Sort of the opposite of "everyone knows I'm packing." More like, "Everyone knows I'm unarmed."
 
Went without carrying for the first time in months yesterday (had to be on a school campus so no gun even in my car) and I felt surprisingly vulnerable.
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Yep. I was surprised by that feeling also. I never carried a gun for 32 years of my life and never felt like it was a problem. Now, when I don't carry I'm always like "What if it's today...." Weird.
 
House,

Accidently showing is NOT a crime in MI. Just took the class and we talked about that, and they said open carry is legal in MI, they also did not recommend it.

Brandishing is basicly if youre showing your gun and its in a threatning manner.

My buddy had a similar thing happen, he said an officer showed up at his door just because they have to checkout calls of people with guns. He showed them his permit and they were on their way.

I hope mine goes that quick fatboy, she said some have taken up to 12 weeks
 
tophe, it all depends on your county I am in Eaton co. and they haave been swamped with concealed permit requests, but as long as your record is clean it goes quick. At least it did here.
 
I do need a better belt though,
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Check out Uncle Mike's "Instructor" belt. It's a heavy, stiff canvas with a velcro fastener. Fits good, comfortable, and holds my 23 oz. Steyr in its Desantis beltslide securely against my body.

As for what constitutes "flashing" or "brandishing", check the laws in your state. Every state is different.

When it comes to concealed vs open, check the law there, too. The laws for both types of carry may be totally different. In some states, it must either be concealed (and stay that way) or open - you can't usually go back and forth.
 
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