Hey you're "printing" . . .

You could probably duct tape a chromed .50 Desert Eagle to your forehead and 99.9% of people would never notice.

Or so is popularly said. The truth is, I look for printing and open carriers all the time, and find them. Sure the "average person" probably isn't looking for it, but I'm not concerned about the "average person"... I'm concerned about the criminal element who might well be looking for printing coming from ME.

I am very conscious of it and ensure it doesn't happen. I conceal because I see it as an advantage in most situations, and I mean for it to truly be concealed, even if someone is scoping you out.
 
Mike38, you are right that "printing" is not illegal in Illinois. The law says in Section 5, "Concealed firearm means a loaded or unloaded handgun carried on or about a person completely or mostly concealed from view of the public or on or about a person within a vehicle." It then says in Section 10, "fully concealed or partially concealed, on or about his or her person;"

So while it is not illegal, I promise you in most municipalities in Illinois a partially concealed weapon will get unwanted attention. I do agree that most folks do not pay any attention and may not notice an SBR under a t-shirt. The law here says concealed, and I will do my part. That does not mean that a trained observer couldn't notice a slight bulge, and conclude I am carrying a gun, or cell phone, or something. When I started carrying I worried about it. Now I rarely think about it.
 
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No. it's none of my business, and I make it a point not to hassle strangers who, for whatever reason, choose to carry a gun. JMHO.
 
If it was someone I knew, I would say something, because I would want them to tell me.

I suppose it would depending how much printing we are talking... if a friend's shirt snagged on something and it was all hanging out, I would definitely say something right away. Maybe it's a "hey the other day I notice with your green shirt, when you bent over I could see the butt of your gun poking strait out in your shirt"

If it was a stranger, would I walk up him and say:
"hey man, you're printing!"
"what did you say?"
"You're printing, I can see your gun"
"what did you say to me? You mean THIS gun!??!?!"

KAPOW BOOM POW PEW PEW. No good.
 
The way I look at is, "Concealed means concealed" is one option, "Open" is a second option, and "Mostly concealed" is a third option. Maybe it is easier to see but also easier to draw.

Then again, maybe the person has an insulin pump or some other medical device and you didn't see what you think you saw. Now you've walked up to somebody you didn't know had a medical condition and potentially embarrassed them, and, if it is a stranger, what if they are also scared by your claim that they have a gun?

Even worse, what if the stranger has a gun and they plan to use it? Now they know that you know.
 
Provided the person ‘printing’ doesn’t care about coming off as someone clueless and careless who doesn’t understand how to carry a concealed firearm.
Click to expand...

That would be me, thank you very much. :D

No, I wouldn't tell anyone else either.
 
My opinion is Concealed Means Concealed. You should be the only one who knows if you're carrying.

Example: My wife is a square dance caller. There are a couple of ladies who we've been dancing with for over 10 years, that showed up at our club women's shooting class. It wasn't until they came to the class that they found out I carry 24/7, even while square dancing.

I pocket carry.

Another: My step daughter picked up a little J frame and came by the house to ask about adding a laser. I pulled my 642 out of my pocket, unloaded it, to show the style of laser I used.

She appeared shocked, "When did you start carrying that" . My granddaughter pops off with "oh mom, he always has that in his pocket".

(She knew because she was living with me at the time and constantly went shooting with me".

Again:

Concealed is concealed, No one should know.
 
When I first started carrying, I probably printed a lot. A stranger even mentioned it to me once. I wasn't offended and a lot of my choices since have been based on hiding visibility.

Concealed means concealed.
 
After carrying for a while and doing several "I'm carrying a gun on me can you see where tests" I realized most people can't tell unless it is openly exposed.
I carried a G26 with half the grip above my beltline for a while. Hardly anyone noticed. I gave a presentation at a gun club and most of the people didn't notice. One guy brought it up afterwards and other people were amazed and said they hadn't noticed.
 
As indicated above, it really depends on the scenario. I will step in if someone is putting themselves in harm's way.

Last week I was standing in back of a long line at mall's food court waiting to order a Coke. About midway in the line I noticed two young men in their late teens, early 20s, that were gawking and pointing at something in front of them. Then they stopped, but now with their attention focused on whatever it was they were whispering to each other. The line moved up. They moved too, but they were now standing wide of the line and pointing at someone. I stepped way wide of the line myself to get an angle on what it was that had them so interested. It was then that I figured it out.

A few persons in front of them was an elderly gentleman wearing a very thin, white cotton Cubavera shirt under which he was carrying a black colored pistol at 3:00 o'clock. You could spot this thing a mile away. I walked up to the elderly gentleman, showed him my badge and credentials in a manner that I wanted the two boys to see, and asked him to step out of the line. I began to explain what was happening behind his back and when I looked over to indicate to him the boys involved they'd already left and were headed out the closest door to the parking lot. The gentleman was genuinely thankful. Normally I don't care about printing. But I do care about someone perhaps unable to retain their firearm if knocked over by a couple punks.
 
"Do you tell someone they are "printing?"

If it is a colleague, friend, associate I may mention it to him/her. As someone else mentioned what if the person intended to use ... I would keep a watchful eye on that person and maybe leave if they are sweating profusely :eek:
 
There always seems to be this big concern over printing when concealed carry. Unless the firearm is visible it’s concealed. Just because something appears to be different that a persons body contour does not mean the offending bulge is a firearm. In todays world people carry so much electronic gadgetry that it could be any number of things. And take photographers, which I am, we carry a lot of stuff which at times bulges under clothing.

If a stranger were to quiz me about a bulge that may be showing on my person, I’d tell them it’s really none of their business and ignore them. Who knows what they think they might of seen. As Judge Judy would say “it calls for the operation of their mind”. If they call the law, what are they going to tell the LEO, I saw a bulge in that guys shirt. The offended certainly couldn’t say he saw a firearm.

And in Nevada, the problem is easily resolved should there be an issue. All one has to do is tuck shirt in and now it’s open carry, perfectly legal.
 
Where I live most people (men & women) open carry. It's no big deal to walk into any restaurant, supermarket & shopping center and see open carry.

It's more of a politeness to cover than your pride of brand that you are showing off. Some here work at Glock and some show-off their Kimbers.

There's also more gun shops here than most places.

The issue of "printing" has never been an problem for me so I don't get it.

Here it's just assumed that everyone is carrying and ever home is a fortress.
A law in Kennesaw, GA. required all home owners to have a gun with the exception for a personal stance strongly objecting to guns.
 
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A "colleague" printing...I may say something. A total stranger, probably not. In SC, it is not illegal to "print". So, I don't find myself a self appointed member of the Print Police.
 
If I see someone staring at my waist long enough to decide if I have a firearm, I'm going to move myself away from that person. Normal people don't behave that way
 
Ive seen people printing and it didnt take long to figure out...
I could see how someone who is afraid of guns could fixate on the person...
 
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