I got busted today...

[apostate]

Good point, although I believe that significantly predates decriminalized open carry.

[TomS]

The law states a violation accursed if you intentionally display the firearm. The intent of the law is to prevent one from brandishing their gun causing alarm in others.

If someone is afraid of your shirt, oh well. Could be a cell phone, could be a medical device, could even be your package up front.

[jar]

Good point, although I believe that significantly predates decriminalized open carry.

If you are printing or flash the gun or catch your shirt and it uncovers the gun and someone gets alarmed, that is the part that will protect you. Unless it could be shown you intended to alarm folk all should be fine.

[WildRose]

Im still very new to the concealed carry scene. I received my CHL in Feb. So I haven't even been carrying a year yet. Im so new, that the first week or two I didn't even carry around in the chamber till I was comfortable with my weapon and setup. I think I got lucky though because it was still a little chilly when I received my CHL, so I got to wear my hoodie often and that helped me get comfortable with carrying regularly . I do wear clothes that are a little more fitted to my body. So I was always concerned about "printing". Until today...

I'm buying some things from my local hardware store. I place my items on the counter. The cashier starts ringing my items up and right about the time she finishes she says "I see nobody is going to be robbing you anytime soon". At first I kind of gave her a puzzling look(I had no idea what she was talking about). Then she goes on to say "I see your package in the front". So I kinda just smirk and say "No I'm not". By this time she had finished ringing me up and I grabbed my things and left the store. As I'm leaving I didn't know what to think. I thought it was kinda funny the way she had mentioned "my package" but then on the other side she saw I was printing, but didn't really care too much because it was concealed and I wasn't breaking any laws.

From what I have read from other peoples experiences, most people won't catch you printing because they're so focused on what they have going on. Sometimes I myself have to do double takes when I see people open carrying cause I wasn't really paying attention. I know part of me says I need to be more tentative to how I'm carrying. Then the other part of me thinks as long as its concealed, and I'm allowed to be there while its concealed, who cares if I "print" every now and then. I guess it just comes with time. Has anyone else been called out?
Now I have to get back to my chores that I got from the hardware store. Just thought'd I would share. Thanks for reading.

I wouldn't worry about it but I will say that appendix carry is problematic at best and always presents a risk to you so you may want to rethink how you want to carry.

Printing is not an issue legally in this state so I don't worry about it at all. I generally carry full sized semi auto's and occasionally M Frame size 5" revolvers so it's not like I can easily do so completely hidden anyhow.

[Grundy1133]

Im still very new to the concealed carry scene. I received my CHL in Feb. So I haven't even been carrying a year yet. Im so new, that the first week or two I didn't even carry around in the chamber till I was comfortable with my weapon and setup. I think I got lucky though because it was still a little chilly when I received my CHL, so I got to wear my hoodie often and that helped me get comfortable with carrying regularly . I do wear clothes that are a little more fitted to my body. So I was always concerned about "printing". Until today...

I'm buying some things from my local hardware store. I place my items on the counter. The cashier starts ringing my items up and right about the time she finishes she says "I see nobody is going to be robbing you anytime soon". At first I kind of gave her a puzzling look(I had no idea what she was talking about). Then she goes on to say "I see your package in the front". So I kinda just smirk and say "No I'm not". By this time she had finished ringing me up and I grabbed my things and left the store. As I'm leaving I didn't know what to think. I thought it was kinda funny the way she had mentioned "my package" but then on the other side she saw I was printing, but didn't really care too much because it was concealed and I wasn't breaking any laws.

From what I have read from other peoples experiences, most people won't catch you printing because they're so focused on what they have going on. Sometimes I myself have to do double takes when I see people open carrying cause I wasn't really paying attention. I know part of me says I need to be more tentative to how I'm carrying. Then the other part of me thinks as long as its concealed, and I'm allowed to be there while its concealed, who cares if I "print" every now and then. I guess it just comes with time. Has anyone else been called out?
Now I have to get back to my chores that I got from the hardware store. Just thought'd I would share. Thanks for reading.

I wouldn't worry about it but I will say that appendix carry is problematic at best and always presents a risk to you so you may want to rethink how you want to carry.

Printing is not an issue legally in this state so I don't worry about it at all. I generally carry full sized semi auto's and occasionally M Frame size 5" revolvers so it's not like I can easily do so completely hidden anyhow.

each carry method has it's merits and flaws. carry the way you like. I don't really see any issues with appendix carry personally. its in front of you so its not gonna be likely someone will take it from you. the only issue i could see is when you sit down it might dig into you depending on whether you have a 6 pack or a keg lol.

[Winston]

I wouldn't worry about it Dcastrojr. I'm pretty sure everyone with a CHL or LTC is able to legally open carry a handgun as long as it's properly holstered. Someone correct me if I'm wrong about this? Does it matter whether you have a CHL or a LTC? Is that the same thing here in Texas now since open carry is legal? I would just think that a long as you're carrying in legal areas that printing underneath your clothes wouldn't be a big deal as long as you're licensed and carrying legally. Also don't feel bad about not carrying with a round in the chamber. It's also better safe than sorry. Sometimes getting use to handling your gun and learning more about gun safely before carrying a loaded weapon is ideal. Sometimes time is what's needed to become more confident in your abilities. I didn't keep a round in the chamber for over a year after purchasing my first pistol because it didn't feel safe. But once you start practicing carrying around the house and have more experience handling firearms then that fear will go away. I think every new persons fear with carrying a gun is that it will just go off all of a sudden. Once you practice and do it long enough that fear will go away.

With that said I only practice carrying with kydex holsters. I don't trust anything other than kydex and personally think anything else are trash holsters. Especially the soft ones! I don't have my license yet but when I get it and start carrying I will probably also feel nervous about people seeing me carry. With that said I'm glad we have legal open carry now for licensed holders. I'll probably choose to open carry my pistol anyways since I hate IWB holsters. I'll just wear a hoodie or bigger shirt to cover up my pistol and OWB holster. Or I might go with one of those shoulder holsters and wear a jacket since I like carrying full size pistols. Carrying a full size Glock 22 or 1911 with a IWB holster doesn't really work. It's just not very concealable or comfortable.

[WildRose]

I wouldn't worry about it Dcastrojr. I'm pretty sure everyone with a CHL or LTC is able to legally open carry a handgun as long as it's properly holstered. Someone correct me if I'm wrong about this? Does it matter whether you have a CHL or a LTC? Is that the same thing here in Texas now since open carry is legal? I would just think that a long as you're carrying in legal areas that printing underneath your clothes wouldn't be a big deal as long as you're licensed and carrying legally. Also don't feel bad about not carrying with a round in the chamber. It's also better safe than sorry. Sometimes getting use to handling your gun and learning more about gun safely before carrying a loaded weapon is ideal. Sometimes time is what's needed to become more confident in your abilities. I didn't keep a round in the chamber for over a year after purchasing my first pistol because it didn't feel safe. But once you start practicing carrying around the house and have more experience handling firearms then that fear will go away. I think every new persons fear with carrying a gun is that it will just go off all of a sudden. Once you practice and do it long enough that fear will go away.

With that said I only practice carrying with kydex holsters. I don't trust anything other than kydex and personally think anything else are trash holsters. Especially the soft ones! I don't have my license yet but when I get it and start carrying I will probably also feel nervous about people seeing me carry. With that said I'm glad we have legal open carry now for licensed holders. I'll probably choose to open carry my pistol anyways since I hate IWB holsters. I'll just wear a hoodie or bigger shirt to cover up my pistol and OWB holster. Or I might go with one of those shoulder holsters and wear a jacket since I like carrying full size pistols. Carrying a full size Glock 22 or 1911 with a IWB holster doesn't really work. It's just not very concealable or comfortable.

How can you declare all holsters other than kydex as trash when you have zero experience with carry at all?

From whence did you gain your expertise?

[Winston]

My expertise is from buying, owning, and shooting firearms for at least 15 years. I've purchased a lot of firearms and firearm related items over a long period of time. Just because I don't carry on a daily basis doesn't mean I can't have an opinion about holsters. I've owned many of them because I use to carry on my person around the house, driving, and at work where it was legal for me to do so without a license. I have preferred carrying my pistols in operator style bags ever since. I even Mexican carry sometimes and do own trigger guards to do that safely. My experience with holsters are.......

Leather holsters = gets sweaty and smells bad because we live in Texas where it's hot and also tends to rub the finish on your pistol the wrong way. It scratched some bluing off one of my 1911's. Threw that holster in the trash! Also they're not very comfortable (especially when you start sweating) and they're not good for drawing and re holstering your weapon quickly. I do however like the leather holster I have for my .45 Colt Revolver but that's just a range gun and collectors item. I probably won't carry it unless I'm pretending to be a cowboy that day. lol

Soft Holsters = not enough retention to be safely carrying, and also not easy to draw and re holster your weapon quickly. These are probably the most comfortable but I don't trust carrying anything in them other than revolvers. It 's easy to hide a small revolver on your person with these. Then again some small revolvers will fit inside your pocket and you don't even need a soft holster to carry it but the soft shell holster does make it safer. I don't recommend them with other guns. Maybe a small compact glock but I don't own, shoot, or carry any of those. I prefer have mid size and large frame pistols and kydex works the best for those in my opinion.

With that said I prefer Kydex. Every pistol I've carried in a kydex holster has treated the finish on my slides well. This may not be an issue to most people but I prefer keeping some of my pistols looking new. Especially my 1911's. Some others not so much. My striker fire and other hammer fire pistols that have been carried in kydex holsters still look brand new. Yes kydex can scratch the finish over time but that depends on how many times it's used and how much retention you set the kydex to secure the gun. That's another pro for kydex! You can set the retention. This makes it easy to draw and easy to re holster quickly. Also for IWB and OWB holsters they are fairly comfortable and safest ones to use.....IN MY OPINION! Of course everyone has their own. I also own one Kydex OWB holster and that was purchased to be used with my Viridian green laser/light combo. It activates the laser and light as soon as you pull the gun out of the holster. It's heavy on my belt but I trust using it at the range when training.

With that said anyone can use what they want and what works for them. I was just stating my opinion and I'm pretty sure a lot of people would agree that kydex is the way to go because it works well. Especially when you purchase a kydex holster for a specific pistol! Just my opinion!

So to sum things up....Leather and Soft Shell holsters = revolvers and small frame pistols ; Kydex Holsters = everything else!

[WildRose]

My expertise is from buying, owning, and shooting firearms for at least 15 years. I've purchased a lot of firearms and firearm related items over a long period of time. Just because I don't carry on a daily basis doesn't mean I can't have an opinion about holsters. I've owned many of them because I use to carry on my person around the house, driving, and at work where it was legal for me to do so without a license. I have preferred carrying my pistols in operator style bags ever since. I even Mexican carry sometimes and do own trigger guards to do that safely. My experience with holsters are.......

Leather holsters = gets sweaty and smells bad because we live in Texas where it's hot and also tends to rub the finish on your pistol the wrong way. It scratched some bluing off one of my 1911's. Threw that holster in the trash! Also they're not very comfortable (especially when you start sweating) and they're not good for drawing and re holstering your weapon quickly. I do however like the leather holster I have for my .45 Colt Revolver.

Soft Holsters = not enough retention to be safely carrying, and also not easy to draw and re holster your weapon quickly. These are probably the most comfortable but I don't trust carrying anything in them other than revolvers. It 's easy to hide a small revolver on your person with these. I don't recommend them with other guns. Maybe a small compact glock but I don't own, shoot, or carry any of those. I prefer have mid size and large frame pistols and kydex works the best for those in my opinion.

With that said I prefer Kydex. Every pistol I've carried in a kydex holster has treated the finish on my slides well. This may not be an issue to most people but I prefer keeping some of my pistols looking new. Especially my 1911's. Some others not so much. My striker fire and other hammer fire pistols that have been carried in kydex holsters still look brand new. Yes kydex can scratch the finish over time but that depends on how many times it's used and how much retention you set the kydex to secure the gun. That's another pro for kydex! You can set the retention. This makes it easy to draw and easy to re holster quickly. Also for IWB and OWB holsters they are fairly comfortable and safest ones to use.....IN MY OPINION! Of course everyone has their own. I also own one Kydex OWB holster and that was purchased to be used with my Viridian green laser/light combo. It activates the laser and light as soon as you pull the gun out of the holster. It's heavy on my belt but I trust using it at the range when training.

With that said anyone can use what they want and what works for them. I was just stating my opinion and I'm pretty sure a lot of people would agree that kydex is the way to go because it works well. Especially when you purchase a kydex holster for a specific pistol! Just my opinion!

So to sum things up....Leather and Soft Shell holsters = revolvers and small frame pistols ; Kydex Holsters = everything else!

No, what you actually said as I quoted was that everything other than Kydex is "trash" which is patently false in every way.

Anyone can have an opinion, you lack any real world experience so yours is one borne of prejudice rather than fact.

Leather holsters have been the bar by which all others are measured for more than a hundred years.

next to your body it actually breathes, where FedEx or any composite cannot.

Leather actually moves and flexes with your body where FedEx and other solid composites cannot.

Leather will form fit itself to the user with just a little wear and can always be worn comfortably in any weather or any condition, Kydex and other composites do not and cannot.

The worst thing about leather is it requires some actual care.

You may well be a nice guy but you lack the experience and information to comment authoritatively on the subject.

[Winston]

The only experience I lack is carrying my gun in a holster anywhere in public where it's not legal for me to carry it. I've carried on my person enough to have plenty of experience. I'm a fast draw and can re holster any of my guns in kydex quickly. Not so much with leather or soft shell holsters. Which is why they suck imo. Other than that I know what I'm talking about when it comes to using certain holsters that I own. With that said all holsters are different and I haven't used them all to comment on any of them specifically. Just the ones I've owned and that's why I have an opinion on the different types. Because I've used most of them and prefer all the kydex ones. What type of holster you get will technically come down to what type of pistol you plan on carrying. I won't use anything other than kydex unless I start carrying a small revolver or smaller sized pistol. I've tried some leather and soft shell holsters with my full size pistols and they don't work well....at least not for me. Other people may have different results but then again most people don't carry full size pistols as their daily carry. Most licensed holders I know also tend to carry small compacts or revolvers and you don't need a kydex holster for any of those guns. Soft shell and leather probably works better. That why I preferred using my operator bag to carry for the last several years. I can carry full sized pistols and as many magazines as I want. I also like using tactical fanny packs too!

[C-dub]

I'll probably choose to open carry my pistol anyways since I hate IWB holsters.

What? IWB is not the only way to carry concealed. I've been doing it OWB since I got my license around 16 years ago.

Also, CHL is no more in Texas since open carry passed. It changed over to LTC and all of us with CHL licenses were changed over as we renewed when our CHL expired.

[Winston]

I'll probably choose to open carry my pistol anyways since I hate IWB holsters.

What? IWB is not the only way to carry concealed. I've been doing it OWB since I got my license around 16 years ago.

Also, CHL is no more in Texas since open carry passed. It changed over to LTC and all of us with CHL licenses were changed over as we renewed when our CHL expired.

I've practiced carrying with one OWB holster and don't know if I like it yet. Tends to dig into my hip and pull my pants down a bit. lol But then again maybe that's because I only tried it with a full sized pistol. When I get my license I'm going to look into trying some shoulder holsters and wearing a jacket. I might even just opt to keep it in a tactical fanny pack. I have one of those and love it!

[C-dub]

I'll probably choose to open carry my pistol anyways since I hate IWB holsters.

What? IWB is not the only way to carry concealed. I've been doing it OWB since I got my license around 16 years ago.

Also, CHL is no more in Texas since open carry passed. It changed over to LTC and all of us with CHL licenses were changed over as we renewed when our CHL expired.

I've practiced carrying with one OWB holster and don't know if I like it yet. Tends to dig into my hip and pull my pants down a bit. lol But then again maybe that's because I only tried it with a full sized pistol. When I get my license I'm going to look into trying some shoulder holsters and wearing a jacket. I might even just opt to keep it in a tactical fanny pack. I have one of those and love it!

I did the fanny pack thing a little and it was okay for me. I actually had a nice leather one until my wife moved it and left it within reach of a new puppy we had. He chewed it up pretty good.

I'm starting to wonder what type of belt you use. There are many folk that carry full size 1911's or other handgun without any issues. I carried a Glock 22 off and on for several years alternating with a 27. A few years ago I switched to .45's (21SF and 30SF). I had an IWB holster for the 27 and mostly only used it for church. I've only carried the .45s OWB and for the last 1-2 years only the 21SF OWB since getting a Safariland 7TS holster that will accommodate an attached light. That and a double mag carrier has been what I've carried without issues is the reason I'm wondering about your belt. Is it a GUN belt?

There is bound to be a small group of people that do not like on body carry and you may be one of those types. Just figure out what works best for you and go with it.

[Winston]

Yes it was a gun belt. Just feels too heavy on my body this way. Plus I'm somewhat skinny and my hip bones don't appreciate the gun sitting on it for very long. I only like IWB carry in the appendix area or around my back area. Never works out well for me on the side. I forgot the clock reference to carry positions but you know what I mean. That's probably why I also don't like it too much even when using OWB holsters. It still digs into my hip. Especially when moving around or leaning over. I can't stand it! Too uncomfortable for me to do for long periods of time.

[ScottDLS]

The law states a violation accursed if you intentionally display the firearm. The intent of the law is to prevent one from brandishing their gun causing alarm in others.

If someone is afraid of your shirt, oh well. Could be a cell phone, could be a medical device, could even be your package up front.