First trip out with the CHL.

fadlan12 · Post by **fadlan12** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 10:12 pm

Went to get some food today and went for an old favorite: Subway. I thought it would be slow but there must have been 15-20 people in there. I was pretty nervous and hoped that the employees did not think I had some wierd problem. No issues and the sandwhich was good (I ate at home).

I have my first trip coming up where I will be in public for several hours and want to get used to it and not be paranoid about printing.

fm2 · Post by **fm2** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 10:19 pm

Good job.

Mike1951 · Post by **Mike1951** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 10:54 pm

If you've taken reasonable measures to conceal, no one will notice.

It's natural right now to think that everyone will be looking at you.

Just try not to behave any differently.

Before long, it will be as natural as carrying your keys or pocket knife.

Popshot · Post by **Popshot** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 11:52 pm

If no one saw your pistol, then you were successful. I had the same situation when I got my CHL about a month ago. First trip out was to Super Target and ChickFilA. I was fairly concerned that someone might see what I had or that I might just drop the pistol in the middle of the floor. Nothing happened, no one noticed and the pistol stayed in the holster and under the shirt.

One thing that I practiced prior to getting my CHL was carrying while in the house as much as possible. Now I carry just about everytime I leave the house. I no longer feel odd about carrying, as long as I have the pistol well concealed.

cyphur · Post by **cyphur** » Sun Oct 15, 2006 1:57 pm

I've been wearing my Answer holster around in public(empty) for a couple weeks now, when I run errands and such. I also wear it with the 1911 in it around the house. Even wore the Answer to work one day(no pistol of course) and forgot it was there until I bumped into a desk edge.

I figure between all of that, I should wear down most of the paranoia by the time the plastic gets here.

longtooth · Post by **longtooth** » Sun Oct 15, 2006 2:03 pm

Gentlemen, wearing it in practice & out in public before plastic arrives is the best, Best, BEST thing you can do. Great work.

JKDubb · Post by **JKDubb** » Sun Oct 15, 2006 2:20 pm

I will start practicing right away!

longtooth · Post by **longtooth** » Sun Oct 15, 2006 4:10 pm

Good. If you will put it on w/ cover when you get in from work & wear it until you go to bed at night you will get daily 4-5hr of practice daily on carry. In those hours you will do everything, encounter everything, feel everything that you will in any day. You will learn where you want it, what feels right, where the comfortable sweet spot is.
In that time you will sit, walk, bump something, be bumped, go to the B-room, be hugged, seen, stretch, lift something, answer the door, talk to neighbors, bend over, honey get this off the top shelf, make quick move for a kid, recline, lay on couch..... Folks that home carry while in the waiting room come out comfortable & have already been in every possible circumstance.
I did this before Texas CHL was born. After I started carrying outside the house, wife was nervous & I never thought of it. The one thing I never experienced was the "does anyone know" syndrome.
It is THE ONE BEST THING YOU CAN DO.
LT

TxFire · Post by **TxFire** » Sun Oct 15, 2006 5:11 pm

longtooth wrote:Good. If you will put it on w/ cover when you get in from work & wear it until you go to bed at night you will get daily 4-5hr of practice daily on carry. In those hours you will do everything, encounter everything, feel everything that you will in any day. You will learn where you want it, what feels right, where the comfortable sweet spot is.
In that time you will sit, walk, bump something, be bumped, go to the B-room, be hugged, seen, stretch, lift something, answer the door, talk to neighbors, bend over, honey get this off the top shelf, make quick move for a kid, recline, lay on couch..... Folks that home carry while in the waiting room come out comfortable & have already been in every possible circumstance.
I did this before Texas CHL was born. After I started carrying outside the house, wife was nervous & I never thought of it. The one thing I never experienced was the "does anyone know" syndrome.
It is THE ONE BEST THING YOU CAN DO.
LT

I agree and did this some prior to carry out of the house, but I still had the "does anyone know" syndrome for a while. It has been since March and I now don't think about it. I pretty much carry all my waking hours that I am not at work now. I carry at home too.

kw5kw · Post by **kw5kw** » Sun Oct 15, 2006 5:19 pm

This is a funny thing.

A few weeks back the wife and I went to our daugher's house for the weekend. Well, the son-in-law and I went to Tractor Suppy in Greenville for some supplies (they live on a ranch).

Of course I was carrying my XD-.45 service OWB and a 511 cover vest. Well I also had two mags also OWB on the opposite side. Well my vest, somehow rode up over my mags instead of my pistol.

I stayed concealed (weapon) but showed my mags. I didn't notice my condition until we reached his pickup in the parking lot. I mentioned it to him and he said: "No wonder they were lookin' at us."

both my daugher and my son-in-law are watiting for their CHL and I've invited them here. They lurk but don't post anything!!!

Come on kids register and post!

Russ

40FIVER · Post by **40FIVER** » Sun Oct 15, 2006 7:53 pm

They're not lurking, they're reconoitering.

Venus Pax · Post by **Venus Pax** » Sun Oct 15, 2006 9:37 pm

I've accidentally flashed a few times. I try my best not to, but it happens.

Yesterday, I was in Wal-Mart. I wore my new Comp-Tac shirt tucker in a slighly different position (at about 3:30). The good news was that there was NO bulge like there is in the front. The bad news, as I discovered, was that when I bent down to put the bottled water under the buggy, my shirt rode way up and tucked itself under my gun's handle.

I immediately pulled my shirt back down over my handle (I hate to use the term "butt" here

), but I think another checker saw it. She looked uncomfortable until she saw me paying and speaking normally with dh. I think she realized by that point that I had no intention of robbing the place or holding anyone up.

Luckily, the little community I live near has a large farming population and is still very country. Most people here are very familiar with guns and don't necessarily equate them with evil.