Lots of people carry guns here and most of them don't wear 5.11. LEOs not on patrol duty often wear logo golf shirts and open carry.
When out and about I'm looking for drug addicts and predators, and they're looking for inattentive victims.
Lots of people carry guns here and most of them don't wear 5.11. LEOs not on patrol duty often wear logo golf shirts and open carry.
When out and about I'm looking for drug addicts and predators, and they're looking for inattentive victims.
"Gunfighting is a thinking man's game. So we might want to bring thinking back into it."-MDFA
Beware of my temper, and the dog that I've found...
MDFA For the WIN
"Cops have shitbag radar and shitbags have cop radar".
I will extend on this to going forward to say that "Sheepdogs have Wolves radar and Wolves have Sheepdog radar"
I don’t know if I get picked out a lot as a “gun guy” but people always ask me or make a remark about how I carry myself like one who has been in the military. The extent of my military service was JROTC in high school.
An incident that sticks out in my mind:
One Saturday my wife, kid and I went to an event in a city nearby to where I used to live. As we’re walking towards the event grounds this one gentleman who was tending a booth politely approached and asked, “Excuse me sir, are you part of the band of brothers?” I responded by shaking my head and saying “No sir.” He nodded somewhat apprehensively and commented “Ah, okay. You just sort of carry yourself like one who was in the military.” After that we went our separate ways.
So for me, it likely doesn’t matter what I wear due to how I carry myself. Not sure I come across as someone not to be trifled with (which I sincerely doubt) but people generally do pick up on me.
Last edited by HCountyGuy; 06-07-2018 at 09:55 AM.
“Conspiracy theories are just spoiler alerts these days.”
And I've been asked at least a dozen times if I'm a cop. I used to believe that it was a good thing, in the sense that I projected some kind of command presence.
But in the grand scheme I'm now more intent on being less noticeable.
Way back when, I was involved in a multi-agency "narcotics suppression" operation in Galveston, in advance of a destroyer coming in for Mardis Gras. We were using UCs to do buy busts on street-level narcotics sales across the island, so dealers wouldn't sell to anyone they didn't know (that was the plan, anyway). After about three days, it was working, and our UCs couldn't buy anymore, so they rotated me in to do a buy as a "new face." I rolled up to a dude clearly slinging crack on a street corner, and rolled the window down. He sauntered over, took one look at me, and asked "how can I help you, officer?" I tried to shine him on, and he said something like this: "Officer, if you're referring to a purchase of illicit narcotics, I believe you should try the corner of suchandsuch and suchandsuch" - the address for Galveston PD. At this point, we were both laughing so hard that I just shook my head and drove off...Originally Posted by ubervic
But, looking less noticeable is ALWAYS a good thing. Hard to do when you're 6'1" and 240 pounds...
This right here.
It's true the vast majority of the folks you see in the mall will be too interested in their phone to notice you. But it's not the vast majority you need to worry about. So the fact that your friend didn't notice the guy open carrying is irrelevant. It's the hardened criminal that will spot you, and that's who you should be worried about.
What would be tragic is if Todd/Skippy/whoever wakes up one day and decides to kill a cop, and he mistakes the Recoil-reading, LAV-class taking CCWer for a cop in Subway because, well, he's wearing his 5.11s (or Kuhl if he's too cool for 5.11), North Face plaid shirt and Merrell hikers.
(I think that scenario is extremely low, low, low probability, but I am also firmly convinced that many relish looking 'tactical' for whatever reason all while paying lip service to the gray man concept. )
Last edited by BigD; 06-07-2018 at 12:31 PM.
Around these parts, everyone wears the sorts of clothing one might associate with 5-O, even the tourists who only think about venturing out of their vehicles into the forests. I'd probably stand out more if I wore something else...and glad I don't have to.
For those who worry that they might be targeted because of tactical looking clothes, I'd argue that there's just as great a chance that someone looking for an easy mark would just as soon pass you on by and look for easier pickins'.
I told a mob guy that I was wired up (when in fact I was) just to throw him off his game and make him feel foolish for thinking I might be. Sometimes hiding in plain sight works too.
There's nothing civil about this war.
I admit to being a little guilty of that, because defensive arts are an avocation for me, and I enjoy the hobby. But primarily because Kuhl pants are super-comfortable, and have that nifty leg pocket for a cell phone. Seriously, that’s why I wear them. The other day, I felt that it was appropriate to bump up to a sport coat with nice jeans and, sure as hell, I dropped my phone in the road getting out of my car because it wasn’t tucked in that right leg pocket. I just have too much shit to carry around on the gig; Kuhl rump ryders, or whatever they call them, effectively removes a straw or two from this camel’s back.
As to perception, I honestly have no true idea how people perceive me from outside the paint can, what with Kuhls, and logoless t-shirts and nicer Allen Edmonds casual shoes; plus short hair and sexy-as-F ops beard. Nobody has ever said ‘excuse me officer,’ that’s for sure. I will say this: when people I meet in the shooting community get around to asking what I do for a living—just happened two days ago at the range—and I reply "classical musician," they are always shocked. The exceptions seem to be high-volume world trainers like Douglas, Graham, et al., who’ve probably seen every walk of life pass in front of them at some point.
ETA: I’m pretty sure that I exude neither death, nor badassery, having never committed regular acts of violence on anyone, on behalf of any nation or state...
Last edited by Totem Polar; 06-07-2018 at 01:15 PM.
^^^ @Sidheshooter
The guitar string assassin. I can see the headlines now. Mild mannered musician and professor by day...the Segovia of all that is sinister by night.
Last edited by blues; 06-07-2018 at 01:38 PM.
There's nothing civil about this war.
Awww, man. I can't even wear my Merrell's any more?
From Older Offspring after a discussion of coffee:
"If it doesn't come from the Kaffa province of Ethiopia, it's just hot roasted-bean juice."
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