TexasCHLforum.com

jclif1995 wrote:I use a man bag which is nothing more than a masculine designed purse made for conceal carry.

Carrying a purse might OK for you city boys, but in my neck o' the woods I think that would attract more negative attention than carrying open.
Maybe i'll get something like a camo backpack instead.

couzin wrote:

racer32 wrote:So far, none of the LEO's Ive had contact with during a routine traffic stop have asked me to get out of the car, but you never know...hence the question.

You get stopped regularly huh? And after telling the LEO that you have CHL and you are setting on it - they have never asked you to give it to them, clear it while stopped, or place it on the dash or something?

Definately would not put a weapon on the seat, in a loose box or bag, not even in the door pocket.

Never been stopped since I've had my CHL, but over the course of 25 years of driving i've been stopped a few times. Maybe i'm lucky, or don't look too suspicious, but during none of these stops have I been asked to get out of the car.

No tickets most of the time either. Many times I've been carrying. It seems like every time we go on vacation or travel I get stopped at least once. The record trip was a week-long vacation to NM. On that one I got pulled over 3 times...twice in TX and once in NM. No tickets, and only one written warning.

I think at least one of the TX troopers on that trip just wanted to look and see if we were carrying a load of dope, or maybe he wanted to know just how much stuff will actually fit in a Jeep Wrangler since we had it packed from floor to ceiling with camping gear. His reason for the stop was an illegal lane change/fail to signal. After the license/insurance check and the usual "where you heading" he asked if we had any drugs/guns in the vehicle. I kind of laughed and told him no drugs, but please don't ask me to dig out the gun because it's under the back seat and all the other stuff would have to come out too. About that time my kiddo (18 months at the time) breaks out with "Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do." The trooper got a big laugh out of that, chatted us up a little bit more and told us to have a safe trip and for me to make sure and use the blinkers.

The only LEO contact I've had when i have been asked for ID while carrying was in Oklahoma when I reported a burglary at my shop there. When i handed the deputy my CHL and DL he looked at it (CHL) and handed it back and said I don't need that one. I was sitting in the front seat of his car and we were filling out the report at the time. It was December, so I was using a belt slide and had on a jacket. Cool weather carry is SO much easier!

Anyway, back to the original topic...I'm not going to change out of my shorts/t-shirt for summer, but I guess I could buy some heavier weight t's. I've got a few that i can wear that don't print very much with my high-ride belt holster. I'm paranoid about it, but my wife says nobody will notice.

txinvestigator wrote:You question is vague. If you are just sitting there, then the weapon is concealed; however, if you have to exit the vehicle then the weapon could become nont concealed.

If I may, it seems as though your technique is not sound. How do you transition the weapon from the unsecured carry behind your back to your pocket?

A quick exit could leave you weaponless, or with it exposed.

And fail to conceal is not a citation. It is a Class A Misdemeanor. That means a trip to jail and possible 1 year in jail. It also means a revocation of your CHL.

As far as transition, I usually scan the immediate area for anyone who might be able to see the holstered pistol, palm it as I get out, then just drop it in my right front pocket when I stand up, using the door as a screen. The only way anyone would ever see it is if they were parked or standing on the passenger side and looking in my window as I got out...or if I was asked to exit my vehicle during a traffic stop. So far, none of the LEO's Ive had contact with during a routine traffic stop have asked me to get out of the car, but you never know...hence the question.

I'd think that a quick exit with a pistol tucked out of sight behind you would be less likely to leave a person weaponless than having it stowed in the console or under the seat where it's hard to get to and more obvious when laying hands on it. Plus, it's a WHOLE lot easier to quickly access the pistol when it's not in your pocket! Any of the three options (in the seat, under seat, console) runs virtually the same risk of possible exposure when exiting the vehicle under normal day-to-day situations, and a quick exit with a pistol in hand if it's needed sure seems more sound than having it somewhere I have to dig for it.

LOL-when i first typed my post I typed arrest instead of citation...I couldn't remember for sure if it was an offense that earned you a ride to the graybar hotel or not, so I went with citation instead.

Obviously, I don't want to take that ride, so I'm looking for opinions/options for car carry with my pocket gun. Shorts and t-shirt weather is here, and my current method is totally inconspicuous when I'm OUT of the car, but belted up and sitting in the car with your pistol in your pocket isn't much better than not having it at all if you can't get to it. That's why I take it out and set it behind me when i'm driving, or sometimes just set it on the passenger seat and cover it with something like a newspaper or a towel.

I sometimes carry my pistol in the front pocket of my pants in a soft holster when wearing shorts and a t-shirt. When i get in the car, I take it out of my pocket and tuck it behind my back on the seat. It's not in plain sight as long as I'm in the seat, but obviously when I get out of the seat the pistol is visible. I prefer carrying it that way to stuffing it under the seat or in the console where it's not readily accessible. Am I running a risk of citation for failure to properly conceal my weapon in the event of a traffic stop?