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Well, I finally did it. I made the walk. I went to a hardware store and a restaurant. It was something new, but I'm getting used to the feeling of carrying. The whole time I was thinking about my gun printing too much. Anyone else had the same experience the first time? lol

I don't have my CHL yet. I live next door to my Inlaws and I've worn mine in my iwb holster around them and they've never noticed. I belive the first time I wear it in public I'll be very nervous and worried that I'll be printing.

I spent a lot of time at first worrying, checking, adjusting all the time. Once I got a good belt and holster rig the gun molds to my body tightly and I never worry about it.

After over a year of daily carrying my M&P9c (at 3:30 OWB) feels like my wallet, you sort of know it's there but you don't really think about it.

jvalle1911 wrote:Anyone else had the same experience the first time?

let me correct this for you
"Everyone has this problem the first time"

if you carry daily, every day you carry will get better, and after a few weeks, as long as you truly are 'dressing around your gun', this will totally disappear.
You can go from carrying subcompact, and worrying about printing, to compact and worry about printing, to full size and worry about printing, and then boom, carry any size you want, and you don't worry about printing any more.

I don't have my CHL yet either, but just sent in the paperwork in yesterday. I did get my kydex holster the other day and started wearing it around without the weapon of course. I wanted to get used to the size and feel of it in my waistband. I also started wearing around the house WITH my weapon to get used to the weight and everyday activities with it on me. My kids didn't even notice It was not totally concealed....just in my waistband not under a shirt or anything. I hope wearing my holster running around and with my weapon around the house I will get used to feel.

I don't worry about printing 'cuz it's not against the law and if I do print a little, so what, typically people aren't that observant anyway. Congrats!

Yeah, don't worry about printing. thats no big deal. What I still worry about is the ride up and catch. If your shirt is a bit too short and/or the grip on the gun too sticky then your shirt might catch on the gun or holster and get stuck there. A quick tug on the shirt will free it but its still something to be avoided by "dressing around the gun" as others have said.
There are just some shirts I can no longer wear at all if I'm carrying my g19, the ultra compact .32 I have goes with anything but its definitely now my hold out gun or last resort.

I was the same way worrying about printing even when carrying my little Taurus TCP. One day over last summer I decided to go get some chicken at a Williams by my house and decided to try carrying my full size Taurus 24/7 Pro DS under just a t-shirt. I felt like I had a big sign on my side, but nobody even noticed or looked. After that, I don't worry so much, and have come to the realization that most people just don't pay that much attention to the people around them.