It has been interesting to say the least, hopefully this will give some insight the the other cherries and anyone on the line about applying in Orange County.
The application process was a breeze, 6 weeks total no stress or pressure. Everyone was supportive and helpful down at PSD. Go apply for your permit! Even if just to talk to Melissa, yes shes that nice.
So far only 2 people have made me, the girlfriend when i got a hug and the mom when we went out to lunch (moms really do know everything, very creepy). I told her the food tastes better and the service is more prompt when carrying.
Before i received my permit i carried concealed at work all the time, so i have something of an idea of what works and what doesnt. And im somewhat past the stage of thinking everyone can see it print. But every so often someone will stare at me in what i perceive to be an other then normal manner. But so far I just chalk it up to my rugged good looks
, and no LEO has come to speak with me after the fact.
As to my build im 5ft 8in at 175lb, stocky build, no gut, broad shoulders. Which makes me lucky as the V shape to my torso allows me to hide it better. My buddy is built like a tree and cant even hide a glock 27 on his hip without it printing.
as far as dress goes, regular fitting jeans. day one was a button up shirt and day two was just a regular long sleeve dark shirt.
So far I have only carried my USP compact .45acp with an extra mag. The gun is in a comp-tac, CTAC holster and the extra mag is in a wilderness tactical horizontal mag pouch.
The handgun is about about 8:30-8:45 (im wrong handed), the pouch is at about 3:30-4:00. The CTAC was chosen because of availability, time and the ability to adjust. All of this is supported by a 1.5in wide wilderness instructor belt with the plastic inserts, I have another wilderness belt without the inserts and they make a HUGE difference in supporting the firearm and keeping it in place while moving, bending, etc. The wilderness belt is great because of the adjustability, no notches just the friction lock. I highly suggest this belt with the inserts.
Cinching the belt on the snug side seems to pull the gun closer to the body and helps keep that grip inward.
It is a bit uncomfortable to drive at times since my truck has bucket seats but i deal with it. I have so far driven for over 1hr like this and it digs in a bit but dosent really bother me so far, no bruising or soreness.
Hey I get to legally carry a gun in CA (a nation unto itself) Ill deal with some discomfort.
Another thing to get done is have my front windows tinted slightly, I had to adjust the holster and mag while in the car and this could prove problematic.
Getting in and out of the truck is different, the butt of the gun will snag on the seats if im not cautious. Also when sitting down i am sure to have the gun side facing the wall if possible. I normally have good posture but i must remind myself not to lean forward too far when eating or talking to someone or it starts to print, it still only looks like a larger cell phone or PDA, but I would rather it not show at all.
The mag pouch is right over the pocket where i keep my wallet. It dosent show when taking the wallet out but i may still move it. However on the hip at 3:00 it prints heavily and when walking past things such as chairs and shelving it can and does snag.
After hanging out with the girlfriend for a day i think im doing well so far, she often forgets im carrying and gets that shocked/rolled eyes look when she puts her arm around me. So if she doesn't see it in such close proximity then 99% of the people out there wont either.
Couple things i keep in the back of my mind, when walking around, relax act as if the gun isn't there (to a certain degree), if you keep checking on it or pulling on your shirt it makes you stand out more then if you're just walking around. I people watch alot at school and i notice people more if they keeping looking at their watch/phone or check to see if their back pack is still there all the time. People naturally look at faces not waist lines, when someone is looking at you they are probably just giving you a glancing look or trying to ID you and thus focusing on your head so try not to draw attention to you waistline.
Also on the other end of the spectrum, remember you are still carrying a gun. I almost forgot this today and started to stretch at the book store, the gun would have defiantly shown had i not remembered in time.
One thing that i thought of that didn't even crossed my mind until it happened. Some restrooms have signs that say monitored by cameras (krikorian theater in buena park for example).
Now i doubt they are in the stalls. But when i went to use the rest room at the book store and put everything back in its place i washed my hands and checked myself in the mirror. I had to stop myself from grabbing things through the shirt to adjust, just in case someone was watching. I was not going to lift the shirt but still it looks like you may have put something under there while in the stall and authorities may be called in on a shop lifter. But it may all be paranoia on my part.
So far its been great, only problem is that i have to stop by work on the way to school and leave it in the safe as there is a definite no weapons policy and it would be a shame for me to be expelled my senior year and not finish my degree. However I swear if theres a school shooting and i am injured a lawsuit is coming, may it never come to that though.
I have also bought a 5.11 holster shirt to wear while jogging. Ill see how that works out.