Over the last few weeks, I have done my fair share of traveling across the country doing various events and seeing friends who shoot. Throughout my travels over the years, I have met a ton of people who have been great but if I’m honest, there are some similarities between people in our community. Let’s take a closer look at the different personality types of carrying concealed.
The Old Boomer With His Vest
One of my personal favorites when it comes to shooters are the older guys with fishing vests carrying their trusty 1911. The poor tactical vest boomer gets so much bad publicity in the community but these guys are some of the best shooters when it comes to shot placement. They typically are in the wild with some kind of full-size 1911, metal-framed Smith & Wesson or older generation Glock variant. Everyone likes to make fun of the older guys because they are typically old school, but don’t underestimate their shooting abilities.
Even with aging eyes and smelling like arthritis cream, most of these guys will show up most younger shooters. As far as current carry trends, the older crowd has no interest in the high-speed appendix carry but would rather stick to their trusty leather holster. These guys are almost immediately dismissed by younger shooters as senile grandpas that yell at the clouds. I think we need to appreciate our elders and the older generations that really paved the way for shooters today. Don’t be so hard on the boomers, they are some of the better shooters in the community.
The Tacticool Kids
Now if I’m being honest, these guys are typically the guys I shoot with most. Usually, it’s a 50/50 shot if these guys are good shooters. Some really put the work into their carry guns designing them exactly how they want while others put all their money and energy into their guns and gear instead of training which isn’t a great combination. These types of guys are always on the cutting edge when it comes to carrying concealed. They often have new types of holsters and are trying out various carry styles to see what’s best for them. Oftentimes, you’ll see these guys carrying $2,000 Glocks or even high-end 2011 pistols to be different.
Depending on the person, they are either incredible shooters or they can’t really shoot but love being a part of the gun community. Despite some of these guys not having much shooting ability, I can always appreciate their enthusiasm for carrying concealed and the gun community in general. These types of carriers tend to mature over time and end up being great shooters with some work. Some will burn themselves out and find other hobbies whether that’s overlanding or other sports. Overall I enjoy this group of guys and they are always a hoot to talk guns with at a minimum.
The Sleeper
The sleepers are some of the sneakiest people in the gun community. These guys are the true grey men of the gun community. Age isn’t really a factor because they can be any age and still carry a concealed firearm without even telling their friends. I’ve seen older gentlemen carry a small 22 caliber revolver. These can be the guys who casually show up to the range with an AXG classic or done up Glock 19 claiming they don’t shoot much but cleaning every shooting stage.
I ran into one of these guys a few weeks ago and just ended up laughing because he was so humble and soft-spoken. There are plenty of guys who just enjoy shooting and carrying but never talk about it with friends or other shooters. They go along with their life and guns are just one of many interests to them. Sleepers are independent and just normal guys who will typically have a number of hobbies outside of shooting so they are good guys to have as general friends in addition to shooting buddies.
I Conceal Carry But … Guy
I know a few of the “I carry but” guys around my area. Some of my coworkers have their carry permit but somehow have an excuse to not carry at all or they carry under real rare circumstances. This person is really similar to the “I support the 2nd Amendment but” guy but usually owns a few guns and carries on occasion. One of my coworkers was extremely excited to get their carry permit just to carry on their property while they hunt.
Both people who are like this that I personally know both carry a SIG P365 which is interesting to me.
These people may be an easy target to pick on or make fun of but they mean well. The best thing to do for these people is to take them with you when you go on range trips to encourage them more. Sometimes it just takes a little encouraging them to get more comfortable carrying concealed on a regular basis. Overall these are good people but they oftentimes need more training and help at the range so give them a hand.
The Open Carrying Guy
The open carry crowd is the bane of my existence. The most puzzling ones that decide to open carry are the ones who live in permitless carry states. These guys actively decide every day to expose their firearms instead of carrying them concealed. Most times, open carriers will carry obscure older milsurp firearms in cloth holsters to be edgy or different. If you see these eccentric personalities in public, it’s best to avoid them entirely.
Making fun is also approved by me since they oftentimes open carry for attention so you’re ultimately giving them what they want only it’s negative attention. If you want to carry a firearm, I would highly suggest carrying concealed for a number of reasons but whatever you’d decide on, I just hope you’re not one of these people. They are the main source of cancer and horrible deformities in the world. Avoid them at all costs.
Overall Thoughts
I thoroughly enjoy talking with different people from various walks of life. It’s always good to chat with like-minded people who enjoy shooting but don’t have the same perspective as you. Looking at your beliefs and chatting with other people not only make you a more well-rounded person but also gives you new perspectives to grow and evolve from. Most gun guys are great to chat with and it’s always fun training with different people but there will also be some who take the fun out of it. The key is to stick with people who want to make each other better and build off that. There are people out there for everyone and it’s important to just get out there and talk with people even if they are different from you.
What are some of your favorite personalities I didn’t mention in the article above? Let me know down in the comments below. If there are enough suggestions from you guys, I may do a follow-up article talking about other shooters I didn’t mention here. If you have questions about training or firearms in general, don’t hesitate to reach out on my Instagram @fridgeoperator. Stay safe out there!
TFB’s Concealed Carry Corner is brought to you by GLOCK
