My wife ran into an old friend. She offered up a half hug to me with her left hand. Which meant I offered my right and leaned in for the hug right side first. Upon retracting damn if she didn't drag her hand across my everyday carry. She didn't react in any way and we continued on with the conversation. How do you handle the hug?

Sometimes, there's not much one can do. Happens to me most often at church. I try to position myself as best I can if I "see the hug coming first," but sometimes my fellow church-folk will still sneak one in on me ha-ha. I've had only person even comment when they recognized what they'd just felt.

It depends...male or female? In either case to avoid embarrassment I make sure my zipper is up.

We just attended a family funeral with about 200 people in attendance. I swear everyone one of them wanted a hug. I'm not a hugger as a general rule. If one of them sensed I was carrying, none of them mentioned it. I saw no look of shock (or awe) on their faces. And probably 199 of them knew my background and that I'm always carrying, especially in the crap hole valley of the damned (metro Phoenix).

Most people wouldn't know what they just felt. Phone? Colostomy bag? Diabetes pump?

Look right into their eyes as they extend their arms and whisper "I want you!"


I have so much crap on my belt(TDI knife, spare mag, mini mag lite, glove pouch and gun) and really don't care if they ask questions. But YMMV.

Since it is usually a shorter woman you are dealing with, go low with your arms so she has to go high around your neck.

As a rule I don't hug people. Frankly, I don't like to be touched unless it's my wife. If a friend wants to be physical they get a one arm ninety degree hug with my left arm.

That said, anyone who thinks they know me well enough to warrant a hug also knows I have a P229 under my shirt.

One advantage of appendix carry, fewer people touch around your crotch.

Yup, try to get your arms low first.

quote:

That said, anyone who thinks they know me well enough to warrant a hug also knows I have a P229 under my shirt.

Yeah best answer here. As a child I recall getting hugged by old relatives. Was not something I looked forward to.

With a swift palm strike to the sternum

I'll assume a conventionally belt-holstered gun here. If it looks inevitable that you're going to get hugged, be pro-active about it and hold your arms out at the level of the hugger's waist. That forces him or her to wrap their arms around you at shoulder level away from the gun.

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:
I'll assume a conventionally belt-holstered gun here. If it looks inevitable that you're going to get hugged, be pro-active about it and hold your arms out at the level of the hugger's waist. That forces him or her to wrap their arms around you at shoulder level away from the gun.

Yep, this is what I do. Started doing it after one of my wife's friends surprised me with a midriff hug before leaving one visit. I'm 6' and she's about 4'9". My carry pistol wedged up in her armpit pretty good and she looked at me funny but didn't say anything. Now I lean over with both arms low, or if I see it coming far enough away to pre-empt with a handshake or a wave, I do so.

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Link to original video: https://youtu.be/Q0_0aeIO2Sk [/FLASH_VIDEO]

quote:

Originally posted by Voshterkoff:
One advantage of appendix carry, fewer people touch around your crotch.

Same with www.smartcarry.com

I just hug them. Don't do anything different.
Sure, people have got a feel of it, never had anyone say anything.

quote:

That said, anyone who thinks they know me well enough to warrant a hug also knows I have a P229 under my shirt.

Sounds like me back in the mirror sun glasses days. Girl would say I don't like those glasses I can't tell where you're looking. I say if you know me that well you know where I'm looking.

As others have said, I try to get my arms low, so the "hugger's" arms go high.

Last year, though, my mom was visiting, sitting in a chair, and she just reached out and gave me a random pat (as moms do) on my lower back and her hand landed square on the grip of an FNX-9 under my shirt. I think she "knows" I carry, but didn't "know" until that moment. She looked surprised, didn't say anything, and that was it.

I also carry a multi-tool at my 4:00, so usually can "explain" something lumpy and hard there just by showing it.

No one likes me well enough to hug me except the wife...problem solved!

I hug the person, anyone who knows me well enough to want to hug me will know I'm armed.

quote:

Originally posted by FenderBender:
I hug the person, anyone who knows me well enough to want to hug me will know I'm armed.

This... anybody that is hugging me knows that I am armed.