Concealed carry rigs

[4t5]

I find it easier to draw a firearm from a crossdraw style holster than a strong side holster,find it easier reaching in a jacket, not having to brush it aside first. Am I the only one who feels this way?

[pokey]

nope, but it's usually easier to conceal strong side.

[rjohns94]

for open rigs while woods walking, I prefer cross-draw. For CCW, I carry small of back, IWB, strong side paddle, jeans pocket, coat pocket or anyother way that best conceals and protects but allows for bringing my weapon of choice to action against the bad guys. What ever you choose, practice drawing and firing until its second nature.

[Old Ironsights]

I do tuckable strong side, but I also like "Tanker Carry"... I have a 511 jacket with a breast-pocket/tanker draw pocket.

[Hillbilly]

I like cross draw...... but as I've aged it seems my arm shrunk and I can no longer reach across my middle to grasp a gun anymore.
~J

[Hobie]

I like cross draw...... but as I've aged it seems my arm shrunk and I can no longer reach across my middle to grasp a gun anymore.
~J

I guess that happens a lot. I noticed it was particularly bad after my bout with frozen shoulder syndrome. Now my shoulder moves but the arm as a whole seems shorter.

I like strong side carry. Most all my holsters put the pistol/revolver in the same place. The only other viable alternative seems to be pocket carry. Can you say 642?

[Doc Hudson]

Yes, crossdraw can be more comfortable. But it has drawbacks as well.

If you carry your pistol far enough back for good concealment with an unbuttoned jacket, it will be a danged long reach, especially if your belly is as big as mine.

The second and biggest disadvantage for crossdraw is that it is not as easy to make a quick pointed shot from cross draw. The tendency is to pull the shot right or left of the target. Drawing from stongside tends string shots more vertically which makes for a higher hit percentage.

And finally, a gun snatch is easier from the cross draw position than from the strongside.

But yeah, I like the cross draw, and when concealment is not a major concern I sometimes use a crossdraw holster. It is especially useful for long barreled six-guns.

[Doc Hudson]

for open rigs while woods walking, I prefer cross-draw. For CCW, I carry small of back, IWB, strong side paddle, jeans pocket, coat pocket or anyother way that best conceals and protects but allows for bringing my weapon of choice to action against the bad guys. What ever you choose, practice drawing and firing until its second nature.

Be careful of that S.O.B. carry position, I know a couple of guys who had to have back surgery on account of packing a six-gun in an S.O.B. holster.

One slipped on an icy sidewalk, and the other on a wet floor. Both fell flat on their backs and the cylinder really messed up their backs.

So be careful with you carry in the Small of the Back.

[marlinman93]

I'm not too fond of crossdarw rigs for concealed carry. Too easy to accidentally expose your firearm, which laeds to all sorts of problems, even with proper CCL. I use a small of the back pancake holster, which situates the gun horizontally with grip towards my strong side. Much easier to conceal, and never gets exposed until I want it to.

[rjohns94]

good point Doc. I know i have carried small of back less since my back surgery last Feb.

[RIHMFIRE]

strong side...hunter with belt clip, inside the waist band...tilted forward

[mescalero1]

All kinds of carry, but prefer the crossdraw.

[Sixgun]

I keep it simple---a 642 in my pocket

[mescalero1]

I wear my wranglers too tight to put anything but two keys in them

[alnitak]

Yes, crossdraw can be more comfortable. But it has drawbacks as well.

If you carry your pistol far enough back for good concealment with an unbuttoned jacket, it will be a danged long reach, especially if your belly is as big as mine.

The second and biggest disadvantage for crossdraw is that it is not as easy to make a quick pointed shot from cross draw. The tendency is to pull the shot right or left of the target. Drawing from stongside tends string shots more vertically which makes for a higher hit percentage.

And finally, a gun snatch is easier from the cross draw position than from the strongside.

But yeah, I like the cross draw, and when concealment is not a major concern I sometimes use a crossdraw holster. It is especially useful for long barreled six-guns.

Lastly, the arm is too easily pinned against the body by an attacker. With strong side, you can turn away and fend off while you draw.

On the plus side, it's very comfortable while sitting down (e.g., riding in a car), as opposed to 4:30, appendix or MOB ($OB got edited by the PC police...lol) carry.

[Rusty]

After way too many officers got killed wear cross draws I really have a mental block against them.
I carry strong side or a 640 in the right front pocket. It's also easier on the muscle memory.

[Griff]

strong side...hunter with belt clip, inside the waist band...tilted forward

Ditto, but, I still like crossdraw when concealment isn't an issue. Comfortable when seated, etc.

[Grizz]

I like cross draw...... but as I've aged it seems my arm shrunk and I can no longer reach across my middle to grasp a gun anymore.
~J

absolute ditto; is this related to the fact that airplane seats keep shrinking?

[Doc Hudson]

I like cross draw...... but as I've aged it seems my arm shrunk and I can no longer reach across my middle to grasp a gun anymore.
~J

absolute ditto; is this related to the fact that airplane seats keep shrinking?

Let's be honest Grizz.

It ain't just airplane seats that are shrinking. It has gotten so I don't much care for chairs with arms.

[Buffboy]

I carry my 1911 every day. I usually carry strong side in a pancake holster when not on duty. I haven't found a good IWB yet to try but I'll get there eventually. The key to strong side under a cover is to practice sweeping the cover out of the way on the draw. Practice, practice, practice.

I've got a small of back holster that is actually comfortable with my 1911. It's old and nobody makes the design anymore because of the injury problems with that form of carry. I'd hate to fall with it on though IMO it would be better than most. To be honest, I find it prints often as well. Bend over and straighten up, your cover hangs on the grip unless you're wearing a trench coat. Sitting isn't comfortable, it catches on chairs when you get up, the only time it really works well is if you're going to be standing all the time and don't even think about a draw from a car seat, that doesn't work. It also sweeps "me" in the draw and that's not a good thing. I've pretty much given up on the idea, looks cool in the movies/TV but it's not very real world practical.

I love open carry cross draw with my hunting handguns, it allows a longer barrel, comfortable seating, it clears a slinged/carried rifle and even works well drawing from under heavy clothing(thinking coveralls). It's just "in the way" a lot less in an open carry environment but it's not very fast. In a concealed situation it's slow and obvious that you are reaching for a weapon. It also muzzle sweeps too much for some range safety officers.

[jeepnik]

Yes, crossdraw can be more comfortable. But it has drawbacks as well.

If you carry your pistol far enough back for good concealment with an unbuttoned jacket, it will be a danged long reach, especially if your belly is as big as mine.

The second and biggest disadvantage for crossdraw is that it is not as easy to make a quick pointed shot from cross draw. The tendency is to pull the shot right or left of the target. Drawing from stongside tends string shots more vertically which makes for a higher hit percentage.

And finally, a gun snatch is easier from the cross draw position than from the strongside.

But yeah, I like the cross draw, and when concealment is not a major concern I sometimes use a crossdraw holster. It is especially useful for long barreled six-guns.

Actually, if you pivot with the off side toward the target, and more or less bring the pistol straight up, you won't have the tendancy to swing past your target.

The other really big advantage is drawing with the off hand. Just try to pull you fancy self defense piece with you off hand from an IWB carried about 4 or 5 o'clock. Then, you need really long arms.

[Leverdude]

Conceled I carry everything strong side.
Usually that means a little 380 IWB just behind my hip. I guess about 4:00 if my zippers 12:00.
Or it means a Beretta or S&W 39 in a pancake type holster in about the same place. I tried IWB holsters with the bigger guns & can abide the 39 but its not comfy for all day.

In the open I use a cross draw alot but either works for me.

[Doc Hudson]

Actually, if you pivot with the off side toward the target, and more or less bring the pistol straight up, you won't have the tendancy to swing past your target.

The other really big advantage is drawing with the off hand. Just try to pull you fancy self defense piece with you off hand from an IWB carried about 4 or 5 o'clock. Then, you need really long arms.

That will work, but if you ar packing a six-gun it brings up another problem.

You pivot back on your strongside foo, presenting a side on view toward your target. You draw your revolver from your crossdraw holster leveling the six-gun
pointing toward your approaching target about the time the cylinder gets into line with your shirt's buttons. When you fire that six-shooter, you are going to get your belly burned by cylinder/barrel gap flash.

[kimwcook]

Well, it's been covered pretty well. Neil covered it very well.

Like Neil, I carry every day. My primary is a full size 1911 and I carry it strong side in a Milt Sparks Bruce Nelson. Very comfortable for a heavy pistol all day. Carrying a gun for a living exposes one to all sorts of tools and carriers. I've got ankle holsters, vest holsters, shoulder holsters and a variety of inside and outside the pants holsters. I generally carry one way and that's strong side. To many stories of old LEO's changing their carry position just before a gun fight and getting killed because their subconcious muscle memory kept them reaching for a gun that wasn't there.

My first caveat to my strong side rule is I like cross draw for hunting and riding my horses. Pretty much strong side for everything else. Sometimes even riding my horses, depends on the piece I'm carrying (7.5" bbl.'s get banged around alot strong side).

Second caveat, carrying while seated in a car for long trips, surveillance, etc.. Try to present a full size 1911 while seated, especially while wearing a seat belt. It's a real cluster. I've found my ankle holster on my inside left ankle and/or a shoulder holster works best for me. The shoulder holster isn't a lot of fussing around and I've been able to make ready without a lot of furtive movement. The ankle holster isn't quite as easily accessible.

[2571]

I have carried a J frame in an ankle holster on the inside of my left ankle (I'm right handed) for 30 years.
'Cleanup' or vice cops prefer it because vice suspects palpate abdominal areas for guns an/or badge before offering to engage in illegal activity. Those are not love pats; she will probably not touch your ankle.

[Old Ironsights]

All of these jackets have breast-pocket/tanker-draw holsters built in. REALLY handy in the winter & for seated/auto carry.

http://www.511tactical.com/browse/Home/ ... 0300:10302

My favorite is the Tactical Fleece. The arms zip off to make it into a vest for longer wear across the year.

http://www.511tactical.com/browse/Home/ ... 02/I/48038

Admittedly, it's too warm for summer/Southern States but I've carried a G27 & 2 extra mags (or my SP101 & 4 speed strips) in it with no concealability issues at all.

What I do is carry Strong Side Tucked for most of the day, then transition to the jacket pocket in the restroom stall before leaving (reverse when arriving a work).

[Sixgun]

I wear my wranglers too tight to put anything but two keys in them

Is that because you want to show off the cucumber you have stashed in there? Come on!---its funny.

[kimwcook]

I wear my wranglers too tight to put anything but two keys in them

Is that because you want to show off the cucumber you have stashed in there? Come on!---its funny.

I thought it was s'posed to be a potato.

And that was funny, six.

[mescalero1]

The best I could manage would be a flat sided automatic in the back pocket, but that is not very secure.

[mescalero1]

Hobie is going to get you guys.

[JohndeFresno]

Yes, crossdraw can be more comfortable. But it has drawbacks as well.

If you carry your pistol far enough back for good concealment with an unbuttoned jacket, it will be a danged long reach, especially if your belly is as big as mine.

The second and biggest disadvantage for crossdraw is that it is not as easy to make a quick pointed shot from cross draw. The tendency is to pull the shot right or left of the target. Drawing from stongside tends string shots more vertically which makes for a higher hit percentage.

And finally, a gun snatch is easier from the cross draw position than from the strongside.

But yeah, I like the cross draw, and when concealment is not a major concern I sometimes use a crossdraw holster. It is especially useful for long barreled six-guns.

We probably all recall that the cross-draw was first popular with the mounted cavalry in the days when the soldiers still used sabers. This allowed them to wield their sword with their strong hand, and still draw and shoot their handgun with either hand. Beyond that use, and other than the fact that it perhaps looks "cool," it seems to me that the cross-draw is largely impractical.

Doc brings out a lot of valid points. In 38 plus years of law enforcement, I have used every kind of holster there is, except for the crotch draw! It really comes down to what you plan to use the weapon for; your physique; the weapon size and shape; and safety concerns.

When I was young and slim, a cross-draw was practical in certain applications. As I gained weight, I found that even a cross-draw shoulder holster was not easy to reach, let alone an old favorite, the Berns-Martin upside down holster. I believe it is called the "Lightning holster" these days. So here are some things to consider:
1) If you are "less than slim," you will have difficulty drawing across your body quickly, effectively and safely with any type of cross-draw, unless it is one of the hunter carry types that brings the pistol closer to the center of your chest.

2) Most police agencies won't allow a cross-draw for range qualification, since the gun makes a wide and dangerous arc as you draw and fire. And it is always, always slower and more difficult to produce a quick, aimed shot. That first shot frequently endangers bystanders, since the gun does not arc straight up in a vertical orientation.

3) If you are seated in a vehicle, there are times when a cross-draw is safer. The seat belt and back of the seat may both prevent you from drawing and firing defensively. For that reason, the California Highway patrol experimented with front opening Berns-Martin holsters, secured by a small snap-strap, and then the clamshell holsters that flew open via a spring mechanism that was activated when you stuck your finger against a stud where your finger slid through the trigger guard of the holstered weapon. That was found to be a miserable failure, because the seatbelt was on the outside of the holster, making it impossible to draw! On stakeouts in a vehicle, I sometimes found a belt-level cross-draw to be the most practical; or else I'd conceal the gun under something on the seat, my lap, or on a console. But there is the danger of forgetting where you have it, under the stress of explosive situations.

4) That back carry - it was popular with some narcotics officers due to its lack of side bulge when dealing with a suspect; but it's murder when riding in a car.

5) If sweeping away a coat presents a problem on a conventional high strong side hip draw, do what the FBI started doing - sew some shot in the bottom seam of your coat, or carry something (like clips or SKS reload cylinders) in the strong side coat pocket - to give it a little stability and aid in swinging it away quickly.

6) Unless one is short in stature or they have a pistol barrel exceeding 11 inches, a forward cant aids the draw of a longer revolver from the strong side. Otherwise, perhaps a cross-draw is in order, with the above provisos.

I knew a federal marshal who carried a cross-draw 2" .38 when he picked up prisoners. He explained that he always cuffed them and approached them with his strong side facing them, and that he wanted to be able to draw quickly when seated in the event that there was a problem. And, he told me, you can draw the gun out more easily with the off hand (his left) in case your other is disabled or trapped or held. Now, that made sense; he had it all thought out for his particular situation.

For me, on occasions when I carried a small snubbie, the pioneering upside-down "Berns-Martin shoulder holster" (as it was called at the time) was the best, most concealable holster available that would allow a lightning fast draw with its spring steel retention system. No doubt, that is why they named its successor the "Lightning." But when I got older, "ate better," and gained some ballast, it was impractical to make a quick draw from my left armpit.

I found that a better system was carrying a semi-auto in a stiff inside-the-waistband holster. The big Colt .45 ACP conceals well in this setup, because it is surprisingly flat. To keep the hammer from biting into my skin, I sewed a patch of stiff elkhide just above the clip that extended above the hammer (against my skin). Adding a large round key-back mechanism on my belt covered the sight of the clip that held the holster on my side, and I could drape a shirt around the keyback. The draw was not as quick as some - you had to yank up the shirt - but I wore this for years with just a heavy t-shirt in the hot summer San Joaquin valley sun. The gun was never spotted; any slight bulge in my side (even after I gained weight) was attributed to the bulky looking key-back device with its various attached keys.

I have never shared this little trick before, since I used it daily and figured that it would be used by so many cops that the secret would soon be gone - like the fanny pack worn on the belly that soon became quite obvious and has exposed so many undercover and off-duty cops.

As a parting anecdote about the uselessness of fanny-pack holsters, I purchased and carried one of those for about four days. Although the department I was working with issued these, I purchased a custom made model so that it wouldn't look like it was purchased from the Bauer's Police catalog. That did no good. I walked into a liquor store to get a coke, all grungy and low-profile, with another investigator who was also sporting one, but it was a different looking setup. As we walked through the doorway(!), a wise-cracking teenager smiled and greeted us with, "Good morning, officers!"

I gave my fanny pack away at the end of that week, with a caution to the recipient officer of another agency that he should just use if for off-duty; I didn't want to be responsible for him getting tagged, figuratively or literally. And, anyway, we had to qualify with it. Try drawing, firing, and then running to the next station while your open fanny pack is flapping wildly and repeatedly against your crotch area. If you put your clips in it, you make a very painful discovery, quite quickly!

[Ysabel Kid]

Small of the back for general carry and concealability; cross draw for comfort, especially while seated.

[mklwhite]

I like the crossdraw in a non CC way. Haven't tried it CC. The way I use to wear mine I could draw almost equally fast with either hand. I thought that would be handy if a hand/arm of out of the action at the moment of need.

[Grizz]

I like the crossdraw in a non CC way. Haven't tried it CC. The way I use to wear mine I could draw almost equally fast with either hand. I thought that would be handy if a hand/arm of out of the action at the moment of need.

that's exactly why I carry my anti-bear revolver crossdraw when I'm in the bear woods. I can get it with whichever arm isn't vice-gripped in the bear's jaws. I hope...,