Posted on 08/05/2008 4:14:56 AM PDT by Pistolshot
Free Republic Gun Club Concealed Means Concealed
You finally have your CCW permit. Now what?
Youve qualified, shot the course of fire, did all the paperwork, made the conscious decision to protect yourself. Now what? Holsters.
The one mistake I see novice CCW permit holders make is the hand-check. They consciously keep reaching for where the gun is in its holster. Its a dead giveaway. I have more than once walked up to a permit holder and ask them why they keep checking to see if the gun is still there. If its in a secure holster and youve done the job of checking the mirror that, yes, it is concealed.
LEAVE IT ALONE.
Concealed mean the ability to hide a weapon where it can be reached and employed in the quickest manner possible. THAT NO ONE ELSE KNOWS IS THERE..
Deep concealment is for law enforcement, so lets dispense with the ankle holsters, waist band, bra, garter, and other deep concealment holsters. They are S L O W. Slow to access and slow if you need it right now.
For anyone who has a CCW permit, youve had to make a lot of choices. What kind of gun to carry, caliber, and especially, how to carry it and still have it quickly accessible. What I am going to talk about today are holsters. The one item you can never have too many for carry.
We all have our favorites or the ones we rely on for almost every day usage. But there is a difference between carrying in cooler northern environments and the hot desert of the Southwest, between the jeans and a shirt and a suit or in the case of women, dresses, skirts, and blouses. The environment alone will determine what you carry as well as how. For most guys a good strong side holster inside the waist will be sufficient such as the Summer Special
or the Milt Sparks Executive Companion
My favorite for autos is the Biachi Pistol Pocket.
The PP covers just about everything I need in a good IWB holster and has one feature that has me sold on it for all my autos. The buckle has a swivel to change the cant of the holster. It can be shifted to crossdraw or deep behind the hip. It has a nice thumbsnap to help with keeping the weapon secure at any angle or even a tumble if you fall.
Ok, so these are a little more pricey that youd like to spend on a IWB holster. Well, Galco has this little number.
It covers the tire weapon and is secure.
What about revolvers?
Also from Galco.
But a word of caution on IWB for revolvers. The cylinder is going to poke and rub against you. It will be uncomfortable. For revolvers I suggest a high rise thumbsnap such as the Bianchi Black widow.
Now, I didnt forget the ladies. Galco has a couple of holster purses that work well with almost any size firearm.
These are not the only modes of carry. There are crossdraw, shoulder, ankle, small of the back or pocket holsters depending on what you want to carry. The crossdraw has you reaching across your body, similarly the shoulder rig does the same. Both modes are secure, but both have extreme drawbacks. If you are wider around the middle, or especially endowed on top, a shoulder rig or the crossdraw may not be your best choice.
Pocket holsters are great for the mouse guns or something along the Kahr/Kel-Tec lines, but for anything bigger, a proper holster should be employed.
Small of the back holster are nice IF you are not driving. Something about even a small pistol sticking you in the back while driving down the highway doesnt sound too appealing. Fanny packs are out there, but a word of caution. Most law-enforcement officers pick them out quickly and a LOT of the criminal element take a fanny pack as a challenge.
These are not the only choices you have in a holster, just the ones I would recommend. You can find holsters almost anyplace, garage sales, flea-markets, and especially gunshows. I, personally have about 100 different types of holsters. Some work well ..others .well .they make good examples of what not to wear.
What do you like to use? Remember this is for concealment.
Enjoy
JOIN THE FR GUN CLUB PING LIST HERE!!!
Fanny packs are great for outdoor activities like canoeing, biking, etc.
That was a fun read ... instructive, too.
Whooo Hoooo !
A convert !.........:o)
“...Wow...talking about a subject virtually guaranteed to start a “religious” war!...”
and
“Before everybody digresses into pettiness about holster and handgun choice...”
This is very, very easy to avoid....Just assume that I’m right, and we can all move on from there! HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!
(I crack myself up...I really do...)
“...Fanny packs are great for outdoor activities like canoeing, biking, etc.
If that’s your methodology, go for it! As long as you can get to it when you need it, that’s all that matters.
I personally don’t like them. When outdooring-it, I’ll opt for the pocket carry. Do lots of outdoor activities, and I’ve found that pocket carry doesn’t impede anything.
Plus, it doesn’t advertise that I’m armed. But that’s just my preference.
“Mark Moritz’ rules of gunfighting”
Great post HH. Thanks!!!
The Halemeister
No $hit...
I agree.....I’m right every time !.............Who is I’m Right ?
New Eco Friendly Glock 31 came in to my gunrunner this PM ! It’s Olive Drab OD so bunny huggers will approve ! Headed to the range tomorrow afternoon after my dentist appointment !
300 rounds of blazer CCI 125gr and 158gr 357SIG range ammo to test function and 200 rounds of 125gr Gold Dot to play and zero with. I was gonna get a pink glock like Eakers but he gets really bitchy if someone wears same color to the range as he does........
My dad was a cop and I bought that for him to carry his Colt Detective Special back in about ‘77. Nice rig. Hell, I wasn’t really a shooter yet but I knew that was the cool rig for a guy in a suit and Raybans.
I have a small fanny pack into which goes my unloaded Sig Sauer P230. 1 loaded magazine goes into my front left pocket, and one in my back left pocket.
After lots of practice I can have the weapon out of the fanny pack, loaded, and brought to bear on a target in less than 3 seconds.
Is it ideal? Nope.
Does it comply with the letter of the laws of my State which say: "Unloaded and completely enclosed in a case."
Yep.
Is it better than a pointy stick, pepper spray, or harsh language?
You betcha.
So until IL is dragged kicking and screaming into compliance with Heller, it's what I'll do. And I'll keep my damned mouth shut about it, too.
L
The only time I use it is when I'm biking or canoing. The other times, the Springfield is in a IWB Galco Royal Guard under a tshirt or Hawaiian shirt. The belt is by The Wilderness and the spare magazine pouch is made by Bianci when they were still under their own brand name.
Gee...YOU get to go shoot...I get to go to work to pay bills....
Something just doesn’t seem right there.....
Hey yer talking to a person that carries chamber empty magazine full cavalry / mexican style !
I have been packing a Glock 20 in 10MM that way for a few years now and just picked up a G31 as stated above. Going to hit the range and test it on some car bodies to see if penetration is a problem. Still the elusive 88 magnum that shoots through schools is sought as well !
All in a days work !.........Stay safe !
I am out for the night ya’ll !
“...a less than two seconds draw...”
That’s pretty damned fast...I like it.
Like the carry piece too. Your profile page is excellent.
I wear Union Bay cargo shorts/BDU shorts most of the summer - they are baggy enough not to print, and they hold the Smith nicely.
Whatever works best for ya!
I guess ya don’t want to know how much of your tax dollars I spend every day on goobermint ranges do ya ...........:o)
But tomorrow’s range time is on my dime ! As stated Dentist in the AM and PM shoot and scoot later !
Stay safe !!!........Nite !
Hitting literally anything will cause a bullet to fly in any which direction. I've seen .50 cal bullets tumble after striking twigs you could snap between two fingers.
So if you're shooting at a vehicle with bad guys in it, the old maxim "when in doubt, empty the magazine' is good advice.
Have a good one my friend.
L
Ha! Enjoy!!!
Better yet - Skip the dentist and go straight to the range!!!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.