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by Middle Age Russ
Thu Jun 20, 2019 9:40 am
Forum: New to CHL?
Topic: New to Concealed Carry, have a few questions
Replies: 44
Views: 64607

Re: New to Concealed Carry, have a few questions

I dont know if I ever muster the courage to carry chambered tbh. Right now I carry off body because of work attire constraints (tucked in business casual). Definitely need a lot of practice.
If a gun is in its holster, there is so little chance of a discharge that it should pose no concern at all. The only concerns are the acts of holstering or drawing the firearm from the holster, and these can be mitigated by training, attention, process (whether you put the holster on and then the gun in the holster, or whether you holster the gun first then put the combination on) and, as some have suggested, mechanical safeties. I prefer no extra mechanical safety on the defensive firearm myself, but I understand why others have a different preference.

Carrying while in business casual attire is fairly easy -- as long as your shirts are not too fitted around the waist and your pants leave room for the gun/holster around the waist. Several companies make tuckable holsters to fit this need -- CompTac has a few, Crossbreed SuperTuck, Galco King Tuk, etc...


Training and practice are always a good idea for everyone.
by Middle Age Russ
Wed Jun 19, 2019 10:14 am
Forum: New to CHL?
Topic: New to Concealed Carry, have a few questions
Replies: 44
Views: 64607

Re: New to Concealed Carry, have a few questions

OP, welcome to Polite Society.

As others have said, there are many common themes regarding concealed carry. Carrying a defensive tool is meant to be comforting to the carrier, not necessarily comfortable. Your level of comfort is dependent on several factors, including a good (gun)belt, a holster that keeps the gun situated in a manner you can access it easily and clothes that allow for your chosen belt/holster to work with them.

Regarding the Belt, many have made comments and recommendations. A good gunbelt spreads the weight of the gun over a wider area around your hips and keeps the holster more stable. Beltman and AG Gunleather, among others, produce quality leather gunbelts. The Wilderness 5-stitch Instructor belt, or similar belts by 5.11 and others provide similar support using Nylon webbing.

There are many makers of fine holsters these days -- something that couldn't be said not that may years ago. For general everyday inside the waistband comfort and concealment, I settled on a hybrid holster (leather and Kydex) -- the Comp-Tac Minotaur MTAC -- years ago, and it serves me well to this day. More recently, I purchased a StealthGear holster for a different gun that has a composite material rather than leather as the backer. It still remains somewhat flexible but rigid enough to consistently allow for holstering without concern. Most folks will recommend all Kydex holsters since they do not flex at all for safety reasons. I can't argue this point, and that is why it inspect my holsters regularly to ensure that if there are potential safety issues cropping up I know about them and can take action of mitigate them.

Most folks who chose to carry concealed settle pretty early on belt/holster combos and then dress around them. If you chose an inside the waistband holster, you'll need to consistently have pants that allow for a holster inside without constricting too much. If you carry outside the waistband, you'll need shirts with plenty of tail to ensure concealment. In any case, you'll need pants with beltloops to support the wearing of the gunbelt.

Where about your waist you choose to carry is a very personal thing and your holster choice will somewhat follow. Different body types and weights will have different places that the gun tucks into more easily. AIWB holsters will be more upright or vertical (bore/slide) than will holsters carried to your side. As I said before, a large number of manufacturers are making a variety of different, quality holsters these days, including holsters with level II or level III retention mechanisms (predominantly for those who wish to open-carry.

Regardless of your choices in gun, holster, belt, clothing and where to carrry, safety should always be paramount. The first rule of firearms safety is to ALWAYS keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. Toward any body part is NEVER a safe direction. So, holstering should always be done with care that you don't direct the muzzle of the gun toward any body parts during the re-holster. I love the statement "nobody ever won a gunfight by being the first one with their gun back in their holster". AIWB requires particular care when re-holstering since things like the femoral artery are right there and we certainly don't want to be poking holes in that. Most folks will need to pull their strong-side leg back when re-holstering AIWB to avoid this very thing. I practice holstering and drawing with an empty gun (or with snap-caps) in front of a mirror, paying particular attention to where the muzzle is oriented so that I engrain habits that will not be unsafe. Additionally, where possible, I holster the gun, then put the holster(with gun) on.

When holstering, the other thing to be careful about is the bang-switch. As the gun travels down into the holster, anything getting in the way of that travel -- clothing, accessory, holster flap, etc... -- could actuate the trigger, causing a very loud noise (and potentially a lot of other undesirable consequences depending on how well you follow Rule #1). Ensure that your clothing is out of the way and that the holster is in good repair, and, when possible, visually observe the area as you are re-holstering.

Good luck and stay safe.

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