New to Concealed Carry, have a few questions

[TheSoundGrip]

Passed my class today, getting the fingerprints done tomorrow and submitting my application once I get home from Identogo. Hopefully I won't be sitting in the waiting room too long.

I have been concealed carrying around the house since I purchased my G19 in October after I turned 21 and have been trying to decide what position I will be carrying once I have my LTC. I've noticed I've moved my holster around a few times trying to decide where I feel most comfortable; from SOB, to 3 o'clock and now back and forth between 3 o'clock and appendix. My question is how did y'all decide where to carry and make the determination of what was most comfortable? I have always been told you'll never be comfortable carrying a firearm in any position at first, but was curious how long it took y'all to decide if that was the 'right' spot for the job or not. My current setup is a G19 with a CYA gun-molded IWB holster and a Blackhawk universal double stack mag holster that I flip belt clip out to carry my mag close to my body. May move to something like a T-Rex Arms or something if I decide to carry appendix.

Also, I know it's pretty much pointless to carry without a round in the chamber (IMO-its a paperweight if you need it quickly and ready), but for some reason I have some anxiety that I could accidentally shoot myself or discharge while holstering if something catches my trigger like my shirt or something on the holster without realizing it is in the way. I will occasionally carry a round in the chamber, but it's normally when I am carrying 3'o clock IWB or in my OWB holster and while at the range. Anyone else have this anxiety at first? How'd you overcome it? I am confident in my own gun safety practice while carrying and do exercise caution while holstering, but it's kinda just the thought that I've got something that fires a projectile at around 1500 ft./s pointing towards my body that I am just not used to yet...especially when I'm carrying appendix with a firearm pointed at my...appendages. Any advice?

Thanks

[C-dub]

Welcome to The Forum!

I think the rest of us did just what you're doing to figure out what position we like to carry in. Trial and error. Oh look a new different holster. More trial and error.

Round in the chamber: I think it took me about a week of carrying around the house before my license even arrived to determine there was no other way than having one in the chamber is what was best for me.

As far as a holster goes and your concern of where the muzzle is pointed just ensure the holster covers the trigger guard and it is a rigid holster, not a soft fabric.

[Daddio-on-patio]

Welcome aboard.
One thing that I do to get comfortable with new equipment is to load snap caps. Then I practiced securing and removing my holster in different positions. While doing so I would also practice drawing from the holster in the various positions. As always I treated the firearm as if it were loaded. This gave me a margin of safety if for some reason the equipment was out of position.

Be safe, always, and I hope your wait is short

[crazy2medic]

I carry openly most of the time, mostly because it's more comfortable and the shirt helps keep the safety from poking me in the side, I'm left handed so gun is at my 9:00 position. I carry a full size 1911 with double stack mags, I found that a really good gun belt is the key to carrying comfortable, it needs to be a gun belt! Mine is 1 3/4" wide, this keeps the gun tucked right to my side, I have a single mag and holder on the opposite side with 14rd reload. Comfort is relative, can be a combination of things, position, gun belt, even the pants can make a difference I wear wrangle jeans because of the position of the belt loops, try different combinations see what works for you! Good luck, stay vigilant, welcome to the forum!

[flowrie]

Purchase a really good, stiff gun belt. A belt is the foundation that will carry the weight. I went through several holsters but the best purchase I made was a good gun belt. I have a black and a brown leather belt.
https://www.thebeltman.net/
There are other belt manufacturers, just get a good belt.

[flechero]

To get comfortable carrying, and caring a round in the chamber I would suggest that you invest in a defensive pistol class (or several) and go have a day of fun and training! I can’t speak for others but the classes for me were incredibly helpful from a proficiency standpoint but they were more fun than I could have ever imagined!

You will quickly develop a comfort with drawing and shooting, holstering, as well as caring around in the chamber safely and confidently.

For people just starting out I would suggest you start carrying at 3 o’clock or just a hair rearward… That is a great starting point and a good place to be at your first training classes. Once you get some experience you can better decide if you should carry there or shift your holster position a little forward or back.

[chasfm11]

When I got my then CHL, I wasn't going to carry every day. I only wanted it because I wanted to be able to take a pistol along in our RV when we traveled. I knew that if I wanted to carry at all, i would need a holster and picked one that seemed popular with others, figuring that I would learn to iive with it - and I did. Everyone feels the newness of having a gun on your hip when you first start and it was worse then because the consequences of inadequate concealment could be worse. You are missing out on the "Wally Walk" where we went to Wal-Mart, went through a list of specific activities designed to expose the gun if you weren't paying attention and celebrated success if the cops didn't get called. The biggest thing that get me comfortable with the 3 oclock position was dryfire practice at home.

What made me nervous about carrying a round in the chamber was the seeming constant disarming. It felt like every time I turned around, I was having to go to a school or a posted building. Again, things were a bit different then and I kept towels near my seat, parking my car away from everyone to take the gun out and put it back into the holster, often doing it blind. I like being able to watch the gun into the holster even now. But now I don't have the same needs and go weeks and maybe months without encountering a gun-free zone. Yesterday, I went to a new location for a business that has been posted in the past and it had no signs. That sure makes life easier, especially since I was carrying my Glock 30 with the light trigger. My decision to not do business with places that post makes it easier, too.

[montgomery]

Comfortable has nothing to do with carrying a firearm. I have been carrying all day every day for over 30 years. Comfortable has never been part of the equation.

Carry position depends on your physical activities, physical condition, what you are carrying, where you are carrying, and what you are wearing.

Guiding principle is you need to carry in a position that allows you to defeat cover garment and draw in under one second in a position that allows you to draw with support hand in the event your primary hand is out of the fight.

I have 3 carry positions that satisfy this guiding principle - the one I choose on any given day depends on where I am going, what I am doing, and what I am wearing given the activity, location, and weather.

Avoid carrying off body in public ... hope this helps.

Stay safe, be dangerous.

[RoyGBiv]

Where to carry on your beltline is really an individual preference. A person with narrow shoulders and a big belly, for example, may get better/worse concealment/comfort carrying in position-XX than a person with broad shoulders and a narrow waist.

Your choice may be further influenced by what you'll be doing while carrying. Driving? Sitting at a desk all day? Working at a job with a lot of walking, lifting, physical activity?

The most common carry positions are the most common for good reason, and you'll find good choices of equipment (holsters, belts, mag carriers, etc) to support them. Strong side behind the hip, strong side on/forward of the hip are probably the most popular, for good reason. Appendix carry has its pros and cons (I carry appendix. Always have.)... I'm not a fan of SoB for the risk of spine injury, but I'm sure lots of folk here would say I'm worrying about nothing and they SoB carry all the time. it's all about finding what works best for you, and it may take trying several different things before you find your own sweet spot.

My recommendation is to start with a good purpose-made gun belt. Any position you try out will be improved greatly with a good belt. Trying to carry behind the hip, for example, is a completely different experience with a good belt, vs a standard belt from your closet. Again, belt choice depends on your lifestyle. You may need a leather gun belt for work and choose a more casual nylon platform for weekends. There are lots of good choices, you can search this forum for recommendations.

Carrying with a round in the chamber is recommended, but, it's completely rational to carry with an empty chamber for a while, until you get comfortable with carrying, find the right way to carry for your own needs, and settle on the right gear. Also, once your gear choices are made, you can work on mindset. Focusing on s...l...o...w... re-holstering will build confidence that you're not going to shoot yourself.

Overall, you're asking the right questions. We all have a drawer full of holsters we don't use, because we all went through the process of figuring out what works best for each of us.... If you want to mention your location, you may get some volunteers willing to loan you some of their gear to try out. The G19 is pretty common (I carry one) and there's sure to be lots of gear sitting around for it.

Welcome to the forum!

[Jusme]

Welcome to the forum

As you can tell by the answers, so far, you are dealing with the exact issues as everyone else, when they first start carrying.

As far as position, it will depend on several factors, ease of deployment, comfort, clothing choice, whether you spend more time seated, or standing, etc. Practice your draw, from each position, and see which one feels the most natural, requires the least amount extra motions, and allows the quickest target aquisition. Practice wearing different clothes, such as lightweight summer clothes, to heavier winter coats and jackets. You may decide to change positions with the change of seasons.
As others have said, there is no perfect for everyone, holster, or carry method, it will be a matter of trial and error, most members here, have several holsters, stuck in a drawer that after trying for a while, didn't do the job.
Becoming comfortable with a loaded chamber, will come with practice, with an unloaded gun, reholstering, transitioning, and trigger discipline. In my opinion, worrying too much about reholstering, without looking, is not a major concern. No one has ever won a gun fight by being the first one with their gun back in their holster.
Good luck, and obtain as much training as possible, glad to see more young people taking their own security seriously.

[RoyGBiv]

No one has ever won a gun fight by being the first one with their gun back in their holster.

Truth. And funny.

[Tex1961]

To chim in... As said, everyone's different in their preferences.... I carry 4 o'clock IWB.... (really 8 o'clock since I'm left handed, but that's another story).. Anywho..... I chose the Ruger LC9s (May eventually switch to the S&W MP 2.0).. because it has a manual safety..... I carry with one in the chamber and NO safety engaged, however... before I holster, I engage the safety then afterwards I switch the safety off. That is how I am most comfortable.... Also as others have said... Most important is a good gun belt and a good quality (DON'T SKIMP ON THE QUALITY OF YOUR HOLSTER) hard shell holster for IWB....

[oljames3]

Passed my class today, getting the fingerprints done tomorrow and submitting my application once I get home from Identogo. Hopefully I won't be sitting in the waiting room too long.

I have been concealed carrying around the house since I purchased my G19 in October after I turned 21 and have been trying to decide what position I will be carrying once I have my LTC. I've noticed I've moved my holster around a few times trying to decide where I feel most comfortable; from SOB, to 3 o'clock and now back and forth between 3 o'clock and appendix. My question is how did y'all decide where to carry and make the determination of what was most comfortable? I have always been told you'll never be comfortable carrying a firearm in any position at first, but was curious how long it took y'all to decide if that was the 'right' spot for the job or not. My current setup is a G19 with a CYA gun-molded IWB holster and a Blackhawk universal double stack mag holster that I flip belt clip out to carry my mag close to my body. May move to something like a T-Rex Arms or something if I decide to carry appendix.

Also, I know it's pretty much pointless to carry without a round in the chamber (IMO-its a paperweight if you need it quickly and ready), but for some reason I have some anxiety that I could accidentally shoot myself or discharge while holstering if something catches my trigger like my shirt or something on the holster without realizing it is in the way. I will occasionally carry a round in the chamber, but it's normally when I am carrying 3'o clock IWB or in my OWB holster and while at the range. Anyone else have this anxiety at first? How'd you overcome it? I am confident in my own gun safety practice while carrying and do exercise caution while holstering, but it's kinda just the thought that I've got something that fires a projectile at around 1500 ft./s pointing towards my body that I am just not used to yet...especially when I'm carrying appendix with a firearm pointed at my...appendages. Any advice?

Thanks

As with most things in life, it comes down to which risks we are willing to manage and which benefits matter most to us.

The first pistol I carried was an M1911A1. First Cavalry Division (1CD), 1974. When I got my then CHL and first civilian pistol in 2013, I carried it the same way that I had been trained to carry the 1911. No thinking or planning, just habit. My Tanfoglio BTA90 is a DA/SA, similar in may respects to the 1911. I carried it at 3 to 3:15 in an IWB holster with my shirt tucked in. When on my own property, I carried openly. Always with a loaded magazine, empty chamber, hammer down. About a year later, I had my own epiphany and realized that I could not be certain I would have the use of both hands or the time required to chamber a round when the evil threat presented. That is when I begain to carry with a round in the chamber. I was never uncomfortable doing so, as I understood that the pistol would not fire without the trigger being moved and I was confident in my holstering manipulations. Carrying on my strong side hip made holstering easier for me. Training and practice will build your confidence.

My wife carries her Walther PPS M2 LE in a Remora RFT pocket holster, round chambered. Reholstering in a pocket holster is problematic, but since she will only reholster after the threat is stopped, she can do so slowly and safely. Training and practice is key to your confidence in your gun handling. I've arranged for LTC classes and other training for my 86 year old father, youngest brother, and 20 year old son. They all carry a little differently, but all have a round in the chamber. They carry M&P M2.0, as do I. My brothers Shield 9mm is the only one with a manual safety, which he leaves off while carrying. I've also arranged for training for my two youngest sons, 20 and 18.

You asked how we decided on our carry position. That is very personal, in that it is so unique to each person. My wife refuses to wear a belt, so a belt holster was out. I have all of my family members start by carrying concealed. They can switch to carrying openly when they feel that is best. For each of us, the primary concern was being able to draw easily and quickly. Then concealment was a consideration.

For my wife, pocket carry with the grip out of the pocket of her jeans and covered by her blouse gives her good concealment and easy access to the pistol.

My son started carrying his S&W M&P M2.0 Compact 9mm 4inch in a Bravo Concealment DOS IWB holster at 3:30 to 4. Now he carries in a Safariland 7TS ALS with QLS and Guard on his belt or in a thigh rig. Works well for him when riding his motorcycle. Being able to access his pistol while wearing his protective gear was a prime consideration.

My father carries his S&W M&P M2.0 Compact 9mm 4inch in a Safariland 7TS ALS with a belt clip at 3, usually concealed under a jacket. My brother carries his Shield IWB at 3. This position makes it easy for them to draw while offering good concealment.

Since 1/1/16, I have carried openly. My S&W M&P M2.0 9mm 5inch 17+1 rides in a Safariland 7TS ALS with Guard and QLS at 3. For me, this is best position for drawing whether standing or seated. If I have to conceal, I will remove my holstered M&P from my Kore Essentials gun belt and secure it. Then, I'll proceed with my Ruger LCR .38 in a Remora RFT pocket holster concealed in my cargo pocket.

Even when I had to conceal my primary pistol, I have never concealed my extra magazines.

Again, training and practice are essential to your confidence. Go to YouTube.com and search for "active self protection appendix carry". John Correia has several videos on appendix carry. John Lovell, of the Warrior Poet Society, also has several. Search for "warrior poet society appendix carry".

Training is important. There are many good trainers in the DFW area. I don't know any, as I live near Austin. I sure the forum members who live in your area can recommend trainers.

Be safe and carry.