Any Mechanics Carry?

C

C Carman

Inactive
So my friend and i have a shop in a rather rough area and i've been considering carrying while working. We keep a shotgun in one of the tool boxes but i'm not always within reach of the tool box. I'm trying to figure out the best way to carry while working.

A friend loaned me his 380 for a day with an IWB hoslter and it really just didn't work for me. From crouching down to work on things to being on my back on a creeper there was just no way that's going to work. I'm considering maybe some type of shoulder rig under an unbuttoned work shirt. I don't want to open carry, at least in the daytime as i don't think all of our customers would understand (this is Los Angeles we're talking about).

If anyone else had any experience in a similar situation i would appreciate the advice.

-chris
 
Spurless hammer small frame revover. Fits in a pocket, lint won't bother it, spurless hammer won't snag. Dependable and safe for pocket carry. 86 the shotgun if you're not alwways able to get at it. Someone else might be.
 
Ankle Holster

Not working as a mechanic, but for years I carried a Walther PPK in an ankle holster for 8 to 10 hours a day - getting in and out of a vehicle all day and moving into various positions and or even running.

A good quality ankle holster might not be as fast to access as some other methods of carry but it should be faster than getting to a tool box.

John
Charlotte, NC
 
I was a Mitsubishi mechanic for more than a few years,so I had to think about this one.

The only thing that would work for me would be an ankle or under the shoulder carry.Even the under the shoulder carry would print if you are standing under a car with your hands lifted up doing something like an oil change,tranny work,etc.

Even ankel carry would present problems,think about the times your lower leg has brushed up againist something.You will really have to be thinking about this all the time.

Anything else would have the gun banging into a fender,hood,or some other part of the car.

If in any pocket, you would either be sitting on it,or having it dig into your body parts when you had to bend over,or crawl under a dash board,etc.

Oh,and I can just see the print of your gun in your front pocket when you are on your back,laying on the floorboard of a car with a flashlight between your teeth looking for an electrical short.

Unless you are making really big bucks,even then,might be time to move the shop.
 
I'm pretty sure i couldn't stand to pocket carry. To much time spent leaning against fenders and what not. I also don't think i could draw from my pocket if i was crouching down inside/under a car. One of my biggest concerns is someone walking up on me when i'm crouched down inside a car.

Cargo pockets mite work well if i was just a mechanic but i do a lot of welding and with that many sparks flying at me every day extra pockets are liabilities. I actually have set my pants on fire on 3 separate occasions. That's why i don't cuff my pants at work anymore either, even when they are a little too long. Also this may be a silly question, but i'm pretty new to firearms, could there be any chance of a welding spark setting off a round? Bear in mind the melting point of steel is somewhere around 1500 degrees i believe, depending on the alloy, and i have had molten steel drop on to me and burn through my pockets when welding on the undersides of cars.

I think i'm going to give an under the shoulder type rig a try. I'm not too worried about it printing when i'm doing things as i usually stop whatever i'm doing when customers come in.

Or maybe i'll just hollow out a service manual and keep it on my tool tray which is always within reach . And yes moving the shop would be nice, but its hard to come by a 9000 sq ft shop in the LA area for what we can afford. Hopefully within the next couple of years we can relocate.

Thanks for the advice and responses.
 
I can remember all the times my pants ride up on me when working on a car. Especially when wearing full body coveralls. I think the ankle holster would be out cause you would flash it every time you lay on your back.

Super small semi auto in a wallet holster. Drop in your back pocket...
 
I don't think you have to wory about sparks from welding setting off ammo in a loaded gun, a good friend of mine had his shop burn to the ground about a year ago and almost all of his ammo is still OK. even shotgun shells and 22!!! What did get hurt didn't blow, just the opposite, it wont fire (some paper 12 ga and 22lr) We have been shooting some 30-06 from the WW2 era that was in the fire in a steel ammo can, I wouldn't hunt with it, but so far its all gone bang. unless you get a big pile-o-slag on an unloaded round in perfect conditions, I don't think its an issue.
 
Do you wear coveralls or a button-front shirt & pants at work?

Either way, you might want to try one of the elastic belly-band rigs. You can adjust it for either waistband or underarm cross-draw carry and have someone sew velcro fasteners on your shirt/coveralls (which, if bought a size or two larger, can help avoid printing). Then, when you need it, you just do a "Superman" and draw... :cool:

Hope that helps.... :D
 
Given the fact that you get in to a lot of different positions, one method of carry might not be able to suit all the possibilities. I see that you've already ruled it out, but a Kramer pocket holster with a S&W J-frame covers a lot of the positions. You can crawl on your back or belly and not have a problem. Just keep your tools, keys, cellphone, etc., out of the way and on the other side of your body. It's not in the best location when sitting, but it is for most positions.

Good luck.

straightShot
 
Smart Carry invisible holster is worth a look too.

All that said, I just crawled out of underneath my car. Been under/over all morning (head gasket). I'm wearing coveralls and the Kahr PM9 in the DeSantis Nemesis hasn't moved.

Good luck.
 
Thanks again for all the responses. Definitely going to have to look into some of these suggestions as i'm thinking i may have been to quick to rule some things out.

When i'm working i usually just wear a 'wifebeater' type tank top and Dickies work pants. So i'm figuring i'm pretty much going to have to add a button down work shirt at the least.

As far as carrying in LA, i don't have a carry permit for LA because i actually live in Orange County. I just work in LA. Moved to the OC a couple of years ago and from everything i've heard a CCW is actually quite attainable thanks to the Orange County sheriff. Haven't gotten my permit yet for a couple of reasons, mostly financial. I'm not planning on carrying to and from work without a permit. Don't need that headache. I get stopped by the cops and searched enough when i'm in Orange County(but that's another thread). Where my work is concerned though my buddy i grew up with is an LEO in the area and told me the shop is basically very similar to my home in terms of SD. He's actually the one who told me i should keep a firearm at the shop.

I haven't bought a gun for this purpose yet, and i was looking at the S&W 686+ because being new to guns the simplicity of a revolver appealed to me. However as i continue going to the range with friends i've grown more comfortable with auto's and have decided i pretty much just need to own one of everything now. :D
 
ummmmmmmmm...you want to work on engines with an unbuttoned shirt? I would think the risk of it getting caught in a fan belt or some similar thing would be higher than getting robbed.
 
I rarely work on engines that are running. I'm not a regular mechanic. Our shop is a kustom shop for vintage cars. So i install motors, trannies, etc. but rarely do i do any routine maintenance type things other than tuning a new motor. Most of my time is usually split between mechanical type tasks and fabrication. Sorry i should have clarified.
 
I once was a tech, for 20 years. I used to keep a .45 in the bottom drawer until one day a guy came in the shop went right up to my tool box and started rummaging thru it. I got out there and grabbed his arm, he tried to hit me, he woke up later on the floor with cops there. They wanted to arrest me for hitting him. He swung first, had witness's. Be careful whatever you choose to do. A good hammer in hand stopped many an altercation in my time......
 
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