Carry positions?!

T

Tactical Jackalope

New member
Alright, where do you carry? 1 o'clock? 4 o'clock? I carry mostly my 1911, G22 and sometimes G27....I usually, for some odd reason carry at 1 o'clock..I feel nervous having it behind me at 4 cause I don't see when it prints or if someone seems it or whatever. Also, someone can just grab it...I practiced martial arts, and I much prefer having the gun in my direct sight. I don't know, it may seem weird but that's just me. I'm not proud of carrying so close to my junk. I feel very limited to movement when it's at 4 o'clock. Even driving it's a huge pain in the ass.

What are your thoughts and carry positions? What are the (if any) advantages and/or disadvantages of carrying in either or position?

- keep in mind I carry full size 98% of the time -
 
8:30 for lefty and 3:30 for righties...I use a paddle holster from Blackhawk and wear a shirt that's 1 size bigger or big and tall for my frame.
I carry a Glock 32 and a full size 1911 that way. I can sit, bend (playing pool)
and do pretty much what ever...It's the most comfortable way that I've found. Now granted, I'm a big guy, at 5'-7" and 225lbs, and I can conceal more because I'm already lumpy, :p
 
4:30

This is the position where I can reach with my "weak" hand without trying too hard. I carry a service size pistol everyday for 12 or more hours a day. It is comfy enough when driving. The Wilderness Tac belt and Crossbreed help.

Beentown
 
Usually around 3:30, Crossbreed Supertuck (IWB), with a Kimber Tactical Ultra II. This position works nicely when driving also, keeps the grip from digging into the seat.
 
I'm carrying at around 10:30ish, crossdraw and very VERY "high and tight" in a holster of my own design. Gun is a Ruger New Vaquero (same size/heft class as a Colt SAA) with a 4.68" barrel. My entire cylinder is above the beltline, which means it's a "towering high" setup. This only works because it's strapped down hard against the belt, which in turn is a good double-thick critter I stitched together myself.

It conceals well under a light, normal-length jacket.

More on this setup at:

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=431656
 
4 o'clock, can draw with either hand, comfortable when sitting, easily aware if printing or exposed.
 
1 and 4

Alright, So I see 1 and 4.

4 being okay while driving? Really....one sec....

oh wow, okay...I guess I had it at 5:30...I'm really thin can't really set it at 4:30

I guess I'll just stick to 1 I feel weird cause no one I know packs on 1 o'clock...


Advantages or Disadvantages anyone?
 
Well with what I'm doing, the draw sequence up to a Weaver-type hold is very clean and very fast. Part of the speed comes from not having to actually sweep the covering garment back first - I can just snake my hand into the open jacket, grab and go.

My other big advantage is off-hand access via something called the "Prairie Twist Draw":

http://www.willghormley-maker.com/AdvantagesOfCrossDraw.html - note second pic.

It's sometimes known as the "Infamous Prairie Twist..." because during the off-hand draw sequence, you WILL sweep your genitalia, both hip joints and both femoral arteries. It should only be practiced with an unloaded gun any by people who are absolutely religous about the whole "finger off trigger until you're ready to fire" thing.

But it can also save your butt if your strong hand is tied up fending off trouble.

The other nice part about a "high and tight" crossdraw is that if I'm open-carrying in a crowd, I can casually rest my off-hand forearm across the butt of the gun. Done correctly this isn't a threatening move at all; it simply ensures that the gun remains seated no matter what happens accidentally or deliberately by anybody.

The "appendix carry" position shares a lot of these features. Off-hand access is much better than strongside-butt-backwards. Yet again you need a "high and tight" setup to keep the muzzle end from digging into you when sitting. The guys into Iscoseles shooting prefer this over crossdraw a lot because it's easier for them to bring the gun up from the appendix position and into their "triangle hold".

Their equivelent retension position tends to look more scary than the equivelent for high/tight/forward crossdraw and off-hand access isn't as fast. They have a little bit of "leg sweep problem" with their strong-side draw and little or none with their off-hand draw when done correctly, but as stated their off-hand draw isn't as quick as the Prairie Twist I can do.
 
It's a Free Country..... well, mostly, anyway .....

you WILL sweep your genitalia, both hip joints and both femoral arteries.
Click to expand...


It's your ...... stuff. Point guns at it if you want to, I guess.

Me, if my plan for defending myself in a high stress situation started with pointing a gun at me ...... I'd rethink that plan......... YMMV.
 
One o clock for me. In South Africa you will lookin for trouble if you are seen carrying. It really sets off bad guys to try and take it off u
 
4 O'clock for me. When I first began carrying concealed, I carried in the 1 O'clock position...I stopped when I realized that a quality, comfortable holster is well worth the money.
 
It's your ...... stuff. Point guns at it if you want to, I guess.
Click to expand...

See, the good news is that first, you can practice (extensively) with the gun unloaded. And that's the only way you should practice the Prairie Twist.

The other good news is that your odds of needing it are damned low, but when you do, you NEED it. Bad enough to take the risk.

The guys carrying at 4:00 through maybe 5:30 depending on the holster face a hideously slow and complex draw if they ever have to do so with their strong-hand tied up somehow.

I'll take my plan thanks all the same.

Oh, I have one more option: a decent 4" pocketknife is available at my strongside rear (back right pocket). If I have to, I can lock the gun in with my off arm, fold up around it some and come around with that cutlery to solve an attempted gun-grab problem. I'm not going to hold back with that blade, either, and I know what to do with it.
 
Every carry position...

... can be countered in some way by a BG.

Every carry position can also be protected by the carrier. Some are easier to defend than others.

Learning what the vulnerabilities are for your position of choice, and how to counter the most likely grabs for your gun, is something anybody who plans to carry for SD should do.

Example:

People complain that crossdraw carry makes one sweep the weapon through 180 degrees to bring it on target, and also makes it easier for a bad guy in front to grab the weapon.

Possible solution: swing the non-weapon-side foot back, rotating your body 90 degrees. Makes a very awkward grab for the BG, and positions the weapon where it can be pointed at the BG almost the instant it clears the holster. Also allows the non-weapon hand to extend for a strike or block.

Some carry positions are more accessible through a wider range of postures (standing, seated, etc). Some are inherently faster than others. It's a good idea to check your intended carry for accessibility and realistic draw times.
 
People complain that crossdraw carry makes one sweep the weapon through 180 degrees to bring it on target, and also makes it easier for a bad guy in front to grab the weapon.

Possible solution: swing the non-weapon-side foot back, rotating your body 90 degrees. Makes a very awkward grab for the BG, and positions the weapon where it can be pointed at the BG almost the instant it clears the holster. Also allows the non-weapon hand to extend for a strike or block.
Click to expand...

Absolutely. This is also why the crossdraw is well suited for Weaver shooters. We can approach a firing line "bladed" and keep the barrel pointing the right direction before we ever touch the grip.

The ability to "cover" the crossdraw gun in it's holster with the off-hand forearm in a very natural-looking, non-threatening way shouldn't be underestimated either, esp. when moving through a dense crowd.
 
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