Cold weather CC, how do you train?

K

Kimio

New member
I see a number if videos showing how to draw from the holster and so on when carrying concealed, a good majority of these videos are done in relatively warm environments where you have little in terms of obstruction due to clothing.

Seeing as where I'm living right now gets relatively cold in the winter, wearing heavier clothing while going outside is a must. How do those of you here prepare and train for those months where your typical attire is not possible. I am fortunate enough that I have a local range that is opened during the winter which allows me to practice despite being buried in snow.

Obviously, picking the right gun for the job is a part of the training, no point carrying a gun that you can't fit your gloved hand into. (This is something that Tim brought up in one of his more recent video a on the Military Arms channel)
 
Gets a little chilly in Utah, huh? :D

I think I only broke out my winter jacket twice last winter, and realized someone pulled a prank and had the sides taken in making it not fit anymore. The rest of the winter I made it thru with a layer of underarmor (the heatgear mind you, NOT the coldgear!) and a shirt with a fleece over the top. Rarely did I need to resort to using gloves.
Eventually you acclimate to the conditions.
 
I'm pretty much immune from the cold. It doesn't bother me at all.

If it's 105 outside, now that's a different story. I only wear gloves when I'm riding my motorcycle, or doing yard work.

If it's cold outside and you're carrying, I would not suggest wearing gloves. They will only make a difficult situation worse if you are carrying.
 
I like the fingerless variety of gloves...especially the thin ones.

When I go to the outdoor range on a cold day, I bring dry hand warmer packs and maybe a propane heater.
 
I spend the money to get good shooting gloves and shoot wearing them. Yes they run between 50-60 dollars a pair but they help protect the skin from the cold and tight enough to still allow for good trigger control.
 
I carry slightly different in winter vs summer. In summer, I carry in an IWB under an untucked shirt. In winter, I still use the IWB, but my shirts get tucked in and I conceal the grip with an over garment (i.e. - my coat).

Since I practice drawing my weapon fairly routinely, I make sure to adjust my practice to match what I wear.

As far as gloves, I happen to know how to knit, so I make my own that leave my trigger finger free.
 
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I was a cop for 20 years in Anchorage, and it does get nippy at times there.

We were issued parka's that had a side zipper that in theory allowed you to get to your service revolver.

It didn't work, but your gun did get hung up as you tried to draw.

Solution, I put a small snubby in my coat pocket which I could draw rather quickly of if had too I could fire from inside the pocket.

Since I've retired but I still carry in my pocket. It gets hot in Wyoming and it gets cold in Wyoming, doesn't matter, I can still get to my pocket revolver regardless of weather.
 
Ive always carried the same regardless the season. For the most part, the draw is the same, just slightly different resistance depending on the time of year.

Ive worked and played outdoors, year round, most of my life, and learned early on, if you want warm hands in sub freezing temps, especially for extended periods (10+ hours) gloves are the worst choice. Mittens work much better.

When sized properly, mittens come off with a quick shake, and you have warm/comfortable gloveless hands in an instant. When your hands get cold, pop them back on for a short while and your hands warm right back up.

Skip the "finger less gloves" in a mitten type, they defeat the whole idea, as they still isolate your fingers/palms from each other. You want "meat on meat" when your hands are in them.

Mittens also make a great holster with instant access for small handguns, for those times you really feel the need.
 
Look around for gloves that fit your hand well and are not bulky. I've found Seirus mid-weight gloves and some gloves for runners (Reebok or Nike, I think) were warm enough for most days and left me with enough dexterity to use a handgun. Obviously, your hands may be different than mine, so you'll have to look around for what fits you.
It'll probably be more expensive than the $10 nylon ski gloves some people buy, but different needs require different gear.
 
My sad experience is that any glove that fits tight enough and snug enough and is small enough to hope to use with a gun doesn't offer enough warmth to be of much use. If I'm going to be outside for very long, I still prefer bare hands to the most form fitting gloves. I tend to wear heavy gloves or even better, mittens, and I try to shed them before I go into a situation where I might have to shoot. The extra motion can cost time in a surprise situation, but I don't know how to avoid this and still accomplish heavy outdoor work.

Another thing you might consider is that many winter coats have both snaps and zippers. Except in the coldest weather I prefer to wear my coat open. When I have to close the coat I use the snaps. I always avoid using the zippers.

I prefer the carry options of winter to summer. In winter I can use outside the waistband holsters with longer barrels and heavier caliber guns. I am faster pulling back a winter coat drawing from a strong side hip holster than I am going to a pocket holster or an inside the waistband holster in summer.

For practice it is critical to draw from under the coat. You can learn to be quite fast.
 
I carry a pocket pistol in my coat pocket when its that cold. Going from the car to the store/house I don't bother with gloves. If I am spending much time outside @ -20 to -40 I am wearing fairly warm gloves, mittens don't do so well around the horses and such.
 
This is another nice thing about pocket carry: My hand is nice and toasty while gripping my gun in the pocket. ;)
Here in Alabama, it (very) rarely gets as cold as many of you have to deal with, so lighter jackets and parkas suffice. I do have one heavy 'car coat', but I had reach-through slits cut so I can access my trouser pockets without having to open the coat.
 
I lived for many years in Canada, as no CCW was available, it made no difference, coat, no coat, gloves, no gloves.

But since moving to Florida? Yes it gets cold in Florida, but sweater cold, not -40 screaming snowstorm cold.

My favorite sweater is a cotton, heavy knit one, the top is a three button closing device, hides the Glock 19 real good, and I can access the pistol in it's OWB holster quite easily. Hot weather an outside the pants hanging shirt, Winter? A sweater.
 
I can usually carry the P238 in its pocket holster in one of my big winter coat's pockets.

One thing about cold weather - it's common to walk around with your hands snuggled in your coat pockets - right where your gun is.
 
After many winters in AK trying to figure out a viable CCW method in cold weather, I went over to the Maxpedition manpurse. So long as you're disciplined about never, ever leaving it in restaurants or bathrooms it works really well and keeps the handgun free from clothing obstructions. For gloves I have them on a lanyard and just pull the right one off with my teeth as I get ready to draw. Like 40-82 I've found that any glove tactical enough to work with a firearm will be a joke in real cold. There are some that have little holes for your trigger finger, but that's more for rifle work.

Pocket carry is another option with big advantages, but I found most pockets will start to wear thin. And you have to be very careful about never putting anything else in that pocket. Some day I'm going to build a holster into my winter coat.
 
Ha ha ha! Cold here means a light jacket for 3-4 months and a heavy one for 2-3 weeks. BGs stay home, because no one here knows how to deal with it. That being said, I never have to wear gloves here and I have a special light jacket, just for carrying. Wilson's carries a line with exterior pockets obviously designed for (but not yet marketed to) those that carry. I have two of those jackets, one light casual and one heavy wool business casual. The light one is my favorite since it has pockets for right AND left.
 
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