Concealed Carry: Clearing the Cover Garment?

S

sigcurious

New member
What is the recommended procedure for clearing the cover garment for the draw?

My observations on this so far are that while using my weak hand to clear the garment for the draw produces consistent results. However using my strong hand thumb to hook the shirt and pull it up during the same motion as reaching for the pistol, produces less consistent results, however accounts for the factor that the weak hand may be occupied otherwise. Also that reaching with one hand is less conspicuous than reaching over with two. But I am completely new to this aspect so I am unsure as to what's what.

I am currently using between a 3:30 and 5:00 IWB holster position. Still trying to figure out what's most comfortable etc. But I would imagine that in that range the technique would be the same for getting the cover garment out of the way
 
Use two hands to clear the garment. Hold the garment out of the way with your weak hand and draw with your strong hand. Once the gun is clear and on the way out, drop the garment with the weak hand and join the draw on the pistol as if there were no garment. If you only use one hand to clear the garment, there's an excellent chance your're going to get things bollixed up.
 
Are you only concerned with garments that are not open in the front?

Any chance you'll be wearing a jacket/coat?
 
First, it would help if you describe what kind of cover garment you're wearing when you carry.
* T-Shirt
* Polo Shirt
* Jersey Shirt
* Button front (Dress) shirt

Then tell us if it's tucked in or not.
Does your pistol (presuming a Sig auto) have a hammer spur?
Can that spur snag on clothing or is it a flush "bobbed" hammer?

Carrying beyond the 3 o'clock position means either a 2-handed operation or one very obvious 1-handed operation.
 
I should have specified what my regular attire is. I wear t-shirts, polos, and button ups, untucked. Light jacket or sweater in the winter.

My intended(still waiting on the permit) pistol for concealed carry is my m&p 9c. I do OC my 226, but at this time just to and from the desert to shoot.

My hope is that the 8-12 weeks before my permit comes will be sufficient to get the fundamentals of drawing from concealment down. I figure if I can't do that smoothly, having a pistol becomes moot, or even a liability to myself in some of the common self defense scenarios. I figure speed will come in time, but consistency seems critical no matter the speed.
 
if you practice at home you can become quite efficient at either. if not then it will be pretty obvious to the other person that you are drawing a weapon of some sort.
my advice: Practice practice practice with the different clothes that you wear. go through different scenarios to help develop your speed and movement. muscle memory shouldnt be under estimated!
 
I'd suggest using 2 hands if possible, but it's often not an option when you might need to draw it. When using a cover garment in competition, I use on hand to throw my jacket or shirt out of the way. I make sure to get a deliberate movement of the coat and index my grip as fast as possible. I'm by no means the fastest draw around, but it works for me and it's fairly deliberate. Clear the cover shirt etc... index a solid grip and draw the pistol.

I find using 2 hands to draw is more cumbersome with a coat, but it seems to work well if my shirt is buttoned up as it can't really be thrown out of the way like a coat.
 
Based on your post #5, I reiterate what I said in post #2. You've got to positively get that garment out of the way and keep it there until you draw and your weapon is well clear of the holster and on the way up. Then you can release the garment and bring your weak hand to join the weapon and your strong hand.
 
I carry concealed whenever I legally can -- usually on my trips to Arizona or Nevada.

I wear a cover garment open in front. I start my draw stroke with my dominant hand near my belt buckle and sweep the cover garment out of the way as I move it to grasp the gun (worn in a strong side holster).

I'm a strong believer in the proposition that I need to be able to deploy my gun with one hand. I won't count on having the use of both hands in an emergency.
 
How do y'all who are experienced with carrying, weight factors from the two posts above?

I agree very much that one shouldn't count on being able to use two hands to draw in a defensive situation. OTOH I only wear button up shirts that could be open in the front about 25% of the time or less most of the year here, as that requires two layers of clothing(I don't think people would appreciate seeing me semi-shirtless lol). I suppose one solution is to just wear button ups open all the time.

For my situation, where it's hot most of the time, I wonder if it would be more prudent to practice both non-open front clothing and open front, or to simply adjust my dress to accomodate open front clothing. An all open front wardrobe would also allow me to more easily carry OWB.Which at least comparing my practice so far from OWB OC drawing and IWB CC drawing, OWB is far easier to get good purchase on the pistol than IWB consistently. Even after factoring out the concealment garment.

I guess it's a good thing I have plenty of time to figure this all out.
 
Like said, PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE....

I CC everyday at about 4O'clock, and have become pretty efficient at one handed draw. Wearing an under shirt or tank, with a regular shirt over that. Two handed draw is much easier, clearing the garment with weak hand, while acquiring grip/gun with dominant hand. Makes for clearing and not catching on the clothing easier. But like said, you may not always be able or want to draw gun in that fashion. Being able to clear clothing and draw with one hand, for me, is much simpler, less obvious, and can be just as quick. But practicing helps. My biggest problem with one handed draw from CCW with IWB, is catching the shirt or under shirt between your hand and the grip. But again, thru practice I have become pretty good at clearing the shirt, or if/when it gets caught during practice, learning to keep drawing thru and releasing the garment.
Hope it helps, and again, PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE
 
I think it's important to be able to draw with one hand. Sometimes that one hand might be the weak hand, so I better get off my butt and practice more.
 
Ambishot,

I watched the video and have a question. Was the first man firing from a cocked and unlocked position? The second man ( the leftie ) looked like he he was drawing with the left hand and perhaps unlocking with his right. It looked to me like he was putting the safety on with his left hand after the shot which leads me to believe he must have had an ambi-safety on the gun. I could not tell with the first man.

Surely they were not carrying cocked and ready to rock and depending on the grip safety alone....or were they?

You really have my interest.

Geetarman:D
 
I watched the video. In the slow motion the second lefty shooter seemed to be disengaging the safety with his left hand. Who knows why he uses his right hand to re-engage though. A possibility that comes to mind is that its a more deliberate action and completely separate from disengaging with this left. I couldn't tell at all on the first guy.

Was certainly a good video either way, thanks for sharing Ambi.
 
Ambishot,

Good video for demonstrating concealed carry draw.

One thing that they do not do, that you can do when practicing, is after you fire; come to a guard position, scan for more threats, then holster without taking your eyes from looking downrange. You should learn to holster you weapon without looking at your holster.

Guard position is where you have you handgun pulled in somewhat to your torso, pointed downrange, but downward at a 30 to 45 degree angle from horizontal, finger off the trigger (because your sight is not on a target).
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb197/farwalker/guard.jpg

Assuming that you do what you practice, practice what you should do in a defensive shooting situation. Keeping alert for threats after you have neutralized the obvious threats might be beneficial.
 
Geetarman -

The show's hosts: Steve and Rick are both demonstrating drawing techniques for USPSA/IDPA competition, therefore their draws are subject to those sports's safety requirements i.e. disengaging/rengaging safeties when drawing. Steve (the 1st guy) is disengaging and reengaging the safety when he draws. It's more noticeable when he is simply practicing drawing than during the live fire demo.

As for Rick,

I'm not sure if he has an ambidextrous safety on his gun, but he is disengaging and reengaging the safety after every shot.

Glad you guys like the video, I've watched most of their episodes and I think they even post on here from time to time with new episodes.


To the OP and Mello2u, I agree that establishing a guard/second scan for other threats after shooting is important as well.

One thing that they do not do, that you can do when practicing, is after you fire; come to a guard position, scan for more threats, then holster without taking your eyes from looking downrange. You should learn to holster you weapon without looking at your holster.
Click to expand...

I've definitely seen this ^^ before in IDPA competitions. (mostly by LEOs)
 
OP - I carry different ways depending on what I'm doing that day and what I'm wearing (usually cross-draw, 1:00, or 4:00). I got in the habit of doing several practice draws every time I put my gun on, and when I take it off. This gives me practice from multiple carry positions and with all the cover garments in my wardrobe. If possible I would use my off hand to clear the garment, but I also practice one handed just in case.
 
"I wear my gun outside my pants" as the song goes. Belt holster with a cover vest/jacket depending on weather. I don't involve my off hand leaving me the option of fending off an attacker while drawing.
In a very unscientific test between my Son's tucked shirt draw and my cover vest draw with him trying to be quick and me not, there was no question which way is quicker. I was able to draw, aim, and snap on an empty chamber before he cleared his holster. We were demonstrating the types of holsters for a relative and the guy commented later "he was just talking and gesturing and then there was a pistol in his hand".
I'll continue to wear my obvious carrier vest like several other middle aged guys I've noticed. It provides me a place to carry glasses, phone, scratch pad, and stuff I don't want in my pockets.
 
I have 5 different shirts that have "Tear Away Velcro Slits" at 3 and 9 oclock. Three of them have snaps under buttons on the front that are yank open and have built in holsters for left or right handed use. 5.11 Tactical and the NRA make various types of CCW shirts. There are several different types of very nice shirts to complement CCW. Also, it is stylish not to button the bottom button of your shirt when not tucking it into your pants. I wear all my shirts out.
 
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