Rangerrich99
New member
In town I'm carrying concealed, so I carry on my strong side, and most of my holsters are set up for FBI cant. In the woods I'm usually open carry, wearing a pack or a rifle or both, and some time about 28 years ago I decided to carry cross-draw. Mostly this was for comfort reasons, as camp chairs and the ground don't necessarily lend themselves to strong-side holsters with full-size revolvers in them. On the other hand, cross-draw is almost unnoticeable when seated. The other problem with strong-side carry occurs when I've got anything bigger than a day-pack on my back, or my rifle is hanging there with the buttstock banging against my sidearm with every other step.
And it's not slow; in fact, I'm pretty sure I'm a tenth or two faster pulling cross-draw. Which makes sense to me, anyway.
When I draw from a strong-side holster, my feet are about shoulder-width apart with my left foot about a half step in front of my right.
I pull almost vertically until the muzzle clears leather (about 8 inches, but my elbow travels over a foot), at which time I rotate the gun about 90 degrees and begin pushing out and up to the target. My support hand, which was palm against my belly, comes in from the side and (if I did everything right) clasps my strong hand and continues up to my eye-level.
From cross-draw, my body is almost completely bladed towards the target, with my left foot a full step in front of my right. My support hand is again on my belly, but I'm drawing back and up at about a 45 degree angle. The gun again moves about 7-8 inches, but now my elbow only travels about the same 8 inches, as it didn't have to scissor much at all to create that movement. Once my muzzle clears leather, I only need to rotate the muzzle about 45 degrees before I begin pushing up and out.
So from a purely physical point-of-view, cross-draw should be faster, as I'm simply moving the gun and my arm through less space, as well as rotating it through fewer degrees of arc.
YMMV of course. At any rate, I can draw just as fast if not faster from cross-draw as I can from strong-side. It just took some practice. Others results may not be the same, I suppose.
By the way, I'm not recommending that everyone should be carrying cross-draw; I'm just saying that when I'm in the field, cross-draw just works better for me and what I'm usually doing.
However, for EDC, cross-draw probably isn't always going to be a good idea. As others have mentioned , it's going to be harder to conceal a weapon with the butt posing as a tumor in the middle of your belly. And you may sweep some folks if you had to draw from a cross-draw holster. Also, if you plan to carry a compact gun in that cross-draw, the muzzle might just be pointed right at your hip inside your pants. Assuming anyone makes an IWB cross-draw holster. Don't think I've ever seen one?
And it's not slow; in fact, I'm pretty sure I'm a tenth or two faster pulling cross-draw. Which makes sense to me, anyway.
When I draw from a strong-side holster, my feet are about shoulder-width apart with my left foot about a half step in front of my right.
I pull almost vertically until the muzzle clears leather (about 8 inches, but my elbow travels over a foot), at which time I rotate the gun about 90 degrees and begin pushing out and up to the target. My support hand, which was palm against my belly, comes in from the side and (if I did everything right) clasps my strong hand and continues up to my eye-level.
From cross-draw, my body is almost completely bladed towards the target, with my left foot a full step in front of my right. My support hand is again on my belly, but I'm drawing back and up at about a 45 degree angle. The gun again moves about 7-8 inches, but now my elbow only travels about the same 8 inches, as it didn't have to scissor much at all to create that movement. Once my muzzle clears leather, I only need to rotate the muzzle about 45 degrees before I begin pushing up and out.
So from a purely physical point-of-view, cross-draw should be faster, as I'm simply moving the gun and my arm through less space, as well as rotating it through fewer degrees of arc.
YMMV of course. At any rate, I can draw just as fast if not faster from cross-draw as I can from strong-side. It just took some practice. Others results may not be the same, I suppose.
By the way, I'm not recommending that everyone should be carrying cross-draw; I'm just saying that when I'm in the field, cross-draw just works better for me and what I'm usually doing.
However, for EDC, cross-draw probably isn't always going to be a good idea. As others have mentioned , it's going to be harder to conceal a weapon with the butt posing as a tumor in the middle of your belly. And you may sweep some folks if you had to draw from a cross-draw holster. Also, if you plan to carry a compact gun in that cross-draw, the muzzle might just be pointed right at your hip inside your pants. Assuming anyone makes an IWB cross-draw holster. Don't think I've ever seen one?
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