Do NOT carry center of back....

Socrates

Moderator
Friend of mine just had an accident. He was carrying his Glock center of back. He now has a big mess where the gun was forced into his spine, and, came within about a 1/4" of being paraplegia, or worse. Car accident, caused by wet road conditions. Flipped the car.

DO NOT CARRY CENTER OF BACK AND DRIVE.
 
I was never comfortable with that spot before and after having a spinal injury and surgery I really am not comfortable with it.

Hope your friend comes through OK.
 
Prayers out to your friend.
I have a friend who is also an ER doc who carries SOB and I've been after him for a while about it.
 
Used to be a no-questions-asked automatic five-day, unpaid suspension for us if we were ever caught carrying in the small of the back.

Jeff
 
This guy is a very nice guy, and runs one of the local gunshops, owns actually. He's in a wheel chair, with chest support, and thanks God daily for the excellent chance he has to recover. The gun mashed the disks, and bones, in his lower back, and nearly severed the spinal cord. :(

He didn't really need this to happen...
 
My Brother had a partner that carried his Handcuffs SOB.

The day came when a felon picked him up and threw him down a flight of stairs. Twenty years later he is lucky to be able to walk with the aide of a Walker.

I carry my Latex Gloves in a pouch located in the small of my back. I figure it will serve as padding, and has already. :) I don't want anything hard on my spine, all those years of riding four legged animals that didn't want me on their back has messed mine up enough.

Biker
 
I have carried SOB off an on for years , been in car wrecks , been in fights where i was knocked down on the gun . I call bull pucky that it is any more dangerous than any other carry method . Saying dont carry sob because you can break your back is akin to saying dont carry strong side because it might break your hip . There are reasons not to carry sob but they have to do more with safety and sweeping the muzzle over things you dont want to shoot rather than the chance that you will somehow fall on your gun and break your spine .
 
I carry mine in the small of the back cuz i'm a skinny guy and can't carry concealed strong side. I take it out of there when i get in a car... goes under my leg or in the glove compartment.
 
I carry that way often, can reach with either hand. I also don't feel the need for it there when driving plus it's uncomfortable. Carry my tape measure in nearly the same position for the same reason and remove it for almost the same reason. I might need fast access to the pistol while driving but a 35' FatMax is just a pain.
 
When I had my accident my hunting pack was across my lower back. 18 ft fall onto it and I burst fractured L1. Believe me, that is not something you want to do. I thought carrying a gun there was a bad idea before that accident. Now I'd NEVER carry one there. Of course I've got six figures worth of titanium in there holding my spine together too.
 
yikes

I "kidney carry"-- at about 4:30. Butt facing forward. I too am skinny and can't carry on side. And I'm not going to carry in the front with the barrel pointed at my shlong. No way!!
 
Very sorry to hear of your friend's injury. I hope his prospect for a full recovery is excellent.

Back when I worked uniform I wore a handcuff case on my gun belt SOB for a while. It didn't take long to discover this was not something I cared to do. Just normal sitting, and getting in & out of the car for hours at a time, caused noticeable discomfort.

I wouldn't want to fall on my back onto a hard surface with something held directly against my lower spine, either. Just bumping up against something with much force was noticeable.

Again, I hope your friend experiences a full recovery.
 
Sorry to hear about your friend. Luckily it was not as bad as it could have been.

As a person that enjoys being functional below the waist, I have been warning against this type of carry for a long time.

The guy that lives across the street from me is an ex-LEO on disability from falling on a radio that had shifted around to the small of his back during a foot chase. It really does not take much to injure yourself in this manner.
 
sob

+1 on the do not carry SOB. I also have a back injury and now may have exploded the disc :eek:(long story and I don't like typing). My doctor collects firearms also and strongly advises against the SOB carry. As I ride motorcycles it is strong side or shoulder holster only. God speed to your friends recovery, our prayers are with you.
 
Having been in a couple of motorcycle crashes, I'm convinced the second safest place is in front of you, to one side or the other of "Capt. Happy And His Two Crew". Basically in front of your pelvic bone.

There are no really fragile organs there - there's the femoral artery and some colon/intestine but both are very tough compared to the kidney, spleen and liver. The pelvic bone is ridiculously tough and even if it breaks, it tends to heal up OK. You also tend to "fold forward" around your waist.

This means either front-crossdraw open-carry, or a fanny pack. The latter carried this way is a great choice for bikers in my opinion.

If you're going to do a shoulder holster, left side is better because it's not over your liver, one of the delicate organs...

The ABSOLUTE safest rig puts the gun in a pack that drops down from the belt and straps to your thigh, on TOP of the main thigh bone. That is one hell of a tough bone. I slammed mine into a steel stop sign post at 25mph while flying sideways one time, hurt like you would NOT believe the next day (literally couldn't walk) but the bone held. If that won't break it, I have no idea what will :).

I'm considering modifying my fanny pack for that sort of carry. It's somewhat oddball, but...it can be made to work and gun access is decent both sitting and standing.
 
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