Methods of carry: Pros & Cons

P

Playboypenguin

Moderator
I recently just started carrying IWB after years of OWB carry. Now that I am doing it, I really can see the benefits of IWB carry. There are some drawbacks as well but the good outweighs the bad.

This made me start to think what are the pros & cons are of the different types of carry with which I have experimented. This thread is to discuss just that topic. I would like to hear everyone's opinions.

I am going to stick with methods of carry I have personal experience with so feel free to add your own methods and to chime in with your own experiences with the methods I do mention. Remember, these are only my own personal experiences with the holsters I have owned.

Inside Waist Band
Pros
-Weapon is held tighter to body without having to tighten belt as much.
-Weapon is easier to conceal inside lighter clothing
-Weapon is less prone to exposure from shirt pulling up
-No belt needed with some holsters
-Easier to remove and store than OWB holsters
-Non obtrusive during daily routine
-Usually lighter than OWB holsters
-Fairly comfortable with right holster (but not as comfortable as OWB)
Cons
-Not as comfortable as OWB
-Can be harder to obtain good grip on weapon when drawing
-Generally more difficult to re-holster drawn weapons than OWB

Outside Waist Band (belt holster)
Pros
-Very comfortable
-Added security features readily available (thumb breaks, etc)
-Extremely easy to draw from
-Extremely easy to re-holster drawn weapon
Cons
-A little more difficult to conceal than IWB (prints more easily)
-More prone to exposing weapon while stretching or bending
-Requires sturdy belt to prevent sagging or stretching
-Can be more cumbersome during daily routine
-Usually heavier than IWB holsters
-Difficult to remove and store quickly

Shoulder Holster
Pros
-Underarm carry reduces printing concern
-Easy to draw from
-Not prone to exposing weapon while bending or stretching
-Does not encumber sitting
-Ideal for suits with light material slacks (not sturdy enough to support holster properly)
Cons
-Generally requires open front jacket to conceal/access easily
-Weight can cause neck/shoulder fatigue
-Somewhat difficult to re-holster drawn weapon
-Very difficult to remove and store

Fanny Pack
Pros
-Extremely easy to carry
-No worries of concealment (does not print or expose)
-Can be worn with anything (gym wear, jogging clothes, etc)
-Does not require belt or jacket (or even pants for that matter)
-Easy to draw from
-Easy to re-holster drawn weapon
-Easily removed and stored
Cons
-Not exactly "stylish"
-Can be obvious to some people
-Makes you look like a lesbian
 
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I agree with most of your assessment. The one point I would argue is that personally, I find IWB to require as sturdy a belt as OWB to be comfortable. It may just be my gun/holster combos, but a crappy belt makes IWB miserable for me. Beltman all the way!

To add:

Pocket carry:

Pro's:
Ease of carry
Easily removed and stored
Easy to discreetly put hand on weapon when things get "hinky"
No belt necessary

Con's:
Potentially slower draw
Limited in size/caliber of weapon
Smaller weapons tend to be harder to shoot accurately
 
Pocket carry

I've been doing more of this lately, but the one major drawback I see to it is this: How do you draw from a seated position? EG a carjacker scenario.

From experimenting, I am virtually forced to stand up. Trying to draw while strapped into the driver's seat would be next to impossible.

End result: If I'm going to be doing a lot of driving, pocket carry is essentially ruled out.
 
SmartCarry

Pros:
virtually undetectible, the deepest of concealments
comfortable
excellent quality and design
extra pouch for speed strip or magazine
relatively inexpensive

Cons:
slower access (avg. 3 seconds to draw)
difficult to draw while seated
not for every body shape or tight fitting clothes
small frames most easily concealable, larger frames not so much

ExcaliberSmartCarry1Small-1.jpg


suit1-1.jpg


SmartCarry002-1-1.jpg
 
I'm assuming that by IWB you mean in the 3-5'oclock position?

Appendix-IWB: Cons
Hard for those with a 'successful-life body' to utilize (however, I am 5'11" and weighed 238lbs when I first started using A-IWB)

Appendix-IWB: Pros
Center-line carry
Extremely fast-no reaching around
Draw isn't 'telegraphed' as much
Easy access from unconventional positions (seated at a table/booth, in an automobile, on your back or side)
Easily concealed with the same kind of dress as standard IWB

FWIW, I normally carry my G26 w/+2 mag or G19 in this position. I have, on occasion, even carried my G17L longslide in this position for short periods.

When covert carry is needed, bellyband w/G26 under tucked-in dress shirt is easily done, still in appendix position.
 
.02

A good belt makes all the difference for IWB carry. I just recently recieved my gun-belt from the beltman. The new belt is damn sturdy, and the gun/holster doesn't hang or sag over at all. The belt helps evenly distribute the weight of the gun, instead of feeling side heavy w/ a normal belt. The gun/holster does not move at all from the time I put it on to the time I take it off, which means comfort is at at an all time high and the gun is concealed better since the gun doesnt tilt and poke out. Another bi pro of a good gun belt is that it makes sitting down w/ the gun/holster much more stable and comfortable.
 
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I've been doing more of this lately, but the one major drawback I see to it is this: How do you draw from a seated position? EG a carjacker scenario.

From experimenting, I am virtually forced to stand up. Trying to draw while strapped into the driver's seat would be next to impossible.

End result: If I'm going to be doing a lot of driving, pocket carry is essentially ruled out.
Click to expand...

In the vehicle I remove the gun/holster from my pocket and wedge it between the seat/console or put it in the console.

Not a perfect solution but the only one that works for me so far.
 
PBP,

I'm sure you may have too many to list, but what holsters are you using for your baseline comparison? I ask because some of the Pros and Cons can be different depending on the holsters you compared...
 
Can be worn with anything (gym wear, jogging clothes, etc)
Click to expand...


That's kind of how I dress almost all of the time. But, no fanny pack for me thanks. :D

It has always been ankle holsters, and IWB that didn't need a belt to use. That means I would have to tighten the draw string too tight on whatever pants I was wearing. Not exactly very comfortable. Or just wear jeans, a belt and one of my leather holsters.

Then, I decided to try a belly band. The Pros - To me, it's very comfortable, and pulls your guns and gear in to your body real snug and secure.

It takes all of the weight off of your clothes, and puts it directly on your body. Meaning, you could literally wear anything you wanted. All I have in my pants pockets in this photo are my car keys and my cell phone in the pocket of the sweat shirt I'm wearing.

There are actually two leather holsters sewn into the inside of the band, the one on my left is at a cross draw angle and the one on the right is at a traditional or standard draw angle. If you are left handed, you would just turn it inside out. ( according to the directions that came with it. :D )

It also has other storage areas for spare magazines, Knives, lights, money, ID's etc.

Even with a bad back, I've carried two guns and gear in it, without any discomfort at all. Lately, I've just been carrying a Glock 27, a 15 round magazine from my Glock 22 as a reload, a knife, a light, my money and credit cards, driver's license, concealed weapons license, and medical insurance card - All in the belly band. You can't see all that in the picture :D

But, I like the idea that I can carry a second gun as well, If I feel like I need to.

Cons - I don't have any yet! Seriously, I thought it would be itchy, or get too hot. I also was afraid it would be uncomfortable when I sat down or had to bend, but no, It flexes and moves with you. It's awesome.

The Galco underwrap Belly Band - The best $40.00 I've ever spent.


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IWB, OWB, SOB carry con:

Having to use a public restroom with a gun on the belt of the pants you will have to undo in order to do number 1 or number 2.

If you've had to do it, you know what I mean.

That's why I mainly just do shoulder rigs or carry a small enough gun in a jacket pocket.
 
If wearing only a T-shirt or pull-over sweater, the IWB is the way I go (and manytimes AIWB.)

If a coat, I find the OWB, like a belt slide, the best way.

Such as 'hot jocks' and 'thunderwear' I use only if I'm jogging and there is no other way to pack heat. In that case I find the smaller autos, like the P3AT or Ruger (actually a pair of them, chrome or stainless) work best.

But my mainstay is the IWB. Left or right handed.
 
like some of the others, id add pocket carry

and one i didnt see mentioned yet is ankle carry. I have ankle rigs for both of my primary iwb-carry guns and i find it a comfortable way to carry for those times iwb doesnt feel right (like out on the town with shirt tucked in).
 
I've been doing more of this lately, but the one major drawback I see to it is this: How do you draw from a seated position? EG a carjacker scenario.

From experimenting, I am virtually forced to stand up. Trying to draw while strapped into the driver's seat would be next to impossible.

End result: If I'm going to be doing a lot of driving, pocket carry is essentially ruled out.
Click to expand...

I pocket carry either my S&W Airweight .38 snub or my Ruger LCP. I don't worry about being able to draw while seated in my car because either my 9 mm or one of my .45's will be in the center console right beside me. In a carjacker or similar scenario, I would go for it. I might add that in both of my vehicles, as soon as I put them in gear, all four doors lock. If someone were looking or acting suspicious around me, I would not even unlock the doors, let alone get out. If they did not move on, I would move and park somewhere else.
 
I won't carry in the belly band or smart carry modes. Way too long to deploy the weapon, in my opinion. If I have to go with maximum concealment, I can carry a .38 or PM9 in a top quality ankle rig, but that is my least preferred method. Occasionally I carry a BUG on the ankle.

I wear a suit or sport coat quite often to work, and I therefore can and do most often use either an OWB or shoulder rig. I love a shoulder rig, and have to Galco Miami rigs, one for the 1911 variants and one for the G19/G32 option. I often have to go to the courthouse where I cannot carry, so the easy on/off of the shoulder rig is a big plus. I carry strong side at about 4 in the OWB, and I use only open top high quality leather holsters.

If I am more casual, I go IWB or pocket carry in cargo shorts or loose jeans. For IWB, I use one of my three CrossBreed holsters, which I find to be by far the most comfortable IWB holsters I own, and I have hundreds of dollars worth of IWB holsters from a number of name brand makers. IWB is also at 4 o'clock.

I've never tried appendix carry, and I don't think I will. I have a nice fanny pack, but I can't use it without being ridiculed by the wife and my sons, so I leave it at home.
 
I won't carry in the belly band or smart carry modes. Way too long to deploy the weapon, in my opinion.
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Perhaps, but for max concealment it is still faster than the ankle carry, and you can move and draw at the same time, unlike with ankle carry (one of it's biggest drawbacks, IMO).
 
FOR ME:

I carry OWB paddle strongside for two reasons:
1. It's more readily accessible than any other method.
2. It's more comfortable than any other method.

FOR YOU:
Other methods may work better. Carry whichever way fits YOU best.
 
I won't carry in the belly band or smart carry modes. Way too long to deploy the weapon, in my opinion. If I have to go with maximum concealment, I can carry a .38 or PM9 in a top quality ankle rig, but that is my least preferred method. Occasionally I carry a BUG on the ankle.
Click to expand...

I actually like ankle holsters a lot. But, as I said in my post earlier, I have back issues. As much as I like to carry on my ankle, any more, I just can't do it. If I have to bend down too far or even squat down to try to access the weapon, I'm either not going to be able to get back up, or fall completely over :eek:

And for me, I can draw the weapon just as fast out of the belly band as I can a belt holster. My leather Galco IWB holster is still my favorite, but this belly band has really impressed me.
 
I prefer OWB strong side. It is most accessible to me that way. The con is that it is harder to conceal that way.

I do wanna look into OWB cross draw...but quality holsters aren't cheap
 
You forgot the biggest drawback of IWB ... I'd have to buy all-new pants ...
actually, I've never been comfortable with IWB, I don't like feeling the gun pressing against me that tightly ... pocket carry or a good belt or paddle holster are my favorite methods, and I've been carrying crossdraw a lot since it cooled off here ... that solves the "draw while seated in your car" question somebody asked earlier ...
 
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