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I took my CHL course this weekend and I was surprised, or maybe shocked is a better word (I remember my eyes actually doing this ), when someone asked the instructor how he carries and he mentioned rather nonchalantly that he never uses a holster when he conceal carries, he just uses a good belt. He carries a 1911 IWB at 3:00, cocked, NOT locked, and NO round in the chamber. Then as part of his draw stroke, he racks the slide and chambers a round by using the rear sites to catch on his jeans while pushing the pistol towards the floor before bringing it to bear, so his draw has a sort of scooping action to it, he doesn't use his weakside hand. He wasn't advocating that anyone else carry this way, but he said he’s CC’d this way for years and is more comfortable with it than using a holster. He was quite proficient at it, and rather fast, but I know it’s nothing I would ever try as a daily carry technique. I guess part of the reason I found it shocking is that he’s retired LEO of many years, and his extensive background and credentials are lengthy and impressive.

I wanted to get everyone's in put, has anyone else ever heard of anyone else CC’ing and drawing this way?

1) street gangs.

Beiruty wrote:1) street gangs.

I've seen this on TV a few times. Does that count?

Why have it cocked if you have to cycle the action to chamber a round (and thus cock the hammer)?

The whole concept seems ridiculous to me - *IF* I carried like that, I would never share that absurd information with a class full of eager students.

gigag04 wrote:Why have it cocked if you have to cycle the action to chamber a round (and thus cock the hammer)?

I wondered the same thing.
Only thing I came up with is that it would be a little easier to rack the slide that way since you're only pulling against the recoil spring and not the mainspring (hammer spring).

IMHO and I believe that most all forum members would agree with me:

1. Always carry your gun in a proper holster that covers the trigger.

2. Always carry with a round in the chamber. Bad guys will be on you
like lint on a blue suit in the time you take to fool around with cocking
your gun on your pants and getting around to loading a round in your chamber.

Gangbangers and other criminals don't carry in holsters (aka "Mexican carry")
so that they can throw/hide their gun when the LEO's show up, but they don't
have a holster as evidence.

Maybe this retired LEO's carry method works for him, but the rest of us are rolling
our eyes at this non-standard approach. Sheesh.

SIA

gigag04 wrote:Why have it cocked if you have to cycle the action to chamber a round (and thus cock the hammer)?

The whole concept seems ridiculous to me - *IF* I carried like that, I would never share that absurd information with a class full of eager students.

With the hammer already cocked it was easier to cycle the slide as it didn't take the added pressure to cock the hammer with the slide. I agree with the rest of the members here, proper carry method with a holster that covers the trigger is the only way to go. It was something pretty unusual that came up in my class so thought I'd share. Thanks for the feedback.

...before we roast the poor guy, let an old fart like me say that he's doing what the Israelis taught their sidearm-equipped troops and agents to do for decades...it's the safest way to carry a SA weapon, and the raking down the pants cocks it very well...the hammer back does indeed relieve some pressure on the slide, and also allows you to charge your weapon even if you only have one hand free/working...would I teach a roomfull of Americans this? No...but I've taught my rookies, sons, and wives...and carried my Combat Commander that way for awhile in the 70s, until I could afford a holster...it's one more trick in the bag that all of us have now heard about...some others of us have probably used, and may have occasion to use again....best or quickest draw and presentation...probably not by a long shot...

...oh, and, as far as gangs...most of us couldn't join theirs...it's kinda exclusive...
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The instructor is watching to much movies.

As speedsix mentioned, the first thing I thought of was the Israeli method, but I don't think they had the thumb safety on. Plus, the method I saw demonstrated involved bringing the gun to the middle of the body while in a combat squat and the gun turned sideways (Hollywood gangster style), racking the slide with the weak hand, then shooting. (The instructor claimed he could do it as fast as I could draw a charged pistol from a holster and fire. He couldn't; not even close.)

As much as I admire the Israelis and the Israeli military, I always thought that was a ridiculous way to carry a handgun. If you don't trust yourself with a round in the chamber, don't carry the gun until you do.

Chas.

For folks who appendix carry, and don't like the idea of a ready-to-fire weapon pointed at their femoral artery (not to mention their privates), using your leg and the rear sight is a good thing to practice....

As others have pointed out, having the weapon cocked with an empty chamber will make it a bit easier to execute this maneuver.

...that is indeed the way they did it...safety off and barrel empty...drew and racked as you described...cocked hammer really not critical...safety off so the slide would rack..and they taught raking the sights down the leg to cock it...I view that as ONLY an emergency alternative if you have but one hand available...but it worked for them really well for a loooong time...and they trained about 15% of their adult civilian population, issued and REQUIRED that they stay armed...so that the chances would be great that a citizen could stop a public terrorist attack...a few years back, a grandmother did just that...shot a suicide bomber in a restaurant before he could detonate...the USA should do so well...