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by baldeagle
Wed Jan 04, 2012 10:20 pm
Forum: Holsters & Accessories
Topic: Neat Concealed carry tip
Replies: 21
Views: 5286

Re: Neat Concealed carry tip

The biggest problem I have is having to be concealed. I carry a Sig P239 in .357 Sig in an IWB holster. In warm weather I wear it tucked or with the shirt untucked. In cold weather my coat covers it. In either case, I can't just draw and fire like I do at IDPA matches. If it's tucked, I have to rip the shirt out with my left hand and draw the weapon with my right. If it's under a coat, even if it's unzipped, I have to move the coat out of the way to draw. If it's zipped (which is usually the case), I have to unzip the coat to get to the weapon.

Mind you, I'm glad I live in a state where carrying a weapon is not a (unconstitutional) crime. But I would sure prefer open carry. I'd still carry in a IWB holster, and I seriously doubt one out of ten would even notice that I was armed. I once walked around for hours in a place with 30.06 signs (hospital) with an empty holster, and not even the security guards questioned me about it. (I locked the pistol in the safe in the vehicle, along with the extra mag, but was too lazy to remove the holster.)

The reality is, for most of us speed isn't much of a possibility. We have to offset that with a high level of awareness (I'm unzipping my coat because I smell trouble) or, if "surprised", use subterfuge (misdirection, seeming meekness or fear, toss the wallet several yards away, etc.) to lull the attacker into giving us the extra time we need to draw and get the weapon on target or studiously avoid places that trouble frequents (my first line of defense.) On long trips, my pistol is between my legs, holstered in the seat holster, so I can draw quickly and unobtrusively. On "regular" days, I'm armed, but I'm not going to be winning any quick draw contests.

There's a reason LEO's open carry OWB, but even the practiced ones will be hard pressed to get under 2 seconds to draw and fire. That's why they usually already have their retention strap unbuttoned and their hand on the grip before they even approach a potential problem. I don't delude myself into thinking that will ever be the case with me.

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