Fair warning that this post may tickle some nerves for those who have a different preference than I do. We are all friends here, so please don’t be offended when I make underlying implications against your particular carrying style as being “wrong,” or “inadequate.” Subjectively, I want to start the discussion as to why someone may want to reconsider their preferred concealed carry orientation, as it may be more detrimental than good, especially if you’re not training to react from that carry location. What a novel concept this must be!
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again for those who may have missed it. But, the adage of “train like you fight, and fight like you train” is possibly one of the most important premises to keep in sight as we explore my arguments for carrying your firearm in a position that coincides with how & where you draw from during your training.
Let’s discuss this concept, and how it’s applicable to possibly saving your life in the future. Most everyone I see does the same routine while at the range: standing still with intense concentration; focusing on trigger control and sight picture; punching holes in paper; and drawing from their hip paddle holster each time. After the range, within the next half hour, those same people may start concealed carrying from their appendix, or ankle, or maybe even an old school shoulder holster. How many of those people practice their draw, while moving or crouching (and firing), while doing these movements? I’d venture to guess the numbers are staggeringly low for the general concealed carrying public.
Some may argue that the comfort of wearing a firearm inside your waistband on the hip isn’t quite at the same level as to other areas of the body. With personal preference of comfort’s sake aside, being able to defend yourself in a critical incident should far outweigh a comfort preference any day. Being able to effectively transition to your firearm, from a muscle memory location on your body, should be a second nature to an effectively trained individual.
That brings me to my next point of emphasis: if you’re carrying, carry in the same place all the time. Period. Personally, I have incurred more hours and rounds down range of training than I can even comprehend to explain. Each time I think about where my off-duty firearm might be located on my body, there’s one answer. On my hip. Similarly, hip and rear of hip towards the kidney are essentially the same when training from a inside the waist position. The muscle memory remains the same, from my experience. Find and train with an inside the waist (or outside the waist concealment) holster that suits your body, firearm, and comfort level for that hip location. It’s a very natural location to want to draw a firearm from, I promise. In fact, it is statistically the fastest place to draw a firearm from, while simultaneously being the best place for weapon retention. Think about that!
Finally, this lends to the fact that our main objective is remaining well trained and alert. Don’t become a statistic, or a case study for future classes in the private or public sector. Know your firearms, know their locations, keep alert for potential situations, and have the confidence to be the good guy with a gun that stops the bad guy with the gun. Stopping the threat is the ultimate outcome if forced to be in that situation, and hopefully this discussion has gotten you thinking about how, and why, we conceal carry in the manner which we do. Stay frosty my friends, and keep your heads on a swivel.
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