Pretend To Imagine
kiwifarms.net
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2024
I figured it would be good to have a thread for discussion of concealment skills separate from the EDC thread which is essentially gear lists.
Concealing a firearm effectively on your person requires some degree of skill combined with proper equipment. I have been carrying concealed for over a decade in a hot climate and in somewhat non permissive environments. I’ve gone through a few different methods of carry and lots of different equipment, and have a lot of experience to share that can hopefully help others shorten the learning period.
The key thing to consider is where on your body you are willing to position the gun as this will affect gear choices such as belts, holsters, and cover garments.
Appendix Carry:
This positions the gun in front of your hips usually near the spot where your groin meets your thigh.
This is probably the best position for drawing, and concealment and really easy to carry a full size gun with an optic.
You want a holster with a wedge feature to move the muzzle end away from your body and a camming feature to rotate the grip towards your body for optimum concealment.
Strongside:
This positions the gun on your hip, or slightly behind your hip.
This position provides a very good draw, but can be challenging to effectively conceal larger guns and/ or guns with optics.
The same holster features as appendix carry are desirable for optimal concealment.
Pocket Carry:
Gun position is self explanatory.
The draw from this position will vary greatly depending on size of gun and clothing, but generally not as fast as Appendix or strongside. Generally limits the size of gun significantly. Even with smaller guns it can be pretty obvious what is in your pocket if your shirt doesn’t hang low enough.
It’s very important to choose a holster that stays in your pocket, and doesn’t come out with the gun when you draw it. Also important that your gun doesn’t want to get stuck in your pocket which will be affected by both the shape of the gun and the size and shape of your pocket.
Shoulder holster:
Gun position is in your armpit.
Slower draw times and requires a button down shirt for easy access.
I don’t really have any personal experience with these rigs, but have heard they are very comfortable.
Ankle carry:
Gun is strapped to your ankle. Popular position for a backup gun, but accessing the gun quickly is obviously an issue.
Small of back carry:
Gun is positioned at the base of spine.
There is a concern for spinal injury with this carry position. I’ve not actually tried it, but it doesn’t seem comfortable.
Off body carry:
Fanny packs, backpacks, etc:
So many variables with this one, but generally slower to access than on body carry.
Equipment:
Once you have chosen your carry position, you will want a quality belt if you are attaching a holster to it. You want the belt to resist sagging but not be so stiff that it doesn’t conform to your body. You will want to wear the belt tight enough that it activates the concealment features of your holster.
For your holster you want a quality one that fits your gun well. Kydex is more resistant to moisture than leather, and with leather you have to keep an eye on where it covers the trigger to make sure it’s not squeezing together and putting rearward pressure on the trigger when reholstering.
For your firearm you should be carrying the best gun you can conceal. Something you can shoot reasonably well and train with regularly. It does no good to shoot a full size gun at the range, and then carry a micro gun for defense of you or your loved ones. I recommend a Glock 19 sized gun as a minimum. It is not unreasonable to conceal in most circumstances and has enough real estate to get a good purchase on for performance shooting.
I recommend avoiding “carry rotations” and “seasonal carry” choices. Let’s be real, most of us don’t have the time or resources to maintain our highest level of proficiency across multiple pistols.
Concealing a firearm effectively on your person requires some degree of skill combined with proper equipment. I have been carrying concealed for over a decade in a hot climate and in somewhat non permissive environments. I’ve gone through a few different methods of carry and lots of different equipment, and have a lot of experience to share that can hopefully help others shorten the learning period.
The key thing to consider is where on your body you are willing to position the gun as this will affect gear choices such as belts, holsters, and cover garments.
Appendix Carry:
This positions the gun in front of your hips usually near the spot where your groin meets your thigh.
This is probably the best position for drawing, and concealment and really easy to carry a full size gun with an optic.
You want a holster with a wedge feature to move the muzzle end away from your body and a camming feature to rotate the grip towards your body for optimum concealment.
Strongside:
This positions the gun on your hip, or slightly behind your hip.
This position provides a very good draw, but can be challenging to effectively conceal larger guns and/ or guns with optics.
The same holster features as appendix carry are desirable for optimal concealment.
Pocket Carry:
Gun position is self explanatory.
The draw from this position will vary greatly depending on size of gun and clothing, but generally not as fast as Appendix or strongside. Generally limits the size of gun significantly. Even with smaller guns it can be pretty obvious what is in your pocket if your shirt doesn’t hang low enough.
It’s very important to choose a holster that stays in your pocket, and doesn’t come out with the gun when you draw it. Also important that your gun doesn’t want to get stuck in your pocket which will be affected by both the shape of the gun and the size and shape of your pocket.
Shoulder holster:
Gun position is in your armpit.
Slower draw times and requires a button down shirt for easy access.
I don’t really have any personal experience with these rigs, but have heard they are very comfortable.
Ankle carry:
Gun is strapped to your ankle. Popular position for a backup gun, but accessing the gun quickly is obviously an issue.
Small of back carry:
Gun is positioned at the base of spine.
There is a concern for spinal injury with this carry position. I’ve not actually tried it, but it doesn’t seem comfortable.
Off body carry:
Fanny packs, backpacks, etc:
So many variables with this one, but generally slower to access than on body carry.
Equipment:
Once you have chosen your carry position, you will want a quality belt if you are attaching a holster to it. You want the belt to resist sagging but not be so stiff that it doesn’t conform to your body. You will want to wear the belt tight enough that it activates the concealment features of your holster.
For your holster you want a quality one that fits your gun well. Kydex is more resistant to moisture than leather, and with leather you have to keep an eye on where it covers the trigger to make sure it’s not squeezing together and putting rearward pressure on the trigger when reholstering.
For your firearm you should be carrying the best gun you can conceal. Something you can shoot reasonably well and train with regularly. It does no good to shoot a full size gun at the range, and then carry a micro gun for defense of you or your loved ones. I recommend a Glock 19 sized gun as a minimum. It is not unreasonable to conceal in most circumstances and has enough real estate to get a good purchase on for performance shooting.
I recommend avoiding “carry rotations” and “seasonal carry” choices. Let’s be real, most of us don’t have the time or resources to maintain our highest level of proficiency across multiple pistols.
