Carry at 1-2 O'Clock?

[SavageEagle]

Yea, so, I was looking to just carry in the afternoon....

Seriously though... I have a question for you all. Does anyone here carry at 1 or 2 o'clock IWB? I try carrying at 3 o'clock but it catches on things, feels kinda weird, and isn't the best place when you have kids zooming around you all the time. I normally carry at 1 maybe 2. Mostly at 1, just right of my last belt buckle, because it's comfy there minus a couple things. Bending over has to be negotiated. And today I found that riding a bike and carrying at 1 o'clock tends to, well, smash "them" from time to time.

BUT beyond the negitives, I've found that it's easier to conceal in this position and it's the most secure and comfortable (IMHO). I carry at 3 when I open carry but for a while I haven't OC'ed because my holster isn't the greatest in the world. I carry a Baby Eagle 90% of the time and there's not much out there in the world of holsters for it.

This is what I have:

And this is how it looks with not shirt and with a shirt:

I know it prints from the side, but I don't worry about it too much. If I do worry about it, I tuck it to the side like in the second picture and it stops printing. I wear mostly baggy shirts so it's easy enough concealed.

So I'm asking you guys if you all carry this way too when you CC? Or is there another way that might be more comfy?

 

[ATM]

I don't like to smash "them" at any time of the day

I would probably try small of back carry if I went IWB.

 

[obijohn]

i do know that rhino carries this way and finds it comfortable enough. i can't get comfortable with any substantial pistol, but i am working with this position.

appendix carry is very efficient. the draw stroke is fast and positive. retention is A+. if you can make this carry position work for you, do so.

 

[NateIU10]

Carry like that every time I carry IWB. When I sit I have to occasionally adjust, but it just looks like I'm just scratching myself

 

[SavageEagle]

appendix carry is very efficient. the draw stroke is fast and positive. retention is A+. if you can make this carry position work for you, do so.

What is appendix carry?

Carry like that every time I carry IWB. When I sit I have to occasionally adjust, but it just looks like I'm just scratching myself

Yea, I do that too. The "pinching" is very not cool!

 

[NateIU10]

What is appendix carry?



Yea, I do that too. The "pinching" is very not cool!

Your appendix is on the lower right side of your stomach above your hip, so some people refer to carrying in the front right of a waist-band appendix carry.

 

[SavageEagle]

Aint that what I'm doing? Or am I just tired and need to go to bed?

 

[ATM]

Aint that what I'm doing? Or am I just tired and need to go to bed?

Yes, I believe obijohn was just giving positive feedback for this carry position if you can make it work.

 

[SavageEagle]

LOL ok yea, I need sleep. And I have to be up in oh 7 hours to go job hunting... yeehaw.

Yea, I can make it work. Especially when I carry my little P11 KelTec. It's too easy to conceal. I need a good holster for both of them though. That'll just have to wait for now as I'm currently trying to come up with money to fix my dirt bike. Gotta have a way to get around first!

 

[indyjoe]

The only time I've done that is with the Pager Pal. Although, I typically found it more comfortable at 10-11 o'clock. This puts the pistol grip an inch or more below the belt and the pistol bends with the leg. This wasn't bad with a Kel Tec P11.

 

[melensdad]

Have you tried 4 o'clock carry? I use an IWB and find that I carry most comfortably on the strong side back, but not middle of the back. Even if I us an OWB "SOB" holster I find that I move it slightly to my right side into the 5 or 4 o'clock positions. I don't find this position problematic when driving, although sometimes I have to adjust the butt of the gun sometimes.

You may also want to try a holster that has 2 belt clips instead of 1, I find they disperse the weight of the gun more evenly and that helps keep the gun in a better position for concealment, tucking in into the body better.

 

[shooter521]

SavageEagle:

A good holster designed for appendix carry will make a world of difference in terms of comfort, stability and concealability. As will carrying a smaller/lighter gun (i.e. the Kel-Tec, rather than the Baby Eagle).

Good luck!

 

[SavageEagle]

Hey I appreciate the help guys!

Melensdad, I've considered 4-5 oclock, but I've yet to try it out. SHould the grip be facing the left or right? Or does it depend on how it's easier to grab? Both ways seem sort of akward. Maybe it's just something that needs practice?

Yea, I need some different holster for sure, this is just what i'm stuck with. It sure won't stay still when I OC but it works, kinda. LOL

Shooter, I'd carry the KelTec but I don't trust it. I mostly leave it at home for home defense. I mainly carry the Baby Eagle because It took me all summer through an appeals process to purchase! haha Seriously though, I carry the Eagle because I trust my life with it 100%. It is a bit bulky, but I don't mind letting it show. As stated above tho, I do need a new holster for it. And the P11.

 

[finity]

I completely agree. Appendix-IWB is the easiest to conceal, while being the most accessible, position I've found.

I just don't see SOB or 4-5 o'clock positions as being convenient, let alone the safety aspect. I can't see how you draw without sweeping your entire midsection. Kind of like an extreme form of crossdraw.

 

[Bubbajms]

Savage, keep the grip pointed in whatever way you'd normally hold your handgun.

Start out with the firearm extended, as if you were going to shoot. Drop it to your side, and you'll generally find the barrel going the same way that your leg does. As you move your arm around backwards, you'll feel the handgun start to kinda tilt, and that's the cant that everybody is always talking about. The further around your back the handgun goes, the more cant you'll generally need..

If I'm OWB, I carry at 3 o'clock with either a straight drop holster or a slightly canted holster. If I'm IWB, I carry about 3.30 or 4 o'clock with about 10/15 degree cant.

 

[Denny347]

This is how I carry off-duty 99% of the time. I have been doing so for 11 years and I like it. Conceals well, and comfortable.

 

[SavageEagle]

Savage, keep the grip pointed in whatever way you'd normally hold your handgun.

Start out with the firearm extended, as if you were going to shoot. Drop it to your side, and you'll generally find the barrel going the same way that your leg does. As you move your arm around backwards, you'll feel the handgun start to kinda tilt, and that's the cant that everybody is always talking about. The further around your back the handgun goes, the more cant you'll generally need..

If I'm OWB, I carry at 3 o'clock with either a straight drop holster or a slightly canted holster. If I'm IWB, I carry about 3.30 or 4 o'clock with about 10/15 degree cant.

Ok, I tried this and while it's not as uncomfortable as I thought, it is a bit hard to sit. Kinda like a big pointy wallet... Yea, I think I'll stick with the 1-2 O'clock position.

This is how I carry off-duty 99% of the time. I have been doing so for 11 years and I like it. Conceals well, and comfortable.

Doesn't the barrel tend to, you know, get in the way? All jokes aside, I tried putting the clip on the left side of my last belt loop and it's not so bad. And it doesn't tend to lean to the right exposing the grip so much. AND when I sit down it sort of contours with my stomach a little better just under my ribcage. I do wish my holster sat a little lower like yours. Half of my pistol sticks out. If it just sat maybe an inch lower I would still find good, quick grip on the grip and it wouldn't be so noticeable. But then again, I don't mind it printing so much and I do OC alot. More of an educational thing for the sheeple to show them we are out there and are normal (if there is such a thing) just like them. I think I'll keep it at 12-1 O'clock actually unless OC'ing at which it will stay 2-3 o'clock.

 

[NateIU10]

I also forgot to mention that I carry a Glock 19 this way.

 

[rhino]

Appendix carry (i.e. in the one to two o'clock or ten to eleven o'clock position) is indeed a viable way to carry IWB.

Look were people who carry without holsters normally stash their pistola in their waistband: either in appendix position or in the small of their back.

A historical note is that the late Bruce Nelson, who created designs for some of the best carry holsters ever, placed his original Summer Special in the appendix position when he carried with it. He intended for it to be carried that way, but a lot of people found they liked it better on the side or behind their hip over time. The Summer Special is probably the most copied IWB design ever. Some notable copies include the Sparks Summer Special (licensed) and the Blade-Tech IWB holster.

Some makers are making holsters specifically for appendix carry. Comp-Tac is one. Such designs will have the butt of the gun canted the opposite direction of a strong side holster, just like an IWB crossdraw holster. In fact, crossdraw IWB holsters work great for appendix carry, maybe even better than they do for crossdraw. The other option is vertical (i.e. no cant), which works better for some.

Smaller guns work better for a lot of people. One thing for squishy people like me is that you need a really, really secure holster if you're carrying a medium or full size pistol. If the gun is butt heavy with a short slide, a less than secure holster will flop over your belt when you bend over. This is less of an issue for hard-bodied people whose holster is braced against something solid on the inside when they cinch their belt tightly.

 

[Denny347]

Carrying this way allows you to easily draw while seated. Also, it would be a rare day that you printed in this position. I also feel more secure that the pistol is in front of me at all times. On our last firearms in service (2 x's a year) we concentrated on our off-duty carry for a change. We qualified with our duty gear of course but after that, we spent the rest of the day shooting our tactical courses with our off-duty rig. I carried at the 12:30 the entire time and even did well in a timed speed shoot/reload course. That was the first time a shot so much from this carry position. It's quite safe and effective. If I don't want to wear a belt, I'll just throw my G27 in a FIST clip holster and clip it in the 12:30 postition. There will be some drooping of the belt line but it's minimal. However, I cannot do that with my P7. It is "butt heavy" to the point that it will cant outward making it impractical to carry. I have to have a stiff belt and my Raven ACR. It's the only holster that I've found that keeps the P7 from canting outward. I love it so much I'm going to buy one for my G27 and maybe my G23.