Thursday, December 6, 2007

Concealed Means Concealed...

It's never more important to heed the advice in the title than in a GFW state like the Volksrepublik of MA. If one's "cover" is blown while carrying a concealed weapon in MA, one runs the risk of being on the wrong end of a "man with a gun" call, but even losing one's license to own firearms entirely. Legalities aside, here's my brief primer on three popular methods of carrying a firearm concealed...




First option: Inside the WaistBand, abbreviated IWB. One of the most popular methods of carrying a concealed firearm, in my experience it's the best way to carry a large(r), more powerful firearm.


First off, the equipment:




Sidearm: Smith & Wesson Model SW99C (compact) 9mm. 10+1 rounds of 9mm +P+ JHP goodness. 13 rounds in the back-up magazine. (Side note: S&W took a page out of Glock's book and made it so the full-size mags will fit & function in the compact guns). 24 rounds of 9mm total.

(One of these days I'm going to get the magazine grip extender that goes over the magazine.)


Holster: Crossbreed "tuckable" holster - it's similar to the more recognizable Comp-Tac in that you can tuck a shirt in over the holster and still have it mostly concealed. Yes, the two belt clips are visible, but I can vouch that it goes unnoticed even in sheep-land.

Here it is in place:




(Camera strap and all. Oops)

And, finally, hidden from view:




(Side note: It is freakin' hard to get a good shot of yourself in a mirror. I hadn't factored this into the equation...)

In any case, the gun is well-hidden using a vest, sweater, sports coat, or, in this case, oversized flannel. One big thing to be mindful of is reaching over one's head - as your arms raise, so does your cover garment. Here's where being "average" size comes in real handy - buy a size larger than you normally need, or get a "tall" sized shirt to help alleviate this problem. You also run the risk of printing (showing the outline of your gun or part of your gun) when sitting down and leaning forward (like in a booth at McDonald's).




Next option: The ankle holster.

Ankle-carry is best for a back-up weapon. It's the method of carry that puts the gun the furthest from your hands and requires the most contortion to reach, as well as the most practice to perfect your draw. That said, it still beats the hell out of a gun left at home... I used to carry my 360PD in an ankle holster in the spring & fall when it was too warm for a cover garment but not warm enough to bust out the cargo shorts (larger pockets = less printing).

Again, equipment first:




Sidearm: Smith & Wesson 360 PD .357 Magnum. 5 rounds of 125 grain JHP Magnum goodness. Six rounds back-up in a Bianchi speed strip. 11 rounds total. Less than half the ammo of the SW99, but at half the weight.

Holster: Ankle holster by GunGear (picked up on eBay before they went all PSH). Very comfortable, even for longer periods of time (6+ hours). The 12 ounce weight of the 360PD really comes in handy carrying in this method.

Here it is in place:




And, finally, hidden away:




Pretty well hidden, I'd say. One of the advantages to this method of carry is that the holster holds the gun very securely. Now, I wouldn't recommend jogging with it in place, but then again, I wouldn't recommend jogging in general... *g*




Last method: Pocket carry.

The most obvious disadvantage of this method is that you're limited to small guns - small size, small caliber, and small capacity. Less obvious is that weight is a factor - the 21 ounce lightweight polymer-framed gun that fits comfortably on your belt will feel like a friggin' boulder in your pocket. If it will fit at all...

The equipment:




Sidearm: Kel-Tec P3AT in .380 ACP caliber. 6+1 rounds of marginal 95 grain JHP .380 ACP. Back-up magazine with another 6 rounds. 13 rounds total. Only two rounds more than the j-frame, and that's 13 rounds of .380 ACP versus 11 rounds of .357 Magnum...

Holster: In this case, cheap works just fine. This holster is a nylon Uncle Mike's #1 that I got from MidwayUSA for $8. Works fine.

In place:




And hidden:




Unless the pants are extremely tight, printing is a minimum. Given that folks carry a lot of stuff in their front pockets, it's not unusual to see stuff making shapes there, either. Could be a gun. Could be a cell phone. Here's where living in GFW-land has its advantages: Even if someone did see a shape in my pocket, chances are overwhelming that they would NEVER think it to be a firearm...

Drawing from a pocket holster takes a lot of practice. Make sure you're in an area with no breakables the first few times you practice, because if you're anything like me you're going to launch the holster a time or two before you get the hang of it... *g*



Well, that's enough for now. Hope this was (remotely) interesting and/or informative!

22 comments:

Sevesteen said...

I'm glad open carry is legal in Ohio, Although I don't do it intentionally, I would hate to have an "oops" cause legal problems.

Comp-Tac clips will work on the Crossbreed, and their C clips are stable but less visible. I carried an XD subcompact in a Crossbreed until recently when I switched to a similar Comp-Tac Minotaur when I stepped on my empty Crossbreed and broke it.

If you don't wear your pants tight, a J-Frame works fine as a pocket gun. Some pockets are too shallow, but my mother-in-law has been willing to add a bit of material for me to those.


The Desantis Nemesis (available at some gun shops as well as online) and the Mika pocket holsters are better choices than the Uncle Mike's. Both minimize printing and stay put in the pocket better. The Desantis looks better, but I prefer the Mika by a hair. I don't like the Uncle Mike's pocket holsters. They don't help concealment at all, and they don't stay put in the pocket on the draw all that well. I'd modified my Uncle Mike's to add some stuffing to the tail. Without the stuffing, my P3AT looked like I had a tiny little gun in my pocket when I was sitting. The stuffing made it look like I had a wallet.

JD said...

Good post, thanks for the pointers. I just got an IWB holster for my .380 Makarov and will be doing some testing to see how to carry it. Until I get that right I think I will take advantage of the winter coats big pockets and start to carry that way especially after the news yesterday about the mall shooting. Seems like every day there is a new reason to start carrying. . . .

Anonymous said...

Consider also something small like NAA Guardian 380 that will fit in your back pocket.

With a laser block (fake or real) it looks like a wallet in your pocket.

Rustmeister said...

I've been considering an ankle holster as an alternative to the IWB I use now.

How much trouble is it to re-cover the holster after your pant leg rides up while sitting down?

Do I need to flash back to my hippie days and wear bell-bottoms?

Teresa said...

Or you could carry a purse... *grin*... Hey! Don't look at me like that - Jack Bauer carries a "man purse". LOL.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful post. Extremely interesting.

On a side note, the pocket carry reminded me of the punch line, "Baby are you glad to see me or is that just a pistol in your pocket?"

breda said...

this is a great post! Thank you, I've always wondered how an ankle holster worked and how it would look. Plus, as bonus, more mustache photos! =)

Jay G said...

sevesteen,

I actually had pictures of my S&W model 38 set up for pocket carry and IWB, but left it out for the sake of brevity (plus it was getting late...)

I guess I've been lucky with the Uncle Mike's pocket holsters - I've got one for the P3AT and one for the model 38, and they both work fine...

jd,

Interestingly enough, a Makarov in .380 ACP was my very first carry gun. I found it to be too heavy for IWB as a general rule, although I was using a cheapo "one size fits none" holster for it...

IMHO, a j-frame Smith is a better option - the model 637 is rated for +P ammo, weighs about half of what the Mak does, and while the Mak has 4 more rounds, it's .380 ACP vs. .38 special +P...

jon,

I've carried the P3AT in my back pocket before, but only in pants that have a snap closure - I'm too paranoid about it popping out!

rustmeister,

You develop a system pretty quick of nonchalantly running your other leg up and over to pull the pant leg down. It's not too bad, but you do have to be somewhat careful when sitting down.

teresa,

Uh, no "man purse" for this guy. Besides, there's a great deal of question as to whether "off the body" methods of carry qualify as under one's "direct control" under MA gun laws. I don't know that anyone's ever been prosecuted for it, but

a) I don't want to be the test case; and
b) Even if you didn't get prosecuted, odds are pretty good that you'd be declared "unsuitable" at your next LTC renewal based on it...

buck,

Heh. And thanks. I was wondering if I was just boring people to tears... ;)

breda,

Ankle carry is great for a back-up weapon, but as I mentioned, not the greatest if it's your only weapon - it is difficult to draw in any situation, even when the adrenaline's not pumping...

And the 'stach says thanks! ;)

doubletrouble said...

J-

I think Breda has a thing for your "nose fuzzies".

heh.

Clint said...

For "tuckable" IWB holsters, High Noon makes a holster called the "Split Decision" that allows one to tuck their shirt in leaving only the belt clip showing. I have been quite happy with both I have owned, one for the Glock 36, the other for the CZ P-01 and Compacts.

Anonymous said...

Jay... you're a southpaw? Who knew?

Interesting post. thanks.

Jay G said...

Ross,

Nope. Picture taken in mirror. I'm a rightie in more than just my political leanings... *g*

RW said...

Thing that stood out to me (in the photographical sense); dude, the flat waist. You look nothing like the guy I used to chat with at Pathfinder. No way - none - that I could post a side view pic & there be nothing but air above my belt buckle.

Teresa said...

You know the purse was a bit of ribbing... As you've never carried one, may I say that it is, in general, the "black hole of calcutta". Why one would carry any weapon in a purse is beyond me - Unless you wanted to use your purse to slug the person accosting you - extra weight. *grin*

I know they make special purses with pistol holders - you still have to get to it and take it out... doesn't work so well. You'd be better off taking a martial arts class and trying to at least get in one good jab.

Anonymous said...

Glad I live in Virginia. I carry my Glock or 1911 in a fobus paddle holster clipped to my belt. I pull my shirt or coat over it and don't worry about it.

But then this being Virginia, I can open carry with no trouble at all. People usually don't even give you a second glance.

In general, I find people are extremely unobservant. That is, they probably wouldn't notice if I was carrying a severed head around. I'm amazed that in general, people just don't notice things.

Anonymous said...

Nice post. There are surprisingly few articles on line about how to actually carry concealed.

I would wonder why you chose the wheel-gun for the ankle holster though. Your Kel-tec would be much flatter. If it's a caliber issue, check out their PF-9 model.

Jay G said...

Ben,

It's pretty simple - when I got the ankle holster, I didn't have the P3AT.

And since the P3AT is small enough to fit comfortably in a back pocket, there's no need to drop the $$$ on another ankle holster, IMHO...

Anonymous said...

Jay,

Thanks for the post, excellent info!

I've been looking at the crossbreed too for a 5" 1911 government.

What is you opinion of the crossbreed after having it for some time now.

How has it held up?

Is the kydex cracking?

Has the leather held up well?

Have any of the fasteners come loose?

Any additional detail on the crossbreed in use in MA would help me make a decision.

Best regards,
1894C

Jay G said...

I've been very pleased with the CrossBreed. Other than swapping out the clips (I found the fully enclosed belt clips moved around less) and tightening the fasteners before each use, it has required literally no maintenance - the leather is fine (and comfortable), the Kydex holds the gun tight but keeps it accessible.

I'm a big fan. I'm going to get one for a j-frame, too, that's how much I like 'em...

Anonymous said...

Thanks!

I think I'll try one.

"see" you around Bruce's or Tam's blogs.

1894C

MD Schmidt said...

Nice post! I know you don't like jogging, but have you ever come across a good method for carrying a compact semi-auto while running? I've tried to make my own holster out of some high density foam and a regular fanny pack. It is held in place really well, but it's hard to draw. At this point, I'd rather just buy something.

Thanks again for the great post.

Jay G said...

MD,

I really don't have any experience with carrying any type of firearm while exercising. I've carried my S&W 360 j-frame in an ankle holster while walking the kids in a stroller. Once. And never again.

I would imagine that a small semi-auto like a Kel-Tec P3AT would do fine in a fanny pack; I've got an LL Bean fanny pack that I've tossed my P3AT in and it holds fine - you'd be best off putting the gun inside a pocket holster and then putting that in the fanny pack, IMHO.