Threat Management - Appendix Carry
One of the many problems with a defensive gunfight is that the threat generally starts the event and then you, as the defender, have to catch up. You start out reacting and then have to be fast enough to end up as the leader, controlling the situation. This means you must be able to get your gun out and running at the fastest possible speed (and you still must instantly get out of the way of all the bullets that the threat intends to use against you). In most places, you would have your gun concealed, meaning you will have to get your covering garment out of the way to access your firearm. How you do that and where your gun is located on your body will go a long way toward determining just how fast you can get into the fight.
An examination of a few popular carry positions is in order. Shoulder holsters hold the firearm under the opposite arm of your strong side, not dissimilar to a crossdraw holster which would be on your belt. In both instances, you'd reach across your body, grab your gun, then swing it back into alignment with the target. Not particularly fast as the draw stroke requires a lot of movement, but shoulder holsters can be useful in some instances, for example the "City Slicker from K. L. Null is a fine way to carry a Smith & Wesson J-frame revolver as a backup gun or in situations when it is extremely difficult to conceal a primary larger firearm. Using this odd but incredibly well-designed little shoulder holster, at least you'd have a gun.
Another and probably most-used position to carry a gun is just behind the strong side hip, with the holster either attached to the belt and outside the waistband or inside the waistband where the pants cover most of the holster. To get the firearm, you have to sweep aside your covering garment - or pull out your shirt tail if using a holster that allows you to tuck your shirt over the gun - and then draw the gun from its holster. Note when performing this action how your shoulder must rotate so your arm can move backward and into position, a slight disadvantage regarding a fast draw. Also, many people will bend a bit forward to facilitate the draw. That's fine for an increase in speed, but all that movement, just like drawing from a shoulder holster, will alert the threat that you are going for your gun, necessitating yet even more quickness on your part.
I will mention ankle holsters only because I do know a few people who, for reasons I don't comprehend, carry their primary self-defense firearm using this method. Ankle holsters are for secondary weapons. Draw speed is dismally slow. If you spend your entire day in a motor vehicle, the ankle holster may have some merit. Otherwise, I'd not recommend it unless you have the ability to get out of the line of fire by hopping on one leg while lifting your other leg into position to get your gun out.
While all the mentioned carry positions are useful, some more than others, I have found that the appendix carry method is so much faster than any other means of drawing and firing a handgun that anyone who is serious about personal defense should give it strong consideration. I was introduced to appendix carry through the writings of Gabe Suarez and I give him full credit for getting me to see that this carry method is superior to all others. Appendix carry is done by procuring a holster that will carry the firearm in front of your strong side hip. The gun will ride a few inches away from your belt buckle, generally inside your waistband. This carry method is not for everyone, body type is a factor as one who is not at a reasonable weight for height may have trouble carrying in this position. And, yes, this carry method means that the gun will be pointed at your body parts, so if you are one who thinks that guns go off by themselves, or if you can't control your trigger finger, then you will end up being too nervous about your own pistol attacking you to give appendix carry any credence.
Appendix carry does require either an untucked shirt, a vest, a jacket or some other concealment garment that will cover the front of your body. All of these can be lifted by the weak hand when drawing or hooked by the thumb of the strong hand when drawing. The shoulders do not have to rotate, your arms don't swing from a natural forward position. Once your gun is out, it can instantly be turned to the target and fired. A caution with this method of firing, where you will be indexing your strong side arm against your ribs, you have to be sure to keep your weak arm out of the way of your own gun's muzzle. The best method is to practice keeping your weak arm against your chest - which, if you use your weak hand to lift your concealing garment, your arm will end up on your chest anyway. This solves the problem.
Until you try appendix carry, you really will not understand just how fast it is. I cannot stress how much I recommend this carry method, nor can I adequately describe the speed at which you can get your gun running. And, you will be just as fast even when you are sprinting out of the threat's line of fire. Please consider appendix carry. It can help save your life. Personally, I use an "Ehud" kydex appendix carry holster made by Dale Fricke and available at One Source Tactical. Again, appendix carry gets my highest recommendation. Try it. Winning the fight means being fast. If you use the appendix carry method, you will be fast. Very fast.
An examination of a few popular carry positions is in order. Shoulder holsters hold the firearm under the opposite arm of your strong side, not dissimilar to a crossdraw holster which would be on your belt. In both instances, you'd reach across your body, grab your gun, then swing it back into alignment with the target. Not particularly fast as the draw stroke requires a lot of movement, but shoulder holsters can be useful in some instances, for example the "City Slicker from K. L. Null is a fine way to carry a Smith & Wesson J-frame revolver as a backup gun or in situations when it is extremely difficult to conceal a primary larger firearm. Using this odd but incredibly well-designed little shoulder holster, at least you'd have a gun.
Another and probably most-used position to carry a gun is just behind the strong side hip, with the holster either attached to the belt and outside the waistband or inside the waistband where the pants cover most of the holster. To get the firearm, you have to sweep aside your covering garment - or pull out your shirt tail if using a holster that allows you to tuck your shirt over the gun - and then draw the gun from its holster. Note when performing this action how your shoulder must rotate so your arm can move backward and into position, a slight disadvantage regarding a fast draw. Also, many people will bend a bit forward to facilitate the draw. That's fine for an increase in speed, but all that movement, just like drawing from a shoulder holster, will alert the threat that you are going for your gun, necessitating yet even more quickness on your part.
I will mention ankle holsters only because I do know a few people who, for reasons I don't comprehend, carry their primary self-defense firearm using this method. Ankle holsters are for secondary weapons. Draw speed is dismally slow. If you spend your entire day in a motor vehicle, the ankle holster may have some merit. Otherwise, I'd not recommend it unless you have the ability to get out of the line of fire by hopping on one leg while lifting your other leg into position to get your gun out.
While all the mentioned carry positions are useful, some more than others, I have found that the appendix carry method is so much faster than any other means of drawing and firing a handgun that anyone who is serious about personal defense should give it strong consideration. I was introduced to appendix carry through the writings of Gabe Suarez and I give him full credit for getting me to see that this carry method is superior to all others. Appendix carry is done by procuring a holster that will carry the firearm in front of your strong side hip. The gun will ride a few inches away from your belt buckle, generally inside your waistband. This carry method is not for everyone, body type is a factor as one who is not at a reasonable weight for height may have trouble carrying in this position. And, yes, this carry method means that the gun will be pointed at your body parts, so if you are one who thinks that guns go off by themselves, or if you can't control your trigger finger, then you will end up being too nervous about your own pistol attacking you to give appendix carry any credence.
Appendix carry does require either an untucked shirt, a vest, a jacket or some other concealment garment that will cover the front of your body. All of these can be lifted by the weak hand when drawing or hooked by the thumb of the strong hand when drawing. The shoulders do not have to rotate, your arms don't swing from a natural forward position. Once your gun is out, it can instantly be turned to the target and fired. A caution with this method of firing, where you will be indexing your strong side arm against your ribs, you have to be sure to keep your weak arm out of the way of your own gun's muzzle. The best method is to practice keeping your weak arm against your chest - which, if you use your weak hand to lift your concealing garment, your arm will end up on your chest anyway. This solves the problem.
Until you try appendix carry, you really will not understand just how fast it is. I cannot stress how much I recommend this carry method, nor can I adequately describe the speed at which you can get your gun running. And, you will be just as fast even when you are sprinting out of the threat's line of fire. Please consider appendix carry. It can help save your life. Personally, I use an "Ehud" kydex appendix carry holster made by Dale Fricke and available at One Source Tactical. Again, appendix carry gets my highest recommendation. Try it. Winning the fight means being fast. If you use the appendix carry method, you will be fast. Very fast.
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