Ankle carry only?

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rpenmanparker

rpenmanparker

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I know ankle carry for men and women wearing slacks is popular as a back up strategy but what about as the sole carry method? Sure, drawing from that location isn’t going to be smooth or fast, but is it reasonable? It wouldn’t protect one against all threats, but would it reduce your risk from attack enough make sense? Just to be clear, I don’t currently carry due to just not being willing to adapt my wardrobe to the task. Your thoughts?
 
Ankle carry has access issues. One of the first things that you should do if you're attacked is to move away. Regardless of which theory you like as to why you move, most everyone agrees that just standing in one place while you're attacked is a bad decision. Ankle holsters are very difficult to draw from while you're moving.

rpenmanparker said:
It wouldn’t protect one against all threats, but would it reduce your risk from attack enough make sense?
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Just a tangential point - carrying a concealed gun doesn't protect you, reduce the risk of being attacked or reduce the risk of the results of an attack. All it does is give you a better tool to fight back.
 
I think it is a poor carry option. it is the furthest location where your gun can be away from your hand but still be attached to your body, it can't be accessed quickly or discreetly, it isn't very feasible when driving a vehicle, and it is difficult or impossible to observe the known or suspected threat when accessing the handgun.
 
FL-NC said:
it can't be accessed quickly or discreetly, it isn't very feasible when driving a vehicle,
Click to expand...

Actually if you carry on the inside of your ankle it’s an easier draw then strong side waist band carry. Drawing while seated in a vehicle is the one area where ankle carry might be preferable. I trained to draw my bug from my ankle instead of my primary weapon on my hip while seated behind the wheel of my squad car.
 
Telekinesis said:
Ankle carry has access issues. One of the first things that you should do if you're attacked is to move away. Regardless of which theory you like as to why you move, most everyone agrees that just standing in one place while you're attacked is a bad decision. Ankle holsters are very difficult to draw from while you're moving.

Just a tangential point - carrying a concealed gun doesn't protect you, reduce the risk of being attacked or reduce the risk of the results of an attack. All it does is give you a better tool to fight back.
Click to expand...
When I said “reduce your risk FROM attack”, I didn’t mean reduce your risk OF attack. They are different things. Any carried gun will reduce your risk from an attack some amount. That is what a better tool can do for you. No concealed gun can reduce your risk of attack no matter where worn.
 
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As an older (read fat) male wearing normal pants, Ankle carry is out of the question, even as a backup. presuming I could kneel fast enough, I just don't see the speed of drawing from that position unless I was behind cover and, in that case, any carry method would be just as good. I prefer pocket carry, shoulder holster or from an inside (or outside) jacket pocket. I would (and do) carry a fanny pack over ankle carry. JMHO.
 
I do not recommend ankle carry for a primary handgun unless there are no other feasible options. That being said, I ankle carry a PPS 4 days a week. I know full well that if I have to access it, draw will be slow and possibly difficult. But a gun on the ankle beats no gun every time.
 
I did ankle carry alone for a while. It was easy to conceal and easy to carry. I found the draw to be very fast in practice. I do not kneel to draw. I raise my knee so the gun is almost at thigh height (just above the other knee). From here, the draw is easier than drawing from the waistband which is too high (fastdraw uses leg-height rigs). One of the advantages of drawing from the ankle is you can push the holster down at the same time you pull the gun up. I have totally flat abs and good balance. Ankle carry also has good but not great accessibility when seated in the car.

The main reason I quit carrying there exclusively was the idea that it forces one to either draw or run. I'd rather have more options. My mentality earlier was "rather have and not need." As long as I had something, that was good enough. The secondary reason I stopped ankle-alone was because it limits the kind of gun that is practical.
 
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A family member utilizes ankle carry, and it is quite noticeable.
rpenmanparker said:
I know ankle carry for men and women wearing slacks is popular as a back up strategy but what about as the sole carry method? Sure, drawing from that location isn’t going to be smooth or fast, but is it reasonable? It wouldn’t protect one against all threats, but would it reduce your risk from attack enough make sense? Just to be clear, I don’t currently carry due to just not being willing to adapt my wardrobe to the task. Your thoughts?
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If you cant conceal your weapon iwb, you need a different weapon. ..or holster...Imho
 
As a left-handed cop, I found either my sidearm or my BUG pretty much equally accessible (ETA: while driving.)

Off duty, I ankle-carried my snub as an only-gun for a very brief time. The selection of "pocket-able" guns (and pocket holsters) was much slimmer back then, and I had not warmed up to untucked-shirt attire. But, a few drills with my Undercover 38 from the ankle rig eventually drove me to pocket-carry it instead, albeit without a holster.

Now, I see no reason for ankle-carry for an only-gun. Pretty much any gun that I could conceal effectively on my ankle, and that would still be accessible without hindering what agility I have left, would also drop nicely in a pocket. To me, that's a preferable carry method, second only to some kind of belt carry.
 
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One possibility of ankle carry would be for you to act all "panicky" and drop your wallet/keys at your feet. The perp will very likely tell you to pick them up and hand them to him. When you do, use you torso to block his view as you bend over and pull your piece with one hand while the other with the wallet/keys runs "interference" and keep your gun under the wallet until you can get the barrel pointed at the perp.
It may not work but it is worth considering. ;)
 
rpenmanparker said:
Sure, drawing from that location isn’t going to be smooth or fast, but is it reasonable?
Click to expand...
No, it isn't. It is painfully slow, compromises your ability to track your adversary, and makes it impossible to seek cover

It wouldn’t protect one against all threats, but would it reduce your risk from attack enough make sense?
Click to expand...
No, it would not. At the distances that these things occur,combined with the speed at which you could access your gun would makes it's value moot

Jeff White said:
Actually if you carry on the inside of your ankle it’s an easier draw then strong side waist band carry. Drawing while seated in a vehicle is the one area where ankle carry might be preferable. I trained to draw my bug from my ankle instead of my primary weapon on my hip while seated behind the wheel of my squad car.
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I agree with this. It is about the only instance where ankle carry shines.

When seated in a squad car, you can drop your hand off the steering wheel and directly onto the butt of your gun. You don't even have to "clear" the pant leg as it has already ridden up when you sat down
 
Being in a business where the dress code is slacks and polo shirt, and a climate that precludes jackets 90% of the time, ankle carry is the only feasible option for me most of the time. I carry on the left, inner ankle and am right handed.

My technique is to bring the gun to me by placing my foot on a nearby object rather than dropping to the ground- a wall will serve if nothing else is at hand, but chairs and car tires work well. I have done speed drills of this method versus drawing from IWB from under a jacket (my carry option during the 11 days of winter we get) and it is a wash for me.

Ankle may not be ideal, and may not work at all for some folks, but its usually all Ive got, so I roll with it.:)
 
What a great bunch of replies. Thanks to all. Really I think all the salient points are being hit. Helping me a lot.

BTW we are talking about a Ruger LC9s with safety. I should have said that earlier.
 
JTHunter said:
One possibility of ankle carry would be for you to act all "panicky" and drop your wallet/keys at your feet. The perp will very likely tell you to pick them up and hand them to him. When you do, use you torso to block his view as you bend over and pull your piece with one hand while the other with the wallet/keys runs "interference" and keep your gun under the wallet until you can get the barrel pointed at the perp.
It may not work but it is worth considering. ;)
Click to expand...
Hail Mary move as primary plan.
 
Try it during all possible scenarios- grappling, ground fighting, while operating a motor vehicle with a clutch, when someone is on your "personal space" but not physically contacting you (yet), etc.
 
I actually carried my duty weapon on my ankle for many years (compact 9 or 40cal...my last ankle carried weapon was a Sig 229 in 40 cal)... I found it very do-able (and for many years after I retired out the inside of my left ankle still showed the marks...). At my current age, 70, I'd never consider it. Matter of fact I'd never recommend it to an armed citizen since it requires some serious effort. Yes, you can reach it instantly when seated - and while sitting at a table, if I chose, I actually could rest my hand on the weapon without the others at the table being any wiser... but you're significantly slower in most situations. The real advantage, if done properly - is that you appear un-armed... until you're not.

South Florida was an exciting place years ago (too exciting at times...) but I never found that carrying a 12 or 13 shot compact auto pistol to be any disadvantage at all. I will say, though that if I had to run - the sidearm was in my hand - not on my ankle... In my case every mode of carry depended on how I was dressed (you won't have a weapon on your ankle while wearing shorts...) and if I was wearing a coat and tie a waistband carry was the only way to go... Wearing only a short sleeved shirt and trousers though I found the ankle carry to be just right. Yes, it's slow to reach, yes, it takes a lot of getting used to... the real advantage is that you appear un-armed if there's an armed opponent in front of you - and not a particular threat.... I started out only carrying a five shot Chief's special on my ankle but learned through experience that if you were in any kind of a possible armed encounter - that you really needed much more firepower. Unlike an armed citizen - as a cop you're obligated to act, and you'd better have what it takes with you...

Glad I'm out of that world -and haven't carried a sidearm even once since I retired out in 1995....
 
I'll admit there may be some situations when ankle carry allows the easiest draw.
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Jeff White said:
Actually if you carry on the inside of your ankle it’s an easier draw then strong side waist band carry. Drawing while seated in a vehicle is the one area where ankle carry might be preferable. I trained to draw my bug from my ankle instead of my primary weapon on my hip while seated behind the wheel of my squad car.
Click to expand...

Yes sir. Especially when you are wearing a seat belt, the police bat belt and armor not to mention being confined by all the gee-whiz gadgets we have in our cars these days. Trying to draw strong hand waist is difficult.
 
lemaymiami said:
I actually carried my duty weapon on my ankle for many years (compact 9 or 40cal...my last ankle carried weapon was a Sig 229 in 40 cal)... I found it very do-able (and for many years after I retired out the inside of my left ankle still showed the marks...). At my current age, 70, I'd never consider it. Matter of fact I'd never recommend it to an armed citizen since it requires some serious effort. Yes, you can reach it instantly when seated - and while sitting at a table, if I chose, I actually could rest my hand on the weapon without the others at the table being any wiser... but you're significantly slower in most situations. The real advantage, if done properly - is that you appear un-armed... until you're not.

South Florida was an exciting place years ago (too exciting at times...) but I never found that carrying a 12 or 13 shot compact auto pistol to be any disadvantage at all. I will say, though that if I had to run - the sidearm was in my hand - not on my ankle... In my case every mode of carry depended on how I was dressed (you won't have a weapon on your ankle while wearing shorts...) and if I was wearing a coat and tie a waistband carry was the only way to go... Wearing only a short sleeved shirt and trousers though I found the ankle carry to be just right. Yes, it's slow to reach, yes, it takes a lot of getting used to... the real advantage is that you appear un-armed if there's an armed opponent in front of you - and not a particular threat.... I started out only carrying a five shot Chief's special on my ankle but learned through experience that if you were in any kind of a possible armed encounter - that you really needed much more firepower. Unlike an armed citizen - as a cop you're obligated to act, and you'd better have what it takes with you...

Glad I'm out of that world -and haven't carried a sidearm even once since I retired out in 1995....
Click to expand...
Thanks for sharing that real-world experience.
 
I ankle carry at times. My job has me sitting as much as 7 hours out of an 8 hour work day.
Sometimes I pocket carry. From my seated position, getting to my ankle holster strapped to the inside of my left ankle, would be much faster than a pocket while seated.
If I spent more time on my feet, I would opt for a different method.

Ankle carry is like everything else I think. It has its place.
 
Years ago I would sometimes carry my P3-AT in a PoliteSociety ankle holster during the summer when I was out in public.

It was not so much about ease-of-access or quickdraw as it was about availability & concealment.

Since discovering the MIC and also a good (for me) pocket holster, the PoliteSociety ankle holster has resided in my excess holsters storage bin.
 
If you're in a situation where you need a weapon, do you really want to bend down and put your face that close to an adversaries shoe or boot?
 
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