Ankle carry only?

I don't think it will work for me to wear a ankle holster,I lose my breath when I been over to tie my shoes..

All but the lightest of handguns weigh at least 16 oz when loaded. Try wearing a 1 lb ankle weight on ONE ankle for a day. There are many carry options that are far superior to ankle carry.
Unable to draw when running, dropping your head when drawing, limiting handguns to the smallest size able to conceal In a cuff, IMHO makes ankle carry a last ditch proposition.

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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Well, if you can faint heart attack convincenly and collapse w/o hurting yourself I think ankle carry only is a fine choice.

tactikel said:

All but the lightest of handguns weigh at least 16 oz when loaded. Try wearing a 1 lb ankle weight on ONE ankle for a day. There are many carry options that are far superior to ankle carry.
Unable to draw when running, dropping your head when drawing, limiting handguns to the smallest size able to conceal In a cuff, IMHO makes ankle carry a last ditch proposition.

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12 oz for a Ruger LCP,and 13 oz for a S&W 340 PD LOADED weight for both.

Easy to wear anywhere on the body and not even noted in an ankle rig after the first day.

Until I get new knees kneeling to draw would be out of the question.

rpenmanparker said:

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.

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Take an ankle weight equal to the gun fully loaded and put in on one of your legs and start walking around, or trying to run. The imbalance feels very awkward to say the least.

George P said:

Take an ankle weight equal to the gun fully loaded and put in on one of your legs and start walking around, or trying to run. The imbalance feels very awkward to say the least.

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Must disagree.

Wore an ankle rig for 26 of my years as an LEO.

From a High Standard o/u derringer in .22 magnum.

To a Glock 27 with 11 rounds in a Alessi rig.

Never lost one and did a few foot chases [ most cops try to use the car ].

I still wear one as a BUG,and never had an issue.

AND btw = I have 2 total knee replacements now.

Choctaw said:

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.

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Not for me, but I'm also fit. Safariland rigs are rigid and sit perfectly there. I'll admit it is much easier in a Tahoe than it was in a Crown Vic

I ankle carry at church and when I have banking to do. I carry a Ruger LC9 on my inside left ankle and find it very easy to draw from a seated position. I also wear a Taurus 709 slim in a pancake slide on my right hip either open or under a light jacket. I find each have pros and cons. As with everything there is no "one size fits all". You have to try several different carry options and settle for what works best...for you.

I ankle carry when I'm not supposed to carry such as at my place of employment. It may be slow but faster than running to my car.

george29 said:

I ankle carry when I'm not supposed to carry such as at my place of employment. It may be slow but faster than running to my car.

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I think that is a very overlooked point here. Not everyone wears normal pants with a belt and pockets at work. Kinda hard to carry inside or outside waistband when what you have to wear doesn't include a belt but just a drawstring.

Balrog said:

I think that is a very overlooked point here. Not everyone wears normal pants with a belt and pockets at work. Kinda hard to carry inside or outside waistband when what you have to wear doesn't include a belt but just a drawstring.

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That was true at one time, but it hasn't been true for a while now. Smartcarry isn't new, but for just about anyone would be much easier and faster to draw than an ankle gun while they're wearing scrubs, yoga pants, or similar. It also conceals better too, in the sense that if you need to reach under a desk to plug a computer in you're not going to get made.

Jeff White said:

Have you ever tried it sitting behind the wheel with the seatbelt fastened?

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Try one of the Safariland kydex paddles with the thumb lever (I can't recall the model off the top of my head). I sit belted in a Subaru wagon and draw a G-34 with ease. No way I'm drawing any ankle holster faster than that Safariland.

Stay safe!

I think ankle carry should be used in 2 instances, deep concealment and BUG. If neither applies than it's not really the optimum method.

JeffG said:

If you go to a church that includes "Kumbaya" hugs as regular practice, the little old lady that feels your pistol on your belt, is NOT going to be quiet about it.

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True many times, but. . . the last three little old ladies to give me a hug at church each bumped the Combat Commander under my jacket, and smiled. One had just gotten her CWP after I taught her to shoot, the other two were wife and daughter of a friend I'd taught to shoot.

I remember back in the late 70's, chasing a shoplifter though a parking lot and seeing my S&W Mod.36 go sliding across the parking lot because it fell out of it's holster.

Haven't used a ankle holster since!

Besides, they're just too darn hard to access!

Bo writes:

I remember back in the late 70's, chasing a shoplifter though a parking lot and seeing my S&W Mod.36 go sliding across the parking lot because it fell out of it's holster.

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Yep. Seen that. My partner and I were chasing a mental patient through a hospital corridor when his (my partner's, not the patient's!) ankle gun broke loose and began skipping down the hallway, bouncing off the walls like a pinball ball. He was ahead of me, so I grabbed the gun and stuffed it in my pocket.

My gun, a lighter model in a better holster, never budged.

I wore one on the inside of my left ankle as a duty backup for a bit in the early 1990’s. I used a rear-pocket holster and a 640 for years, but it started to irritate my nerve causing my left leg to fall asleep so I switched.

One night I clicked my ankle with it chasing a burglary suspect full speed. I almost fell headlong onto the street and even with my (rather thin) Army boots on it bruised my right ankle (that hit the gun) and I got a bit of a rug burn from the strap as the holster twisted on my left. ... and yes the crook got away.

I went to a different carry method again (holster under my right arm attached to my vest) and then a different gun (FEG PPK knock-off) because it was thinner than the 640.

(I later traded the 640 and some $$ for two M-19’s)

No ankle holsters for me.

Stay safe!