My Favorite Wintertime CC Method

My "heavy" leather motorcycle jacket has a pocket similar to that one that holds my Kahr CW9. I had a fleece hoodie that had a pocket that would hold my HK USP compact. It got lost in a move a few years ago and I haven't replaced it yet because Florida doesn't get that cold.

I love fleece myself. I pocket carry in my front pants pocket. When i carry a second gun. I'll tuck it in an inside pocket of my coat.

Metal frame service size auto-loader in a pancake at 4 o'clock storng side with a fleece vest as a cover garment. It's got the L.L. Bean casual wear vibe all over it, is super comfy, is easy to access, and blends in to my surroundings just fine.

Just make sure the holster will stay in the pocket when you draw the gun.

Are the malefactors out and about in freezing weather? I would think that, lazy as they are, they would prefer to stay indoors where it's warm.

Zendude said:

Just make sure the holster will stay in the pocket when you draw the gun.

Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly, how do you draw your gun from it's holster in there?

Not very easy to blade yourself and prepare for a discreet draw, and I'd also be concerned about the sturdiness of the pocket. Most fleece jackets I've seen have fairly flimsy pockets. Wouldn't want a gun sliding through to the floor.

Carry in the same place every time and train to defeat clothing layers if needed.

live in Colorado. The last winter I worked it started snowing in early October and the snow continued until mid June.

I worked outside at night and even though i didn't have to conceal it, I had to dress around my gun.

At work I wore a full set of long johns (Army waffle tops) and a Sweatshirt under my uniform and a light outer layer (coat). The idea was to only have one layer over the gun (my uniform jacket had a zipper on the side so I could have my gun outside the coat but the principle is the same.) The last year I worked I decided to put it to the test. Lightweight under layer, waffle tops, uniform pants and shirt, a sweater and a thinsulate beanie. It got down to minus twelve degrees fahrenheit before I had to put on a coat.

In retirement I keep the same principle. I use a light cover layer so I don't look odd keeping my jacket (usually a pull over fleece or a fleece vest) on indoors and wear the winter clothes under my clothes.

I carry in a vest pocket occasionally.
My lcp fits perfectly in my carhartt work vest. The velcro closure is perfect to hold the gun securely. The Techniclip also keeps the lcp securely pinned and accessible.
When I carry the gun without a holster, I don't chamber a round.

BTW
I recently ordered a concealed carry vest with built in holster. I'm anxious to see how it works out.

Yes. An outer breast pocket is excellent. You can draw quickly while sitting or standing. I carry that way often.

Usually mine is an LCPII in a DeSantis pocket holster that's designed to grip the inside of the pocket and stay in there (a good fit is important).

A holster on a belt under a cover garment is a slower draw, even standing up.

The light jacket I'm wearing right now has excellent pockets for the ol' LCP. The pockets have buttoned flaps that I just leave unbuttoned.

This thread reminds me that I have a Woolrich coat designed for cc with built in holsters.
I'm not crazy about cc in a coat because I usually remove it at restaurants or long drives. I leave vests on usually.

Armored farmer said:

This thread reminds me that I have a Woolrich coat designed for cc with built in holsters.
I'm not crazy about cc in a coat because I usually remove it at restaurants or long drives. I leave vests on usually.

Click to expand...

Thats the biggest problem with carrying a gun in a coat pocket, what to do with the gun when you take it off.

For those who carry that way, have you actually drawn and shot a live gun in practice from how youre carrying it to see how well it actually works under a little stress?

For a back up gun, it would probably work OK, but for a primary gun, Im not seeing it.

Armored farmer said:

This thread reminds me that I have a Woolrich coat designed for cc with built in holsters.
I'm not crazy about cc in a coat because I usually remove it at restaurants or long drives. I leave vests on usually.

Click to expand...

trackskippy said:

Thats the biggest problem with carrying a gun in a coat pocket, what to do with the gun when you take it off.

Click to expand...

While I'm new to (nearly) full-time CCW so I haven't carried in a coat much, my plan now that I have finally been able to get a MD permit is to only carry in a coat pocket when I am not going to be in a situation where I will take it off. No restaurants or friends houses, but I will sometimes carry that way (as a backup) when going for a walk, going to a store where I'll be quick in and out, or going to get gas.

It's been a constant learning process for me in regard to where to carry roscoe when its cold concealed. Usually, outside working where I live, I carry openly as no one cares, and no one around to have to conceal for, just wearing a short jacket and the other bulky items works fine for 4:00 strong side. But , trying to wear a longer parka or similar hip legnth garment made it difficult with all the bulk to reach across the layers to grasp the garment(s) pull up and away and affect a good draw. Too much to go wrong, slow and cumbersome.
After some years of grappling with this, I finally realized that I usually dont require such heavy garments where i need a concealed carry and even if Im working outside, I usually dont have the top layer fully zipped. Sorry about the long way around to get to this. What I have done is to use a chest holster slightly off center to the left, with a mid legnth zip light cover fleece over long jong top, regular wool shirt. Left unzipped it allows immediate access and due to the offset, pretty unnoticeable with the top parka unzipped partially. And should I need to shed the top layer I still have the ' cover' garment over the holster. Thats been my solution.

I only own one heavy coat and I almost never wear it. If I do I carry my Glock 26 holstered in an outer pocket.

The only time I'm ever out in it for an extended period is when I'm hiking in the mountains and there I'm generally active enough that I don't need a heavy jacket.

I've already said I dress in layers. Somebody already said it but usually in the winter my outer layer looks like LL Bean casual.

The best winter base layer I've ever found was the Army ECWCS long underwear.

At work I would wear the level one top and bottom, a level 2 top ( everyone I know calls them the Waffle Tops), a long sleeve black sweat shirt, my polyester uniform shirt and a sweater. But there I was out in the weather for an hour or so at a time.

If I'm going to church I skip the level one bottoms and usually the level one top. Because I'm going to be sitting in a heated building. I wear the level two top with a T-shirt over it and a flannel shirt over that and a Columbia fleece vest. I don't look the least bit out of place for Colorado.

If I'm going to be out in the cold I exchange the the fleece vest for a fleece jacket. Again, not out of place.

IME that outer chest pocket on most of the fleece jackets is not designed carry a gun and if you carry a gun in it, it is going to look like you're carrying a gun in it.

trackskippy said:

Thats the biggest problem with carrying a gun in a coat pocket, what to do with the gun when you take it off.

Click to expand...

For me, the jacket goes over my chair and is just as accessible as when being worn. IMHO, Situational awareness is more important in scenarios like this than "quick-draw". I've also found that in cases where I'm going to be sitting for a period of time, an ankle holster is a viable option. I like baggy pants with big pockets. They make for a good place to pocket carry, and I have yet to take them off in a restaurant/bar.

Folks need to find what works for them. Pocket carry works with small light guns in a pocket they won't be flopping around. Cold weather for some folks means a light windbreaker, whereas for folks like me, it's a heavy coat with layers underneath. Big heavy coats have big pockets, that work better than anything you use on a belt under them. Folks like to insist that how they carry is the only "right" way. Having a gun, knowing how to use it and having it accessible when you need it, is the "right" way.

The right way, is to actually prove what it is you intend to do beforehand by vetting things in practice with live ammo and some realistic work. You cant just change this or that and call it good. Well, you can, but I dont think thats being realistic. You also have to "maintain" things with those changes. In other words, shoot from how youre dressed, year round, when you shoot in practice.

If you can make one heavy coat work, in all instances, and access your gun "realistically", in all instances, then youre golden. As soon as you have to take that coat off and give it up or walk away from it, what then?

There are a lot of ways to skin a cat, but you still have to vet the skinning, layer by layer, and not just assume things will work as you imagine or hope if you make changes. Once you settle on whats going to work for you, youve got it made, as long as things dont go outside your self-imposed restrictions or scenarios.

I carry the same gun(s), every day, year round. I dress around the guns, not the other way around. Ive always dressed in layers, and for me, all I need do as weather changes, is add or remove a cover garment, down to a tee shirt or something similar in the summer, and a sweatshirt or fleece and a windproof in the winter.

And winters for me up until recently had always been outdoors, pretty much all day, every day, in temps that often dropped well below freezing, so Im familiar with dressing properly for cold weather. Ive never had any problems staying warm, and still have quick access to the gun underneath.

We all have to figure out what works for us, it is as simple as that. Im not saying what I do will work for anyone else, but you do have to make sure what you do works for you, and it has to work, across the board. Or at least for me it does.

I just always assume at some point in the day, for whatever reason, I still need to have the gun on me and down to realistic clothes that I would normally be wearing inside, without an outside cover garment. So basically, you have to start from the inside and work it out. This isnt hard, but just like anything else related to this, it takes a little time and effort to figure things out, and its probably going to cost you a few bucks too trying different things out.

Another reason I pocket carry it’s the same every season.

trackskippy said:

If you can make one heavy coat work, in all instances, and access your gun "realistically", in all instances, then youre golden. As soon as you have to take that coat off and give it up or walk away from it, what then?

Click to expand...

I personally cannot imagine any responsible gun owner "giving up" or "walking away" from a coat with their firearm in the pocket, and it's not just the fact they are now unarmed. Same question could be asked, "What do you do when you go swimming or the wife wants to soak in the hot-tub at the motel"?

I work where I cannot CWC, nor can I have a firearm in my vehicle in the parking lot. Ain't gonna change jobs, nor am I gonna risk it, the benefits that come with it, and the possibility of jail-time. So make the best of it with what I have......my employer does allow me a Leatherman. I also use my situational awareness to reduce the chances of any issues coming up. Similar to riding a motorcycle. Anyone that rides regularly knows you need to be aware much more than when just driving a cage. Along with the right carry for you and practicing with what you carry, being aware at all times what's going on around you and what else you can use "just in case", is paramount. It's called being "flexible".

trackskippy said:

We all have to figure out what works for us, it is as simple as that.

Click to expand...

...of this I totally agree and was the "just" of my previous post.

trackskippy said:

This isnt hard, but just like anything else related to this, it takes a little time and effort to figure things out, and its probably going to cost you a few bucks too trying different things out.

Click to expand...

I use several different firearms for SD and have several different carry options for them(and yes, I practice regularly with all of them). I also have a whole drawer full of holsters that just didn't work "for me". I also am lucky that I can legally OC here. Many is the time, that it is handier than being concealed(and yes, I know that doesn't work for everyone either).

So what do you do if youre put into a position where you might have to give up your coat, or take it off and put it somewhere its out of your control? Its not all that unusual a situation. Same as not thinking ahead and wearing something under your coat but over your gun, so you can take the coat off if you need to.

I always found it interesting, that the companies that ban you from protecting yourself, which is most of them these days, do little if anything to make sure youre safe when they put you in that situation. Ive worked for companies that put us in some pretty hairy situations over the years.

I always just ignored them and did what I thought was best for me (hey, somebody has to ), and that required carrying in NPE's for most of my life. The only places I wont carry, are places with a metal detector and/or pat down.

We all do what we have to do, and if you have to do it you figure it out. Some things give you a bit more incentive to make sure you do it right too.

About the only thing good about a carry permit is, its basically a learning permit that allows you to learn to carry without much risk from the law side, so when youre told by the PTB you cant, youve already got it figured out and just go about your merry way.

eBay is a great place to recover some of that holster money.

OC is permitted here, but you cant carry the gun loaded in your vehicle, unless you have a carry permit. Kind of stupid, but, it is what it is. So if youre going anywhere, you either unload and load every time youre in and out, or you risk arrest if you get stopped.

Personally, I never got the OC thing, but whatever. Decoys are nice to have around.

buck460XVR said:

I personally cannot imagine any responsible gun owner "giving up" or "walking away" from a coat with their firearm in the pocket,

Click to expand...

And yet it happens all the time.