New to CC, how to drive comfortably?

I used to drive for my job, up to 12 hour stints with a Glock 17 square on my hip. Ultimately, there will be some discomfort you will get used to. But, to minimize discomfort consider an undershirt under the gun with a cover shirt over. Also, consider soft holsters, they'll flex a little when you sit, and with the give in your pants it'll make it a whole lot more comfortable than some of the kydex holsters out there. And as mentioned, forward cant helps a lot.

Carrying comfortably while driving and it being accessible while driving are two different things. It's not really hard to find a combination of gun and holster that's comfortable while driving, but accessibility is another issue altogether.

A shoulder holster is an easy answer for accessibility but is a personal choice as to regular carry.

For me personally I've recently been pulling the holster and gun off and laying it on the seat beside me for day to day travels, which are generally lengthy and through sketchy parts of town. I normally carry IWB at 4'ish and it's completely unrealistic to think I can draw while seated in a vehicle with my seat belt on in that configuration.

You have to make a assessment as to how threatened you feel during your normal day to day travels and plan accordingly. Comfort is certainly one thing to look at but accessibility is paramount.

Cross draw holsters are pretty comfortable while driving. Andrews Leather makes a "Carjacker" cross draw, and Fist makes a holster that rotates to work better when driving. Both are OWB and $125.

I haven IWB holsters. I take them out and set next to me in my auto. When I get out, I put in my holster covertly of course

Flintknapper said:

Or maybe a "you should pick a softer target vest"?

But, yes.. vests, fanny packs, even a light shirt over a shirt can ALL be tale tell signs (potentially) of someone carrying.

To the practiced eye, none of those things would even be necessary. My advice, carry how ever you need to, use situational awareness to the degree it is prudent and keep your weapon in a state of readiness (read.. a round in the chamber).

Click to expand...

TO ME, a "photographer's vest" and no camera, or a "fisherman's vest" and no pole equals "gun".

That having been said, most people would at best shrug if they saw somebody wearing a cavalryman's cuirass. In fact, the more freakish the public display, the more people are bullied to ACCEPT it. In general, the average person is just oblivious.

Personally, I HATE untucked shirts, and don't wear jackets, etc. not required by the weather. A tucked polo shirt is my usual attire. A 3 1/2" M1911 or Glock 19 in a tuckable IWB holster works just fine. A 2" Smith 36 in a pocket holster works even better, accepting the capacity penalty.

Deanimator said:

Personally, I HATE untucked shirts, and don't wear jackets, etc. not required by the weather.

Click to expand...

Interesting. The reason that I started wearing (designed-to-be) untucked shirts (for which, at the time, I did not much care) in the '70s was to cover my Walther PP & pancake holster during the warm season whenever suit-/sports-coat was not required.

I got used to them ... especially when I found how much cooler they kept me.

GBExpat said:

Interesting. The reason that I started wearing (designed-to-be) untucked shirts (for which, at the time, I did not much care) in the '70s was to cover my Walther PP & pancake holster during the warm season whenever suit-/sports-coat was not required.

I got used to them ... especially when I found how much cooler they kept me.

Click to expand...

Other than things like sweatshirts or sweaters in the winter, they're just not my thing.

I find that a suitably sized tucked polo shirt works just fine.

Years back I was driving a 1991 Buick Century. As the glove compartment and console were too small to accommodate either my Ruger P89 (9mm) and/or P90 (.45), I purchased a Charter Arms .38 snubby just for the occasion, which fit very nicely into the console. It was a piece of crap, to be honest with you (one of the older models sans ejector shroud; you know what I mean), but at least I had something well within reach should the event arise; and none of that fuss and bother about ankle or hip placement either.

This just came up for me. I have various pistols & revolvers and holsters, and sitting in a car, the best for me (always at 4:00ish) is a J-frame in a cheap clip-on IWB holster. Bigger rigs, with two loops, just have too much diameter for me (32" waist), and end up rubbing somewhere. Occasionally I have to fiddle the grip, but so be it. In the car, I adjust it a bit forward, and walking, a bit back, but overall it is the best compromise without a full OWB rig.

I drove limousines for a few years and the only "comfortable" method I ever found for carrying a sidearm was a crossdraw rig. It also allows for much easier access to the gun. The down side is you must wear a jacket to cover it. You absolutely DO NOT want the gun and holster to be in contact with the seat belt buckle latch next to the console. I always adjusted the seat belt so it was under the gun - not over it - in an impact you DO NOT want the gun driven into your body.

I carry a M&P compact, and whenever I drive, I take my IWB holster with gun inside, and drive with it tucked under my left leg, barrel pointing away from important parts, easy to get to and not uncomfortable

I typically carry my S&W M5906 IWB at 3:00, and it doesn't bother me most of the time in the car. For longer drives (3 or more hours), I will go to an OWB holster in the same spot, slightly forward cant, like others. At one point in my career, I was spending a long time (often 5-7 hours) sitting in a car, sometimes driving, sometimes not moving, and needed quick access to my gun; used a shoulder holster then.

Taurus 617 CCW said:

Here are the proper steps to ensuring a comfortable ride with your gun:

2. OWB carry is always more comfortable than IWB.

Click to expand...

As with most generalities, that's not necessarily true. Especially not in the context of carrying while driving. Many IWB holsters position the grip much higher than similar OWB counterparts, which depending on body shape, holster position, and the particulars of your vehicle can make for a more comfortable drive.

eazyrider said:

So far I have tried behind the hip, hip and appendix and the all suck while driving. I'm right handed and the gun hits the console and digs in. I'm carrying a 92 compact. Will going smaller help?

I'm carrying the 92 in a Wilson Combat low profile OWB holster.

Click to expand...

Gosh yes, something much smaller. I have tiny 9x19 DAO + pocket holster.

I don't like the idea of not having the handgun on my person when driving. If placed in a console or under the seat or attached to a magnet, in a heartbeat you can be in an accident and be separated from your weapon at a time when you may need it most. You can be ejected from your car or the weapon can be knocked out of its hiding place and be totally out of reach. I carry a Commander sized 1911 everyday in an IWB at the 4 o'clock position. No problems with driving. I may have to adjust a bit as the day goes on, but really no problem. Oh, I'm 6'2 at 265.

In some states (maybe many), when you remove your handgun from your person and stash it somewhere in the car, the gun no longer falls under rules for "concealed handgun carry" but is now under that states rules for transporting a gun in your car, often entailing being in a case and unloaded or something similar. Might want to keep this in mind.

No offense to anyone here but I'd love to see a video of someone carrying IWB at 3-4 o'clock with a seat belt on and effectively drawing their firearm while seated driving.

Many here have said it's a non issue and some have said they "adjust". I'd personally like some more detail on what you folks are doing because from where I'm sitting (no pun intended), it's all but impossible.

Half the time I go with a Colt 4 3/4 SAA in a Desantis Doc Holiday sitting on bucket seats including my corvette and its more comfy than my PPK inside 3-4 to where ever you move it o'clock digs my ribs deal.

Good Ol' Boy said:

No offense to anyone here but I'd love to see a video of someone carrying IWB at 3-4 o'clock with a seat belt on and effectively drawing their firearm while seated driving.

Many here have said it's a non issue and some have said they "adjust". I'd personally like some more detail on what you folks are doing because from where I'm sitting (no pun intended), it's all but impossible.

Click to expand...

I carry there and I'll say it's not going to be done in any easy fashion.

Drawing (and deploying) anything from anywhere in a vehicle is not going to be a simple task because the interior if the vehicle constrains the free range of motion.

I carry there and I'll say it's not going to be done in any easy fashion.

Drawing (and deploying) anything from anywhere in a vehicle is not going to be a simple task because the interior if the vehicle constrains the free range of motion.

I used to like a IWB belt clip type stuck to the sun visor but it tends to make cops flip out but cures that draw issue.

Can't imagine having to draw and fire while driving. Maybe if I'm on a horse lol. If you're talking about a scenario where someone approaches your car from the side like in a carjacking situation, well, I'd just suggest situation awareness at all times. If I'm in an area that I think I might need a weapon really fast, I usually drive out of that area really quickly. If I can't, I'd go ahead and unbuckle the seatbelt and maybe draw the weapon and put it in my waistband at appendix carry position or something...I use a VM2. It's comfortable but I do have to move around a bit, readjust etc. on long commutes. Haven't found a "perfect" solution to the driving thing; there are always trade offs. I just pick the trade off I can live with. In my case, bigger bullet, bigger pistol vs. absolute 100% of the time pure comfort.

Two important points to take from this thread - whatever holster you use keep it and the gun away from seat belts and buckles, they WILL cause a serious problem at the worst possible time. And do not "lay" your gun down anywhere in the vehicle, in an accident that gun will become a lethal missile. Secure it solidly to the vehicle - or your butt - all of the time. A shoulder rig or a cross draw rig have always worked for me. Having a gun poke you in the hips or spine every day can cause serious back issues over time.

tuck the gun between the driver's seat and the console

Yep, that's my usual driving location. I re-holster as I exit. The alternative for places where it's illegal to carry, the gun goes in a locked box. Rod

Good Ol' Boy said:

No offense to anyone here but I'd love to see a video of someone carrying IWB at 3-4 o'clock with a seat belt on and effectively drawing their firearm while seated driving.

Many here have said it's a non issue and some have said they "adjust". I'd personally like some more detail on what you folks are doing because from where I'm sitting (no pun intended), it's all but impossible.

Click to expand...

For the most part I agree with this sentiment. And frankly, the very notion of fighting from the seat of your vehicle seems flawed to me. In what scenario would you have both the necessity & opportunity to draw and fire on someone outside your car door?

If it's a carjacking you see coming you've got time to either drive away, use your vehicle as a weapon, or get your handgun out in anticipation. If you don't see it coming (most likely) you're only going to get dead trying to draw on an attacker who has the initiative from a position of severe disadvantage. In that case I'd rather get the heck out (with my handgun still on me) and then gain the upper hand as they're getting in, or if no-one else is in the car, just let him have it (let the police do their job).

Someone attacking you as you park at work or home? Same deal. if they have the element of surprise on their side you're not going to have time to draw from any location without getting shot in the face. If they don't... drive away (or at them, as the situation dictates).

I'm sure somewhere, out there, lies a corner-case or two where drawing while seated in a vehicle was the right thing to do. But I figure in 99.99% of likely self-defense scenarios where you're in the drivers seat of a vehicle, the correct response is to either press down the gas pedal and turn the wheel in an appropriate direction, or get out.

Good Ol' Boy said:

No offense to anyone here but I'd love to see a video of someone carrying IWB at 3-4 o'clock with a seat belt on and effectively drawing their firearm while seated driving.

Many here have said it's a non issue and some have said they "adjust". I'd personally like some more detail on what you folks are doing because from where I'm sitting (no pun intended), it's all but impossible.

Click to expand...

I can definitely do it, but I don't have a way to make a video. I carry a Sig 1911 compact in a Bianchi Covert Option. The grip is canted forward some and the seatbelt doesn't cover it, so it's not that big a deal. The reason I know I can is because on long drives, like over three hours, I'll sometimes remove the pistol and put it in my bag on the passenger's seat, while in motion.