Small autos and ankle holsters

Have tried it, like most who try did not care for it. For anyone who wants to try the best thing I can recommend is do not "cheap out" on choice. A better holster makes it far easier to "live with".
As to choice? I always felt better doing it with the small autos I used when trying this. Most wheel guns DO NOT take kindly to getting dirty. The one big advantage to those who want to try this method now is the choice of pistols. There is now several made that are so thin and light that they would be easily forgotten.

For a backup?

Seems like it would be very inconvient if you need to deploy the gun in a hurry!

The cons of ankle carry are obvious and have been hashed over again and again here on THR. If nevertheless you need DEEP concealment, nothing is deeper.

Incidentally I recommend Galco's "Ankle Glove." (No I don't work for Galco.)

Depending of what I'm wearing, sometimes I'll ankle carry using a Bugbite holster w/Boberg 9mm, often during hot weather when jacket or sport coat are too warm to wear. Snug fit, won't slide down the calf and extremely comfortable.

Ive carried a couple of different autos and revolvers in an ankle holster over the years. These days, its usually a Glock 26 in a Desantis holster.

You really need to try a couple of different holsters and find one that works for you. Most Ive tried are not "all day"(16+ hours) comfortable. The only two Ive found so far that are, are the Desantis and Galco, with the Desantis being the choice. A void things like the Uncle Mikes holsters like the plague, unless you are into S&M.

Ankle holsters are an option, but not one of the best, especially if you arent willing to regulalrly practice with them, but they can work well in certain instances. They require a little more from you than other things. You have to watch, as they can often "pop out" of your pant leg enough to be obvious, if you arent careful. And of course, you need to wear the right pants. You need pants with full cut legs if you want to get to the gun with any kind of reasonable speed and without a struggle.

As far as the deep concealment thing, somehting like a Smart Carry is a much better holster for that, and its also a great holster if youre worried about dirt being an issue. Ive used one for about a decade now, in a very dusty/dirty environment, and the 26 I carry in it, doesnt even get dust bunnies.

Its also a lot quicker and eaiser to get to the gun quickly, and your chances of it being noticed are pretty much nil.

A long long time ago in a land far away,,,
Actually California in 1975/76,,,
I saw a man use one.

I have no idea what the pistol was,,,
Other than it was a very small and loud semi-auto.

I was standing by my truck in a bar parking lot late one night,,,
Smoking a cigarette and trying to get this young lady to go home with me.

All of a sudden the side door blew open and a man went rolling out of it,,,
He was followed by this huge gorilla of a guy and his friends.

The gorilla picked the other guy up and slapped the be-jezus out of him,,,
The slapped dude curled up in a ball down on the pavement,,,
Whining and begged the gorilla not to hit him again.

I was young, strong, and full of spunk (alcohol) at the time,,,
I remembered thinking, "What a #####".

All of a sudden the whining guy uncurled and fired 6 shots from the ground into the gorilla,,,
I had been watching the action but dove for cover at the sound of gunfire.

Cops showed up almost instantly so I was obliged to stick around,,,
I did see everything so I made a statement saying it looked like self defense to me.

The gorilla was dead but the cops seemed to not blame the shooter,,,
I later read in the paper that witnesses reported the victim tried to disengage,,,
It was later reported that the victim was not charged with anything due to it being self defense.

The moral of the story was me hearing the victim tell the cops,,,
He dropped to the ground and pretended to grovel,,,
Just so he could get to the ankle holstered gun.

That's the problem that I see with an ankle holster,,,
It's just way awkward to get to your gun.

You either have to drop to one knee or the ground,,,
Or hop around on one foot trying to retrieve your weapon.

Also with current skinny style of men's pants,,,
It might be even harder to retrieve.

Back in the 70's most of us wore bell-bottoms.

Aarond

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I used to periodically carry a Kel-Tec P3AT in a Polite Society ankle holster.

I finally gave that up because I like to be able to MOVE when required and the ankle holster ruined my mobility & balance.

Not a fan. Back when I was young I wound it awkward and hard to draw easily. Now that I'm old and fat I'm not sure I have ankles anymore, haven't seen 'em for years ...

I've been through several different methods trying to determine what would be an effective means of concealing a pocket gun somewhere other than my pocket. It's never a primary carry gun anyway, so I tried the ankle holster approach. Put it on the inboard side of my left ankle and it was very comfortable. Everything about it was comfortable except for the thought of potential difficulty in retrieving it if necessary.
So now it permanently resides in my pocket.

I think it is a terrible mode for carry of any handgun design, due to the complexities of accessing the weapon and the difficulties in doing do based on any of the numerous positions the body could potentially be in at that moment when the handgun is needed.

Carried a Star Firestar in 9mm, which is an all steel firearm that doubles as a boat anchor, in an ankle holster from 1993 when my wife was beaten and raped until she died as a result of that attack in 2001. My state didn't have ccw until 3 years later. There are a few things you have to keep in mind when carrying in an ankle holster. First, you cannot wear just any old pair of pants -- you have to wear pants with wide leg openings, cuffs on dress pants make it easier. Second, you're not going to retrieve your weapon in seconds; you're not going to set any fast draw records. Third, you have to taylor your actions, movements and sitting positions in order to make the ankle holster accessible to you and not allow it to be seen by the public. Forth, when the bad guys confront you, you must control the situation without the bad guys knowing it so that you can reach your ankle holster. Fifth, practice.

I wore one on duty when I was an LEO, before I switched to carrying my back-up in my vest.

I modified a holster to clip into my boot, in addition to the wrap around the calf, and used the shaft of the boot to carry most of the weight. It was workable, but certainly created some issues with walking/running until you got adjusted, and I banged that thing on the sill of the squad EVERY SINGLE TIME I got in, regardless of how many times I reminded myself not to do it next time.

Larry

I've carried an LCP in an Uncle Mike's ankle rig, which benefits greatly from having a calf garter to support the weight. I can carry all day with it and almost forget it's there.

If you wear straight legged jeans, you'll have to change your wardrobe to accommodate ankle carry though, as they are too tight at the bottom to clear the ankle rig.

I could never consider that mode of carry because whenever I sit down my pants rise so much, 6 or more inches, that it almost looks like I’m wearing capris.

I don’t know what part of my anatomy causes this, but I have never seen anyone else with this severe of a problem when sitting.

Reinz said:

I could never consider that mode of carry because whenever I sit down my pants rise so much, 6 or more inches, that it almost looks like I’m wearing capris.

I don’t know what part of my anatomy causes this, but I have never seen anyone else with this severe of a problem when sitting.

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I think Lyle Lovett would probably say "you aint a cowboy".

"Stay back or I'll fumble around trying to bend down and get to this tiny hard to shoot and somewhat inaccessible gun!"

Nope. IWB or OWB only.

FL-NC said:

I think it is a terrible mode for carry of any handgun design, due to the complexities of accessing the weapon and the difficulties in doing do based on any of the numerous positions the body could potentially be in at that moment when the handgun is needed.

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It works pretty good when seated. I am sure many cab drivers can attest to this. Ankle carry has it’s positives for being very discreet. A pocket holster in a cowboy boot carries very nice for driving.

460Shooter said:

"Stay back or I'll fumble around trying to bend down and get to this tiny hard to shoot and somewhat inaccessible gun!"

Nope. IWB or OWB only.

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I think it's more an alternative to when IWB or OWB can't work-often in work situations or where there could be serious consequences for being armed.

In those cases, it's 'fumble around with my leg for a couple seconds' versus 'hang on while I run home and get my gun.'

Larry

DT Guy said:

I think it's more an alternative to when IWB or OWB can't work-often in work situations or where there could be serious consequences for being armed.

In those cases, it's 'fumble around with my leg for a couple seconds' versus 'hang on while I run home and get my gun.'

Larry

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This is where I think something like the Smart Carry has surpassed the ankle holster. More comfortable for all day wear, more concealable, and easier access in pretty much every instance.

Ankle carry can be a viable option, but its also been surpassed by better methods in the time since it first showed up.

dodo bird said:

It works pretty good when seated. I am sure many cab drivers can attest to this. Ankle carry has it’s positives for being very discreet. A pocket holster in a cowboy boot carries very nice for driving.

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Well, I prefer to have my feet on the floor when driving to use the pedals. No thanks, just my opinion.

AK103K said:

This is where I think something like the Smart Carry has surpassed the ankle holster. More comfortable for all day wear, more concealable, and easier access in pretty much every instance.

Ankle carry can be a viable option, but its also been surpassed by better methods in the time since it first showed up.

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To each his own. I've yet to see the Smart Carry work for someone in real life. Maybe it's body-type dependent?

Larry

FL-NC said:

Well, I prefer to have my feet on the floor when driving to use the pedals. No thanks, just my opinion.

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Never a good idea to draw a weapon and drive at same time. Doesn’t matter if is owb, shoulder holster, ankle, etc.... Ankle carry is definitely not for everyone. I will not try and talk you into it. It has its merits. BUG’s have been carried there for a long time by many people.

DT Guy said:

To each his own. I've yet to see the Smart Carry work for someone in real life. Maybe it's body-type dependent?

Larry

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Ive been using one with a couple of different guns, but most of that with a Glock 26, for about 10 years now, pretty much on a daily basis in the summer, and much of that in NPE's.

I work long, 10-12 hour days, in an active, physical environment too.

The great thing about these holsters is, they will work with guns of all different sizes (sized to the gun) and allow you to carry a reload as well, and some will allow other things (documents, money, etc). You can carry something like a 26 or even a 19, in nothing more than a pair of shorts, even without a shirt. Dress clothes are a breeze. Access and speed are only slightly slower than a IWB type holster, and faster and easier than from a pocket (especially when seated). For me, now that Ive used them, I wont ever be without one. They are the most versatile holsters I have.

These are a couple of my SC's. The Seecamp was one of my first, and got a good bit of use. Once I figured out I could carry my 26 using one, it was a no brainer to switch up to that.


This replaced the worn-out one in the pic above a couple of years ago.


This will give you an idea of how well they work.

Col. Harrumph said:

The cons of ankle carry are obvious and have been hashed over again and again here on THR. If nevertheless you need DEEP concealment, nothing is deeper.

Incidentally I recommend Galco's "Ankle Glove." (No I don't work for Galco.)

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AK103K said:

The only two Ive found so far that are, are the Desantis and Galco, with the Desantis being the choice. A void things like the Uncle Mikes holsters like the plague, unless you are into S&M.

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I agree. DiSantis or Galco. Pay a little more, get a little more. Skip the cheap crap like Uncle Mike’s or Saucony.

Regardless of the myriad discussions on ankle carry, if you’re going to do it get a quality rig with some quality padding.