Carry without holster aka "Mexican Carry"

Add to that a heavy double action pull and of course you are safe.



If you are real man shove a Glock or other similiar single action type gun down the front of your pants.


I carry a 340PD most of the time in a basic uncle Mike's pocket holster, but carry a Glock the rest of the time. No way in hell am I sticking that thing loaded over the family jewels sans holster.

Steve

I only use it when walking from my apartment to my truck in the carport, and when I will not be getting out and carrying the gun when I reach my destination. Examples would be the late-night fast food drive-through, or going directly to/from work/home. I also put it behind my hip where a conventional belt holster would be, not down the front of my pants. Lately in the above situations I've taken to simply using my pocket gun (Kahr PM9 in a Mika holster) and eschewing "Mexican" altogether.

I carried a cocked and locked GI 1911 for several years tucked inside my waistband. What's the problem?

The only time it ever caused a problem was when it jumped out whilst sitting on a bar stool. It went skittering across the floor and wound up under a table with two beat cops eating lunch. One of them put his foot on my hand and said "who the f*** are you? I said "Number 9(my precinct). He said "show me some creds a**H***. I showed him my badge and ID. He told me to go drink somewhere else.

Can't say that I would carry a stiker fired weapon except in a holster that covered the trigger, but with a wheel gun or large auto, what's the problem.

Never....leave this to the gangbangers.
And, too much potential to shoot Mr.Happy off...and not in the good sense of that phrase!

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Well, even Massad Ayoob has admitted to carrying thus on occasion. In fact, I had a thread a few months back when I specifically asked Massad about this, and his response was that he has but that he doesn't necessarily advocate it. In any event, he is certainly not a gangbanger.

For me, I Mexican carried for a long time simply because I am a pretty big guy, and it was very hard to find a IWB holster that was comfortable enough for me. By comfortable, by the way, I mean "Not a instrument of torture". The gun itself was comfortable, and it stayed in place just fine. Leather holsters just dug into me so bad as to cause open wounds! Anyway, I finally found an uncle mikes holster that works just fine and now use that most of the time. In the past, I have also made use of the clipdraw, and have been perfectly satisfied.

I don't think that mexican carry is inherently unsafe at all. First, if you carry a revolver with a hammer as I do, you can just put your thumb on the hammer, and there is no way it can fire accidentally from the trigger being pulled somehow. Secondly, a holster is not some sort of "can't shoot myself in the leg" device. It offers a theoretically more secure way to carry a handgun, and in practice there probably won't be anything in it that can trip the hammer, but thats about it. That being said, there is nothing inside my waistband that can trip the hammer either! In either case, care and attention are what keeps you from shooting yourself, not the method of carry.

Finally, I don't know about you guys, but holstered or not my barrel is nowhere near my junk. If it goes off (in either case) I am going to have one heck of a painful leg wound but thats it. If there is one simple rule I have in life, it's this: Don't point a weapon at your crotch. Ever.

Yes, sometimes. Not often though.

I did it the other day. For about three seconds.

My dad and I were heading to the range together. I was already wearing my CCW, but dad didn't have his permit yet. He handed me his Kimber, and said, "Here, you're legal, carry that for me, will ya?" I obligingly stuck it down my britches, movie style. About three seconds later, I looked down, saw the cocked hammer, saw where it was pointing, and my eyes sort of bugged ouit a little. I quickly went back in the house for another holster.

~~~Mat

No, I never do it. Seems very silly to me... I mean , if you're going to go get your gun anyway, what is it another 15-20 seconds to throw on on a holster ? Most importantly, a holster-less belt carry can (and very well might) cause the gun to snag if you need to draw it. Seems like a ridiculous risk for 15-20 seconds of minimal effort. Leave the potentially dangerous methods to the thugs and hoodies, and maintain you're advantage.

On a side note, Am I the only one who thinks the term "mexican carry" is extremely insulting and racist, and that it doesn't make us all look very high road ?

Originally posted by hexidismal:
On a side note, Am I the only one who thinks the term "mexican carry" is extremely insulting and racist, and that it doesn't make us all look very high road ?

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Probably.

The term has its origin in Mexican vaqueros (cowboys), who were colorful, romantic and honorable figures.

Also, the "Mexican carry" I'm familiar with does not put the gun down the front of the pants, but behind the hip where a belt holster would usually ride.

Around the house... sometimes, with a 1911...

On a side note, Am I the only one who thinks the term "mexican carry" is extremely insulting and racist, and that it doesn't make us all look very high road ?

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I happen to agree with you that it sounds bad, but it has been the accepted term for quite some time now. It's usage isn't based in racism, and thus I think it's probably ok. This is also the most politically correct thing I have written on THR, ever...

Around the house, yes.

Also of note is that the SAA that the Mexican Cowboy probably carried would be perfectly safe sans holster since there would be and empty chamber under the hammer.

mike

I'm gett'in away from "Mexican Carry", more and more each day, as I realize
that this is not an ideal way to carry a firearm~!

On a side note, Am I the only one who thinks the term "mexican carry" is extremely insulting and racist, and that it doesn't make us all look very high road ?

Click to expand...

I happen to agree with you that it sounds bad, but it has been the accepted term for quite some time now. It's usage isn't based in racism, and thus I think it's probably ok. This is also the most politically correct thing I have written on THR, ever...

Click to expand...

Like Dutch Courage, French Leave, Irish Bull, Spanish Windlass, or putting English on a ball?

Thank you, Mr. Humphrey! Being of Dutch, Irish & English descent, I am, indeed, offended!! I propose we coin a new term: "Chicago Carry." No weapon, but a cellphone in a quickdraw scabbard that automatically calls 911 upon being drawn!

The main drawback to Mexican carry, using the Barami Hip Grip on a snubbie, is slow draw. Advantage is excellent concealibility, and (per my previous post) ability to carry without belt or pocket (like in a rental tux).

A slow draw beats running back to my vehicle!!

I may have invented the clipdraw -- certainly when I made my first one I had never heard of the idea before. (Equally plausible, that may be because I had my head up my a**, and everyone else knew about it.)

I used a sheet of aluminum from a hobby shop. I traced the right grip for an M1911 on the sheet, drilled the screw holes and cut it out -- leaving a long finger pointing forward (just over the trigger.) I made the finger long enough to double back. Then I simply put the aluminum on the gun, screwed down the grip over it, and stuck the gun into my waistband. The double-folded "finger" just covered the end of the slide lock.

This is a good carry method -- but not if you don't have a garment between you and the gun.

My carry gun is a Glock. So...NO...I never carry meskin' style. I won't carry a Glock in ANY manner of holster that does not fully cover the entire trigger guard.

In fact, the only gun I will carry without a fully covered trigger guard is a revolver, but that's just me.

But to refine the point...I never carry ANY pistol meskin' style. Were I to want to slip the gun into my waistband...I will do it in a clip on IWB at the very least.


Here's one of my clip-on IWB's I use when I am being lazy, and just want to slip it in the waistband.

It's more than urban myth that the occasional gangbanger has shot himself in the goods while carrying "Mexican Style".

The only time I carry w/o a holster is if I'm answering the door while wearing my oversized Carhartt work pants. I can almost conceal a full size pistol in my front pockets while slightly leaning over.

Otherwise, leave the Mexican Carry to the Mexicans.

I answered "occasionally", but I really do it a lot more often than
that. A Government Model 1911 or a Walther PPK slipped inside the
waistband at about 3:30, just behind the hip bone, sits pretty good,
so I do sometimes carry that way. Especially if I'm wearing a tee
shirt.
I won't plan to carry that way for the whole day, but for an hour or
two, it's convenient, and not at all uncomfortable for me. So I do it.

Walter

When I first came to the realization that I wanted to carry a fire arm with me at all times I carried Bersa 380 at four o'clock mexican carry. When I saved up enough money to buy a beretta 92 I carried that mexican carry for a few years. Now I am on to a Glock 31 and just to be right and proper I bought a galco IWB holster for it. While I would not advocate the mexican carry for everyone, it worked perfectly for me. Kept it close to my body and concealed it quite nicely. And I kept my finger off the dang trigger. I don't know why every one is so afraid of an unholstered gun in their trousers.

Can't understand why. You can go to the gunstore and get an el cheapo holster for 10.99. If you can aford a gun, even a cheap pot metal gun, and some ammo to load it with, I think we can all assume an extra 10.99 is doable.

no way .

FYI , after trying all kinds of holsters , my favorite is a $25 OWB I found at the local gunshop .

Back when I got started carrying several decades ago, it was with a Smith Model 36. I never did find a comfortable way to carry it though.

Then I traded up to a lightweight Commander, and i found I liked the watch pocket method described in a previous post a lot. It worked, and wearing a light cover garment was all that was required.

Now that I am older, retired, and since global warming has set in, I usually wear a tee shirt and carpenter pants and carry a S&W 642 with CT grips in a pocket holster.

J frame to J frame in thirty years... 8^)

lpl/nc

I got my first concealed handgun license over ten years ago and in that time have never used Mexican carry. I gave some thought to it, but decided it was not secure enough for me. Besides, like a lot of guys with a CHL, I've become an unintended collector of holsters, so I might as well use some of them.