Armoured car cash pick up. ????

[cpttango30]

I was walking into the local Wholesale club today and my wife (NOT a big shooter). Said I have a question for you. I said what is it. She goes OK if you are lefthanded (Pistol holstered on left side) and you are carrying a bag full of money wouldn't you want to carry it in your right hand leaving your left hand free to draw your gun? I said that makes since to me to do it that way. I did not see the man in question so I can not tell if it was a true left carry (Grip to the rear) or a cross draw (Grip to front).

That split second you take to drop the bag to draw and your either dead or wounded and the bg is running off with a bag full of money.

Am I wrong in thinking that you should carry items in your nonshooting hand (IE Weak hand)?

 

[TheLastBoyScout]

You're right.

I think thats maybe 10% of the reason that military schools emphasize NEVER carrying things in your right hand.

The other 90%?

Saluting....


Doesn't matter to me, I had to be different and be a southpaw.

 

[Pilgrim]

Police academies in CA stressed that one never fills the gun hand with useless objects. Being caught with a useless object in one's gun hand meant pushups or laps around the track.

Pilgrim

 

[Cowgunner]

I work for a armored car company and it's company policy to carry the cash bag in your non-gun hand for that reason.

 

[finnerandr]

I used to work for an armored car company. We never carried anything with our gun hand. Trust me, my left arm got REAL strong carrying boxes of quarters in my bag with my weak hand! Cowgunner can probably back me up on that!

 

[armoredman]

Ditto, 8.5 years in two companies, never ever ever put anything in the gun hand. Only had to draw once, (nothing happened), but I was glad that hand was free!

 

[Cowgunner]

finnerandr is right, one box of 500 quarters is heavy. Hell, you could chuck them at a badguy and injury him good.

 

[finnerandr]

If I remember right, a box of quarters is approximately 25lbs. I got to the point where I could carry 4 boxes in my bag with my weak hand(Approx 100lbs). Lets just say that 3 years after leaving that job, my left arm is still WAY stronger than my right!

 

[GunNut]

I've seen armored car personnel carrying the money in their gun hand before, and always thought they sure looked like an easy target.

 

[Zoogster]

It is a high risk job and yes it is smart to keep the gun hand free in such circumstances. However that said the amount of time it would take to drop the bag and go for the gun is not that great. In talking it sounds like an extra step, but in actualitythe hand with the bag simply goes for the gun, dropping the bag is not even a step, it just happens.
The main reason it is a bad idea is that the hand should be resting as close to the gun as possible, maybe even resting on it or the belt it is on. This allows not only a fast draw, but is also good for retention purposes and why police officers do it so often in the field.

 

[Regolith]

A little off topic, but this kind of reminded me of something I saw when I was still in high school...

When I was around 11 or 12 or so the local Bank of America shutdown (I remember this fairly clearly because my mother was an assistant manager there). The building stood empty for about five or six years with the exception of the BofA ATM, which was resupplied daily via armored truck. Well, about the time I was a senior in HS the school district decided that the building would make a good location for an alternative needs school. I.e. the school they send the people who get into too much trouble at the normal high school to.

Now at that time I was interning for the school district's computer administrator, so I got to help install the computer systems in the building. While I was hooking up some computers (this is during school hours, remember), I saw a couple of armed guys in and open up a safe. Turns out they were with the armored truck company and came in daily to empty the cash out of the ATM and resupply it.

And the School District thought this would be the perfect place to send all of those thug wannabes to.

Those guys did NOT look friendly. Don't blame them. They usually had a hand on the gun the entire time. They were not separated from the students in any manner (though there were only a dozen or so students present).

I still wonder what the hell was going through the district's head when they chose that building for THAT school.

 

[Robert Hairless]

Go further in your good thinking. Not only shouldn't you encumber your strong hand by carrying with it but also you shouldn't carry extraneous things in your strong hand pocket. Car keys and backup magazines, for example, belong on your support hand side.

Speaking of keys, consider putting them on your belt (on the support hand side) with a device like one of these by Maxpedition:

 

[RioShooter]

Wasn't there a time when the guard carrying the cash was covered by a second guard with a shotgun?

When and why did they stop that procedure?

 

[TallPine]

Wasn't there a time when the guard carrying the cash was covered by a second guard with a shotgun?

Back when I was a "runner" for a bank, I noticed that one of the amored car guys would stand on the sidewalk with his revolver in his hand (held down beside his thigh) while his partner toted the cash.

I dunno if they got to trade off jobs or if one guy always had to do the heavy lifting.

 

[armoredman]

Depends on the run, the liability, the time, the location, on if extra staff are assigned. I have been on runs with 3 and 4 men due to liability amounts. I have also done mall runs, one end to the other, during Christmas, crowded so bad I have to squeeze between people, by myself. One hand on the bag, one on my sidearm, and hope nobody steals my wallet because I am all out of hands!
Many companies discontinued the weapon out policy due to local and state law changes, especially that goofy thing some places have, "carrying to the terror of the public", or some garbage like that. We were encouraged at AT to have our hand on the sidearm while holstered. Wells Fargo was more interested in saving money - issue sidearm Smith 64 with 158gr LRN ammo, don't DARE carry anything else. Thank the Lord Above they are out of business. WF wanted you to keep your hand away from your sidearm unless it was absolutely neccesary, wouldn't want to "scare" anyone. Sheesh.

 

[RobMoore]

I diasgree about the keys. When I walk into a store, I put them on my gun side, because I know I'll be walking out carrying something in my weak hand.
I want to be able to unlock the car without having to bend over and set the bag on the ground.

This discussion is going to prompt me to actually test the draw time difference when carrying something in your strong hand. When I go to work on Monday, I'm getting the pro-timer and actually test with bags, pens, ect. in different positions of carry as opposed to a free hand.

 

[RobMoore]

Back when I was a "runner" for a bank, I noticed that one of the amored car guys would stand on the sidewalk with his revolver in his hand (held down beside his thigh) while his partner toted the cash.

I dunno if they got to trade off jobs or if one guy always had to do the heavy lifting.

I think the poorer shot should have to do the heavy lifting.

 

[Flak_Jakett]

Police academies in CA stressed that one never fills the gun hand with useless objects. Being caught with a useless object in one's gun hand meant pushups or laps around the track.

That's why at the academy cadets are trained to eat doughnuts with their non-dominant hand.


Keeping your draw hand clear is always a good idea. Cross drawing when you are carrying something in your non-dominant hand can add barriers to success as well.

I do wonder how much time dropping a bag of cash will add to draw times though? Doesn't seem like letting go of a bag of cash by extending your fingers as you go for your piece will add a markable difference in time if any at all. I will have to wait till I earn enough money to stuff into a bag, so that I can test this scenario at home. I'll get back to you in a few decades with my results.

 

[BuntlineSpecial]

When I worked armored delivery (two different companies), I always kept my gun-hand free. (did have to pull a couple times -nothing happened each, thank God). I kept my keys on a recoiling spring arrangement on my belt, I'd unlock and drop them, and they would recoil to my belt - worked great untill the darn thing broke from over use, then I had the keys hanging by my knee for the rest of the day.
ATM's were the worst stops, there was always a timer lock, you had to recal the machine and there were always people standing there, wanting you to hurry up so they could go get lunch. Also I was amazed how many people want to walk up and try to look over your shoulder or talk to you. I had one guy ask me to deposit his check for him.
A box of $500 in quarters weights somewhere between 25-35 lbs, as I recall, and I got to the point I could balance about four or five on my off side as I jogged from the trucks to the door. My left arm is still stronger than my right.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Go further in your good thinking. Not only shouldn't you encumber your strong hand by carrying with it but also you shouldn't carry extraneous things in your strong hand pocket. Car keys and backup magazines, for example, belong on your support hand side.

Right, and along those lines, I had a class where we discussed our strong hand and our smart hand. The gun hand is the dominant/strong hand and is left unencumbered so as to be free for gun handling. The weak hand is the smart hand. While the strong hand has just one job, the weak hand has to do EVERYTHING ELSE. It opens doors, controls protectees, drags downed good guys, does reloads, fends off blunt force and knife attacks, gives visual signals, and staunches the flow of blood on wounds incurred. You don't encumber your strong hand if you don't have to and you don't encumber it with anything you aren't willing to abandon.

As for keys on the strong side and in the strong hand, no. I carry out to the car with the left hand and place the items on the car or leave them in the basket. I don't encumber the strong hand with keys because I don't want to have to choose between keeping my keys and access to my vehicle with access to my gun. I may need both.

 

[Ballistic308]

Gun Hand EMPTY.

Howdy,

The guards/"hoppers"/"money guys you have seen overloading themselves with stuff (whether in their gun hand or not) DO make the most likely targets. It is exactly what bad guys look for. All that weight interferes with reacting to an assault.

I often had mine drawn (held down to my side), it was not a big deal as long as I kept it there, inconspicuously. Upsetting other people was never a really big concern in those situations. Nobody was paying me to charm the public.

 

[mljdeckard]

It took me a while to convince my wife that there would be times I couldn't carry the baby seat. I had to make her understand, that whenever I am carrying a gun, I can't compromise my hands. This means being willing and able to drop whatever I am carrying if I need to draw. Cigarette? No problem. (I don't smoke.) a two-bag load of fast food? Unfortunate, but I would drop it without hesitation. (I actually dropped a large soda once when I saw a threatening situation and my hand went for the pistol. Turned out to be a false alarm, and I didn't pull.)

I can't drop a baby if I need to draw. (Anyone Remember "Prizzi's Honor"?) All of our kids walk now, so it's not a problem anymore.

 

[cpaspr]

Never been in the armed guard field, but I do know that if I carry heavy weights for very long, my hand tends to cramp up. Have to shake it out after setting the load down. Having to do this with my gun hand could have fatal consequences. For me, not the bad guy.

 

[mekender]

im one of the oddballs, im a lefty, but i shoot right handed... so my left hand is already used to opening car doors, writing, lighting cigarettes... my right hand is naturally adept at punching, shooting and the occasional one finger salute...