Carrying exceedingly large guns for CCW

[Dionysusigma]

Well, I've been reading up on Oklahoma CCW in anticipation for my 21st birthday (still 9 months, 10 days away ) and as it turns out, anything can be carried as long as it's .45 or smaller. So this got me thinking (always a recipe for disaster)...

How, and under what conditions (clothing, etc.), could you CCW a Desert Eagle Mk.XIX in .44 Mag?

Just a curiosity thing. When (IF) I get my CHL, I'll probably carry something realistic like a Beretta 92 Brigadier/FS, 1911, SP-21, FN Forty-Nine, or whatever. But the question still stands--could a Desert Eagle be concealed in a manner in which draw time was not significantly longer than with, say, your ordinary CCW?

So how 'bout it?

 

[Badger Arms]

There's always some goof up here that will carry a Desert Eagle or large 44 Magnum. I'm one of them. I've got a vertical shoulder holster for my Ruger Bisley Vaquero 44. I had carried a Blackhawk with a 7.5" Barrel prior, but that extra 2.5" that I save with my Bis-Vaq really helps. Up here, we have cute sayings about what a bear will do to you with your 44, but it's better than not having a gun at all. Maybe you can signal for help after being severly mauled. At any rate, I would most definitely NOT state that any 44 Magnum is too much gun. Besides Bear and Moose, there is a certain intimidation factor. No, you don't pull your gun out to intimidate, I realize, but in the second that the Bad Guy has to see the gun and react, he might save his life and prevent you from wasting perfectly good lead on him. He might just stop his hostile actions.

 

[azrael]

The largest weapon I have been asked to design a concealment rig for is the Deagle .44mag......I passed at the offer when he told me that a shoulder holster was the only way for him to go...I have enough problems making pocket holsters...lol

IIFC correctly, Bill over at Wilds Bill's Concealment once told a mutual friend that the largest IWB he had ever created was for a Deagle .50..


If I lived in AK, then my .44 would be a pocket gun!!lol

 

[Serpico]

Where CCW is concerned, bigger is not better....a j-frame in your coat pocket with your hand on it on your way to your car late at night is much more comforting than the biggest 44 in a shoulder rig...

 

[nemesis]

I always like to think that if I do something, I do it for a good reason. I'm sure there must be a really good reason why you want to carry a very large, very heavy magnum caliber handgun as a defensive CHL weapon. I just don't know what the reason is. Perhaps there is a very great danger of being assaulted by water buffalo.

I think most of us choose a weapon based upon concealability, reliability and lethality. For myself, I carry a Springfield Ultra Compact .45 ACP full time, every day. I can manage the size and weight, it is very reliable and the .45 ACP has sufficient lethality. That seems to meet the requirements.

On the other hand, I guess you could try out my Super Redhawk .454 Casull as a pocket gun. I just don't know why.

How about a Carry Report after you've had a chance to get things all worked out?

 

[Benjamin]

Put it in your briefcase or shoulder bag and work on retention.

 

[MJRW]

I've concealed a good amount of weaponry but keep going back to the Glock 19. I know one person under 21 that swears up and down that when he turns 21, he is going to carry a Desert Eagle. I have heard several people that don't carry say if they did, they would carry a Desert Eagle. I literally don't even know OF anyone who actually does it.

But I can't imagine anything short of a shoulder rig to actually carry it for any length of time. The best belt in the world can only hold up so much weight. At least with a shoulder rig you won't be walking around holding on to your wasteband. And then there is actually concealing it. Man, now I want to try it to see what is required to pull it off.

 

[Jack T.]

In my experience. . .people who say they will carry a Desert Eagle have never actually held one in their hand. . .

 

[Sean Smith]

How, and under what conditions (clothing, etc.), could you CCW a Desert Eagle Mk.XIX in .44 Mag?

Don't be a sissy. Get the .440 Cor-Bon Magnum version.

Seriously (sort of), with a shoulder holster and a big coat you could hide anything this side of a G3K rifle. At least for a little while. But you might want to carry 2, one on each side, so you don't tip over as you walk.

Carrying immense hand-cannons really only makes sense someplace like Alaska, where the critters are bigger than your car.

 

[Dave Sample]

I thought my .454 Casull Raging Bull was pretty cool until I saw a .50 S&W in a S&W shoulder rig the other day. It was BULLY! Gordon made me a nice western holster for the .454, too. I carry it at the Ranch using my firehose gunbelt when I am feeling insecure. There are some big, mean, nasty animals out there called "Cows". They are insured if you shoot one, but then you have to eat it all. At once. Oh Dear!

 

[Josey]

I used to carry a BIG 44 Magnum single action myself. Vertical shoulder holster was all there was. It worked fine with a denim jacket over it. In summer heat my revolver rusted. I sweated. I chafed. I dumped the whole thing and switched to IWB of a M36 3" 38 Special. I regularly carry my BHP 9MM now.

 

[grendelbane]

I don't understand the attraction of the Desert Eagle for CCW. I know that they have had a lot of exposure in the movies.

My LAR Grizzly is too large for comfortable CCW. I think that a Gov't model is about as large as I want to carry.

In wheelguns, my model 58 is about as large as I would want to try.

I have a take-down Remington model 10, but it just takes too long to put together to be practical. Then, you have to load it. It would balance nicely, however, with the barrel/mag on one side, and the receiver buttstock on the other.

 

[Black Snowman]

As a Desert Eagle owner I'd like to say that conceled carry of that puppy is NOT an option for me. With the 44 barrel and 2 loaded magazinese it's tiping ths scales at ~5.5 lbs. With the 50 and 2 loaded mags make that right around 6 lbs. Not only do you have to carry all that weight around it takes a while to move that much weight onto target. Not virtues when you're in a hurry.

I'd much rather have a short .44 or .454 revolver of some flavor if I wanted punch and portability and I don't even like revolvers that much. They are much better suited to the portable hand-cannon role. The DEagle is a great grin inducer though

 

[Wildalaska]

I look askance at poeple who carrty Desert Eagles or 454s concealed for Personal protection..

Wait till ya carry anyhting for a while...soon you will be doing the embarassing pocket pistol route.

Wild25legalyearsofconcealedcarryAlaska

 

[Zundfolge]

In my experience. . .people who say they will carry a Desert Eagle have never actually held one in their hand. . .

Or worn a gun all day.

If I was a holster maker I'd make a holster for a Desert Eagle ... but you'd also have to buy a holster for a sensible gun with it because after a few hours of CCWing the DE you're going to realise how silly it is.

If you MUST CCW a .44mag, get a S&W 629 w/2-3" barrel (or for ever better carrying but worse shooting a 329) and put it in a well made IWB holster.

If I had a Desert Eagle I would want a concealment rig (probably a shoulder rig) just for sh*ts & giggles ... but not to use the DE as a serious daily carry piece.

I look askance at poeple who carrty Desert Eagles or 454s concealed for Personal protection..

Wait till ya carry anyhting for a while...soon you will be doing the embarassing pocket pistol route.

Which is a good reason to encourage people to not do silly things like try to CCW a DE ... if you start out with something reasonable like a G27 or Kahr then you won't jump down to the .32 pocket pistol out of disgust.

 

[Black Snowman]

It's important to keep in mind the guns original intent. To be a last ditch rifle where a rifle wouldn't fit for tankers and the like. It's made to be carried on a vehicle, not a person, so weight was never a consideration.

Biggest/heaviest gun I'd seriously consider carrying all day is my Delta Elite but my 1st choice is going to be the CZ 75B Compact I'm still shopping for. Now if the KS legislature hadn't backstabbed us and at least TRIED to override the CCW veto but that's for another forum . . .

I've never actually CCWed but I've tried carrying the Delta Elite, my Glock 24, and my Taurus 669 around the house all day. They were all in the way, but not so much as to make me stop. Admittedly the holsters I was using were horrible and a nice piece of leather would make a lot of differance so I think I can comfortable say the Delta Elite can be CCW material, although smaller and lighter would be preferable.

 

[Majic]

To answer the original question I think a verticle shoulder holster with a pull thru draw design is best for long barreled handguns. Make sure the rig is sturdy and disperses some of the weight to the off shoulder.

 

[Dr.Rob]

I walked around with an Uzi in a Desantis shoulder rig for a few hours... tiring oh yes, but wow, 25 rds of full auto 9mm on tap was fun!

As far as carrying "Big" I recall shopping for a holster for my 1917 New Service... was getting tired of carrying it in my hand etc.. so i just shoved it in my waistband, mexican carry-style and it wasn't too bad.. well at least for the duration of the show.

Passed up a really really good deal on a skeletonized shoulder rig for my 7.5 inch vaquero .44... unless you are wearing a field jacket, that's going to show.

 

[Black Snowman]

Yes, back to the origional question, a loose or thick jacket and a lot of upper body strength are a must. To balence the rig extra magazines, a large combat knife and maybe a flashligh on the other side.

I have a denim coat with a thick padding. Nothing short of a P90 would print thorugh it. The stiff leather and padding of a real motorcycle jacket won't print either. I've warn a backpack under mine with about 3" thick worth of stuff and you couldn't tell. I don't think there is any viable option for hot weather carry of a large handgun. Even the loose over-shirts I always wear would print a bit with a shoulder rig. Pretty much need the stiffness of a coat or jacket.

 

[Dionysusigma]

I was just interested in the subject... heck, apparently you can carry one of Bushmaster's new Carbon-15 pistols (that is, if you can hide it effectively), although nobody makes a holster for it.

I'll most likely be going with a Beretta 92FS when the time comes, as no other gun fits my hand nearly that well.

 

[Glamdring]

If your going to carry a DE why not carry a rifle or shotgun? The weight is more of a problem than the size. I know people that CCW N frame smiths. Besides a N frame in 44 mag will have a faster rate of fire than a desert eagle or LAR.

 

[CrazyFool]

I don't see why you would want to carry anything excessively large in any case... the whole idea of a carry gun is something you can get out and use quickly. A .454 Casull or .50 Desert Eagle is not gonna protect you like a snub-nose anything will in a real life and death situation.

Real life is not a movie. You will not get an Oscar for defending yourself with a cannon. Survival is key.

 

[Majic]

Rule number one is to have a gun. There is no mention of what type or size gun. If you are proficient with what you choose then you have fulfilled the number one rule.
Why should anyone care what someone else carries because they can't or don't want to carry what another may use?

A .454 Casull or .50 Desert Eagle is not gonna protect you like a snub-nose anything will in a real life and death situation.

Exactly why wouldn't one protect you like a snub nose anything if you know how to use one?

 

[hmostert]

It is your first gun. I would say that you should try it. It should be fun. I know it is a big thrill to get you first firearm. Carry the DE and get that first itch out of your system. After CCW the DE, you will be able to carry anything wihtout thinking about the weight. I would think a vertical shoulder holster is a good idea. And then you still have the DE to use when you carry in places where there are things that can bite and horn and step on you.

wildehond

 

[Zundfolge]

Exactly why wouldn't one protect you like a snub nose anything if you know how to use one?

Because more then likely you're going to have to draw quickly and be shooting from a retention position ... a giant pistol like a DE or large frame revolver is not going to draw as fast as a snub nose or a compact semi auto, and is going to be somewhat unwieldy in a retention position.

In addition, if all you have to carry is a DE you're going to tire of carrying the damn thing and start walking around *gasp* unarmed! *gasp*