CCW & Public Restroom..what do you do?

[ZeSpectre]

The Lanyard Method

Okay I couldn't find any other pictures to show what I was talking about so I made some of my own.

DISCLAIMER: This post for informational purposes only. I take no responsibility for any who attempts this procedure and/or is careless in it's execution. Personally I consider this an "emergency only" technique and would not recommend it.

Step one
Have a standard lanyard (or even just a loop of paracord). This particular example is the kind of lanyard I use for keys and ID card at work. You don't have to remove the keys or id cards for this to work.

Step Two
Put the cord through the trigger guard. Do I need to stress here that you should use care so that you don't snag the trigger?

Step Three
Feed the cord back through itself to "capture" the trigger guard.

Step Four
Pull the lanyard snug. Again I stress, make SURE you haven't snagged the trigger! The this method would typically try to pull the trigger forward not back, still you should use all due caution.

Step Five
Hang around neck.
Take care of the job, as it were, at hand.

After you are done you take it off your neck, slide the lanyard off, re-holster, and are back in business.

 

[pax]

*shudder*

I do believe I would rather risk keeping it safely contained within the holster, and my hand on the holster to hold it above the lowest level of the door.

pax

 

[Soybomb]

Yikes, I agree something just makes me nervous about intentionally passing string through the triggerguard of a firearm like that. You move forward, reach back and things swing or move... No thanks, I'd just point some toilet paper over the holster of something

 

[Thin Black Line]

If you've gotta use a porta potty at a match, drop your pants before you raise the lid, and lower the lid before you pick your pants back up. It's no fun to stare down into the tank looking for your dropped firearm. (Not me, a friend of mine.)

As someone who lived out of a porta for nearly a year in Iraq, this is good
advice. I never dropped my M9, but someone else did. Probably not a lot
of fun to dig it out when it hasn't been emptied for a while....

If the climate allows, shoulder holsters really are the most conventient way
to carry --whether it's ease in the bathroom or sitting in a vehicle. If you
wear a hip holster, the advice of putting the handgun in your underwear/pants
is good.

With a drop holster on one leg and a drop panel of mags on the other leg,
you are going to have to take off and hang up the entire belt --but in that
case, you're likely in a dangerous environment to start with.....

 

[AZLibertarian]

Had a Blackberry get a "burial at sea" like that.

I'm an airline pilot, and we have passengers drop their phones/blackberries into the lavs more frequently than you might imagine.

I dunno about the rest of you guys, but when I have to use a public throne, the last thing I want to do is to look around. I just do my thing and get out of there. I've always assumed that others do the same, and aren't looking at my ankles, so I really don't worry about it much.

Anyhoo, I recommend just putting the thing in your underwear. That lanyard thingi, while interesting on paper, just looks like a ND waiting to happen.

 

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

Not a bathroom thing, but close. I once got thrown out of a Dunhams, and threatened with a lawsuit/police action for having a firearm in the store. And no, there was no sign or posted policy. I was changing pants and had set my weapon on one of those little benches in the changing room. The doors did no have lock, and some other customer walked in thinking it was empty(I was dressed at the time). He apologized and left. A few minutes later he returned with a manager who said I had to leave immediately and that another manager was already on the phone with the police.


AS for the lanyard idea, just take out the mag and eject the chambered round. Now the weapon is 100% safe. A mag and 1 round can easily fit in a pocket, then just put them back in when you're done.

 

[Car Knocker]

AS for the lanyard idea, just take out the mag and eject the chambered round. Now the weapon is 100% safe. A mag and 1 round can easily fit in a pocket, then just put them back in when you're done.

So why would you want to disarm yourself in a public restroom?

 

[pax]

AS for the lanyard idea, just take out the mag and eject the chambered round.

And the noise it makes sounds like what, exactly?

And the ejected round lands where, exactly? (Or are you suggesting placing your palm over the ejection port of a loaded firearm?)

And when you need to re-load, and someone else is in the bathroom, the noise of the reload sounds like what, exactly?



I just cannot warm up to the idea of running anything through the trigger guard of a loaded gun, nor of pointing a loaded gun at my own head while I potty, nor of unnecessarily loading & unloading the gun in public.

pax

 

[Trebor]

I just give mine to the restroom attendant to hold for me. Proper etiquette requires a good tip...

Actually, I carry IWB in the appendix carry position. The holster is clipped to my pants. I've found that with the gun that far forward, I can easily just tuck the holstered gun into my pants without risk of it falling out of the holster. I can lower my trousers, gun and all, and the pants hide the gun. It helps that the holster is clipped to the pants, so I also dont have the problem of the whole thing sliding off the belt.

 

[pete f]

My dad needs this more than I as I truly hate public washrooms, but he always pulls it from the holster, sits down, and then slides the barrel down inside his left sock, inside the remaining pants leg. Invisible to peekers, readily available.

 

[roo_ster]

The lanyard bit might be more appetizing if the lanyard was snugged about the pistol grip.

Me, I usually hide my IWB holstered weapon in my pants leg or some such.

My IWB holster and mag carrier/mag are still on my belt, though.

 

[ZeSpectre]

For the record. I am not advocating the "lanyard method" I don't think it's the best idea.

BUT for a gun like the XD series even snagging the trigger will not make it go bang if the grip safety isn't being depressed at the same time.

 

[Trapperbob10]

Thunder Ranch Techique

1. Draw weapon in stall, finger staight

2. Place weapon under offside armpit/clasp tightly to body, with muzzle pointing toward wall. Never/ever cover yourself or somebody else in next stall with muzzle.

3. Drop trousers and take a seat, while clasping gun under arm.

4. Once seated, place gun on top of leg, using pants to secure, again, never covering yourself with muzzle.

5. Reverse process when finished.

This is something that was taught at ThunderRanch when Clint was in Texas, he might have changed since I last attended. I would not recommend anyone try this without the proper training, but i would say the same thing about carrying a concealed hangun in the first place.

Regards,

Trapperbob

 

[1911_Mitch]

Gun never leaves the holster.

When I carry IWB, when I unbuckle, I just slide my firing hand onto the grip and pull down, holding the pistol grip, belt, and pants. Hand is on the gun so it wont fall out (most good kydex or leather holsters will hold it anyway) and it is covered (by my hand and IWB holster) from any looky-loos - like anyones looking at you taking a *hit anyway.

 

[Johnny_Yuma]

In 11 years of carrying daily

I have managed to tactically execute my poo from the safety of my own home or a toilet in a secured federal facillity. If you lack my Zen-like control over your bowels, practice focusing your Chi .

 

[Anthony]

Shoulder Rig

Without being gross, I truly attempt to avoid having to do a number two while I am out. If I feel like the need may arise I carry in a shoulder rig most of the time, but otherwise I use the shelf in the handicapped stall and make a mental note of places I frequent.

I always use the locked stall though after Massad Ayoob told our LFI class about a string of burgleries in Los Angeles in which BGs were coming up behind men using the urinal, putting a knife to their manhood, and removing their wallets.

In the stalls they would work in teams. One would dive under the door, grab the victim's feet, and pull them off of the toilet slamming their head and body into it as they were dragged to the ground. Then their buddy places the blade on the manhood while valubles were removed. To thwart this attack keep your feet tight to the sides of the toilet to give you leverage against the attack. Stomp on the BG's arm/hand. Then you have time to gather your pants and gun before moving on to the next step. This is another circumstance in which the shoulder and ankles rigs really shine.

If the moderator will indulge me with a paraphrase, of using the stand up urinal, Ayoob put it well when he said, "There are few things more helpless in this world than a guy facing the wall with his manhood in his gun hand."

Overall it pays to avoid going number two if possible and staying in nice places that you can carry concealed. If you have to go, do it with a locked door behind you.

 

[pax]

Yeah, great. So you guys never poop in a public restroom. TMI, maybe, but as long as we're discussing it, what do you "I just never poop!" guys suggest your wives and daughters and sisters do, when they carry a gun on-body? Should they only leave the house for a couple of hours at a time? Or simply risk rupturing from hydraulic pressure?

It's not like this is really rocket science, and you sure don't need to go to the extreme of pointing the gun at your head in order to do it, or perform complicated manuvers with your loaded and unholstered gun, or balance it precariously on equipment that may not be present, or risk leaving it behind after you've performed your tactical dooty.

Tuck it into your armpit while pulling your pants down? That sure sounds like a recipe for dropping the firearm to me! Probably thought of by some scrawny little guy whose pants will drop instantly to the floor the second he unbuckles his belt. (Oh. Right. Clint Smith. Yup, that describes him.) Someone with curves might have to help those pants down a bit, and the gun tucked into the armpit is likely to go flying to the floor in such circumstances.

So?

Keep the gun in the holster if possible. That's where it belongs and that's where it's safe.

Put your hand on the holstered gun while pulling your pants down. Don't let it flop around. Wrap your hand around the grip, the holster loop, and your belt, holding the whole thing together securely.

Sit down.

Rebuckle your belt around your knees to do your business, or just keep holding the holstered firearm (in place on the belt to prevent it flopping around).

Reverse the process when done.

It really -- REALLY!!! -- is not as big a deal as folks want to make it be.

pax

 

[Juna]

Do I need to stress here that you should use care so that you don't snag the trigger?

No b/c I'd never put something through my trigger guard. I don't like the potential of something inside the trigger guard snagging my trigger, especially when gravity points the gun toward my head or the guy in the next stall's head while it's hanging from the lanyard loop. Just my $.02...

There are few things more helpless in this world than a guy facing the wall with his manhood in his gun hand.

So true.... However, I'm pretty aware when I'm using a urinal. I'm a very observant person, and I'm always paying attention to my surroundings.

As far as those urinal & stall burglaries, I hadn't heard of those. That sucks. However, when my wife & I are out together, I never go into the BR when she's also in the BR. I stand outside the door of the ladies room (or at least near the door within eye and earshot so as not to look like a weirdo) until she comes out, especially if we're in a shady area or if the BR is down some dark hallway out of sight, like in a mall. That way, I can rush in to help if need be, and my presence outside the door is likely to deter any potential scum bags who might do what you described.

I also don't like the idea of setting my gun down on a toilet or on some random object in a stall. Aside from being nasty, it has the potential of falling in the toilet or on the floor, being stolen while on the floor, firing when dropped (depending on what you're carrying), etc. The keeping it holstered option sounds pretty good. It does present its own problems, but it sounds like the safest bet. If you're pocket carrying, then I'd just slip the gun into my shirt pocket or something.

 

[Geronimo45]

"And the noise it makes sounds like what, exactly?"
Very bad Taco Bell?

As for the lanyard idea, two thoughts on it: 1) get a gun with a lanyard ring. 2) put your lanyard behind the trigger, not in front of it (not an option with 1911s, though - but a lanyard ring is).

How about putting it on the back of your neck, tucked in your collar a bit?

 

[Lonestar49]

...

ZeSpectre, that's got merit.. I don't think the gun is gonna go off, especially if you, de-cock, put on the safety before you start out with the cord tie.

I rate it, intriguing


LS

 

[Trapperbob10]

Pax, you described Clint perfectly, and yep, it is more difficult to roll the pants off a womans hips, thank God for curves.

But Clint was not concerned with what was easy, just what worked.

Like I said, in first post, this method was not recommended without the proper training and practice.


Regards,


Trapper

 

[ezypikns]

You have learned well Grasshopper.

I have managed to tactically execute my poo from the safety of my own home or a toilet in a secured federal facillity. If you lack my Zen-like control over your bowels, practice focusing your Chi .

I just unholster and slip it down my pants leg. Quietly.

 

[kid_couteau]

WOW cool thread Folks

I think I like the idea of the shoulder rig myself, tho the lanyard idea is nice as well. But I too would tie it away from the trigger.

You know maybe an adjustment to the lanyard idea would work. Why not make or buy a pocket holster for your gun and then simply tie a piece of paracord to it. That way you toss the rig around your neck and put your gun in the holster part of it. As long as you dont mind the barrel being pointed at your parts it should be fairly secure. Wouldnt take up too much room I imagine.

Funny thing is this thread is making my mind whirl with the possibility of all sorts of mini James Bond style devices.

Wonder if there is a way to rig up a stall door lock for those stalls with the cheap locks on them. Or maybe a mini super magnet with a hook on it to hold your gun while you do your business. Place it right in your sight so you are less likely to forget it.

Thinking about those Los Angeles robberies maybe it would be a nice idea to keep your pepper spray in your hand at all times.

Actually when traveling I usually dont use the rest areas if I can handle it and when we do we check the environment first to make sure there are not a lot of people there. We have passed up using rest areas and just parked on the side of the road and used the woods on the side of the road for a bathroom before.

Shoot thinking like this I guess I better get a Jack Bauer bag.

Later
Kid Couteau

 

[kid_couteau]

Hi Folks

I just made this. Nothing fancy just a quick job

And collapsed:

Kind of heavy on the neck but for short term use ok

Later
Kid

PS: Oh yeah the disclaimer thing
Do this at your own risk. If you use this you are on your own. Do not aim at genitals.

 

[evan price]

For a tactical Deuce what I do is unclip the entire holster from my waistband (IWB) or remove from belt (OWB). Drop trou. Place holstered weapon in crotch of my pants between my legs. Pants are just low enough to get business done. Lower undies to half mast, this covers up the holstered gun nicely and protects from both view, and ahh, accidents?
When finished, pull up undies. Stand up, pull up pants, reclip or rebelt holster, exit situation.

Don't forget to flush and wash hands!

Had the kid thing happen once in a Wal*Mart bathroom. Dad had taken two sons to john with him, kids sounded like 5-6 years old or so, one of them kept telling Dad about the gun on my belt in the next stall, Dad kept saying he shouldn't look at it. Decided then and there I needed to take more care in the W-C.