RetiredUSNChief
Member
Not what I thought this thread would be when I first clicked it, but it's turned out to be an excellent topic! Thanks!
Like many, in my younger years I tried several carry methods. Some I quickly discovered were somewhat less practical than others. And if it were something looked upon as "cool" in certain circles, that was pretty much synonymous with "downright stupid".
Small of the back...seems comfortable when standing, but that's where it ends. Sitting or riding in a car? Nada. And the very THOUGHT of a fall on my keister or back made me shudder.
Appendix carry? Sorry, I'm not keen on carrying a loaded firearms pointed at my junk...or femoral artery. And sitting doesn't sound comfortable, especially when wearing a seatbelt.
I settled on 4 o'clock, IWB. I prefer IWB for concealability, even though OWB would be more comfortable. I prefer that position because it's easy to reach and is pretty comfortable in most sitting positions. In the car, it fits comfortably in that spot between the body/seat back/seatbelt buckle. Falling on it in this position at least has the benefit of being on a meaty portion of the body as opposed to a bony spot.
A shoulder holster, at least one that's well made, is pretty comfortable too and offers many advantages over a belt holster, such as being much more accessible while strapped in with a seatbelt. Cross drawing has some safety issues, though.
And yes, the holster construction does make a difference.
As I've gotten older (I'm not that many months away from 60 now), I've noticed some changes. I quit carrying my wallet in my left rear pocket, because the pressure from sitting on it started causing some pains in my hip/leg on that side. When I moved my wallet to a front pocket, that went away.
Carrying a full size heavier gun, like my Colt 1991A1, while not actually causing any pain, DID start producing pressures involving my hips/spine I had never noticed when I was younger. Not painful, but could have been interpreted as precursors of things to come. So I shifted from that pistol to a lighter one and those signs disappeared.
Falling always involves a risk of injury, the extent of which obviously is based on the circumstances of the fall. Anything you carry with or on you also risks causing you injury as well. Choosing how to carry is just as important for this reason as it is for any other.
Like many, in my younger years I tried several carry methods. Some I quickly discovered were somewhat less practical than others. And if it were something looked upon as "cool" in certain circles, that was pretty much synonymous with "downright stupid".
Small of the back...seems comfortable when standing, but that's where it ends. Sitting or riding in a car? Nada. And the very THOUGHT of a fall on my keister or back made me shudder.
Appendix carry? Sorry, I'm not keen on carrying a loaded firearms pointed at my junk...or femoral artery. And sitting doesn't sound comfortable, especially when wearing a seatbelt.
I settled on 4 o'clock, IWB. I prefer IWB for concealability, even though OWB would be more comfortable. I prefer that position because it's easy to reach and is pretty comfortable in most sitting positions. In the car, it fits comfortably in that spot between the body/seat back/seatbelt buckle. Falling on it in this position at least has the benefit of being on a meaty portion of the body as opposed to a bony spot.
A shoulder holster, at least one that's well made, is pretty comfortable too and offers many advantages over a belt holster, such as being much more accessible while strapped in with a seatbelt. Cross drawing has some safety issues, though.
And yes, the holster construction does make a difference.
As I've gotten older (I'm not that many months away from 60 now), I've noticed some changes. I quit carrying my wallet in my left rear pocket, because the pressure from sitting on it started causing some pains in my hip/leg on that side. When I moved my wallet to a front pocket, that went away.
Carrying a full size heavier gun, like my Colt 1991A1, while not actually causing any pain, DID start producing pressures involving my hips/spine I had never noticed when I was younger. Not painful, but could have been interpreted as precursors of things to come. So I shifted from that pistol to a lighter one and those signs disappeared.
Falling always involves a risk of injury, the extent of which obviously is based on the circumstances of the fall. Anything you carry with or on you also risks causing you injury as well. Choosing how to carry is just as important for this reason as it is for any other.