Walk Me Through Your EDC Practice

[Good Ol' Boy]

Do you strap on in the home in the morning, and then go about your whole day with your pistol on you in the same manner as when you left your house and have no changes/transitions or alternatives?

Or do you swap your carry to a vehicle holster when necessary and then re-holster when you exit? Or do you leave your carry piece on your person and have a separate pistol that stays in the vehicle?


I've been pondering these thoughts myself. The manner in which I will be CC won't really be accessible while riding in a vehicle. I don't really like the idea of leaving a separate gun in the vehicle as a "truck gun", so am considering some kind of vehicle holster that I could swap to when I get in and re-holster to the holster on my person when I exit.

I've been looking at these specifically. http://www.gumcreekcustoms.com/


Your thoughts, experiences or opinions.....

 

[Potatohead]

I've gotten in the habit of wearing my just until I get settled into the workplace (get there at 3:30 am) and then put it in the middle drawer of my desk. We are locked down until 6:30am. Then it's off and on throughout the rest of the day. Pretty bad habits probably. Hope I understood what you're getting at.

In reference to your link, I saw on the hunting channel (gun channel?) that one of the major holster makers makes a modular system...you get the holster and you can get other parts too and they can all attach together within the system. Looked pretty neat, has the car attachment part etc...can't recall which company it was but I don't think it was the one you linked.

 

[Good Ol' Boy]

I've gotten in the habit of wearing my just until I get settled into the workplace (get there at 3:30 am) and then put it in the middle drawer of my desk. We are locked down until 6:30am. Then it's off and on throughout the rest of the day. Pretty bad habits probably. Hope I understood what you're getting at.

In reference to your link, I saw on the hunting channel (gun channel?) that one of the major holster makers makes a modular system...you get the holster and you can get other parts too and they can all attach together within the system. Looked pretty neat, has the car attachment part etc...can't recall which company it was but I don't think it was the one you linked.

I'm sensing a little LEO in your statement. If that's not the case that's fine.

Just to be clear, and I should have specified, I'm referring to civilian ED CC practices, not what LEO's normally do.

Although I wouldn't be opposed to hearing advice from any LEO's on here.

 

[jamesjames]

Most people agree that the safest weapon is the one that remains in a holster. That means not manipulating the firearm. Finding a comfortable holster that can be worn all day long without the need for removal is important for success as a CC practitioner.

I learned that CC is done right when the firearm is worn on the body so that the owner maintains control of the firearm at all times. I prefer ankle carry to IWB carry just because there fewer opportunities for discomfort or need for un-holstering the weapon. I prefer a holster with a retention strap that retains the firearm in the holster so that it doesn't fall out of the holster. I prefer a holster that covers the trigger guard completely for the same reason. I prefer a carry method that retains the weapon safely in the holster when I have to take down my pants in a restroom stall. Too many stories of people un-holstering a weapon and putting it on a toilet surface and either dropping the weapon causing a negligent discharge or forgetting the weapon in the stall and walking away.

My favorite holster for ankle carry is the Renegade holster, now made by The Wilderness.com. My favorite IWB holster is a Crossbreed.

 

[guyfromohio]

Strap it on and then leave it on. Every additional touch is an opportunity for an accident or for someone to scream "gun!!".

 

[Good Ol' Boy]

I hear you guys loud and clear but I wear my CC at 3-4 o'clock IWB. While sitting in a vehicle, that is far from readily accessible. Do you guys just not worry about that?

I'm talking about transitional alternatives here.

 

[bullseye308]

I put mine on when I get dressed and take it off when I get undressed. Keep one in the car too in a safe that stays covered and out of sight.

 

[bullseye308]

I wear mine iwb as well 3:30-4:00 and can get it while driving if I adjust it right after buckling up.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I pocket carry a J frame revolver so it's not really easily accessible while sitting. I used to transfer to a cross draw holster until I bought a holster from DeSantis that fits on the seat. It works very well and you gun is very accessible.

http://www.desantisholster.com/KINGSTON-CAR-SEAT-HOLSTER

 

[guyfromohio]

I wear mine iwb as well 3:30-4:00 and can get it while driving if I adjust it right after buckling up.

This. I've never noticed it to be a problem. Holstering while seated seems like a good way to pull a trigger with a piece of clothing, so I'd do my best to put in a holster and keep it there.

 

[MedWheeler]

I should be more concerned with "in-vehicle" draw than I am. On my days off (4 per week), I arm when I get up and it stays on until I undress at night. The gun is worn on my belt, on my strong (left) side, but concealed.

On work days (I work in EMS, a no-carry profession), I pocket-carry a smaller gun while traveling to and from work, and stow it away while actually on the job. I travel to and from the job in my duty uniform. Once home, I change into my jeans, and my "regular" EDC goes on the belt, even though it will only be a few hours before it comes back off for bed time.
When I worked a second, very-part-time job delivering pizzas, I did keep a second gun in a holster clipped beneath the steering column for "rush-up" robbery threats.

 

[Spats McGee]

I cannot carry in my office, so it's: (1) into the holster before I leave the house; (2) into the car safe before I go into the office. Reverse at the end of the day.

 

[TRX]

I put the gun on when I get dressed. It stays there until I get undressed, unless I have to go into a prohibited area like the Post Office.

 

[JTQ]

I hear you guys loud and clear but I wear my CC at 3-4 o'clock IWB. While sitting in a vehicle, that is far from readily accessible. Do you guys just not worry about that?

What kind of cant do you have on your holster? If it is straight drop, I can see a problem. However, with a muzzle rear cant, I don't have any problem drawing when seated.

Here is an article on "The Case for Crossdraw Holsters" by R. K. Campbell. http://www.shastadefense.com/CrossDrawHolsters.htm

He shows a series of pictures of a guy with a straight drop holster at 3:30 - 4:00 having trouble drawing while seated in the car. He makes some good points about cross draw, but I've always looked at that series of pictures in the article as a better illustration of why a muzzle rear (FBI) canted holster would work better. With an FBI canted holster, he'd have no trouble drawing from the 3:30 - 4:00 position.

 

[azrocks]

I hear you guys loud and clear but I wear my CC at 3-4 o'clock IWB. While sitting in a vehicle, that is far from readily accessible. Do you guys just not worry about that?

I don't think defending oneself with a handgun from inside a vehicle is a likely scenario, and if you're a position where that become a reality, you've already failed in aspects regarding situational awareness, defensive driving, etc.

I imagine most people are thinking car-jacking scenarios here, but realistically.. if someone shows up at your window with a gun or knife and they're willing to use it, you're not going to get the upper hand even if your gun is lying in your lap. The time to deal with this kind of attack is before it occurs.

If there's any point during a car-jacking or similar incident where you have a chance it's when you're transferring control of the vehicle, in which case having a gun on you would be far more preferable.

I always drive so I have a way out if something goes silly. I leave plenty of room between me & cars in front, position myself in inner or outer lanes where I could exit the roadway if something went south, and keep my head on a swivel when stopped (old motorcycle-riding habit). Doing so allows me to either A) evade an attack should one occur, or B) use my vehicle as a far more effective weapon than a handgun ever could be.

 

[JTQ]

Here's a partial "gun use in car" video from Clint Smith. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KmZJ5GJ3Oo&list=PLAFE4CBA01CB6A51E&index=5

 

[il_10]

In the summer I pocket carry in a leather holster. That stays in my pocket until I put on a new pair the next day, at which point I transition everything from the old pair to the new pair, gun included.

I keep a full size handgun in my car year round.

In the winter, I typically carry IWB . Get up, put on pants, grab gun from bedside table, holster, go about my day, reverse when I go to bed.

I keep a full size handgun in my bedside table year round, gun safe with carbines, etc. nearby.

I think of my personal carry piece as a 'get out of immediate situation' card. Ideally, it'll stop the threat, or buy me enough time to get to my car, gun safe, or bedside table where I can take a more effective defensive position while waiting for 911/backup to arrive. I had a gun stolen out of my glove box last year, which will be making its way back to me. But, even if the guy hadn't been caught, the very small chance of having a ~3-400 dollar item stolen in X number of years doesn't weigh very highly to me against the prospects of 1) not having a gun in the car or 2) only having one gun that I have to move around multiple times every day.

 

[packpike]

Like Spats McGee I can't carry in my office. So I put it on in the morning when I get dressed, leave it in my car while I'm in the office, and then back on when I leave. You'll see the repeated advice in this thread and the rest of THR that the more you handle the gun the more chances you have of making a mistake. So the key for me is that it doesn't come out of the holster at any of those times. Because I know that I'll have to take it on/off during the day I picked a holster/process where the gun never leaves the holster unless I'm shooting it.

 

[Schwing]

I have struggled with the comfort portion of CC since I started carrying about 20 years ago. For the last few years, I have mostly pocket carried but have recently started using a belly band holster.

I didn't used to put much stock in them. They look goofy and gimmicky but, next to pocket carry, I have found it to be the most comfortable. In a car I can still reach my gun and it leaves my pocket free. Like jamesjames I prefer any holster outside of my pocket to have a retention strap. Many belly band holsters include this option and make them removable so you don't have to use it. You can get a good one for less than $30.

 

[Sav .250]

Getting the correct holster for your activities is step one.

 

[exbrit49]

Depends on time of year

Winter time I carry in a shoulder holster and its on from the time I get dressed until I go to bed.
Summer time I wear a belt holster, carried well forward and easy to reach, even in the car with seat belt on.
I would never leave any of my guns in a car, Unless I am in the car!!!!!

 

[C0untZer0]

I pocket carry a Rohrbaugh R9 most of the time, I could take it out of my pocket each time I enter my vehicle but I found a better solution for me was to get a full-sized gun that rides in a vehicle holster while I just keep the R9 in my pocket.

I also bring along a Kahr CM9 in a TDI fanny pack. The CM9 is unloaded and when I get to place where I cannot CARRY, I transport the unloaded CM9

 

[The_Armed_Therapist]

The way my mind works, I need to keep it as simple as possible. My belt and holster are switched to whichever pants I am wearing that day (only wear khakis, jeans, etc. that are sturdy to allow for this). As soon as the pants are on, the gun (on my night stand while I sleep) goes in the holster. It does not leave until I undress for bed. Then it goes on the night stand.

 

[Fiv3r]

I strap on my gun before I leave the house...which is promptly stashed in the safe in the truck before I take my daughter to school (we drive 5 blocks, then walk through a school owned pass and through the school yard to the door).

I walk back and leave it in my truck safe until I get to work.

It gets holstered before I go in the office, and I wear it throughout the day.

The only time I take it off is if I have in-home meetings. I do not carry into other's houses, and in my line of work asking if it's OK if I carry in someone's home is far outweighed by the potential weird look and loss of income.

The gun goes back on at the office and stays on my hip until I get home. I generally put it in the safe once i get inside.

 

[Corpral_Agarn]

I hear you guys loud and clear but I wear my CC at 3-4 o'clock IWB. While sitting in a vehicle, that is far from readily accessible. Do you guys just not worry about that?

I'm talking about transitional alternatives here.

I don't worry about it.

after all, I am in control of a 2-3,000 lb car.
If I am in my car, and I cannot driiiiiiiiiiiiive away, I am probably getting out. Then 4-5 o'clock is fine.

Tires and tarmac, man.

ETA:
In the mornings, I just put on my clothes, slide holster IWB at 4-5 o'clock, then holster. It stays that way until I get home.
Part of it is memory, part is safety.
That way I know where it is all the time and the more times I am handling my firearm (especially in confined spaces) the higher my risk of an accident.