How to carry your gun
Are you considering whether to carry a handgun? This is a decision everyone needs to make on his own. Once you do decide to carry a gun, a few questions arise: How? Why? Where? Today, we will try to answer some of those.
How to carry your gun?
There are three main styles of carrying your pistol or revolver: In a holster, concealed carry bag, or without it. Each of them has its ups and downs. What should you base your decision on? EDC should meet these three requirements:
- Safety
- Effectiveness
- Comfort.
“The style of gun carry is core to its effective use…”
Holsters – represent the most common and most favorite EDC tool. There are several types of holsters, patterns, and materials that we will be discussing in this blog.
a) safety – choosing the right holster type, allows you to keep your gun under control all the time while moving, drawing, or re-holstering.
b) effectiveness – the speed of a gun-draw and the strength of the grip is a matter of training. Anyway, drawing a gun from a holster is the most effective way in terms of time, and remains a significant aspect of self-defense.
c) comfort – with the right holster, the gun will not obstruct your movement but becomes a part of you. Ideal results depend mostly on the quality of use material and the holster design itself.
Bags, Pouches, and Bum bags – quite a popular style of gun carry. However, it has its pros and cons. Especially useful solutions for formal occasions but also hiking. It is a nice compromise between “carrying a gun somewhere on you” and “not carrying a gun at all”.
a) safety – you only control the gun up to a certain degree. Above all, there appears a risk of a loss of the gun, or theft. Also, there is a possibility that the bag with the gun might be “just out of the reach” when really needed.
b) effectiveness – You do not carry the gun on your body, but it is reachable. This increases the time needed for quick reaction. Drawing a gun from a pouch requires longer training than drawing from a regular holster. Moreover, the thoughtful design with a focus on functionality is essential.
c) comfort – since you are not in direct contact with the gun, the level of wearing comfort is only set by the bag itself.
No holster – this type of gun carry is commonly seen in Mexico or Brazil. This is the worst solution on so many levels:
a) safety – you do not have the gun under control while moving and neither while drawing the gun when needed.
b) effectiveness – the speed of a gun-draw and the strength of the grip is to a great extent limited by an ongoing situation.
c) comfort – longer wearing periods cause a considerate discomfort.
Holsters and their designs
Get introduced to the most common and the most popular styles of gun carry using holsters. In today’s world, the variety of gun holsters is enormous. Fortunately, we can sort it out into main categories by the way the gun is carried.
IWB (Inside the Waist Band), represents a system of concealed gun carry- the holster is placed between the underwear and pants. Usually attached to a belt by a clip or a belt loop. IWB holsters are amongst the most popular types.
In most cases, the IWB Holsters are made from leather, nylon, or Kydex. Another interesting holster style that belongs to this category is Belly Bands. The elastic holster worn around the waist is a great solution for the summer season while wearing just a T-shirt or trousers with no belt.
OWB (Outside the Waist Band) represents an outside gun carry style – the holster is attached to the belt from the outside. OWB Holsters together with the IWB ones belonged, do belong, and will belong amongst the most popular holster types.
In most cases, the OWB Holsters are made from leather, nylon, or Kydex. Compared to IWB holsters, they provide greater design variability.
These holsters are worn on the body, attached to the shoulder harness, and thus are handy for shooters who need to have their belt clear. Shoulder holsters are highly requested amongst armed forces.
In most cases, the Shoulder Rigs are made from leather or nylon.
The category of Leg Holsters is mostly intended for armed and defense forces. Bearing in mind the common laws on gun carry all over the world, the use of these holsters is significantly limited.
In most cases, the Leg Holsters are made from nylon and Kydex.
Concealed carry bags form an individual category. It is a nice compromise between “carrying a gun somewhere on you” and “not carrying a gun at all”. There are different bag types such as Shoulder Bags, Belt Pouches, or bum bags.
In most cases, they are made of firm materials. The pouches are not only made for EDC, but also as various business bags. Usually, they feature to opening methods – pulling it open for the fastest gun draw, or regular zipper.
“If you find yourself in a situation when you really need a gun for self-defense, you only have seconds to react. “
Conclusion
Do not forget that “The style of gun carry is core to its effective use…” The optimal holster does not exist, for life leads us to different situations. For this reason, it is advised to keep several holster types for each gun (1x IWB, 1x OWB, and a Bag or a Belly Band) to allow yourself to choose the right one for every occasion.
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Michal Bernadič
2.7.2020
