For new shooters, one of the things that makes it easier to learn to live with your defensive gun is to find the most comfortable way to carry it. If we did a survey, I wouldn’t be surprised to find that most legally armed citizens carry about their waist, some on the inside of their waistband and some on the outside.
In the past, we found many shooters who carried their handgun just behind, or on, the hip bone. Nowadays, more and more folks are carrying in front of their hip bones, either in cross-draw or strong-side carry. In a way, this makes sense because, as we go about life’s daily chores, our hands are generally on the front side of our body and, therefore, closer to the handgun.
Two other factors that favor front-side carry are age and injury. If, for whatever reason, a person has trouble with his shoulder joints and muscles he will find it quicker and more comfortable to make the draw stroke from the front carry position as opposed to reaching back.
Another useful and popular carry method is pocket carry. In this case, the gun owner is limited to smaller guns that will fit in the pants pockets. He or she is limited to wearing slacks with pockets big enough for even the small guns; pocket carry with blue jeans usually doesn’t work because the pockets are too small and tight. Besides having really good concealment, one advantage of pocket carry is that one can slip their hand into the pocket at the sight of a potential threat without appearing to have made a threatening gesture themself.
Fortunately, more and more women are realizing that carrying in the purse, while comfortable, is really not a good idea. It may be that what the crook is really after is your purse and when he does a snatch and grab, there goes your gun. And whenever a woman lays her purse down, she is no longer in control of her defensive gun, and it becomes more accessible to children and other unauthorized people. The realization of this is why more and more women are going to waistband carry.
Of course, there are other carry methods that a person might want to try out. Shoulder holsters and ankle holsters, for instance, have their place and may be of service. However, in my experience they don’t seem to be as handy or as comfortable.
Whatever carry method a person settles on, they should realize that it needs to be the best gun rig they can afford. A good quality belt and holster are as important as selecting a good quality defensive handgun and the proper ammunition. In the end, don’t be afraid to experiment and stay with quality products.
