When the temperatures start dropping it means good news and bad news for the armed citizen. The good news is that, now that heavier outer garments are appropriate, you can carry a larger defensive handgun properly concealed. The bad news is that, when trouble raises its ugly head, your defensive handgun may be holstered under several layers of clothing, making a rapid response a bit difficult.
One solution is to put your smaller backup gun to work on its winter assignment. And that assignment is stashing it in a pocket of whatever outer garment that you are wearing. Quickly producing the smaller belly gun may solve whatever threat confronts you. And it could also buy you time to get to that bigger pistol on your hip.
Another winter task is to practice getting your winter clothing open and accessing your primary defensive handgun. Whether your winter gear snaps, zips, or has Velcro closures, you need to practice getting to that defensive handgun until you can avoid all wasted motion and make the draw as fast as possible.
And don't forget to consider the issue of winter gloves. Can you safely and efficiently operate your defensive handgun while wearing gloves? If not, you need to develop and practice a technique of getting the glove off of your shooting hand as quickly as possible. One generally thinks of pulling that glove off with the support hand, but what if that hand is busy fending off an attacker? Several companies offer hunting gloves and mittens that feature an exposed trigger finger and this might be just the solution that you are looking for.
The bottom line is that one has to study the type of winter clothing that he wears and determine the best way to carry the defensive handgun so that it is as readily accessible as possible. Suiting up at home, during Dry Practice, helps you formulate your plan and response to a criminal attack. Having to fumble with your clothes while someone is trying to kill you is not a good thing. So take the time to give a bit of thought to what you wear during the wintertime and how that will effect your response to a deadly attack.
