{"id":1985,"date":"2024-04-04T20:03:54","date_gmt":"2024-04-04T20:03:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=1985"},"modified":"2024-04-04T20:03:54","modified_gmt":"2024-04-04T20:03:54","slug":"ayoob-how-youd-lose-your-ccw-and-how-to-stop-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=1985","title":{"rendered":"Ayoob: How You\u2019d Lose Your CCW (and How to Stop It)"},"content":{"rendered":"


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By Massad Ayoob<\/a><\/p>\n

M<\/span>y wife and I were leaving the drugstore one recent evening when we crossed paths with a gentleman who was walking his dog. \u201cBeautiful dog,\u201d my wife sang out to him. He beamed.<\/p>\n

\u201cNice pistol, too,\u201d I added in a pleasant tone with a smile.\u00a0His\u00a0<\/em>smile nervously disappeared.<\/p>\n

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When you carry a concealed firearm for personal protection, it is important to ensure the gun is well concealed. In addition to the tactical considerations, some jurisdictions require it by law.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I hope he understood that I meant well. We were in a jurisdiction where concealed carry is legal even without a permit, but open carry is\u00a0not.\u00a0<\/em>I figured it was better for him to get a gentle reminder from a fellow 2A advocate than a MWAG (Man With A Gun) complaint phoned in to 9-1-1<\/a> by some panicky anti-gunner.<\/p>\n

His handsome 1911 was riding in a light brown pancake style leather holster that contrasted obviously against his dark clothing, because it was set forward of his hip and clearly visible under his open-front Columbia-style shirt.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cConcealed Means Concealed\u201d<\/h2>\n

Yes, \u201cConcealed means concealed\u201d is something of a clich\u00e9, but if we think about it, nothing becomes a clich\u00e9 unless there\u2019s some truth to it. We who are armed have a covenant with the rest of society that says in essence, \u201cYou do not need to fear\u00a0us.<\/em>\u201d That was true when I started working in the family jewelry store and carrying a concealed, loaded, cocked and locked 1911 .45 auto, and I find it still true now, hopefully not quite finished, as a 75-year old senior citizen who carries concealed daily.<\/p>\n

\"concealed\n<\/picture>
A jacket that is too short can expose a hip holster. Would anyone consider that \u201cconcealed\u201d? Image:\u00a0Gail Pepin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We have to realize that X number of people are scared of guns. Hell, a certain number of people are scared of guns on the hips of cops. Also, in some jurisdictions, exposure can literally cause revocation of concealed carry rights. I was told of one Manhattanite with the rare NYPD-issued concealed carry permit who lost it when, running to catch a subway train, his holstered .38 became visible and panicked some observers. When I was in South Africa in the late 1980s, the authorities told me I was legal to carry concealed, but if my handgun became exposed anyplace but out in the bush, it would be confiscated.<\/p>\n

Concealment Tips<\/h2>\n

\u201cDress around the gun\u201d is advice which, to the best of my knowledge, came first from officer survival authority Lt. Evan Marshall, Detroit Police Department (retired). It made sense then and it makes sense now.<\/p>\n

\"bulge\n<\/picture>
This appendix-carried revolver produces an obvious bulge under a too-tight t-shirt. According to the author, \u201cIf it\u2019s obvious you\u2019re carrying a gun, it\u2019s not concealed.\u201d Image:\u00a0Gail Pepin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Concessions have to be made between dress code and armament. We must recognize that there are NPEs,\u00a0N<\/strong>on-P<\/strong>ermissive\u00a0E<\/strong>nvironments, where it might be strictly\u00a0legal\u00a0<\/em>for us to be armed but might also be an occupational or social kiss of death to be discovered as such.<\/p>\n

If you wear a gun on your belt, carry it\u00a0behind\u00a0<\/em>the hip and not on the point of the hip. Concealed carriers speak of the clock position, in which the belt buckle is 12 o\u2019clock. The right-handed person wearing the pistol at perfect 3 o\u2019clock will find it bearing uncomfortably on the hip-bone\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em>protruding from the body\u2019s profile. Just moving it a tad behind the hip to 3:30 will keep it much more out of sight, vastly improve comfort, and allow the drape of the cover garment from the shoulder to keep the gun\u2019s butt from \u201cprinting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Springfield\n<\/picture>
The author\u2019s Ronin 1911 rides inside the waistband in classic Milt Sparks Summer Special holster. The rig holds the gun tight against the body in 3:30 position for maximum concealment. Image:\u00a0Gail Pepin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Need to bend down for something? Bending forward at the hips will cause a gun butt to bulge obviously. Remember \u201cuse your knees, not your back\u201d? That will save back pain\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em>prevent gun printing.<\/p>\n

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Holster selection? Inside the waistband conceals better than outside, no question about it. The cover garment can ride all the way up to the bottom of the belt and not reveal the hardware, and the trousers break up the outline of the holstered gun. With a proper design, you\u2019re not sacrificing speed with most body shapes (extreme obesity\u00a0can\u00a0<\/em>be an issue here, though).<\/p>\n

The price you pay is that you bought the pants to fit\u00a0you,\u00a0<\/em>and now they have to encompass a holstered gun, too. That can get uncomfortable. Get the pants a couple inches larger in the waistband and the discomfort should disappear. (Old age has taught me that sciatica can change that, though.)<\/p>\n

You prefer an outside the waistband holster? One in the \u201cpancake\u201d style developed more than half a century ago by holster designer Roy Baker can solve the problem. The belt slots fore and aft pull the whole holstered gun tighter into the body\u2019s profile, and you don\u2019t need new pants. It won\u2019t hurt if you get the cover garment one size larger than usual to give you enough fabric drape for complete concealment.<\/p>\n

\"good\n<\/picture>
The fore and aft belt loops of Mitch Rosen Express OWB holster pulls a full-size Springfield 1911 tight against the body to enhance concealability. Image:\u00a0Gail Pepin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Wanna dress cool? You picked a good time for it. Un-tucked shirts, even un-tucked\u00a0dress\u00a0<\/em>shirts when you get down around Miami, are in vogue now. Once again, inside the waistband and cover garments one size larger make sense. Solid or patterned colors help distract from possible \u201cgun outlines.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bottom Line<\/h2>\n

Obviously, you still want fast access. If you choose the currently popular AIWB (A<\/strong>ppendix carry\u00a0I<\/strong>nside\u00a0W<\/strong>aistB<\/strong>and), a two-handed draw with support hand lifting a closed-front garment and dominant hand going for the gun is super-fast. However, if one hand is otherwise occupied (fending off an attacker, for example) a one-handed draw is faster from the hip with an open-front garment.<\/p>\n

\"drawing\n<\/picture>
When both hands are available, drawing from an AIWB holster can be extremely fast. Without the ability to use your support hand, drawing from a strong side holster can be faster with an open front garment.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Never forget that people ranging from hardened criminals to drunken show-offs are floating around out there, and one of them grabbing for your gun is a Really Bad Thing for all concerned.<\/p>\n

Finally, when you carry concealed, practice drawing from concealment with an empty gun! With proper technique and practice, you aren\u2019t giving up that much draw time. <\/p>\n

In a lot of ways, the operative term in \u201cconcealed carry\u201d is\u00a0\u201cconcealed\u201d!<\/em><\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s Note: Please be sure to check out The Armory Life Forum, where you can comment about our daily articles, as well as just talk guns and gear. Click the \u201cGo To Forum Thread\u201d link below to jump in and discuss this article and much more!<\/em><\/p>\n

Join the Discussion<\/span><\/h5>\n

Go to forum thread<\/a><\/p>\n

Featured in this article<\/span><\/h5>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"1911 <\/p>\n

1911 Ronin\u00ae Series<\/span><\/h3>\n


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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Milt <\/p>\n

Milt Sparks Summer Special<\/span><\/h3>\n


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By Massad Ayoob My wife and I were leaving the drugstore one recent evening when we crossed paths with a gentleman who was walking his dog. \u201cBeautiful dog,\u201d my wife sang out to him. He beamed. \u201cNice pistol, too,\u201d I added in a pleasant tone with a smile.\u00a0His\u00a0smile nervously disappeared. When you carry a concealed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1986,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1985","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1985","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1985"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1985\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1986"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1985"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1985"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1985"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}