{"id":78,"date":"2022-08-24T22:30:32","date_gmt":"2022-08-24T22:30:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=78"},"modified":"2022-08-24T22:30:32","modified_gmt":"2022-08-24T22:30:32","slug":"strong-side-pistol-draw-tactics-from-closed-front-garments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=78","title":{"rendered":"Strong-Side Pistol Draw Tactics from Closed Front Garments"},"content":{"rendered":"


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

N<\/span>ot long ago in this space, I did an article on drawing a concealed handgun from a strong-side hip holster under an open-front cover garment (you can see that article here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

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This time around, let\u2019s look at drawing from the same location but from beneath a\u00a0closed-<\/em>front cover garment.<\/p>\n

\"Dummy\n<\/picture>
For the safety and peace of mind of the photographer, demos were done with an Odin Press dummy version of the Springfield Mil-Spec 1911A1 .45<\/a>. Photo: Gail\u00a0Pepin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In hot weather, that garment might be a tee-shirt or polo, a\u00a0guyebara\u00a0<\/em>or a bowling shirt, or a Hawaiian \u201caloha\u201d shirt. In cooler weather it might be a hoodie, a heavy sweater, or an anorak or whatever.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Difference<\/h2>\n

The first thing we have to face and accept is that if we\u2019ve chosen this style of concealment, the draw is going to be slower and\/or more complicated. The reason is, the open-front garment has by definition left an\u00a0open\u00a0<\/em>pathway for the gun hand to get to the holstered sidearm, and that path is\u00a0closed\u00a0<\/em>by a pullover-type garment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Reaction\n<\/picture>
There will be times when you need one hand to block or parry, and have only one hand with which to draw. Plan and train accordingly. Photo: Gail\u00a0Pepin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Compared to open-front concealment, we have a much more distinct delineation between a draw to one-handed index and a draw to two-handed.<\/p>\n

With Both Hands<\/h2>\n

We have to accept that for maximum speed, we\u2019re going to need the support hand to take a more active part in the draw: It will now have to get the hem of the garment pulled upward to clear a path for the reaching hand that, when it reaches its destination, will become the drawing hand.<\/p>\n

\"Hackathorn\n<\/picture>
Hackathorn Rip 1 of 3: Gun hand begins its reach, as support hand prepares to pull cover garment upward\u2026 Photo: Gail\u00a0Pepin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The general consensus is that your best bet is to use the \u201cHackathorn Rip\u201d technique, named after one of the great modern pioneers in defensive handgun shooting, Ken Hackathorn. It should be noted here that Ken himself never called it that: he simply demonstrated the technique as \u201chere\u2019s what\u2019s recommended.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Hackathorn\n<\/picture>
Hackathorn Rip 2 of 3: \u2026shirt over holster is pulled as high as possible by support hand, as firing hand takes drawing grasp\u2026 Photo: Gail\u00a0Pepin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

No one in the shooting game ever successfully named a technique after himself, and indeed, trying to do so is a fast route to being seen as an egotistical bozo. The \u201cHackathorn Rip\u201d term came from Ken\u2019s peers, who realized he was onto something and deserved recognition for creating and popularizing the technique.<\/p>\n

\"Hackathorn\n<\/picture>
Hackathorn Rip 3 of 3: \u2026some shooters prefer to pull the garment up with both hands: positive, but slower. Photo: Gail\u00a0Pepin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With Ken\u2019s technique, the support hand grasps the bottom edge of the closed-front cover garment (the hem) in front of the holster, and rips it upward toward the pectoral muscle\/shoulder area on the gun-hand side, as high as you can get it.<\/p>\n

\"Another\n<\/picture>
Alternative Hackathorn Rip (1 of 2): If you\u2019re sure it will be \u201cguns\u201d not \u201chands\u201d (distance is a factor here), you can draw faster if hands start low\u2026 Photo: Gail\u00a0Pepin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You may not get that high, but trying to do so gives you the best chance of getting it high enough to clear a path for both access (getting the hand to the gun) and presentation (getting the gun from holster to \u201con target\u201d).\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Another\n<\/picture>
Alternative Hackathorn Rip (2 of 2): \u2026 to get the Hackathorn Rip underway sooner. Photo: Gail\u00a0Pepin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Once the draw is underway, the support hand has completed its garment-clearing job and is now free to move to complete the two-handed grasp, whether the situation demanded \u201cdraw to ready,\u201d \u201cdraw to gunpoint,\u201d or \u201cdraw to immediate defensive shot(s).\u201d<\/p>\n

With Gun Hand Only<\/h2>\n

In the real world, the situation which required us to draw may leave us with only one hand with which to do so. The support hand may be occupied with a communications device or illumination device. It may be pushing an innocent victim out of the line of fire, or holding off a vicious human or animal threat that is already within contact distance.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"One\n<\/picture>
One Hand Draw (1 of 3): With support hand in block position, the gun hand has to do it all alone: thumb in \u201cY-hand configuration lifts garment, pegs thumb at ribcage\u2026 Photo: Gail\u00a0Pepin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With a closed-front garment, that means you have only one hand with which to both raise the shirt\/sweater\/whatever to expose the gun and keep that fabric out of the way, while the same hand accesses and presents the firearm for its life-saving purpose.<\/p>\n

\"One\n<\/picture>
One Hand Draw (2 of 3): \u2026takes drawing grasp\u2026 Photo: Gail\u00a0Pepin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ripping up on the \u201ccover\u201d then diving down onto the gun before Mr. Newton\u2019s pesky \u201cgravity thing\u201d drops some clothing between hand and gun is now the problem. A \u201crip and grab\u201d\u00a0can\u00a0<\/em>work, but\u2026ya gotta be\u00a0quick<\/strong>!\u00a0<\/em>And, don\u2019t forget, the problem will be compounded if you are moving to get offline of the attack, bending forward to duck a punch or knife slash, etc.<\/p>\n

\"One\n<\/picture>
One Hand Draw (3 of 3): \u2026and \u201cclears leather.\u201d If the support hand is not needed to fend off an attack, it can move to a two-hand firing hold, as shown. Photo: Gail\u00a0Pepin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For that reason, I recommend the \u201cY-hand\u201d and \u201cpegged thumb\u201d technique. The \u201cY-hand\u201d has the thumb spread wide from the other four fingers, forming a letter \u201cY\u201d with the forearm. Coming up from the seam of the trouser, the Y-hand catches the hem of the garment somewhere between thumb and index finger, guiding it to the center of the web of the hand. That hand sweeps up to as high on the rib cage as it can get.<\/p>\n

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Now comes the \u201cpeg.\u201d Let the tip of the thumb press against the rib cage. Your palm, which will have been facing somewhat forward while lifting the garment, now points down toward the pistol \u2014\u00a0and dives down swiftly onto the grip tang, taking a firing grasp before fabric can fall and get between hand and gun.\u00a0<\/em>Because the bottom edge of the fabric is now above the thumb, you have minimized the chance of \u201cfabric fouling firearm.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hip Throw<\/h2>\n

Because that garment is wanting to come back down during the draw, the potential for \u201cfouling the draw\u201d still exists, even if it is minimized. I found that as a right-handed shooter, dropping my hips\u00a0down and to the left\u00a0<\/em>solved that problem.<\/p>\n

\"Hip\n<\/picture>
Hip Throw Draw (1 of 3): With your arms at your sides, you can visualize where the hip-holstered gun is under the untucked polo shirt\u2026 Photo: Gail\u00a0Pepin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In essence, the draw becomes partly the shooter\u2019s hand withdrawing the pistol from the holster, and partly the hip movement pulling the holster down and to the side, out from around the gun.<\/p>\n

\"Hip\n<\/picture>
Hip Throw Draw (2 of 3): \u2026Y-hand thumb has lifted shirt while support hand is up to block. Right-handed shooter\u2019s hips thrown to left has helped \u201cpull holster from around gun,\u201d\u2026 Photo: Gail\u00a0Pepin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This, by the way, is also helpful for speeding up concealed carry hip draw even with an open-front garment, if the shooter carries the gun very high on the hip.<\/p>\n

\"Hip\n<\/picture>
Hip Throw Draw (3 of 3): \u2026and the gun is positively and expeditiously on target, whether the choice was two-hand hold as shown or one-handed hold. Photo: Gail\u00a0Pepin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That\u2019s a particular concern for females, for whom their torso will generally be relatively shorter and their pelvis relatively higher and more pronounced, than her twin brother the same height. But it is most obviously useful when drawing from under a closed-front garment, all the more so with the one-handed draw.<\/p>\n

The Cover Garment Itself<\/h2>\n

The closed front garment clings more closely to the wearer\u2019s body than the open-front vest, jacket or unbuttoned shirt. It is imperative that the garment be at least one size larger than one would wear if\u00a0not\u00a0<\/strong>concealing a gun under it!\u00a0<\/em>In the accompanying photos, you see a \u201csize medium\u201d guy wearing a \u201csize large\u201d polo shirt for \u201ccover.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Y\n<\/picture>
This is the \u201cY-hand,\u201d useful for many things in martial arts, including the defensive firearm. Photo: Gail\u00a0Pepin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If the cover garment is a button-front and worn with the closures fastened, leave the bottom button or two\u00a0unfastened.\u00a0<\/em>This will allow more \u201cflex,\u201d or more spread of the lower garment as the hand reaches to the firearm and extracts it from the holster.<\/p>\n

Earlier I mentioned the\u00a0guyebara\u00a0<\/em>shirt. I first encountered these in the 1980s with the Cuban-American community in Miami, and in Caracas, Venezuela when I taught there. In an armed society, this was one of the few pieces of clothing that seemed to have been built to encourage concealed carry. Worn with flat hem outside the pants, their buttons stopped at around navel level, allowing great flex at the hem for drawing concealed handguns. The American \u201cbowling shirt\u201d in some iterations has the same features.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re going to carry this way, practice\u2026practice\u2026<\/em>PRACTICE!<\/strong>\u00a0I would suggest 50% of your practice be one-handed as demonstrated here, the other half with the two-handed \u201cHackathorn Rip.\u201d You\u2019ll find that with less drape than you\u2019d have with an open-front garment, inside the waistband carry will be much friendlier for concealment.<\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s Note: 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!<\/em><\/p>\n

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

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


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By Massad Ayoob Not long ago in this space, I did an article on drawing a concealed handgun from a strong-side hip holster under an open-front cover garment (you can see that article here). This time around, let\u2019s look at drawing from the same location but from beneath a\u00a0closed-front cover garment. For the safety and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":79,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-78","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\/78","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=78"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/79"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=78"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=78"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=78"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}