How available IS your carry pistol???


It’s winter, you’re bundled up; coat, sweater, gloves… AND suddenly you need to get to your carry pistol.


Can you?


Why am I asking?


Look at the last couple of months of attacks on females/elderly, and think about this from a slightly different point of view…


How do we dress? Inside out, right? Shirt, pants, belt, all the stuff that hangs off the belt (including that carry pistol); next comes that new loose knit sweater (don’t wanna be printing, don’t ya know), over than we put on the jacket, then the gloves.


When we get to work we reverse the process to some extent, right? But ONLY when we get back home do we actually get all the way down to the carry pistol and by then the gloves, jacket and sweater are off.


Did you check that the new sweater doesn’t hang up on any protrusions on the pistol? Did you check that you can actually sweep the jacket back to get TO the sweater to get to the pistol? And those nice warm gloves, can you even get your finger IN the trigger guard without discharging the pistol?


I found out this last weekend the nicky neat new Isotoner gloves I just bought (that were all nice and warm) would NOT allow me to access the trigger with ANY feel whatsoever!!!


They went in the emergency bag in the truck…sigh…


We also discussed (and tried) accessing the pistols through various layers of clothes, and it did prove interesting.


Being an old fart, I’ve actually gone back through my wardrobe (especially sweaters and jackets) to make sure ALL of them will sweep/not snag on my carry pistols. I’ve also (with an UNLOADED) gun practiced drawing in front of the mirror to see if there are any possible hang ups.


Another point, you can shoot maybe one round from inside a coat pocket, depending on what you carry. If you have a revolver with a shrouded hammer, you ‘can’ get all the rounds off, but I’ll guarantee it’s gonna get a ‘tad’ warm in that pocket, and your accuracy will suffer (but then again, a snubby fired from a pocket is basically a belly gun anyway)…


Just a thought or two for y’all to ponder…

Comments

How available IS your carry pistol??? — 28 Comments

  1. Hrm, makes me glad I’m not a glove person! Handwarmers in the coat pockets and a pair of cheap knit gloves work for going to & fro. Not sure I’ve ever puzzled out work gloves though – guess I should grab my barn pair & see what I can do.

  2. I check draw access with every outfit. If it doesn’t work, I change something. I’ve noticed that with one particular fleece pullover that has a drawstring at the bottom, it hangs. I don’t wear that with a strong-side carry. Checking access a few times with every outfit is also good practice for your draw technique.

  3. What… it’s 14 degrees out… the wind is blowing at 30 miles an hour… the snow is smacking your face… AND folks carrying concealed aren’t wearing a t-shirt and their fishing vests… like when they practice or go to IDPA matches… go figure…

    Good points…

    Dann in Ohio

  4. Being able to essentially shoot in my backyard I get plenty of opportunity to practice drawing and firing in my everyday clothes. Not so much this winter, but last winter I did a lot of shooting in the cold, some days wearing some pretty heavy clothing. It’s good to know what you have to do different based on what you may be wearing

    One thing I’ve learned is that when it comes to gloves I’m not wearing them unless I have to, which in the South is easy enough to do. I’ve tried a lot of different gloves, but shooting a 1911 with them on has always been a pain because I can’t quite seem to get a good enough grip or I have trouble resetting the trigger.

  5. Hey, here on the left coast we don’t have winter, maybe a little rain.
    Today I wore a shirt onver my IWB.
    If I see frost on the lawn I put on a shoulder rig under a wind breaker.
    It is nice to have two seasons, hot and rain.

  6. When we’re all bundled up in layers with a parka, at -20 or colder, I carry a .38+P snubbie in a coat pocket. If there’s time, I’ll dig out the 1911, but having enough time isn’t guaranteed. So the snubbie in the outer layer, and the .45 underneath.

  7. Points well worth considering and discussing.

    With my own carry arrangement, the first thing I do arriving home, usually, is to draw my weapon and place it in ‘its spot’. I do that with all my outer garments on. I’m assured that I can do so easily, well, and have practiced it.

    I seldom wear gloves, and then only while performing a task. If my hands are cold, they end up in my vest pockets…. where there is typically a nice little pistol to warm my hand against.

  8. Worse for girls. Just try getting it out of your purse. When I was a little kid, I had a purse with a cap gun built into the front panel. It was always available. I think I may be on to something – concealed carry designer bags.

  9. Nice point! Living in Arizona, I don’t think about this much but there are somewhat cold nights in the winter where I get all suited up (coat, stocking hat, etc) and don’t even think about accessiblity. Thanks!

  10. Airweight. In the pocket. With my hand on the grip.

    Not noticable when wearing dress slacks. Would be really obscure in the pocket of a winter coat.

  11. I tend to not wear gloves unless I am skiing or walking behind the snow blower.
    Interesting thought progression. I will ponder this all day now! I have so many coats and wear so many different carry positions. Depends on what I am doing! I subscribed to the “gun I have is better than the one on the dresser at home” theory.

  12. I’ve been pondering this for a while, since moving my carry pistol to/from the “office” position from/to one that I could access with my coat buttoned up would be a non-trivial affair. The most viable solution is going to require the purchase of a second pistol with a pocket holster to go into my overcoat (I’ll probably just get an inexpensive .38, or something).

    Unfortunately, that adds all the complications of off-body carry in a law office where a good portion of our clients are criminals.

  13. Mas Ayoob did a story a couple of decades ago covering this issue. He actually was looking for Winter Guns for his Police department, since they have a little trouble with Snow up in New Hampshire sometimes. Contact him for Details.

    Gloves: my “Cheap Trick” is to use a pair of the Army Wool Glove liners, with a second pair of the Fingerless over them. Keeps me warm enough, and I can still shoot. I’ll send you a picture.

    Another option: get a “Parka” gun. That’s a piece that rides in your lower outer pocket and STAYS there for the Winter. That’s the Main purpose of my Dan Wesson with the 2″ barrel on it. Then, when you take the coat off, your regular carry piece is accessible for good weather. Now, you might be “Listing to Starboard” with that set up, so I’d go Crossdraw into the Left pocket. YMMV, of course.

    Last idea: the old Navy Flight Jackets made out of Goat Skin have a nice inner pocket that will hold a full size 1911. Trust me, that’s how we used to carry when we were in the Yards in Boston and we had to go get Cash from the Federal Reserve Bank for Payday. I’d just get a nice pocket holster for it, rather than have it flopping loose and having to be in Condition 3.

    Hope this helps.

  14. Tip on drawing from concealment.

    Rip the cover garment that is directly above the weapon up and towards the center of your chest with your non-dominate hand if you’re carrying on your hip. IE grab your sweatshirt and pull up and over so your hand is near the center of your chest holding it next to your body. This way your cover garment is out of the way and tight against your body. Draw up and rotate as you normally would and you should be snag free. As you start to push out from the chest let go of your cover garment and your hand should be there to meet up with your pistol.

    I’m trying to remember which class I took where I learned that. But I have yet to have any snags, it just gets a bit brisk if it’s cold.

    I usually try to keep my weapon under no more than one or two garments at most. The worst case is a coat and a sweater, rare but it happens.

  15. Forgot, when it comes to gloves I learned the wonder of Nomex flight gloves long ago. I have my dads from when he was an NFO as well as some extra pairs.

    I can easily shoot with the flight gloves on and not really care or have it affect my ability.

    The only time I really need heavy gloves I’m in the woods, in which case I have a nice set in which I can uncover a split in the trigger finger. I wear a nice light liner in that case to keep my trigger finger warm while going on target.

  16. I wear waist-length jackets and haven’t had any problems. Too, I don’t wear gloves except in the Tahoe when I first get in and it’s cold.

    But, I also keep another pistol in the Tahoe that’s easier to draw than my usual carry pistol.

  17. Having worked undercover for a few years in which I wore a variety of apparel not real friendly to quickly and safely drawing a firearm, it nonetheless taught me a lot.

    Even before thinking how you will draw is being aware of your immediate environment as THAT will have more to do with how you draw your weapon than will any clothing surrounding it.

    Trust me. I learned that once. . . the hard way.

    Getting caught by surprise will mess you up ten times more than any overcoat or itchy sweater.

    Preparedness. Not paranoia, but simple awareness and preparedness.

    NFO, you and the other aviators know this because we were not just taught situational awareness, but it was drilled into our heads virtually every day.

    Yet, it’s amazing how we sometimes let it lapse on us outside the cockpit. . .

    –AOA

  18. Blogger An Ordinary American said…

    Having worked undercover for a few years in which I wore a variety of apparel not real friendly to quickly and safely drawing a firearm, it nonetheless taught me a lot.

    Even before thinking how you will draw is being aware of your immediate environment as THAT will have more to do with how you draw your weapon than will any clothing surrounding it.

    Trust me. I learned that once. . . the hard way.

    Getting caught by surprise will mess you up ten times more than any overcoat or itchy sweater.

    Preparedness. Not paranoia, but simple awareness and preparedness.

    NFO, you and the other aviators know this because we were not just taught situational awareness, but it was drilled into our heads virtually every day.

    Yet, it’s amazing how we sometimes let it lapse on us outside the cockpit. . .

    –AOA

  19. Good post.

    Here’s what I do: Since I know my gun is less accessible under my winter jacket I carry a J Frame in a pocket holster in my jacket pocket. It’s not as large as my main gun, nor does it carry as many shots, but it’s much easier to access with the coat on.

  20. There’s a very good reason why a lot of the shooters went to the flight gloves. They were designed to allow aircrew to manipulate switches and dials while protecting fingers from flash burns. If you’re trying to access and use your weapon, they work much better than the glove liners and keep your hands nearly as warm.

    The A2 flight jacket, not so good. Mine still has a torn liner from taking my pistol out when I got home. I’m not sure I’d trust it not to hang up during the draw in a real scenario.

  21. CF- Not a bad idea…

    45er- Good point!

    WSF/Dann- Thanks

    Robert- Look at a pair of flight gloves, that is what I use whenever I can in the winter. http://www.gibson-barnes.com/index.php?id=18&cat_id=26&prod_id=102

    Skip- Shaddap… 🙂

    Rev/Carteach- Good points, and I didn’t go ‘that’ deep, but I can do the same thing if required.

    Anne- They DO make concealed carry purses 🙂 http://www.designerconcealedcarry.com/ and also check Coronado Leather

    OJD- You’re welcome!

    PE- That will work.

    Danny- Yep, something is better than the one sittin on the dresser…

    Jake- THAT is an interesting problem…

    Les- Good points, and I ‘know’ about that inner pocket 🙂

    MM- All good points, and you’re right, closed jacket/sweater/hoody pulls straight up (and clears the off hand).

    Crucis- that works too!

    AOA- Exactly right, and a good point, as I didn’t delve into the SA issue…

    Rob- You and a bunch of others! 🙂

  22. THing is, if you are careful, and paying attention, fast draw is not as big a deal as people think. If you are watching, you’ll have time to draw or at least put your hand on the weapon beforehand…..usually.

    Having said that, I generally keep my shirt tucked behind the but of the weapon, and (when possible) keep the jacket unbuttoned so I can sweep it out of the way. I tuck the shirt before donning the coat, and untuck when the coat comes off.

    I have practiced this, and it works.

  23. Czech out the 511 clothing line. Made for cops, my coats have a zipper than opens up the 3 and 9 positions. I imagine most cop gear is similar. Of course with a low of 45 last nite, I don’t have to worry about frostbite too much here in Texas

  24. 50 Cal- Yeah, I have two 5.11 jackets, one light and one heavier fleece and they ARE nice, but fleece and temps in the 20s just don’t work… sigh…

  25. Cold weather, I have to wear gloves; hands get too stiff if I don’t. I’m going to have to check out the nomex gloves mentioned.

    Cold weather, I wound up using a pocket pistol in the coat pocket and looking around more than usual.