For the past few weeks I’ve been playing around with appendix carry. It’s been a significant change for me after carrying an IWB at the 4 o’clock position for almost a decade.
I am far from an encyclopedia of knowledge on the issue nor have I run into every one of the myriad possible environments and situations that one could face while carrying. Six months from now I may be carrying regular IWB again. But I have found some significant advantages to it so far:
[ul][li] Concealability … I do not need an open-front garment. That alone increases my wardrobe choices as well as my ability to blend in during all weather conditions. Unless I do a back stretch, the gun doesn’t print. I can bend over, reach up high for something, even twist my torso without my clothing tightening around the gun. And when it does print a bit, it looks like a cell phone, etc. I’ve asked quite a few folks if they could tell where I was carrying (most of them know me and knew that I was carrying somewhere) and not a single one had noticed that I’d switched to appendix carry.
[/li][li] Speed … My presentations from the holster are faster than they were with an open front cover garment, and much faster than they were when I tried to use an untucked closed-front shirt with 4 o’clock carry. This is especially true when sitting in the car or similar positions.
[/li][li] One-handed draws … My strong hand only draw is a bit slower; my weak hand only draw is much faster, I can do it more subtly without the need for acrobatics, and I can do it in more positions.
[/li][li] One-handed manipulations … The holster body serves as a very convenient and easy to reach bucket for holding the gun while performing one-handed reloads; it provides an extremely hard and positive location for racking the slide during stoppages or holding the gun if more drastic one-handed remedial action is required.
[/li][li] Retention … it’s very easy to get a hand on the gun in the holster and provide retention. Simply leaning forward provides improved protection for the gun.
[/li][li] Sleight of hand … the gun is much closer at hand during normal everyday activity (including hands in pants pocket) and is more in line with where my hands are during a lot of defensive/reaction moves.[/ul]
[/li]
(there is also a bit of bandwagon effect … every time I turn around, another one of my BTDT or TNDI friends is adopting appendix carry and singing its praises)
The negatives:
[ul][li] Physique … my Buddha Belly compromises concealability. Appendix carry is most ideally suited for the kind of narcissistic triathletes who find their ways into top tier operational units. But even with my size 38 waistband I can conceal pretty well with an untucked polo.
[/li][li] Holster selection … there aren’t many appendix holsters on the market. The ones that exist are mostly crap. Many of them use a reverse cant, which is not ideal in my limited experience or, more importantly, the experience of the guys who’ve been carrying this way in non-permissive environments for a long time.
[/li][li] Reloads … while my draw is faster, my reloads have really suffered. I’m still working out the kinks with my technique. Lifting a shirt up over a mag pouch one-handed is just a lot slower than sliding inside a vest. I’ve found that leaning hard to the gun side helps, but it’s not a 100% solution (and there are times when a hard lean to the right might not be feasible).
[/li][li] It’s pointing at WHAT? … yeah, it is. I’d be lying if I said it never bothers me anymore. I am much slower back to the holster now and have stolen a particular technique, more like a process, for putting the gun in the holster each time to minimize the chance of eunuchating myself. With a gun with a positive manual safety (a la 1911) it wouldn’t bother me, nor a DAO/TDA gun with an external hammer that I could trap as I holster. But a SFA gun is just sort of, well, a test of self-confidence. And/or luck.[/ul]
[/li]
Do I think it’s a better mousetrap? Yeah. The best choice for everyone? No. The best choice for me? Ask me again in six months. (let’s hope I don’t answer in falsetto)
What are your thoughts on comfort, especially from the seated/driving postion? I’ve toyed around with packing a snubby and a 6906 this way years ago and found it quite uncomfortable, though concealabilty was great. Just curious. I’m always looking for something new for my bag-o-tricks.
I have been Running an ACR from Raven for about 4 months now Im 6’5 300 with food blisters.
the adjustments of the ACR make it work well for me but better for several of my thin friends…
i think its an ideal carry for those with out a so called frame… mainly thin to petite female shooters can hide these in for fitting clothes and some others
as for seated and driving yes it works wel,l and gets the gun up out of the seat belt allowing a good grip.
it is fast into operation from appendix am i faster yet than my regualr IWB no but thats a traning issue more than anything else
The answers to the “driving” and “general comfort” questions will be the same: I bet it was the holster that made it uncomfortable.
Guys, this is exactly like IWB. Plenty of people try IWB and say it’s uncomfortable because they get poorly designed or poorly manufactured holsters. But an appendix holster is even more particular. Extremely small differences in cant, angle from the body, ride height, and shape have drastic consequences on comfort and functionality.
One friend of mine has been carrying this way for many years and has designed a couple of different appendix holsters. He took the time to explain a lot of these things to me before I started. Even with all that advice, it took three tries to get it right. Good appendix holsters are hard to come by, as evidenced by the number of people who make reverse-cant styles.
Sam – It is a straight drop Looper, but it has a few other modifications based on testing. And please note it’s in the experimental stage, so I’m certainly not claiming this is the best appendix holster ever! or anything like that.
[ul][li] Looper[/li][li] Straight cant[/li][li] Adjusted ride height[/li][li] Adjusted angle to body[/li][li] Leather “heat shield”[/li][li] edited to add: Modified holster body contour[/ul][/li]
I’ll take some pics and post them later.
Having seen him do a few presentations this weekend, I was impressed wit the speed of the draw and the concealment of that rig.
Met Todd in the hotel parking lot, assumed he was carrying, but could not spot it. And he did a buddha trot down to his car to get my my hat and his movements did not seem hampered by having a pistol pointing at his package.
Which is my primary concern with that type of rig. IMHO it is not one to play with unless you are a very competent gun handler. Too many ways to remove yourself from the gene pool if you do not take care with your draw AND your holstering motion. If you are the type that gets in a hurry on the draw and sticks your finger on the trigger too soon, not going to be blowing holes in the dirt if you f#@& up. If you do not do a scan and check properly before holstering, and try to get it holstered before you pull your finger out of the trigger guard (muffled bang–whimper) just might happen.
I am not confident enough in my skills to try that type of carry with a striker fired pistol just yet, but having seen the success Todd has had so far, I might some day try it.
I’ve been carrying in the appendix location for a couple of years now. It works very well for me. I actually used it in the late 80’s but finding a good holster proved challenging so I went back to 4 o’clock carry for long time.
IMHO, it has a lot more pros than cons if it works with your body shape and you use the right holster.
I’m looking forward to giving Raven’s new Appedix Carry holster a try.
The draw stroke is not an issue if have have the fundementals down. I personally believe that reholstering should always be done in a slow deliberate manner. IMHO, there’s no logical reason for a speed reholster. Having a holster in the appendix position makes it easier to reholster while verifying that nothing is in the holster that could possibly trip the trigger.
As far a driving and comfort goes I’ve worn this setup up to 16 hours and eve driven 8 hours without issue. The comfort issue really comes down to how you are physically built. I have a short stocky build from lifitng weighta but my waist is about 12" smaller than my chest so appendix carry works really well for me.
I believe I was present at what was the begining of the A-IWB popularity in the trainiing community, the National Tactical Invitational.
A gent from an alphabet agency was shooting from A-IWB (Sig P228) from a PCS Holster A-IBW rig and wowed everyone with his speed from closed front concealment. I mean this guy was scary fast. BTW this guy had BTDT. Great guy also, very personable and willing to share info on techniques etc.
Paul Gomez took notice of this and began experimenting and writing about it over on TPI, in fact there is a thread that talks about this gent. A-IWB really took off with others after Paul started writing about it.
A-IWB’s huge advantages over traditional carry methods IMO are:
1.increase in draw speed
2.sneakiness of draw
3.availability of draw in odd body positions/seated/belted in in a car - this didn’t dawn on me until I had a chance to do some ground fighting drills with a guy well versed in A-IWB and groundfighting - A-IWB is SO MUCH BETTER in this situation than traditional carry. All tools for self defense are more accessable from this position.
I use A-IWB carry frequently and I use a Safariland 27 for my G22:
This holster uses the Safarilaminate created by Bill Rogers, so it’s comfortable against your skin. It has adustable cant J-Hook and a tension screw. It has a kydex lined holster mouth so the holster stays open for reholstering one handed. I mentioned it has a J Hook so it will fit different sized belts and it is easy on/easy off, something I like in a holster. I’ve never had it become dislodged unintentionally from my belt even during groundfighting drills. It’s concealable, I’ve been out with real gun savvy friends and they never knew it was there. It is actually available for purchase, for many different models of guns, and you can call and order one today and get it in a short amount of time and it is inexpensive. This holster also works great for standard IWB carry. And it is available for the M&P.
trot down to his car to get my my hat and his movements did not seem hampered by having a pistol pointing at his package.
