I did a search, but didn't turn up much. What can you tell me about appendix carry? I understand it's getting more popular all the time, but it seems like it would gouge and be uncomfortable while sitting.

Any thoughts?

I have appendix carried everything from a full sized 1911, to a snub for the past 12 years. Zero issues. It is all in the holster.

Check out the Dale Fricke archangel.

I find appendix carry very comfortable, and it has the advantage that it's easier to access the gun from a sitting position. The biggest problem (in my experience, at least) is finding a holster that can be adjusted for a negative cant. I use a Crossbreed QwikClip, and it works very well.

Im skinny and find it very uncomfortable. The grip digs into my hip bone or stomach or ribs, when i bend down or do anything but stand straight up. Regardless of gun or holster.

I carry at about the 4 o clock position.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

Thanks for the replies. Those of you who carry this way, do you carry strong side, or crossdraw?

Don't shoot yourself. It happens even with the pros.

I carry strong side. To address Ransom.... to shoot yourself is to have a ND which means your finger is on the trigger. This applies to all carry methods not just appendix carry.

I've tried appendix and it didn't work that well for me. It's comfortable only when standing and digs in when sitting or bending. It does hide really well, but if I chose the right shirt, IWB on the strong side hip is better for my body and clothing choices.

I don't want to debate it here, but you did not cover this very well. It does not take a finger to have a ND; shirt tails can do it too for example. Most other popular carry methods do not have the muzzle pointing directly at very important body parts, especially the femoral artery. If I have a ND from my usual 3:30 position, the most likely injury is superficial.

I have been carrying every day for 12 years..... no femoral artery issues here. I guess it only takes awareness to avoid an ND. FYI your femoral artery runs down to your knee. If you have a ND into your leg from SS carry, it is still in jeopardy of being hit and is anything but superficial. But if you are afraid to carry there, and do not trust your awareness, then by all means do not.

Let's just say that the femoral artery is not at the top of my list of body parts that worry me and I don't have an appendix...

ECS

__________________
CPT, Armor (Ret)
Luke 22:36

Appendix carry is as safe as any other method of carry with a proper holster. I do not know why people are so scared of it.

This was exactly the same for me.

__________________
M&P15 Sport,9Pro,9c,Shield9,45

Due to back issues my main carry position is
outside the waistband (OWB) cross-draw.

Sometimes I use the same cross-draw holsters on the appendix side,
and other times I wear two cross-draw holsters at the same time,
one in the "cross-draw proper" position, with another for my
backup gun (BUG) on the appendix side.

I've found that a dedicated cross-draw holster works very well on the appendix
side and it takes very little hand/arm movement to draw the gun, which
is canted, for right handers anyway, at a very natural angle.

__________________
Ogy

You have round (that can crack a human skull like a melon) pointed at your crotch. Thats why people are afraid of it

A highly trained gov't agent shot himself in the worst place when his shirt tail caused his appendix-carried G26 to discharge when holstering. It can happen to anyone in one lapse of attention.

He was probably the only one in the room qualified to carry the firearm

Seriously, do not re-holster appendix. Remove the holster. Holster the weapon. Re affix the holster. Every day 12 years.... same reason I rack a slide 3 times instead of once. Just in case I am stupid enough to forget to drop the magazine. Form safe habits. Double check, triple check. Life goes on.

I carry my 638 in a Remora holster IWB appendix. It's not real comfy while driving, I usually remove holster & gun and tuck beside my seat. As an average-size female I find it's easier for me to conceal this way; on the hip it sticks out too far and behind the hip is difficult to draw well, usually a cover shirt/sweater in the way.

I replaced the grips because the originals caused my middle finger to rest behind the trigger guard, so when I fired my finger would get pounded by the recoil. The new grips are rubber types, so clothing tends to get stuck sometimes. Just something to think about when buying new grips!

I recently began carrying "appendix carry" with a muzzle forward attitude and a snap on holster. I carry a Colt 2" in the holster and it carries and conceals well. It is right at my hand for a quick presentation.

Safety is foremost with this rig, but familiarity and safety make this a good carry option. I would not want to carry a semi-auto or a barrel length longer than a 2-3" in a revolver, as anything greater than the bbl lengths mentioned would complicate movement and sitting.

Lobo made my rig and I am very pleased with it.

I carry appendix for a number of reasons. I tried several other locations and just wasn't happy with them. I find the weapon digs in a little when I bend down to pick something up, nothing really uncomfortable, just lets me know it is there.

I like to have the weapon in front of me. Makes it much easier to guard the weapon in the event someone tries to make a gun grab. Also one of the easiest draw positions IMO. 3:00 would be fine, except for the difficulty of concealment. Takes a pretty bulky cover garment for that, and I live in a warm climate.

As to the safety issue, if you have the safety on when it goes in the holster, and train to thumb the safety off after it clears the holster on draw, the chances of an ND are negligible. If it doesn't have a manual safety, or isn't DA, it isn't suitable to carry IMO. Your opinion may differ, but that is how I feel about it.

Only did with a j frame for a bit. My pubic bone was sore and tender after sitting or bending. All body types are different. Do what works and be safe

If I was afraid to carry appendix style because the gun might go off I would be afraid to carry that gun. Larry

I carry my 638 Airweight AIWB at about 10:30 (lefty). It is by far my favorite carry option in my rotation. I carry it in a Stays-Put Ultra Pocket Holster, which stays put behind a good belt all day long without worry. I put it low with a reverse cant so that the grip lays down horizontally right at my belt. My middle aged belly expands above it, casing any untucked shirt to drape over it without printing. Sometimes, I put my cell phone in a holster on my belt immediately behind the grip to ensure no printing with the thinnest shirts. The comfort is perfect all day long. It is just as easy to draw standing, sitting or even buckled in my driver's seat.

The reverse cant provides several advantages:

• It lays the grip down horizontally as stated above.
• It moves the muzzle over so it doesn't jam against my thigh when I sit down.
• It presents the gun at an ideal angle for a good draw from that position. The holster is lined with smooth nylon, so the draw is effortless. Yet it holds the gun in securely.

Until I tried this, I thought my middle aged spread would prevent me from carrying up front. I have tried it with other guns, but nothing works as satifactory as the 638/Stays-Put combo. My TCP 380 rides there almost as well in a Stays-Put sized for it. Even my Kahr CM9 is too bulky there, so I carry it in a PJ IWB Holster just behind my hip. So comfortable that I can't tell it is there, whether still or moving. I carry my Walther PPQ in an Aholster OWB Belt Holster just behind my hip. It holds the gun as close as an IWB holster, very stable and secure, smooth draw and reholster, and is very comfortable. A better solution than IWB, IMO, for a bigger gun.

__________________
Very interesting...

my 2cts. your own safety is what is strived for. good holster counts. usually carry @ 4 clock position. going into a area that is known to have a few problems, which is many areas nowadays we put ourselves in, i pass the belt over the side belt loop. this usually lets you carry the weapon at 4 in the car, and while walking to be moved to the 2 clock position if wanted,and back to the 4 clock position in seconds. that's assuming you use a rentention holster.

To each his/her own but I would NEVER appendix carry. It violates rule#2: Never point your gun at anything you are not willing to destroy! Having a loaded firearm pointing at ones family jewelry, or femoral artery strikes me as being a candidate for the Darwin Award. In 42 years of carrying handgun(s), I've seen 5 AD/ND with guns carried appendix carry; and, TWO OF THEM WERE FATALITIES!

(Flame suit on)

__________________
David
CW3 USA (Ret) 1968-1990

I expect eb07 to be along shortly to say they were doing it wrong and it will never happen to him because he's been doing it for 12 years and it hasn't happened yet.

Clip draw with a j frame, works great.

__________________
Still got the shovel

Well I carry AIWB with several different handgun types without issues but if it is not for you by all means don't do it. As someone said it is all about the holster and training with your equipment.

As far as violating gun safety rules all positions of carry orientate the muzzle towards a body part or when you draw I can assure you that the muzzle of the weapon passes part of your body so based on that statement all positions of carry are dangerous and should not be used.

AIWB is not for everyone. It does place the muzzle in the direction of the family jewels and yes dead in the the middle of the upper thigh however it is extremely fast to draw from, very easy to conceal a weapon in that position and no position is better to defend the holstered firearm from in a physical confrontation.

It is all what you feel comfortable with as stated don't like it, don't do it but for some it works out just fine.

Unless you are left handed how can cross draw be considered appendix?

Not sure what is in your craw. I know many, many people who carry appendix with no issue. As a matter of fact the only time I have even heard about an ND is on the internet when someone tells a story. It is no more safer than carrying on your hip. But spin your fear anyway you wish. Most people do.

I've been trying appendix carry IWB as a possible place for me. I found that with my higher waisted pants that are a size too big it works well. But there is absolutely no way I feel comfortable re-holstering my gun there. I re-holster by unzipping my fly and sort of dropping my pants a bit and putting the gun back then pulling them up again. Not exactly ladylike but then again I don't much care if I'm in the position of having to have used my weapon to protect myself.

What I like about it is that it is more easily concealed than behind my hip and is perfectly comfortable whether I am sitting, standing, picking up hay bales etc.

I am female though and using a Betty holster from the Well Armed Woman.

However the most comfortable holster so far is the Annie worn on strong side hip at about 4 o clock. That works with my heavy duty work pants that are lower waisted.

I want to try a shoulder holster too but haven't found one to try yet and don't really want to buy one w/o testing it.

Just to satisfy an old mans curiosity would you mind telling what kind of guns and what made them go off? Larry

If memory serves me correctly, Glocks, Kimber, and a S&W Sigma as I recall. One fatality was with the Glock®s IIRC. (Please note I am NOT a Glock hater.) As to what made them go off I don't know. I do know some of the AD/ND were due to NOT USING a proper holster.

__________________
David
CW3 USA (Ret) 1968-1990

The only CC holster I can use is a pocket holster.
Otherwise, the butt is going to be visible at some point,
which I cannot afford to have happen.
That said, (and here's the drift), I found that a
Gould&Goodrich belly-band, worn high enough to mimic
a shoulder holster, can be reached through the opening above
my top shirt button. NOT buttoned all the way up.
It stays put, and is very comfortable. I can even shift it
closer to the opening w/o trouble. We're talking j-frame or small
auto. Never shifts, never falls out, and is tight to the body.
JMHO, TACC1.

I use AIWB crossdraw when driving to and from work. Granted, I always secure the holster and sidearm as one unit, but I've never had a single ND. This method of carry, in my experience, works very well when you're seated.

Also, and I mean no disrespect, I fail to see why there's a signifigant likelihood that a J frame with a box stock, heavy DA trigger pull is going to discharge itself given the aforementioned method of securing the sidearm. Indexing the trigger and keeping your thumb behind the hammer while reholstering also seems like sage advice.

Frankly, the admonitions I've been reading kind of remind me of some individuals I've spoken to in the past who insisted that my previously owned Glock 19 wasn't "safe" without having a NY1 trigger spring and a Cominolli safety installed, and that my reluctance to do so constituted negligence on my part.

A Western style shirt with snaps instead of buttons works well for accessing a gun carried that way. You can "rip" several snaps open in a flash, and it does no damage to the shirt or the snaps.

__________________
Very interesting...

That's a good tip. I've also heard of people sewing one button to the button-hole so it looks buttoned but isn't. It can be left open at that spot or put a bit of Velcro or a snap there to hold it shut.

I carry a J frame at one o'clock quite often. On the other hand, I would never carry a Glock there. Just not comfortable doing that.

I think everyone has to work out their own plan.

__________________
Centennial Every Day

Most ND's, just an observation nothing scientific, occur when reholstering and that is due to reholstering to fast.

The only reason you reholster is that the threat is over or LE has arrived in a actual SD situation. For years I was trained and trained others to reholster without looking and it CAN be a valuable skill to have however there is no reason, if the threat is over, to look the gun into the holster.

Yes it is a valuable skill to be able to draw, present and fire as quickly and accurately as you can but take a moment with the gun at full extension to scan and make sure you have accomplished what you intended to then bring the gun back in to a compressed ready position at a normal than slower pace. Why rush? If you are competing once the shots are fired the time is over. In an actual SD situation the threat is over.

When reholstering always, always take your finger off the trigger, look at the holster, with your other hand pull up or move the cover garment out of the way. Find the holster and guide the weapon back into place.

It is imperative that you have a holster, no matter what method of carry, that the mouth of the holster does not close when the weapon is removed.

When I carry AIWB it is normally a J frame, Detective Special or a Para Carry 9 so they are more "forgiving" than a striker fired gun when it comes to one of my mistakes but I practice the same procedure when carrying a Glock or M&P.

Remember when you carry concealed you are not going to be holstering and reholstering multiple times during the day. As someone stated they put the gun and holster on as a unit and then leave it alone.

Training to carry AIWB is the key. With a training gun or your unloaded firearm practice drawing and reholstering. You will find once you get past the uncomfortable scary factor of it you will see that if you have the right body type it works very well.

Again it is not for everyone.

I only carry a J frame in appendix carry. It's the only gun that is comfortable for me. I use a Uncle Mikes pocket holster and it works well.

Great minds think alike! Compared to my J-frame, even my tiny Kahr CM9 is bulky above and below the waist, and not as comfortable AIWB.

When I first experimented with carrying it there, I also used an Uncle Mike's #3 pocket holster. The 1" gripper strip on both sides locks it in place behind a good belt.

__________________
Very interesting...

Part of the "uncomfortable" problem may be the holster. I A-IWB carry my 2" j-frames in an Ace Case brand holster, made from a thin glove leather. It is flimsy and probably won't hold up forever, but is surprisingly comfortable-- the belt clip is sized so that you can adjust it (within reason) to whatever angle feels best. At about $20 apiece, I can buy a new one every year or two.
I've tried a stiff leather Don Hume IWB holster and even a softer suede Bianchi, but they were both uncomfortable when worn at the appendix position.

Could someone tell us the name or websites for these holsters? Jerry

If I'm reading your examples of the pistol descriptions correctly, all accidental discharges came from semi-auto's, no revolvers, correct?

Interesting.

__________________
Wake me when it's over...

My carry varies with 3 guns...a Kimber Pro carry ,a H&K P7& a S&W Jframe.I've heard stories before about how dangerous it is to
carry cocked & locked....I carry in the Appendex position & don't worry at all.I've tried (EMT of course) to make the hammer drop when it's cocked & lockedf....the hammer doesn't drop.I would like to see how someone can bypass all the safety features & make it fire!All I'm saying is out all the people i know that carry C&L for yrs.NEVER had one discharge or knew "personally"anyone that had it happen to.
Jim

I am 5-8 160# and about the only way to be totally discreet is with an appendix carry Ruger LCP. I use the Clip Draw and IWB it. Since the Ruger is well melted it is very comfortable for all day carry. And since there is no holster, there is literally no print of any kind. Living in AZ it can be difficult to wear the type of clothing for concealment as deep as I like it and this set up works very well. I have never felt unsafe or at risk of self inflicted injury.
RichH

Yes I do....Carry Appendix!!!!!! Between 11-12 o'clock

Revolver (J-Frame)......High Noon "Mr.Softy"
Revolver (K-Frame).....Kramer

Auto (Glock)...........Dale Fricke "Archangel"

Muzzle ---> balls = no.

I witnessed a fatality from an ND by a gentleman who was carrying appendix IWB. The round lacerated the femoral artery. There were medical personnel present, and treatment began immediately. The wound was high enough on the leg that a tourniquet was ineffective. The patient was airlifted to a trauma center within minutes, he expired enroute. I have no idea what his experience level was, the weapon was a Glock 19.

Seems like every time I hear about a ND, it is with a Glock.

__________________
Very interesting...