Many years ago I was discussing CCW firearms with a fiends dad. He said that in his opinion more important than what was carried was that you always carried in the same manner and actually practiced drawing. His point was that in a pinch you needed the draw to be instinctive, once the decision to draw had been reached. The moments needed to remember where you were carrying your firearm that particular day could be critical.

I've tried to practice this but frankly the best I've been able to accomplish is two locations. One location is a right hand IWB and one a left hand pocket carry, depending on what cloths I'm wearing and firearms I'm carrying.

So what about you? Do you standardize or switch around.

In colder weather when wearing a sweatshirt I almost always carry strong side (right) either IWB or OWB, with spare mag on left if carrying an auto, speed strips in right pocket if carrying a revolver.
Last year I bought a holster that I absolutely love that has made warm weather carry much easier. It's the Kramer Confidant shirt holster. If you read gun magazines you've seen their ad for years. It has a holster under either arm that will hold a J-Frame or an auto the size of a Glock. A spare mag can go on the off side. I can wear a button up shirt with the top two buttons unbuttoned and reach in and draw. With a fairly loose fitting shirt the gun is undetectable and extremely comfortable. One day this year I wore it with a J-Frame in the Kramer and a S&W M66 in a strong side OWB holster for 19 hours straight in total comfort.
Lately my BUG has been a S&W M340PD in a pocket holster on the left side. I literally forget it's there.
In the 25 years I've had a carry permit I have tried almost every type of carry with over 30 different handguns. These are the methods that work the best for me today.

One way. 3/4 hip. Yaqui holsters.

About 90% of the time I carry in a Galco Miami Vice shoulder rig. It is not due to the comfort of carry but the rig has some straps that help keep my pants up.

The rest of the time I wear a custom made pancake holster that is comfortable but the weight of the gun on my side makes my pants keep falling down.

Many years of CCW.

Approximate breakdown (re: how I CCW...not how broken down I am. )

Strong side, IWB. 50%
Strong Side, OWB. 45%
Shoulder holster. 4% (almost only when in a vehicle and traveling for a lengthy period of time; sometimes in winter and under a sweatshirt/jacket.)
Weak side, pocket. 1% (Yes, weak side for pocket CCW. Don't like pocket carry, in general, and don't like it at all in strong side pocket. No, cannot explain "why.")

Be safe.

For me, due to back issues, it's always crossdraw, which also allows easier access while seated in my vehicle.....

Other benefits, in my humble opinion, to carrying crossdraw is that allows me to access my firearm without excessive movement, i.e. "telegraphing" and my firearm is always in front of me so I can see who may be in reach of it at any given time.

I also have to do a lot less checking to see if I'm covered than I did when I carried inside the waistband. Reach up to a top shelf, or bend down to the bottom shelf in a store and my shirt doesn't ride / hang up like it used to when I carried IWB, or strong side for that matter......

This is NOT the old west where you might have to make a quick-draw..if you stay aware of your situation there will always be a few seconds to get your CC out.

I "normally" carry a 1911 at 3:30 in an open holster. However, sometimes that doesn't work and I carry a S&W 640 in the front left - 10:00 in a Kramer holster.

It is your carry handgun and you should know at all times where you have it!!

Just my .02 cents

I switch guns frequently, but they're always carried the same way.

I use only IWBs for my semi-autos and my 3" Model 65, and only a pocket holster for my Model 36.

Only IWB or OWB strong side. Never ankle, shoulder or pocket holster. I try to keep it simple and has worked for me for almost 50yrs.

Road Rat, true it's not the Old West but this particular gentleman has probably trained more police officers how to shoot, either directly or indirectly, than anyone alive. So when he talks guns I tend to listen.

It's possible a LEO looks at things different though, but as he was talking BUG not duty weapon it seemed relevant to CCW.

For conditioning purposes, I've narrowed it down to strong side OWB, strong side IWB, ***, crossdraw, ankle, shoulder inverted, shoulder standard, rear pocket, front pocket, crotch carry and under my fedora.

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

OFF DUTY
OFF-DUTY, IWB, Crossbreed Supertuck (99.9% of the time)
SuperTuck Deluxe
OFF-DUTY (sometimes .1%) a simple Jennings 22 in my right pocket
that is only if I cannot carry my FS in an IWB holster.
probablly should get a pocket holster.....

ON DUTY
ON-DUTY, OWB, Duty Belt, Safariland 6377 (95% of the time @ wk)
Model 6377 ALS? Belt Holster | Safariland
ON-DUTY, OWB, paddle - black hawk serpa (5% of the time @ wk)
BLACKHAWK! SERPA CQC w/Matte Finish - BLACKHAWK!

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)))X~ silvercn ~X(((

I'm sorry. I was responding to the original question. I have no idea who "this particular gentleman" is or what his background might be.

I did not see any reference to a BUG..........

I'm backing on out of here now.

Let me say your friend's dad was correct. I will carry it past that. Always carry the SAME gun.

Doing the same thing, each time, in the same way is what made the Ford assembly line a success. If you carry one way one day and another the next, you will not be able to react as promptly as you should if the SHTF.

Even more important, and many ignore this for some reason, is carry the same gun. Different guns work in somewhat different ways. Maybe is it something as simple as a different safety, a SA vs DA, a short slide vs a long slide or such. People tend to know a gun works more than how to work the gun. When you carry different guns, each will act and fire differently.

Back in the 60's, the Army furnished me a 1911. I had to know that gun inside and out. They taught me to take the gun apart and reassemble it while blindfolded, they taught me how to use it single hand, weak hand, laying down, standing up and they let me learn how the gun fired. I knew where the bullet would hit when I fired it.

Yes, holster is important but it is the gun that will save your hide.

For me, I used to practice often in this manner but as I aged, I slowed down some. I would drive down the road listening to the radio. Each day I would pick a buzz word, maybe it was the day of the week or the month. When that word was said on the radio, I would draw my gun. I got pretty good at doing it inside the car. At home, I did the same with the tv set. Each time I went for the same holster and the same gun. I could do it in the dark and do it in bright sun, the same way each time.

I did not mean to sound offended, I've got a bad head cold, so between that and the cold meds I am probably not thinking or typing clearly. I also did not mean to offend you in any way with my response. The 'gentleman" I was referring to is Larry Mead and I usually do not mention this guy by name simply because he is not a writer so most people have never heard of him. I also don't want to misquote or misrepresent any statements he may have made. That and a few of the stories he's told I suspect are not for general consumption.

But I was not offended by your comment and I certainly did not intend to offend you. If I did let me apologize.

Pocket carry in our hot AZ summer. Cooler weather with a cover jacket: cross-draw, and on occasion a shoulder rig....

Am more than willing to place a wager that more peops shoot themselves practicing quick draw than have ever needed to quick draw, for real.

For armed citizens, time spent practicing drawing your gun would be time better spent practicing to ensure you hit that at which you're aiming. (Yes, this applies in large part to LEO's, too.)

FTR, much of my LEO career was spent in mufti. I can count on one hand...maybe two...the times I had to draw quickly.

Be safe.

Most of the time, I carry my primary IWB, strong side. BUG is carried variously, depending on clothing and footwear, but usually left ankle. While a "quick draw" may be less important than is situation awareness which would obviate some of the need for quickness of draw, I would NEVER question the desirability of rapid accessibility of a firearm, or of consistency in its carry location.

Really, though, I like Sip's answer...

same gun. same holster. same place. BUG or Hideout may differ.

IWB 4:00 or OWB same. Occasionally *** but the way my back is going I will probably be looking into trying crossdraw.

Most of the time OWB Tucker HF-2 and about 1% of the time Mexican.

I suppose that would have to factor in where one lives. Down here, officers often have to draw quickly since it seems to be a trait here that it is ok to pull or point guns at LEO. Sunday we had a lawyer fatally shot when he is said to have pulled TWO guns on a sheriff's deputy. It happens more often than one thinks in the south.

As to practicing unholstering the sidearm, that is always done with an unloaded weapon.

Hey, no offense taken......I just learn everyday how little I really know!!

most of the time it's pocket carry for me, and I use my Smartcarry if I need the best concealment. I like IWB at 4 o'clock but I don't have a good holster right now for either of my carry guns.

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"I'm your huckleberry."

How many carry OWB at 4:00. And out of that group do you sweep your weakside thumb to clear or do you grab with weekside hand and pull up?

50% of the time 4 o'clock OWB, 50% Mexican appendix.

If I actually thought I was going to be in a quickdraw contest I guess I would open carry in a quickdraw rig.

"Sweep" or "grab" what? When I carry OWB it's circa 3:30-4:00 but "weakside" (thumb or otherwise) never factors.

Not sure what you're suggesting...

Be safe.

100% of the time I carry on my right side.
I see no significant difference in muscle memory for IWB or OWB carry. My weapon is always at 3:00 pm location when carrying in a holster, whether it's my Mil-Spec in a SSII or a 55BN or my Kimber Compact in a VMII or a 60TK or my 442-1 in a Fist Kydex IWB. Same place, always. The exception would be when I carry the 442 or my Kel-Tec P3AT in a pocket holster. In those circumstances, however, in any suspicious circumstance, my hand is on the gun's butt in my pocket. If I have to draw, there is no need to think about drawing from the 3:00 position, it's time to "grip it and rip it."
A moot point for me, in my situations.
As always, everyone else's MMV.

I think he's wondering how you get your shirt out of the way to draw your weapon. I would say it depends on the situation.

Somewhat as I suspected, RufusG; thank you.

However, as I was surely confounded by the post I DID
attempt to ascertain how/why the "weakside" could somehow be involved. So, before walking out the door for a social occasion and whilst OWB (strong side) I did "practice" some draws. Practice involved wearing a camp shirt...then a tucked shirt and jackets. In NONE of those situations did I use (or consider) using other that the hand that was deploying my gun.

Yes, I do still wonder what Jmusic was suggesting...

Be safe.

I vary, for various reasons, but I would never argue against the advice given by the OP's friend's Dad, Oldman45 and others. If at all possible, it should be followed. If not, perhaps a bit of SAFE practice in the morning to set in your mind where things are.

If it won't fit in my RH front pocket, it stays home.

It is either pocket-carry, strong-side or IWB-carry, appendix. I would say it is 75% pocket-carry and 25% IWB...either M&P340 or 340PD.

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GA Carry member
Vietnam Vet

Do you plan on firing from within the pocket if need be or just using the pocket as a type of holster?

I've been carrying for over 40 + years the same way (retired LEO). IWB, left apendix (I'm a lefty) 90% of the time. Pocket carry when mode of dress requires a tucked in shirt and finally, ankle maybe 5% again when driven by dress and circumstance.