Ankle Carry

Protected One said:

LOL! Very funny.
Of course... the first picture is NOT "carrying",
and the second one....well, I'd rather carry with an empty chamber than in an ankle holster. I can chamber a round faster than I can retrieve a gun from an ankle holster.

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Precisely my wise-acre point

Hmm...ankle or empty? I can definitely chamber faster than I could get to the ankle. But I know I have zero chance of trying to chamber one-handed, while I could probably get to an ankle holster--awkwardly--with one, even if I couldn't do the Big Step And Kneel.



But it's sort've an artificial choice, since we choose ankle holsters for concealment, and empty chamber because we either can't obtain a pistol that's safe/practical to carry loaded, or because we don't understand how guns work and they scare us.

**Side note: yes, there are pistols that are so poorly designed and built that you need two hands to get their miserable safeties disengaged, so carrying them with safety-off with an empty chamber is way faster and more practical.

I'm a truck driver not a lawman. I carry a 637 in an Uncle Mikes ankle holster. Very good option for me. Quick draw doesn't matter because if I know I'm headed to a gun fight I stay home. I wear western style work boots so the gun rides in the top of the boot and stays secure. Like has been said, most times I don't even know its there. In the 7 years I've had concealed carry an Uncle Mikes is all I've used. I'm on my second one. I started with an M&P9c, then a 9 Shield. The compact was heavy and awkward, the Shield much better and the Airweight, perfect. Just my experience, hope it helps.

292 said:

Quick draw doesn't matter because if I know I'm headed to a gun fight I stay home.

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That's the trouble with gunfights. You never really know when and where one is going to assemble . . .

(Edit: If I know I'm headed to a gunfight, I stop and get the rifle out . . . )

Carried a very light weight revolver in a holster I had made to fit
inside a pair of deep scalloped top cowboy boots. Agreed that it
is slow to get into action, but it beats not having a gun if needed.
Recommend not wearing a tight fitting pant leg.

Muss Muggins said:

That's the trouble with gunfights. You never really know when and where one is going to assemble . . .

(Edit: If I know I'm headed to a gunfight, I stop and get the rifle out . . . )

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I carry a handgun for a living and ace qualifications twice a year but every time I thought I was going to a high potential of a fire fight, the AR or the 870 was immediately drafted into action.

Here in Arizona, ankle carry is open carry...and it looks as funky as it feels.

Smoke said:

1. Is it uncomfortable?

2. How do you keep the holster from sliding down your leg?

3. Does the gun bang against your other leg?

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I sometimes ankle carry a Kahr PM9 in an Uncle Mike's ankle holster. I like it because it has a support strap for above the calf and has a thumb break.

Answers to your questions:

1. It's not really uncomfortable as long as you don't make the strap too tight.

2. As I noted, the Uncle Mike's ankle holster has a support strap that goes around your leg above the calf. This keeps things in place.

3. No, it doesn't. If I'm wearing dress socks, I will sometimes wear a second sock over the top of the holster to keep the holster concealed should I cross my legs or my pants leg rides up.

ASA335 said:

Two things have kept me from carrying via ankle holseter -

1. At a few LE trainings and conferences I've seen officers sit and cross their legs or ankles, or adjust the length of their trousers as they sat, and apparently not realize they have just exposed their ankle holster. Didn't seem like a good "concealment" strategy to me.

2. While assisting a partner officer with serving a warrant, the bad guy bolted, my partner tackled him, got twisted around in the brief scuffle, ending up atop the BG's back, facing the BG's feet, with my partners ankle holstered gun much closer to the BG's hands than to my partners hands (which were about three feet away at the BG's small-of-back). I drew my gun and warned the BG not to reach for my partner's gun (not a great angle for me to have to take a shot, but better than allowing him to reach for my partner's gun). This one really made me uncomfortable with ankle carry.

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Everything in your post above is 100% however. It's can be applied to virtually every form of carry ever devised by man. We're these uniformed officers wearing a sidearm? If so exposing an ankle rig only exposed their BUG, duty side arm was already in plain sight. From my personal experience, an ankle holster is about the only form of concealed carry I haven't seen exposed at one time or another by an inadverdant or unintentional action.

As far as going hands on with a suspect goes I'd wager the majority of officers disarmed in a physical confrontation loose their side arm from their holster 1000 times more than from an ankle rig. As I said. Both instances are applicable just not solely to ankle carry.

Thank you.

Richard Simmons said:

Everything in your post above is 100% however. It's can be applied to virtually every form of carry ever devised by man. We're these uniformed officers wearing a sidearm? If so exposing an ankle rig only exposed their BUG, duty side arm was already in plain sight. From my personal experience, an ankle holster is about the only form of concealed carry I haven't seen exposed at one time or another by an inadverdant or unintentional action.

As far as going hands on with a suspect goes I'd wager the majority of officers disarmed in a physical confrontation loose their side arm from their holster 1000 times more than from an ankle rig. As I said. Both instances are applicable just not solely to ankle carry.

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I did title my post "If it's good for you, go with it" and in the narrative only gave two of the reasons I have chosen not to ankle carry. Anybody else may ankle carry at their pleasure with no problem from me.

At the trainings and conferences I referenced, it wasn't uniformed officers I was talking about, but the "civilian attire" officers I was talking about. Sorry I didn't mention that. I've never seen my chief in anything other than a suit. He carries his "duty" handgun in an ankle holster and I've seen him on a couple of occasions inadvertently expose his ankle gun while sitting/seated. He still prefers ankle carry for himself, and I'm fine with his decision - he's the one that needs to be comfortable with his carry decision, not me.

In that warrant service above, duty handguns are normally in retention style holsters and close to the officer's hands for additional handgun retention defense. I haven't seen an ankle holster with anything more than a thumb-strap for retention (often not even that) and in this case the ankle gun ended up some distance away from the officers own hands and very close to the BG's hands - it made me uncomfortable, and my partner uncomfortable also after I pointed it out to him.

"I'd wager the majority of officers disarmed in a physical confrontation loose their side arm from their holster 1000 times more than from an ankle rig."

I agree with you (maybe not the 1000 times, but I don't know for sure so I'll go with it), but then every uniformed officer I've seen has had a handgun on their duty belt, but I only know a few who carry a back-up gun on their ankle. Sheer numbers alone would make a snatch from a duty belt many, many times more likely. I wonder how many BUGs have been taken from under a uniform shirt or from a uniform pocket, like I prefer, versus from an ankle holster?

Bottom line? If it's good for you, go with it. I don't mind at all.

You take care now.

They are a great option for deep concealed carry.As many have said the right quality holster is a must.I have carried an old cobra and a detective special in a don Hume and a 442 in a desantis at various times and by far the 442 was the easiest,do to it’s extremely light weight and hammerless design. I have never lost a holster or weapon carrying this way.If you choose to carry on the ankle make sure the pants you wear have a large enough leg opening to allow quick access to your weapon.Its not the right option all of the time but it is a good option to have.

Iggy said:

If I was meant to carry a gun on my ankle, my arms would be hooked to my knees.

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That says it for me. If I had to drop to one knee I would have to be helped up. If I had to bend from the waist while standing, there's a 50-50 chance I would just keep going over. I suppose then I could play dead.

I'll stick with pocket or, rarely, OWB carry.

I "house carry"a sig P938 in a crossbreed ankle rig. After carrying all day IWB, feels good to relax in basketball shorts and have a gun on me, just in a different place on my body.

I have carried a BUG in a Galco Ankle Glove since 2013, depending on the situation.

1). It is comfortable.

2). It can move down your leg but Galco sells a strap to prevent that. I use that strap every time I put on the holster.

3). Unless you bang your legs into each other normally, the weapon won't bang into your leg.

Use advice:

Galco Ankle Glove comes in black, I suggest wearing black boots (put it over the ankle portion of boot) or at least black socks and never cross your legs allowing your pants leg to rid up and expose the holster. If you have cankles and not ankles, there is an "extender" Galco sells but I didn't need it, even with Bates boots on. Get the thumb break unless you like your weapon flying out during a run.

Advantages of an ankle holster/reason for wearing one:

1). Aside from maybe cross draw or shoulder carry, ankle carry is easiest to draw from while seated.

2). A New York Reload is faster than a regular reload every day of the week.

3). Ankle carry is great while lying down...say after you've hit the floor behind your Stop & Rob counter.

*ONLY USE ANKLE CARRY FOR BACKUP, NEVER FOR PRIMARY.

I made great use of this BUG method while working nights at a local Stop & Rob. I still use it while on trips or whenever I expect to be sitting a long time.

Steve_in_PA said:

1) Not uncomfortable at all with the right holster. When I ankle carry, I carry a S&W 642 in a Galco Ankle Glove. Great holster, very comfortable. I plan on getting one for my Glock 26.

2) Not sure about the sliding down part, since its on your ankle. I prefer to wear ankle high boots when I ankle carry. I've work it with dress shoes and had no issues. They do make straps which would go above your calf and support the holster.

3) Have no issues with gun hitting other ankle/leg.

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Steve,
You've got a PM.

I used to use an ankle holster off duty and as a back-up. Eventually, I realized that there were far more down-sides than up-sides to ankle holsters. They're not worthless - just not the best route to get where you want to be with CCW or back-up IMO.

I once worked with a detective who carried only with an ankle holster. After I got to know him a little better, I began to understand why he decided to put himself at risk by using only an ankle holster for police work. As it turned out, he was a couple of bricks short of a full load. : /