Cross Draw Carry?

[Warren Sear]

My experience follows along the lines of what others have said. Crossdraw is better for carry while driving, but is does not conceal as well as the various strong side types. It is my preferred method of carry when I am not concerned about the gun being concealed. It is a comfortable was to carry a large handgun.

If I have a rifle, I don't need a handgun, so I do not have any problems with strong side carry interfering with a slung rifle.

 

[BAM-BAM]

If I have a rifle, I don't need a handgun, so I do not have any problems with strong side carry interfering with a slung rifle.

I tend to carry a rifle (bolt guns in Pa. little hunting is allowed with semi-autos) slung muzzle down on my left shoulder...... for faster presentation....................

 

[keith44spl]

Sometimes.....when a feller's a sittin' on a rock in the river in his underwear,

And facing down a bad outlaw....Cross-draw ain't too awful bad of an option.

 

[Walkingwolf]

A handgun on any person with their head in the clouds is easy to snatch. Proper stance, proper training, and a keen sense of situational awareness negates any myths. The snatches that I am aware of in the news were caused by rear pocket carry(no holster) small of back carry with just a t-shirt, and a strong side carry gun snatched in a Walmart entry area in Florida. I have yet to see any cross draw gun snatches in the news.

 

[Warren Sear]

Sometimes.....when a feller's a sittin' on a rock in the river in his underwear,

And facing down a bad outlaw....Cross-draw ain't too awful bad of an option.

Owl plum dang ol' tell you ho-wut!

 

[LPD256]

On the Highway Patrol, my Dad carried a Model 10 in a crossdraw holster with a flap. The thinking was they were one man units without cages so they could have arrestees in the front seat and wanted to keep distance between the bad guy and the guns. When I became a cop, some of the old timer dicks carried snubbies in crossdraw. Of course they also wore fedoras or Stetsons. Carry over fashions from earlier days. I have three crossdraw holsters myself. I do like them on a car trip, but they aren’t my everyday carry choice.

 

[rednichols]

Crossdraw holsters' advantages outweigh the (possibly mythical) risk of a takeaway in a tussle.

1. No 'reaching back' to 4:00 for the grip; not everyone is limber enough for this.
2. Great for long barrels, especially in view of (1) above.
3. Easy to choose one that doesn't 'muzzle' your body while carrying, and drawing, and holstering.
4. Can be carried low enough on the belt to control the center of gravity, for heavy pistols
5. Big sights, like optics or scopes? Bulk is now not a problem.
6. Bad weather like rain and snow? Shift the coat open only partially to reach the grip (only) then draw.

Gosh, heaps more advantages if one put one's mind to it. A shoulder holster is itself a crossdraw and the above are the many advantages of same.

 

[woodsltc]

Others have already given pros & cons, so I'm only chiming in to say that I prefer to use a crossdraw carry whenever I'm open carrying. That includes hunting, hiking, camping, or just tooling-around. To me, crossdraw is just more natural and comfortable.

As to holsters I like the "Bianchi 111 Cyclone" models.


Don

 

[nachogrande]

CONS...

IF you have a HUGE belly that you can't reach across, this method aint for you. Pros: as mentioned while seated, long barrels, more than 1 gun, if carrying a rifle/shotgun on your right side it won't rub/scratch the stock. It worked well open carrying my Ruger Redhawk, Super Blackhawk, MKl while cross country skiing.

 

[GerSan69]

I used a CD for years in uniform, as did many of my fellow officers. The takeaway issue brought up by many was not thought of as a problem, because most all of us had the holster pulled around to the front. I had the butt just touching the left side of the buckle. We would generally have the weak hand resting on the butt in kind of a "natural" lean, so it was always protected. If I were fighting for my gun, it was right in front of me where I could clamp down on it, unlike a side draw where the arm is generally weaker. The other advantage is any attack would have to come from the front, where a person approaching from the rear or the front can grab at it. It was also perfect for seated draw, as in when a suspicious person approached my vehicle. At night, they'd never see it was out.
We stopped using them because someone decided that the draw sweeping the muzzle over a wide area was suddenly unsafe. (Probably was....) Even so, I still used one off-duty and still do on occasion. I just had shoulder replacement surgery, so I may go to it full-time depending on how much range of motion I get.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I use a cross draw for my second pistol at Cowboy Action Shooting. In almost all classes you are aloud only one revolver clear of leather at a time. As I holster with the right hand, I am easing the left revolver out griped over the cylinder and twisting to bring the butt over to the right hand (the twist also helps point the muzzle in the correct direction). I dought it would be used for real gun fighting, but with the rules of a timed event, it shaves a fraction of a second. Over the course of a two day event, that alone could save you 3 or 4 seconds. For the young one that are fast, that is a lot of time!

Ivan

 

[HardToHandle]

US law enforcement has moved away from crossdraw holsters in the last 30 years as modern security holsters replaced the flap holster. As noted, plainclothes carry of J Frames and Detective Specials was once common in law enforcement, but I have only seen this in black and white pictures, not in the field.

I recall the Iowa State Patrol moved to strongside carry about a decade ago. They used uniformed crossdraw for about 80 years for the reasons above - farther from the bad guy, comfort, tradition... After a series of crossdraw flap holster gun snatches where the good guys almost lost, they went to a much more secure Safariland strongside holster. At that time, I recall they were the second to last US state police organization still at cross draw (maybe Rhode Island was last?).

The only law enforcement crossdraw holsters I have seen in the US in the last decade are TASERS, which is fairly standard.

I own several crossdraw revolver holsters and my experience is that crossdraw is less secure, more difficult to conceal but often great when seated or on horseback. Additionally, crossdraw seems much more useful for revolvers than short auto pistols. Personally I am fond of crossdraw, but I would encourage deep analysis and significant training on unarmed defensive tactics for anyone who carries crossdraw due to inherent exposure to gun snatches.

 

[SC_Mike]

My belly wants to push the grip out (J frame) when seated, pointing the muzzle at my hip joint. I still have my own hips and want to keep them so my cd holster stay in the drawer.

I had Null cross draw that carried the J frame almost horizontal and ended up trading it away. Looking back I wish I'd have kept it and gave it a second chance.

 

[max503]

I've had my eye on this CD holster for my j-frames, for when I'm on my bicycle.
Crossdraw Holster Size 1
– The Hunter Company

 

[jimgoldth]

I of course use cross draw with concealed shoulder holsters but I moved my open carry holsters and concealed belt holsters to the strong side many years ago as it is easier protect from grabbers on the strong side.

 

[jimmyj]

Cross Draw

Lobo Gun Leathers

I have been looking for a Left Handed, High Ride, Cross Draw Carry for my Glock 34 Gen 5. Want it to be up high enough to not be an issue seated in my car.

Craft had two listed, one with one set of belt slots and another with two sets so you could change the angle, but now I can't find either of them on their web site. Since it is Sunday, I guess that I will need to wait to tomorrow to call them,

Bob

 

[MG34/bar]

For high-ride cross draw holsters I use a couple from my neighbor, Bob Mernickle, for my S&W model 1917 (and smaller revolvers in the summer) and they work well. While I never used a cross draw in uniform as an LEO (that was almost 50 years ago), I'm now in my late 70s and sit down a lot more (especially in a car) than I stand up or walk.

 

[DrDoctor]

When I do carry, it’ll be a 460V revolver, and it’ll be in the open (concealing a 460V is going to be semi-tough at best). I’ve been experimenting as to which carry method I prefer. I made a shoulder rig, including the holster (which has a secure retention system) which is extremely comfortable for the weight of the 460V (3½ lbs), and I’ve carried it (it’s never been fired – yet), for several hours at a time. The holster from the shoulder rig also fits the 2” belt I made for waist-carry. The holster can be worn strong-side, or cross-draw. I don’t like the strong-side (my 3 o’clock) position at all, but I’ll have to use it that way when I use that gun in further classes. The cross-draw (10 o’clock) position is very comfortable for me, and I’ve also carried it that way for several hours at a time. Granted, a 3½ lb 460V revolver isn’t the typical carry weapon, but I plan on only using .45 Colt self defense ammunition vs the 460 “cannon ammunition”, and at 6’1” / 215 lbs, it isn’t too much for me. Thx.

 

[Rudi]

Cross draw is harder for a fat guy.

 

[Warren Sear]

^^^ Eat less, exercise more. Works every time!