EDC Tips
- Thread starter CB3
- Start date
First, the fact is that I have been pocket carrying for decades, from mouseguns to J frames, sometimes K frames, and even compact and not so compact 9mms - depending on the pants. Jeans, dress pants, cargo pants, tuxedos, whatever. I'll get to belt carry momentarily.
Here's the tip - at no time in 30+ years of pocket carrying have I ever dropped a naked/unprotected gun into a pants pocket. Before I discovered pocket holsters (don't ask how I missed that) I hid the guns behind folded handkerchiefs and, the big key, a small piece of leather between the gun and the pants. Could be a business card-type wallet or a nice piece of leather made for this purpose (my local cobbler has made me several).
Before pocket holsters the gun rode inside the first fold of the handkerchief (kept it clean and not pressing against my leg) with the bulk of that material behind the leather piece. It ALWAYS looks like a front pocket wallet and even after decades of pocket holsters I still never drop a gun into my hip pocket without the leather piece in front of it.
Normal, non-gun people don't look for guns and normal people see wallets and think wallets and the story ends for them right there.
I rarely walk around with my shirttails out, I don't like the look, but belt carrying handguns underneath vests has been a way of life for me for a very long time, when I don't choose to pocket carry. IWB or OWB, usually the former, all sorts of vests covering the gun. Nobody notices and access to the gun is a breeze. My vests run the gamut of western style, bird hunting style, and everything in between - EXCEPT multi-pocket photographers-type vests because the world once thought they screamed GUN! so I don't do it.
But, speaking of pocket carry, here's another tip for folks who have to wear suits to work. Suit coats and blazers have "chest/breast pockets", usually on both sides. Back before Texas passed concealed carry and even as I worked in offices where guns were forbidden I often carried a mousegun (Beretta 950 BS) in my left breast pocket. In THAT pocket I carried the little gun "nekkid", just dropped in. But the tip is this - I had the original left side pockets removed in all of my coats - I had a tailor do it - and replaced those soft, silky pockets with sturdy denim that I bought in large pieces from a fabric store. The benefits were that the gun didn't wear through the pocket and the coat lining (which it will, and quickly) and the gun was perfectly concealed inside the denim, no printing and very little movement, and VERY easy to reach.
Clean denim didn't cause lint or dirt or anything to get into the gun and a holster would have been an impediment.
So, there you go!
Here's the tip - at no time in 30+ years of pocket carrying have I ever dropped a naked/unprotected gun into a pants pocket. Before I discovered pocket holsters (don't ask how I missed that) I hid the guns behind folded handkerchiefs and, the big key, a small piece of leather between the gun and the pants. Could be a business card-type wallet or a nice piece of leather made for this purpose (my local cobbler has made me several).
Before pocket holsters the gun rode inside the first fold of the handkerchief (kept it clean and not pressing against my leg) with the bulk of that material behind the leather piece. It ALWAYS looks like a front pocket wallet and even after decades of pocket holsters I still never drop a gun into my hip pocket without the leather piece in front of it.
Normal, non-gun people don't look for guns and normal people see wallets and think wallets and the story ends for them right there.
I rarely walk around with my shirttails out, I don't like the look, but belt carrying handguns underneath vests has been a way of life for me for a very long time, when I don't choose to pocket carry. IWB or OWB, usually the former, all sorts of vests covering the gun. Nobody notices and access to the gun is a breeze. My vests run the gamut of western style, bird hunting style, and everything in between - EXCEPT multi-pocket photographers-type vests because the world once thought they screamed GUN! so I don't do it.
But, speaking of pocket carry, here's another tip for folks who have to wear suits to work. Suit coats and blazers have "chest/breast pockets", usually on both sides. Back before Texas passed concealed carry and even as I worked in offices where guns were forbidden I often carried a mousegun (Beretta 950 BS) in my left breast pocket. In THAT pocket I carried the little gun "nekkid", just dropped in. But the tip is this - I had the original left side pockets removed in all of my coats - I had a tailor do it - and replaced those soft, silky pockets with sturdy denim that I bought in large pieces from a fabric store. The benefits were that the gun didn't wear through the pocket and the coat lining (which it will, and quickly) and the gun was perfectly concealed inside the denim, no printing and very little movement, and VERY easy to reach.
Clean denim didn't cause lint or dirt or anything to get into the gun and a holster would have been an impediment.
So, there you go!
9mmPatriot
Member
CC for about 10 years.
Quit tugging at your shirt!
The run of the mill person isn't looking for anyone carrying a concealed weapon.
For the love all that's holy, if you're approaching 60 years of age, you do not have any business wearing a "fishing vest" to the grocery store. It's so damn obvious....
Situational awareness does not mean you should confirm your sidearm is on your hip every 2-3 minutes.
Relax, it's not a big deal if you stay calm and act like a normal human being.
Quit tugging at your shirt!
The run of the mill person isn't looking for anyone carrying a concealed weapon.
For the love all that's holy, if you're approaching 60 years of age, you do not have any business wearing a "fishing vest" to the grocery store. It's so damn obvious....
Situational awareness does not mean you should confirm your sidearm is on your hip every 2-3 minutes.
Relax, it's not a big deal if you stay calm and act like a normal human being.
36 years: Or hang it from the coat hook on the back of the stall door. Your plan for bathroom visits is way more important than your plan for a mass shooting . . .
(Edit: forgot my carry anniversary was just around the corner, and added a thought.)
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max503
Member
Find what works for you and stick with it.
No "carry rotation."
Monday, yuck, I'll just grab the G19. Tuesday, OK, the 642 comes out. Wednesday, hump day, Beretta 92 is cool. Thursday, let's go with the new P320. Friday! 1911 day!
And one day the Southwest Bounty Hunters show up. You reach for your piece de jour. . . No idea what's in your hand . . . A "404 not found" and you die
Monday, yuck, I'll just grab the G19. Tuesday, OK, the 642 comes out. Wednesday, hump day, Beretta 92 is cool. Thursday, let's go with the new P320. Friday! 1911 day!
And one day the Southwest Bounty Hunters show up. You reach for your piece de jour. . . No idea what's in your hand . . . A "404 not found" and you die
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Update:
We are beyond 615 years combined experience.
Tip:
Your grip is the foundation for sight alignment. With enough practice, a full firing grip upon presentation will cause the sights to be aligned, the trigger finger ready to properly press rearward, and recoil will be controlled for additional follow up shots. It is the key to speed and accuracy.
Every gun you carry with a different grip requires grip practice and memory. The change between a revolver and a pistol is especially challenging for me.
Some evenings I just firmly hold my unloaded EDC while watching TV. I check that grip for sight alignment every once in a while. I want my hand(s) to automatically obtain the perfect grip for initial sight alignment without adjustment or thinking. This practice is simple, free, and very effective.
We are beyond 615 years combined experience.
Tip:
Your grip is the foundation for sight alignment. With enough practice, a full firing grip upon presentation will cause the sights to be aligned, the trigger finger ready to properly press rearward, and recoil will be controlled for additional follow up shots. It is the key to speed and accuracy.
Every gun you carry with a different grip requires grip practice and memory. The change between a revolver and a pistol is especially challenging for me.
Some evenings I just firmly hold my unloaded EDC while watching TV. I check that grip for sight alignment every once in a while. I want my hand(s) to automatically obtain the perfect grip for initial sight alignment without adjustment or thinking. This practice is simple, free, and very effective.
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33 years CCW, last 25 or so every single day.
If allowed, practice in your normal attire, with your daily gear.
You don't learn much with your OWB leather holster and no cover garment, if you typically carry IWB kydex or pocket carry with a buttoned shirt.
If allowed, practice in your normal attire, with your daily gear.
You don't learn much with your OWB leather holster and no cover garment, if you typically carry IWB kydex or pocket carry with a buttoned shirt.
hyena
Member
Concealed carry for around 7 years. (Illinois was the last state to legalize it.)
Carry all the time, not just when you think you might need it.
Carry all the time, not just when you think you might need it.
As I mentioned in the original post, this is just interesting, not scientific. The poster with the lowest number of years stated was seven years. I have only counted the years of those who volunteered the information.
dirty & hairy
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It’s amazing how much lint can build up in a month, either on a hip, IWB, or in a pocket. I clean my carry gun(s) weekly.
Edited to add: First permitted in 2005 and carry everyday.
Edited to add: First permitted in 2005 and carry everyday.
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smithman 10
US Veteran
Can't remember how long
But it's been a long time. As I age the rule I live by in almost all things is KISS - you all know what it means. Applies to carry just like everything else.
No searching around for the choice of the day in the clothing of the day. Same piece, same place. Muscle memory.
But it's been a long time. As I age the rule I live by in almost all things is KISS - you all know what it means. Applies to carry just like everything else.
No searching around for the choice of the day in the clothing of the day. Same piece, same place. Muscle memory.
read the book " WILL" by my friend G.Gordon Liddy.
He explains all you need to know about holster conditioning and concealed carry. Of course he was suit wearing FBI agent. Not much about Hawaiian shirts from his era (1960s).
He explains all you need to know about holster conditioning and concealed carry. Of course he was suit wearing FBI agent. Not much about Hawaiian shirts from his era (1960s).
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I have always believed, and in my self-defense classes always taught the WASP philosophy. Here are a few excerpts from my class manual:
W is for Wisdom. We need the wisdom to be aware of the potential threats to our safety. We need to be alert so we can recognize a pending threat. We need the wisdom to know when to shoot and when not to shoot.
A is for Accuracy. If we need to shoot in a self defense situation, it is almost certain to be at a range of less than ten feet. The technique for
accuracy at that range is known as the flash sight picture. The shot is fired as soon as the front sight is roughly lined up somewhere within the rear sight notch.
S is for Speed. Mushin is a martial arts term that means instantaneous reaction without wasting precious time thinking about what we need to do. Our reaction should be automatic. Our nerve channels are conditioned by thousands of repetitions. Muscles do have memory.
1. To paraphrase John Bianchi's Law, "always carry the same gun in the same holster and in the same location.
2. Practice with the objective of being able to get your gun out, get the flash sight picture and shoot in less than a heart beat.
3. 96% of the time you will not need to shoot if you can get your gun out quick enough. That is why speed is so important.
4. How much training and practice is enough? Col. Jeff Cooper said it best: "At such time as you are really convinced, when menaced by an armed attacker, that he is in greater danger from you, than you are from him..."
P is for Power. If we need to shoot , we need the power to stop the fight. Power is kinetic energy, also called knock down power and impact energy. Penetration, according to the FBI, must be at least 12" into ballistic gelatin.
Performance is how the bullet behaves when it enters the body. The FBI Bellieves the bullet that goes deep and creates the biggest hole, has the best chance of stopping dangerous criminals. Placement is more important than power, penetration or performance. If we can't hit the bad guy, the ammunition we use does not matter.
W is for Wisdom. We need the wisdom to be aware of the potential threats to our safety. We need to be alert so we can recognize a pending threat. We need the wisdom to know when to shoot and when not to shoot.
A is for Accuracy. If we need to shoot in a self defense situation, it is almost certain to be at a range of less than ten feet. The technique for
accuracy at that range is known as the flash sight picture. The shot is fired as soon as the front sight is roughly lined up somewhere within the rear sight notch.
S is for Speed. Mushin is a martial arts term that means instantaneous reaction without wasting precious time thinking about what we need to do. Our reaction should be automatic. Our nerve channels are conditioned by thousands of repetitions. Muscles do have memory.
1. To paraphrase John Bianchi's Law, "always carry the same gun in the same holster and in the same location.
2. Practice with the objective of being able to get your gun out, get the flash sight picture and shoot in less than a heart beat.
3. 96% of the time you will not need to shoot if you can get your gun out quick enough. That is why speed is so important.
4. How much training and practice is enough? Col. Jeff Cooper said it best: "At such time as you are really convinced, when menaced by an armed attacker, that he is in greater danger from you, than you are from him..."
P is for Power. If we need to shoot , we need the power to stop the fight. Power is kinetic energy, also called knock down power and impact energy. Penetration, according to the FBI, must be at least 12" into ballistic gelatin.
Performance is how the bullet behaves when it enters the body. The FBI Bellieves the bullet that goes deep and creates the biggest hole, has the best chance of stopping dangerous criminals. Placement is more important than power, penetration or performance. If we can't hit the bad guy, the ammunition we use does not matter.
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oldiegoldie
Member
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don't forget to keep the innards of your magazine clean. i disassemble and clean magazine internals after every range trip with my carry firearm. i rarely see this mentioned on forums.
30 years. I carried in my Freightliner long before Illinois had CC. I had an out of state (Washington State) CC permit which I was certain was useless in most states but which made me feel more comfortable. Thankfully I never had to use it.
Regardless of caliber or make or style of firearm you carry always keep two reloads with the gun. In a pocket, briefcase, purse, pocket, or wherever else you may wish to carry them. One reload is never enough if you have to use it.
Regardless of caliber or make or style of firearm you carry always keep two reloads with the gun. In a pocket, briefcase, purse, pocket, or wherever else you may wish to carry them. One reload is never enough if you have to use it.
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