Carrying a gun and a baby

[biggs357]

I have a question about those of us who carry on a daily basis.How do you carry when you have to carry a baby or when you get handed your new born child.I usually carry baby on one hip and my gun on my other,but it became hard today when my wife handed me our son and i was already carrying bags and the mail with my weak hand.

I'm left handed and carry at about the 8pm position and to have the kid sittin basicly on my gun really started to hurt after a few minutes.
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[biggs357]

I have a question about those of us who carry on a daily basis.How do you carry when you have to carry a baby or when you get handed your new born child.I usually carry baby on one hip and my gun on my other,but it became hard today when my wife handed me our son and i was already carrying bags and the mail with my weak hand.

I'm left handed and carry at about the 8pm position and to have the kid sittin basicly on my gun really started to hurt after a few minutes.
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[sipowicz]

I know you are not going to give up the gun so I have to ask. How attached to the kid are you?

 

[GatorFarmer]

I'm right handed. My son is now 13 months old. I usually carry IWB jut behind my right hip and a BUG in my right pocket. I carry my son up on my shoulders and have done so since he was old enough to sit up on his own. He likes the view. Before that, I was attaching my BUG to the panel carrier of my vest and carrying it under my left arm. I'd then rather conventionally cradle him with the ability to put him into a football hold and reach my gun.

There's a variety of packs, strollers, baby bandoliers, etc available to carry children at various ages along with our old friend the shopping cart that you can avail yourself of to help as well. We used to attach Liam's car seat to the shopping carts, it would snap into place. Otherwise, I'd carry the car seat like a basinet (you just need strong arms, as it is like one long arm curl at times).

 

[Lenshappy]

Take the canoli, leave the baby...
watch for salad forks....

 

[biggs357]

I am attached to my son

as for strollers,we have one if i can just get my wife to get it before she actually hands me the little one.We go through this at least once a week.She'll take him out of the car and and hand him to me before i can even get to the back of the car to get the stroller.The other day my coat lifted up to reveal the last 2 inches of my barrel and front sight.Lovely to think i probably scared half the parking lot.Hey i have an idea,i get out before she can and hit the door locks so she can't get out then keep doing till i can get the stroller out,mabye she'll get the message.

 

[revolver]

Originally posted by biggs357:.Hey i have an idea,i get out before she can and hit the door locks so she can't get out then keep doing till i can get the stroller out,mabye she'll get the message.

I have an Idea.... maybe Ask her to hang on a second while you get the stroller out

As far as the Gun issue and all the things you have to carry at one time.....

 

[biggs357]

Ohh i've asked,but i think next time i'm going to just grab a buggy so when she gets him out,she can slide him right in to the buggy.

 

[sipowicz]

Seriously, I have been through this...I find it easier to carry my 442 when I'm lugging the kids...anything bigger is a pain.

 

[GatorFarmer]

Originally posted by sipowicz:
Seriously, I have been through this...I find it easier to carry my 442 when I'm lugging the kids...anything bigger is a pain.

Did you ever end up with a diaper bag? Most anything can be tucked into one of those.

I was still carrying my Model 58 when Liam was younger, then the Raptor, and now the P229R. With 20 plus pounds of child, I've found that I don't even notice the weight of even an N frame or all steel full size 1911.

 

[enidpd804]

Strong side behind hip for the gun. Weak side appendix carry for the kid

. Seriously, that's what I always did.

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

Originally posted by enidpd804:
Strong side behind hip for the gun. Weak side appendix carry for the kid

. Seriously, that's what I always did.

What else? Do the same thing you do when someone asks you to take something when you're carrying in both hands. Put down the bags and mail and take the baby. Or decline.

 

[WR Moore]

Put the mail, groceries, diaper bag etc in the gun hand. You can always drop those. Maybe with an "OMG!" to distract whilst you draw. This is the reason you practice operating the weapon system with one hand!

Better by far to be really paying attention and avoid unfortunate incidents.

 

[enidpd804]

Put the mail in the grocery bag. Put the bag in the gun hand resting on the belt. Baby in weak side.

 

[sipowicz]

Originally posted by GatorFarmer:

Originally posted by sipowicz:
Seriously, I have been through this...I find it easier to carry my 442 when I'm lugging the kids...anything bigger is a pain.

Did you ever end up with a diaper bag? Most anything can be tucked into one of those.

I was still carrying my Model 58 when Liam was younger, then the Raptor, and now the P229R. With 20 plus pounds of child, I've found that I don't even notice the weight of even an N frame or all steel full size 1911.

I do not like carrying off body..especially in something I will be accessing around children.

 

[Pisgah]

The kid is old enough to be out of the house, and you haven't trained him on a handgun yet????!!! What's this younger generation of parents coming to!!??

I would have just propped the kid on the trunk of the car, handed him my piece, and said, "Here, Junior -- cover Daddy's six while he loads the groceries."

 

[revolver]

Originally posted by Pisgah:
The kid is old enough to be out of the house, and you haven't trained him on a handgun yet????!!! What's this younger generation of parents coming to!!??

I would have just propped the kid on the trunk of the car, handed him my piece, and said, "Here, Junior -- cover Daddy's six while he loads the groceries."

LOL

 

[glypnir]

I'd have a problem, as my youngest is now 6'2" and weighs over 230.

 

[justbob]

A couple of decades and a vanload of kids ago, I first embraced, then practiced, and have eversince employed this routine:

ENGAGE BRAIN. Gun comes out of safe, ammo comes out of safe, ammo goes in gun, gun goes in holster--make that a holster with at least a couple of levels of retention, holster goes on belt, belt goes on pants, cover garment goes over the previous. ENGAGE BRAIN.

The gun comes out of the holster for TWO reasons only: (1) in defense of the lives of you and yours, or (2) to be unloaded and locked with the ammo back in the safe. NO EXCEPTIONS. If it is not secured in its holster on your hip, it's locked in the safe. Period. NO EXCEPTIONS.

I have always felt off-body carry is the least secure and worst choice, especially if other options are available--dress and/or change your behavior/routines as necessary. It is a NON-NEGOTIABLE BIG FAT NO-NO when you have kids around. Just too much potential for "operator error" and tragedy for all parties concerned. Holsters are dedicated gun-carrying devices; diaper bags, lunch boxes, briefcases, tackle boxes are dedicated something-else-carrying-devices. Screw up, forget, get distracted just once and your "weak moment" becomes everyone's "really bad from here ever after."

Kids change EVERYTHING. I truly enjoy having them around. Welcome to the club.

 

[biggs357]

My wife and i had to finaly come to a understanding.Now i just get out and head for the nearest buggy before i head around the car,that way every thing including the baby can be set in the buggy so neither one of us have to carry anything.

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