It's winter, you're carrying concealed, and...

[snubbyfan]

I never wear a parka or any kind of heavy coat. I don't intend to be out in the cold long enough to need it.
Usually it's jeans, t shirt, a flannel shirt, a jacket and my Dodge Ram hat. I get jackets with an inside pocket and I'll carry my snubby there in a pocket holster with the jacket unzipped or unbuttoned.
Also carrying owb isn't any more difficult with the jacket buttoned.
If I need to shovel snow I'll add gloves and a hat. The gloves come off once the shovelin's done.
I always find it kinda amusing when people dress up like they're going on a polar expedition just to walk from their house to their car.

 

[walkinghorse]

So you really think that gun will work against...........

the poor skinny BG that has 3 shirts, 2 flannel long sleeves ,
a heavy vest, scarf and a Navy pea coat on, to keep warm in the cold weather?

Do you have a suggestion or a solution?
Others have offered suggestions, mine is pocket carry, but the gloves necessary when close to zero or below,, create a hindrance. Then being observant might allow one to remove the glove, and having your hand on or next to your firearm of choice in the pocket as you remove yourself from whatever brought your alert level up.

Maybe this is becoming a bear thread, heavy winter coat creating a need for only 155 howitzer and up? Then you do not vworyy about pocket carry, IWB, shoulder holster, gloves, etc.

 

[Muss Muggins]

So you really think that gun will work against...........

the poor skinny BG that has 3 shirts, 2 flannel long sleeves ,
a heavy vest, scarf and a Navy pea coat on, to keep warm in the cold weather?

Yup. All I want to do is convince him he has somewhere else to be and something else to be doing. I'm not trying to cuff him up . . .

 

[Topsarge]

Oh! A Shoot-Me-First vest.



Solid option, especially if you dress in layers. I don't need to zip my coat 95% of the time, because I'm wearing anywhere between 3 and 5 layers underneath it. It's only howling winds and/or subzero when I get cold.



Another good option. Just move the pocket outwards.

The slime around here aren't that smart.

 

[bearfoot]

it was 5 deg. the other morning, the 30 mph wind even made me put gloves on, w/ a field jacket, thinking a presentation would be a utube sensation. changed over to an old carheart or a lined nylon parka which slides up off the hip easily. usually a vest and heavy shirt person, the jacket is always in the back seat of the suv. cross draw an option. reformed/sew a shoulder holster, slung over the right shoulder w/ a belt loop, hangs perfect under left arm, somewhat like a tanker holster, great for driving.

 

[Ranger514]

Choose a loose fitting outer jacket that covers to about crotch level. Wear a couple of under layers for warmth, and tuck them into your pants. Wear thin gloves with good texture for grip that will allow you to easily slide your trigger finger inside the trigger guard and manipulate controls like a magazine release. Police supply stores carry those kinds of gloves. With a good belt/holster combo in the appendix or crossdraw positions, you should be able to quickly and easily raise the jacket hem with your non-dominant hand to access your firearm with your dominant hand. It takes the right gear and practice. Big outer pockets are ideal for a holster designed to keep the firearm upright for an easy draw.

Here's some options I ran across that might be of interest: Shooting Illustrated | Winter Carry

 

[Kanewpadle]

Glock 19 IWB on my right hip. Glock 43 in right jacket pocket. Works for me. Sometimes just the G43 in the pocket.

 

[JK-linux]

IWB a few inches from my wallet like usual. A mugger wants to get paid, whether hot or cold out, and my wallet is where he wants me to grab. That's where my hand is going to go anyhow after decades of draws. I'm NOT going to try and override that instinct.

 

[SMSgt]

I moved to S. FL, so I don't understand your problem.

 

[Buford57]

Yup. All I want to do is convince him he has somewhere else to be and something else to be doing. I'm not trying to cuff him up . . .

+1 Even with all this tactical discussion on the Interweb, I doubt many hoodlums will take time to calculate whether those Gold Dots they're staring at will be able to penetrate a full 18" of them after passing through their outer garments.

 

[BC38]

8 or 9 months out of the year I wear a Guide Gear concealed carry vest. When it gets cold enough to need more than that I wear a Carhart coat with an inside left breast pocket that works perfectly as an alternative location for my CCW. In either case it is just as easy to access my CCW sitting in the car as it is when I'm walking around.

 

[G.T. Smith]

The coat that I wear when it's really cold has a pocket right over my heart that holds anything from a J frame to my full sized Colt 1911. I like the way that feels. Wish I had something like that for warm weather carry too.
Peace,
Gordon

 

[jaaeatax]

it's cold in Chicago and the bad guys are out all over. I carry in a pocket holster and move it to my coat. Or keep a short coat with your iwb holster on and lift up if you have to draw just like you would with a shirt..

 

[Wise_A]

A lot of you guys, no offense, are not in a real "winter" zone. If you're south of the 42nd parallel...well, that ain't real winter by my standards.

it's cold in Chicago and the bad guys are out all over. I carry in a pocket holster and move it to my coat. Or keep a short coat with your iwb holster on and lift up if you have to draw just like you would with a shirt..

^^This guy lives in Real Winter Zone.

I moved to S. FL, so I don't understand your problem.

^^This guy gets it.

I never wear a parka or any kind of heavy coat. I don't intend to be out in the cold long enough to need it.
Usually it's jeans, t shirt, a flannel shirt, a jacket and my Dodge Ram hat. I get jackets with an inside pocket and I'll carry my snubby there in a pocket holster with the jacket unzipped or unbuttoned.
Also carrying owb isn't any more difficult with the jacket buttoned.
If I need to shovel snow I'll add gloves and a hat. The gloves come off once the shovelin's done.
I always find it kinda amusing when people dress up like they're going on a polar expedition just to walk from their house to their car.

You've got a gun to deal with predators on two or four legs, right? Extremely low likelihood, but you still lug it around.

What about a car accident? Fire? Get stuck in snow? Car breaks down and heater doesn't work? Come upon someone else caught in an emergency situation?

You're a lot more likely to be caught outside when you don't expect it, than to face an attack on your life. Dress like you mean it. Never assume you'll be going straight from indoors, to a warm car, and back again. It doesn't take long to get real damn cold.

Ask me how I know.

Folks around here happily send their kids to school in idiot things like gym shorts and hoodies when the temps are in the single digits and the wind's howling. They're operating on that "won't be out long" assumption. Guess what happens every time a schoolbus gets stuck or has an accident someplace remote? A bunch of kids go to the hospital with hypothermia.

 

[Smoke]

8 or 9 months out of the year I wear a Guide Gear concealed carry vest. When it gets cold enough to need more than that I wear a Carhart coat with an inside left breast pocket that works perfectly as an alternative location for my CCW. In either case it is just as easy to access my CCW sitting in the car as it is when I'm walking around.

What happens when you have to take the coat off?

 

[Smoke]

A lot of you guys, no offense, are not in a real "winter" zone. If you're south of the 42nd parallel...well, that ain't real winter by my standards.

I live about 200 miles South of the 42 parallel (and about 7000 feet above it) I'd be willing to compare our "real winters" to yours.

Even if I don't wear it I always have a coat with me and we keep spare coats and blankets and a heater in the car for when we get a surprise blizzard in June.

Really, if it doesn't snow in the summer where you're at.... Well, that ain't real Winter

 

[Martya]

I have arrived at a 3" Model 60-10 357 OWB under a shirt tail all year long, after a few years of different styles of weapons and holsters and methods of dress by season. I carry everywhere except the shower, in PJ's, and in the CAT scanner (yes once I had a chest X-ray while carrying.) In summer I wear a summer weight shirt tail, in winter a couple of layers of heavier shirt tail and long jacket or overcoat. I also practice grabbing all that layering out of the way and drawing.

 

[RSanch111]

I pay more attention to what's going on around me in the winter so I can already have my gun in hand in my coat pocket before I need it. Even in the summer, I don't presume I'm going to be able to out draw someone from concealment when they already have the drop on me. I rely on my superior BS skills to get me to a point where I can fight or flee effectively. It's good to know that you've had years of practice talking to scumbags who want to hurt you when you're in a potentially life-threatening situation off-duty....Gives you a lot of confidence. That's the difference between cops and non-cops, for example. That level of calm confidence at the moment of truth, based on experience. NOT the size of the respective groups on paper at the range.

 

[Boox]

My 3913 or my Glock 23 carry nicely in the slash pocket of my Schmidt winter weight jacket.

 

[snubbyfan]

You've got a gun to deal with predators on two or four legs, right? Extremely low likelihood, but you still lug it around.

What about a car accident? Fire? Get stuck in snow? Car breaks down and heater doesn't work? Come upon someone else caught in an emergency situation?

You're a lot more likely to be caught outside when you don't expect it, than to face an attack on your life. Dress like you mean it. Never assume you'll be going straight from indoors, to a warm car, and back again. It doesn't take long to get real damn cold.

Ask me how I know.

Folks around here happily send their kids to school in idiot things like gym shorts and hoodies when the temps are in the single digits and the wind's howling. They're operating on that "won't be out long" assumption. Guess what happens every time a schoolbus gets stuck or has an accident someplace remote? A bunch of kids go to the hospital with hypothermia.

Been there, done that. We keep Down blankets, road flares, extra water, first aid supplies and extra insulating layers in both vehicles. Along with the usual spare tire, jack, etc...
Last time I was involved in a winter accident, I stuck my hands in my pockets and walked a coupla miles to town in the snow.
Why didn't I use a cell phone? No cell signal back then.
Now we don't havta go anywhere if we don't feel like it. If it's nasty out we stay home and stay warm.
My wife works one day a week away from home as a home health care aid and walks to work.
Ever since West Virginia declared me as an unemployable useless cripple, I've been on disability so I don't havta go anywhere.