Image Courtesy of kcdsTM

With the amazing growth in the issuance of concealed carry permits throughout the United States, many new CC’ers are confronted with the daunting task of choosing a proper holster. Unfortunately, the industry has yet to develop a single holster that will suit all of your needs. Therefore, you can realistically expect to acquire at least two or three holsters for each handgun you carry. This post is intended to be a guide to help you chose the holsters that are right for you and your lifestyle.

Concealed carry methods are dictated heavily by your attire, your physical dimensions, and your daily activities.  Keep these factors in mind as you shop around for your holsters. Now lets take a look at some of the common carry methods in a bit more detail…

1) Outside-The-Waistband (OWB)

Image Courtesy of Desantis

In my opinion, carrying OWB is the most secure and comfortable way to carry, plus your draw will likely be much faster than other concealment methods. Above, we have an offering from Desantis called the Thumb Break Mini Slide. This is a high quality holster with great retention (active and passive) to keep your gun secure.

Image Courtesy of Galco

The product above is the Galco Concealable Belt Holster. It is a bit more compact than the Desantis and lacks a retention strap, but comfort is top notch.  It is lightweight and compact while still maintaining a solid feel. Quality “pancake” holsters like these will keep your gun high and snug for maximum comfort, concealment, and accessibility.

Image Courtesy of Galco

For all of you revolver buff’s out there, you will find some great options for keeping your wheel gun secure. Above we have the Galco Wheelgunner that keeps even the heaviest steel-frame revolver high and snug on your hip. When choosing an OWB concealment holster, high and snug are your two best friends. If the muzzle rides too low, it could poke out the bottom of your concealment garment, exposing you to the prying public. If the holster does not hold the gun snug on your hip, it will flop around as you move, and can even direct the muzzle into your thigh. Needless to say, these factors are not desirable byproducts of an OWB holster. Do some research and take a hard look at the design before selecting your own.

2) Inside-The-Waistband (IWB)

Image Courtesy of Galco

A good IWB holster can offer a very diverse range of uses, from heavy winter wear to lighter summer dress. There are many options to chose from at varying price points. These range from the tuckable, leather Galco Tuck-N-Go above, to the simple, affordable and effective Uncle Mike’s IWB below.

Image Courtesy of Uncle Mike's

When choosing your IWB holster make sure it allows your gun to ride far enough down in your pants that the gun’s grip does not print excessively through your shirt. However, you don’t want it to ride too low so that you lose the ability to quickly and firmly grasp the weapon. Again, some research and design inspection is necessary to decide what will work best for you. Remember that the IWB holster (or any belt holster for that matter) is only as good as the belt you use to secure it. Choose a belt that is sturdy, durable and is as wide as the holster will allow.

3) Pocket Holsters

Image Courtesy of Desantis

Sometimes, weather calls for little more than a tank top over shorts and flip-flops, leaving no room for concealment of anything but the spare tire around your waist. In these situations, you may decide to not only get a pocket holster, but to also get a pocket pistol to go with it. There is nothing fun about having a 25 oz chunk of metal in your pocket. The Desantis Nemesis above will help you stow that J-frame revolver or mouse gun in a front pocket with minimal printing. It also has a nice outer grip surface that will stick to the inside of your pocket while the inner surface allows the gun to slide out with ease.

Image Courtesy of Galco

If you want something in a more traditional material, the Galco Pocket Protector above is a great option. It has a rigid metal plate in the flap to minimize unwanted flexion, and an internal adjustable metal retention insert around the top rim. Again, there are many options from many companies out there. Take some time to figure out what will work best for you.

4) Shoulder Holsters

Image Courtesy of Galco

If you wear a suit or sport jacket for most of the day, you may want to consider a good shoulder holster. My personal favorite is the Galco Miami Classic above. It is made of high quality leather, is adjustable for a great fit, and comes pre-molded for a number of popular guns. The Miami Classic comfortably holds a full-sized duty pistol along with two standard capacity spare mags. It can also be accessorized with different attachments. This is my number one pick for jobs that require a lot of sitting… such as writing articles about gun stuff.

Image Courtesy of Galco

If you cannot afford the Miami Classic, worry not… Galco also offers the affordable Classic Lite. To reduce manufacturing cost, the Classic Lite is made of a softer suede, and is not molded like the Miami Classic. It includes a single spare magazine holder and a thumb break retention strap similar to the Miami Classic. Sure, the Classic Lite won’t make you look as cool as Don Johnson when he skids across the Miami coastline in the heisted power boat of a dead drug lord. Nonetheless, we are talking about CCW here. And if you are doing it correctly, no one should see the holster anyway.

5) Alternative Carry Options

Aside from the standard holsters we covered above, there is a vast number of other options out there if you need to improvise. These range from CCW-specific purses, jackets, fanny packs,  undergarments, ankle rigs, chest rigs, backpacks, and brief cases, all with built-in gun compartments. There are literally thousands of creative ways people have invented to carry concealed firearms, so please forgive me if I forget to mention your favorite trick here.

When choosing an alternative carry method, keep one thing in mind… a gun is only useful if it is in your immediate possession when you need it. Therefore, I strongly recommend you consider carrying your gun on your body rather than packing it in some 3rd party accessory. In other words, you might be better served having a little .32 ACP in your waistband that is secure and ready to go, than a big’ol 10mm Auto in a backpack or purse.

In the end, how and where you carry is a personal choice that only you can make. Take your time with it, and don’t hesitate to try several different options. Have fun and stay safe.

The Brasstard

As you may have heard, the FBI recently released the preliminary semi-annual crime report for Jan-June 2009. Once again, crime in America is on the decline… despite the fact that 2009 was a record year for the gun industry. Now, I realize that there are many variables besides gun ownership that determine national/regional crime rates. So, I will avoid trying to give gun owners all of the credit for making our country safer. However, with “gun control” advocates constantly insisting that more guns in the hands of citizens equates more violent crime, the contradictory evidence is quite pleasing.

Aside from being a record year for gun and ammo sales, 2009 was also a record year for new CCW/CFP permits; with most shall-issue states seeing a sizable increase in new permits granted compared to 2008. Again, in direct contradiction to the claims of the mainstream media and other anti-gun entities, the streets did not run red with the blood of babies.

Here is a link to the FBI website for more info… FBI Preliminary Crime Report JAN-JUNE 2009

Image Courtesy of The Bush White House Archive

As many of you have heard by now, US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has commented on the somewhat bleak security situation on domestic military bases across the United States. First, I should tell you that I have a great deal of respect for Mr. Gates. I would go as far as saying that he was a breath of fresh air after enduring the grim years of Donald Rumsfeld. However, I believe that he missed the mark in a major way when it comes to the real security problem on American military bases…

How would a soldier from another country respond if you told them that US military personnel are disarmed on military bases across the US? Well, shortly after the attack on Ft. Hood, a group of Israeli soldiers allegedly lost their lunch when they discovered this fact.

Here’s the thing, Israeli’s have a bit more experience in dealing with domestic terrorism than Americans do. Therefore, they understand the usefulness of actually having their soldiers be armed. They also understand the worthlessness of mythical places called “gun-free zones” such as our college campuses, public buildings, churches, and other prime targets for terror. Israeli soldiers are always armed… always.

Image Courtesy of www.israelity.com

Beyond arming their military personnel, civilians are also permitted to carry concealed firearms quite freely throughout the country. As a result of these measures, virtually every domestic terrorist in the recent history of the nation has been stopped in mere seconds after they launched their assault.

Now, I’m not writing this article to boast Israel as some sort of utopia for freedom. I have plenty of quarrels with the Israeli government that I won’t waste your time discussing right now. However, I’ll be the first to admit that Israel knows how to defend herself, and that perhaps we might learn a little something from her experience.

This leads me back to Secretary Gates, who totally failed to address one simple fact; the Ft. Hood slaughter could have ended before it even began if our soldiers had their M4’s slung across their backs like they should have. Instead, Mr. Gates placed the blame on military medical/psychiatric personnel for failing to predict Hasan’s actions. Needless to say, hindsight is always 20/20. Foresight on the other hand, is a rare gift that most mortals do not possess. So, unless the military starts to issue an M-something crystal ball, perhaps we ought to consider other more realistic measures.

Along with misplacement of blame, Mr. Gates appears to be implying that they should have reprimanded Hasan before he ever even committed a crime. This coincidentally, is the same mentality behind “gun control”, “watch lists”, and other preemptive attacks that are carried out against millions of law-abiding American’s every year.

This brings us to the widespread paralysis suffered by the people of the United States as a result of a failed Federal property policy… “no guns” (and no common sense for that matter). From post offices to military bases, law-abiding American citizens must disarm themselves when setting foot on these purgatories of civil rights. At Ft. Hood, our service people were left helpless until local police Sgt. Kimberly Munley arrived and shot Hasan. Thats right… a local street cop had to come and rescue trained, but helpless soldiers on a military base. Sounds pretty ridiculous doesn’t it?

Whats even more ridiculous is that some of our nation’s leaders actually believe that a little piece of paper at the front door saying “no guns allowed” could actually stop a suicidal/homicidal maniac from from carrying out terrible acts. Considering that highly-motivated terrorists still manage to slip though the TSA checkpoints despite the strict security measures, it’s hard to imagine that a poorly enforced law and a piece of paper would somehow manage to stop them.

Sadly, Americans will continue to suffer such home-grown terror attacks as long as we continue down the same path. Regardless of the trillions of tax dollars we funnel through the DHS/DOD, regardless of how much our nation begins to resemble a giant prison, regardless of how big they print that “no guns” sign, violent attacks will still occur. As long as victims are unable to stand their ground against armed attackers, they will continue to be victims.

You see, we cannot predict which people will deal with life’s stresses, and which will snap. Even if we could accurately distinguish potential attackers, we cannot predict when or where a solo attack will take place. Remember, soloists rarely tell others of their plans. And more importantly, we can’t just go around grounding/harassing/arresting people solely on speculative and preemptive judgments and suspicions. After all, as political agendas continue to change, you and your way of life could be the next target on the list.

On the other hand, we can allow our citizens to stand their ground against those who would otherwise do us in. We can allow individual citizens to take responsibility for their own security. And, most of all, we can allow the 2nd Amendment of the Bill of Rights to do the job it was designed to do… the job of protecting The People.