[quote=“Bismark, post:5, topic:215126”]
I am new to the world of handguns and CC. Appendix carry is my preferred method.[/quote]
I don’t recommend anyone carry forward of the hip, mostly because of inertia, but partially because I have similar concerns about there being a greater likelihood of bleeding out/self feminizing by means of jacketed hollowpoint. That said, I carry in whatever the hell the lefty version of appendix is, so I guess sigmoid colon carry. In any event I will recommend you start dedicating a shit ton of dry practice to drawing and reholstering with a 100% commitment to trigger and muzzle discipline as well as time.
This is why I asked about what gear you are using right now. A lot of folks find a longer barrel works better appendix. It sort of outriggers the gun and helps hold it stable. A shorter barrel/holster can “roll” over the belt which prints like you wouldn’t believe. As an example, my Glock holster is for a 17/22 length gun, but I only carry a 19 or 26 in it. The holster length secures the gun, even if I need the benefits of the shorter grip.
I have already said I am legitimately scared of shooting myself anytime I reholster a firearm. It doesn’t keep me from practicing, but my mindset is definitely in the “I am doing something with the potential to kill me” place.
That said let’s work through the process a bit. When holstered the gun may be pointed at arteries or genitals when standing, and it almost certainly is when sitting. There are two means I see for an actually holstered firearm to fire.
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Catastrophic Mechanical Failure-Parts of the gun that should be holding the firing group/hammer/sear/striker at tension fail and/or disintegrate and we get a bang. This is really, really unlikely.
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Something works the trigger-There are documented cases of fabric like a shirt tail or a pull string getting into the trigger guard of a firearm as it is holstered. The gun goes all the way in, then additional movement pulls the foreign material taught against the trigger and the loud noise happens. This seems likely to be catastrophic if the barrel is down the front of your pants and you are seated, and noticeably less so if you are carrying well behind the hip. An additional risk is if the holster you are using is inappropriate or in bed repair and some part of the holster itself performs this function. Gear selection is big here.
Of those two possibilities additional manual safeties that “turn off” the bang switch/trigger can be seen as being good hedges against the second. IF we are worried about the first, we are going to worry no matter what. I suppose if the first instance is a huge concern it would be points towards selecting double action weapons since there should be less possibility of a discharge even if parts of the mechanism literally disappear compared to a “cocked and locked” auto.
There is a counter to these concerns that can be made when we look at drawing and re holstering as an activity. Damn near everyone sweeps there own leg drawing and reholstering inside the waistband at or behind the hip. If you don’t believe this to be true, just watch actual experts do it. The muzzle crosses a lot of meet and you can hit important arteries in a lot of it. A strong side, outside the waistband holster is really the safest answer here.
Forward of the hip the gun doesn’t have to cover any part of your body until the trigger and trigger guard are completely covered. It is much, much easier to “look” the gun into a holster and to do visual and tactile confirmation that the holster mouth is clear when it is in front of you and both hands can get to it. I favor rigid holster designs and I like kydex because I can get it in obnoxious colors that are not even remotely like anything I would wear. This makes seeing foreign matter really easy. I also favor a full sweat guard both so the rear sights of my guns doesn’t cut the shit out me and so that I can push the sweat guard into my gut, levering the barrel end of the holster away from my body, before I insert the gun into the holster mouth. I couple this with leaning back/lumbar extension and I minimize the barrel being pointed at my anatomy.
There are absolutely professions where no look, fast reholstering is important. I think going outside the waistband, with an offset laterally away from the belt is the answer for most of them. Couple that with the fact that good retention holsters tend to be bulky and if you are speed holstering you may well want retention functions and I am comfortable making all my concealed reholstering a slower process.
[quote]
In addition to the safety aspect, there is the issue of dressing around the gun. I’m 175@ 5’ 8" and wear fairly fitted clothing. A double stack is not easy for me to conceal while wearing shorts, for example.[/quote]
Well, “dress around the gun” is sort of a mantra for those that want to maximize the problem solving potential of the tools they carry. Holster and belt selection is also key here. There are single stack 9mm handguns that might work very well if you can tolerate an untucked shirt. If the shorts don’t have a belt that complicates things a bit, although both of the holster manufacturers I mentioned offer some small auto or j-frame holsters with very rugged steel clips. Darkstar Gear has especially nice solutions for getting a rule one gun into the front of your waistband.
[quote]
I also have to wear a suit and tie during the workweek.[/quote]
If you would be carrying at work, or gearing up while wearing work clothes that is an issue. If work/locations traveled during the workday prohibit carry than you may not have to solve this problem.
My own math/practice has convinced my that pocket carry gets a gun into my hand faster and more robustly than the other "deep"ish cover options like SmartCarry, Thunderwear, or tuckable inside the waistband holsters. The compromise is gun selection favors smaller autos and access while sitting requires the “hump the sky” move we all have had to make at toll booths and drive throughs. Drawing while moving is also right out, but that wasn’t really and option when untucking multiple layers of clothing either.
[quote]
During winter, that wouldn’t be an issue.That season is painfully short in my region, however. [/quote]
I think I am supposed to start cursing that anyone would bitch about it not being cold enough, long enough.
I wouldn’t say it is misguided. Your comfort level is your own, and there is a lot to be said for anything that adds layers of safety. I don’t necessarily think the firearm has to be a 1911 style, but having a frame mounted safety could be a boon to training efficiency. Smith and Wesson offers their M&P pistols with manual, 1911 style, thumb safeties and I really like both the .40 and .45 offerings from them(also appeases the desire for a bigger bullet). Sig is supposed to be offering a manual safety for their P320(I think 9mm might be the choice in that line) series as well. So, if you want to keep the lower cost and ease of maintenance of the plastic, disposable, soulless, striker fired volkspistols like your XD you have options there as well.
As far as I know no .380 meets the FBI spec for barrier testing. It really isn’t in the same “duty” category as 9/40/45. That said I would rather have a .380 I could shoot well than a 9mm that I couldn’t manage if my needs dictated a certain size of pistol. I have tried to shoot .357 out of the .357 j-frame guns and it was not something I would repeat. It is possible that I could be convinced to use a Glock 42(380 the same size as my Kahr) for my pocket/fitted t-shirt gun if I was able to shoot it appreciably better than the micro 9mm. Likewise I would be willing to load target wadcutters in .38 rather than +P rounds that perform better so that I could manage the recoil better. In j-frames just finding ammo that matches the sights would actually be my first concern. Been there, done that, sold gun, bought auto.
The biggest issue for me with a p238 would be that I would want something that could be pocket carried, and I am not pocketing a cocked semi-auto. Not because I am worried it would go off, I would be using a form fitted holster, but because I would worry it wouldn’t. Pockets and “deep concealment” locations mean lint. Like, “I had no idea I was this filthy of a bastard” levels of lint. I would not want to risk a bunch of lint/padding getting between the hammer and the firing pin when I needed the weapon to be able to fire.
So the P238 wouldn’t really fill all my needs. I would still want something for pocket carry, and I would try my damndest to get at least a 9mm something into my waistband even for casual/hot and muggy weather carry. The fact Idaho is against 380 just about seals that for me. He is one of the few folks on these boards that if he told me I was completely fucked up about something pertaining to violence I would begin making the correction and then ask why.
Ergonomic safeties are very important to me with regards to long guns, but I try to cover that base with holster selection for handguns.
Hope some of this was helpful.
Regards,
Robert A