(NOTE: If you’re buying a gun for home protection, this page isn’t necessary to read).
Your carry method is how you choose to carry your gun. This section is fairly early on in the guide because quite a few decisions trickle down from your method of carry, such as picking your gun and holster. Its an important decision for safety reasons too. You’re going to have to take a look at the way you dress, what you do most days, and your overall lifestyle to come up with a solid carry system. We’ll cover some of the things you should be thinking about as well as methods of carry. But first, what exactly does “concealed” mean?
“Concealed”
In most states’ laws, concealed means out of plain view. In other words, other people should not be able to see any part of your gun directly. How this is accomplished is up to the user. Most people rely on a carry system that blends into what they would normally wear everyday. In other words, their method allows them to effectively conceal their gun underneath, say, a t-shirt and shorts, without making it appear obvious that they have something to hide. For some carry methods, a “cover garment” is used. This refers to an outer piece of clothing worn for the sole purpose of concealing the gun. Many people are concerned about something you will hear referred to as “printing”. This is when your gun is out of plain view, but the outline of the gun on your clothing gives you away as carrying a gun. The common fear is that a bystander will see the outline, recognize the bulge as a firearm, and call the police, attempt to disarm you, make a scene, etc. In theory, this could pose a huge problem for concealed-carriers. In practice however, printing is not as big a deal as some would lead you to believe. If you can clearly see the outline of the gun or if the grip raises the shirt up to the point where it is eye-catching, that could certainly be an issue, but a slight bump in your shirt or slight outline of the slide of the gun in your pants is not something to get too worried about. Many people also have concerns regarding their firearm accidentally becoming visible when they bend down to pick something up or when a gust of wind blows their shirt to the side. Luckily, most states have an exception written into their laws protecting the concealed carrier from prosecution for these brief instances in which their gun becomes visible. In some states where open-carry (carrying a firearm in plain-view) is legal, its not an issue at all. That being said, bystanders may jump to conclusions and call the police (or worse) the minute they see someone with a gun. For this reason, it is important to make an honest effort to keep your gun hidden as best as you can.
Safety
There are a few carry methods that are blatantly unsafe, and there are some that you might be considering right now that if not done correctly, can be extremely unsafe as well. Weapon retention (making your gun stay where it is all the time until you need it) is the biggest safety concern. The good news is that with most carry methods, using a high-quality (not necessarily high-cost) holster for your specific gun will not only retain your weapon, but keep the trigger sheathed so that nothing can accidentally pull the trigger. Using a holster, no matter what your carry method is, is ALWAYS necessary.
Accessibility
How quickly and safely you can draw your gun and fire should be on everyone’s mind. In the event you must use your weapon to defend yourself, fumbling around and being unable to get your gun out could cost you your life.
Concealability
Its called concealed carry for a reason! If you put your mind to it, you can conceal just about any handgun out there. The question will be whether that particular set-up is safe, practical, and effective for you and your lifestyle.
Comfort
Many say that carrying a gun is supposed to be comforting, not comfortable. There is some truth to this, but the fact of the matter is that if a particular carry method or firearm is too uncomfortable to deal with on a daily basis, then you will quit carrying. What good is a handgun if you don’t have it when you need it? You’ll have to find a balance for yourself between comfort and effectiveness. You must realize that there aren’t any options that are going to be both completely comfortable while maintaining the effectiveness of a more uncomfortable option. You will have to decide for yourself where that balance is.
Inside the Waistband (IWB)
One of the most popular methods of carry is IWB carry. It is an excellent “middle-ground” method of carry that enables the user to carry a variety of different size handguns, with generally good concealability and moderate comfort. It is accessible, safe, concealable, and practical for just about anybody. There are a plethora of IWB holsters to choose from, each with their own pros and cons. Chances are, you’ll find one that works well for you. IWB carriers usually carry at about the 5 o’clock position (for left handers this is about the 7 o’clock). The main downsides are that with this type of carry, you may have to make some adjustments to what you wear. Most people that carry IWB have to start buying pants a size larger than they used to to accommodate their firearm. Since the holster is right up against your body, it can be uncomfortable. In the heat of summer, the holster can become sweaty and hotter than with other options.
Outside the Waistband (OWB)
OWB carry is the cousin to IWB carry. Instead of the firearm being inside your pants, it will be holstered on the outside. OWB is most commonly seen when someone is looking for the most comfort, or is looking to carry a larger-framed gun. Because the holster won’t be right up against your skin, carrying a full sized Glock 17 or 1911 can be done fairly comfortably. It makes any gun highly accessible and easy to draw from a variety of different positions. OWB holsters may also feature extra retention mechanisms that prevent the gun from being grabbed or falling out of the holster unless the user deactivates them manually. The downside to OWB is that of concealability, particularly in hot weather. Most OWB holsters place the gun further away from the user, thus making the entire set-up more difficult to conceal. In most cases, a cover garment must be used to effectively conceal the gun. In hotter climates, this may be impractical. While you probably won’t feel something sticking you in the side like you might with IWB carry, the extra weight placed further away from the body may be more uncomfortable than just carrying IWB.
The Shoulder-Holster
The shoulder holster is a method of OWB carry that places the gun on the torso, instead of at the waist. For some that don’t wish to or cannot carry a gun on or about their waistline, this might be an excellent method. Given the right set up, it can be relatively comfortable. The gun can be drawn with relative ease, but extreme caution should be taken while drawing the weapon, due to the muzzle of the gun unavoidably pointing at the arm at some point. As with OWB carry, a cover garment MUST be worn for concealment. This method of carry requires the user to “cross-draw” their weapon. This means that you will have to reach across your body with your strong hand to grip the gun from your weak side. While this looks cool in movies, it is a fairly unwieldy movement in comparison to drawing a weapon from the strong side. You should seriously consider this carry method if you would be most likely to need your gun while seated (if you are a professional driver, are confined to a wheelchair, etc.).
Pocket-Carry
Pocket carry is easily the most convenient method of concealed carry. It allows someone to be armed with almost no discomfort, very little risk of accidentally exposing their firearm, and best of all, its very easy to take the entire rig off and on in a hurry. Though convenient, pocket carry has some significant drawbacks, mostly with your choices of handgun. Pocket guns are generally very small and difficult to shoot. They limit your magazine capacity by as much as 1/3 of what you could otherwise have if you carried a larger gun with another method. Pocket guns are infamous for reliability problems, and the fact that they are being carried in a lint-factory does not help. While pocket guns are available in calibers such as 9mm, the vast majority of them are chambered in .380 Automatic or smaller. Drawing a weapon from a pocket is generally more difficult and slower than with other methods. You may also have the extra complication of snagging the gun inside the pocket while trying to draw. As with all other methods of carry, a proper holster should be used to ensure that nothing will wind up pulling the trigger and so that the gun stays in the same position, all the time. If you choose to pocket carry, the ONLY things that should be in the pocket carrying your gun are the gun itself and it’s holster. For these reasons, it is not recommended that you carry a pocket pistol as your primary firearm.
Off-Body Carry
Off-body carry is a method in which a firearm is carried in some sort of accessory or bag in which the firearm is not under the direct control of the carrier. Whether its a gym-bag, a backpack, or a purse, the concept is the same. This method keeps the firearm from coming into contact with the body, so it is very comfortable. It is also very convenient. But the problems with off-body carry are many. Because the firearm is not under the direct control of the person carrying it, it increases the likelihood that an unauthorized person will be able to get their hands on the gun. Since the firearm will not be felt by the person carrying it, it will be nearly impossible to tell when their firearm is being taken, falling out, shifting in place, etc. All that being said, off-body carry can be done safely while reducing the risk of these things happening. You first must clear out a pocket or spot where you can secure a holster inside your bag (if you don’t have a specially-made bag for concealed carry). You must ensure that your firearm and holster are the only things in this pocket/spot. You should be able to access this pocket quickly, without the need to undo a zipper. A magnetic clasp or a button is much better. You will have to begin carrying your bag the same way all the time. This ensures that when it is time to draw your gun, your muscle memory will kick in and you will not be frantically searching for your firearm. You must carry the bag in a way that it cannot easily be taken from you. This may mean wearing the strap across the shoulder as opposed to over it. Most importantly (and most difficult for most people to swallow) YOU CANNOT ALLOW THE BAG TO LEAVE YOUR DIRECT CONTROL AT ANY TIME!!! You must consider the bag an extension of yourself. In most jurisdictions, it is a crime to leave your firearm accessible to unauthorized persons.
This is far from an exhaustive list of methods for concealed carry, but it does give a brief overview of the most popular methods and their pros and cons. At the very least it will give you some things to think about as far as choosing the right method of carry for you.
(Note: Due to the controversial nature of Open-Carry, we will discuss that at a later time and give it its own page)
The Handgun Guide 