I found your channel recently. I like how you break down things in a way that is very easy to understand. You're videos are great to share with people who are trying to get into guns/carry.
Great content 👌 It took me a while to get comfortable with it, having a double/single that I can keep my thumb on the hammer while re-holstering and also that heavy first trigger pull made me a lot more comfortable. One of my USPSA coaches said it best "re-holstering is generally after you're off the clock or the danger is past, you've got all the time in the world, be slow, deliberate and safe"
Yup, I like to say "there's no such thing as speed re-holstering" (in a civilian context). And the extra peace of mind you described with a hammer gun is the spirit behind The Gadget, or Striker Control Device. It's there to bring the same fire control blocking while holstering to striker guns.
Agree! You can even take out the holster and re-holster outside then stick it back with everything together. I'm still practicing and new to this but got a 1911 with grip safety/safety lever - for me right now, that is the way to go.
Great content as always. I like the fact that you mentioned that clothing, buttons etc can pull your trigger. Despite having a flat stomach I just don't find appendix carry comfy but to each their own. Stay safe
It's been said that carrying is not meant to be comfortable but instead somewhat comforting. I think that AIWB is actually easier buried into the soft parts of my tactical muffintop. I suppose it really depends on the body shape and where your own folds are. A sub-compact pretty much fits right into the spot under my beer belly and is overall more comfy and easier to conceal with zero printing than the 4 O'clock position. Tucked in there it doesn't cause the sciatica issues that can happen carrying conventionally behind the hip and over that nerve where it is most vulnerable as it runs down your butt cheek. An infinitely-adjustable belt that can be quickly adjusted at a touch like the KORE essentials gunbelt makes a huge difference as does moving the belt buckle to the 9 O'clock position. I can loosen the belt a couple of inches with a touch and slide the whole rig up before sitting down then let it all slide back down before tightening it again with a squeeze at both hips when i stand back up. A lot of non-carrying chubby folks quickly adjust their belts at the hips before and after sitting down and isn't seen as out of the ordinary by the average person.
There is never a need to reholster quickly. Take your holster out, check it, holster your weapon, then put holster/ gun back where you conceal it. Plain and simple
I been shooting for a long time. I have been teaching for a long time. I believe in the idea that you have to know what you're doing before you can expect the same of others. I continue to learn, and that is partly because of you. Thanks for teaching me a few really good things today.
Thanks for the video. I learned a lot. I got an Enigma about 6 months back but haven't started to carry yet. I wanted to get better at the basics of all gun practice first. Now its time to practice gun carry skills. Please keep the videos coming. Thanks as always.
I've been EDCing for over 40 years now and have to fess up of NOT visually check my holster, step back or tip my hips out... good advise all around. I'll pass it along. I'll start working on visually check my holster, even though it's probably the hardest thing for me since keeping my eyes "out-there" when holstering has not only been ingrained but BURNED in my mind for so long. But I guess I'll try to come up with a "peek to my holster opening before" holstering and back out there... I'll see how it goes. Great content!
This video is very important. I'd like to thank you for spreading this information to people. This video is clear and useful for any beginner or seasoned gun owner. To my fellow Americans and everyone worldwide, stay safe, aware, and grateful.
Good video and points. My understanding is "there is no hurry in reholstering....take your time and make sure you are doing it safely whatever position or type of holster you are using. Also, I believe some people are not as careful with pocket holsters or choosing the safest weapon for that with the correct holster. Thanks Armed and Styled.
Striker control device was a game changer on reholstering comfort and confidence. Thanks to you it was one of the first things I bought when I got my G48 while waiting on my CCW approval.
Thank you, this video was terrific. Especially the visual step by step holstering. I imagine these safety tips can be translated to other types of holstering positions. The gun community needs more of this, keep up the great work! 🍻
Great video. I carried AIWB for a long time but have migrated away from it as I was increasingly uncomfortable with where the gun was pointed particularly when sitting. I especially didn't like re-holstering despite having a good, safe holster.
While I carried a Glock professionally in my younger years I now carry a S&W 340PD ultralight 357 revolver. The trigger pull is quite difficult compared to any Glock , that for me is another DESIRED layer of safety, for my appendix carry. A fellow officer accidentally shot the tip of his finger off re-holstering back in the day. I was first on scene and I will never forget it. SAFETY first, second and third.... YES, I would prefer my old Glock 40 for any firefight but the reality of that happening is trumped by the safety benefit. And, I still have a gun if needed...
Thank you for making this video. I have been a firearms instructor for thirty years, I have seen AD’s and serious injuries from both drawing and reholstering. I believe that these accidents are far too under recognized.
I've been appendix carrying for a few years. I was carrying at about the 4 o'clock position. I use a leather holster made for the specific gun (Sig P365XL) with a belt clip. I remove the holster, insert the firearm, and re-clip the entire package to my belt.
Since injuring my rotator cuff a year ago I've had to switch to appendix carry. Being nervous about it, I've adopted all the rules you mentioned and also have switched to guns with a heavier trigger (8+ lbs) and longer trigger pull.
BTDT. Another option is a gun with a manual safety. 1911 manages this trick. Not only can you keep your finger off the trigger, you can place UPWARD pressure on the thumb safety with index finger & thumb while re-holstering.
I’m a fan of removing the holster from the waistband completely and RE holster right in front of my face where I can keep the mussel pointed away from me or anyone else and away from any clothing where I can clearly see everything. Once it’s safely in the holster, then replacing it inside the waistband. But, I do plan on switching to an enigma holster so I guess that won’t be an option anymore and I’ll have to do it differently. Thanks for the guidance on alternatives.
I'd love to see the industry move to higher visibility colors on the interior of holsters. Makes it MUCH easier to identify the opening and it there's some kind of foreign object that's work itself into there. Honestly, considering AIWB/IWB holsters are almost entirely concealed below the beltline, I just like to make the entire thing high-vis.
I have a Striker Control Device on my G19. In addition to these best practices highlighted in the video it offers an added layer of safety and peace of mind which gives you the ability to thumb your striker fired Glock while reholstering. It gives you direct feedback from your trigger as you reholster allowing you to stop immediately in the event you feel anything actuating your trigger while you reholster. This is not a guarantee as it is still possible to overcome your thumb pressure applied to the SCD if you reholster to forcefully while your trigger is being pulled but if you take your time and are deliberate with taking care to slow down while holstering and incorporate thumbing the scd into your reholster process it definitely does what it’s designed to do. Despite what naysayers of the SCD say having used it for the last 2 years I have never once had a malfunction induced by the SCD, so that’s a nonstarter.
I generally do not remove my firearm from the holster unless I’m going to use it, practice, training, dry fire. My vehicle lockbox is just large enough to hold both pistol and holster together.
I wear Northface shorts and other adventure, kind of quick dry the nylon stuff. Some of them have drawstrings with nuts on the ends, and if your whole string, a pistol, and that not goes into the holster while you’re reupholstering, and then not get into a trigger guard that string could pull the trigger inside your shorts when you think you’re being safe.
Any thoughts on the Springfield XDS? Would the grip safety offer the same benefit as a striker control device on a Glock? If so, XDS could be a smaller, more affordable option. They’re optic ready now too.
I don’t normally re-holster my gun while it is on my body. I holster the gun and then put the entire package inside my belt and attach it to my waistband. That way the trigger guard is covered completely and its just about impossible for the trigger to be pulled. Only exception I would typically make to that would be at the range if i was practicing a draw.
Put the firearm into the holster and place the holster on the belt while already holstered. Remove holster with firearm already inserted. Reduce risks.
That can be great solution part of the time, but simply isn’t practical for dry fire, range trips, or shooting classes. It’s best to know how to safely holster a gun on body with a proper holster 😊
Just an addendum that most reholstering issues can be mitigated by carrying an exposed hammer-fired gun. As you press down on the hammer as you reholster, it’s completely safe from firing.
Todd Lewis Green talked about that in the article linked above. Same goes for using a striker control device or even a manual safety, however, mechanical safeties don’t make up for poor gun handling so it’s still important to practice a proper holstering technique regardless of internal/external safeties 😊👍🏻
Yeah I have a couple videos on the various P365 models actually! Here's a P365 comparison video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-zaO1ZtR6lnc.html This is for the .380: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-S5ykvwyfbXI.html The Spectre Comp: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-jW4XjB1GlpY.html This is an older review of the P365X: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GyLnIjIY8so.html This is definitely the video you'll want to reference for carry positions and methods: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-sERkwNeqflk.html
This applies to ANY holster carry. I’m a strong side carrier and I like to lean my whole body so the gun never points at me while going in. I also prefer and have setup my holster to be easy on easy off WITH the gun so I’ll often just pull the gun plus holster off and on together. Thirdly I’m a manual safety user. As my competiton guns are also manual safeties it comes naturally. But one could also just use the manual safety when holstering and manipulations and then turn it off when fully secured. (The manual safety in no way allows for skipping any other safety step or reduce one’s care in holstering / handling a gun). Plus the manual safety for me is step 3 in toddLer/child proofing. Step 1 is the locked pistol lock box. Step 2 is a holster with pretty tight retention (gun and holster go in box together). Step 3 is the manual safety. (Carry gun also serves as HD gun. Just insert 17rd mag)
The more I think about holstering/drawing the more I come back around to thinking a thumb safety could be good. Less focus on good habits with flagging and more on good habits with the safety might be safer overall, at least for the drawing/holstering. Not to say that one should stop thinking about flagging. But it'd be much harder to accidentally flip the safety and snag the trigger than just snag the trigger, not to mention it'd be that much harder for a poorly made gun to go off in the holster.
I feel alot more confident and comfortable holstering appendix. At first I thought to myself maybe it's better if I take the holster out first then holster the pistol then place it back in my waist band.
The first step to holstering safely is admitting that you are capable of making mistakes and it is possible unanticipated circumstances can happen to you. I have listened to so much macho BS over the years from people trying to justify being too lazy to treat firearms with the respect they deserve. All of it comes back to a guy thinking his competence and awareness never falter and that accidents only happen to bad/dumb people. There more someone blames accidents on idiocy, the more likely they are to put themselves and everyone else at risk by ignoring safety.
Great analysis (as usual...). I will never, ever, ever, appendix carry. I get an aching feeling every time I see experts shoving a pistol into the worst place to shove a pistol.
Most of the ways in which you can make appendix carry dangerous are not unique to appendix carry. It is no more or less inherently dangerous than carrying at the 3 or 4 o'clock position. If you think about a discharge occurring when rebolstering, the 3 o'clock carry is probably the most lethal. Appendix is going to lose you something precious but not immediately lethal, 4 o'clock will put a second hole in your butt but isn't going to hit anything vital, but 3'clock is going to send a round from the top of your thigh all the way down your leg to around the calf. In all three styles you are going to be making eye contact with the gun and the holster, so I don't see how one is more dangerous than the other.
HOT TAKE: I just take off my holster to reholster and then put my gun on, with it holstered. Reholstering while wearing should be avoided as much as possible. Drawing during training is necessary, while reholstering isn't.
I understand this perspective, however it's really not practical in class, range, or competition settings where the user is seeing much higher reps, furthermore, it's still entirely possible to flag oneself holstering off body. It's best practice to know how to properly and safely holster on body when necessary. To be clear though, I'm not advocating for holstering on the clock, that's just silliness.
Yes, but you still have to be careful not to muzzle the hand that is physically holding the holster. Especially for a training environment, learning how to holster safely on body is important.
Its only dangerous if you carry plastic. If somehow the grip safety and manual safety is bypassed through loose clothing and the trigger by a horrible draw, safe to say you're very unlucky or clumsy. Can't convince me that those striker fired pistols with a "trigger safety" are safe to use.
The gun doesn’t have to “point” at male anatomy, even while it’s in the holster. Placing it off the centerline, and adding a wedge can go a long way not only for concealment, but even safety 👍🏻
To be safe, you either need a tactile way of validating that the Gun is Safe, or you should holster the gun when the holster is Off of your body, and then conceal the holstered gun. There are videos of guns going off even when following proper practice. Always remember, life happens.
If you're following proper practice (which involves watching the gun go into the holster the whole time and making sure it's clear) the gun won't go off. If nothing touches the trigger it won't fire. It's fine to holster on-body. You're not going to take the holster on and off your belt every time you practice drawing at the range, are you?
To the op's point , guns are dangerous to be sure , however in live fire range training , you're not going to remove your holster from your body after every draw so yes you need to mitigate risk when re-holstering . There is always risk when there are guns. Never forget that.
I’m know people carry AIWB safely, but as a man, I see it as an unacceptable risk without sufficient benefit. I can carry IWB at 3 to 5 O’clock, which doesn’t require me to sit with a handgun jammed into my abdomen and groin, and doesn’t put my most prized anatomical possessions at increased risk. For women, I can see how AIWB is very appealing. For men, not so much. But to each their own.
The gun doesn’t have to “point” at male anatomy, even while it’s in the holster. Placing it off the centerline, and adding a wedge can go a long way not only for comfort/concealment, but even safety 👍🏻
@@tessahbooth great videos and I like the straightforward way you deliver the topics. Hearing a woman’s perspective is a nice change as well. Lots of opinions coming from bearded men. Not as many from women who have a different perspective. Having said that…there’s just no way in hell I’m ever going to appendix carry, even if it’s just irrationally based Fudd fear. 😃
I always appendix carry I find it most comfortable. I don't carry with a round in the chamber and train to draw and load. I got something just below the holster I don't want to lose for sure.
In day to day carry, my loaded pistol goes on and off my person in the holster. I just put on the holster and take it off with the pistol in it. While not training the only time I would need to reholster would be after a defensive shooting. Before going out I remove loaded pistol from holster verify it and mag is loaded, reholster and then clip the holster onto my gun belt.
While in no way trying to minimize the value of the info in the video, it’s fantastic . . . My tendency for snark compels me to mention that all my holstering is reluctantly. I mean, it signals that I’ve stopped shooting 😜
I highly recommend watching the gun go into the holster and making sure it's clear of anything that can touch the trigger. None of my carry guns have a manual safety because it's one more thing to accidentally switch on or forget to switch off.
@@outlawandoutdoorstv9901 There’s a couple great holster companies out there! This video gets in more depth about good quality holsters as well as some of the brands I reach for: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-sERkwNeqflk.html
@@tessahbooth why thank you I'll check that out. And I will def sub and keep eye 👁️ out for content. God bless ya thanks for taking the time to respond.
Appendix carry is just as safe as any other form of carry with a proper holster. I'd argue it's actually safer because it's easier to look the gun into the holster and be sure that it's clear. With proper posture any accidental discharge will go into the ground in front of the leg. It's annoying to see the fuddlore of "you'll shoot your balls off!" is still going strong in the comments. Appendix holsters either sit next to or on top of the equipment and don't point at the femoral artery.
AIWB, while it may be the best carry solution for a particular set of circumstances, is more risky than strong-side, cross-draw, or shoulder carry to the carrier. If you are moving about, bending, sitting, doing work, etc. unless you are the skinniest dude ever to skinny _and_ you've got a mongo-sized cheese wedge stuffed under the end of the holster , odds are something vital to life and/or beating Darwin gets in line with the muzzle. This doesn't even consider the effects of muzzle blast, which can both burn/maim flesh, but also penetrate flesh. IN a lean person, it only has to penetrate an inch to hit a major artery. In an obese person, it can require more penetration. (Once met a guy who survived his neighbor's mag dump from a Browning High Power and got in the ambulance under his own power. He was 400lbs at the time.)
I like to place my trigger finger close to the trigger but not on it as I holster. That way, I can feel if there is any obstructions as I holster. I might even place it on the trigger guard at the front.
I think it’s still wise to keep the finger high and on the slide because sympathetic trigger pills are a thing, and we can mitigate those by keeping our finger as far away from the trigger as possible. However, in that article liked above from Todd Lewis Green he talks about how some people like to feel the inside of their holster before they put the gun into the holster while the gun is still anchored to the chest with the thumb or elbow.
What if a LEO wants to disarm you for whatever reason after learning or being informed that you are carrying? Are you OKAY with their hurried and/or inexperienced drawing of your weapon from the AICW position while you are spread-eagled?
Unles you are willing to go Outlaw on Officer Fumblepaws, you get to stay still and take it. And, possibly, the negligent discharge into your groin caused by Officer Fumblepaws.
Some areas of the country have "Duty to inform" laws and there are many anti-carry officers out there who WILL demand to disarm you regardless of the reason they are interacting with you, such as a routine stop because of a cracked tail light or maybe you "fit the description." It really depends on where you are. In some areas this may never happen and in others it may just be a matter of time before it does happen. Having a rig where the hard holster can be easily and quickly removed by an untrained third party (i.e. officer fumble-fingers) from inside the waistband while still fully enclosing the trigger and trigger guard of the firearm will be much safer than him/her drawing the weapon and exposing the trigger to undisciplined hands who may or may not care one iota about your safety over their own. Administrative handling is the greatest risk area with CCW and when done by a third party such as an LEO in such a circumstance adds many orders of magnitude more risk to this scenario. Factoring in a striker-fired weapon lacking any external safety or hammer to cover while this tricky operation is being attempted only magnifies the risk. It's a matter of choice but personally I only carry a SA/DA pistol that is decocked with the safety ON while AIWB and in a quality kydex holster with excellent retention and a single belt clip which is simple to de-tension and slip right out of the wastband with no need to draw or administratively handle the naked weapon itself. Most of the time there is no need to handle your hot carry gun unless an inspection or cleaning is necessary -or it is needed in a self-defense situation when you are threatened by GBH or death and need to use deadly force for self-defense. My own might stay in their holsters for weeks at a time if I don't swing by a range. If I ever am required to be disarmed by a squiggy LEO I plan to calmly attempt to coach them through the simple process of removing my carry rig rather than attempt to draw even though it is decocked and on safe. But I am also going to plan for the worst and will be carrying in such a way that gives me the most chance of surviving without going so far as unwisely carrying with an unloaded chamber. It is all about doing everything to make yourself safer on average in all foreseeable and likely circumstances as was mentioned in the video.
@@svbarryduckworth628 I don't object to most of that. OTOH, good luck coaching Officer Allthumbs P. Neckvein to remove your heater whilst still in the holster. I suspect the sort of LEO who will disarm a taxpayer with a clean record is not the sort to take instruction from a mere "civilian" regarding such matters. There is no immediate remedy to dangerous and foolish and negligent LEO actions on the side of the road that don't involve going Outlaw.
@@jfruser well at least I am not carrying a striker-fired gun without any external safety where the slightest brush with a booger-hook on the trigger from orificer fumbledfingers will shoot my nads off and create a pretty red fountain from my femoral artery. The very thought of a LEO (or anyone else) drawing my glock or other similar no-safety and ready-to-go-bang with a single touch to the trigger weapon from my AICW holster sends shivers down my spine. My usual carry gun is on safe and decocked with a pretty hefty DA trigger pull. It's a personal choice after a lot of thought about things where I want to make my life more safe rather than less so on the whole after running through all the likely possibilities and risk assessments.
“Keep your muzzle pointed in the direction of least consequence.” When did Gen Z decide to reword firearm rules that didn’t need tweaking to begin with? These are the same people who call a grip a “purchase” and use words like “workspace.”
"Least consequence" is much more specific and conducive to everyday living with a gun. Sometimes you're in an environment where there's no direction that is 100% safe, hence..."least consequence". Words mean things, and the teachers and instructors who made "direction of least consequence" popular would be offended at being called gen z, especially when many of them are old enough to be my parents haha.
@@tessahbooth The purpose of firearm rules, including and especially the rule in question, is to convey the monumental responsibility that comes with owning and using them. “Don’t point your muzzle at anything you don’t intend to / aren’t willing to destroy” is a far more effective rule that better communicates that responsibility and danger. To suggest that we ought to modify that rule because of some highly questionable outlier situation in which there’s no safe direction to point a gun is simply obtuse - it’s a solution in search of a problem. I cannot say with certainly who first coined this new rule, but I can say that I never heard it before the proliferation of social media. Of course Gen Z isn’t the only group of people who fall victim to this kind of thing, so that was partly tongue in cheek.
So...if you're following the rule "don't point your gun at anything you don't intend to/ aren't willing to destroy" how then do you navigate the topic of dry firing within the home? Different rule set altogether? This is a good faith question because I've heard intelligent minds discuss the topic and land in different places on it. Honestly, I really don't think this is a topic worth having an argument over. At the end of the day we both have the same goal of being responsible firearms owners, and encouraging others to be and do the same. Totally on the same overall team here. @@BacktotheOutdoors
@@tessahbooth - it's a fair question, and I think it comes down to this: I believe the primary purpose of this rule is to convey responsibility, danger, and consequences. Another thing to consider is that these rules are often (in an ideal scenario) being taught to young kids - and the original rule is more effective and easier to ingrain. *It makes an impression.* Decades later, I can still vaguely remember the first time I heard my dad say it. If my dad had told me “keep your muzzle pointed in the direction of least consequence,” it wouldn't have had the same effect. I don’t think there needs to be a modified rule to address dry firing, because by the time someone is old enough to engage in that kind of activity, it’s understood that there are many instances when your muzzle will be pointed at things you aren’t actively trying to destroy. I might point my muzzle at my sofa while I’m cleaning my gun, and even though I don’t intend to destroy my sofa, it’s obvious the rule wasn’t meant to address this. When you’re dry firing in your family room, for example, there’s probably nothing you can point your gun at that you’re willing to destroy, but that’s okay - the rule doesn’t need to address that. I’m not a competitive shooter, so there’s zero chance I would dry fire in my home. The risk / reward for me doesn’t make sense since I don’t have nearly as much to gain from it as a competitive shooter might. I realize there might be self defense benefits from this exercise, but in my opinion, the risk / reward doesn’t make sense to me. In any case, to your point, we are both trying to achieve the same thing, and the only reason I’m commenting on this video is because I randomly came across one of your videos a couple months back and found your content to be well thought out, concise and informative 😊
I will take out my holster off my belt. And I put my gun into the holster. Then I mount my holster back onto my belt. (Inside Waist Band Appendix Carry)
That may be practical for getting dressed in the morning, but in classes where you're holstering your gun a hundred or more times in a day, it's extremely valuable to have proper gear and know how to holster safely.
