There has been some controversy in the Gun Community about Appendix Carry and a video that was posted by Gun Nuts.
The problem I have isn’t the position of the holster. You can Appendix Carry all you like. If the gun is in the holster, it’s fine. Drawing the gun from the holster, it’s fine. The problem comes from when you go to put the gun back in the holster. Too many people think it’s cool to reholster as fast as you unholster.
In what tactical situation do you ever need to put your gun away lightning fast? We see this usually just after whipping one’s head back and forth “scanning for threats”. This is where you need to take some time. Let’s think about this. You just had a kinetic situation. Your body is still in fight mode. Your blood is pumping like a Fire Engine and you are still amped up on Adrenaline. This is where you need to take a deep breath, let it out slowly… and then reholster… slowly. You need to take a second or two here. You may have caught a round and didn’t realize it.
A couple years ago now, we had an IDPA Shooter that failed to think. He was amped up on the stage, which is a hell of a lot less than the boost you’ll get from an actual shooting incident. He was using an XD, a very safe pistol. Until he reholstered with his finger on the trigger. No waiting to show clear or any procedurals were followed. He shot a string and then went to shove his gun in the holster. Finger was still on the trigger. The .40 cal projectile went down his leg and out with about as little damage as possible. He was lucky. What if he had been packing Appendix Carry? Ouch. Don’t even want to think about that. Other incidents like this have happened around the country. This wasn’t unique.
Never be in a hurry to reholster.
After shooting a target, come into a high compressed position with your finger off the trigger.
Scan the area for threats, and don’t take less than five seconds.
When the area is clear, take a deep breath and let it out slowly.
Then slowly and carefully reholster your weapon safely.
Never be in a hurry to reholster.
Stories about holstering a pistol in an unsafe manner abound. The one I remember was told to me by a sherrif’s deputy. After a busy day serving warrants he got back to the station and was in the locker room when he took off his rig and noticed that his Sig with the hammer drop safety was at full cock with one up the spout. He said it kind of gave him the huzz because he’d thought he’d trained himself to safe the pistol before he holstered it.
I sometimes appendix carry a snubnose .357 left side. But – the holster is collapsible. The holster goes in position only with the gun already in it. If I remove the gun from the holster for any reason the holster gets pulled before the gun goes back in. Then the filled holster gets put back in its place. I like my blood too much to risk spreading it all over the ground with such a stupid move.
Competition shooting is probably the closest any of us wants to come to actual combat, but it does tend to reinforce some habits that don’t work in reality… like waiting for the buzzer…
I know that people love their striker fired guns, but you know this is one of my favorite parts about hammered DA pistols, if you are reholstering and you feel that hammer move, you can freeze and re-adjust. I don’t want it to seem like I’m bagging on striker guns or that I’m advocating speed reholstering. More appreciating one advantage of the hammered system.
Todd Green said “why are you racing back into the holster?” I think too many guys forget this question.