Sheriff's Tips: Winter Carry

by
posted on October 18, 2019
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
winntercarry.jpg
Images courtesy NineLineApparel.com

For those of us who are serious about personal defense, cooler weather means that we can get back to carrying our full-size defensive pistols on a routine basis. Coats, jackets, and other covering garments won’t seem out of place and they’ll do a better job of covering up the larger guns with which we generally do our best shooting. However, it’s not a good idea to clean, oil, and put away that small belly gun we generally carry during warm weather. 

When you are wrapped up in that heavy coat and wearing gloves, you have to realize that it will take you longer to get that gear out of the way and draw the big defense gun to deal with a threat. Of course, when a person has some inkling that trouble is about to appear, he can get his coat open and be ready to deal with the problem. But what about those times when the attack comes as a complete surprise and time is even more critical than normal?

That sort of surprise can happen to any of us, no matter how alert we try to be. For that reason, I like to slip my little belly gun into a side pocket of my coat. In many cases, it can be the quickest response, especially when trudging along in really cold weather with my hands in my coat pockets to keep warm.

An even better variation of this practice would be to carry the little gun in the pocket on the support side of the body. In that manner, a person has access to a defense gun with either hand.

As with everything else regarding defensive shooting, practice is important. A person should not just assume that he can clear his coat in time to get the big gun. Nor should he assume that he can handle a criminal attack by shooting with his support hand. Dry practice at home is important to perfect the use of either gun, as well as practice on the shooting range. Go through the movements and develop a technique that works.

And what about those gloves you wear? Can you run your chosen defense gun wearing gloves? If not, it would be a good idea to practice getting the glove off of your shooting hand. Some gloves can simply be snatched off with the other hand. With other gloves, it might be fastest to bite the glove with the teeth and pull the hand free. Again, practice with the cold weather gear that a person actually wears will help work out the fastest method.

So, yes, winter weather allows us to more easily conceal a big gun, or multiple guns. But developing a technique for getting into action quickly is critically important. Stay warm and stay ready.

 

 

Latest

Double Stack 1911 Web Main
Double Stack 1911 Web Main

A Guide To Double-Stack 1911s

The 2011 brings double-stack capacity and modular upgrades to the 1911 platform, but not every wide-body 1911 out there earns that name.

Legislators Enjoy Afternoon Of Clays With Benelli USA, Among Others

A bipartisan group of Maryland state legislators met with firearm industry manufacturers and representatives for a day of clays shooting while also attending discussions on the positive economic impacts of the shooting sports.

2025 Ammunition Product Of The Year: Winchester .21 Sharp

For continuing to innovate, particularly in a corner of the ammo world that has seen very little recently, we named the Winchester .21 Sharp as our Ammunition Product Of The Year.

Rifleman Review: Hammerli Arms Force B1

The Hammerli Arms Force B1 is one of the most versatile rimfire rifles on the market, providing room for accessories, allowing for a personal stock fit and even offering caliber-interchangeability.

New For 2025: CZ Scorpion 3+ Magpul Edition

CZ-USA has enhanced its Scorpion 3+ pistol-caliber carbine yet again with a slate of factory-installed Magpul components and accessories.

Summer Suppressor Deals On Now

Whether it is a BOGO deal from SIG or free tax stamps from Guns.com and Silencer Central, there's plenty of hearing-safe savings to be had this summer.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.