Dangers of "Mexican Carry".

[Mikul]

I read the Philadelphia Inquirer for the inadvertent funnies. Reading it for news would be like riding a pogo stick for transportation. Every year, at least one Philadelphia police officer shoots himself (or herself, as in last year) while holstering or unholstering their Glock ala Mexican carry. I even once heard a police report go out on the scanner about a person with a gun in their pants at Gino's pizza. It later turned out to be a friend of a friend who is a Phila Police Sergeant.

These are situations that take care of themselves eventually.

 

[LawDog]

There is a club devoted exclusively to gangsta hip-hop music located in our fair city.

It is currently part of the turf owned by one set of Latino gangers who are feuding pretty seriously with the only other set.

Small, dark, mota- reeking little place. I bounced there for a couple of years when an African-American set still owned that side; it was a brutal little dive then and it darned sure hasn't got any better.

Local PD won't go in there with less than four officers, and they usually have the tac-team do their walk-throughs.

Anyhoo, one night a while back we hear a call for an ambulance, Rescue, the tac-team, and any available officers Code Three to the club.

Off we go. We get there, muscle our way through the patrons and find a 19-year-old hispanic male laying on his side on the dance floor, completely unresponsive.

I'm trying to find out just what the hell has happened here, his vatos are going bug????, and the only thing I can get is that the other gang has done shot him.

This is Not Good.

The tac-team shows up and starts heaving bodies out into the road and my partner and I snatch two of the biggest-mouthed eses and start trying to put together a sequence of what the hell just happened here.

Turns out that about eight Kings walked into the club sometime prior to the incident and started dancing with Lords gals.

Young Eduardo De La Dancefloor decided that this was, indeed, an insult too great to be borne so he pulled out what seems to have been a chromed Raven Arms .25, pointed it at the Kings and engaged in what seems to have been a truly inspired Alpha Male display.

The Kings chose (for once) the better part of valour and hauled butt out the side door of the club.

Young Eduardo then turned in triumph to his little pack, and in a manner calculated to cause swooning in any brainless girl-child desperate (or stupid) enough to hang out with Mexicano gangsters, whirls the little silver auto around his shootin' finger, flips it back the other way, then back again, and proceeds to, err ... manfully ... thrust it home into the front of his waistband.

Ahem.

Children, the Four Rules of Shooting are not just Rules, they are a damned fine idea. Two of them especially, in this case.

Yeah.

My friends, I have seen the impossible. I have a one shot stop utilizing a single, lonesome .25ACP FMJ.

Jaysus.

Ahem. Anyhoo, apparently the finale of this testosterone preen involved Young Eduardo staggering back a step, turning to face his buddies, stumbling a bit and then according to eyewitnesses, his eyes just "kinda rolled back" and Eddie ploughed nose first into the parquet dancefloor.

I shall never sniff disdainfully at those who choose to carry a .25 ACP again.

Blew the left one into hamburger, air-conditioned Mr. Happy, and the combination of muzzle-flash and hydrostatic shock(?!) bruised the right one to the point that it's probably "not going to be viable".

Oh, and the the round drilled into his left thigh and snuggled in contentedly about an inch or so from the femur.

Gawd.

Mexican Carry: Darwin Approved and Tested Under Real-Life Conditions.

LawDog

 

[USP45usp]

LD,

about time for another LD file .

I don't like guns and stuff, even in a holster, near Mr. Happy.

And to even think about putting a unholstered gun there makes Mr. Happy go and hide

Wayne

 

[Jim K]

The gun does not have to go off to create a problem. Years ago, I drove a 1955 Studebaker coupe, a very low car. A friend, who was carrying a 12" Buntline Colt "Mexican" style, got in and sat down hard in the low seat.

His scream must have been heard for blocks. It was a week before he could walk normally.

Jim

 

[oldfella]

LawDog - much too funny!

 

[feedthehogs]

Let me see now. No one ever carrying in a holster ever had an accident or ND, right?

Its all the dumb who carry holsterless right?

I would tend to guess that the overwhelming majority of accidents involving removing or replacing a gun in the carry position lean towards those that use holsters.

A few bad examples of some movie and a gangster showing off does not make a good argument for not carrying holsterless.

To me it seems there is a lot of careless gun owners or gun owners who do not trust themselves with a perticular method of carry.

That does not mean those that choose to carry holsterless are stupid, or an accident waiting to happen.

I guess I agree with the fact if your not bright enough to handle your gun properly, then by all means secure it as best as possible to keep from shooting yourself or innocent bystanders.

 

[LawDog]

Oh, I've got stories about 'racing stripes' from vertical shoulder holsters, and one or two about getting a cheek drilled by an FBI cant hip holster.

Puncturing the old spare tire or plugging a ham just doesn't quite have the visceral oomph that a ballistic readjustment of Ye Olde Wedding Tackle has, though.

At least, for me. YMMV.

LawDog

 

[oneshooter]

I have,on various occasions needed a firearm in a hurry. I do not want to take the time to find, and install a holster. Out comes a 4 3/4" SAA 45cal. Simply open the loading gate and stick in tour belt. Been used for years. And I do not concider myself underarmed with 5rd of 45LC LSWCHP!!

Oneshooter
Livin in Texas

 

[Model520Fan]

Used to carry a couple of S&W Model 40's in front. I believe that that is a fairly safe setup.

A brain is needed regardless of the method of carry, and the design of the firearm DOES count. Anyone carrying a Glock holsterless is an idiot.

 

[twoblink]

feedthedogs,

I can't imagine how shoving a Glock pointed at Mr. Happy is EVER a good idea, unless you wanted to become a Eunich, if so, be my guest!

Lawdog... man I miss the Lawdog files..



From talking with my friend, who's a surgeon... she says that shooting Mr. Happy isn't the worst, most criminals have the gun tilted, and so they usually shoot their Ephemeral Arteries (sp?) in their thigh and bleed to death fairly quickly..

Hey, free country, do what you like. But I'll go ahead and apply Rule #1 and Rule #2 to Mr. Happy.. Don't point a gun at what you aren't willing to destroy.

 

[Myself]

When I was younger and in better shape I could of carried a Mexican.

I'm sure it would screw my back up pritty good today!

 

[g56]

An acquaintance of mine, a Highway Patrol Trooper and well respected shooter, made the mistake of putting a 1911 in his belt in front, the pistol was on half cock, when he put it in his pants it discharged, he castrated himself with the 230 gr hardball, and got the fireball in his lower abdomen. He was at a Police pistol range at the time, got back in his patrol car, radioed that he had accidentally shot himself, then drove himself to the Emergency Room, and walked into the ER and laid down on a gurney, he almost died, he was in intensive care for a couple of weeks, after a few months he was able to resume duty with the OHP.

A fine gentleman, he retired from the OHP years later, he has been dead for many years now, but I will never forget the first time I heard him tell that story!

 

[feedthehogs]

g56,
The mistake was not putting the gun in his front pants, the mistake was him not paying attention to what he was doing. Don't blame the front belt carry on a careless shooter.

Two Blink,
Shoving would only apply to the movies or some gangsta.

I have carried a glock many times tucked in my front belt holsterless while wearing a jacket on my cycle for easy access.
When carrying a Glock though, the chamber is empty.

Common sense applies to the type of gun you carry and its operation.

Most of my jeans have a little hole worn in the middle back from my Kimber tucked into the small of my back holsterless.

Living where its hot most of the time, a baggy t shirt will conceal that type of carry where as using the Kimber with a holster will not.

I know many heavy set guys that carry a Glock 26 or 27 in their front pockets because of the size of their pants with out a holster so they show no outline. All carry with the chamber empty.

The only time I use a holster is when its cool enough to wear an outer jacket or shirt over a t shirt.

The Keltec P32 does have a cowhide holster, but only to hide the outline when its in my back pocket.

The problem with a lot of attitudes around here is that they are narrow in thinking.
With common sense, and practicing safety, guns can be carried a whole lot of ways. It may be just ways others do not like and are quick to dismiss as dangerous.

We can also sit and come up with what if's and what for's as it applies to carrying. But we can also revert over to the threads, what gun to carry for a bear attack in Newark or if the shtf, what's the best gun for repelling a standing army from my front door.

Some people just have way too much time on their hands.

After all were talking guns here, not black hole theories and quantum physics.

 

[Maxinquaye]

Huh.

I carry my P32 daily sans holster using the belt clip at 4 o'clock. Not nervous at all. I just keep my finger off the trigger

 

[R.H. Lee]

The problem with a lot of attitudes around here is that they are narrow in thinking.
With common sense, and practicing safety, guns can be carried a whole lot of ways. It may be just ways others do not like and are quick to dismiss as dangerous.

Or maybe 'Mexican Carry' just ain't "tactical" enough.

 

[Gus Dddysgrl]

Funny story LawDog. I too miss the LawDog Files. They were great.

I often Mexican Carry. I do it because my pants are too tight .... to fit a holster and I can hide the gun better without the holster. I also don't carry in the front very often. It's not very comfotable. I don't have the same problem most of you have and have a bit more room there than you do. I have carried a .25 there. It's the best carry I've found, but often want more power so I don't always carry it. When I do carry it there or at all I make sure I have a long shirt that will go between the gun and my skin.

If you shoot yourself it's your own fault and we'll call the Darwin Awards for ya.

Gus

 

[R.H. Lee]

I don't have the same problem most of you have and have a bit more room there than you do.

Yeah, well it's no fun sittin' around on a bag of........nevermind.

 

[g56]

The mistake was not putting the gun in his front pants, the mistake was him not paying attention to what he was doing. Don't blame the front belt carry on a careless shooter.

The primary mistake was putting any trust into the half cock hammer position, he knew it wasn't safe but did it without thinking. In any case the damage would have been a lot less if the pistol was placed almost anywhere else than in front.

 

[feedthehogs]

Yea I guess if your going to be a careless gun owner, better not place the gun in the front.
Or better yet do so to keep from reproducing more idiots.

 

[USP45usp]

feedthehogs,

Hey dude, whatever floats your boat. Do whatever, it's not my Mr. Happy on the line.

What I am saying is that it's not the carry for me. For others, fine, I don't care, it's your life and Mr. Happy. I cannot and willnot tell you how to carry, it's not of my business and it should stay that way.

All I was saying is that it's not a comfortable position for me. I like the holster thing, not only because the trigger is behind leather but also because that is the way that I practice.

Good luck to you and Mr. Happy. Just make sure that that trigger doesn't snag on anything... that would hurt abit I would think.

Wayne

 

[atlctyslkr]

Most states have laws regarding "Mexican Carry". Pretty much say that gun must be secured in a holster of some sort. If someone sees you going Mexican they may assume you're not legal.

 

[Amish_Bill]

I know a very qualified individual that carried a browning inspired autopistol mexican on a regular basis. He was shifting it one day before getting into his truck. Shot himself right through the posterior padding. (not sure how the safety was disengaged - guessed that it slid against the belt or beltloop) Nothing to keep belt accessories and/or fingers from the trigger or protect the safety... Oops!

Every flavor of carry, from mexican glock to cased revolver has a quantifiable amount of risk to it. The deal here is that hot chamber mexican is riskier than most other kinds of carry. Can it be done with no ill effects? Often, yes. Will holsterless carry bring ill effects more often than other methods? Across the board, yes. Is it a guarantee that something bad will happen if you do it? Nope.

Face it kids. Life is risky. Choose how much risk you are willing to accept and jump in.

 

[psyopspec]

Here's a fun fact: the words "Mr. Happy" appear 10 times in this thread, more than any other to date on THR!

 

[Bruce333]

Here's another fact. This thread is 1-1/2 years old! The second old thread today to be revived...

 

[Byron Quick]

Life might be risky. After all, no one here gets out alive. That being said, I've worked the emergency department for about a decade now. I've treated a number of people who've shot themselves with their own pistols while engaging in Mexican carry. I have yet to treat one person who has shot themselves with a holstered pistol. Or while drawing a holstered pistol. Or even while returning a pistol to a holster. I might just see a trend developing here....