How Do You Holster Your EDC?

[Chuck R.]

I carry either an HK P2000 or when I can't conceal that a Walther PPS M1, both AIWB in Kydex holsters that cover the trigger guard.

Both of mine when not carried are locked up in V-Line vaults, in their holsters condition 1. I simply remove the loaded & holstered gun and slip it into position. I have no qualms about holstering either while loaded though as the P2000 is a hammer gun and the PPS has a DA striker that can be felt as it protrudes from the back of the slide. I just hold my thumb over the back of the slide while re-holstering either.

Before this pair I carried a Walther PPQ. When holstering the PPQ loaded, I just took my time and made sure it was clear of my shirt while holstering. As a past instructor once said; "There's no prize given for re-holstering quickly" and while LEO are often taught to re-holster while not "watching the gun into the holster", odds are I won't be re-holstering till the action is over.

 

[mdauben]

I typically carry either my Glock 36 in a N82 Pro IWB holster, or a Ruger LC9S in a DeSantis Superfly pocket holster.

I clip the Glock on my belt while its in the holster, and take it off the same way (same with the Ruger and my pocket). I won't take either out of their respective holster while I'm wearing them, unless I need to shoot. At the end of the day, I take them off still in the holster. If I need to handle either gun for some other non-combat situation (cleaning, maintenance, range practice), I un-holster them off-body.

As I've never been in a life threatening situation that required lethal force, he only time I've un-holstered them on-body was for draw practice after unloading and double checking the chamber on the gun to be sure they were completely unloaded.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I used to holster and then strap on the entire rig. Now I'm utilizing a Bigfoot Gun Belt that is really thick. It's pretty much impossible for me to get the holster on a belt with one particular gun in the holster, so now I put the holster on, and then slide the gun in very carefully in front of a mirror so I can see if anything is near the trigger guard. My hybrid IWB holster goes on easily enough with the gun already holstered.

So my answer as to how I holster my carry gun is "very carefully" in either scenario. Every gun is loaded.

 

[someguy2800]

So my answer as to how I holster my carry gun is "very carefully" in either scenario. Every gun is loaded.

To expand on that, I was taught "every gun is loaded, and the safety is broken"

 

[WrongHanded]

How and what I carry differ depending on a number of factors. So I'd say I don't have an EveryDay Carry, but I do carry every day.

I handle guns multiple times a day, and almost always holster the gun with the holster in position on my body. That is unless I am off-body carrying, or rarely using a pocket or soft IWB holster (such as Uncle Mike's). I think I do this with appropriate care and attention; but as some think having a loaded gun out of the holster is dangerous to begin with, there are obviously some who would disagree.

 

[Corpral_Agarn]

For CCW, I will sometimes carry appendix IWB with a Sig P239 in a T-Rex Arms holster. Other times its a Tucker Gunleather hybrid at 4 o'clock IWB. It's about a 50/50 split.

I have no issues holstering a loaded, de-cocked pistol. I do take it out when taking some time on the porcelain throne, however.
I also keep my CCW loaded all the time. When I get dressed in the morning the night stand gun gets put in its holster and I go out the door. When going to sleep, put the CCW on the nightstand and get undressed.

IMO, re-holstering your firearm should not cause concern. Pay attention, look at where the gun is going and have a good holster.
If you carry a gun you are concerned about holstering, you may look into a different holster or a style of gun you are more comfortable with.

The reason I prefer DA/SA for CCW is for the additional safety of a DA pull and an exposed hammer I can place my thumb on.

 

[JayZee]

I EDC a 9MM Shield AIWB, and if not that a Taurus PT25(no lock on it) in the pocket. All cocked and locked with safeties on. If I change clothes,poop, shower, or whatever. I simply take the Shield off with holster still on it. If needed that is. It is a hard kydex that covers the triggerguard. Reholstering the Shield often has me using it in the holster if it is clothing/shower/toilet based. I do reholster the Shield loaded from time to time into the holster. Practice mainly for the dryfires, but WILL carefully reholster it loaded WITH thumb checking safety, finger on the slide/out of trigger and SLOWLY. I check my undershirts, and boxers BEFORE inserting so there is nothing in the way. People say that clothing bunched up on AIWB is deadly, but it is with any carry method. Least with AIWB, I can visually see if my clothing is catching/will catch.

Usually keep it loaded, unless dry firing. Ammo is locked during drills.

PT25 I pull entire gun out, then holster as well. I reholster it outside the pocket before reholstering. Same procedure for dry-fire(I use homemade or A-Z snap caps for both) and lock up ammo for them BOTH.

I have done both at once, so a transition drill. Draw shield, click, mag swap(empty) click, drop Shield(on bed), draw Taurus and click, swap mag, click. Whenever you dryfire, ALWAYS keep ALL weapons unloaded. If I plan to do pocket drills, I unload the Shield or lock it and visa versa. Incase I get mixed up and begin a mixed drill and then I ND...removing ammo EVERYTIME or firearm removes possibility of ND.

Be safe everyone!

They are on my person or locked up at all times. Only mods to either gun are Europium paint on the sights( inexpensive night sights, works GREAT for guns that have no options like my Taurus), and skateboard tape on the Shield for grip.

 

[Blue Feather]

Concealment Express Kydex IWB w/15 degree cant @ 1:45PM/2:00PM
HK P30S .40 180 gr. JHP

 

[Deus Machina]

Almost always, when I put on or take off the gun, I hold shirt up, put it on already holstered with the safety on, make sure it's clear, then flick the safety off. Enjoying the Ruger's ambi safety for that habit.
If I take it out of the holster while worn for whatever reason, it's still with the safety on, checked, then safety off.

Can never check too often that there's nothing in the way.

 

[MikeInOr]

Morning: Open safe. Remove LCP. Insert magazine. Rack slide to chamber a round. Remove magazine. Add loose round to magazine. Return magazine to LCP. Put in holster. Put holster in pocket.

Evening: Remove LCP and holster from pocket. Remove magazine. Rack slide to remove chambered round. Put holstered LCP into safe. Put magazine and loose round into safe separately.

Range day: First thing is to fire off the current magazine and loose round for the LCP.

I have been doing this for 20 years or so... with the exception that the gun used to be a NAA Guardian in .32.

 

[Al-jim19]

I choose between two guns each day. One is a dedicated carry gun it almost never leaves the holster. There are exceptions to this such as range practice or picking a situation specific holster. If the holster changes I insert the pistol in the holster pointed in a safe direction and then put it on my belt, in a pocket, or in my banana hammock.

My HD pistol sometimes gets carried. It spends its days and nights unholstered. When I’m going to carry it, I put it in its holster and again, attach the rig to my belt or place it in the banana hammock.

 

[SharpDog]

I have several but they are all like this one:

 

[Blue Feather]

Trigger finger out of trigger guard and parallel to frame with thumb riding hammer of HK P30S .40 as I slowly look it back into the Concealment Express 15 degree cant Kydex IWB resting at 1:45-2:00 PM

 

[Low_Speed_Notper8or]

Call me paranoid, but I prefer to load my pistol and then put it in the holster and then put it on my belt.

 

[1911 guy]

As has been mentioned already, a firearm out of your immediate physical control should be cleared. Having said that:
I holster every time I put it on. Put the holster on my belt, load the pistol. Give a tug on the magazine floorplate to ensure it's seated, then a press check to verify it's chambered.
If I already have my cover garment on, make sure it's clear of the holster. Firm grip on the pistol with index finger extended along the slide. Thumb under the safety so it cannot come off during holstering. Stick it in the holster.
Draw and re-holster should be practiced often. Most shooters I come across these days don't know how to do it safely and properly. This conversation needs to happen more often.

 

[labnoti]

Since I've just started carrying and don't have it all figured out, I'm willing to listen to advice. I decided ankle carry works best for me for a number of reasons.

Ankle carried guns are easy to conceal as long as pants are worn.
Ankle carry keeps the muzzle pointed in a direction that could have lower risk compared to concerns commonly expressed about appendix carry or horizontal shoulder holsters.
Ankle carry is fast to access. I know a lot of people won't agree, and certainly it won't work for everyone, but I've found that I can draw from the ankle very fast.

I use a Galco ankle glove with the friction retention. Because the holster is tight, I use my off (left) hand, reach behind my off (left) knee, and pull it open with my index finger. With my left wrist behind the left calf, I find that hand keeps out of the way. Then I insert the gun in the holster with my dominant hand. My finger is on the frame to start and then I lift it as the gun slides into the holster. The ankle glove works well with shoes, outside lace-up boots, or inside pull-on boots. Draw can be performed by pulling the trouser leg up with the non-dominant hand and lifting the foot at the same time, drawing the gun with the dominant hand. It can also be accomplished by taking a knee, and it's easily accessible when driving.

I also like pocket carry. Draw is a little slower than from the ankle, but it's good to have an alternative. Dominant-side front trouser pocket works most of the time. If a long coat is worn, the coat pocket is better. I use a Galco Pocket Protector holster. I found it has better retention than DeSantis and Sticky, and it's a little narrower than Galco's horsehide holster which fits pockets pretty tight when using a longer grip. With pocket carry in the trouser, the muzzle is usually well below vitals and holstering it doesn't involve covering the hip, spine, or groin.

To holster with a pocket holster, I always remove the holster from the pocket. I have to transfer the gun to the non-dominant hand, then use the dominant hand to pull the holster out. Then I could either holster the gun with my non-dominant hand, or swap hands again before holstering. I am mindful not to cover either of my hands with the muzzle. Once it's holstered, I insert it in the pocket with the dominant hand.

Since the topic has to do with managing risk of AD's, one of the ways I've chosen to do that is with a heavy double-action trigger (factory j frame). I've found them to get very smooth somewhere before 1000 rounds fired with no other work needed. I like the heavy, smooth pull, and I believe it contributes to managing risk of AD. A striker type action with only a 5 or 6 pound trigger pull, carried concealed and with my lifestyle, incurs more risk than I'm willing to take on. I don't care for a manual safety. I would consider a DA/SA without one carried condition 2, or a SA in condition 3. But I choose DAO revolvers and I haven't worried about my skill with a light, single-action trigger suffering or anything.

 

[rskent]

A few instances which have shaped my stance on the matter - without a care in the world for the opinion of others against it:

Sort of like my father in law. He has shot the kitchen cabinets and the stove while cleaning supposedly unloaded guns. A friend growing up shot himself while cleaning a supposedly unloaded gun. It seems to me that I (me, not you) should avoid any unnecessary gun handling. That doesn’t mean leaving loaded guns laying around. I could, but I prefer not to. I have a small quick safe that says loaded on the front. Loaded guns go in the loaded safe, unloaded guns go in the main safe. I suppose I need an unloaded sticker for that safe.

If there is a loaded gun setting out because I haven’t put it away yet, it will be in its holster. If it’s out because I was working on it and haven’t put it away yet, it won’t be in a holster. Yes, I still check when I pick it up.

If its going out with me for the day it will be in its holster when I put it on and it’s in its holster when I take it off.

 

[Varminterror]

Risk mitigation, as a profession, is often a process of defining the lesser of evils, or rather, lesser of risks.

For some folks, the risk of discharge through their own gun handling is their highest danger (a compounded metric of likelihood and severity of consequence). For other folks, the risk of firearm handling by untrained others is the greater risk.

For my personal paradigm - on that matrix of likelihood and consequence - there’s a higher likelihood of negligent discharge due to extra instances of handling, but the consequences of said ND in the controlled circumstances is nill - my greatest risk is hearing damage from unprotected discharge because of the other safety controls in place. Alternatively, if I left my firearms loaded, there’s a far lower likelihood of negligent discharge by the neighbor kid as they’re over playing with my son, or by our cleaning service folks, BUT the potential consequence is death. In risk mitigation, death as a consequence forces immediate mitigation controls.

Equally, we have to live in a world of singular failures. For example, for death to occur in my personal paradigm of unloading and reloading, two safety failures have to occur - I would have to have my finger on the trigger AND point the pistol out of the safe control zone (or someone would have to be in the control zone) - two failures of two independent safety measures. In a “less handling = less accidents” paradigm, a single point failure can cause death - forgetting to lock the safe might mean an untrained other may find the unattended, loaded, unsecured pistol.

If there’s a safety protocol which prevents an untrained other from accessing the premises, that’s a different paradigm, one which isn’t realistic for some of us. That protocol is breached every day at our home.

 

[bluejeans]

I have tried both way ( holstering loaded / putting on holster with gun already in it..) and have found putting on the holster with the weight of the gun in it to be more dangerous... several cases of the gun dropping to the floor/ground or if I’m taking a dump the holster strips itself off the belt and ‘clunk!’ ... I I won’t do that any more.

I pull the holstered (empty) gun out of the drawer, remove from holster, chamber check; set it on the bench. Thread empty holster onto my belt. Load up my gun; slowly, holster being sure all garments are clear.

An instructor once told me “ never waste a good presentation” so if In the course of the day I take the gun out I perform a slow motion step by step draw to a compressed ready ... shoot the squirrel... then slowly reholster.
At the end of the day I stand in front of my gun bench draw to sul, unload, place pistol in holster into the drawer.

 

[JR24]

I have tried both way ( holstering loaded / putting on holster with gun already in it..) and have found putting on the holster with the weight of the gun in it to be more dangerous... several cases of the gun dropping to the floor/ground or if I’m taking a dump the holster strips itself off the belt and ‘clunk!’ ... I I won’t do that any more.

I pull the holstered (empty) gun out of the drawer, remove from holster, chamber check; set it on the bench. Thread empty holster onto my belt. Load up my gun; slowly, holster being sure all garments are clear.

An instructor once told me “ never waste a good presentation” so if In the course of the day I take the gun out I perform a slow motion step by step draw to a compressed ready ... shoot the squirrel... then slowly reholster.
At the end of the day I stand in front of my gun bench draw to sul, unload, place pistol in holster into the drawer.

Holstering first does make less sense if you have to thread it in the belt. One of the reasons I like the single clip style for IWB.

I agree, when I do carry OWB I holster carefully still on the belt, unless I am using a paddle.

 

[Charlie98]

I usually strap the holster on with the pistol already holstered... it's just the way I do it. Oddly enough, as soon as I have it hitched up, I draw the weapon, eject the magazine (to make sure it's full), half-back on the slide (to make sure it's loaded), relock the mag and back into the holster. That also shows me that there isn't anything catching on the pistol in the holster, and that the magazine is locked in place properly. I check my motorcycle to make sure it's full of gas before I leave the house, why wouldn't I make sure my carry weapon, something that I may have to depend on to defend my life, isn't full of bullets?

Maybe I'm a bit cavalier about it, but I don't think there is anything inherently dangerous about drawing your weapon, either for practice or as a matter of convenience. Granted, I'm not waving the thing around, nor aiming it at the dog or the turtles, and I have a properly maintained pistol and holster. I also think there is a value... additional exercise and muscle memory gained from handling your carry weapon every day. Everyone gasses on about how shooting is a perishable skill, and it is, so why wouldn't I take 10 seconds a day to at least draw my weapon from it's holster and go through a pseudo mag change?

 

[rskent]

In a “less handling = less accidents” paradigm, a single point failure can cause death - forgetting to lock the safe might mean an untrained other may find the unattended, loaded, unsecured pistol.

Except that that person would have to: 1- happen upon an unlocked safe 2- decide to look inside 3- then decide to pick up loaded weapon. 4- then have to have the same two safety failures as your personal paradigm.

Please do as you believe is the best for you. I will do the same.

 

[ATLDave]

The likelihood of those things can be known for the actor... but not for an unknown person. You and I may know to treat every gun as loaded, but it is beyond dispute that many do not. A couple hundred people die every year because of that.

 

[TarDevil]

I'm pretty much down to one EDC. I shoot it well, it's accurate and reliable. It's also easy on my back.
I alternate regularly between IWB, OWB and pocket carry. I have a dedicated night stand holster.
In other words, my EDC changes holsters regularly. I'm not afraid to handle the gun, but it is treated with complete respect. Any time it is removed from or inserted in a holster I'm diligent about keeping the trigger clear and always LOOKING at the gun and my hand's position on same. Clothes are keep well clear in those processes. The thumb safety is always checked prior to unholstering and reholstering.

Whether you handle the gun sans holster one time or ten times a day, it only takes once for a life changing accident and I never alter or short-change my safety processes.

 

[Varminterror]

Except that that person would have to: 1- happen upon an unlocked safe 2- decide to look inside 3- then decide to pick up loaded weapon. 4- then have to have the same two safety failures as your personal paradigm.

Here's the difference:

I follow your paradigm, and I forget to lock my safe.

I follow my paradigm, and equally forget to lock my safe.

The neighbor's son TJ, who's 4, stays the night at our house a time or two every month, they're over here 4-5 days a week. My son and TJ are playing, as they do, and notice my safe is open.

Which would you rather TJ find inside of my safe? TJ, who is NOT my son, and NOT trained in safe firearms handling, NOT taught to leave firearms alone, but IS a red blooded American 4yr old boy, with an inquisitive interest and an admiration for firearms.

Would you have him find my unloaded pistol, or your loaded one?

Likelihood and consequences - the consequence of TJ or my son dying is a little steeper than me dropping an ND into my fireplace. Regardless of the likelihood.