Posted: 2/17/2015 5:36:48 PM EDT
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Finally got cold enough here to get out the long coat...
And that brings up the carry problem. My normal body carry makes it almost impossible to reach but a coat carry presents issues when I have it off. I am a firm believer that my carry must stay on my person. Your thoughts? |
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What do you carry?
If it's small enough, get a pocket holster for it and drop it in your coat pocket. When you get where you're going, excuse yourself to the rest room, remove from pocket and put back into the belt rig you already have on. Or just do what I do and carry your regular gun plus a j-frame in an outside coat pocket. |
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You're not really clear on what the problem is exactly. Are you saying that when you carry under your jacket, and you take the jacket off, it's no longer concealed? I do that pretty routinely here in WA, in restaurants mostly, and would in PA if I lived there. I would estimate that 90% of the time, or more, nobody even notices it when the jacket comes off. Standing up to put the jacket back on maybe 50% of the time someone will notice, but by then I'm leaving so who cares.
Carry more, worry less. EDIT to add: OK, I think maybe when you say 'coat carry' you mean coat pocket carry? 
I tried off-body carry (satchel) for a while, didn't like it. I want the gun on my belt. I don't pocket carry because I don't own (and wouldn't carry) a gun small enough to go in my jeans pocket. |
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I prefer winter carry! Big coat, and no one bats an eye at the sweatshirt/sweater/baggy untucked flannel shirt underneath. Winter is the time I can comfortably carry my full size autos!
If you're worried about OWB carry when you take your coat off....well, just carry like you do in the summer: pocket or IWB, etc. Not sure what the problem there is. Hmmmm re-reading your post, I think you are concerned about having the gun in a coat pocket, and then you take the coat off, and now your gun is off body. Well, only thing I can say to that is....put your gun on your body...? |
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I totally agree with the "keep your gun on your person at all times, not in a jacket pocket" line of thinking. I typically wear a sweatshirt/quarter zip and then a fleece/nylon jacket on top when going around town. The jacket is sufficiently trim and doesn't hang that low that I can reach my handgun with the same motion as when I have to reach under a t shirt in the summer. I never have to wear one of those long business coats like some people do, however, so I have it a little easier than most.
Some companies make coats with an internal zippered seam cut into the hands pockets so you can reach your gun from inside the pocket, but that leads to other issues with drawing and seems like a perfect way to get something snagged up in the cloth. I recommend finding a jacket where you can carry and draw in a way not too different from your summer carry. |
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I consider pocket carry to be "on my person".
In the winter, I may carry my G42 in my pocket, or I may carry my G26 in a shoulder rig. The advantage of a shoulder rig is that it allows easier access as one adds layers in cold weather. A belt holster can get buried to the point where you cannot reach it easily or quickly. Access is always critical and one of the reasons I like pocket carry…always in a front pocket. A shoulder rig is real good, too. |
