Whenever I carry a smaller gun, I try to wear an undershirt. Since smaller gun holsters generally sit lower, I have to "crab claw" the gun by pinching the grip to draw. Wearing an undershirt allows me to jam my thumb behind the holster without scratching myself up. If you move quickly enough you can take a chunk of skin off without an undershirt (ask me how I know).
The are other alternatives though. Many holster makers are now making elongated holsters for guns like the G43. This allows the gun to ride higher without toppling over the belt line.
^^^I also find that wearing or not wearing a t-shirt can make a difference in both carry and presentation. I just have to make sure the thin one I have under my outer t-shirt doesn't have sleeves that protrude. I don't have a set rule about whether I carry with or without one though, except that I almost always use one if I'm wearing a button up shirt.
Last edited by blues; 06-11-2018 at 09:00 AM.
There's nothing civil about this war.
I realized I misread your original post. I have also noticed that having the grip rotated up a little bit helps with concealment and would make for a faster draw. Both the holsters I have (DSG & keepers Errand) don’t adjust for cant, at least with the attachments that I have.
"Shooting is 90% mental. The rest is in your head." -Nils
All good advice here. I found Clusters idea of rotating the grip up one notch on my JMCK george set the G43 where I can get a consistent grip. I also like Blue found a difference with the undershirt. I no longer wear one and it works well for me.
One thing to consider is lifestyle. Some people just have to use a full sized pistol and it makes perfect sense that they use something like a G43 at other times. As a retiree where my shooting and practice time has suffered I find that I also no longer have to carry the full sized. Long story longer....I switched to carrying a G43 full time. That's all I carry.
The above pertains to the draw because in my opinion most people(I really think it is everyone but I've not met them all yet) cannot have a consistent grip when going to and from a full sized pistol to a small one. So it is a very valid question to ask ourselves. How much do I need to carry that small pistol. Or in my case, how much do I need to carry a G19. While I understand and agree with the logic of a larger pistol, will that matter if I am carrying a G43 at the time? Of course not. But also could the differences of the two pistols cause me to fumble my draw? Sure. Can that be a far larger problem than not having the G19?
I know the answer is different for everyone but I found my draw is quite consistent and getting close to my G19 times, because that's all I practice with now, the G43 is it. Another way of asking the question is: Is the small pistol causing the slower draw times or is it the differences between the full and small size? To me it's the difference. Every time I switched back and forth I had a, "new" gun again with all or some of the associated fumbling.
What you do right before you know you're going to be in a use of force incident, often determines the outcome of that use of force.
All good points.
From a small gun perspective, I have found that carrying a J-Frame AIWB is just as "concealable" as my Glock 42 AIWB. However, I can attain a full firing grip with the J-Frame, which ultimately makes my time on target much faster. I can repeat that grip again and again, while carrying the 42 I have less confidence in my ability to snatch the gun from the deep set holster.