Appendix Carry IWB Holsters

When I saw the above ads in Guns & Ammo and in other gun magazines, my immediate thought that these kinds of holsters can "geld" the wearer in an instant. I, personally, would not use these Inside The Waistband (IWB) holsters if I had a concealed carry permit. This is called "appendix carry".

Naturally, these types of holsters are more appropriate for women, for obvious reasons. (Some could crudely say, "there's nothing to shoot off".)

An article also mention IWB holster dangers in Bravo Concealment:

The biggest risk of appendix carry is the impact that a negligent discharge could have on the gun owner. Negligent discharges can happen in any carry position, but when they occur from appendix carry, they could impact a critical area of the body that includes the groin and the femoral artery. A negligent discharge from this position could easily be life threatening. 

A secondary, but related, concern is where the gun points when holstered on in the waistband: Toward the groin area. This positioning would seem to violate one of the central rules of gun handling: Never point a gun at something you do not want to destroy. 

For individuals who want to use appendix carry, the risk of injury during negligent discharge and the direction the gun points are often deterring factors. But, should it be? There are some reasons to think that appendix carry is really not that dangerous, particularly for responsible gun owners who take the time to mitigate the risk. 

All gun handling carries risk. 

 To read more, go here.

Breaking In A New Holster

Above, the gun wrapped inside a plastic back in the holster. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When I first put my Ruger P95 into the new Wright Leather Works holster, I found that the holster was very tight. It was an effort to pull the gun out of it.

I checked around and found sites describing the best ways to break-in a new leather holster.

I used the method as described by Gun Digest and it worked! I used the plastic bag the holster came in to wrap the holster in before putting into the holster. Wax paper can also be used (with the wax side facing the holster). This method is called "blocking". I kept the wrapped gun inside the holster for seven hours.

They start with:

Often, a new leather holster is stiff and tight. This means it will be hard to draw your handgun from the rig, and it also may be hard to fully seat your weapon in the rig initially. 

Many leather rigs have adjustment screws, useful for adjusting to your gun both initially and when leather shrinks from heat, moisture, sweat, and humidity. Getting your gun stuck in your holster can be embarrassing to say the least, and fatal at worst. 

If your leather holster does not have adjustment screws and is too tight to draw from effectively, the solution is to break in the holster with your unloaded handgun.

There's one thing nobody wants to do: soften the leather. It needs to be stiff. But the methods Gun Digest describes worked fine. The gun now goes in and out of the holster easily.

To read more, go here.

New Holster

Above, the Wright Leather Works "Predator" pancake-style holster. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

My Christmas present to myself arrived in the mail today.

It is a pancake style left-hand holster by Wright Leather Works. It is a "Predator" model in walnut color.

It was specially made for my Ruger P95. I am quite pleased with it.

To access their website, go here.

Scabbard Progress

My next-door neighbor James, who makes leather holsters and other items, is nearing completion of my scabbard for the Winchester 94 for use on the mini bike.

I bought over the mini bike to James's workshop for fitting. He feels needs a third (center) strap to keep the scabbard from moving while the bike is being driven.

Thus far, here's the scabbard: