Winter Concealed Carry Tips | How To Draw In a Jacket

Appendix carry means carrying the gun on the front of the body, generally between about 10:00 and 2:00. Appendix carry has a few important advantages that are specific to winter carry.

First off, the gun is very easy to access if you've staged your coat correctly (discussed later). With proper staging, you can get a fast, consistent draw that minimizes fumbling. Since most jackets open in the center, or 12:00, your gun is already positioned near the opening, so there's less fabric to clear, and your hands move a shorter distance. This is especially helpful if your coat is bulky -- sometimes winter clothing makes it harder to move around.

Secondly, appendix carry also conceals very well when your layers are off. If you need to go indoors where you'll be removing your coat, you won't need to worry about moving your gun or fiddling with your concealment. It's also easy to wear a tucked in shirt with appendix carry (you'll need a tuckable holster or Enigma). It's a comfort knowing that if your appendix carry technique is consistently good with your coat off, it will be consistently good with your coat on, too. If you're new to appendix carry, or you're not quite confident in your technique yet, we have an in-depth guide.

The downside of appendix carry is that your gun is inside your waistband, underneath most of your clothing layers. So if you have multiple layers or you're unable to stage your jacket, it can be harder to access. It's important to practice with your winter clothing as part of your dry fire routine, so you can identify any problems at home before you get kilt in the streets.

Strong side carry, means the gun is on your waistband, beneath your dominant hand. So around 3:00 for a right handed shooter, or 9:00 for a lefty. It's sometimes called carrying on the hip, or hip carry, though that term is often not used precisely.

One advantage of carrying strong side is that winter weight fabrics make for easier concealment. Heavier, structured fabrics are less likely to get hung up on the grip and cause printing. They also do a better job of hiding any printing that would normally be caused by bending over, sitting, or reaching, which is a typical weakness of strong side carry. You also have the choice of carrying either IWB (inside the waistband) or OWB (outside the waistband) and still being well concealed, depending on your clothes.

For many folks, especially those with large bellies, strong side carry is very easy. It doesn't require as much careful fine-tuning as appendix carry does when you have a gut. With strong side carry, as with appendix carry, clearing a jacket that opens in the center is generally easy, although you should always check to make sure you have the shoulder mobility to clear your garments and draw. Keep in mind you might have to exaggerate your movements and clear higher than normal in a puffy jacket, or if you wear multiple layers.

The downside of winter strong side carry is that if you end up someplace warm and need to remove layers, it can be harder to conceal. It's also more difficult to wear a tucked in shirt without printing. And of course, if you wear an OWB holster, removing your outer layers might not be an option at all, so you'll have to sweat it out.

Behind the hip carry is when the gun is located - you guessed it -- behind your hip. Typical behind the hip carry positions are around 3-5:00 for a right handed shooter, and 9-7:00 for a left handed shooter. It's important not to place the gun over your spine (small of back), in case you fall on it. You're a lot more likely to slip and fall on the ice than you are to need your gun for a spot of fool-shooting, so choose your carry position accordingly.

As with strong side carry, you'll have an easier time concealing a gun behind your hip in the wintertime. Winter weight fabrics hide printing better, but there's a downside. Instead of your gun merely printing when you bend over and straighten up, a structured fabric can occasionally catch on the grip and reveal the entire gun. Whoops!

Carrying behind the hip is the best option for some folks, but it has a number of disadvantages for concealed carry. One of the main problems is that you can't see your gun. Is it printing? You don't know -- it's behind you. Did someone see it? You don't know -- it's behind you. Is some shady character eyeballing you and making a plan to snatch it when you're not looking? You don't know -- they're behind you. Despite your best efforts, no amount of situational awareness gives you eyes in the back of your head. Most people who say their gun conceals well behind the hip simply don't see it printing every time they bend over. It's out of sight, out of mind. It's also harder to protect a gun from unwanted touch when it's behind your hip. Just something to consider if you're at a party where you'll be getting hugged.

And finally, access. Depending on what you're wearing, it can be harder to reach your gun when it's behind your hip. There's a chance you could get caught up in layers, especially if you attempt to draw when seated. Since most jackets open in the front, your gun is the furthest distance from the opening, which makes it harder to stage, and your hands have to move a relatively long distance to get to it.

SAFETY WARNING: If your jacket has inner drawstrings, be extremely careful with your draw and reholstering techniques. If your drawstring gets caught on your gun, it could cause it to fire unexpectedly when drawing or reholstering. It could also foul your draw and point the gun in an unintended direction.

We recommend removing any inner drawstrings, or modifying the coat to relocate them to a safer area.

Using a pocket carry holster in a winter coat can be an excellent choice. Most coats (even women's coats) have big pockets and plenty of fluff to hide the outline of the gun. It's also totally normal to walk around with your hands in your pockets when it's cold out, which means staging your hand on the gun looks natural and won't draw extra attention to you.

When it comes to speed and access, staging your hand on your gun inside a coat pocket is one of the fastest possible draws in the winter. You don't need to clear any garments or reach through any layers. Simply draw the gun and get to work.

Make sure to choose a safe pocket holster that protects your trigger, and make sure nothing else is in the pocket with the gun. You don't want your keys getting tangled up with it. And make sure your pocket adequately retains the gun if you need to run. Not all pockets are created equally, and it's all too easy for a gun to fall out of a shallow pocket. Be smart about it.

Pocket carrying in your winter jacket means you can wear anything underneath, so that ugly sweater onesie can really shine. You don't even need belt loops or an Enigma to pull it off. It's also a comfortable option, because the gun isn't in close contact with your body.

There are some downsides, though. For one, you may be limited to smaller guns. Revolvers are especially suitable for pocket carry. If you learned to shoot on a semiauto, not all your skills will transfer to a revolver, so if you go that route, plan and budget for extra training. Additionally, the shorter barrels and smaller calibers typically found in pocket sized carry guns may not have as much penetration. That can be a factor when the bad guy is wearing as many layers as you are to stay warm. Careful gun and ammunition selection is critical.

Another challenge of winter pocket carry is figuring out what to do with the gun when you have to remove layers in public. Your gun must be directly under your control at all times, so obviously it's not an option to leave it in your pocket at the coat check. If you're going indoors, is there someplace where you can transfer your gun from your coat pocket to your pants pocket without being observed? Are your pants pockets big enough for the gun? Alternately, if you always carry the gun in your pants pocket instead of your coat pocket, can you still access it quickly with your coat on?

Most of these downsides can be mitigated by planning ahead and being thoughtful with your holster, clothing, and staging choices.

For some situations, it makes sense to carry off body in a purse, fanny pack, or bag. Off body carry does have some pros and cons, so it's important to be thoughtful if you choose it as an option.

One advantage of carrying in a bag is that your draw is the same whether your coat is on or off. A fast and efficient bag draw works well regardless of clothing. That, of course, assumes you have a fast and efficient draw to begin with (see the warning below). Another upside is that you can easily take your coat off, even while people are observing you, without revealing your gun. Additionally, without the size limitations of pockets, you can carry bigger, more capable guns with higher ammunition capacity. And depending on the bag design, you may also be able to stage your hand on the gun inside the purse, similar to pocket carry staging. That gives you a lightning fast draw.

There are a few downsides to manage, though. Careful attention to bag design and holster selection is crucial. Additionally, the bag must be under your direct control at ALL TIMES. Absolutely no exceptions. There's no, "I'll just set this down for a moment." So if you're going to a party, think about whether it would look weird for you to carry your purse or messenger bag around the whole time. Or consider something like a hip bag or fanny pack, where the bag is designed to be worn constantly without drawing as much attention.

The upside of off body carry -- the fact that the bag is always equally accessible whether your coat is on or off -- can also be a downside in some situations. Because the bag is always visible, it may be a target for theft. Even if the thief doesn't know there's a gun in there, a purse can be an attractive target all on its own.