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How Best To Concealed Carry While Driving

What's the best way to carry while driving? It's a perplexing question. Carrying while walking is easy, as is concealing, but while seated - let alone in a vehicle - that adds a whole other layer of complexity.

There are a number of ways to approach car carry, such as a holster mount or a number of other solutions, like a strap-based car holster, or plain-old open carry.

Drawing Your Gun While In The Car

gun in car

Regardless of how one is situated, you should be able to draw a gun at all times with minimal hindrance. Any additional steps or adjustments that have to be made in order to clear leather and get the gun into the fight is time that you might not have to waste.

Most people get in the car still wearing their firearm in their holster. Due to being in a seated position, and being more immobile than merely sitting in a chair, reaching the firearm is difficult, if not impossible, while belted into the car.

In fact, this exact scenario is why so many holsters come set to the "FBI cant" as standard. The reason for this cant set up is to balance ease of carrying with concealability and being able to draw a little easier while seated.

A straight drop holster on the hip is very easy to draw from while standing, but not easy to draw from while seated. A moderate forward cant, though, raises the butt of the grip, putting it in a much easier position to gain purchase on while in a seated position. It isn't perfect, but it's better than nothing.

An FBI cant, though, still isn't perfect. If one has their holster located rearward of the 3 o'clock position, a person is basically sitting on the gun. There's no way to access it.

In other words, keeping your gun in your holster when you get in the car makes your gun hard to get to. It's not as if a car jacker is going to give you time to get to it.

What then, to do about it?

Dedicated Car Gun And Other Car Carrying Strategies


There are a few different car carrying strategies, all of which are viable, one of the first is to keep a dedicated car gun.

Ask a few old-timers about what carrying a gun was like in days gone by, and a few may tell you that they kept a gun in the car. A good number of people still do.

Having a dedicated car gun means you have one you can access besides your primary CCW if you need it, and thus don't have to worry about an odd draw angle.

Another strategy is to use a car holster. Car holsters come in a few different varieties, though most common is a generic scabbard that attaches to a surface, such as the underside of the dashboard or steering wheel, or on the front surface of the lower part of the driver (or passenger) seat (or both - keep your copilot armed too!) for easier access. Simply place your gun in the car holster when you set off.

There are a few different types of holster mount systems as well. These take the form of a bracket that you can mount your holster to. Your gun and holster stay secured while you drive and can be more easily accessed.

Another solution is to keep a thigh holster in the car. Once you get to your vehicle, holster the pistol, strap to your thigh and off you go. Generic nylon models are very cheap, so outlay needn't be excessive.

The Best Car Carry Is What Works For You

        carry in vehicle

Ultimately, what works best for you is the best car carry. That may be employing a leg holster, and some people would rather keep a car holster or holster mount. The latter approach is the least cumbersome. You put your gun in a different holster or take your holster and gun out to dock with the holster mount.

Some people would rather put a second gun in the car and not have to worry about any of it. Some people also don't worry about it to begin with.

Whatever arrangement for car carry you come to, ensure that your gun is in easy reach. You never know when you might need it.

Sam Hoober

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