Your Sidearm

[ogrejager]

[Nark]

[Cruz FoxHound]

W-H-A-T-E-V-E-R-!

THIS is a sidearm:

... and it stays on the SIDE of my LEG and then goes into YOUR CHEST (or back, more often, really)
(p.s., it's rubber)

[ogrejager]

[ClownBaby]

Narco, if you're asking if the two-strap style drop thighs are better, wouldn't know, haven't tried one. But that's the whole reason I got away from them, way too uncomfortable. And unless your running something like the old Bianchi M9 holster with the lid/flap, your just asking for dirt and debris in your pistol. (same with open-topped rifle mag pouches, I see people running their mags with the feeding end up, stupid) That is of course, if you're getting prone, or laying on your side.

And Narc, think about where your hands are/will be when the transition starts (whether that's cuz you want to, or have to because of primary failure) that's where your holster should be.

I just throw my pistol in the pouch behind my primary mags, lanyarded of course.
Works great, unless your mission impossiblin' upside down.

[Rentax]

If you practice anything enough it will be faster than when you started, but comparing a draw from a chest holster, hip holster or a thigh rig the draw is still 2 actions. 1) out of the holster, 2) punch out. I run my Mk23 with the can on it which means my gun is almost 17 inches long, my draw has to start at my thigh rig and stop at my armpit. Your draw starts at you chest and stops where? I know when step 1 is done, my hand hits my arm pit and stops, there's no question if the gun is out of the holster at that point, I'm moving on to step 2. And if we are comparing apples to apples that means you have a 17 inch gun on your chest and the draw from the holster would be about the same distance and you would not have your gun on target any faster than I would.
However on the flip side of that yes a smaller pistol could be drawn faster, but you're still going to have the problem of when is the pistol fully out of your holster to turn it 90 degrees before you are on target. My draw hits may armpit and I punch out. When do you punch out? How much force do you have to use to draw and be ready with your gun on target? Will that change if your in a life threatening situation? My draw doesn't change, no matter the gun, no matter the situation. Thigh, armpit, out. This is where you will loose

Now if your in an area where large prey animals might be hunting you, Mt lions, bears, cougars, and if they get the drop on you you want to still be able to get to your gun by all mean carry one on your chest, or if your in the waiters waist deep in the water and still want to keep your weapon accessible, mount it to your chest, heck your in a vehicle wearing body armor that is going to make drawing from your hip or leg funky as shit or damn near impossible absolutely wear it on your chest. But if it was better, faster, or made things more manageable you would see far more of it from the special forces groups, you would see far more of it in LE and you would see far more of it across the board. But it's not that common, because it's not "better" It has it's advantages in some situations, but it's disadvantages are also very apparent. Also if your not wearing a plate carrier to distribute the weight of your draw across your chest your probably not getting the gun out of a kydex holster that way.

Just as a side note as you draw your weapon from your chest where is it pointing? Cause my weapon isn't pointing at anyone until I point it.

Lastly, Narc if your going to dummy cord your pistol, you really don't want to use para cord. Most pistol retention devices are with a product that will stretch out and then get smaller, so it's not constantly in your way or getting caught on things as you walk through the woods. It's there so if your pistol drops you still have it, not to pull your pistol out after it gets caught on something. And unless you have t-rex arms your going to want at least 2 feet of cord. that's a 1 foot loop just hanging off you waiting to snag on a door knob or a tree branch. Just my 2 cents.

[ClownBaby]

Retractable lanyards, are smaller closed than the old phone cord style ones, keeping all the cord on a spring loaded spool, inside a box. Less snagging.

And if nobody else runs a pistol on their chest, then how come there hundreds, maybe thousands of pictures on the web, and a slew of products meant just for that?

Just like the last time we had this conversation, there's more than one way to skin a cat.

[Nark]

[ogrejager]

[Jester316]

Nark, try something:

Hold a rifle in a shooting stance. Now, let go of the pistol grip and lower the gun with your non-dominate hand. While that is happening, try to draw a gun from a chest holster. You'll notice that the rifle is right in the way of the draw. Whether you use a single point "wolf hook" style, 2 point, MAGPUL, or 3 point sling, the rifle will be in the way. Now, if you are a special snowflake like I am and shoot rifle one way and handgun the other (Me: Rifle right hand, handgun left hand), than your gun won't be in the way from a single point sling.

As has been said: there is a time and a place for chest mounted pistols. That time and place are for when you can't have a belt or thigh mounted pistol.

ClownBaby: I can guarantee I can get shots on target faster from a belt or thigh mounted holster than from a chest mounted. Because I can draw and "hip shoot" while bringing the gun up into extension.

[Steve]

A couple of points:
1) Granted, my Intel is dated. Was in the 'Stan mid 2006 - mid 2008. Ran across 2 types of folks with chestish pistol holsters. Fobbit Bras (shoulder holsters) and vest-mounted holsters, usually worn by fat-bodies gunners who couldn't reach past their guts to grab a pistol out of a leg rig in the turret. Again, my experience is limited because I was out on an ETT for most of my trip.

2) I run my primary on a single-point Wolf Hook off my dominant shoulder and carry my secondary on my dominant thigh. If my primary fails, I shove it down and back with my right hand. My left hand goes out in front of me to either push back a guy I'm in contact with or to prepare to shove me off a wall or tossing a flash bang or providing counterbalance (read: flailing around wildly). My right hand then grabs for my secondary. I rotate my hip to trap the primary out of the way while stepping forward with my left foot, which, coincidentally drops me into a good shooting stance. Right hand comes up, left hand wraps in support, and I start shooting. I'm also generally communicating to the rest of my team that my primary failed, usually with a lot of profanity.

For me, using a chest holster means sacrificing ammo for my primary and complicating the hell out of my draw stroke. As my grandpappy used to say "there's more ways to skin a cat than trappin' his head in a boot jack and yankin' on his nasty ole tail". Find what works for you and then practice the hell out of it.

Amateurs train until they can get it right. Professionals train until they can't get it wrong.

[Rentax]

[ogrejager]

[ClownBaby]

Didn't say my way was the best or only way.

Not gonna stop giving my opinion ever, never... gonna... stop.

I have carried a sidearm, for work, for over two decades.(you already knew that) Everywhere I go, even the doctors office, and yes, sometimes it's in a chest holster, (an old radio chest rig) because I ride bike, and don't want to wreck on my piece.

Let's move on.

[Cameron Zombie]