[BillCA]

Holster positions should be thought out in advance. There is a reason most folks carry between 3 o'clock and 5 o'clock (7-9 for lefties).

Some of it depends on your physique, some of it on what you do for a living and the kinds of people you're likely to encounter. If you are frequently standing within close proximity of strangers, persons who may be angry or hostile, then wearing the gun in front may be a potential disaster if they see it and grab for it. If you have a "round" shape, sit a lot (driving, desk) or work close to a counter, carrying in front be difficult. On a "round" body shape the gun may be more visible. Sitting at a desk or standing at a counter can interfere with access. In driving, the gun can be uncomfortable under the seatbelt and a dangerous hazard in a collision (pressed into the body by the impact forces).

And, of course, the muzzle will point at your groin/thigh/femoral artery when sitting. This is not a good idea. Remember one of the safety rules is never depend on mechanical safeties and muzzle discipline.

The draw from the front is somewhat different for a lot of folks. My natural reaction (because I've always drawn from 3-5 o'clock) is to crouch during the draw. I expect to do this in reaction to the presentation of a knife, club, gun or other weapon. When accessing a front-carry gun, you stand more upright to leaning back as you draw. This runs counter to the instinct to duck or crouch as an attack begins. This is especially true if you have a few extra pounds around the middle - bending over makes the draw more difficult.

3 o'clock carry allows your arm/elbow to cover your weapon in crowded conditions (concerts, parties, holiday shopping). It also means someone in front has to get a step or to closer to grab for the weapon -- right where you can employ your legs, feet and knees too. The downside of 3 o'clock carry is that it can be more visible. Your silhouette may look asymmetrical with a bulge on your strong side even when carrying IWB. Skinny guys can get away with it, or men who's shoulders are wider than their waists.

4 o'clock to 5 o'clock positions are favored because the gun can usually hide in the "hollow" formed between the buttocks and the mid-back and the body partially hides the gun from frontal view. Techniques for the draw here are well developed and don't depend on you standing erect or crouching, nor does your body generally interfere with the draw.

6 o'clock is, in many people's opinion, a hazardous position to carry your weapon. While it's well concealed from the front, it is not always apparent if your cover garment has "flipped up" in the wind or from some other source to reveal your weapon. Additionally the hazard comes in to play if you are knocked down on your back on a hard surface (asphalt, concrete, hard earth). That gun or its grip is riding just next to one or more vertebrae in your spine. The metal is harder than the bone and impact with a hard surface is like being hit in the spine with a hammer. Several police officers have been permanently disabled in this manner. The potential for a life of pain (or worse) is too great for me to use this method.