Appendix carry vs Hip

[Rangerrich99]

Originally Posted by WVsig

It seems like you are a Pincus fan so I wanted to post this. He is also a fan of appendix carry but for him it is not just about speed. In fact I think likes "centerline carry" because it is protected, easy to get to and he believes it is "just as safe". I get it but its just not for me. It maybe entirely physiological but it is what it is. If I am going to sweep something I would rather it be my hip, knee or foot then my junk.

You are considering carrying the appendix to gain speed. I will use another video of Rob Pincus' to refute the idea that a faster draw of half a second or even a second is really necessary in a defensive handgun situation.

I think that this video illustrates why I am trying to get across better than I have explained it. The point I am trying to make is that if we ever have to use a gun in self defense it is going to be a dynamic incident. It is not to going to be "shooter ready????" You will not be putting 2 shoots into 3-5 predetermined targets. You standing their waiting for the buzzer to go off and shoot a known and studied course of fire. It is going to happen fast and it is going to be "RANDOM".

Rob L is a much faster and better shooter that Pincus. In the video in a static known environment Rob L puts 2 rounds in 3 targets in .40 seconds faster than Pincus. In the competition work that is a lifetime. No way Pincus will ever make up that time and win the match.

Yet when the scenario changes and you do not know the order, placement of targets or the number of shots fired the faster shooter Rob L is slower than Pincus. When you add in processing the information while shooting the absolute speed of shooting including the draw do not win the day. Even with that in mind the timer does not tell you that you won. It does not predict winning a gun fight. Pincus downed the targets with less rounds and faster than Rob L but who won? The TIMER does not tell you.

Don't get so hung up on the timer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXkk...fAYwHcyU8ODXOU

WVsig;

Thanks for the video and your insights, I appreciate it.

Two things I should clear up. First, my interest in appendix carry is three part: 1) better concealment, 2) better security of my weapon in case someone tried to grab it, and 3) potentially quicker draw, especially if I had to draw with my left hand for some reason.

Second, I may have led you (and others) to believe that I use timers a lot in my training, which I do not. I don't own one (just have a timer app) and we use timers maybe 10-15% of the time in my training classes.

I did spend some time with my timer app just a couple weeks prior to my first, and maybe only, shooting competition (the Memorial Phoenix Handgunner Competition) back in January, more out of curiosity than anything else. I knew from watching videos of previous PHX Handgunners that the median draw-to-first-shot time was under 1.0 second. I discovered that mine was around 1.3 seconds. So I went into the competition thinking that rather than try to speed up my draw in that two weeks, I should focus on accuracy and hope to make up for my slow draw speed by not missing.

A couple months ago I broke out the timer app again because it occurred to me that my draw-stroke from my IWB concealment holster was probably necessarily slower because of the necessity of having to move my clothing out of the way and drawing from a concealed leather (not designed for speed) holster. I was right. My draw speed using my EDC gun and holster was around 1.75-1.9 seconds. I have improved this time by a few tenths since, but it occurred to me that just by moving the gun to a centerline position and replacing leather with Kydex I might gain a half-second or more. Which, as we've discussed, may or may not be important in an actual gunfight for my life.

But what really got me thinking was watching yet another video in which he showed the difficulty (and the radically increased time) of drawing from the hip if you had to use your support hand instead of your strong hand. Due to some back issues, I don't rotate about my spine as easily as I did twenty years ago, and this makes drawing with my left while my gun is on my right hip problematic. Appendix carry would make a huge difference in my case.

Of course, right now this is all theory; all I've done so far is order a holster. Once I begin drilling with it I'll probably know fairly quickly if appendix carry is for me.

[WVsig]

Awesome keep us updated.