• We are now running on a new, and hopefully much-improved, server. In addition we are also on new forum software. Any move entails a lot of technical details and I suspect we will encounter a few issues as the new server goes live. Please be patient with us. It will be worth it! :) Please help by posting all issues here.
  • The forum will be down for about an hour this weekend for maintenance. I apologize for the inconvenience.
  • If you are having trouble seeing the forum then you may need to clear your browser's DNS cache. Click here for instructions on how to do that
  • Please review the Forum Rules frequently as we are constantly trying to improve the forum for our members and visitors.

Open Carry and chairs, furniture etc

marshaul

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Aug 13, 2007
Messages
11,188
Location
Fairfax County, Virginia
So, I've been OCing now for five years, and in general I find it to be a practical means of carry, with one exception.

My full-size 1911 in its Serpa has a tendency to chew into wood chairs, and occasionally car seats and the like. My mags are also pretty bad.

For the mags, I figure if I switch to a leather holder and add rubber or plastic bumpers to my mags I should be able to resolve the issue. I am doing so presently.

However, it's a bit harder an issue for the pistol itself. I imagine back in the days of revolvers and leather holsters it was no big deal, but I'd like to be able to carry and have to worry less about damaging other people's furniture and the like. Also my leather car seats don't like me very much, although I've been thinking about mounting a holster in my car, which would obviate this concern.

What do y'all do about this? Anything? I think a rubber pad around the base of the grip of my 1911 would help a lot. Now, I don't want full-on rubber grips, nor do I want a giant magwell. I like my configuration in these regards. However, if I could affix a piece of rubber to the grip in such a fashion that I could still slam mags home easily, I would be down. It would be even better if it wrapped around the back of the grip a quarter of an inch or so.

Does anybody sell anything like this? Has anybody made anything?

Surely I'm not the only person who's noticed this. For me, if I could resolve the issue there would be very little left to say in favor of CC.
 
Last edited:

skidmark

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jan 15, 2007
Messages
10,444
Location
Valhalla
"Carrying is supposed to be comforting, not comfortable." But beyond that you may want to revisit how/where you carry in order to address the chair/car seat issue.

I'm going to go ahead and guess that you carry somewhere between 4:30 and 5:30. Lots of folks do. But then lots of folks cannot easily access their handgun when sitting down.

For some custom-work $$ you can get someone to put loops with snaps on your holster (yes, it can be done to kydex - even OWB kydex) so you can reposition the holster as you transition between postures.

Or you could permanently relocate your holster to somewhere closer to 3:00.

Or you could learn to sit differently.

Putting rubber baby buggy bumpers on your mags will just slow down the chewing up process, and maybe leave rubber marks where they rub. I'm surprized you had not considered Houge or other brands of rubber grips for the 1911 the way you did for the magazines. Not that bumpers are bad, but I just don't see them fixing your concerns.

So many choices.

stay safe.
 

marshaul

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Aug 13, 2007
Messages
11,188
Location
Fairfax County, Virginia
Putting rubber baby buggy bumpers on your mags will just slow down the chewing up process, and maybe leave rubber marks where they rub. I'm surprized you had not considered Houge or other brands of rubber grips for the 1911 the way you did for the magazines. Not that bumpers are bad, but I just don't see them fixing your concerns.

Well, for the mags in particular, the kind of front lip at the base of 1911 mags is particularly jutting and "sharp".

As for Hogue grips and the like, I have considered it, but I've never liked them, or any rubber grips. I really like my polished buffalo horn grips, and anyway the Hogue grips I've seen don't wrap around the back end of the pistol, or the bottom, which seem to be the offending areas (as opposed to the front).

I carry maybe 3:30-4:00. I've never really found 3:00 carry practicable because it makes it very hard to access my front right pocket, where I carry my wallet.

The Serpa paddle can actually slide fairly easily, but belt loops do get in the way. I might just get used to it, though. I think I'll try that to start with. At least it's free and I can start today.
 
Last edited:

Levi

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2012
Messages
188
Location
Tacoma
I fixed a similar issue by just getting a holster that rides higher on the belt. You might try going the other way too and see if a lower drop would improve things.

Several people have mounted holsters in their car quite successfully. There's several options in both the type of holster and mounting techniques to consider. My favorite was a leather holster mounted on the inside of the driver side door set up for cross draw.
 

HighFlyingA380

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2011
Messages
301
Location
West St. Louis County (Ellisville)
As Levi said, you should look into a car holster. For myself, I know from practice that my draw is very slow and cumbersome from the car with the belt holster.

You may also consider a drop-leg holster That would probably solve all your problems, but I know many people don't like them.
 

J_Oliver

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2010
Messages
151
Location
Haw River, North Carolina
I have a friend that has a quick connect lvl. 2 serpa holster and a second female quick connect mounted in his car. Makes it easy to snap off the holster from the belt and attach it in the car and vice-versa. As far as the thing chewing up furniture, you can try the rubber on the magazine and it may help a little, but def. try adjusting your holster to ride a little higher and see how it goes.

That's about all you can do, cause from what I'm seeing, its gonna be trial and error for you. Lemme know how it goes!

Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk
 

moonie

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2010
Messages
251
Location
High Point NC
I carry my 1911 in a Sherpa with a 45 degree forward cant in about 3:30 to 3:00 and I don't have an issue.
 

DocWalker

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2008
Messages
1,922
Location
Mountain Home, Idaho, USA
You can try a shoulder holster, drop down leg holster or even a cross draw holster that is situated closer to the front on the opposite side.

Adding rubber or other items or changing the carry position can change your reaction time as well as accuracy.

Which ever you choose to do it will at least give you an excuse to go practice more often.

Good luck.
 

Dreamer

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
5,360
Location
Grennsboro NC
I carry a ParaOrd P-14 (which is a double-stack 1911, and has a FAT grip...) in my Serpa CQC in my car (with leather seats) with no issues whatsoever.

I wear it at about 3:30, with a little bit of forward cant (first position forward). I also use the paddle exclusively (don't like belt slides), and this allows me to reposition it in the car if I need to, quickly and easily.

You might consider canting your SERPA forward a little, and using the paddle, so you can move your rig a little forward (to 2:30 or 3:00) while driving...
 
Last edited:

Dreamer

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
5,360
Location
Grennsboro NC
I carry my 1911 in a Sherpa with a 45 degree forward cant in about 3:30 to 3:00 and I don't have an issue.

Isn't he heavy to carry around, and doesn't the 45 degree cant make his back hurt?

Sherpa's are nice if you've got a lot of gear to tote around--especially if you are climbing mountains in Tibet. But for carrying a handgun, I find a Serpa to be much more expedient... :rolleyes:
 
Last edited:

WalkingWolf

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
11,930
Location
North Carolina
Cross draw or high ride forward cant holsters solve a lot of the problems. But if you have bucket seats in the vehicle the gun belt can be put on/around one of the seats.
 

carpman15

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2012
Messages
46
Location
south central wi
,

i also carry a 1911 - i tried it with the mags like you have i found i was getting pinched all the time so i went with a mag that doesnt have the protrusion on the front it helps with the pinching of my side and also with not damaging things as far as cars - when i put my holster on my belt i go through the holsters rear slot then through the belt loop then thru the front slot - it allows for a fair ammount of reposioning and i slide it forward when i sit in my truck for better access and not pushing on the seat maybe this will help you also the mags im refering to are taurus mags
 

Eeyore

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2007
Messages
551
Location
the meanest city in the stupidest state
You may also consider a drop-leg holster That would probably solve all your problems, but I know many people don't like them.

A drop-leg holster doesn't solve the problem, it just moves it--from the back of the chair to the arm and the side of the seat. Every office chair in my squadron has chewed-up arms and torn seat cushions from people's M9s in drop holsters.
 
Top