Who carries crossdraw?

I got to thinking about this while sitting in traffic today. A little while ago I asked where the whole "FBI cant" thing came from cuz it just doesn't work for me. Then I got to thinking about just switching sides. Way back when I started looking for my first holster, I was turned off to the whole idea of crossdraw carry due to one article that said the grip of the gun pointing forward was too much of an invitation to a gun grabber. Now after a year & a half on OCDO, I have to say to that! Seems to me that defending against a gun grab from IN FRONT would be much easier than defending from behind. For one thing, you could see your attacker approaching, and then it would be holding the gun holstered with the weak hand while actually defending with the strong, with a knife, BUG, or plain ol' uppercut. Much easier to draw in a vehicle too, and I spend alot of time behind the wheel. And speaking of the weak hand, drawing with such cavalry style becomes an option if your strong hand is disabled, just need an ambi-saftey. Just seems like it'd be more comfortable too, with a heavy butt-down cant.

Thinking it over, I see alot of pros and not many cons. Yes, one is likely to muzzle-sweep half the room when drawing, but this seems like more of a training issue to me that would be offset somewhat with just proper trigger discipline. Yet it seems pretty uncommon, and downright frowned upon by the Grand High Mukimuks of self defense (Ayoob, et al). If I'm gonna be dropping half the price of my carry gun on a custom holster, might as well me it something that's as comfortable and functional as it is unique, right?

Try to crossdraw in a manner that does not result in you pointing the muzzle at something you do not want to destroy.

me...

ive written about it and i do it, some times.
if you ever "casual carry or conceal carry", it is a big advantage..
reaching across and into your coat, even when its buttoned, is smooth and easy..
when driving, your seatbelt is not strapping across your access.
AND , sometimes things are just too close for you to bend your arms in such a way
that you can get your hand on it.. weird huh??
the car seat can keep you from moving your elbow back far enough to grab your gun!
gun grabs from the rear are much easier to guard against,
and drawing during a grab attempt is easier.

AND the top ten reason to carry cross draw is!!
IT JUST LOOKS SO DAMN COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!

My wife has a holster for cross-draw my 9mm. She just feels it's easier than having it on her side. It's a natural thing for her. She always reaches there. *She's left handed but shoots right and draws from a 11 o'clock position.*

When camping/hiking I used to always carry crossdraw, as it was overall more protected, more comfortable, and more accessible under a wider variety of conditions with either hand.

I still have my old CD holster (a Bianchi 19L IIRC), but I haven't used it in quite some time.

I honestly dont see any big disadvantage with cross draw that can not be overcome with training and practice (which we should all be doing anyways....)

That defender dude got me carrying crossdraw too after talking to him about it! I love it, no more of that 9 o clock crap, no more worrying about any potential targets having a advantage over taking my weapon. When I get to, I carry 1-2 clock with a serpa lvl 2 for my M&P. And when you sit down, you don't have to worry about the handle catching on anything such as an armrest or the back of a chair, as it points towards the front of your GIANT TUMMY where things usually don't block.

I think crossdrawing would be more benifical in your car seated. Swinging your gun around to point at your target is kind of risky. If it's easier for you to carry that way, then do it.

In the car my pistol hangs out on the center console in the cup holder. It's so easy to grab in that location. I think Toyota intentionally built their concoles for OC.

I carry crossdraw using a left handed Serpa holster.

1245A Defender said:

AND the top ten reason to carry cross draw is!!
IT JUST LOOKS SO DAMN COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Hey, if Dirty Harry does it, I will too.

Cross-Draw presents a problem with your reloads. If you have a holster on your weak side then where do you put your spare mags? I find that my pistol on my strong side with two spare mags on weak side works best for me. When I want comfort I just switch to my Galco shoulder holster. For some reason it is easier to retrieve spare mags from under my right armpit than from the right side of my belt.

For all those that are obsessed with the 'sweep' when cross0drawing, that finger does not belong on the trigger until you are pointing at your target and are ready to shoot. On modern firearms it takes a finger on the trigger to make it go bang.

Everyone will say that training is the answer to the sweeping problem, but in a real situation you're trying to get that finger in there as soon as possible.

I have an EMT friend who said any time he responds to shots fired by police, the first 2 or 3 shots are in the ground between the LEO and the victim. So... perhaps they could use more training too? (We all could I guess.)

Leatherneck said:

Everyone will say that training is the answer to the sweeping problem, but in a real situation you're trying to get that finger in there as soon as possible.

I have an EMT friend who said any time he responds to shots fired by police, the first 2 or 3 shots are in the ground between the LEO and the victim. So... perhaps they could use more training too? (We all could I guess.)

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I can appreciate the concerns for safety and how it is the last thing on one's mind when your life is on the line.

I have one question though. Where are all the citations of actual shooting incidents where a bystander was injured by someone "cross-drawing" or drawing from a shoulder holster. If it was epidemic then this manner of carry would be prohibited by Police Departments everywhere.

amlevin said:

Cross-Draw presents a problem with your reloads. If you have a holster on your weak side then where do you put your spare mags? I find that my pistol on my strong side with two spare mags on weak side works best for me. When I want comfort I just switch to my Galco shoulder holster. For some reason it is easier to retrieve spare mags from under my right armpit than from the right side of my belt.

For all those that are obsessed with the 'sweep' when cross0drawing, that finger does not belong on the trigger until you are pointing at your target and are ready to shoot. On modern firearms it takes a finger on the trigger to make it go bang.

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I was thinking of having the holster-make put the mag carrier right there on the holster, like some of those cheapy ebay ones I'm sure you've seen. If I can't deal with the situation with 19 rounds of .45APC then I'm out of my league to begin with

If you have a holster on your weak side then where do you put your spare mags?

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As a lefty my holster is at one to two o'clock and the spare mags are between 4 and 5 o'clock.

Metalhead47 said:

I was thinking of having the holster-make put the mag carrier right there on the holster, like some of those cheapy ebay ones I'm sure you've seen. If I can't deal with the situation with 19 rounds of .45APC then I'm out of my league to begin with View attachment 4141

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That would work but I kind of like to "balance the load" so my pants don't hang funny. With my pistol on one side and two mags (total 26 rnds. for my Sig) on the other it feels more equal. Since I reload with my left hand, I drop the mag from the gun and it's a nice flow from mag carrier to magwell.

BTW, carrying extra mags is not always for the purpose of having extra rounds. Any jam caused by a mag can often be cleared by dropping the offending one, clearing the jam and starting with a fresh mag. Then there is the "red faced moment" when you draw your pistol, fire the first shot, only to have the mag fall out because it was dislodged by something you leaned against while the pistol was holstered (that holster would go bye-bye immediately if it was mine). It's is quicker to go to the waist than search on the ground/floor.

I've always been a fan of appendix carry...11/12 o'clock being a lefty. My mags are at 1 o'clock. This worked great when I would always CC because I could continue to wear what I normally wore (more form-fitting t-shirts) and not print like mad (was carrying in a place that I would have been expelled for carrying).

Now I still carry appendix because I like the retention aspect. Plus it's got some advantages in car-carry, getting knocked to the ground (in "guard"), or having to cover blows while drawing.

I looked out the window once and saw a LEO with his primary standard draw and a pearl handled (yes, pearl handled) backup cross draw on his thigh. My co-workers and I discussed it for a bit then concluded how much easier it would be to draw a cross draw backup from the thigh while seated in a car.

Practice, practice, practice

Practice with any holster combination makes you proficient. The range where I am a member does not allow any holster work. Does anyone have this problem too? Where do you go to practice on your holster proficiency?

-Whitney

Whitney said:

Practice with any holster combination makes you proficient. The range where I am a member does not allow any holster work. Does anyone have this problem too? Where do you go to practice on your holster proficiency?

-Whitney

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WCA range in factoria