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Newbie: I just turned 21 recently and am in the process of getting my concealed carry. I just recently purchased a Ruger LCR, and I am just not sure where would be the optimal place to carry the firearm. I'm a college student and wear a great deal of t-shirts and khakis on most occasions. If anyone could suggest a holster and a preference of location it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
welcome from southern oregon
Welcome from snowy AZ...JJ
Generally speaking, a person who will carry a concealed firearm will find that he (she?) needs to make several "adjustments" to the wardrobe.
For instance, knit-fabric T-shirts do not do a particularly good job of hiding a concealed pistol. A loose, untucked, woven-cloth shirt works better.
If you elect to carry your pistol inside your trouser waistband (IWB), you will soon notice the need to buy larger pants.
If you carry outside your pants (OWB), you will need a covering jacket, or an even longer-tailed shirt. (Please do not use a "photographer's vest": It screams "Gun!" to anybody who sees you.)
You may find that your LCR is very difficult to shoot well. It's not you, but rather your inexperience. Small, lightweight guns are hard to shoot effectively, and they are certainly not very comfortable to fire.
Better would be to find a carefully-used, high-quality, full-size revolver with which to take your first steps. Once you've learned to shoot that well, you can "graduate" to your mini-pistol with a good deal more confidence and skill.
Just my $ 0.02. YMMV.Quote:
Originally Posted by RugerLCR04
I like my DeSantis "SuperFly" pocket holsters. Google their site. Sticky exterior, with the velco square flap placed on either (outside) side. If it prints, it looks like "a wallet".
I have one for both my SIG P290 "pocket 9 mm" semi-auto, and my S&W J-frame snubby with CT laser grips. Also, they work well for gun "storage".
My J-frame is the same size as your Ruger LCR. I have a lady friend with one, and we both like her (your) Ruger LCR a lot.
Just repeating what Steve said above, like all 15-17 oz. snubbies in .38 Special, there is a REAL proficiency learning curve do to their recoil "bark".
The laws of Newtonian physics dictate tradeoffs between caliber, gun weight, and recoil. As it ever was, and ever will be. Sir Isaac said it best. :mrgreen:
Sounds like cargo pants would work well for you. Maybe carry your snubby in your right hand pocket (if right-handed). ALWAYS in a holster covering the trigger.
And then carry your wallet, phone, etc. in left pockets. The idea is to have a visible "bulge" with innocent stuff to distract "eyes" away from the gun pocket.
Obviously, your choice on "positions". This way, you can wear t-shirts or any shirt you desire. "Formal" occasions are obviously a totally different deal.
I am a shirt tucker, so I also use a Desantis front pocket holster...no one has noticed yet.........just the regular model, not the superfly.......
The LCR is a member of the new sub-sub compact guns segment. It can be carried almost any place any weapon can be carried. Each has its advantage/disadvantage.
In the pocket. Advantage: Easy access when standing. Good concealability. Disadvantage: No access when seated.
Ankle holster. Advantage: Easy access when seated. Good concealability. Disadvantage: Slow access when standing.
Belt holster, strong side. Advantage: Easy access when standing. Must wear a concealing garment for concealment. Disadvantage: Poor access when seated, especially when belted in a automobile.
Belt holster, cross draw. Advantage: Easy access when standing. Reasonable access when seated, even in an automobile. Must wear a concealing garment that is closed in front. Disadvantage: Not for the fatties.
There are a bunch more, but others will have to pipe up as I am getting tired of typing.
Welcome to the forum! As others have stated, an LCR can be carried many places unlike a larger pistols or revolvers. If you wear cargo pants quite a bit, I'd recommend starting out with some sort of pocket carry (holsters for pocket carry are usually less expensive). If that didn't suit you, you could always move up to an IWB or clip type holster.
If you take the time to figure it out, access to and presentation from a pocket holster while seated is not impossible at all. Difficult? Yes, sometimes. But certainly not impossible.Quote:
Originally Posted by Packard
If you are in a chair, including even a puffy Morris chair with big arms, you need to turn your body quickly and smoothly until the pocket containing the pistol is uppermost and free of constraint. While doing this turn, you should also be moving your hand toward the pocket so that, as soon as it's free of the chair, you can dive in and grab the gun.
If you're driving a car and restrained by a seatbelt, the car becomes more important than your pistol. Drive away from the threat, including even driving in reverse. Drive right over the threat, if you have to.
If you're a passenger in a car, and restrained by a seatbelt, just release the seatbelt and follow the instructions for access while in a chair.
See: That wasn't so bad now, was it?
I carry either a PX4 subcompact or Compact and even a 92G at 10:30-11:00 (I'm left handed) with a Blackhawk IWB holster w/an untucked shirt. I'm not crazy about pocket holsters in any configuration.
Thanks for making me stare at my clock and try to figure this out... :)Quote:
Originally Posted by denner
took her 45min to stop trying to figure it out on her digital watchQuote:
Originally Posted by Holly
You're so funny, Mr. Bear...
Ha.
:)
I was wondering what the heck she was doing there staring at her wristQuote:
Originally Posted by TedDeBearFrmHell
i know my audienceQuote:
Originally Posted by Holly
my first thought most college camposes do not allow you to carry conceiled or other wise. due to recent school shootings ( va tech), I am a va resident, longwood university also in va is very strict about even haveing a gun on premisis. Alhough laws in other states my be different, Va dosent even alow you to have a firearm of any kind on school property unless its in a vehicle it occupied by a driver who is picking up a student. check your local laws first.
not allowing guns on campuses is idiocy, there was already a law against killing people, THAT didnt stop the shooter, so a law against guns will not either.... essentially it takes away the hope of self defense by a law abiding citizen.... thus creating the "kill zone"Quote:
Originally Posted by jon1340
I think the OP only mentioned being a college student to describe his attire.
unless he wears a school uniform a college students attire is a diverse as this wonderful melting pot of a country that we call the good ole UNITED STATES of AMERICA.Quote:
Originally Posted by Holly
:smt1099
Fiiiiiiiiine.
I don't like the cargo pocket idea:
1) it bounces around a lot, even in a holster and you really can't run in them that way...hits your knee, etc.;
2) Cops observe that criminals keep guns in unusual places: jacket pockets, cargo pants, unholstered in the wasteband, unholstered in the pocket, etc. It can give away your concealment and make you a suspect. And, it usually makes it difficult to retrieve/draw if you ever need it.
The best way to carry is where there is no outward indication by your action, clothing, behavior or walk.
I have found that wearing a t-shirt tucked-in with a good IWB holster and a good belt worn on the strong side with an unbuttoned collared cover shirt or jacket provides the best concealment without giving away the gun, AND....even more important....gives you the cleanest and fastest draw in case you need to use it. In winter I wear a long sleeve shirt tucked in, and an unzipped columbia fleece. I add a coat over that when it gets really cold. In the summer, I use the t-shirt with a short sleeve collared unbuttoned cover shirt. Make sure they are loose enough so they won't show the guns profile.
Also, avoid behavior that would give you away, such as checking on the gun (yes, its still there!), or holding that side while running or moving quickly.
Get a good holster, such as the Guardian by Nextholster for comfort and fit.
Verify the following would be allowed by your campus police, but they will likely allow it: If you drive, get a small gun safe that you can keep tethered in your trunk. When you drive to campus, stop just outside and put the gun and holster in the gun safe. For an extra margin of legal safety, remove the bullets (keep a speedloader in the safe with a full set for quick loading). When you leave campus, pull over and re-arm. You may be able to disarm and re-arm in the parking area on campus....check with campus police to find out. At VCU in Virginia, they allow me to park, disarm, stow; and upon return reverse the process in the parking garage. But each campus policy might be different. VCU is kinda wierd because the campus is in the city and public streets wind through campus, so you can walk down the sidewalk legally carrying, but when you walk onto campus property, you are not. So, I can park on the street and walk everywhere with my firearm except onto campus property. So when I visit my daughter, I wait for her on a public sidewalk when I want to carry. Works out fine.
If you walk or bike, you are on your own there, but don't risk it. If you have a trusted friend who lives close to campus, you could put a tethered gun safe at their place and keep it there while you are on campus.
OMG, I agree with Mr. Claxton! :yawinkle:
A leg-mounted cargo pocket is no place for a concealed weapon.
My reasoning is different, though.
Leg-mounted cargo pockets do not permit quick, smooth access. First, you have to undo a button or snap. Then, you have to bend either your leg or your body, to raise the pocket to hand level. All this takes too much time, and cannot be done quickly or smoothly.
However, carrying a pocket pistol in the upper-front pocket of cargo pants makes a great deal of sense. I do it all of the time.
The cargo pockets are used to carry all of the other stuff that you'd normally carry in that upper-front pocket.
(I carry my reload in my left-leg cargo pocket. I can access it quickly enough, especially from behind cover.)
When I moved my revolver to the front pocket, my keys moved to the leg mounted cargo pants pocket. A nice advantage of this is that I can access the keys easily while seated in the car. The down side is that I have to reach awkwardly for the keys when standing (I need the remote before I get to the car).
We write enough opinions here it is bound to happen occasionally. Agree with your reasoning as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve M1911A1
Thanks for noticing.:mrgreen:
CC
My opinion... in the trash. I hate that gun.Quote:
Originally Posted by RugerLCR04