Appendix Carry--For or Against?

Breach Bang Clear noted a couple articles about appendix carry yesterday. The first is "The Appendix Carry Craze" by Darren LaSorte, who insists that appendix carry is bad. His primary argument (based on the number of lines devoted to it) is that it was extremely uncomfortable for him when he tried it. But he also adds:

There is no doubt that appendix carry allows for more efficient concealment than the strong side carry that I practice. Too many people around us like to casually touch our sides, but few will attempt to touch the area immediately above the beltline below our stomach. Many around me end up feeling steel or polymer. It’s always a little unsettling when it happens. Also, it’s easier for the end of a handgun’s grip to print out from under a shirt or suit, especially when bending over (at least bending over is possible for me when not carrying appendix).  

This newer form of carry also provides for a lightening quick draw as long as circumstances surrounding the draw are perfect. The one, not so insignificant problem with this is that circumstances are usually less than ideal when you are in a fight for your life (why we conceal and carry in the first place).  

Some advocates of appendix carry claim that it is hard for an adversary to foul a draw. This claim simply doesn’t stand up to reason or practice, and it’s why I reserve this form of carry for the most extreme of circumstances such as venues where there are large, dense populations with people regularly bouncing off one another. Concealing the presence of the gun in these circumstances is the most critical consideration. 

Try this: Get a training partner to come at you aggressively while you are carrying a blue gun appendix style. Let him get fist-fight-close and see how easy it is for him to jam your draw. Then, move the blue gun to a more comfortable spot (4 o’clock on the strong side) and try again. With the latter, you can use most of your body as a shield in order to provide time and space for a draw. It all becomes really evident if you simply try it.  

All of this was on display during a training course I attended in California this past weekend. I’ve been looking for a solid reason to shun appendix carry, and I’ve finally got it. It’s no longer my being an old dog unwilling to learn new tricks. There is a legitimate tactical reason that appendix carry is a real disadvantage. I would hope that anyone who practices it on a regular basis takes a realistic look at how difficult it is to draw from appendix against a determined adversary in a physical fight. It can also be dangerous when the muzzle is redirected toward your body during a struggle.

On the contrary side is Breach Bang Clear's own article on the topic: "Why Carry AIWB?" by Matt Jacques. Jacques points out the advantages:

AIWB is faster and more secure than many other carry methods. The handgun is near my body's centerline. If someone “bumps” it, they will most likely be someone I am giving a hug or brotherly shoulder bump to, and in either of those cases they know I'm a gun-toting guy so no surprise there. If it's someone I'm not close to, I can now control the action and keep that area away from an accidental bump and resulting “look of concern”. 

And the draw / presentation is faster from 1 o'clock AIWB as opposed to 3 – 4 o’clock strong-side carry. It's an economy of motion consideration. Less time-in-hand movement, quicker to the target. 

It's also more practical while seated in a vehicle, since your weapon is up front and accessible instead of under a seatbelt or tangled in a cover garment. The cover garment can be mitigated with setup, but your draw is still faster coming from the centerline. I've also found that AIWB makes it easier to hide the handgun's profile (depending on clothing). ...

In quickly poking around the internet, it appears that appendix carry has a lot of fans. When the Ballown Goes Up! blog note that appendix carry is popular with combatives instructors. The author dismisses the paranoia over the issue of safety (i.e., it is no more dangerous than other common methods of carrying a firearm) and gives some tips for making it more comfortable. He also notes that draws from an appendix carry are fast, can be done without the exaggerated arm movement of a hip-side draw, and are more natural.

Gabe Saurez also recommends appendix carry for exactly the situation where you are grappling/on the ground with an attacker on top of you. Another good article I found on the topic is "Appendix Carry Illustrated" at the Legion's Fate blog. And here is woman's take on appendix carry and why it worked better for her. Although Caleb at Gun Nuts Media ditched appendix carry, it mostly had to do with it not working with his preferred wardrobe and that he didn't want to have to practice a different draw from what he used in competition.

I'll admit that I've never tried appendix carry before. I experimented with it last night after reading the articles by LaSorte and Jacques, using my J-frame in its pocket holster--just pushing the holster inside the waistband and cinching up my belt a little tighter than normal--before leaving to do some grocery shopping. I just wore a loose t-shirt over it. My initial impressions are that it concealed better, and was more comfortable when sitting seatbelted into the car, than the standard strong-side holster I would normally have used. So now I think I will look into getting a holster more appropriate for appendix carry.

I will leave off with a story that I quoted from last year. Although the story has to do with appendix carry versus using an ankle holster, I think some of the points are applicable to appendix versus other methods of carrying. The story can be found in its whole at The Firearms Blog. The part relevant here:

I have always appendix carried my Browning BDA-380 when undercover just the the right of my belt buckle and had put on rubber Pachmayr grips that work perfectly to prevent the firearm from slipping down from the belt.  

The big dudes were kicking us in the achilles tendon, and calves, while wearing heavy work boots, and pinching the back of our arms. Let me tell you when a large full grown man pinches your muscles it hurts like hell.  

We were in deep deep shit but fortunately we had stopped right before the May 19th lady and I quickly got my firearm out because I could still move my forearms and it was a simple matter to just move my hand to my belt buckle area to draw. Danny on the other hand had seen me going for my weapon but when he bent over to get to his ankle mounted weapon they “bucked” up against his extended rear end preventing him from bending over and when he tried to lift his leg to get to it they jostled him so he couldn’t stand on one leg.  

HE COULD NOT GET TO HIS WEAPON TO SAVE HIS LIFE.  

I took my weapon out from under my shirt with just and inch or so of the barrel showing, so the rest of the crowd couldn’t see it, and told the May19th lady “I know who you are and you know who I am. Look down (she did) and in three seconds I’m going to start shooting, starting with you right in the stomach if you don’t get your goons off us” I told her “we are leaving so just get them off us and we are out of here” All this time they keep up the pinching and kicking and I could see Danny was having a hard time of it.

(Underline added).

Anyway, I'm excited to give appendix carry a try. Maybe it will work better for me, maybe not, but I'm intrigued to give it a try. I don't expect it to be the best method in all situations, though, but it is another option.