Suited Shootist: "Why I Dislike The Clip Draw"

In the video from the Suited Shootist, below, the presenter explains why he doesn't like the clip draw: that is a clip that attaches to a firearm allowing it to be carried inside the waistband (IWB) with or without a belt. His primary concern is that the clip--at least on a small Kel-Tec pistol he was showing--is that the firearm sits so deep that it is hard to get a good grip on the weapon when drawing it (which he demonstrates). He also finds it difficult to reholster without using his other hand to pull the waistband out slightly. Finally, he questions the safety of carrying a weapon with an exposed trigger, particularly when there are other options out there (he mentions using the Philster holster and pocket holsters). Nevertheless, as he also discusses, undercover police used a similar type device (the Barami hip grip) with revolvers when they couldn't use a holster, relying on the heavy double-action trigger pull as a safety.

    Since I typically use suspenders instead of a belt when wearing suits, I'm tempted to give one or both products a try. Although I've used shoulder holsters in the past when wearing a suit jacket, I've had a few instances where with bending or sitting and then standing or straightening up, the suspender will catch on the thumb break strap on the holster and pop it open. On the other hand, a pocket holster does not work well because the fabric is so thin that the pistol and holster just flop and it would be obvious to anyone not blind that I have something in the pocket. And belt holsters don't work well without a belt! The Suited Shootest may have found these clip systems less than ideal, but it is better than going without.

VIDEO: "WHY I DISLIKE THE CLIPDRAW: Pros & Cons of Holsterless Carry"

The Suited Shootist (9 min.)

More: "Handgunning: The Hip-Grip" by Patrick Sweeney, Guns & Ammo. An excerpt:

    Holsters exist to be used. The idea of stuffing a carry gun into a pocket, waistband, purse or anywhere else without a holster is now on par with shooting without hearing protection or the phlogiston theory of combustion. (And rightly so.)

    Yet that was not always the case. Back in the days before we knew better, it was common to simply tuck a handgun someplace convenient and count on it being there when it was needed. This did not always work. One of the best life lessons is this: Whenever possible, learn from the mistakes of others.

    One evening, I was eating in a fast-­food establishment in Detroit. Like most of the other patrons, I had a seat with my back to the wall and an eye on the door. A gent walked in, intent on ordering food. As he strode to the counter, he suddenly got a hitch in his step, clutched at his leg, and the result was a handgun sliding out of the cuff of his trousers. Propelled by his stride, the handgun skidded along the floor and smacked into the counter with a loud crack. Nonplussed, he picked it up, turned, tucked it back in his waistband and walked out. (Smart, as at that time, in that place, the average number of guns carried by the patrons would have been two or three. That was Detroit in the 1980s.) Clearly, he was not using a holster. But then, half the patrons there probably weren't, either.

    One trick we used back then to try to ensure the snubbies we had tucked in our waistband stayed at our belt was to wrap a big, messy bundle of rubber bands around the frame. This lump acted as a sticky spot and a hindrance to the gun sliding down our trousers. It sometimes worked.

    But then we found the Hip-­Grip. The Barami Hip-­Grip is a simple device; it is a replacement set of grips for revolvers with a paddle or wing added on the right-­hand side. The wing hooks onto your belt and keeps the snubbie where you put it.

After giving background on the development of the Hip-Grip and the Detroit police officer that invented it, the article continues:

    The product name, Hip-­Grip, is pretty obvious. The company name, Barami, is a combination of the initials of the company's owners. And they are still in business, albeit not at the volume they used to produce. 

 

    Why?

    Simple. Guys like me realized that while there were valid uses for a Hip-­Grip, say for a backup gun or a quick "I need a handgun while I roll the recycling bins to the curb," modern EDC demands a more traditional holster. So, I went completely to holsters, put the Hip-­Grips away and moved on. In time, most of us, and the new guys we taught, did the same.

    Just out of curiosity, I went digging through some old gear. It appears the old adage that three moves are as good as a fire is true. Could I find those Hip-­Grips I had depended on those many years ago? No, I could not. (The smart alecs will comment that I probably could not find Jimmy Hoffa in the shop, but that's a vicious lie. I found him; I just can't say where.)

    So, I went to the purveyor of all goods, Amazon, and ordered two identical to the ones I used to have. Since the Hip-­Grip was designed before there were hand-­filling grips, I made sure I reinstalled my Tyler T-­Grip (another still-­useful vestige of prehistory) on a Smith & Wesson Model 15. It's a more recent acquisition, and my original Hip-­Grip was on a 2-­inch S&W Model 10, long since gone. And my Model 60 had never had a T-­grip, so this was like being back in the '80s again without the popped collars.

    I'll still tell you that your first choice for daily carry should be a good holster, but there may well be a time when you need a second or third handgun (even though it isn't Detroit in the 1980s) and for that, you can tuck a snubbie with a Hip-­Grip on it into some useful locations. Sometimes progress doesn't make old gear obsolete, it just changes its use.