Is Strong-Side Carry Still Relevant?

Ok, that title is click bait that probably just enraged a lot of people.  Let me clarify: of course strong side carry is still relevant, and it will remain so.  Those in uniform, and most competitive shooters, will continue to rely on strong-side carry, and it will also remain the preference for many concealed carriers, as it offers certain advantages over appendix carry, just as appendix carry offers certain advantages over strong-side.  Pick what works best for you.  So, here is the better question for those of us that have switched to AIWB concealed carry: is there any reason for us to dabble with strong-side carry at all anymore?

Now that even the fudds that run IDPA have stepped into the 21^st Century and legalized appendix carry, I ponder this question.  The spirit of IDPA was always to be a game for those interested in defensive shooting, and the fishing vest gamers quickly killed that notion, but I would say that competing in IDPA with your real carry gun, worn in your real AIWB holster, is a damn fine way to hone skills that are relevant to defensive shooting (it is only a game, but a game that hones valuable shooting skills). 

The truth is, since I switched to AIWB carry about six years ago, I don’t use strong side at all for any form of concealed carry.  The primary motivation for me to switch to AIWB was for the better concealment, then I discovered all the other benefits as well.  Now, being able to compete in shooting sports from AIWB makes the switch seem even that much more complete.  I even carry in my concealed AIWB position when hunting, or hiking, as a good holster remains comfortable enough even during such vigorous activity.  Thus, there is no dichotomy between my urban needs and my wilderness needs concerning how I carry a gun.  What role, then, is there in my life for strong-side carry?

Your priorities as a shooter will certainly dictate what is valuable to you.  If you are on-duty law enforcement, you likely carry strong-side in a retention holster, and spending much of your training with such a rig should be a no-brainer.  Also, most serious competitive shooters will probably do the bulk of their training and competition from an open strong-side holster.  Obviously, if you are a serious competitive shooter that wants to play all the games, in all the divisions, strong-side open holsters are your gig, totally understandable.  However, for myself, and likely many shooters like me, competition is only an outlet to hone skills related to defensive shooting, so I always opt to compete with my real carry gear.  You can now compete from AIWB concealment in IDPA, as well as some divisions in USPSA.  Therefore, again, strong side carry is irrelevant for me.  I consider every draw stroke that I do from strong side, particularly from an open holster, a wasted repetition on something that has no practical application in my life, so why do it? 

For me, there remains three reasons for keeping a toe dipped in strong side carry; First, I still occasionally take training with instructors who don’t want AIWB carry in their class.  The truth is, I have no use for training with anyone who bans AIWB in their class just because they don’t approve of it, but there are some courses where, in an attempt to ensure safety, an instructor wants outside-the-waistband, strong-side carry.  Even this, however, is a dated approach to things, and probably disappears with the dinosaurs.  Second, and more importantly, I teach others how to safely and efficiently draw a gun from concealment, and many choose strong-side carry for this.  Therefore, I keep several strong-side holsters on hand.  Third, an injury can always dictate the change of your carry position, so keeping holsters to accommodate such on hand always makes sense.  Otherwise, strong-side has been, essentially, phased out of my life for actual carry application, and is completely irrelevant to me, outside of instructing. So, to my fellow AIWB devotees, I would suggest that, even if you never use it for anything, if you do teach others how to work from the holster, certainly keep a strong-side holster available, and keep your hand in that particular skill, even if it plays no role in your actual lifestyle.  Likewise, if you only carry strong-side, but you teach, having a working understanding of the safe use of AIWB, and having an appendix holster on hand, makes sense.  Otherwise, though, I think most who adopt AIWB may find little use for strong-side in real life application.

Live fire practice is essential. To buy the ammo that I use for training at the best possible price, go to:

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