Last week I wrote an article discussion how to balance concealability versus performance when choosing your primary carry gun. Still, no matter how often you can carry the primary, most armed citizens find occasional, if not common, need for the smallest possible handgun to accommodate dress requirements or social restrictions. Thus, most need a deep concealment option in their life along with a primary carry gun. While striking a balance between concealment and performance is important in the selection of the primary carry gun, the choice of carry mode should be a decisive factor in your selection of your deep concealment gun. Essentially, determine where on your body you will wear this tool.
Will you carry a deep concealment gun in the waistband, strong side or appendix position? Will you carry it on the ankle? Or, will you carry it in a pocket? This decision will drive the size requirement, and may well also drive the firearm type. What do I mean by that? If carrying in the waistband only, a slightly larger gun may work. However, for most people, if ankle or pocket carrying, the gun will need to be quite small and light in weight. Also, you may find that the inherently simpler and more robust-for-application revolver works better for pocket or ankle. Therefore, to begin your journey, decide what body location lends itself best to concealment, based on your required dress, and start from there. Some considerations:
Waistband Deep Concealment
When discussing deep concealment on your waistband, the most effective means of doing this is to carry a small gun in the appendix position using a deep-cover solution such as a belly band or Phlster Enigma. Such a setup will disappear even under tucked-in shirts. If this option is your only deep concealment mode you can, potentially, use slightly larger guns, such as a micro 9mm, think Smith and Wesson Shield or Springfield Hellcat size and class. Such guns will conceal well in such a setup.
Ankle Carry
Wearing a gun on your ankle is, generally, not ideal for an only gun, though I prefer it for carrying a backup gun. However, for many people, ankle carry facilitates deep concealment accommodation. Small and light weight guns are in order here. You will need a small gun for ankle carry, and certainly want a feathery light gun for this application. Additionally, ankle carry is rough on guns in terms of environmental factors and possible fouling of the guns function, such as magazine buttons getting actuated or slides going out of battery. Therefore, many who use ankle carry prefer the more resilient small-frame revolvers for this application. Certain auto loaders work fine as well, but you need to be cautious with your gun selection for this mode.
Pocket Carry
For most people, pocket carry will limit you to the smallest guns. While some individuals seem to be able to carry even micro 9mms in the pocket, many will find that the legit pocket pistols, chambered in 380 acp, or small-frame revolvers, are the largest that will work here. Once again, pocket carry introduces complications to reliable function. Many autos prove problematic in this carry mode, as they will often inadvertently drop their magazine or fail in some other way. Small-frame revolvers tend to shine for pocket carry.
So, make the decision as to how you will carry your deep-concealment gun. I can tell you that I actually use all three of these modes, at least occasionally, and I prefer to use a single gun that works for all three rather than have multiple deep-concealment guns to maintain and train with. My own choice for deep concealment needs is the Ruger LCR revolver, which works splendidly in all three of these carry modes. That is just me, I suggest that you base your own decision on what works best in your preferred mode, or multiple carry modes.
Reliability
Now, despite what carry mode you use, the gun that you choose as best suited for it must be absolutely reliable. I can’t help but sense that many concealed carriers seem to think that small guns are simply less reliable than larger pistols, and accepting inadequate reliability is ok. It is not. I can tell you that the reliability issue is one significant motivator for my own use of the revolver for deep concealment. While larger autos are certainly reliable, I find that any auto that can fit in the role of pocket or ankle carry, for myself, is on the very small, and often very unreliable, side of things. The small revolver proves immune to the reliability issues that plague the very small pocket autos. If you use a pocket auto, you must fully test its reliability.
Shootability
Obviously, having a gun that you can confidently make hits with is important. Most shooters will find that they shoot micro 9mm autos, and perhaps even small pocket 380 autos, better than they can shoot a small revolver. This is a compelling reason to use a tiny auto pistol, but again, fully vet the reliability.
To accommodate true deep concealment, you will likely find that you must make a compromise and use a gun that will simply not give the performance of your larger, primary carry gun. this is ok, as long as you remember this principle: the deep concealment gun should NOT be an alternative to your primary carry gun, but SHOULD be an alternative to being unarmed. While you will not get the same performance out of a tiny pocket auto or a small frame revolver that you get out of a compact or full-size auto, it will still be far superior to being unarmed.
Final Thoughts
To stay armed at all times possible you will find the need for a deep concealment gun. while I believe in carrying as much gun as you can, often times, you simply cannot. A deep concealment pocket auto or small revolver facilitates going armed when you otherwise would no be. Being armed with only a small, limited, handgun, is still far superior to being unarmed.
Additionally, the deep concealment option can be utilized as a backup gun, carried as a secondary tool to your primary carry, when and if you deem that necessary. Thus, by selecting the right deep concealment weapon, you can accommodate all carry needs with only two guns. Choose and employ a deep concealment gun; it is an essential part of preparedness.
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