https://youtu.be/tGr9BqaQYEA

By Dylan Casey

I first started to carry a firearm daily around six years ago. About a year ago I switched to the appendix carry position. I have to say it makes carrying more comfortable and more concealable. Not to mention I can draw much faster. At GunSpot I have learned a great deal from Chief Instructor Grant LaVelle. We decided to do a project with Grant to teach a proper safe way to draw your gun from the appendix position.

The first thing to consider for any form of concealed carry is to have a proper gun belt. Gun belts are stiff and often reinforced. This ensures there’s no sag, giving you a more comfortable, concealable carry with a consistent draw.

Second, you will want a quality holster. We prefer a Kydex holster with positive retention. In this video we used the OATH holster paired with Grant’s GLOCK 17.

When considering the actual draw stroke from appendix carry, the first thing you have to do is clear the cover garment. In other words, you need to get your shirt up and out of the way so you can get a good initial grip on your gun. Grant teaches to grab the section of your shirt right over the gun, then to lift and rotate it across your body away from your gun. This prevents snagging your strong hand thumb on your garment as you move it toward your pistol’s grip.

When it comes to gripping the gun, in your training make sure you focus on getting a good, solid initial grip on the pistol. That means having the web of your hand placed high on the grip. If you have to, as you practice, make this a stopping point and slow your draw during dry fire practice drill this home.

It’s important to build good muscle memory for your grip. That way when the pressure is on and you have to draw fast, you will do it correctly and consistently. Don’t let yourself have a bad grip before you draw, and then try to fix it once the gun is out of the holster. That will be a recipe for disaster in a defense situation.

Once you have a firm grip, draw the gun up and rotate the muzzle toward your target as you move the gun up. Start the process of getting the gun pointed downrange as soon as it clears the holster. You want the gun pointed at the threat as soon as possible.

From that point, Grant teaches a high sight press. To use a high sight press, you draw the gun, rotate the muzzle at the threat, and lift it up to your chest all while keeping it close to your body. Then once the gun is up with both hands press it out onto the threat, pressing the gun out from this height will help you see your front sight as you present out onto the target.

One of the reasons Grant teaches to keep the gun close to you until you press out on the target is so that the gun isn’t something easy for the threat to knock from your hand or grab. If it’s close, you retain control of it. After the gun is out and the sights are on target that’s when you fire a shot if the situation needs it.

Check out our full video above to see Grant explain this in action. Remember to practice as often as you can. Practicing with an unloaded weapon at home is where a safe, efficient, and fast draw stroke is built. So get a good belt, a good holster, and start getting in some reps.

 

Dylan Casey is the creative director of GunSpot.com.

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81 COMMENTS

      • WOW, and you thought “glock leg” was a thing, this gives all new meaning to “glock junk”.

        FYI While TTAG teaches glock owners how to permanently end their family lineage, for everyone else an election was stolen, time to fight back;

        Jan 6th, Wash D.C, Stop The Steal

        • Funny how all Trump’s attorneys, for all their boasting, haven’t flipped a single state. Certainly not enough evidence to flip a single state. No evidence means these attorneys will just lining their pockets, which is what attorneys do best.

      • Absolutely right John. How many times do we have to F’ing keep seeing these dopey articles on TTAG about appendix carry. IT VIOLATES RULE #2 YOU DOPES! Why don’t you Google: “shot himself” + gun + leg +died. There are dozens of articles about people who shot themselves in the femoral artery and bleed out in 5-10 minutes – while they were holstering or unholstering. As has been said in classes OVER and OVER by instructors, “If if was comfortable to wear a “head holster” with the barrel pointing at your temple would you do it?” Fine, if you wan to be a moron and appendix carry, go ahead, it’s your life. But we have MANY new gun owners now in the past year due to leftist rioters and thugs scaring the hell out of people, and the last thing we need is alleged firearms “experts” encouraging people to appendix carry. Geez, get a F’ing clue, and TTAG will you stop with the appendix carry articles. John Bock on TTAG and other well-known instructors all over put this crap to bed a long time ago. NO instructor in any combat pistol course I have ever attended allowed anyone to appendix carry, and said that those who do are fools.

    • If you carry a gun in any position it will be pointing at your body and other’s body frequently throughout the day.

        • Don’t lie, You off body carry.

          And no. You are wrong. Appendix is a thing for many good reasons. Of you don’t pay attention and can’t trust yourself to not have an ND then you shouldn’t be carrying at all.

      • If you carry a gun in any position it will be pointing at your body and other’s body frequently throughout the day.

        Wrong

      • That is not true. I carry mine on the side and the barrel is NOT pointed at me. If you have the barrel pointed at your body, you are doing it wrong.

        • Stand with your feet shoulder-width or wider and you may find otherwise. If you have a laser on your gun you can try activating it in your holster (while unloaded), and you may be surprised. I sure was…

  3. “Start the process of getting the gun pointed downrange as soon as it clears the holster. You want the gun pointed at the threat as soon as possible.”

    You mean your dick wasn’t the threat? Then why were you ever pointing a loaded firearm at it?

    • My thoughts exactly.

      1) The guy’s pants look really tight. Not comfy, nor easy to change position (up and down from the ground)

      2) This guy has nearly zero gut. More than zero = no appendix carry (trust me).

      3) Driving with AC is no fun for many reasons (YMMV).

      4) The only time I am not carrying at 3-4 o’clock, is when I also have a .22 mag revolver in 10 o’clock cross-draw when driving for issues for which I cannot exit the vehicle (remember Portland in 2020?)

      5) He’s pointing an effectively no-safety handgun (yeah, shut up) at his dick, and grabbing it (the gun) quickly in high-stress moments.

      Pass.

      • “….4) The only time I am not carrying at 3-4 o’clock, is when I also have a .22 mag revolver in 10 o’clock cross-draw when driving for issues for which I cannot exit the vehicle (remember Portland in 2020?)…”

        I’ve started doing the same with a Cross-Draw holster if I’m in the car alot. No seatbelt issues and no twisting around to get on target. I have a really nice leather holster for my G19 and it rides around the 10-11 position. Doesn’t sweep my leg or any other body part.

        Training with a cross-draw takes some practice and techniques need to be ingrained if you get out of vehicle.
        In a DGU situation, you blade the body and fire from retention. That is the fastest way to get rounds on target. Weapon is already pointing in the general direction anyway. Non-firing hand (I’m a righty, so left hand is non-firing) pulls and holds concealment up and you leave that non-firing hand (clenched fist) pressing on your torso area. (very important to embed muscle memory here).
        You can start getting distance quickly and assume a more forward body facing 2 handed grip after the initial shots.
        Go slow at first during practice. Get sequence down and get footwork for back-pedaling down pat in dirt/concrete ect
        YMMV

      • You can take your time on reholstering. The threat has been neutralized. There is no rush in slamming it into your holster.

  4. Reholstering: I would add to the article, when reholstering, remove the holster from your belt first. Once the gun is properly seated in the holster, return the holstered pistol to the AIWB carry position.

    This may be inconvenient for range practice, put much safer, as many negligent discharges occur while holstering.

    • This, 100%. In a defensive shooting, I can see no reason to reholster without taking out your holster and being extra super duper careful.

      If (when) the cops show up, you better drop your gun real quick to avoid confusion.

      I don’t care if you are the star of the Fistful of Dollars trilogy, you are going to be adrenaline dumped post DGU and the last thing you want is to be pointing the gun at yourself while reholstering IWB.

      I would genuinely like to hear even a hypothetical situation where a quick reholster IWB would be necessary.

    • This. ^^^ Most appendix holsters are kydex with a claw style attachment that makes it easy to take the holster on and off. Same as pocket carry. Take the holster out, put pistol in, repocket gun and holster.

  5. The only thing that I’ve found I can appendix carry is a snub revolver – anything more and it gets rotated back to 4:00 position. Never had a worry about pointing my snub at my snubby…

  6. I use a G17 plus Kydex, but for OWB at the 3 o’clock for range practice. I do not understand why in the world Mr. LaVelle uses such a large weapon (with additional RMR) as his choice to demonstrate AIWB. I agree with all of the advice provided within this article for the procedure of draw, but I think people who choose to AIWB carry use a smaller gun, such as G43, Sig P365, G26, etc. Those smaller models present a challenge for getting a quick, proper grip on the smaller tang (and, in accordance with the jokes here in the comments section, not shooting off your trouser snake in the process).

    +1 to Mr. LaVelle for providing his instruction.
    +1 to Mr. Casey for presenting a good article worth reading.
    -1 for using a full framed gun (plus RMR) nobody would ever use for AIWB, to give advice on how to AIWB.

    My 2 cents.

    • Well you know what they say, opinions are like a–holes, everyone has one.
      Nobody is making you carry that method. It is really for advanced people and not a newbie mistake making method of carrying.
      As Harry Calahan said, ” A man got to know his limitations”

      • I carry my gun in another dimension, and just make a Rick and Morty-style portal to grab it when I need it. So don’t talk to me about CCW for “advanced people.”

        • I didn’t say or imply that CCW was for advanced people. I implied that IWB appendix is a rather advanced method of carrying. It’s not forgiving for newbies learning guns and guns safety.
          I seriously doubt many instructors teach bran new newbie students IWB appendix. Beyond that, I care less where someone carries their gun. I know I wouldn’t teach a bran new gun owner and carrier to carry a striker appendix. Never.

      • “Advanced” is debatable. Carrying any gun with the barrel pointed at a body part directly violates one of the primary gun safety rules: Only point your gun at something you plan on shooting. Pointing it at yourself and pulling it out under high stress and adrenalin is just asking for trouble, I don’t care how advanced you are.

  10. I’ve appendix carried for oh….. about….15+YEARS!!!

    It is THE BEST CONCEALED CARRY METHOD….. PERIOD!!!!

    To all the noobs….. DO NOT TAKE THE ADVICE OF THE IDIOTS HERE WHO SEEM TO NOT KNOW THE FIRST THING ABOUT SAFE FIREARMS HANDLING!

    As far as reholstering while the holster is still inside your waistband….. AGAIN…. DO NOT LISTEN TO THE FUDDS….. as long as you’ve made sure the firearm is on safe/decocked, it is A-OK to reholster with the holster inside your waistband.

    • Thank you Mr. Fudd for proving everyone else right about why appendix carry is something only a fuckwit would do. Or maybe now that’s less Fuckwit and more Fuddwit?

    • Oh…. And BTW….. I ONLY carry full size firearms for my main carry….10mm….AIWB!…. ALWAYS!!

    • “as long as you’ve made sure the firearm is on safe/decocked”

      I think that being decocked is what they’re worried about.

    • I noticed that you never said you had to draw it under pressure and/or under fire. So, in other words, just because you have done something for 15+ years doesn’t mean it actually works because you obviously haven’t been in a situation where the adrenalin is rushing and everything happens in slow motion as your nerves are on end. You won’t know until then. In the meantime, why you think it brilliant to have your barrel pointed at your body is beyond me. Better you than me.

  11. While practicing your draw with an unloaded gun, practice letting it fall to the ground. Like a dropped knife, a dropped gun shouldn’t be grabbed. At our range, which allows drawing from concealment, somebody fumbled his appendix draw, regrasped, and put a nice hole through his right thigh. The video was interesting. It was from the back, but you could see the arm go down, up, down, up/bang.

    • Thank you. That is a very good point I hadn’t considered. If the gun is fumbled, let it go and grab it once it is on the ground, otherwise you are as likely to shoot yourself. Correct me if I’m wrong, but full-size handguns are better for having large grips. At least a bit more to hold onto.

  12. Good article but no thanks.
    I’ll stick to IWB and OWB carry at 4 o’clock.
    I can see advantages but I’m old and fine with my type of carry.

  13. I come to these articles for the assholes who think they are still on facebook.

    You carry your way and stfu.

  14. Let’s first consider the likelihood of having to use a firearm in a self-defense situation. Then consider how much you save by drawing from appendix instead of strong side. Then consider how often you train and which method presents the most risk. My own risk reward analysis tells me I don’t personally need to use that carry method.

    • My main problem with 4 o’clock carry is having my shirt snagged on it and revealed the grip. It would probably work better if I had a smaller pistol.

      • Yeah that’s a concern. I don’t know how some people EDC a full size 1911. I end up pocket carrying in the summer most of the time.

  15. Not all change is improvement. I won’t tell anybody how to carry, but I’ve made my carry choice and it’s not appendix.

  16. So…. now then…. let reiterate….
    Appendix carry is a perfectly FINE way to carry…
    There are people who would encourage you to do something that might “out” you…. these are the same people who you WOULD NEVER TRUST in a SHTF situation….
    Concealed carry is best and EASIEST with APPENDIX CARRY….
    To be honest, ANY OTHER CARRY METHOD MIGHT GET YOU KILLED!!

    • Yeah, that IWB at 3-4 o’clock doesn’t work at all, as decades and decades of plainclothes officers have demonstrated. Oh, wait….

    • Says the self-appointed expert. You carry it your way, but don’t claim that every other way might get you killed. That is just garbage talk and pure nonsense. The writer wouldn’t agree with you or most instructors either.

    • Idk FUDD…. Can someone who gives bad advice ever shut their mouths??

    • Tactical toolbox or one of them did a video like that on YT. he named it “why I no longer appendix carry”.

  18. I have not seen this much butt hurt about people having a different opinion since I read the comments on a mainstream news article. Look if you don’t trust yourself to be competent enough to safely appendix carry then do not do it. Wow it is really as simple as that. I do not appendix carry because I can not comfortably sit down while doing it but maybe I will try with some different holsters. Also I wonder how many anti appendix carry Nancie’s use Serpa or Uncle Mikes holsters lol.

    • Also, a lot of women appendix carry because it works best with their bodies and clothing. So for all the anti appendix carry old fat guys with so much gut that they would lose their gun if they tried doing it, just remember different things work better for different people.

    • Some really BAD advice going on with these anti AIWB Karen’s…..
      Inside your waistband happens to be the most popular concealed carry option….
      Whenever I see some fool open carrying in public, I think what an idiot…. this guy thinks he’s Rambo and he’s just made himself target number one…
      Open carry is better left to the police and security officers…

      • I mean, if there were no infringements we would have to conceal… Just saying… Plus, some areas nobody thinks twice about it. It’s normal. I do both. But I agree, the Karen’s are butthurt as fuck here. You just kind of pulled a half Karen with your comment about OWB.

      • Some would argue the deterrent aspect of open carry outweighs the risk of being targeted and provides the quickest access to the firearm. All forms of carry have their time and place. When I see an open carrier I think, this is a liberty minded individual who chooses to carry without his government permission slip. Also, Rambo kicks ass with his M60.

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