Practicing your draw

[NRAMAN]

As a former LE instructor I can relate that carrying a gun in different locations poses different challenges. It is truly best to pick a general location and stick with it. You do not want to get in a stressful situation and go for your gun where it used to be. Most Police officers carry in the same location and position. They MUST qualify in that location/position as well for off-duty carry. Please don't confuse carrying a gun with carrying for self defense.

[Caribou]

+1 on the suspenders. Of course if you wear boxers with with little hearts or devils on them they will never notice that pistol down around your knees. Personally I like the ones that thread through the belt.

Leather Suspenders and Western Suspenders | SuspenderStore

Having your gun in the same spot in a stressful situation where you have to make a split second decision is important. Also strong side hip is pretty much as fast as you can get. True, it does not work well while driving. So, why not two. One strong side hip and a BUG in a shoulder holster or a CC vest or jacket. You can find examples of these at the NRA Store. This would give you ready access whether seated or standing. A second gun to arm a friend with or if your gun runs dry or has a malfunction that is not easily cleared. You can also take a seemingly casual crossed arm stance with your hand on a gun. Practice with both holsters then no matter where you reach you come up with something in your hand.

[BattleSwine]

Another +1 for suspenders. IWB I recommend Perry Suspenders . Three point using 4 hooks under belt. Looks like a "Y". OWB I recommend Spec-Ops Brand tactical suspenders. Two point using loops with quick release clips. Looks like an "8". I always carry 3 to 3:30. Practice, practice, practice, and practice some more.

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[jtg452]

Add another one to the 'practice' and 'smooth is fast' voting blocks.

Practice slow and focus on doing everything right. 'Right' means when you look down the top of the gun, the sights are pretty much lined up already. If you have to do more than a slight tweak to center the front sight in the rear notch, you ain't doing it right.

I suggest doing it backwards initially. You need to know how the gun needs to be sitting in your hand to have the sights lined up properly before you can figure out how to draw it. Get your master grip on the gun and, while keeping a full grip on the gun, holster it. BEFORE you turn a loose of the gun, find some points on your hand, wrist and arm so you can make note of where your body is in relation to the gun when it is in the holster and your hand is in the right spot. Pay attention to how your wrist is angled, where your elbow is, where the middle joint of your middle finger is on the gun, where your thumb is, ...

Next, slowly release your grip, shake it out and try to put your hand back where it was then draw- S_L_O_W_L_Y. One motion at a time (heck, I did one finger at a time for a little while just to get the initial placement down). Practice doing it right a couple times a day for 10-15 minutes at a time. The idea is to build muscle memory, not get tired. Work slow and deliberately. Speed comes with practice, not by getting in a hurry and getting sloppy.

[jg1967]

Are you sure your belt is up to the task? Since you are mentioning weight? You might want to look into really good gun belts, they make a lot of difference.