EDC questions

I’ve had my carry permit for a while now but finally landed on the gun I want to carry. Bought my wife and I the Taurus, G2C. Couldn’t find a bad review and everybody is selling them for dirt cheap right now. I had purchased the Beretta APX for my wife, great gun, but she wasn’t real comfortable without a safety on the gun, which I kind of agree with. Having said that, I have several questions.

1. Where does everyone carry? Hip? Appendix? I think I like the idea of an appendix carry over the hip more for concealment than any other reason.

2. I like the idea of the auto locking and the quick release on the holster, but do they make that in an appendix carry or is that only available on the hip?

3. Should I be worried about a lack of safety on the Beretta, if I go with an auto locking and quick release option of holster?

4. Any brands of holsters I should be looking at or shying away from?

Any other thoughts or insights would be appreciated.

I’m a smaller guy and I carry either a Sig P365XL or a Ruger LC9s depending on what I’m wearing. 90% of the time I carry appendix for the reason(s) you mentioned. I’m not sure what you mean by “auto locking”, are you talking just a kydex with a certain level of retention vs. an actual positive (strap over rear of gun)? If referring to the kydex, I’ve never had an issue WITH GOOD QUALITY HOLSTERS! Some holster brands I highly recommend are Tenicor, JM Custom Kydex, Henry’s Holsters, Phlster, and Black Arch to name a few. One I’d recommend to shy away from is Alien gear. They have a boatload of options but IMO they don’t really do anything well, and if you have a poorly constructed or poorly fitting holster, then you’re much less likely to carry consistently.

By saying auto locking, some of the holsters have, for lack of a better term, an audible click when holstering. The gun at that point can’t be released unless you depress the quick release button. I think they call it type 2 retention vs. type 1. Below is a link I quickly found to help explain what I’m trying to articulate.

Alex Fox wrote:

1. Where does everyone carry? Hip? Appendix? I think I like the idea of an appendix carry over the hip more for concealment than any other reason.

Right side appendix with left hand cross draw. Uncle Mike’s nylon holster.

-J.

I carry on the hip. Glock 19, 26 with a blackhawk serpa OWB locking holster. or Walter PPS which I carry IWB with a vedder brand holster. Vedder makes nice holsters and have a holster for pretty much any gun out there and have a adjustable tension screw on them.

As far as a safety on the gun none of my carry guns have a safety

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Coletrain27 wrote:

As far as a safety on the gun none of my carry guns have a safety

x2

-J.

I carry a glock 17 appendix or hip. Depends on my shirt really. I don’t like safety on a hand gun. That’s what your finger is for. I also carried a g2c but am selling that and going a different route. I just bought a glock 21 the other day in 380 but haven’t carried it yet. I prefer full frame. When I have a hoddie on.

Alex Fox wrote:

3. Should I be worried about a lack of safety on the Beretta, if I go with an auto locking and quick release option of holster?

The gun can’t fire unless you pull the trigger (both of them, at the same time) so I’m not really sure how locking holster is relevant. Dropping it won’t fire the gun, it’s really just a question of retention. For the average person it’s never going to come out even without a lock imo. If you are a police officer for example and might be chasing or jumping over stuf or wresting with someone then maybe it’s a concern. Personally I think having to do anything besides focusing on properly drawing the gun is a bad idea.

I think there are a couple different ways to think about safeties. 1) the safety doesn’t matter because you are always treating the gun as if the safety was off anyways or 2) you are always treating the gun as if the safety was off BUT you are safer if a mistake is made. Both are valid but if you don’t think you can safely use a gun without a safety, because you would rely on it somehow, then you shouldn’t be carrying yet and should practice more.

Reef, I like your points. For me the safety is just second nature. I’ve handled guns all my life and with shotguns and deer rifles it was drilled into us that the safety is always on by parents and relatives. Guess it just continued on into adulthood. Just my preference I guess.

Appendix, stealthgear AIWB holster, Sig P250 subcompact, 9mm. sometimes with flush 12rnd mags sometimes with 15’s, all depends. Sometimes I also have a Ruger LCP somewhere else on my person, again depends where I’m going.

Every day, for 10 years this month. The best daily carry setup is one you will carry daily.

The “locking” you refer to is known as level II or III retention. In my opinion and that of most holster manufacturers, absolutely not necessary for IWB. If I were going to go OWB, not concealed, I would go with something that has level II retention. Even concealed OWB makes me a little nervous and I end up looking over my shoulder too much. However in the woods I go OWB with or without retention it is inconsequential out there and much handier to have something that is more accessible.

Bearcat89 wrote:

I just bought a glock 21 the other day in 380 but haven’t carried it yet. I prefer full frame. When I have a hoddie on.

Glock 21 in .380? No comprende amigo. Glock 42 perhaps?

KPE wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Bearcat89 wrote:</div>
I just bought a glock 21 the other day in 380 but haven’t carried it yet. I prefer full frame. When I have a hoddie on.

Glock 21 in .380? No comprende amigo. Glock 42 perhaps?

Yup you are correct. Brain fart

Alex Fox wrote:

Reef, I like your points. For me the safety is just second nature. I’ve handled guns all my life and with shotguns and deer rifles it was drilled into us that the safety is always on by parents and relatives. Guess it just continued on into adulthood. Just my preference I guess.

I wrote that quick so just to clarify I’m not saying needing practice is a bad thing, you should do that anyways. I think once you do practice though you’ll realize the safety is less relevant because the gun is always in a holster with trigger area covered. When it comes out it’s either to shoot (no safety to fumble if you don’t have one) or to put away. Feels different to me than a shotgun or rifle that you’re carrying around hunting all day where you could trip or have it slung over shoulder or something. Drawing and holstering is the only “dangerous” part and you want to be 100% confident in that either way.

Holsters with retention are nice and I use to think the only way until I started carrying a model that nobody made those types of holsters for. I am comfortable without retention now, HOWEVER your firearm can fall out with rough upside down moves or rolls so there is definitely some risk without retention. The safety on my carry guns is the trigger. OWB at 4 o’clock.

Suzuki, that was one of the issues with Beretta, no one makes anything more than a fabric holster for it. I’m guessing I’ll be the same way, really think I need the retention holster but once I get accustomed to it, I won’t find it necessary…which honestly I’m fine with. It’s all about my comfort level. As someone above stated, do what makes you wear it consistently.

Alex Fox wrote:

Suzuki, that was one of the issues with Beretta, no one makes anything more than a fabric holster for it. I’m guessing I’ll be the same way, really think I need the retention holster but once I get accustomed to it, I won’t find it necessary…which honestly I’m fine with. It’s all about my comfort level. As someone above stated, do what makes you wear it consistently.

Instructors often say you will have a drawer full of holsters and they are right. I have settled into the Versacarry brand for several years now.

I have so many holsters I have bought and they all just sit around.
Go on ebay. They often have a kydex holster with retention for anything and everything. I actually don’t mind them at all depending on gun size. Other wise I love my leather iwb holsters as well. That’s how I carried my Taurus

Alex Fox wrote:

1. Where does everyone carry? Hip? Appendix? I think I like the idea of an appendix carry over the hip more for concealment than any other reason.

2. I like the idea of the auto locking and the quick release on the holster, but do they make that in an appendix carry or is that only available on the hip?

3. Should I be worried about a lack of safety on the Beretta, if I go with an auto locking and quick release option of holster?

4. Any brands of holsters I should be looking at or shying away from?

Any other thoughts or insights would be appreciated.

1. Appendix, 100% of the time.

2. Retention is not a big deal with Appendix carry, specially as an American…

3. Safeties of any kind are the devil(IMO) on carry guns.

4. Whatever is comfortable for you and covers the entire trigger guard.

I went the Smith and Wesson M&P shield route just because like you I simply feel better with a external safety ( Especially with my wife also shooting and possibly carrying it ) My cousin just got a glock G43X and after shooting his and mine this last weekend, he feels like he wishes he would have got one with a external safety now ( Said he would just feel more safe with one ) I get those who say one is not necessary – I just don’t see a negative to having one. I can draw and click the safety off just as fast as those without a safety.

As far as a holster goes I would check out the urban carry leather lock series. They are offered in both IWB and OWB models and are customer fit to each model gun. They have a retention devise built into them, the retention is also adjustable to what ever amount you would like. No button to push. Just tension. I’ve only had mine for a month or so now and so far really like it. To me it is way more comfortable than Kydex holsters. I went with the OWB model and so far the best carry position for me is at 3:00 position. It is also were it shows the least. Anywhere for appendix to about 4:00 seems like it works well.

Check them out here :

https://urbancarryholsters.com/order-new-lock-leather-owb-holster.html

They do offer one custom fit for the Beretta APX

404 ERROR wrote:

3. Safeties of any kind are the devil(IMO) on carry guns.
/quote]
Just curious – Why or how so ???? I just can’t see a negative.

If they were to put the same style of a trigger on shotguns and rifles as they have on a Glock would you also feel like no safety was needed?

fishthumper wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Merican Eagle wrote:</div>

3. Safeties of any kind are the devil(IMO) on carry guns.
/quote]
Just curious – Why or how so ???? I just can’t see a negative.

If they were to put the same style of a trigger on shotguns and rifles as they have on a Glock would you also feel like no safety was needed?

In a high stress situation and when fractions of a second count you might forget to take the safety off. Just another thing to worry about IMO

No safety on a carry gun for me. Thats why I don’t carry the g2c any more

As far as holseters go look into the phlster enigma. I really like the idea and will probably order one soon too. Fits your position you are considering.

fishthumper wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Merican Eagle wrote:</div>

3. Safeties of any kind are the devil(IMO) on carry guns.
/quote]
Just curious – Why or how so ???? I just can’t see a negative.

If they were to put the same style of a trigger on shotguns and rifles as they have on a Glock would you also feel like no safety was needed?

Rifles and shotguns don’t fill the edc use case. Watch active self protection on YouTube. Safeties and carrying on an empty chamber just means you have to remember one more step in high stress situations and it rarely ends well. If you must have a safety, you must practice a draw, safety off, fire until it’s one hundred percent muscle memory. If you aren’t willing to do that stay away from safeties on edc

fishthumper wrote:

If they were to put the same style of a trigger on shotguns and rifles as they have on a Glock would you also feel like no safety was needed?

No…because you don’t carry it in a holster covering the trigger…vastly different.

Cut my teeth on the G2c, but after about 4 month bought g43 and have not looked back. Never had any finction problems what so ever with the g2c though.
I can shoot the g2c well but hate the weight, safety and all the take up on the trigger.
I still take it with be on fishing trips and such when I dont carry but want a gun along that I care nothing about….
I think you will gain confidence in not having a safety after carrying for a while. Any decent holster that has a ridged trigger guard does not need an external safety.

mark-bruzek wrote:

I think you will gain confidence in not having a safety after carrying for a while. Any decent holster that has a ridged trigger guard does not need an external safety.

I used to be nervous with striker fired guns, but over time I learned to trust that the gun is only going to shoot when I tell it to. A good fitting kydex holster is perfectly safe and when the gun comes out, it’s go-time.

Also, thanks to all of you sheepdogs who shoulder the responsibility of carrying.

Just tossing this out there but I did order that enigma. Will report back when I have some time with it under my belt.

Would highly recommend the enigma.

Youbetcha wrote:

Would highly recommend the enigma.

They look sweet. I like that they have their own belt.