3 June 18
AIWB (Appendix, Inside the Waistband) Carry:
A current, widely-circulated video purports to display a surveillance-camera scenario depicting a man who holsters a pistol (reported to be a G43) in an AIWB holster (reported to be manufactured by G-Code). Seconds later, the man bends-over in order to pick something up from the floor. When he does, the pistol discharges with his hands nowhere near it.
He is reported to have been struck in the groin as a result.
Unfortunately, important details are missing (as they usually are with this kind of “evidence”):
(1) We don’t get to know whom these people are, nor where, nor when, this UD is supposed to have happened.
(2) We don’t even get to know if this video is “real,” or staged.
(3) Assuming the event is real, we don’t know if the pistol, nor the holster, in question are stock, or had been “modified.”
(4) We also don’t get to know if foreign objects (shirt-tails, lanyards) were present in the holster, or inside the pistol’s trigger-guard.
So, it is difficult for me to specifically comment on this “event,” except for the following general advice on AIWB holsters:
The single most dangerous thing any of us do with pistols, by far, is place them into holsters!
“Holstering” is the one place where the vast majority of UDs happen! Most don’t involve personal injury and thus are never reflected on any statistic.
I’ve been asked to consult on any number of these UD cases. Sometimes, I have no explanation! The other 99% of the time, the gun-handler had his finger on the trigger, but of course, has since developed amnesia!
(1) “Appendix carry” is preferred currently, particularly among women, so much so that its decline in popularity is unlikely any time soon! We Instructors have to confront, and deal with it. We provide our students with reasonable, sound (but never perfect) advice!
(2) Any hammer-fired pistol that is carried concealed (any style) should not have a spur on the hammer. Hammer-spurs on such pistols need the attention of a grinding-wheel!
(3) Who carry AIWB (or AOWB for that matter) need to be particularly careful when holstering, insuring the muzzle-path is clear of body parts in the process. Shirt-tails, pull-lanyards (particularly with toggles), and anything else that can fit inside the trigger-guard need to be carefully noted, eliminated when possible.
(4) Who carry appendix-style (AIWB or AOWB) should not holster a pistol while they are in a sitting position.
(5) A persuasive argument can be made for grip-safeties and manual-safeties, when pistols are carried appendix-style.
(6) False “solutions,” like carrying with an empty chamber, or not carrying at all, manufacture more problems than they solve!
I don’t think it is possible to handle deadly weapons “safely.” I think we can handle them carefully.
Still, no “guarantees” attach!
/John
