Speaking of concealment, for most shooters with the most common body types you can get away with concealing a far larger pistol, and do so more comfortably, carrying AIWB in a proper holster than you can in other positions wearing even light attire. Most appendix carry holster options are open ended with sharp, uncomfortable edges down by the muzzle. An AIWB holster that is allowed to slump and fall away from the body is not only hard to conceal, but the full weight of the gun will now be cranking the muzzle-end of the holster into your soft bits like a lever. “For AIWB, longer is better, until it’s too long. The Spark is a minimalist, foldover style holster that attaches with two snap loops. Thank you! But, if you … This allows the firearm to be drawn straight up from the holster and keeps the shooter from having to draw the gun across the belly. All ccw holsters are made in the USA. Sponsored Post. We changed the “J” hooks to dual snap belt loops and did away with the tuckable feature. That’s one reason the FBI cant doesn’t work with AIWB. Range Life. Tulster IWB Profile Holster. There are some competitors/ROs/MDs that have strong opinions about whether these holster types are safe in USPSA, but the rules are clear. Concerning the shooter’s beltline and waist most carry positions are defined either by their proximity to the frontal or rear centerline, the front, or 12 o’clock being the belt buckle, and the rear, or 6 o’clock being the spine. They just simply do not know what they are talking about. Spencer gives an excellent class on getting the most out of AIWB carry, and does so every year at Tom Givens’ excellent Rangemaster Tactical Conference. Dark Star Gear Grayguns IWB Holster $ 89.00 Select options; Get In Touch! FWIW I carry a Gen4 G19 in one of three holsters… A slow and careful reholster, as it should be, will allow you to stow the pistol without muzzling your own body. “I like an infinitely adjustable belt,” says Keepers, explaining, “Hole spacing in regular leather belts is about every three-quarters of an inch. The closer the gun is positioned to the rear centerline, 6 o’clock, you will incur a slower draw, less awareness and drastically less defense of the gun. Additional Resources. Practice opportunities are somewhat restricted. A prolific author, Ayoob is the author of Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry, Gun Digest Book of SIG-Sauer, Gun Digest Book of Combat Handgunnery, Massad Ayoob's Greatest Handguns of the World and many other books and more than one thousand articles on firearms, combat techniques, self-defense, and legal issues. As such, users of G-Code tactical holsters have confidence in carry and speed in presentations. But, as his courses involve stressful exercises as a training method for armed citizens to learn how to handle armed encounters, he believes that when students start moving off the line of attack while they draw, that the muzzle invariably ends up pointing at vital parts of the human body, which violates one of the basic tenets of gun safety: Never point a gun at anything you are not willing to shoot. You could still be blindsided, but without a lot of luck an assailant will need to scramble and fight to reach the gun, and you had better believe that you will have a bigger vote in the outcome. We have gun holsters for women as well as men. A straight drop can work well for AIWB, but for most people, a slight rearward cant is ideal. There has been an error with your Email Subscription. The Archangel© is the latest holster in the (AIWB) Inside the Waistband Appendix Holster family. Via Email. Super easy to conceal and does not print wearing just about any type of clothing. Very comfortable even while sitting and driving. The rolled muzzle also acts as a heat shield when the gun warms up during intensive training,” Keepers concludes. Much of the mishaps and negligent discharges that have resulted from botched holstering of an AIWB-carried gun (indeed, a gun carried any which way) have occurred because the shooter either tried to reholster at speed or did not ensure that the mouth of the holster was clear of cloth, jacket pulls, or other things notorious for pulling triggers on their own. It’s been derided by some as a fad, but it doesn’t look like we can expect appendix carry to go anywhere for a long time. I laugh at the gun guru’s who tout the impending doom to the carrier using the appendix carry method. The truth, like most things, is somewhere in the middle, and I hope today to equip you with the facts and enough nuanced opinion so you can choose when, where and if AIWB will be an appropriate carry solution for you. The Sentry 12: A New Kind of Shotgun. It is also very defensible from a front grab. A discharge with the muzzle oriented in that direction will no doubt produce a severe wound to either of the anatomical structures mentioned, and either will have lasting consequences. Your average person will carry an average AIWB holster in such a way that it is right up next to the belt buckle of their belt. Take the time to learn the ins and outs of AIWB carry so that you may perhaps find it useful. For over 30 years, he and his staff have taught the tried and true strong-side hip draw stroke which does not involve people pointing the gun at or near their private parts. Conversely, a quality rig on the waist of a person in even average shape will likely find it very comfortable once they have adjusted to carrying there. While a couple of things – mainly comfort factors and long-time habituation – have kept me from staying with AIWB every time I’ve tried it, it’s entirely possible that it will work better for you. “We do make holsters for those,” says Keepers, but I have to admit I’m not a big light guy. Detractors will swear it the most uncomfortable position imaginable and nothing more than a great way to blow your private parts off. Pretty soon, I bought some Kydex and a Dremel tool.”. Keepers continued, “You want some adjustability. It is not easy, now imagine trying to stop, to say nothing of detect in time to stop, an attempted gun takeaway if you had your pistol positioned at the small of your back around 6 o’clock. 8 Mile Grip Claw (IWB/AIWB) The most popular conceal-carry holster now designed with a Grip Claw and several belt clip options perfect for both Inside the WaistBand (IWB) or Appendix style carry (AIWB). IWB Carry. This can make the AIWB carry particularly fast, especially if both hands are free to accomplish the draw. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. I do not carry AIWB all the time, but I do employ it with certain guns when dressed very slick, and it allows me to carry a pistol I much prefer to a small revolver or pocket pistol with complete concealment and plenty of comfort. The same is true of the late Paul Gomez, another advocate of AIWB. Required fields are marked *. Below, I will share the distillation of the tricks and techniques that I found to greatly smooth my transition into AIWB carry on a regular basis. All carry positions have advantages and disadvantages, but some positions lend themselves far more readily to a fast, glitch-free draw, or provide better defensibility of the gun should an attacker come to grips with you. I will never SPAM you. Consider the reverse, trying to do the same with the gun ahead of your hip, literally right under your nose. Hayes, a law school graduate, is well educated in the laws regarding civil liability, and believes that instructors who allow the practice are flirting with danger. Quick Ship Leather WING™ Holster; Quick Ship Mini WING™ IWB Holsters; Signature Series. Don’t quit right after you begin to hate the first gun and holster combo you try. For these reasons, he publically has made his position well known and advocates for the practice to go away. Training, practice, good gear and strict adherence to best practices makes AIWB carry as safe as any other mode of carry. Body type, specifically girth, excess weight, flab, whatever you want to call it, is significant influence on how comfortable or agonizing AIB carry is for a given individual. Proper ride height is necessary to allow for good accessibility but also balance that against concealment, and will be different for each person. It is also very defensible from a front grab. A cant of even a few degrees can easily send the bullet into the thigh, potentially severing the same femoral artery we are concerned with, or into the lower leg where other arteries may be struck. Maybe or maybe not. Consider the placement of your eyes: invariably, our biggest blindspot is right behind us. A big gun in a crappy holster riding on the floppy belt of a guy with a big ol’ beer belly will probably think AIWB carry is akin to some medieval torture method than a way to carry a gun. CYA Supply AIWB Holster (Best Seller and Value) Price: Under $50. Rimfire Power. “It is too easy to ND when carrying AIWB.”. IWB Holster Blackhawk’s new A.R.C. Get the latest news and reviews from Gundigest.com. I have been carrying AIWB for years without a single issue. Todd Louis Green made him a believer, and Spencer has kicked some major boo-tay drawing from AIWB in competition. CCC Shaggy, JM Custom AIWB, Dark Star Gear AIWB, Keeper, 5 Shot SME, JRC CDA-AIWB. Many of the better ones feature wedges or claws that actively torque the holster against your belt to help the gun lie flatter against the body. PO Box 466 Reedsport, OR 97467 Do not send firearms to this address. VTAC IWB; FO3™ Holster; FO3™ Light Mounted Holster; Holsters. While comfortable for some, others may experience the opposite effect. Glock 17 AIWB Holster The heart of American craftsmanship is innovation. Whether you are in law enforcement, security, or a private citizen exercising your 2nd Amendment right, Phalanx Concealment has low profile in mind for those who conceal carry. “There are decades of gun handling protocols from the 50s and beyond that have proven that wearing the gun on the side of the hip (3-4 o’clock) position is the safest way for an armed American to carry a sidearm,” says Hayes. As we walk through daily life or even stand still, our hands are generally closer to our front midline than our hips, armpits, ankles or other holster locations. This is also false. AIWB seems more than most positions to be a love it or leave it proposition. What I am more concerned with addressing are the general myths surrounding concentrated criticism of the carry position on what are patently false grounds, that I will address below: “You cannot reholster when carrying AIWB without muzzling yourself.”. It is no easier or harder than carrying a pistol at any other location on the body. AIWB is an acronym for Appendix Inside the Waistband. Men have carried handguns in the appendix position, often tucked inside belt or sash without holsters, for as long as they’ve had handguns. Carry of a pistol IWB at this position really allows its advantages to shine. Some people, depending on physical build, may find AIWB the most comfortable way to carry, particularly with a large handgun. All Acronyms has a list of 1 AIWB definition. One of the great modern instructors, Todd Louis Green, did much to popularize AIWB. May 21, 2015. The body works the way it works, and utilizing a technique that is anatomically more efficient is almost always a better choice than one that is not. IWB stands for "Inside the Waist Band". It is very comfortable for me being a slim to average body type. Our precision fit enables a crisp, clean break on the draw and a secure, no rattle carry. Proponents today extol it as a fast, secure position from which one can initiate a very fast draw. AIWB carry is not just a fad, but instead is a position that has been found once again to have merit to today’s shooters. The femoral artery is often in the line of fire. Showing the single result. You want the appendix carry holster to fit between the ‘important parts’ and the crease in the leg. He believes that AIWB carry is outside the common standards and practices for professional firearms instruction and, in the event a student is severely injured or killed because of a bullet to the testicles or femoral artery, that the instructor will have a difficult time defending having allowed the practice, if he is sued. If an assailant chooses to attack from the front, they will be moving through your arc of vision, assuming you are not too head-the-clouds buried in Condition White to notice them. Carrying a gun with its “business end” pointed at genitalia or juncture of thigh and lower abdomen gives some people the absolute creeps. When you carry IWB you can see you may need a bit bigger belt as the firearm and holster under the belt uses up length. Gun length and personal preference as to waistband level will be critical in determining whether or not the holstered gun digs painfully into thigh or crotch. I think most of us have forgotten what unfamiliar feels like when carrying a gun! Get 12 Issues a year of the country's best firearms writing. He is also convinced that the bullet is not the only danger. I’ll admit that I have been a strongside carry guy my entire shooting life. You would be wise to take competent training in AIWB before practicing it, and I can’t think of any instructor better to start with than Spencer Keepers. That being said, the farther you place the gun from the widest point on the shooter’s body, the hips, the easier it will be to conceal the gun with an appropriate holster. AIWB holster users also need to be very aware of where the 180 is when drawing and holstering. Appendix-inside-the-waistband carry, often shortened to appendix carry and sometimes mirthfully or not-so-mirthfully called felony carry (after its common usage by criminals without a holster) is simply carry of the pistol far forward of the hip, about the 1:00-1:30 position for a right handed shooter, and generally over the appendix, which lends the position its name. Have you ever tried to do anything behind your back? So long as seat belts don’t interfere, AIWB offers particularly good access when seated behind a steering wheel. If the gun does discharge in an AIWB, results range from castration to death. I like the Wilderness three-stitch Frequent Flier. I made a point of showing up for it in 2017 at the DARC training facility in Little Rock, Akansas. This is tough to objectively quantify, as, per what I wrote above, the combination of body type, gun and holster will all play a part in how comfortable or not a given rig is. Honestly, thats it. With a change of position, you may no longer have to choose between a more effective firearm and greater concealment. Our inside waistband holsters have adjustable retention and adjustable cant (0 to 15 degrees). Marty Hayes, Director of the well-known firearms training school The Firearms Academy of Seattle, Inc., has some serious concerns about the safety of the practice of carrying firearms in this manner, and in fact has banned the practice at his training school. These can dig into the body.” The “longer is better for concealment” rationale? By entering your e-mail you consent to subscribe to my newsletter. A signature feature on Keepers Concealment AIWB holsters is a foam wedge on the lower part of the scabbard facing the wearer. This is false. Even when carrying strongside, the commonly thought to result wound of an ND, the shallow “rally stripe” down the length of the leg, is far from a certainty. In current times, this carry has always been popular in Latin America among good guys and bad alike, and most recently it has come into fashion in North America. Contrary to what you might be thinking, you may gain more comfort by tightening, not loosening your belt. Meaning; IWB: Inside the Waistband (firearm holster) IWB: Industriellen Werke Basel (German: Basel Industrial Works; Basel, Switzerland) IWB: Interactive White Board (teaching aid) Best Concealed Carry Optics: Red Dot, Green Dot Or Iron Sights? Your email address will not be published. Appendix carry offers similar benefits with the right holster. This comes in handy for both overt and surreptitious draws; a concealing garment is easily cleared with either or both hands starting with the hands hanging neutrally. Every G-Code product … The typical placement is often about halfway between the pants pocket and the waistband button, close to the location of the appendix - hence the name. AIWB carry is forbidden by some police departments, and has been banned by some top private instructors, such as Marty Hayes and Larry Vickers. You may start the fight down an arm from an injury or wound. Even if the bullet missed all vital parts, the muzzle flash would do sufficient damage to possibly incapacitate him. A popular and contentious topic of late you have probably seen discussed is appendix inside-the-waistband, or AIWB, carry. With this type of carry the holster and firearm is concealed inside your pants as shown below: IWB Carry. Many shooters today want to carry their pistols with white light units attached. That eliminates a sharp discomfort point. More Gear Up. With our minimalist single clip design, the AIWB Holster is slim with no extra material to add excess bulk or weight. If they break a safety rule, issue the DQ. Tenicor. Many people who routinely carry concealed, especially using an inside the waistband ( IWB) holster, will recommend getting pants a size or two larger than you normally wear. It’s because the forward part of the gun’s contact with lower abdomen pushes the butt end of the gun tighter against the upper abdomen. Available for: Nearly all common … Top AIWB acronym meaning: Abrasive Injected Water Blasting Appendix carry is where you place a pistol and holster in the front of the waistband. Finally, the wedge acts as an added heat shield. Massad Ayoob is one of the world's outstanding handgunners and is the Director of Massad Ayoob Group. Make your life easier and relieve a little pressure by sliding your belt buckle off to the left (if you are right-handed) or right (if a lefty) away from the gun. Each person has to find the angle and position that works the best for their particular body.”. “You definitely want a full firing grip on the gun,” he says, “but we also put a horn on the holster to protect the shooter’s skin and clothing from the (sometimes sharp-edged) sights. Learn how your comment data is processed. “On our own holsters, we extend the muzzle end about an inch. For our purposes today we are considering only the beltline area, not pockets, ankle carry, shoulder holsters or anything else. The bottom line is this: a severe and life threatening wound can result from any self-inflicted accidental gunshot, not just one that arises from a pistol carried AIWB. From his law studies, he understands that for a plaintiff to collect damages in a lawsuit for negligence, they must prove that the defendant was negligent, and because of that negligence the plaintiff was injured. Hydration factors can cause swelling and contraction of our waistline throughout the day. Concealed Carry: AIWB Carry Pros And Cons. The cut of a given garment, as with any other position, will be a key part in determining whether or not you say “Ahh” or “Argh!” when carrying AIWB. AIWB is shooter shorthand for Appendix Inside Waistband Carry. As the name implies, the gun is holstered between body and trousers in the abdomen area, between navel and hip, on the wearer’s dominant hand side. If you are carrying Small-of-Back or even behind the hip, you can likely forget about it. The Archangel was specifically designed to retain the concealment advantages of Appendix carry as well as the speed of draw offered by its predecessors. This is, and will be the only method of concealed carry that I will use. It performs three purposes. https://www.survivalsullivan.com/appendix-inside-the-waistband-aiwb-carry I currently carry AIWB with either my Shield 40 or my Beretta Nano 9mm in a Blackhawk TecGrip holster. What does AIWB stand for? “If I did shoot myself by accident when carrying in another location the wound would not be as bad.”. By Bryce M. Towsley. Among AIWB enthusiasts, Spencer Keepers is a name to contend with. I noted Craig (“Southnarc”) Douglas carried AIWB. An AIWB holster should have a vertical or neutral cant, if not a slight lean a degree or two toward the shooter’s dominant side, to allow the muzzle to clear the thigh. As we walk through daily life or even stand still, our hands are generally closer to our front midline than our hips, armpits, ankles or other holster locations. Appendix Inside the Waistband (AIWB) carry has been a steadily growing trend in the concealed carry world for several years now. For more information visit our FAQ page or our Inside the Waistband Holster Breakdown. This can make the AIWB carry particularly fast, especially if both hands are free to accomplish the draw. The belt, as always, is as important as the holster. Not fun! This holster is built for safety and made to last a lifetime. Don’t assume the IWB you have will work at all! The other major complaint about AIWB carry is one common and vocal enough I will address it alone in the following section. CYA Supply Co. produces concealed carry IWB holsters. His next statement was counterintuitive, but made huge sense when he explained it. AIWB carry, once you have practiced enough to ingrain your technique, allows for an extremely fast draw, one with minimal “wind up” or furtive movement necessary to achieve it. A holster with gross and fine adjustments, like the JMCK AIWB or Keepers Concealment holsters , is the best route. The ability to clear a concealing garment one-handed is vital, as you will not always be afforded the use of both in a fight. Hayes at one point allowed the practice at The Firearms Academy of Seattle, and when he saw the popularity of the technique rising, he undertook a diligent study. I struggled to snap-in initially, and part of that struggle resulted from a few mistakes I made. Strongside carry, even OWB, requires some movement and gyration to produce the gun when belted and is far tougher if you carry IWB. Many people, slender folks in p… Please try again. The best AIWB holsters are made for exactly that. Our Custom Kydex AIWB Holster is intended for maximum concealment. Want the most baller pure Kydex option? Lastly, AIWB carry is one of the only IWB modes of carry that even approach affording a clean draw when seat-belted in a vehicle. It is never comfortable at first. The single biggest gripe most shooters will spout off about AIWB carry is comfort, or the lack of it. *** Spark holsters are available only for right handed carry. To really explain the pros and cons of AIWB carry, or any other mode of carry, one must first understand what effect it has on the carrier of the pistol. But the other is for safety: the wedge levers the gun muzzle out a little bit away from the body, to mitigate the dangers of an unintended discharge striking genitalia or femoral artery. But a takeaway attempt from the side or rear will be harder to detect and stop than if the gun was carried farther forward. Generally, a position closer to 12 o’clock, the frontal centerline, will offer a cleaner, faster draw, better awareness of the gun and better concealment, all things being equal. Newsletter Registration. This will give you added room for carrying IWB holsters, and make it more comfortable for you. Caribou Media Group may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Skip anything from a "big" company. Make something with your hands, try it out and do it again. After his observations, he concluded that while on a square range, with students lined up like tin soldiers all in a straight line, and allowing for people to carefully and slowly holster the gun, it can be done in relative safety. Our DETROIT HOLSTER “8 MILE GRIP CLAW“ holster is worn inside the waistband (IWB) or Appendix (AIWB) and it has many great features designed into it – see below for more details. He carries a 10mm single action Commander as a carry gun, and cannot imagine the pain and burned flesh that would occur if that gun discharged while stuck inside his pants pointed at his testicles. This is one reason why behind-the-hip (4 o’clock) carry has remained popular with older shooters, as it always allowed good concealment with a cover garment even when the pistol was carried OWB. It carries the gun higher on your waist than many AIWB … Alien Gear's ShapeShift Glock 17 AIWB holster is a product of this industry frame-of-mind —thousands of hours have been spent designing and engineering this holster to be the most comfortable, concealable, durable and adaptable system of concealed carry.