All concealed carry holster positions have one overriding aspect that they must meet. They must conceal the gun. Beyond that, people tend to be interested in fast access with one or both hands. The holster should retain the gun reasonably well. Comfort can be important as well. That’s really about it though.
AIWB, in the modern world, was not developed to improve concealment, or speed, or comfort. It does all of those things to one extent or another, but strongside carry does those things well for me. Strongside also provides some advantages that AIWB does not since everything is a trade off, but we will leave them for another day.
What AIWB really offered me, and why I went to it originally as a cop, was better weapons retention, better low profile access, and better support hand access. None of those things will make an awesome instagram reel, but they will help you in a very bad situation. Which is why I carry a gun in the first place.
Time and practice showed that AIWB also offers some improved speed over strongside carry and unfortunately, I think that seems to be the driving factor for many users these days. There is nothing wrong with wanting more speed, but to overlook the other benefits is a shame. There is a point of diminishing returns for speed, but if you need to retain your gun or access it with your control hand, better to have put in the work in advance. For some people it is also more comfortable, but for many it is less comfortable. It has always been just fine for me, but I do think that carrying a gun anywhere on you for extended periods can lead to some short and long term physical issues.
There are lots of good holsters on the market these days, but for me, Tenicor and JM Custom make the best AIWB holsters. If you prefer leather, 5 Shot still makes the excellent SME for AIWB. I have talked to John about updating it, but I think he is too busy selling them as is. Milt Sparks is the original maker of the AIWB in my lifetime, albeit without the modern features most of us need. Depending on your gun and body, their holsters can still work just fine in that role.
The drawbacks to AIWB are few but can be very severe. When facing a subject, your gun is closer to them and more accessible to them than in a strongside rig. If they don’t know you have it though, that can be mitigated to a large extent. The other real drawback is one I have mentioned here before. If you are sloppy in your gun handling and you have an ND while reholstering, you may not live to learn from your mistake. If you are a man and you do live, you may wish you did not.
It should be noted that women often benefit from AIWB even more than men do. Given the natural curve of their hips, it can be very hard to carry strongside for some women and so AIWB often works better. As with men though, it is an individual issue and all safety concerns still apply.
Safety issues can really be handled by good training and holstering practices, but unfortunately, I meet many shooters who do not follow best practices. They often say they do, or that they know how to, but when I watch them handle their gun, they leave out critical steps that can help ensure their safety.
Beyond safe gun handling, which is the most important, your gun choice can definitely play a role in keeping you safe, or not. On a nice day on the square range, this may not matter much, but on your worst day, possibly injured and certainly stressed, it may make a big difference. If you have a high level of skill and experience, you can carry what you like with little chance of it biting you. If you are not highly skilled and experienced, maybe you should recognize that and choose accordingly. I’ve seen a statistic that says that 80% of Americans think they are above average drivers. That seems to hold true for shooters too. Humble honesty in advance is better than regret afterwards.
Of course, if you want to become one of the few who are highly proficient, come out and train. There are a few slots available in my class in Illinois this summer, as well as in Texas in December. I don’t think registration is open yet for my Mead Hall class, but that will be a good one. If you want to host a class somewhere else, just let me know. I have room for a couple of more classes, but am dependent on people wanting to host me. If you are already highly proficient, come test yourself and see how FAST you are. There, I’m now a shill.
Here is an old video I made showing a correct AIWB draw. I do not do it quite like that anymore, but the important point is the reholster.
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