Advice for my uncle. . . Kimber Crimson Trace Ultra Carry

[fickman]

I'm trying to coax him into joining our little forum here, so I'll send this link to him and show him how great the advice can be.

He just bought a .45 ACP Kimber Crimson Trace Ultra Carry with the intention of getting his CHL sometime this year. His initial thoughts are that he'd prefer to carry at 9:00 OWB for a few reasons (he's right-handed, so this would be a cross-draw position):
1) Comfort while driving in a car
2) Cell phone on right side of belt
3) Thinks OWB will be more comfortable than IWB

I told him that he might get talked into strong-side carry (3:00 or 4:00) if he talks to a few people with a similar handgun. He's interested in:
- Holster options
- Personal stories from others who have this gun (things you tried before you chose your current setup, what you do in the car)
- Why you carry in the position you do (IWB / OWB / strong side / cross draw)
- Night sights (might go to Advanced Gun Works in Roanoke to get these)
- Anything else you might think of (belt, magazines, whatever).

He was also surprised that everything in the Kimber literature advised against carrying "cocked-and-locked". I told him that from my research, the consensus among those who carry single-action pistols is that this is the only way to carry. . . you have the hammer safety, the grip safety, the possibility of a retention strap between the hammer and the firing pin on a quality holster, and the fact that the holster would cover the trigger. My bet is that the Kimber literature is written by lawyers to avoid litigation. Please correct me if I'm wrong!

I'll send him the link to this thread if we get some good responses.

[frazzled]

I don't know about holster options. A comrade has the pistol though. the laser sight, once sighted in, is excellent. He has used it as his primary CHL carry for maybe five months at this point with no complaints.

[The Annoyed Man]

I carry a Kimber Ultra IWB all day long with little or no discomfort. I carry it in a Minotaur MTAC from Comp-Tac, and it works great - plus it is tuckable if he wants to tuck his shirt in. My pistol has night sights, but no CT laser grips. However, my wife has a S&W 642 with the CT laser grips. We finally just leave the laser turned off when shooting it because it turns out (for her and for me, but maybe not for your uncle) to be a distraction.

I occasionally carry a full sized 1911 OWB, and I can carry it IWB with my MTAC holster, but while the OWB position is marginally more comfortable, it is also bulkier and doesn't conceal as well that way.

One thing your uncle will discover though is that he is likely to buy more than one holster over the next few months, looking for the one that works best for him. But give that MTAC a good look. It is an excellent product and a lot of members here have one and like it.

[stroo]

A Don Hume JIT works fine for crossdraw. OWB works just fine as well. You just have to dress around the gun.

[PUCKER]

fickman - I've got a Kimber Compact Aluminum (4" barrel) that I've been carrying for years as part of my rotation. I currently carry OWB with a FOBUS holster, it's OK, the holster works well for the gun (other than wear marks, but this is not a showpiece) but as I've been losing the battle of the bulge the holster is getting less comfortable - due to no bodyguard the beavertail is digging in, it's an annoyance (I'm now becoming the "annoyed man" - sorry Annoyed! LOL) but not anything painful. A few weeks ago I tried on a buddy's IWB holster (http://www.bulmangunleather.com/pdl.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) and it was COMFY...the bodyguard is key...and of course, easy to conceal. So, I've got one on order (6 months!) but I've also kicked around the idea of getting another IWB holster (meaning a production/in-stock one vs. custom/made to order) - but I'll probably get it for my Glock, which I currently carry with a shoulder rig. Options, options, options, so many!

Another thing about OWB is that, like stroo mentioned, you also have to dress for it - I've got a long torso, couple that with a buddha belly and I have to be really careful about my shirt selection for this setup.

I've never carried crossdraw with a waist holster - I carry at 3:00 / 4:00 - your uncle does have a valid concern about drawing while buckled - I can do it but it's not all that easy. Hope this helps!

[barres]

Before I started carrying, I always had my cell phone on my belt at 3:00, too. I decided when I applied for my CHL that I was going to carry on my strong side, because, at that time, I weighed almost 300 pounds, and crossdraw was not a viable option for me. So, I switched my cell phone over to my left side (9:00). By the time my CHL came through the mail to me, I was used to using my left hand to answer the cell.

While your father might not have the belly issues I had that would prevent him from carrying crossdraw, there are some things to consider. Strong side draws are faster. If your attacker is very close to you, a crossdraw is easier to prevent. In my experience, the cant in strong-side carry helps in concealment, while the cant (or lack thereof) in crossdraw carry hinders concealment. This is all just my opinion, of course. At least your father is wanting to carry and be responsible for his own safety.


ETA: Oops. I just noticed it is your uncle, not your father. Sorry.