Ohioans For Concealed Carry Discussion Forums

Well I just recently changed my carry position to right behind the hip to small of back.

I usually carry in front of the hip about 10 o'clock (I'm a lefty). Carried that way for years.

I am a curvy women with hips, so I print like crazy. I've become used to my "sloppy" concealed carry- mostly relying on the fact that even if I am printing most people will either not notice or have no idea what it is.

But carrying on the hip and having hips- makes the gun stick out more than it should. I just figured this was my fate.

Then my husband made me a new holster and suggested I try it behind the hip instead of in front of it.

And wow! I am concealing better than I ever have. It's not even printing in most of my shirts. My hips are back to being just curvy hips rather than the left one being misshapen. lol.

I don't know why I was "against" small of back- but it is comfortable.

Apparently the "shelf" created by my rather curvy rear end creates the perfect hiding place for my gun.

Just wanted to share- I am happy that I tried something new and found a better way to conceal- now I feel more comfortable.

So lesson is- even if you have accepted a carry position- doesn't mean you can't try something new

SOB carry has it's advantages......but more disadvantages.

Sitting is a problem.....and the most important one is if you fall or you are pushed and land on your back you may get a spine enjury.....

Just my 2 cents....

Glad to hear it's working for you. However... (you knew there had to be a 'However...', right?) there is a potentially serious downside to small of back carry. It has often been reported that falling down on one's back with a gun there causes an increased risk of serious spinal injury.

Oh man, Carmen got here first...{In my Dennis the Menace voice}: "Hello, Mr. Fovozzo!"

I have heard the spine injury thing before- I think thats what made me never consider it.

However sitting- I find it to be very comfortable with the gun behind my hip. Even in my office chair right now, in the car when I drove here. I thought it would be uncomfortable but it isn't.

Brian D. wrote: It has often been reported that falling down on one's back with a gun there causes an increased risk of serious spinal injury.

Is the spine injury an issue if it is right behind the hip at 8 o'clock rather than 7 or 6 o'clock that would put it right over the spine?

So what are the odds of the person carrying SOB falling on their back hard enough to injure themselves?

Brian D. wrote:Glad to hear it's working for you. However... (you knew there had to be a 'However...', right?) there is a potentially serious downside to small of back carry. It has often been reported that falling down on one's back with a gun there causes an increased risk of serious spinal injury.

Oh man, Carmen got here first...{In my Dennis the Menace voice}: "Hello, Mr. Fovozzo!"

Mr. Fovozzo...don't for get it.....Dennis...

TKshooter wrote:

Brian D. wrote: It has often been reported that falling down on one's back with a gun there causes an increased risk of serious spinal injury.

Is the spine injury an issue if it is right behind the hip at 8 o'clock rather than 7 or 6 o'clock that would put it right over the spine?

Are you right handed ? 8 o'clock for a right hander won't work..

Lefty

The other argument against it I've heard is that you are at a disadvantage should a bad guy come from behind and get his hand on the gun trying to take it from you. Watch your back.

For me as a man without hips, that's a real concern because concealment would be problematic when bending or reaching making it easier for BG to spot. That said, many women like to carry behind the hips I've noticed. Body shapes are different and make what works for one person may not work as well for others.

Cruiser wrote:So what are the odds of the person carrying SOB falling on their back hard enough to injure themselves?

Hard to quantify. Odds seem to go up noticeably when we have lousy cold snowy icy winters though.

Cruiser wrote:So what are the odds of the person carrying SOB falling on their back hard enough to injure themselves?

Before this past winter, I'd have said the chances were pretty low and I wouldn't worry too much about it. But then I took a step off my front porch after one of our "wintery mix" events not realizing the light dusting of snow covered a slick sheet of ice. My feet went out from under me with no warning and I went down, hard, on my front steps and one of the stone steps hit right across the back of my hips just below my belt.

I have never fallen so hard in my life and cannot remember anything nearly as painful as this was. This was the kind of fall that were I older, I'd have broken a hip - or worse, both hips. You do the math - I was never so thankful I carry strong side just forward of 3:00. I am convinced that I would have been seriously injured had I been carrying SOB.

I was always wary of SOB carry, both for the injury aspect as well as access while seated. But now, you'll never get me to do it, ever. Behind the hip, OK, maybe - but never SOB.

Brian D. wrote:

Cruiser wrote:So what are the odds of the person carrying SOB falling on their back hard enough to injure themselves?

Hard to quantify. Odds seem to go up noticeably when we have lousy cold snowy icy winters though.

That's certainly the more practical thinking, but the other side of it is simply what's the odds of having to use one's gun in the first place?

The late Paul Gomez used to say that for the average law-abiding citizen in the continental US to need to resort to a firearm in a violent confrontation instantly puts that individual outside the statistical bell-curve: and that once you find yourself there, you're an n of 1, and anything goes.

To me, "the odds" isn't a valid argument.

What's valid, however, is our individual perception of those odds. It's up to the individual to weigh those odds. To me, there is no hard right or wrong, and I only ask that the individual weigh their options logically, and understand the concessions and compromises that any decision entails.

Specifically towards what Brian D. mentioned, I agree that our winters certainly can make it hard for us to stay upright sometimes. One can definitely, with that as a decision factor, say that they'll carry SOB in the summer months and move the gun when it gets cooler (particularly with more cover garment overlying the gun). If that's the case, then one will need to consider that they're looking at two distinctly different locations for their guns as the seasons change, and what's more, that not only is that a point of inconsistency that they'll really need to train towards, they've also further complicated the scenario in that as one moves from SOB to strong-side carry (or cross-draw) for the cooler months, there's also additional cover garment(s) to clear, too.

Klingon00 wrote:The other argument against it I've heard is that you are at a disadvantage should a bad guy come from behind and get his hand on the gun trying to take it from you. Watch your back.

And another is whether you can access the gun while you're on your back, on the ground.

There's a select group who will say that they carry a firearm because they can't be on the ground in a fight. Well, you know what, I bow to that group in that they not only can choose how the fight of their lives will go, but also to their skill in hand-to-hand fighting in that they can insure they don't go to the ground in a fight.

I apologize for being smart-alecky about that one, but honestly, have a training-partner sit or lay atop you and see if you can effect the draw from SOB or simply with the gun "clocked" farther towards your 6'o-clock. Again, we get to that question of "what are the odds," but on a very practical level, simply look at how Zimmerman was mounted.

Klingon00 wrote:

TKshooter wrote:

carmen fovozzo wrote:SOB carry has it's advantages......but more disadvantages.

Sitting is a problem.....

However sitting- I find it to be very comfortable with the gun behind my hip. Even in my office chair right now, in the car when I drove here. I thought it would be uncomfortable but it isn't.

Body shapes are different and make what works for one person may not work as well for others.

Yup. Different people are just different.

I know a guy who is a professional livery driver who carries SOB because he feels that it's the most comfortable position for him.

Alan...That's what I dislike about you...........your so practical and right most of the time..

Brian D. wrote:

Cruiser wrote:So what are the odds of the person carrying SOB falling on their back hard enough to injure themselves?

Hard to quantify. Odds seem to go up noticeably when we have lousy cold snowy icy winters though.

Friend of mine was on duty and got physical. Suspect managed to make him fall on his back. He landed with his handcuff pouch positioned small of back. He's now on disability and has had two surgeries to try to repair.

I haven't learned from him at all. I carry 6oclock myself. No problems sitting in a car or anything.