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Holsters..to cant or not to cant.

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2017 3:56 pm
by carmen fovozzo
I have been having a problem with the can't of my holster...not really a problem but can't make up my mind which to do...

My logic says one thing and my draw says another...I have had my EDC with outside paddle holste for years....just about a year ago I adjusted my holster with barrel pointing at 7 o'clock.....for some reason this seems to be faster...the front sight is closer to the target when you clear the holster verses when it is at 3 or 2.

WHat do you think.

Re: Holsters..to cant or not to cant.

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2017 5:11 pm
by carmen fovozzo
I hate spell check..Would not let me put cant the way I wanted...

Re: Holsters..to cant or not to cant.

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2017 5:15 pm
by Javelin Man
You have the choice to put it whereever you want. Kalifornia would probably pass a law stating you must have a forward butt cant, New Jersey wouldn't allow a cant.

I prefer an FBI cant, a decent forward lean to the gun so I don't have to lift it straight up to take it out of the holster. My shoulders have taken a beating driving race horses so I can't move as well as necessary.

Re: Holsters..to cant or not to cant.

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2017 5:42 pm
by Brian D.
It does depend on individual build and just how far back you carry. I also feel that a butt-forward cant hides the gun just a little better.

Re: Holsters..to cant or not to cant.

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2017 5:45 pm
by dl1911
I prefer a little less than the full FBI cant of 15 degreees. Usually like mine around 10 degrees. Feels better to me but that might be from years with Raven's Phantom holsters.

Re: Holsters..to cant or not to cant.

Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2017 6:28 pm
by TSiWRX
Brian D. wrote:It does depend on individual build and just how far back you carry. I also feel that a butt-forward cant hides the gun just a little better.
^ This is really the long and short of it.

Try this, Carmen:

Make a "finger gun" and put it at your waistline. Pretend like you're grabbing a gun out of your holster, there, at whatever clocking around your waist that happens to be. Do this as naturally as possible, without any preconceived notions as to what you might want out of a holster/holster setup. Instead, let your body do the talking. :)

Now, trace this forward and back along your belt line, first from the 3 to the 12, and then from 3 towards the 6 (both assuming you're right-handed - if you're a lefty, mirror the clocking; both assume that you're drawing strong-side, though).

Pay attention to the angle your wrist makes as you trace these clock locations. That's pretty much how much "cant" you'll likely want at any of those locations.

Like Brian D. noted above, typically, shooters tend to the more severity of the cant the further towards the 6 they push the gun. Between the 12 and the 3 (on a right-handed shooter), the tendency is instead for a "zero-cant" or "straight-drop" setup.

But this is also highly variable in terms of personal preference, as based on just how your body is shaped/sized, and how your joints articulate - including injury/disease considerations. Javelin Man's post above is a great example, and Dave Spaulding, famously, is another (although his is a slightly "reversed" cant).

Finally, as Brian points out, the cant can also interact with concealment. Larger guns tend to conceal better with a bit more cant, but at the same time, if you get too extreme, the muzzle can jut out "behind," and that can also ruin one's concealment profile just as badly. :lol: Furthermore, it's also possible to play with the ride-height of the gun above the beltline by playing with the cant: a lower ride-height can be achieved with a more aggressive cant being used to allow for clearance of the grip away from the beltline, to insure a good, dominant grip coming out of the holster in a fight.

There's really no right or wrong - play with it, put yourself on a timer, do some combatives (even if it is just mock play with no real physical force, that's OK, too). The bigger things to look out for would be whether you're sweeping the muzzle across yourself or those surrounding you, as well as whether you have any special considerations when (re)holstering your gun, due to how you position the holster and the cover garment(s) you may be wearing (i.e. is your new setup close to a cinch-pull on your winter parka?).

:)

Re: Holsters..to cant or not to cant.

Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2017 8:43 am
by carmen fovozzo
For some reason I am more confortable with the cant back and the muzzle forward with my G19...For me the on target time is less..muzzle is in the forward position. Just like the cowboys do. 8)

When I carry my 9mm Shield I like no cant..

Re: Holsters..to cant or not to cant.

Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2017 1:03 pm
by AV8TOR
Javelin Man wrote:
I prefer an FBI cant, a decent forward lean to the gun so I don't have to lift it straight up to take it out of the holster.
Same here but remember it’s about concealment, comfort, and the ability to make a quick safe draw. Finding that balance is the individual goal.

Re: Holsters..to cant or not to cant.

Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2017 7:25 pm
by Bianchi?
I have a belt line that's basically at my nipples, so a straight draw holster just...doesn't work. I have to have cant unless it's appendix. It's really dependent on your body geometry. I've also found that the further back (4:00 - 5:00) you go, the more comfortable and concealable a good cant is. Tucking the grip so it "cradles" the kidney is very concealable, especially for full sized (or just big) handguns. But it really comes down to body geometry and finding some that works for you.

Re: Holsters..to cant or not to cant.

Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2017 7:01 am
by jeep45238
TSiWRX wrote:
Brian D. wrote:It does depend on individual build and just how far back you carry. I also feel that a butt-forward cant hides the gun just a little better.
^ This is really the long and short of it.

Try this, Carmen:

Make a "finger gun" and put it at your waistline. Pretend like you're grabbing a gun out of your holster, there, at whatever clocking around your waist that happens to be. Do this as naturally as possible, without any preconceived notions as to what you might want out of a holster/holster setup. Instead, let your body do the talking. :)

Now, trace this forward and back along your belt line, first from the 3 to the 12, and then from 3 towards the 6 (both assuming you're right-handed - if you're a lefty, mirror the clocking; both assume that you're drawing strong-side, though).

Pay attention to the angle your wrist makes as you trace these clock locations. That's pretty much how much "cant" you'll likely want at any of those locations.

Like Brian D. noted above, typically, shooters tend to the more severity of the cant the further towards the 6 they push the gun. Between the 12 and the 3 (on a right-handed shooter), the tendency is instead for a "zero-cant" or "straight-drop" setup.

But this is also highly variable in terms of personal preference, as based on just how your body is shaped/sized, and how your joints articulate - including injury/disease considerations. Javelin Man's post above is a great example, and Dave Spaulding, famously, is another (although his is a slightly "reversed" cant).

Finally, as Brian points out, the cant can also interact with concealment. Larger guns tend to conceal better with a bit more cant, but at the same time, if you get too extreme, the muzzle can jut out "behind," and that can also ruin one's concealment profile just as badly. :lol: Furthermore, it's also possible to play with the ride-height of the gun above the beltline by playing with the cant: a lower ride-height can be achieved with a more aggressive cant being used to allow for clearance of the grip away from the beltline, to insure a good, dominant grip coming out of the holster in a fight.

There's really no right or wrong - play with it, put yourself on a timer, do some combatives (even if it is just mock play with no real physical force, that's OK, too). The bigger things to look out for would be whether you're sweeping the muzzle across yourself or those surrounding you, as well as whether you have any special considerations when (re)holstering your gun, due to how you position the holster and the cover garment(s) you may be wearing (i.e. is your new setup close to a cinch-pull on your winter parka?).

:)

This is what I was going to type out, but in far more detail. I’ve found that the closer to 12 o’clock, the less cant, the farther away, the more cant. How much is individual.