[TXGRunner]

If anyone has experience carrying their P238 as a backup in an ankle rig, I'm interested in hearing your experience: what kind of rig/brand? Is it over the boot or over sock? How much pressure/circulation issues, perceived weight, etc.?

Thanks,

 

[John D2]

I had a friend that tried an ankle holster. He hated it. He said, not only did it keep him from getting to his firearm quickly if he needed it, but he was afraid that if he tripped on something the gun would fall out.

I have no idea what holster/set up he was using.

I own and carry a 238. I have a pocket holster from DeSantis that works great. If needed, I have quick access to the weapon, and it holds it in the pocket without printing.

 

[Velocitor]

ya, I could never do a ankle holster, if I had to run or jump I would think it would fall right out, besides I would not like the tightness reqired to keep it in place, I think ankle holsters are best kept for Hollywood.

I do this if I am carrying my Sig .

 

[MrReverse]

I have been ankle carrying my P238 in a Galco ankle glove for 11 years. I am an auto mechanic so pocket carry did not work well for me with my job and uniforms. My two previous jobs had a no guns allowed policy for employees (customers could carry anything they wanted 🙄) so I needed deep concealment. Took a couple weeks to get used to it. Now I feel off without it. The holster fits snugly at my boot top. I wear 6" work boots. The holster is wearing out and I need to replace it but my Scott ancestry refuses to let it go until I have to. That and there is plenty of other things to take that $100 that they are now. It is a very comfortable and secure holster and the retaining strap also will prevent the hammer from hitting the firing pin if everything else somehow fails.

My current job the owner is very pro gun, so I also carry my P239 in an inside the waistband holster. My current uniform hides it well but when it does become exposed, it isn't a big deal. I still carry my P238 as well, after all, why not? My days at work run from 8 am to 6 pm 5 days a week on concrete floors, up and down step ladders, and crawling around in cars and trucks. My apartment is on the 3rd floor so I have a bunch of stairs I go up and down a lot. It all stays in place great for me.

 

[TXGRunner]

I really appreciate all the answers and feedback.

Given my current condition, I doubt I'll be doing any running, jumping, or the dance flipping somersaults some FBI agents are famous for performing. My greatest challenge might be just reaching the gun (many years of running means my knees don't bend any longer). If I were regularly wearing boots as I was doing about 10 years ago, I'd be much more eager to try it.

My other alternative is, since I wear cargo pants 99.99% of the time, to adjust the inside of bellows pocket to fit a pocket holster. This might work with the P238 or the Kimber Micro380, but if they are too heavy, since it isn't attached to my leg/thigh. Walking briskly, or maybe even smoothly, will show something heavy in my pocket.

For sitting, like in a car, I think I prefer the ankle holster.

@MrReverse comments echo similar responses I read elsewhere, and that person was using the same rig. I think I might just bite the bullet and order one to try. Worse case, I put it in the foot locker with the scores of other unused holsters.

Thanks again.

 

[markgam]

If anyone has experience carrying their P238 as a backup in an ankle rig, I'm interested in hearing your experience: what kind of rig/brand? Is it over the boot or over sock? How much pressure/circulation issues, perceived weight, etc.?

Thanks,

Where do you live in that you need to carry a backup weapon (aka a New York reload)? Asking from for a friend.

 

[TXGRunner]

Where do you live in that you need to carry a backup weapon (aka a New York reload)? Asking from for a friend.

What does "need" have to do with it?

Actually, right now I am in Poland, so nowhere. Everything I own is in Texas. I only carry in Texas and Oklahoma, although if I were to travel in the US and it were legal, I would carry in other states too.

"Need" is very subjective. The chance of my having to defend myself is extremely remote. If involved in a self-defense situation, the chance of my using a backup gun or needing to reload is also extremely remote. If I remember my math correctly, that means the likelihood of my "need" is near zero.

According to John Correia (Active Self Protection), even in defensive encounters, I am highly unlikely to reload, and even less likely to "need" a backup gun. I am sure he's correct. He's also certainly right when he says we're far more likely to need/use medical supplies, a flashlight, or a knife than a spare magazine or a backup gun. Again, I am sure he is right, and I always carry a knife, a flashlight, and every vehicle has backpack with an IFAK, regular first aid kit, water, and other supplies.

I can absolutely see wanting to have a gun I can give to somebody else in a sketchy situation or area. I've actually had that happen, where we knew we were going someplace bad, I couldn't legally carry, but my co-worker made sure he had an extra firearm and laid it right next to me "just in case." I like the idea of having a gun in my left cargo pocket or inside right ankle to grab with my left hand. I like the idea of being able to easily access a pistol while sitting, like in a car.

If I can get a rig that's not too uncomfortable, I'll probably wear it regularly. Do I "need" it? No. Most Americans will go through their entire life without ever needing to personally defend themselves either. I still carry.

Let me know if your friend has any more questions about how I assess and mitigate risk for myself.

 

[Sigandcz]

If you are looking to pocket carry in cargo pants then Braids Holsters:- Search Results would be worth looking at. I have a couple of his holsters which I occasionally use when wearing cargo pants. One for my wife's P238 (when she lets me use it ) and one for my P938.

 

[TXGRunner]

If you are looking to pocket carry in cargo pants then Braids Holsters:- Search Results would be worth looking at.
--snip--

Brilliant. Thank you.

Do what I did, buy her something nicer so she'll let you have the P238. How can they argue when you buy it for them?

 

[Malicious Compliance]

I'll chime in for the Galco Ankle Glove, great holster, very comfortable. They also make a Lite version, but these are generic holsters; the fit is not the best.

For driving, ankle carry is also excellent and easy to access if you spend a lot of time sitting.

Remember, the ankle holster goes on the ankle opposite your dominant hand (in other words, if you are right-hand dominant, your holster will go on the left ankle). To draw, as you bend over, grab your pants leg with your non-dominant hand, just below the knee, and extend your leg forward or to the side, pulling your pants leg up, exposing the firearm to grab with your dominant hand.

Something small like a P238 will be easy to hide; you likely will forget it's even there. I've carried J-Frames and G26 on the ankle; they did print a bit, depending on the pants.

. . . he was afraid that if he tripped on something, the gun would fall out.

That is unacceptable, any holster should have adequate retention to hold the gun in place. He just needed a different holster!

 

[TXGRunner]

@Malicious Compliance thanks for your input.

Whether in my cargo pocket or on my ankle, I want it for weak-side draw. In that case, I'd put it on my right ankle to get to it with my left hand.

I think I am going to try both and see which I prefer in practice. There's still a little room in the foot locker of holsters I tried and gave up on.

 

[markgam]

What does "need" have to do with it?

Actually, right now I am in Poland, so nowhere. Everything I own is in Texas. I only carry in Texas and Oklahoma, although if I were to travel in the US and it were legal, I would carry in other states too.

"Need" is very subjective. The chance of my having to defend myself is extremely remote. If involved in a self-defense situation, the chance of my using a backup gun or needing to reload is also extremely remote. If I remember my math correctly, that means the likelihood of my "need" is near zero.

According to John Correia (Active Self Protection), even in defensive encounters, I am highly unlikely to reload, and even less likely to "need" a backup gun. I am sure he's correct. He's also certainly right when he says we're far more likely to need/use medical supplies, a flashlight, or a knife than a spare magazine or a backup gun. Again, I am sure he is right, and I always carry a knife, a flashlight, and every vehicle has backpack with an IFAK, regular first aid kit, water, and other supplies.

I can absolutely see wanting to have a gun I can give to somebody else in a sketchy situation or area. I've actually had that happen, where we knew we were going someplace bad, I couldn't legally carry, but my co-worker made sure he had an extra firearm and laid it right next to me "just in case." I like the idea of having a gun in my left cargo pocket or inside right ankle to grab with my left hand. I like the idea of being able to easily access a pistol while sitting, like in a car.

If I can get a rig that's not too uncomfortable, I'll probably wear it regularly. Do I "need" it? No. Most Americans will go through their entire life without ever needing to personally defend themselves either. I still carry.

Let me know if your friend has any more questions about how I assess and mitigate risk for myself.

So then why not buy an up armored humvee with a mounted M4 because you never know, right? SMH

I like most Americans typically avoid sketchy areas at all costs but one of the last things I would do would be to give a weapon to an untrained person and expect then to perform.. There is a saying in the Marines, which I think applies to everyone in all disciplines: You Don’t Rise To The Occasion; You Fall Back On Your Training. Expecting an untrained individual to perform in a fire fight is a recipe for disaster. Just my two cents

 

[IngramTx]

It's truly amazing how much the human body can adapt.

I have a glass eye, bifocal glasses, false teeth, two hearing aids and a toupee but my life is normal. The Richard reduction surgery was probably the roughest to reconcile though.

I couldn't adapt to a pistol on my ankle.

EDITED TO REMOVE MALE BODY PART AND REPLACE WITH .....little Richard.

 

[TXGRunner]

So then why not buy an up armored humvee with a mounted M4 because you never know, right? SMH
--snip--

That's a bit of a non-sequitur. This might be a more productive conversation if you read what I wrote before reacting.

Should I give you a list of what I propose to carry down to the lot # of ammo and then wait for you and your friend to approve or disapprove?

Who wrote anything about untrained? Do you know who will be with me when I am forced to defend myself? Please, enlighten me, I'd like to be more prepared and my crystal ball is on the blink.

The incident I referenced happened as we drove from BIAP to Abu Ghraib. I was not authorized a weapon, but the person accompanying me knew what training I had and felt comfortable making sure a firearm was available to me in case we were hit.

Your comment kind of reminds me of the leftist program manager who, having never been in a combat zone, said authoritatively to me in his Virginia office, "I think you would agree if you had a gun you'd only be more of a danger to yourself." Ironic, since I had licenses to carry in Texas and reciprocity coverage in Virginia (through a Florida license), not to mention having spent a ton of money on self-defense courses.

Maybe, as we're taking incoming, I should insist my nephew or friend go through a background check before I give them a pistol to defend themselves?

Or, I can just refuse to give them a gun for self defense as we're being hunted down, "Sorry, you don't meet @markgam 's training standard, so you just need to sit there and be a bullet sponge for your own safety."

Silly me, I thought the right to keep and bear arms was a right, not a privilege subject to training requirements imposed by those who want guns for themselves, but don't trust anybody else to have them.