Boisterous Appendix Carriers Are The Vegans Of The Concealed Carry World

Nothing against veganism if that’s your thing–but I like meat and have zero plans to stop eating it.

In the same vein, I won’t disagree that Appendix carry is a legit method of carrying your gun, if it works for you. But, for me, it doesn’t work.

And, to really put a fine point on how I feel, boisterous appendix carriers are like the vegans of the concealed carry world–always trying to force their way of life on you as if it’s the ONLY way.

It’s not the only way, and it doesn’t work for everybody. To some degree, I wish I could carry appendix simply because of how fast the draw can be.

Another benefit of carrying in the appendix position is that it’s really hard for a thief to steal your gun, as we have heard of some stealing in the 3 – 5 o’clock positions.

But, here’s the thing: It won’t work for everyone and I’m living proof of that.

I’ve lost count of how many appendix carry holsters I’ve tried to this point, and not one of them worked well enough for me to use. Ever.

And, if there is one thing that rubs me the wrong way it’s when I hear folks tell me that the only reason why I don’t carry this way is because I assume I can’t because I’m a “bigger guy” and not on facts like actually trying these holsters out.

They assume, wrongly, that I haven’t tried to make it work.

I have.

AIWB doesn’t work for me even though I’ve bought and received countless appendix holsters to test out with no luck. Before I move on, let’s get some background information.

How to appendix carry:

Carrying in the appendix position is nothing more than locating your firearm IWB (inside the waistband) between the 12-1 o’clock position if you’re a righty, or the 11-12 o’clock position if you’re a lefty (called AIWB, or appendix inside the waistband).

Some folks also do cross draw, but that’s not the topic of this discussion.

Some concealed carriers can make it as far out as 2 or 10, but that’s rare because the front of the hip bone really starts to come into play here.

There are a few main benefits as discussed a moment ago, not the least of these is concealment factor for most people. Of course, this is holster dependent, and the wrong holster could break your concealment factor.

What comes to mind here, is something like this:

The caption for this picture is hilarious and reads:

Now, I know this lady from when I worked for guns.com and can say that she doesn’t usually look pregnant. The holster that she’s wearing just happens to be a real turd for the appendix position.

Does this mean she doesn’t carry in this position? If I remember correctly, this is her preferred method, only in a holster that works for her body type.

Hopefully that answered the question of how to appendix carry if you didn’t know. Let’s move on.

Common problems carrying in the appendix position:

It is my goal with this article to shut the vegan appendix guys and gals up for the last time with what I’m about to say. If I sound pissed, it’s likely because I am because someone just told me that I haven’t tried enough holsters.

I’m not sure what these people think I’m made of, but I can assure you it’s not money. Anyway …

Hear me, it isn’t just about body size or the size of my stomach. There is so much more that goes into carrying appropriately in the appendix position that no amount of losing weight will even help me because it goes beyond the size of my stomach.

Listen, I’m 300 pounds, but I haven’t always been this weight. When I got out of the Marines I was about 240 and I was in much better shape.

I still struggled even though my belly was smaller. Why? Because of my physiology. More than the size of my stomach, is where my waistline sits. More than where my waistline sits is where my body bends and contorts.

We are ALL made differently. Don’t assume I can do something because you can, even if you are a bigger dude.

My body is nothing like the 300 pound dude I may be standing next to in line at the grocery store. He may be able to appendix carry just fine, simply because his 300 pounds is shaped and maneuvers differently with a different waistline than mine does.

I’m sitting here right now, typing this up in agony to remind myself of why I don’t carry this way in one of my best appendix holsters. Let me repeat that, this is the one that works the best for me and is designed to be worn in this method.

And, it sucks.

Oh, and I’ve tried double digits worth of holsters in this position and they all suck for me. So my thoughts on why I can’t appendix carry is based on personal facts, not assumptions.

I even set out on a journey to design and sell my own holster that worked in the appendix position for people like me with bends in their body the same way without success.

I approached people who make plastic holsters for a living, telling them what I needed and one guy laughed as he told me it couldn’t be done.

Concealed Carry Adjustment:

To me, whenever you have to adjust your gun when you’re carrying it, it’s a dead giveaway that there’s a gun there. I carry concealed, so my goal is for the gun to remain hidden.

When I sit down carrying appendix, I have to physically move my stomach not because it’s something I want to do, but because it’s something I have to do.

Why? Because when your body is feeling pain, your natural response is to limit that pain as much as possible. It’s physiology, again.

Can I train myself to not reach down to my stomach and force myself to not make that adjustment?

Of course I can, but why would I want to remain in a state of pain when there are other ways that work better FOR ME?

Here’s the thing: If I’m not comfortable I’m not going to carry my gun. If I’m not going to carry my gun, what’s the point?

Just Stop:

It is possible that you don’t know what’s best for me any more than I know what’s best for you. I’m not going to force my way of thinking on you, nor should anyone try to force their way of thinking on me.

If I want to carry a gun in any method, just as long as I’m doing so safely and can get to that gun to save my life, that’s all that matters. And hey, when the crap hits the fan, just be thankful that we’re in the same room together.

Stop being the vegans of the concealed carry world. You do your thing, and let everyone else do theirs.

Rant over.