As the seasons change, so changes the wardrobe of nearly every person across the northern two-thirds of North America. T-shirts give way to hoodies, vests, light jackets … and finally, full-on winter coats.
Are you still carrying the same gun you carried in the heat of July and August? Maybe you are. Or maybe you have chosen something different for winter carry. A winter gun.
Use Reason When Choosing a Winter Gun
Now I know this goes against my mantra of “same gun, same place, every day,” but I am open-minded enough to realize there is some flexibility in every mantra. Having some flexibility is how we learn and grow.
So, what would prompt a right-thinking, responsibly armed American to abandon such a solid mantra and switch to a different gun with the change of seasons? In a word: wardrobe.
Fall and winter wardrobes are so different from summer garments that you might want to choose a different firearm for the winter. Not just because you can but because several factors may influence the choice. The first factor is the idea that bulky winter clothing hides a firearm better than light summer garments. This means you CAN carry a bigger pistol. But should you? Remember, we don’t often do things just because we can. There should be a good reason. Here is one good reason.
A winter coat will better conceal a full-sized firearm. And a full-sized pistol (or even something bigger than your summer pocket pistol) is easier to access under your heavy winter coat. Consider this: If you carry that Kahr P380 in your front pocket in the summer, you will have at least one, maybe two layers of clothing to move before you can get to that pocket and access your pistol.
When it gets really cold, I move from a Glock 19 to a Kahr CT45. The CT45, with its longer grip frame, is much easier to find beneath a winter coat, a vest and maybe a heavy shirt. But the Kahr is also much thinner than the Glock. So I’m not giving up anything in the area of comfort. I still carry in an N82 Tactical holster at 4 o’clock on my strong-side hip.
Some Things Never Change
I also still carry hollow-points in my winter gun because I believe they are the best option for self-defense, but I’m thinking of having Senior Editor Ed Combs shoot some of my carry ammo through a heavy coat into one of our Clear Ballistics gel blocks to see how my ammo performs. I should do that sooner rather than later. I’m not a caliber snob. I’m a penetration snob. I want to see 12 to 13 inches of penetration regardless of the diameter of the bullet I’m firing.
Now there is one other consideration: What happens when you come in from the cold? Are you thinking about this big full-sized gun when you take off your heavy winter coat?
That is why I like an IWB holster AND a secondary cover garment. What I mean by that is I wear a winter coat, a vest (as a secondary cover garment), a shirt and my IWB holster. This layering effect ensures that I can keep my full-sized pistol covered even if I take off my heavy coat.
Remember, train with this new wardrobe and gun combination. Clear the weapon. Remove any ammunition from the room. Double-check for clear. Now practice drawing your “winter pistol” from concealment. Build that muscle memory.
Sources:
N82Tactical: N82Tactical.com
