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Strong side, cross draw, or appendix (AIWB) - which of these positions is the safest and most effective for concealed carry? This has been a point of contention between gun owners as well as firearms trainers and industry professionals for decades. In today's blog, we're discussing the advantages and disadvantages of each carry position to determine if one is truly superior for EDC.
When selecting a holster for a defensive pistol, it may be tempting to focus on speed and concealment above all else. However, an effective EDC setup should also offer a high degree of safety, particularly as the shooter is drawing or re-holstering their gun. The primary responsibility for anyone carrying a concealed handgun is to do so in a manner which mitigates the risk of personal injury due to a negligent discharge while preventing the flagging of unintended targets.
Inadvertently causing bodily harm to yourself or an innocent bystander can incur heavy legal penalties and greatly diminishes your ability to act as an effective self-defender. Consequently, there are several non-negotiable features that any holster must have before it is considered viable for concealed carry, including:
These design elements reduce the likelihood of your gun falling out of the holster, accidentally pulling the trigger before you're ready to shoot, or sweeping yourself during the process of drawing or re-holstering. Moreover, your holster selection will not only impact how you carry, but where you carry on your person. Carry position and holster selection are equally important when curating a new EDC loadout.
In today's market, most readily-available production holsters can be grouped into one of the following categories: strong side, cross draw, and appendix (AIWB). Each type of rig is designed to wear in a specific position on the shooter's waistline and utilizes slightly different techniques for drawing / re-holstering the firearm.
Strongside carry encompasses traditional belt loop and paddle-style holsters as well as more modern straight-drop or canted inside-the-waistband (IWB) holsters. In this position, the holster is typically worn at the 3, 4, or 5 o'clock position for right-handed shooters or the 7, 8, or 9 o'clock position for left-handed shooters. Proponents of strongside carry often cite increased comfort and ease of access as the reasons behind their preference.
With practice, the average shooter can achieve a consistently smooth 1.5-second draw or better, which is the objective defensive standard we strive to maintain at Classic Firearms. It could also be argued that strongside is the safest carry position because the holster is located on the outside of your hip where there is less risk of accidentally muzzling yourself while re-holstering your pistol.
Though more niche than strongside or appendix carry, cross draw is still incredibly popular with shooters who work in occupations that require a lot of driving or sitting. The archetypal hard-boiled detective comes to mind, but more realistically, this carry method is well-suited for long haul truck drivers, farmers, and office workers.
Cross draw holsters are worn on the hip opposite your dominant hand and usually feature a generous butt-forward cant that lends itself to an unobstructed draw when behind the wheel or typing at a desk. A cross draw rig can also be used effectively when standing, but is probably the slowest of the three carry positions we're comparing. This is because you must reach across the front of your body to draw / re-holster the handgun, which may also slightly increase the likelihood of flagging yourself.
Appendix carry (AIWB) is possibly the least conspicuous carry method available to shooters in 2024. Worn at the 1 or 2 o'clock position (10 or 11 o'clock for lefties), these specialized inside-the-waistband rigs are designed to conceal under a tee shirt without the need for an additional cover garment. The gun is easily accessible while seated or standing, and many holsters also ship with an optional mag caddy attachment for quick, convenient reloads.
Despite its immense popularity, AIWB is the most divisive carry position due to concerns over safety. Detractors claim that appendix carry is just too dangerous to justify the risk of shooting yourself in the crotch or femoral artery, while advocates of AIWB have repeatedly pointed out that good technique and holster selection can mitigate this risk entirely. The Classic Firearms team is of the opinion that you should always train with your firearm regardless of how you carry, so as long as you practice the proper draw stroke and always reholster in a safe manner, appendix carry can also be considered a safe option.
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Each of the above concealed carry positions can be utilized safely, but we do think there is one in particular that poses more of a risk to the shooter. Cross draw is too situation-specific to be practical for most gun owners and presents an opportunity to unintentionally sweep your entire upper body, which could have disasterous results. And unlike strongside or appendix carry, cross draw has the added complexity of drawing the firearm without pointing it at an innocent bystander in your immediate vicinity.
Moreover, the majority of firearms instructors in 2024 teach either strongside or AIWB, so opting for one of these carry positions allows you to attend more training courses using your actual everyday carry setup. To see what we carry and how we train, check out our video below.
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