For many years I have carried on the strong side but I am starting to wonder if cross draw might actually be more comfortable.

I know that FBI, Secret Service and most LEOs carry under cover on the strong side. But it seems that the motion of brushing back the jacket,reaching for and lifting the weapon and pointing is not natural.

Reaching across the body, pulling the weapon out rather than up, and presenting from a cross draw is more smooth and just a little easier to accomplish. It also seems that cross draw should be faster but as far as I have seen competition shooters use the strong side method. BUT it also seems that strong side does a better job of concealment than Cross draw because of the grip sticking forward.

I'm guessing that the changes of getting older makes one motion easier than another and I am wondering if others have found the same to be true.

I have ordered a new IWB holster that can be used for either strong side or cross draw so I will be covered no matter which way I decide. Although my OWB holster is comfortable, IWB is a totally different set of variables.

I am not certain if this should be under the Self Defense Forum or here in holsters but I am sure someone will move it if need be

Your question isn't really about holsters, per se, but about modes of carry, so I have taken the liberty of moving the thread to the Self-Defense forum.

The FBI agents I worked with many years ago carried small-of-back, which I thought awfully interesting at the time. I don't currently know any fibbies, so I don't know if strong side, "FBI rake" is the norm, or dictated by policy, or if they can carry however they want. Personally, I think cross-draw makes sense in a vehicle, but I am not convinced that it's faster than a strong side carry under other conditions than seated.

A potential downside to cross-draw is that it's much easier for an assailant to grab and disable your arm as you reach across in front of you. Plus the gun comes out of the holster pointing away from the bad guy (which means toward someone who probably isn't a bad guy. To get the gun aimed at the bad guy it has to be swept across in front of you, whereas from a strong side carry you have a better chance of holding the gun back, out of the bad guy's reach.

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Hawkmoon
On a good day, can hit the broad side of a barn ... from the inside

Cross draws work fine for double carries and also in the saddle.

Bob

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NRA Life Member since '67

"Never interrupt your enemy when he's making a mistake."
Napoleon

One thing that crossdraw may have an edge for is being accessible to either hand. I like to practice strong-hand and weak-hand draws, mag changes, etc. A lot of holsters that are otherwise good, don't seem so hot when you are trying to get the gun out weak-handed. I think the crossdraw would work well here.

And, of course, they work better than strong side when seated (usually).
I know of at least two people who carry crossdraw in the car/truck, then switch the gun to their usual stroing side holster before they get out.

But those are about the only plusses I see.

As Hawkmoon said, you can't draw the gun and aim at something in front of you without the muzzle sweeping across 180 degrees of area. To be blunt- In the heat of the moment, I don't see the need to point my gun at my wife and kids on it's way to the bad guy.
Everyone and everything within HALF of the area around you gets covered by the muzzle.

Besides covering a lot of area with your muzzle, that's a long distance to cover before the gun is on target. With strong side carry, the gun clears the holster, is rotated up on target, and can be fired at any time if needed (or if you can't move it any further). With crossdraw, you MUST complete the draw to get the gun on target.

Many (most?) trainers won't allow a crossdraw in their classes due to the muzzle sweeping. I don't train a whole lot, but try to go to a class at least once a year, and think everyone should go at least once. Being unable to train with it is reason enough for me to avoid it.

You also won't be allowed to use it on most public or gun club ranges (the ones that even allow drawing from the holster). That may or may not matter to you, depending upon where you shoot. I don't usually use a public or club range, but I do when we travel to see my wife's family a couple of times a year. They allow stong side holster use at the club I joined. Even though I'm not there very often, I would hate to not be able to use my regular holster those times.

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"I like marksmanship and think it is a good judge of character. A good shot is almost always a good man, because good shooting calls for self-control, and self-control is one of the important aspects of a good man." Jeff Cooper

As stated before, crossdraw can be useful. It allows for an easier draw while seated, or if you have range of motion difficulties with your strong arm. It also is a good way to keep a readily available pistol out of the way while doing menial chores and while hunting.

For some it can be slower to draw, but for others, it is sometimes faster than the FBI carry. I don't like not having the muzzle on target when the pistol is first presented and it is easier to defend against when the shooter and shootee are within grappling distance. And to hide it is definitely something that has to be thought about a little more.

IMO, it is a viable mode of carry. It would not always be my first choice, but it has it's place.

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Regards,

Tom

This is all true if you are facing the person being interviewed. I interviewed with left shoulder facing the other person and for me it was a power stance since the left arm could be used for blocking or transitioning into handcuffing techniques easier than standing flat footed facing subject.

Rather than adapt the cross-draw technique to body positioning; optimize body positioning to the cross-draw. Given the statistics that 80% of crime is committed by those who have been in prison and a blade to gun assault ratio of 6:1; I'm not going to be facing a potential assailant, nor remain stationary.

If I'm fortunate enough to be double carrying, as stated previously, I'll become mobile right direction if no protection is available. With right forearm across the body; cross-draw is basically a flick of the wrist to engage BGs or multiple BGs and do so accurately.

Hope this helps.

Bob

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NRA Life Member since '67

"Never interrupt your enemy when he's making a mistake."
Napoleon

There have been times during my LEO career when I have used the "crossdraw" carry and felt it more appropriate. When I worked undercover and was expecting to be in crowded areas I would often carry in that manner. My reasoning was that if I was attacked it automatically kept both of my hands closer to my centerline, which is what needs the most protection in self defense against a knife, broken bottle, punch, etc.

It also seems easier to protect against someone brushing against me and accidentally feeling my weapon on my hip or small of the back. For many years I would primarily shoot "Weaver" style, and as a LEO, I always reverted to old training and stepped back with my strong side, which made it very easy to acquire a weaver stance from the crossdraw while blading my body and getting out of harms way while fending with my weak hand. As said by others, if someone catches your hand while its crossing your body (from a frontal assault), you are very weak pulling from that angle unless you step back and away as you draw.

I think it certainly has its place and is worth considering but in the end its just another choice and requires practice to be dependable and practical.
Good Luck

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"A Wise Man Changes His Mind, But A Fool Never Does"

Nor, will you ever see cross draw in competition.

Rule numero uno in competition is safety. One of the main treatises of this is the "180 Rule". There is no way to effect a cross draw, without breaking the 180 degree plane of safety.

Defensive situations are a lot different. The 180 Rule is way down the list of imparatives.

In terms of "faster", statistics don't agree; at least for the masses. It's pretty much accepted dogma that the list of draw speed, low to high, goes something like:

1) Strong side OWB
2) Strong side IWB
3) Cross draw
4) Shoulder holster
5) SOB

Ok. Statistics asside. Everyone is different. Every individual has a preference and certain physical anomolies/abilities, which may dictate that one method is superior to another. Go with what feels most natural for you.

Most importantly: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, P-R-A-C-T-I-C-E that method until it is as familiar as brushing your teeth in the dark.

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Guns kill people the same way spoons make you fat.

Halito all. I use the cross-draw as my primary, primarily because I use crutches to get around. I do carry the BUG strong-side. But it is difficult to reach along strong-side while using fore-arm crutches. So, there is my advantage to using the cross-draw. Love the 1911 (cross-draw and all) Texas (they really have big cattle?) and this forum.

C......

Folks have already covered the pros and cons of cross draw. I'll just add a couple of thoughts.

Cross draw is useful for a backup gun. One of the keys to effective use of a backup gun is that be accessible with either hand, which crossdraw will certainly do.

Something you might want to try since you have an adjustable cant IWB coming is appendix carry, where the holster is your strong side, but in front of your hip. It will end up being about where you watch pocket is on jeans. It's not for everyone, but you might give it a try.

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"The 1911 was the design, given by God to us through John M. Browning, that represents the epitome of what a killing tool needs to be. It was true in 1911 and it's true now." - Col. Robert Coates commanding, U.S. Marine Corp Special Operations Command Detachment 1 (DET 1)