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Ayoob: Is Ankle Carry a Good (or Bad) Idea?

I appreciate this article and occasionally ankle carry. For me, I have 3 issues that make it more difficult.
1) I've had 3 vertebrae fused in my lower back so my ankle holster is a backup only since I just can't bend down very fast...
2) I'm a fairly large guy with a large muscular calf so finding a holster that doesn't cut off circulation is challenging.
3) I'm a LBK (left Bellow the Knee) amputee. Because of this, I have tooo carry on my right side which is the hand I draw with too. Even with these challenges, I'm glad to have access to a backup.
Thanks again for a good article.
 
I observed a co-worker carrying on the ankle as backup to his issued pistol. Getting out of the car the pistol evidently struck the door jamb causing the hammer strap to unsnap (or it may not have even been snapped in, in the first place). It took less than a half dozen steps and the backup pistol came out of the holster, sliding out into the roadway. Note, I also carried in an ankle holster but was very careful to insure my exit from a vehicle did not impact the holster or pistol.

Another instance, my plain clothes partner and I were entering a fenced front yard in the "ghetto" section of west Phoenix, attempting to locate a suspect. A sign on the fence said to be aware of the dog, which we foolishly ignored. We got about 20 ft inside the fenced yard and a huge mongrel dog charged us. Both of us ran back towards the gate...well actually hopped...trying to access the snub nose pistols we carried in ankle holsters. The homeowner called off the dog before it got one of us. It was scary when it happened, funny when we calmed down and thought about what might have happened.

I quit ankle carrying after that...
 
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I have used one but abandoned it.
Twice in my career I and other officers spent hours searching for guns that came out of a ankle holsters. On another occasion we were processing a large number of handcuffed prisoners in a common area when I saw one of the prisoners trying to conceal a .25 auto under his foot. I picked it up and when my partner saw it he said he had one just like it. It turns out it was his that had fallen out of his ankle rig. On another occasion an officer was fighting a suspect and lost his backup revolver from his ankle holster. The suspect picked it up and shot him with it, fortunately not fatally. Based upon those experiences I am not a fan of ankle holsters. Centrifugal force from inertia way out there on the end of your leg is trying to throw it away. There are more secure ways to carry a backup. Is you are going to carry this way you need a substantial ankle holster.
 
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I always wear an ankle holster when out-and-about in addition to my primary weapon carried in an IWB holster. Concealed = hidden. I'm a firm believer in the old adage, "two is one; one is none". Though I've got fat muscular calves, my SA 3" 9mm EMP, Hellcat RDP, and Taurus G2C, all present with the grip printing in regular jeans (any man who wears "skinny jeans" is likely a gun hater anyway...it won't go with his douchebag man-bun scrunchie!). Therefore, I only carry a Ruger LCP (.380) w/Viridian laser, or an S&W Bodyguard (.380) with laser in one of two holsters: If wearing sneakers, or my Justin hi-top boots, I use the BugBite holster by Sneaky Pete with the incorporated mag pouch, or with the Justin boots I use a cheapy Uncle Mike's #10 nylon holster with plastic clip. Both work well for me and my body "configuration". YMMV, of course.
 
Been there, done that, didn't care for it. Learned a few things from the article, perhaps I need to revisit wearing one on the ankle, now considering it is cooler weather and wearing long clothing. And to think I just got some new socks for Christmas, this could work ?!?
 
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