Concealed Carry Corner: A Close Look At Ankle Carry
Welcome back to another episode of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we talked about weapon lights and some of the options on the market for carrying on a concealed firearm. If you missed that article, click the link here to give it a quick read. This week, I want to revisit a topic I’ve been really critical of but never had a fair chance. Carrying an ankle holster was popular for a number of years but with the addition of Kydex holsters and appendix carrying, most younger shooters don’t consider ankle carry even slightly over other options like belt-mounted holsters or pocket carry. After picking up a new holster for my Smith & Wesson 340 PD, I gave ankle carry a spin both as a main carry option and as a backup option. Let’s take a close look at ankle carry and why it may be a good or less-than-ideal option for you.
Carrying As A Main Option
When it comes to carrying options, ankle carry has always been relatively low on my list due to the fact it takes so long to draw from concealment and isn’t practical for defending yourself in a timely manner. I’ve used cheap holsters in the past that were universal to give it a shot with little success. I have said so many negative things about ankle carry in my past articles that I decided to go all in to give carrying on your ankle a fair shakedown. I recently purchased a Galco Glove Ankle holster for my 340 PD and with tax and everything it was just over $200.
This is by far one of the nicest holsters available on the market for carrying on your ankle so if I was going to be won over, it would be with this holster. I’ve carried this setup as a main carry setup as well as a backup option for the last three weeks and my findings were a bit surprising. With the Galco Glove Ankle holster, there is plenty of padding and material between you and the holster making it one of the most comfortable holsters I’ve ever carried.
After the initial strapping up, the Galco holster disappears since there’s little to no weight from the 340 PD. In terms of being able to carry a firearm and having the option to be armed without being inconvenienced at all, this ankle setup is about as perfect as you can get. With the right type of pants and shoes, you can carry with absolutely no indication you have a firearm on your body. If you have to be discreet or worry about people seeing anything on your belt line, this really is a great way to be armed.
Carrying On The Ankle As A Backup
Carrying on your ankle is still tough to justify even with a good holster because it just takes so long to get the gun drawn and ready to use. As a main carry method, it’s incredibly slow with almost no advantage except being low profile. There are countless options that are easier to access in a life-or-death situation. Whether it’s a coat or pocket carry with a snub nose revolver, they are both faster than bending over to draw your gun. Where things get interesting is the idea of carrying in an ankle holster as a backup option in collaboration with your main carry gun on your belt. Police officers have been carrying an ankle backup gun similar to the one I’ve been trying out for years now.
There are a few videos online where officers are in a tough spot and the only option they have is to draw their ankle gun and fire on a suspect to stop the threat. Rather than making an ankle gun the only option for carrying concealed, this setup of a backup option that doesn’t take up pocket or belt space starts to make a ton more sense. I’m all for more options when you’re carrying a concealed firearm and even though this may be too much for some, it certainly doesn’t add a ton of weight or bulk to add a small revolver like this 340 PD.
Judging The Situation
Whether you decide to give ankle carry a try as a main carry option or more of a secondary backup option, it’s important to look at why you’re carrying on the ankle to see if it’s the best option. With the holidays in full swing right now, it can be hard concealing a firearm around a group of friends or family if you have a dress shirt or don’t have a ton of options for cover garments. Certain situations like the one I just described are perfect for ankle carry where it may be tricky to carry a regular gun setup but you still want to be armed.
If you are going into a potentially bad area, I would recommend it entirely but that’s not always an option. Carrying a backup option to be safer rather than sorry. Do you always need a backup option? In most cases, the answer will be no but I’ll never judge someone if they decide it’s worth it to them. I think it’s important to have options when you have various situations come into your life and ankle carry is a viable option for some of those circumstances.
Overall Thoughts
In the past, I have been rather hard on ankle carrying since it’s so difficult to draw quickly in an emergency but I will admit it does have a few positive points towards this carry method. While it’s not in my top 3 carry methods when trying to conceal a pistol, I like the idea of carrying an ankle gun as a backup option.
What do you guys think about ankle carry both as a main option or a backup method? Let me know what your thoughts are in the comments below. If you have questions about carrying concealed or firearms in general, feel free to shoot me a message on Instagram @fridgeoperator. Stay safe out there and we will see you next week for another edition of Concealed Carry Corner.