Most members CC IWB or OWB with their holster located in the "crook" of their waste between their protruding hip bone and rib cage (no comments on alternate CC holsters). Depending on climate, weather, and what you may be doing, your clothing can be a little as a tee shirt or as much as a tee shirt, dress shirt, jacket, sweater and even an overcoat--you get the picture--that holster can be buried under a lot of clothes. Even when it is only a tee shirt, I find the location certainly does its job as CC but I also find that drawing my firearm is not an extremely quick and efficient action (please no practice comments). If I could be open carry, there is little doubt that the preferred and most efficient location would be on my thigh (ala swat) at a distance that measures the length of my arm--my hand would literally be at the grip when my arm is hanging down, allowing for instantaneous retrieval of the firearm. Having said the above I am asking for comments on the following scenario:
I carry a lightweight full size FN5.7X28 in the preferred "waist position" mentioned above. I am in a situation where I am pretty much alone on a darkened street (say going to retrieve my car after an evening event) and some individuals are approaching me from say a block away. My situational awareness (SA) instantly tells me to cross the street and continue. The individuals do the same. I now turn around and head back toward my initial location and they are still there (would not expect anything less since they were heading that way anyway) but I sense that they are walking a bit faster. SA is now telling me to be a bit more alarmed. Up to now there is no reason, as far as my appreciation of the law, to presume imminent threat and present my firearm for defense and possible discharge. As I said above, I now realize that if this proceeds to a more dangerous conclusion approaching imminent threat, my ability to instantly draw is reduced with the layers of clothing. I tend to believe that at that point I will draw my firearm from my holster in as inconspicuous manner as possible and relocate it in either a large pocket, if there is one, or in my pants waist where instant draw is possible. I do not consider this to be brandishing (or is it?)since I am not exposing it to anyone in a "terroristic and threatening" manner, but I have altered the line between my CC responsibilty that begins to approach brandishing.
I am wondering what any of you would do and how you feel about the above actions that I believe I would take.
I carry a lightweight full size FN5.7X28 in the preferred "waist position" mentioned above. I am in a situation where I am pretty much alone on a darkened street (say going to retrieve my car after an evening event) and some individuals are approaching me from say a block away. My situational awareness (SA) instantly tells me to cross the street and continue. The individuals do the same. I now turn around and head back toward my initial location and they are still there (would not expect anything less since they were heading that way anyway) but I sense that they are walking a bit faster. SA is now telling me to be a bit more alarmed. Up to now there is no reason, as far as my appreciation of the law, to presume imminent threat and present my firearm for defense and possible discharge. As I said above, I now realize that if this proceeds to a more dangerous conclusion approaching imminent threat, my ability to instantly draw is reduced with the layers of clothing. I tend to believe that at that point I will draw my firearm from my holster in as inconspicuous manner as possible and relocate it in either a large pocket, if there is one, or in my pants waist where instant draw is possible. I do not consider this to be brandishing (or is it?)since I am not exposing it to anyone in a "terroristic and threatening" manner, but I have altered the line between my CC responsibilty that begins to approach brandishing.
I am wondering what any of you would do and how you feel about the above actions that I believe I would take.
