Cold regions residents: Your thoughts on CCW in the cold

[RAM Engineer]

We hear a lot about the issues and challenges of concealing in hot climates. However, I'd like to hear from those who carry in COLD weather. What are some issues, tips, etc, on successfully CCW-ing in cold weather? I'm thinking of things like:

1. Cover Garment Selection
2. Glove Selection
3. Materials durability (ie: Kydex vs leather vs nylon vs ...) for both belts, holsters and other support gear
4. Type of holster (iwb, owb, off body, etc)
5. What guns work better (ergonomically or just functionally) in the cold?
6. Lube (how much and what type?)
7. Lights and batteries in the cold

I live in a place that hasn't seen significant snow accumulation in over 13 years, so I'm clueless about CCW-ing in the cold. Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Jason

[Bantee]

Ram' interesting question you post. Not by any means an expert, but do have some definite thoughts on what works in cold and what does not, as I live and carry in central Iowa in the winter where -10 to -15 below is not uncommon. As is common in concealed carry in any temp extreme, either the size/ weight of the sidearm or outer garment is the deciding factor in what weapon is carried. I personally prefer a Glock 19 in 9mm. for winter time carry, only because in cold weather people, including bad guys generally wear multiple layers and / or heavier clothing. I believe the 9's added velocity circumvents this obstacle more so than the slower heavier slugs of other calibers.As far as outer garments go, I'm certainly no fashion plate by any means but prefer coats/jackets with large slash pockets. Navy Pea jackets fit the bill nicely. The key is to cut out the pockets so you can inconspicuously reach your chosen weapon. As far as gear material is concerned, I use Kydex and leather ,it's really a personal preference, as one doesn't really outperform the other as far as cold is concerned. Carry options abound in chilly climates as you can generally run whatever rig you feel comfortable with, as you are normally wearing a fairly heavy outer garment. I like iwb's & shoulder rigs in the winter. Lubes, I use graphite, many will disagree and I respect that, but any liquid lube when cold will sludge up. It's always best to check your chosen firearm/lube combo in the conditions you will be carrying in anyway. Gloves I have always found to be a compromise, you either have dexterity or warmth, but seldom it seems both. I generally err on the side of dexterity. Illumination/batteries, alkalines in winter will fail rapidly even when not in use, go with lithiums if at all possible, and even they seem to have shorter lifespans than normal in extreme cold. I like Surefire LED's & lithium batteries. Every climate requires adjustment, in the cold, your fine motor skills are somewhat compromised, so the fewer levers/straps/switches on your gear that need to be manipulated the better. Hope this helps & stay warm.:)

[frbowers]

I've carried a handgun concealed and unconcealed in Alaska for 15 years. In terms of cencealement the major issues I run into are as follows:

1) Clothing. In the lower 48 especially in the summer or even in much of Alaska in the summer my cover garment is a button front shirt of some sort. I wear t-shirt and then a collared shirt over that for concealement. In the winter in Alaska I am often dressed less informally and do not wea an untucked shirt. I need a warm outer garment, so I need some sort of vest, blazer, lighter jacket as a concealment garment when indoors. Or I just stuff a scandium j frame in my pants pocket.

2) Your holster will be warm because it is near your body, so the choice of kydex or leather is irrelevant in this regard.

3) Same as above with lube and lights. All of that stuff will be warmed by body heat.

4) Learn to shoot with gloves. Personally I find it difficult, but do train this way increasingly. I have difficulty taking up the slack on a 1911 trigger with gloves and tend to mash the trigger. It is easier with a Glock or M&P.

[M4Fundi]

When a bad guy could be wearing a long underwear shirt,heavy wool shirt, carhart lined vest and topped off with a Carhart heavy coat as is common in the Rockies using Corbon DPX that expands and penetrates deeper (without worrying about the hollowpoint plugging with multi layers of heavy canvas clothing) is a good idea.

I use CLP & TW25 & have had no problems so far. I carry steel guns, but I can see the advantages of polymer if you think you are going bare handed. I usually wear Patagonia or Simms Fleece 3/4 finger gloves all the time when my hands are in and out of pockets and they work well for shooting. I swear by them. If my hands are going to stay out of my pockets for extended time I wear lightweight ice climbing gloves. I don't bother training in heavier gloves as its just too dangerous. I've seen too many ND from them. If I have to wear heavy gloves they are coming off before the draw. Windstopper gloves with a silk or capilene liner works also.

IWB carry in extreme cold "for me" is kind of a joke when I have to pull up jacket, vest then shirt. I either carry OWB (which isn't much better) or in coat front pocket (which is most practical)

If you think that you are going to have to use heavy gloves then a revolver is a good choice followed by Bowers suggestions of Glock/M&P. I do carry a 629 MG sometimes and hope to get a 696 for winter carry someday. Some of my buddies swear by the 10mm for winter carry.

[RUSKI]

I agree with frbowers. Your pistol, batteries and holster will stay warm from body heat. So some things are a non issue. Your CLP will not freeze untill about -10f to -20f, and thats only if your weapon is in the open.

I have ptarmigan hunted in as cold as -40 with windchill and the worst that had happened to my .17HMR rifle on one trip is it FTF, struck primer but no bang. I just loaded another round and kept shooting. My Beretta 90-Two was out in the open and shot with no issue, it did however have a vary vary thin coat of lube.

As far as gloves go I use thinner gloves, reason being is manipulation in "extreme cold temps" becomes much more difficult. Its too much trouble messing around with thicker gloves. So practice with winter gloves is key.
Just make sure your pistol is easy to reach if you absolutely need it. I carry on my hip because its too bulky in my front coat pocket, and its just easier for me to lift my coat and ready the weapon. I also use shorter coats when I carry.

As far as the pistols themselves use what you are used to working with, and practice with it.

Hope that helps

[langloisandy]

Ram,

Good questions!

Cover Garments, I wear what is warm...exposure because I need to access a gun is bad bad bad bad. I modify my clothing a little and my carry ALOT for frigid temps.
(note: I wear duty gear as well, but only add a coat for winter atop the Uni)
Carhartt Coat is my normal cover, Fleecy stuff too. A USMC Goretex is my all around fave for everything but sub-0.

Gloves, whatever is warm, I use liners and practice dropping the right glove when drawing.

Materials: I use leather except for duty, then Safariland gear. ( www.shottist.com is me....I might like leather). OWB most of the time, sometimes inner pocket carry.

I only shoot 1911s.

Lube....oh jeez, this'll start the dreaded "lube thread". I have tested damn near every lube at -20 and colder on my 1911s and AR. (and tested things like Lard/KY/Grease/Olive Oil). CLP and .mil issue work. Synthetic Motor Oils work (Mobil1/Amsoil/redline tested) and TW25. Currently I am using SLIP2000 on EVERYTHING. I'll pass the testing info on when I have it. I am VERY happy with this lube and line of products, if it works at sub zero, I will use nothing else on my guns.

Batteries WILL die in the cold. This happens. Spare lights are needed as are spare batt's.

Hope this helps,

Andy






We hear a lot about the issues and challenges of concealing in hot climates. However, I'd like to hear from those who carry in COLD weather. What are some issues, tips, etc, on successfully CCW-ing in cold weather? I'm thinking of things like:

1. Cover Garment Selection
2. Glove Selection
3. Materials durability (ie: Kydex vs leather vs nylon vs ...) for both belts, holsters and other support gear
4. Type of holster (iwb, owb, off body, etc)
5. What guns work better (ergonomically or just functionally) in the cold?
6. Lube (how much and what type?)
7. Lights and batteries in the cold

I live in a place that hasn't seen significant snow accumulation in over 13 years, so I'm clueless about CCW-ing in the cold. Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Jason

[smithjd]

Most of your questions have been covered, but I'll add:

I carry the same gun in the same way all the time, lubed the same and in the same holster. It is true that cold weather requires more / heavier clothes, which will slow down the draw.

I have carried a Glock 27 in the front slash pocket of my Carhartt as a second gun, that can be accessed much quicker. I may be getting one of those Ruger LCP's for that job, understanding that .380 sucks in the summer, and would be even worse through heavy clothing. It might buy me enough time to get the .45 out though.

Wearing gloves while shooting sux. If they keep your hands warm, they slow you down. I won't wear them unless its really cold, or I'll be out in it for a while. Just going from buildings to the car, get used to it or carry some of those little hand warmers in your pocket.

If you are out on perimeter for a while in the bitter cold, one of the local guys has an overly large set of snowmobile mittens that he wears, and can immediately throw them off. I am looking for a set just for that reason.

[ST911]

I don't change anything., equipment wise, with the change in seasons.

I've seen broken holsters from incidental impacts with door frames and the like. They were commonly criticized lesser gear, and folks should expect failure with them anyway.

Added layers of clothing require a bit more practice to clear, but you should be practicing with pull-up or push back clearances anyway. I like multiple thinner layers rather than a bulky layer. I leave the outer layers open as much as possible.

I avoid the use of gloves unless it's a necessity. When it is, I use the thinnest possible with slip resistant surfaces. Goretex and the high-tech linings to keep gloves thin are worth paying extra for.

Outdoor sports are more complex. Skating, skiing, snowmobiling all have their own CCW quirks, with more flexibility required.

[decodeddiesel]

I've carried a handgun concealed and unconcealed in Alaska for 15 years. In terms of cencealement the major issues I run into are as follows:

1) Clothing. In the lower 48 especially in the summer or even in much of Alaska in the summer my cover garment is a button front shirt of some sort. I wear t-shirt and then a collared shirt over that for concealement. In the winter in Alaska I am often dressed less informally and do not wea an untucked shirt. I need a warm outer garment, so I need some sort of vest, blazer, lighter jacket as a concealment garment when indoors. Or I just stuff a scandium j frame in my pants pocket.

2) Your holster will be warm because it is near your body, so the choice of kydex or leather is irrelevant in this regard.

3) Same as above with lube and lights. All of that stuff will be warmed by body heat.

4) Learn to shoot with gloves. Personally I find it difficult, but do train this way increasingly. I have difficulty taking up the slack on a 1911 trigger with gloves and tend to mash the trigger. It is easier with a Glock or M&P.

Agreed with all points. The part of Colorado I reside in doesn't get anywhere near Alaska, but it is cold. I think you hit the nail on the head with everything in your post.

As far as the outdoor sports as Skintop brought up, I find one of those hiking "butt packs" to be the best solution for CCW'ing.

[civilian]

I dress in layers and rarely wear a heavy jacket, but then again I'm dealing with DC area winters, which aren't exactly brutal. If I'm out and about and the jacket is going to be on all the time, I'll have my shirt tucked in with the jacket concealing the grip of the gun. In that situation I just sweep the jacket and draw the gun. If I end up in a situation where I am indoors, then I'll pull my shirt out so that it now conceals the gun and from there I can shed the jacket. Before leaving, I can hit the bathroom and tuck the shirt back in before throwing the jacket back on. That said, I also train quite a bit on getting the jacket and covering shirt up and out of the way to allow me to draw. My typical winter outfit looks like this: jeans, long sleeve t-shirt tucked in as undergarment, short sleeve t-shirt or other shirt over that long sleeve t, both of which are tucked in, raven concealment iwb holster between jeans and shirts, lightweight jacket over the whole thing. The 250lbs of love I'm carrying on my frame provide the rest of my insulation from the cold :D

[awm14hp]

I should in an action league all year round all the shooting is done from a CC type start and with the winter brings the same clothing issues I would really face in NY so its nice to practice as it would most likely happen and I use the same gloves I use all the time either mechanix gloves or nomex or Cabelas goretex or just insulated Kangaroo shooting gloves just depends how cold outside it is. I just practice as I would usually carry.

[BobM]

I use the same gear year round except in cooler weather I might add a gun in a vertical shoulder holster that I can get to with a coat partially zipped. I also keep a gun in an outer coat pocket, either a snub revolver, or if the pocket is big enough, a Glock 19 or my M&P40c.

[Obiwan]

I shoot year round and my local spot is at about 9,000 ft.

In the winter it is often in the 10-20 degree range

In the summer, the sunshine thru the thin air makes everything made of metal really hot

So I train year round with gloves,....eventually it gets to the point where it doesn't really slow you down

[DBR]

In the winter I carry a J frame in an outer coat pocket and a Glock 19 in a shoulder holster. I use Speer Gold Dots in both. They have good penetration through clothing and reasonable expansion. I like the idea of being able to have the J frame "in hand" while concealed in my coat pocket with the Glock as back up.

If gloves are required I use very light leather or "liner" gloves under heavier outer gloves. Usually all that is necessary are the liner gloves unless I am outside for prolonged periods. I can easily remove the outer glove if necessary. I have been surprised by how well light gloves insulate for short periods of time.

I have found it important to train with gloves. Some guns like the J frame can catch glove material and become single shots.

[Terry]

I don't really change anything either.
G17 in a Raven IWB.
I wear 2 layer's of gloves, depeding on what I'm doing and the duration, with the inner glove thin with a gripping surface.
Definetly practice drawing and shooting with gloves if you think it could happen.
One thing I would note is, carring a revolver in a pocket is allot easier for quick trips.