New Circumstances and choices to be made..CCW with newborn

[RugerGP]

I went through your same predicament 2 years ago (wow time flies). I carry a G43 in an alien gear holster around my little one for around 12 hours a week. From what I've found is if you have a good modernist holster and practice proper safety techniques you will be fine. I know it doesn't seem right that it's that easy but it really is. My biggest problem is when holding/picking up the kid my shirt seems to ride up more than I like. It's become a habit now even when not carrying to pull my shirt down after picking him up.

My XDS is secured tightly in the holsters I have, I am not so much concerned with the child accessing it on my person because my trigger is properly covered and secured and my holsters have decent retention for being a hybrid with no active system. I am really more concerned with the size and carry location. Even know when carrying at 3-5 O'clock I am forever having my shirt ride up. Once I throw on a book bag, diaper bag, baby/toddler moving all around dropping things (me having to bend over constantly.... etc). I can only imagine what will happen lol.

 

[4excal]

If it really bothers you, go with a revolver. Never gonna have a misfire (negligent discharge)and some like snub nose S & W's will fit anywhere. When I had my 1st kid 16 years ago, it was the "Saturday night special" always carried in SOB with neoprene belly belt SOB holder(which was a new thing back then, and actually helped keep your gut looking like a six pack tight stomach lol). But the kids never grabbed my upper butt lol, and it could never misfire..and as @Willjr75 knows.. I'm all about not having a negligent discharge

 

[Doc8404]

I started with my 19. Then shifted to PPS or 442 ankle carry due to all the floor time.

 

[Justincase]

Good points. I do like the grip safety on my XDS, it does add an extra piece of mind to me especially when I am holstering(I just pick my hand up a bit and deactivate it as the barrel slides in). My wife would love if I bought the EMP but its too much $$ and I think the xds 4.0 and emp 4 would be roughly the same size. I have never really considered the MOD2, I could look into that.

The MOD.2 with the 4" barrel is bigger than the xds as it's a double stack, but they do make it in a 3" version which is pretty small. I'm sure any small gun would work fine regardless of safety/no safety if all precautions are taken, but I would just feel better with the added grip safety. I was also considering the Sig P250 for this purpose as there's no accidentally pulling that trigger either. Plus it comes in a really small subcompact size with the adjustable grip modules. I have the compact with small grip and it's very concealable.

 

[Fezzik]

Congrats! Best wishes to you and your family.

I can certainly see the advantage to the G19 for continuity purposes and the LEO discount. For the purpose at hand, you may be better off with the revolver. Are you firm on the Ruger if you do go the revolver route or would you consider another brand? the S&W 642/442 come to mind.

 

[Criticalt]

Congratulations.
Id suggest a small, accurate, reliable and easy to deep conceal gun.
The S&W Shield is all of those plus inexpensive.
For a small revolver, Ruger SP101.
Its small, accurate at range, dependable and built like a tank. Its a bit heavier than the LCR but more heft can be good with accuracy and ease of use.
With either a good IWB holster will keep it safe and far out of reach of the young one.

 

[RugerGP]

Congrats! Best wishes to you and your family.

I can certainly see the advantage to the G19 for continuity purposes and the LEO discount. For the purpose at hand, you may be better off with the revolver. Are you firm on the Ruger if you do go the revolver route or would you consider another brand? the S&W 642/442 come to mind.

I am not firm on anything at this point. I did like the trigger on the LCRX I tried however.

The G19 does sound like a good fit and would be a good fit but yes I think your right, for my purpose, a smaller pistol may be what I am in need of.

 

[RugerGP]

Congratulations.
Id suggest a small, accurate, reliable and easy to deep conceal gun.
The S&W Shield is all of those plus inexpensive.
For a small revolver, Ruger SP101.
Its small, accurate at range, dependable and built like a tank. Its a bit heavier than the LCR but more heft can be good with accuracy and ease of use.
With either a good IWB holster will keep it safe and far out of reach of the young one.

I almost purchased the shield a few years ago when I got my XDS 4.0. At this point I feel having both would be redundant (if money wasn't an object I'd want one lol). The shield is selling for super cheap right now tho. I was considering the SP101...3" .357 mag version also but seems but that puts pocket carry out of the question I would think.

 

[AnthonyC]

As others have said, Congratulations! If this is your first child, sleep now. Both of you, sleep as much as you can.
It really isn't newborns or even infants that are the trouble, it's toddlers. They are mobile, they are curious and they explore everything. You cannot train those out of kids nor should you want to. That's how they learn. They are constantly reaching and grabbing things to check them out.
Therefore, regardless of the pistol you have a holster with great retention is paramount. Not average retention, not good retention but GREAT retention. Those little ones can be quick and can reach over to grab the gun while you're carrying them or bending over to pick them up. Or say you are down on the ground for a little horseplay or wrestling, you don't want it to fall out.
Regarding the gun itself, yes the ideal safety is always between the ears but sometimes when we are sleep deprived, distracted, or stressed out we can lose focustomers for a moment. We're all human and we all make mistakes. Therefore I do think a safety on pistol can sometimes be a good thing. I became a gun for the first time after I already had 4 young kids so I waneed a pistol with a few safety mechanisms. My first was a Bersa Thunder 380 which is a DA/SA with a safety /decocker, a magazine disconnect and even an internal lock. In the begunning I did not even carry with a round chambered. Some may say that I was ridiculous but I think that CCW is often a process, which people come to become comfortable as the become more proficient and familiar with their firearms. I knew I was a novice so the Bersa offered me thoae extra layers of safety. I now carry a Sig P250 which has a longer DAO trigger as well as a hammer I can keep my thumb on as I holster it. Unfortunately Sig ceased productive of these.

 

[Saltwater60]

I too am considering what pistol to carry around my five year old. What would be safest with his jumping, tackling, grabbing and whatnot? I figure something with a grip safety. That, plus a good retention holster and making sure he knows the rules about handling, being near, and finding guns. For me, likely a Springfield EMP 4 or XD MOD.2

I freaking love my xd mod 2. It's a great gun. The xd m 3.8" looks like a great gun too.

 

[Marine Cpl]

I don't understand this whole thing about needing to get a new gun or a retention holster around a kid. If you have it holstered properly in a quality holster to begin with, why would you need to change anything?

The gun isn't going to go off by itself and if touched, are you guys saying that your reaction time is so slow and your kid is so strong that he can overpower you to pull it completely out of the holster and pull the trigger?

I don't know. I think some of you guys go extremely overboard when it comes to guns. This to me sounds like something from the Huffington Post.

 

[Magnus]

Congrats! You should be in the clear during your baby's first two years of life. I assembled a tactical baby bags for when I was taking my son out. So I had weapons on one side and diapers n milk on the other. I never off body carried, still don't. Now that he's 4, it's a little more challenging. I have to worry about in playing with my shirt, bumping his head on it and telling everyone he hit my gun, one time he wanted to see how strong my belt was and hung from it, other times he likes to make sure it's on my hip by patting it, ok hanging on the belt thing was my idea.... but still, I always ask myself "can he get hurt somehow" when ever I put my gun down. I carry a 1911 always! Locked and loaded.

 

[FLA45fan]

Congrats on the new addition!
As far as the gun goes, as much as I like the Glock 19 (carried for years) I think that in your position the snubbie would be a better choice for a few reasons. Snubbies will be the perfect back up gun for duty use, placed in your vest, weak side uniform pocket, or even on the ankle ( with lots of practice). I'm a fan of the S&W j frames and vest placement, but the Ruger LCR would be fine. SP101s will get heavy with all the other gear you tote around, so think light. Either a snubbie or Glock would be fine for off duty carry, but if you decide on a Glock consider the 43 for a BUG - good vest gun

 

[Marine Cpl]

Congrats on the new addition!
As far as the gun goes, as much as I like the Glock 19 (carried for years) I think that in your position the snubbie would be a better choice for a few reasons. Snubbies will be the perfect back up gun for duty use, placed in your vest, weak side uniform pocket, or even on the ankle ( with lots of practice). I'm a fan of the S&W j frames and vest placement, but the Ruger LCR would be fine. SP101s will get heavy with all the other gear you tote around, so think light. Either a snubbie or Glock would be fine for off duty carry, but if you decide on a Glock consider the 43 for a BUG - good vest gun

Why would a snubbie be a better choice for a man with a kid?

 

[spat]

I'm legally not aloud to carry (practice wise I have done open carry in a holster with the beretta and 1911). Glock/Anything Like a glock worries me because I don't like the idea of no safety on a pistol when pulling it out, maybe when I'm more experienced with drawing a pistol I would but the thought of not having a safety and pulling a gun out and not having it accidentally get caught around my finger to early or something scares me. My dad is setting up a course this summer that we can practice at

Drawing is pretty safe, its reholstering that most accidents happen....

 

[FLA45fan]

Why would a snubbie be a better choice for a man with a kid?

Well, in answer to that, most Snubbies will have a longer, double action trigger that would be probably a minimum of 10-12 lbs, which in the unlikely event that a youngster gets a hold of it, would make it less likely to discharge while handling. Obviously, gun safety will be drilled into all, early and often. Most of my answer was directed at his use of the firearm for BUG duty use (ease of use, multiple locations for carry, and low profile).

 

[Marine Cpl]

Well, in answer to that, most Snubbies will have a longer, double action trigger that would be probably a minimum of 10-12 lbs, which in the unlikely event that a youngster gets a hold of it, would make it less likely to discharge while handling. Obviously, gun safety will be drilled into all, early and often. Most of my answer was directed at his use of the firearm for BUG duty use (ease of use, multiple locations for carry, and low profile).

I get that. I however believe that instruction is the best preventer of such things happening.

 

[redtail]

Congratulations on the coming baby, you will never go to sleep without worrying a bit about that person for the rest of your life..lol

And since nobody else chimed in with the gospel, If there can be but one ;

 

[FLA45fan]

I get that. I however believe that instruction is the best preventer of such things happening.

Absolutely! As I stated, "early and often." That's the instructor in me coming out. Being old school, I have always liked a snubbie for a balance between concealment, power, ease of use. But, except for the profile, say in a vest or on the ankle, I really like a Glock 43, especially with all the improved ammo choices for short barreled pistols.

 

[RugerGP]

I don't understand this whole thing about needing to get a new gun or a retention holster around a kid. If you have it holstered properly in a quality holster to begin with, why would you need to change anything?

The gun isn't going to go off by itself and if touched, are you guys saying that your reaction time is so slow and your kid is so strong that he can overpower you to pull it completely out of the holster and pull the trigger?

I don't know. I think some of you guys go extremely overboard when it comes to guns. This to me sounds like something from the Huffington Post.

Well I have been planning in getting a new gun soon and now I'm getting a baby too so I thoight I should try to decide which one is more practical. Also in one of my previous posts I wrote that retention issues is not my concern it is the carry footprint and location of the pistol. When I start adding book bag/diaperbags, stroller and carrying actual baby what would be best option to carry. Attached is my current t set up 90 percent of the time.

 

[RugerGP]

Absolutely! As I stated, "early and often." That's the instructor in me coming out. Being old school, I have always liked a snubbie for a balance between concealment, power, ease of use. But, except for the profile, say in a vest or on the ankle, I really like a Glock 43, especially with all the improved ammo choices for short barreled pistols.

Well I carry a single stack xds 4.0 so a G43 would be redundant I think. As far as ammo I carry 124 or 147 federal hst .

 

[Justincase]

I freaking love my xd mod 2. It's a great gun. The xd m 3.8" looks like a great gun too.

The xd mod2 felt great in my hands. I'll have to rent it once I get my permit.

 

[Bulldog51]

I have a similar setup, S&W shield, 124gr HST's, hybrid tuck holster and four kids. The single stack 9mm in a hybrid holster is very compact and secure. You do a lot of lifting and bending and crawling over things with kids though. Lots of chances for your shirt ride up over the gun. I wear an undershirt tucked over the holster. The undershirt keeps the gun covered if/when your outer shirt rides up. I have to be more deliberate with the draw but it gives me piece of mind that the gun stays concealed. No issues carrying the kids and all the stuff that goes with them. When they are bigger and more rambunctious, you will need to explain to them whats on your belt and why they need to be careful around it. And that discussion is followed with why we don't tell everyone in the grocery store about Dad's gun.

Best wishes for your new family.

 

[AnthonyC]

One thing I wanted to let know about if you didn't already is there is a firearm instructor named Melody Lauer (also went under the pseudonym of Limatunes) who has written a few articles about this sort of thing. She has a youtube channel and a blog

 

[Edwardteach72]

I don't understand this whole thing about needing to get a new gun or a retention holster around a kid. If you have it holstered properly in a quality holster to begin with, why would you need to change anything?

The gun isn't going to go off by itself and if touched, are you guys saying that your reaction time is so slow and your kid is so strong that he can overpower you to pull it completely out of the holster and pull the trigger?

I don't know. I think some of you guys go extremely overboard when it comes to guns. This to me sounds like something from the Huffington Post.

^this

Only thing I could think is, maybe, I need an excuse to buy a new gun. But wanting a new gun should be excuse enough


Also congrats on the new youngling

 

[Edwardteach72]

Well I have been planning in getting a new gun soon and now I'm getting a baby too so I thoight I should try to decide which one is more practical.

Me personally, gun is always more practical than baby

 

[Defilade]

XDS is a great choice but I would prefer Appendix and would rather go with the 3.3 or another short barrel. I think that is why your not comfortable doing appendix. Longer barrel. Congrats! Like someone stated earlier, It's when the get mobile you have more worries. I have three Mobiles right now. Oh and whatever you do. Don't let the kid sleep in your Bed.

 

[Eddie Gunks]

G19

Done. That was easy.