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Carrying Gun and Baby

2K views 31 replies 25 participants last post by  plblark 
#1 ·
As most of you know I'm a new Daddy. Well my boy turned 1 month old this week and my wife and I went out to eat with her parents. We were going in the restrutant and I have my son in my arms. I thought what would I do if I need to draw. I wouldn't drop him that's for sure.

My carry methods are Smartcarry or tuckable both require 2 hands to draw. I can IWB with a cover garment and that might be my best solution. We got a Maya Wrap (ours is one in olive drab #58) and I have tried it with him on my weak side. I can sling him to the back easily and he stays secure in the sling.

It is not possible to have my wife always carry him and until she becomes a citizen or we move to a different county she can't CCW. If any one has any thoughts or experinces please let me know.

I would recommend the sling to new parents. I can put him in it and do all types of work around the house.
 
#2 ·
Number 1 priority has to be getting the kid out of harms way. I'd carry anyway you can draw 1 handed- as I do anyway- but understand that evasion became even more important. I could see me being shot in the back while I ran as more probable than getting into a gun fight while I held a child.
 
#3 ·
As most of you know I'm a new Daddy. Well my boy turned 1 month old this week and my wife and I went out to eat with her parents. We are going in the resturant and I have my son in my arms. I thought what would I due if I need to draw. I wouldn't drop him that's for sure.

My carry methods are Smartcarry or tuckable both require 2 hands to draw. I can IWB with a cover garment and that might be my best solution. We got a Maya Wrap (ours is one in olive drab #58) and I have tried it with him on my weak side. I can sling him to the back easily and he stays secure in the sling.

It is not possible to have my wife always carry him and until she becomes a citzen or we move to a different county she can't CCW. If any one has any thoughts or experinces please let me know.

I would recommend the sling to new parents. I can put him in it and do all types of work around the house.
I can't imagine being in a gun fight with a baby in my arms ...I think that priority one would be to get the baby to a safe place or give the baby to somebody else and tell them to run. I don't know that there is any way to avoid risk in a situation like that, but trying to shoot while still carrying the child can only be worse. Free of the baby, your carry methods are back to your requirements before your new child arrived... Just my 2-cents.

Brian
 
#4 ·
Well my first priority has always been to not to get in a gunfight. I'm just wondering what I would do if I had no other choice.

If my wife has my son see would go one way and I would go another shooting and moving to draw fire away from them.

I guess If I'm holding my son I'll place my fate in God's Hands (which I do anyway)
 
#20 ·
Well my first priority has always been to not to get in a gunfight. I'm just wondering what I would do if I had no other choice.
I understand what you are saying. With all the situational awareness and avoidance that you could have trained yourself with, you still could wind up in a life threating situation. Have you considered carrying OWB with a cover garment? One can easily lift the garment and draw with one hand. It could be an option as OWB carry works great for me.
 
#5 ·
I guess only measure is to plan a hold by whatever means - safe and secure but - keeping strong hand free/available. Plus of course more practice at one-handed clearance of garment for a draw stroke.

Heaven forbid you'd ever have to defend while carrying lil one but - best to plan always even if odds are remote.
 
#6 ·
The little one should spend as much time in the stroller as possible when going around to minimize the time you are unable to properly respond. There are times when you must hold them, feedings and the like. When you do you are vulnerable, period. Nothing you can do will avert that.

All you can do in life is to minimize the odds against you. There are plenty of times when one cannot carry. All people are quick to point out in those instances that situational awareness is your first and best defense. The same is true when carrying and equally so with a child. Trouble rarely comes from nowhere, those who say it does just missed the signs. Learn to spot them to give you time to respond/evade.

As already said job number one is getting the child to safety first. Doing anything that could draw fire your way while holding a baby is the height of stupidity. Short of a terrorists with an AK openning up on a crowd I can think of very few reasons to become an active participant in a gunfight with a child in your arms.
 
#13 ·
The little one should spend as much time in the stroller as possible when going around to minimize the time you are unable to properly respond. There are times when you must hold them, feedings and the like. When you do you are vulnerable, period. Nothing you can do will avert that.
I can't always agree with that. Placing a child in a stroller as often as possible makes it to easy to go into condition white for your child. To many times I have seen parents turn their back on children in strollers for only what they feel is a brief moment, that turns out to be a minute or more.

As a parent of two small children (4 yrs, and 18 months) - its a tough call - hard to know what is the best solution.
 
#9 ·
You have been given good advice. You need to be extra aware of your surroundings. I would never get into a gun fight with a baby in my arms. I would get out of Dodge or find COVER (hard cover). Only fight as a last resort.
My son in law used those baby slings. He had a hard time breaking the grand kids of wanting to be in it. Use a stroller. Congradulations and enjoy.
Semper Fi
 
#11 ·
He's a "man child"! Let him carry his own gun! :blink:

No wait... :embarassed:

Seriously, as already stated, first order of business is getting him out of there! :yup:
 
#17 ·
My boy is 4 now so my plans are more of a yank on the arm and getting to cover, then size up the situation if I need to draw, etc.

When he was a little guy as yours is, I wasn't able to carry him due to my neck/back injuries from my car wreck. I had plans of "what ifs" with my wife while she was carrying the kid.
If it was me, I would carry whatever method you normally would, then think through scenarios of getting to some cover while untucking/drawing with your other hand if you need to.

Might think about practicing drawing with one hand while carrying a 10 or 15 lb sack of sugar/flour/dog food with the other.
 
#21 ·
Get a 10 or 15 lb bag of dog food, put it in the sling and go out to range and practice what works best!
 
#24 ·
That is a GREAT idea. I took a holster work class recently and they had us work with a football sized bag or ?rice? or some such under our weak armpit. Really changes your point of balance and shooting. I think the dog food bag is a great idea!
 
#23 ·
We are always watching the little guy when he's in his stroller plus he's buckled up like an astronuat. I know I am sometimes searching thru the diaper bag hunting whatever for the little guy and have to stop and scan the area.

We really don't go out much anymore but are still in public areas (parks, shopping etc...) I think I'm going to practice different carry methods with sling etc...
 
#25 ·
I've actually thought about this myself (impending fatherhood).

The only thing I could think of was to always carry the child on my back ala backpack. My boss had this set-up for his toddler that fit like one of those "backpacker" packs, the kid's feet would actually sit inside this thing, and it even had a top that could be put over her head if it started raining or it was too bright out. It kinda looked like this one.

For me, this seems like a good solution. If you have to retreat, it's best done with your front towards the threat and you body between the assailant and the baby. If you have absolutely no choice and have to employ deadly force, you definitely want your body between the threat and the baby.
 
#26 ·
This is great. My daughter was born just 10 days ago... I've been out, but I haven't taken her anywhere yet... It's been on my mind how I will care for a new born and carry concealed and accessible. not to mention get my groceries, videos or pump gas ... loved this thread - will watch it and report back on my results. Considering owb speed classic, diaper bag, and iwb sob...
 
#27 ·
As most of you know I'm a new Daddy. Well my boy turned 1 month old this week and my wife and I went out to eat with her parents. We were going in the restrutant and I have my son in my arms. I thought what would I do if I need to draw. I wouldn't drop him that's for sure.
Throw the baby at the BG for a distraction :rofl:

Seriously though..both of mine are old enough that we don't have to carry them everywhere we go anymore. When they were in the needing to be carried stages, we tried lots of things, the Baby Bjorn style carriers (and most of the slings) do give you the ability to keep both hands free, and the backpack style carriers keep you between baby and BG (which is always a plus). I think the advice about practicing to draw while holding a bag of flour/dog food/whatever in your offhand is probably the best (and since I do still lug mine around from time to time, thats something I need to practice as well..thanks for that suggestion guys).
 
#28 ·
been a while since I had little ones around, but since spending a lot of time with my 10 month old grandson I'd have to go with keep the baby fed! that boy is a NBC (nuclear, biologic, chemical) attack waiting to happen, and the weapon is definitely IWB!

Seriously, I think you are doing the right think in thinking this through. And practicing with a bag of rice/dog food/whatever is a good idea. Just be careful making twisting movements with the extra weight. It is very easy to do unpleasant things to your back when twisting with weight, even a baby type amount. And while this sounds a little off topic, trust me, if you pop a disc you will be of little good defending anyone.
 
#29 ·
Many years ago when I was a young mother of a 3 month old daughter, I walked into a 7-11 and found myself in the middle of a robbery.
I turned to exit when I heard a voice say, "Get in here".
I walked to the counter across from the gun man. I eased my daughter to the floor. If the shooting started my plan was to put my body over hers.
It didn't come to that. Matter of fact when the gun man asked for my money....I gave him my 75 cents I had for a loaf of bread. (yes...it was that long ago). He laughed and gave me a dollar then left.
Putting a baby on a floor is not alway a bad idea. No one was hurt and I learned to check out a store like that before I entered for thug activity.
 
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