S.O.B. Carry

[Captain Crunch]

We've had several discussions here about the pros and cons of small-of-the-back, or 6 o'clock, carry, without consensus. Some say you can be badly injured if you take a fall and land directly on your firearm. Others say it's a non-issue, that the risk of injury is not a concern.

Maybe my experience this morning can help to shed some light on this topic. I slipped on my snow covered front porch steps and lost my balance, falling backwards and landing directly on my tailbone and slamming the back of my head on the frozen ground. I was only about a foot off the ground, but the impact made me see stars for a moment.

I'm convinced that if I had been carrying my LW Commander in a S.O.B. rig, I would have been seriously injured. Even if I had been carrying in my normal 3:30 IWB position, I still would have been injured, but not as bad, probably.

This morning I opted for my LCP in my coat pocket. A good choice, as it turned out.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Rock and Glock]

Glad you're OK. A good reminder!

[pgrass101]

Glad you are all right.

I do have to say falling on something hard that's strapped to your body hurts. If it is against your back it can seriously injure you.

I think you have proved the point

[Hydrashok Glock]

Ouch! Glad you alright. If you start to get dizzy or nautious seek medical attention, OK.

[JAT40]

Sounds like you took a bad header, if it's not the BG's it's the slippery stairs, glad your OK. Hard ground, cold steal and your back bone doesn't make a good sandwich.

[wmhawth]

Hope you are OK Captain Crunch. My issue with SOB carry is not so much safety as it is impracticality. I would feel I needed to be a bit of a contortionist to draw and re holster from a 6 O'Clock. I would think there might be concealment problems with that method of carry as well. Also, I would just feel a bit out of touch with my gun in carrying it behind me. SOB carry of course looks cute in the movies.

[BikerRN]

Glad you're OK, that's the important thing.

As far as SOB carry, I have a few issues with it. The first one, as you pointed out, is safety. My Brother had a partner that was thrown down a flight of stairs in a fight. He landed on his handcuffs, which he carried SOB. Thirty + years later he uses a walker on "good" days.

As wmhawth posted, it is a bit of a double jointed contortionist conundrum to draw the gun. I'm too old to be that flexable, if I ever was.

Lastly, concealment is an issue. With normal day to day movement I just can't keep the gun hidden there unless I act like I have a three foot long steel rod up my backside. For anything other than standing motionless it prints too easily.

Glad you're OK. Take care and stay safe.

Biker

[bonehead]

Close call. Glad you're okay. SOB carry is a bad idea all around. Virtually no soft-tissue cushion over the lumbosacral spine. Good way to fracture some vertebrae or just get a whopping bruise to keep sleeping on your side for days.

[Wrenchbender]

Glad you're alright Capt'n

[Thumper]

Glad your okay Cap!

I'm sure it would have hurt like the dickens if you had your weapon back there!

A couple additional concerns to me regarding SOB carry is the potential of sweeping yourself during the draw and weapon presentation/retention during an aggressive physical attack especially from behind.

To each their own but I'm carrying back there!

[rolyat63]

Glad your okay Cap!

I'm sure it would have hurt like the dickens if you had your weapon back there!

A couple additional concerns to me regarding SOB carry is the potential of sweeping yourself during the draw and weapon presentation/retention during an aggressive physical attack especially from behind.

To each their own but I'm carrying back there!

Cap'n Glad your ok.

Thumper did you mean to your are NOT carrying SOB? Seems like it.

I have carried ultra subcompact (Steyr S) and subcompact (Steyr MA1) in a SOB holster for years and have no problem drawing or presenting. Twice I have had to draw it for SD. Both while in the car. Once I was exiting the car the other I was in the seat at a red light. Both times the practice and training made it seem like the gun just ended up presented. No problem: getting my cover out of the way; drawing, presenting.

As far as back injury goes I suppose it could happen but the arch in the small of my back seems to hide any printing and I hope when carrying SOB absorbs some blow if I fall. The basis for this belief is that I have driven on road trips 6-10 hrs without significant discomfort. Just general road trip soarness.

[Ram Rod]

We've had several discussions here about the pros and cons of small-of-the-back, or 6 o'clock, carry, without consensus. Some say you can be badly injured if you take a fall and land directly on your firearm. Others say it's a non-issue, that the risk of injury is not a concern.

Maybe my experience this morning can help to shed some light on this topic. I slipped on my snow covered front porch steps and lost my balance, falling backwards and landing directly on my tailbone and slamming the back of my head on the frozen ground. I was only about a foot off the ground, but the impact made me see stars for a moment.

I'm convinced that if I had been carrying my LW Commander in a S.O.B. rig, I would have been seriously injured. Even if I had been carrying in my normal 3:30 IWB position, I still would have been injured, but not as bad, probably.

This morning I opted for my LCP in my coat pocket. A good choice, as it turned out.

Ouch! Darn it man! Got to be careful.....walk like a penguin (or an old man like me) in the ice and snow. Glad you are okay though. (hey...that rhymes)! Well, I don't make a habit of carrying SOB, but if I did, carrying a Glock might have more going for it than seen from the surface.....Glocks are tupperware, and tupperware is flexible! I've always been interested in SOB carry, and I have done it many times informally, and even with my previous 1911 models. Sort of like appendix carry for me...I experiment with the idea and all. Lately, I've been looking into MOB holsters as this is my preferred method--pistol grip facing the strong hand side. MOB stands for Middle Of Back. But it does make one think when those pros and cons come to light in a real life instance such as yours. I figure that if you carried SOB and you slipped and fell on a stair step for instance..that impacting on your firearm first would spread the energy of the impact over a wider area concerning the tailbone or spine. Otherwise, the sharp edge of the step tread would be a sharper, direct blow to any of your unobstructed back side. Not opening the debate here, but that's just the way I think. I'm still not an avid fan of backside carry either way, and lucky enough to have not been injured like you have in one of those slip and falls.

[Fenris]

I've already had two lower back surgeries. The surgeries weren't so bad, but I have never returned to full mobility. I've lost the ability to pick up my kids or do any other even moderately heavy lifting.

I don't know if SOB is a real risk to the spine, but I'm not taking any chances. Walking is way too important to me.

Just my two sesterci.

[T Bone]

I don't do it regularly, but I have in the past (both with and without a holster).

Point number one, when I do it I don't place the weapon at 6:00 directly over the spine. More like 6:30/7:00 (I/m left handed). I also tend to go for the cavalry draw as Ram Rod described, grip towards the strong side for a palm out draw.

I've practiced drawing this way with 1911's and Glocks. NEVER had an issue with sweeping anything but the ground (just as I would drawing from any other holster). Upward stroke, moving the arm around and forward while maintaining muzzle discipline. The wrist rotates as the arm moves forward once you pass the mid point, and raise the pistol at the same time (this part is quite similar to a "normal" strong side draw).

It also conceals well from a frontal view. The draw is slightly slower than many other choices, but not by a lot.

As with any method of carry, it is not for everyone, and is a compromise. It is much maligned on a lot of sites, but frankly, I suspect much of the criticism is people parroting what they've heard, not what they've experienced. It's an option, no more, no less. Still glad to have it as a potential choice, which I occasionally do use (most often in a Mernickle PS2 SOB these days when I do it).

[retsupt99]

I don't do it regularly, but I have in the past (both with and without a holster).

Point number one, when I do it I don't place the weapon at 6:00 directly over the spine. More like 6:30/7:00 (I/m left handed). I also tend to go for the cavalry draw as Ram Rod described, grip towards the strong side for a palm out draw.

I've practiced drawing this way with 1911's and Glocks. NEVER had an issue with sweeping anything but the ground (just as I would drawing from any other holster). Upward stroke, moving the arm around and forward while maintaining muzzle discipline. The wrist rotates as the arm moves forward once you pass the mid point, and raise the pistol at the same time (this part is quite similar to a "normal" strong side draw).

It also conceals well from a frontal view. The draw is slightly slower than many other choices, but not by a lot.

As with any method of carry, it is not for everyone, and is a compromise. It is much maligned on a lot of sites, but frankly, I suspect much of the criticism is people parroting what they've heard, not what they've experienced. It's an option, no more, no less. Still glad to have it as a potential choice, which I occasionally do use (most often in a Mernickle PS2 SOB these days when I do it).

When I speak of SOB holsters (See Fist #41 SOB/IWB), you point out exactly what I talk about.
-Not over the spine, but rather over the kidney...
-Palm out draw, easy draw without sweeping the body...
-Great concealment...

You have expressed youself well. This has become my favorite method of carry, and actually is quite comfortable. I can walk in a parking lot and with an open shirt or jacket...have my hand ON MY WEAPON without being seen...my draw is about as fast as strong side carry.
My holster placement is at approximately, 5:00 to 5:30.

Stay armed...try it, you may find a new method...stay safe!

Captain Crunch...what is this SNOW you speak of?