Firearm and knife carry question

[threatx3]

I carry a Sig 229 in a Blackhawk Serpa. I found a guy online that makes custom sheaths that weave into the back of the Serpa. See attached picture.

I showed this to a co-worker and he said that for him, he likes to carry the knife on the non-gun side. His thinking is that if someone is going for the gun he would be able to go to the knife for a back up. I just wanted to get some input from any that carries both knife and gun?

Thoughts?

 

[hotbossa]

Carry 2 knives, stong side is utility (usually some sort of small fixed blade) / weak side is self defense (some sort of folder like a waved endura).

 

[drillsgt71]

My first thought is; with your set-up if someone is "going for your gun", you hands should be going for it also. If you hands are near the pistol, then they are near the knife( looks like a TOPS sky marshal) and can get it out and make "his" hands get away from you and your pistol. My second thought was; I always carry a knife on each side because you never know with hand is not going to be "busy" with what ever is going on. My partners had the same type of issue when it came to wearing our ASP batons. I always wore stong side but other felt weak hand was better.

 

[JBarbaresi]

just took these pics yesterday for a different thread. i agree with both posters before me that if someone is going for your gun and can get to it before you can, you have already screwed up. this is where concealment is key and muscle memory from dry fire/practice comes in to play. if you are using a blade for self defense when you have a firearm on you, something has gone terribly wrong.

g19 and esee-3mil with just a white tshirt.

 

[shotgunner11]

When I carry a gun I normally carry my knife on the opposite side.

 

[adaman04]

Opinions differ.

Weak side is pretty common with a CCW because if you have screwed up and are fighting for retention of your gun, the knife is on the weak side so you have the strength of your strong hand to hold on to the gun. When I carry a fixed blade on my belt I run it right behind my spare magazine at about 8:00 position.

Running one behind a thigh rig like you're showing is pretty common as well and the ESEE sheaths mate up with several holster platforms.

There's really no right or wrong answer here. Well not fighting for retention of your gun is the main answer. But chit happens when you party naked.

 

[JBarbaresi]

Opinions differ.

Weak side is pretty common with a CCW because if you have screwed up and are fighting for retention of your gun, the knife is on the weak side so you have the strength of your strong hand to hold on to the gun. When I carry a fixed blade on my belt I run it right behind my spare magazine at about 8:00 position.

yes this is all true, i didn't really think about it like that. this is the same reason why most of us practice shooting weak-handed and carry a BUG weak side if we do. i guess i just don't usually view a knife as a defensive weapon because i live in a state that still recognizes my right to carry a firearm, or several, if i so choose.

 

[fixer]

there have been some reports of the release button on the Serpa holsters locking up in dirty environments... such as over in the sandbox. i've also heard reports of the cheap Fobus holsters locking onto guns, not releasing them and needing to be cut off.

right now i'm carrying my Glock 19 IWB at 3:00, a ZT0200 folder in my right front pocket and a fixed blade with a 2 7/8" blade horizontally at 9:00.


for a thigh holster i'd go with a Safariland 6004 or similar, and then the factory sheaths on the ESEE 3 and 4 will bolt right to the support paddles on front of the holster. i think the HEST will do the same thing.

there have also been reports of some people overmashing the release button on the Serpa, and then following thru as the gun clears the holster to mash the trigger resulting in a ND basically while the gun is still in the holster. obviously that's not happening to everyone.

 

[Mannlicher]

just took these pics yesterday for a different thread.

I hate you skinny guys.

Today, I am carrying my RC-3 on the strong side, and my Wilson Combat CQB Compact .45 ACP, cross draw. That's 'bout the best this old fat guy can do.

I can't see any practical application for a drop leg holster unless I was going into imminent combat. IWB, with a shirt over it works for me.

 

[adaman04]

yes this is all true, i didn't really think about it like that. this is the same reason why most of us practice shooting weak-handed and carry a BUG weak side if we do. i guess i just don't usually view a knife as a defensive weapon because i live in a state that still recognizes my right to carry a firearm, or several, if i so choose.

Amen. One of the things I debunk with students is the "Don't bring a knife to a gunfight, haha." BS. I don't want any part of a knife wielding idiot.

The knife in a defensive role for me is a GTF off of me tool. I would never go for an edged weapon over my gun if I had the ability. If I'm justified in the use of a knife I'm justified in pressing the trigger. If for some reason I have really screwed the pooch and am fighting over my gun and I have the ability, the knife goes "metal to meat" and starts disconnecting things.

I have no Rambo knife fighting fantasies. I prefer to use them to open packages.

 

[JBarbaresi]

I hate you skinny guys.

Today, I am carrying my RC-3 on the strong side, and my Wilson Combat CQB Compact .45 ACP, cross draw. That's 'bout the best this old fat guy can do.

i think you mean scrawny i wish i had a slightly bigger waste because concealment wouldn't be such a hassle. i mean seriously, i had trouble trying to figure out a comfortable way to carry an izula concealed along with my hostler!

 

[threatx3]

I hope I didn't make it sound like I would go to the knife before the gun. There are a lot of factors that come into play in a weapon retention scenario. I guess the best answer would be to carry a knife on both sides.

One situation I was thinking of would be after a struggle with a subject you were on the ground and able to roll to your gun side. With him going for your gun, it would be a deadly force scenario. At this point having a knife on the non-gun side you could go for it and attack. At no point would I advocate going knife to knife if you had a gun available.

Does anyone know if the ESEE sheaths attach to the Serpa like the sheath I posted in the first post? I would assume if it did, it would have to be a 3?

Thanks for the help and I appreciated the comments and advice all of the posts.

 

[R.A.T.]

Personally I would not want my knife on my pistol holster like that but to each his own.

 

[Hammer27]

I think that it comes down to what the intended purpose of that knife is. Utility, back up if the gun malfunctions, offensive (rare but there are those out there), etc will all be fine with a set up like you have. If its purely dedicated as a weapon retention device the prevailing logic is to carry it weakside.
That being said, there's no reason you can't carry an Emerson Combat Karambit, Kabar TDI, or other similar styled knife on your weak side in addition to the set up you have.

Last point, judging by your carry set up it would seem unlikely you're going to have anyone going for your weapon. SWAT teams, military etc all go in with groups which provides vital back up and dissuades most from comitting to engaging in a one-on-one fight. Also, if anyone gets close enough to go for that the primary weapon (subgun, carbine, etc) can be brought into play.

 

[blade man]

Personally, I think it's a terrible idea to have the knife in the exact same place (I.E., attached to the holster) as your gun. The movement and ingrained mechanics of the drawstroke should be used for only one thing, drawing the gun. There is the potential, even if you train it repeatedly, to fuck up and get a hand on the knife instead of the gun. There is zero reason to purposefully introduce an opportunity to mess up your own draw.

 

[threatx3]

Personally, I think it's a terrible idea to have the knife in the exact same place (I.E., attached to the holster) as your gun. The movement and ingrained mechanics of the drawstroke should be used for only one thing, drawing the gun. There is the potential, even if you train it repeatedly, to fuck up and get a hand on the knife instead of the gun. There is zero reason to purposefully introduce an opportunity to mess up your own draw.

Good advice! This is not my set up, but one that I was considering. I appreciate the help.

 

[drillsgt71]

Personally, I think it's a terrible idea to have the knife in the exact same place (I.E., attached to the holster) as your gun. The movement and ingrained mechanics of the drawstroke should be used for only one thing, drawing the gun. There is the potential, even if you train it repeatedly, to fuck up and get a hand on the knife instead of the gun. There is zero reason to purposefully introduce an opportunity to mess up your own draw.

I was thinking on this line also, but if you "lose" your primary weapon you could be trained to go for a second draw from the primary location. Not the way I was trained, but it could work (not that I see that happening anywhere but the movies).

 

[CHAIRBORNE]

just took these pics yesterday for a different thread. i agree with both posters before me that if someone is going for your gun and can get to it before you can, you have already screwed up. this is where concealment is key and muscle memory from dry fire/practice comes in to play. if you are using a blade for self defense when you have a firearm on you, something has gone terribly wrong.

g19 and esee-3mil with just a white tshirt.

That's a nice holster. What kind is it?

 

[threatx3]

I can't speak for the OP but if I had to guess, it looks like my inside the pants Galco. I carry a G26.

 

[DeAdEyE956]

Galco makes nice shiznit. Thanks to the op for this thread. I have my izula for a right hand draw on my vest, but I think I will make it left now. I just have to practice weapon retention with right and unsnapping my knife lanyard with my left to pull the chingandito izula.