Mexican Carry with a Glock

[ericire12]

I carried my Glock 17 La Raza style once on a camping trip..... it was NOT chambered BTW -- Its the Indian not the arrow, Plaxico!  

[Fatman]

Excuse my ignorance, but what the hell is "Mexican carry"?  Sounds like pistol stuck inside your trousers w/out holster.  I have yet to see a Mexican from either side of the border carry a pistol that way.  Only ones are the Mexicans in the movies played by non-Mexicans with stupid accents like Eli Wallach and John Saxon.

If you go back to the roots of this term, you find that there is no racism, nor anything else pejorative in "Mexican Carry." The lore of the gun tells us that back in the 19th Century, the Mexican vaquero, much like the American cowboy, was an independent and self-reliant sort who often made it a point to carry a handgun. Alas, the history of 19th century Mexico was entailed one despot rising after another. The day came when the average citizen was stripped of his former right to go armed when he wished.

This did not sit well with the fiercely freedom-loving caballeros. They grudgingly took off their gun belts and holsters, because possession of those accoutrements would be seen as evidence that they had violated the draconian new laws that disarmed them. However, they defiantly kept their handguns, simply stuffing them into the waistband behind their ordinary belt. If the Federales hove into view, the citizen would simply slip his revolver into some discreet place where he could retrieve it later.

Thus, as I understand the history of the matter, there's nothing culturally negative about "Mexican Carry," as it became known. When we use the term, we're paying homage to generations of men south of the border who refused to give up the right to protect themselves and their families because petty tyrants attempted to make them helpless.

Theory and Practice

As noted in the Handgunner Annual piece, professionals have gotten away from Mexican carry. The gun can shift inside the waistband. It can even slip out unnoticed when you lie down for a nap. On a sedentary day that involves nothing more strenuous than a walk through the mall, you may get by with Mexican carry, but the moment action takes place--running, fighting, you name it--the chance increases exponentially that the insecurely-held pistol may become dislodged.

Some handguns carry better this way than others. One fellow thrust a cocked derringer, loaded with a .410 shotshell, inside his waistband. The spur trigger struck the edge of his belt, and the pistol fired, emasculating him. A proper trigger guard, and preferably both a heavy trigger pull and a manual safety, will go far to prevent accidental discharges in Mexican Carry.

Revolvers don't work well for this. The belt holds the widest part, the cylinder, and when gravity goes to work there's no catch point to keep the wheel-gun from sliding down the trouser leg. Old time cops wrapped rubber bands around their stocks to prevent this, but it was only a marginally efficient expedient. The slim, flat-sided 1911 (not called "old slabsides" for nothing) is more stable and comfortable than most when carried this way. However, shifting against the body can sometimes wipe off the safety catch. If the safety lever is ambidextrous, there's no holster to protect the outside lever from being wiped to the "off" position by the forearm. At such moments, the grip safety doesn't seem so extraneous after all. A striker-fired auto like the Glock? Glock itself strongly recommends not carrying with a round in the chamber unless the pistol's trigger guard area is properly protected by a holster. When the gun's manufacturer talks, I listen.

Excerpt from here:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_2_51/ai_n8591504

[Big Frank]

Thanks for explaining that so I didn't have to. IMO the OSS "string holster" is better than nothing at all. It's just a string looped around your belt or belt loop with a loop big enough to stick the pistol in but small enough that it couldn't slide through.

[Ksail101]

lets give free glocks to all the gang bangers... we may just get lucky.

Will they all get these sights free of charge too?

http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2006/08/22/sideways_gun_sight.jpg

[ericire12]

[Sponsor]

[ericire12]

[Michael Bane]

Mexican carry with a Glock? Depends on how much you like Mr. Weasel!

Michael B

[Big Frank]

Wally the one-eyed wonder weasel is my best friend. I'd never do anything to hurt him.

[Maximilian]

So exactly what do you "anchor" the parachute cord to? 

[tombogan03884]

So exactly what do you "anchor" the parachute cord to? 

Belt loop