Category: COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Concealed carry in cold weather presents unique challenges that can compromise both comfort and accessibility. I’m from Ohio but relocated to Tennessee, so I’ve become accustomed to wearing shorts and T-shirts into November. However, there are still a few months out of the year when jackets and hoodies make an appearance.
When the temperature finally drops and a change in attire is required, concealed carry becomes a different kind of challenge. Typically, the conversation leans towards concealment being easier with layers, and while that is true, those same layers can interfere with your draw, affect your grip, and ultimately slow you down in a time of need. Gloves affect trigger feel, bulky coats can snag on holsters, and extra clothing means slower access when seconds matter.
However, with the right preparation and gear adjustments, you can carry safely and effectively throughout the entire winter. Cold-weather carry is about more than comfort; it’s about adapting your EDC setup to stay consistent and confident no matter the season.
Rethinking Your Layers for Winter CCW
The first step to confidently carrying in cold weather is rethinking how you layer your clothing. In warm weather, drawing from concealment is simple; usually, a single shirt is all that is needed to clear.
The goal is to keep your handgun in the same position that you’re accustomed to, but avoid burying your concealed carry firearm under multiple thick layers. To achieve this, I’ve found it ideal to wear your holster and pistol over your base layer or mid-layer, then cover them with your sweater or jacket. This allows your EDC to remain concealed without having to clear multiple layers when drawing.
Avoid carrying inside thick or fuzzy fabrics like fleece, sherpa, or heavy knits that can catch on your holster or grip. Additionally, drawstrings, inner cords, and extra loose fabric can all get pulled into your holster when you reholster. So, before you head out, take a moment to check the area around your holster for anything that could interfere with your draw.
Finding the Right Gloves
Few things make handling a firearm harder than thick winter gloves.
The best solution is to choose gloves that strike a balance between insulation and mobility. Avoid those bulky ski gloves or work gloves that make it difficult to feel the trigger or manipulate your firearm’s controls. You don’t need “tactical” gloves by any means, but finding a pair that are not overly bulky and still allow for slide, trigger, and safety manipulation is key.
Whatever gloves you choose, make sure you practice with them on. Don’t wait until you’re in a life-or-death situation to discover that your trigger finger won’t fit in the trigger guard or that you can’t properly hit the magazine release to reload. Practice drawing, shooting, reloading, and reholstering.
I’ve found my favorite gloves to be a basic pair from Cabela’s. They are thin enough to draw and shoot with, yet still warm, and they have technology-friendly finger tips that allow you to use your phone with them. Unfortunately, they are no longer offered. However, I am sure you can find something similar.
Adjusting Gear and Carry Position
Cold weather is also the perfect time to evaluate your overall gear setup. If you’re like me, you already prioritize having a low-profile IWB holster year-round, but in winter, consider adjusting your ride height to make drawing easier with gloves. By having your holster sit slightly higher than usual, drawing will feel more natural with gloves on, and it will still be easy to conceal thanks to your additional layer(s). It’s also critical to ensure your EDC belt is sturdy enough and capable of managing a larger-framed pistol if need be.
Some people even switch to an OWB holster if their outerwear of choice is a loose jacket. However, I would urge you to take a few extra seconds before walking out the door to ensure your gun and holster are still “concealed” within the jacket. Regardless of how comfortable you are with carrying, the general public can sometimes feel differently, and you don’t want to cause a scene at Target.
The type of jacket you wear also matters more than most people realize. Outerwear with large zippers or magnetic fasteners is easier to manipulate with cold hands or gloves. Many carriers choose jackets with breakaway or dual zippers that can be quickly opened with one hand.
Mastering the Cold-Weather Draw
I know I hinted at it already, but drawing from concealment, either in the cold or wearing cold-weather gear, requires deliberate technique and practice. You can’t just lift your T-shirt anymore.
If your outerwear is zipped or buttoned, leave it partially open for faster access. A slightly open jacket is a small trade-off for faster reaction time if you ever need to draw under pressure.
When reholstering, be intentional. Bulky or loose clothing can easily sneak into your holster without realizing it, and with gloves on, you might not feel it. Always confirm visually or by touch that the holster is clear.
Cold hands can also make you less precise, so extra caution is warranted when handling your firearm in frigid conditions. Safety should always come before speed.
Training for Cold Weather Concealed Carry
No matter how good your setup is, how much you dry fire indoors, or how many scenarios you prepare for in theory, nothing replaces actual practice in your cold-weather gear…in the actual cold!
Head to the range dressed exactly as you would for a typical winter day out, granted you have an outdoor range available. You could technically visit your local indoor range as well, but you won’t have the temperature factor playing into your training.
You’ll immediately notice how much more movement it takes to access your firearm and how your timing changes when layers get in the way or your fingers are exceptionally cold.
Time your draws and see how long it takes compared to your warm-weather setup. Remember, though, the goal isn’t just to move fast; it’s to build consistency and safety through repetition.
Let’s be honest, though, when life happens and you leave in a hurry, you can easily forget your gloves or zip your jacket in a way that accommodates your gear. To further enhance your training, try to work around “obstacles” such as a fully zipped jacket or extra cold hands without gloves to see how you fare. I highly recommend running these drills with empty magazines first until you’re comfortable.
Practicing both gloved and bare-handed draws/reloads/reholsterings can help prepare you for real-life variables, since you never know what situation you might face when carrying in the cold.
Final Thoughts on Cold Weather CCW
Carrying concealed in cold weather isn’t rocket science, but it does require adaptation and training. The added layers, gloves, and cold extremities may slow things down at first, but with a little time and practice, you can build a setup and draw that feels natural even in freezing temperatures.
The key is understanding how your gear, your clothing, and your body work together in the real world. Don’t just prepare for ideal conditions, train for the ones you actually live in. The goal is to stay warm and prepared at all times.
It won’t be passing constitutional carry anytime soon, but New York — particularly New York City — is seeing a surge in gun purchases and jam-packed permit courses required by the state just for Gothamites to exercise their Second Amendment rights.
Retailers are working overtime to quell anxious and worried residents of the nation’s largest city, even as those customers are shocked to realize they aren’t able to walk in, purchase a firearm, and leave with their new gun that same day. Or week. Or even month.
And who can blame them?
Gun control politicians, long in control in the Empire State, have passed so many restrictions on law-abiding New Yorkers to exercise their constitutional rights that far too many simply give up out of frustration.
Those roadblocks, in essence, deny New Yorkers their ability to keep and bear arms and, at a time when many rush to licensed gun retailers, the backlogs and bottlenecks can be jarring — especially for first-time buyers. Erecting barriers to the exercise of Second Amendment rights to frustrate citizens into just giving up is the intent of this regulatory scheme.
City Residents Fearful
New York City has seen an explosion of applicants seeking to obtain the state’s required permission slip to exercise their Second Amendment rights since 2022. That’s when the U.S. Supreme Court, in its Bruen decision, struck down New York state’s restrictive and subjective “may issue” permit scheme that left most New Yorkers out of options for protecting themselves, their property and their loved ones.
Even before that SCOTUS ruling, there had been a surge in riots, looting and crime during the coronavirus pandemic, police departments were defunded, and policies like cashless bail and soft-on-crime prosecutors like Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg let criminals back out on the streets with little or no punishment for their crimes. That does not even account for rising law enforcement retirements leaving the city increasingly vulnerable to criminal violence.
All of that was happening even before the horrific Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the recent election of avowed antigun and defund the police New York City mayor Zorhan Mamdani. His election has led to a new wave of New York City police officers filing for retirement.
Gun permit applications are skyrocketing. Prior to the Bruen decision, on average, fewer than 100 law-abiding New York City residents each month applied for a permission slip to carry a firearm in the city for self-protection.
There was a surge during the coronavirus pandemic and a post-Bruen surge, with the monthly average reaching 600 before stabilizing at between 400 to 500 for a consistent stretch, according to data from the New York State Police Department. Following the October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel, the next month permit applications reached an all-time high at more than 1,270 — led by Jewish New Yorkers who decided to exercise their Second Amendment rights. Since then, an average of 700–800 permit applicants attempt the process each month, all just to exercise a God-given right enshrined in the Constitution.
Non-Traditional Gun Owners Leading the Way
Over the course of the past five or six years, the explosion of new first-time gun buyers has changed the look of the gun-owning community for the better. NSSF has always said the Second Amendment is for everyone.
Those millions of first-time gun owners have increasingly looked more like America, not just “old, pale and male” as previously caricatured. In New York’s case, that includes Jewish New Yorkers, African Americans, Hispanic and Asian Americans, lesbian and gay New Yorkers and more. And so long as they aren’t prohibited by law, owning a gun is their Constitutional right.
But New York still has in place restrictions that make it overly burdensome, time-consuming and difficult for law-abiding New Yorkers to purchase a firearm — a process that can take up to a year or longer.
That includes a rigorous firearm training and safety course despite the fact that “New York hasn’t standardized the classes beyond outlining a handful of topics to touch on.”
That makes it extremely difficult for would-be firearm purchasers to go to their neighborhood firearm retailer and go home with a safe and reliable self-defense tool.
In the case of Jewish New Yorkers who saw the city elect Mamdani as their next mayor, police officers choosing to retire because of it and who see a rise in antisemitic violence in the city with the world’s largest Jewish population outside of Israel, Second Amendment rights have a new appeal.
“It’s getting busy because of him,” longtime New York City gun safety instructor Lance Dashefsky recently told the New York Post, referring to Mayor-elect Mamdani. “We ain’t fleeing — we’re here to stay. We’re not victims anymore.”
“The NYPD is all retiring – we have to fight for ourselves,” added Michael Bergida, who opened a gun shop in Marine Park, Brooklyn, called Samson Armory.
Another New York City firearm instructor, Ross Den of Brooklyn, said anyone who was ever on the fence about getting a concealed carry weapon is no longer. “There are plenty of rabbis who carry – shul is where the greatest threat is,” Den told the Post, adding, “People are beginning to wake up and are now realizing they have to defend themselves and not rely on the cavalry to come save them.”
Industry Remains Top Ally
Despite the roadblocks erected to slow New Yorkers from exercising their constitutional rights, the firearm industry remains committed to ensuring those rights cannot be unconstitutionally infringed.
If New Yorkers — especially those in the city — are “gun curious,” they should visit their neighborhood firearm retailer and simply ask questions. They will find a welcoming and friendly environment with industry advocates who are there to help them learn, train and protect what matters most — their lives, their families and their homes and property.
“We are Jewish and we will protect ourselves – even if the mayor despises us,” a woman visiting a gun retailer told the Post. “We will have a say in our protection and not have to rely on others.”
The firearm industry steadfastly remains committed to being there by her side as well. The Second Amendment is there for all law-abiding Americans to protect themselves.
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You’ve spent a lot of time and money to attend professional shooting classes. Why wouldn’t you listen to the instructors? Photo: B.T. Wheat
Every profession has “that guy” — the one who always must know the most, have the best experience, did it bigger and better and on and on and on.
It is my pleasure to greet each class on Training Day One (TD1) at Gunsite Academy. I consider it a great opportunity and honor and a highlight of my week. As we discuss the history of Gunsite, the highlights of their class, where the necessary amenities are located and more, I warn them about “that guy.”
Best Of The Best
Gunsite has some of the best instructors in the firearms training world. As our founder, the late Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper said: “They have seen the elephant.” One does not buy their way to being a Gunsite Instructor, they earn it. And it is a tough ticket to punch.
I ask the students on the first morning to keep an open mind when their instructors suggest methods of shooting to them differing from what the student currently uses. Try this stance, try this grip, let’s move your trigger finger a bit, have you considered a different firearm? The vast majority are open-minded and eager to listen to try to improve their gun handling, marksmanship and mindset.
However, we occasionally have “that guy or gal.” Gunsite Rangemaster to student: “Let’s modify your body position a bit.” Student looks at Rangemaster: “This is the way I’ve always done it.” Sigh … “Let’s modify your grip a bit.” Student: “This is the way my grandfather/dad/husband told me to do it.” Gunsite Rangemaster — How about you consider a different firearm that might fit your hand better?” “Student — “This is the gun my spouse told me to use and was best” or “This is the one the guy at the gun counter said would work well.”
As an aside — Never try to teach a family member or spouse to drive a stick shift, paddle a canoe or shoot.
Further, men should never try to purchase their lady’s gun purse, holster or firearm without them present. Find a suitable trainer and let them do it. Trust me on this …
You saved and saved your money, found the perfect firearm, picked your course, arranged for the vacation from work, purchased the plane ticket or fuel, rented a car, got the hotel, bought meals but now you want to do it “your way.” What is the point? Did you come to learn, or simply visit?
A shooting class might just puncture several of your long-held beliefs but in the spirit of learning, always try the instructor’s suggestions. You can always disregard them if they don’t work.
The Bottom Line
Let me make this simple — Why did you send us all the money? If you are going to do it the way you’ve always done it, why are you here? You could have stayed home and shot at soda cans out at grandpa’s farm. You really wouldn’t learn anything but you won’t here either, if you don’t let yourself.
What may have been cutting edge 15 years ago is no longer. Despite what inter web pundits say, The Modern Technique developed by Jeff Cooper 50 years ago has and continues to evolve. Techniques and technologies change, and good instructors know this and teach this.
Please heed the tried-and-true advice to “Listen and Do.”
Men — Put on your thick skin for what I am about to tell you. Women are better students than men as they truly “Listen and Do.” Us men folk tend to not ask directions, open the instruction manual or even look on YouTube.
We know all there is to know about everything. Ladies listen to our suggestions, do it, and discover it works. Some of the men require a switch to cut off the Juniper tree on the back of their calves.
More Than Words
I go to different schools. When I go, I pay my money to learn their way. Many years ago I returned to Bill Rogers School in rural Georgia. Bill shoots Isosceles and I prefer Weaver.
However, I tried to listen and do. Billy, the experienced Coach, kept coming up and adjusting my arm. The old Range master (God rest his soul, Ronnie Dodd) yelled at Billy: “Leave him alone. He’s hitting.” My response was for him to smack me on the side of the head as I came to learn the Rogers way.
All jesting aside, if you take nothing else from GUNS this month, whenever you go to that favorite class, heed their advice and try their methods. You might be surprised and find it works for you. If not, tuck it away in the tactical toolbox inside your brain as you might need it a later time. More simply put: Don’t be “That Guy!”
My guess is that the powers that be are warming up the local firing squad as you read this. As this looks like a major face losing FUBAR to me! Grumpy