A Texas family returned home one evening after forgetting something at their house.
The wife, who was driving the vehicle, ran inside to grab something while the husband sat in the passenger seat with the two kids in the backseat.
While the family was sitting in their vehicle, two 16-year-olds approached the SUV and tried to open the rear door. A one-year-old child was seated in the rear seat.
The father, who was in the front passenger seat, drew his weapon and fired several shots through the rear window.
The father fired a total of four rounds hitting both suspects.
The mother jumped back in the driver’s seat and drove away to get the family out of danger.
The two carjackers got into a waiting car and sped off. They were dropped off at a local hospital where they were in stable condition.
No one in the family’s vehicle was injured.
The father did not face charges as the sheriff’s department says he acted in self-defense.
The father was able to draw his firearm, turn around, and fire four shots through the rear window at the criminals.
All while making sure his two children in the back seat were safe.
Now, we don’t know exactly how the father was carrying the gun.
But if you spend a lot of time driving, one option for concealed carry can be the cross-draw carry position.
Cross draw means to draw the weapon across the body.
While it can be ideal for a few limited situations (driving), it is by no means popular.
When carrying in a cross-draw position, the holster is worn on the non-dominant side of the body in front of the hip.
But you can’t take a strong side holster and move it to the other side, because these holsters are specifically designed for cross draw.
The holsters usually angle the muzzle outward, and the grip is canted to make it easier to draw.
Now, cross draw is not for everyone, but it can serve a purpose for some people.
So, let’s consider a few benefits and disadvantages of a cross draw.
Benefits:
If you spend most of your day driving, or even seated, cross draw can be a good option.
When driving, it’s usually easier to reach across your body to draw a weapon compared to drawing from the strong side.
Also, if you are older or have an injured shoulder your mobility might make it easier to cross draw.
For instance, moving your shoulder backward to reach a weapon on your strong side hip could be hard.
Like any concealed carry position, if you choose to cross draw you need to be familiar with it and practice.
Of course, this is something you can practice at home with a safe and empty weapon.
Disadvantages of the cross draw:
The biggest downside to cross-draw carry is that it can expose the butt of the weapon.
But, with proper clothing, you can conceal the butt of the gun like you would with strong side carry.
Another thing is that some people feel the exposed butt of the gun could lead a criminal to grab it during a struggle, but with a quality holster this shouldn’t be a problem.
Finally, when you draw your weapon from the cross-draw position there is a chance you could muzzle your body.
Again, this is something that can be fixed with regular practice. Yet, it’s something you need to be aware of, so you don’t accidentally muzzle your leg.
So, if you sit a lot or drive most of your day then a cross-draw setup makes sense.
If you want to try a cross-draw setup, consider Galco’s Hornet Holster or Alien Gear’s shoulder holster.
Both companies make cross-draw holsters for many different handguns.
Be sure to practice before you carry cross draw so that you can quickly and safely draw your pistol.
