Smyth Busters: Is Appendix Carry Safe?

This debate has been raging on the World Wide Interwebs for a long time: "Appendix carry is unsafe, don't do it!" vs "Appendix carry is OK, don't worry." That's quite a difference! Which side is right? Is appendix carry safe or dangerous?

Steve and Caleb are here to settle it for us. Appendix carry is positioning your daily carry gun on the right-hand side of your waist, over the appendix. The reasoning of the "anti" appendix carry faction is this: When you sit down, the muzzle is pointing at some important bodily parts, including your femoral artery and, for the gentlemen, your "guy tackle." If the gun should go off accidentally, the bullet can do some serious damage.

But..... Appendix carry is safe, says Caleb, if you have a good-quality firearm with a properly functioning safety, in a good holster, and you've had sufficient TRAINING in safe gun handling. Caleb's Rule: If you can't trust a firearm not to shoot when you don't want it to, you probably can't trust it to shoot when you need it to.

A risk point with ANY kind of holster is re-holstering. Do it incorrectly, get the gun snagged in your cover garment, and an accidental discharge can happen. Pull the garment fully out of the way, keep that finger OFF the trigger, and even do a little hip thrust to get the muzzle angled away from your body. A good-quality Kydex® holster retains its shape so it's unlikely smoosh closed and snag on the gun as you reholster it.

Many holsters also have belt clips that let you attach and remove the holster without taking the gun out of it. Do a LOT of unholstering / reholstering practice drills with the gun unloaded, so you program the safe holstering process into your muscle memory.

When Steve does appendix carry, he does it ONLY with a Glock® because the striker is not fully cocked, so if it did somehow accidentally release, it wouldn't have enough force to detonate the primer.

So the myth is BUSTED. Appendix carry is safe IF you do it correctly.

NOTE: Products in this video are to be used only for lawful purposes, including hunting, self-defense, and competitive or recreational shooting. If you purchase any of them, you are responsible for understanding and complying with all federal, state, and local laws that apply to the purchase, possession, and use of these products.