Massad Ayoob: The Pros and Cons of AIWB, IWB and OWB Concealed Carry Positions - Critical Mas Ep 15

Which carry position on the belt works best for you? Massad Ayoob examines three different holster positions for concealed carry. Outside the Waistband, Inside the Waistband and the always controversial Appendix Carry. He goes through the pros and cons of each, to help you decide what style works for you.

Critical Mas(s) with Massad Ayoob is a show that provides expert analysis over a wide range of contemporaneous topics related to civilian and law enforcement self defense, the use of force, and second amendment issues, provided by a renowned and established author with a career spanning decades in training law enforcement officers and the public at large, who is frequently called upon to provide expert witness testimony.

ABOUT MASSAD AYOOB:
Massad Ayoob has been handgun editor of GUNS magazine and law enforcement columnist for AMERICAN HANDGUNNER since the 1970s, and has published thousands of articles in gun magazines, martial arts publications, and law enforcement journals. He is the author of some twenty books on firearms, self-defense, and related topics, including “In the Gravest Extreme” and “Deadly Force,” widely considered to be authoritative texts on the topic of the use of lethal force.

The winner of the Outstanding American Handgunner of the Year Award in 1998, Mas has won several state and regional handgun shooting championships. Ayoob was the first person to earn the title of Five Gun Master in the International Defensive Pistol Association. He is the current President of the Second Amendment Foundation. He served 19 years as chair of the Firearms Committee of the American Society of Law Enforcement Trainers, and several years as a member of the Advisory Board of the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association. In addition to teaching for those groups, he has also taught
for the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors and the International Homicide Investigators seminars.

Mas has received judicial recognition as an expert witness for the courts in weapons and shooting cases since 1979, and served as a fully sworn and empowered, part time police officer for 43 years, mostly at supervisor rank. Ayoob founded the Lethal Force Institute in 1981 and served as its director until 2009, and now trains through Massad Ayoob Group. He has
appeared on CLE-TV delivering continuing legal education for attorneys, through the American Law Institute and American Bar Association, and has been retained to train attorneys to handle deadly force cases through the Armed Citizens Legal Defense Network. Ayoob served for two
years as co-vice chair of the Forensic Evidence Committee of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He also appeared in each episode of Personal Defense TV (Sportsman’s Channel).

0:00 - Introduction
0:35 - Wearing the right belt
1:40 - Overview of choices
2:30 - Terminology
3:30 - OWB Holsters
5:30 - IWB Holsters
9:00 - AIWB Holsters
14:40 - Assess what works for you

#MassadAyoob #WilsonCombat #CriticalMas

[statiklingon]

"Alternatively, you could diet and lose 2 inches, but this is America and I don't ask the ridiculous or the impossible." This man is a treasure.

[j.demarco]

Massad Ayoob should be America's ONLY firearms instructor.

No political bullshit. No fake tough guy bullshit. Just a knowledgeable human being giving out technical information.

[camperspecial]

I'm starting to re-watch Ayoob just for his dry sense of humor. Great commentary as always. Thank you Sir.

[ingleringlet-snippsrd]

I think this man is a fantastic pistol shot, however, I respect him so much because he never mentions it nor does he have tons of videos showing it. His videos are always geared toward helping us.

[ahjeezrick]

I absolutely love hearing this guy talk. “You could diet, but this is America, I don’t ask the ridiculous of the impossible”

[stevemccormick]

I often carry my S&W Shield in the appendix position. It's easy to conceal and very comfortable. That being said there really is an issue with what the muzzle is pointing at. I am an ER nurse. I had a patient that got into a fistfight, drew his pistol from the appendix position and his opponent fled. Upon re-holstering he experienced an unintended discharge that shot off that all important appendage. BTW, alcohol was probably involved. He survived, but he wasn't happy. He actually said to me, "Hey, doc, if you can't save it, don't save me!" From that day forward I never re-holster my gun with the holster inside my waistband. I always remove it, holster my gun, and then tuck the holster back in. Just another life lesson I will never forget!

[philmann]

"The gun is pointed at the genitalia...the medical results could be absolutely catastrophic." Uh, yeah... that's one way of putting it. Seriously, Massad is one of the absolute best. Much appreciated.

[fbodkin]

Most people I know in the CCW world know of Massad and consider him the gold standard. Hearing the humility in the story with Spencer only deepened my respect for this man.

[KTMitchell]

Very educational video. I love the fact that Massad explains the advantages and disadvantages of each position. I definitely have the utmost respect for this man.

[DwnRange]

For vast majority of my 68 years in life and well over 40 of them I have ridden a Leg-breaker (a phrase my dad was fond of calling the motorcycles he raced and built when I was young) 24/7/265 in Houston, Texas. As a NRA certified instructor and one of the early Texas CHL instructors I also tried many different modes of concealed carry and the only 2 viable options were shoulder holster and IWB cross-draw so for most of my life, save for long winter road-trips, IWB cross-draw became my preferred method of concealed carry. It allowed daily work concealment, and placed my Detonics Combat Master handgun infront of my body where the muzzle never crossed my left leg while sitting astride my scoot and I never needed to worry about Houston potholes bouncing my Combat Masters down the road behind me, as was possible with the 3:30 IWB option. I am now retired and while I have also retired the Combat Masters in favor of either the Glock 26 or 19, both lighter with more capacity, I have never retired the IWB cross-draw method, for as Massad notes, that muscle memory thing is hard to retrain and my first priority was to never to carry a handgun pointing at any part of my body, especially my junk, 'cus although I don't use it quite as often I do still find great joy in using it when I can, YMMV. Great video, IMHO.

[tomglpn]

There's not a lot of YouTubers that I will listen to on firearms advice. This fellow is one of about 5.

[waynehendrix]

Massad, I was just thinking as the video started, it's great to be able to hear you talk directly and often. As a child of the 70's to 80's, I would occasionally get an article which you had written, or a few interviews. Your intentional focus on facts and not just opinions had an absolute influence on my thinking.
As for me, daily carry, I'm a 1-2:00 snub .357 revolver carrier, IWB, in a no longer sold, skeletonized carrier. Works well, and even can jog in "pants" with it. Here in N East, the sweatshirt and a light winter coat makes it completely not visible to the world. Draw might suffer a little, but availability will not. I like my pistols, but the revolver melts into my wardrobe. Don't mess with old men....

[michaelslisher]

I'm 68 and have been carrying either open or concealed since I was 20. I carry either OWB or IWB, and regardless, my preference has always been at the 4:00 position, give or take :30. I slightly prefer OWB, but not by much. Both a good holster (Milt Sparks, for example) and a good belt (Kore is my latest goto) make a world of difference and like Mas says, are essential.

[wraithsong-]

Great presentation! I was a private investigator for 20 years in Colorado. I always had a ccw and still carry since I retired in 2015. I was pulled over one morning in the mountains, around 4:00am. I was headed to a surveillance case and was running late, ended up speeding 30 over the posted limit. A state trooper pulled me over. I worked with law enforcement agencies during my carrier and was well versed on patrol procedures. I turned off my engine, rolled “all” my tinted windows down, had both hands on the steering wheel, with all my docs, license and ccw in my left hand. He approached, asked me if I knew why he pulled me over. I said, “When I saw your lights I looked at my speedometer, I saw I was doing 86.” He was already looking at my licenses and then my ccw. He stopped, looked up, and I remember, he looked surprised, he said, “I appreciate your honesty. I had you at 85.” He asked if I had my weapon on me I told him I did, on my right hip (xd 45). He asked me what I did for a living I told him. He handed me back my ccw and asked if there was anything bad on my driving record. I said no sir. He told me to “sit tight”. Then, after 20 of the longest minutes, I was sure he was waiting for backup. he came back. Handed me all my docs and license. I was very relieved and grateful. He said, “you know, if I wrote this up, you were going to jail, $1000 fine and we’re impounding your vehicle?” I sad yes, I had been worried that’s what was going to happen. He said, “If not for your honesty, I don’t care what you do for a living, you were going to jail. I can’t remember the last time someone was this honest with me on a traffic stop.” I thanked him again, with a lot of sincerity, told him to be safe. I drove the speed limit the rest of the way. By the way, being late didn’t matter, that case was a big success that day.

[roberttalbot]

Mas is so great at clarifying things. It's easy to follow his clear, logical speaking. I wish that he might do a video on crossdraw holster carry.

[stephenanderson]

When Massad speaks, I LISTEN! Lots of respect for the man. He provides valuable real world experience in his commentary.

[tomfrommichigan]

This man the most logical instructor I have seen. He has very well thought out opinions and articulates them perfectly. He is definitely very real world.

[mz]

Mr. Ayoob strikes me as being someone who is both highly intelligent and very wise. No man is infallible, but when Mas speaks, it’s worth listening.

[josephgonzales]

Very, very informative. I'm a Police officer and I have been carrying out side waistband, off duty for over thirty years and It works for me. I only have to buy larger shirts and jackets. I have tried other methods and always came back to the OWB carry. 👮‍♂️

[t.c.]

This man has forgotten more than most people will ever learn! Thank you Wilson Combat for this series.