Mexican carry: misunderstood as to both history and application, this common practice can cause some well-documented problems

Guns Magazine, Feb, 2005 by Massad Ayoob

In the 2004 American Handgunner Annual, in an article on concealed handgun carry, I made the point that there were a lot of reasons not to simply stuff the pistol into the waistband without a holster. This practice is known colloquially as Mexican Carry. One reader wrote, shocked, to ask why I would use such a "racist" term. I was reminded that we old, gray gunnies can't take for granted that the new generation knows where our ancient lingo came from.

Honorable History

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.

Final Advice

A belt clip attached in some way to the gun--the Barami Hip Grip for a revolver, or the Brown & Pharr Belt Clip for a 1911, for example--can keep the gun from "trundling down the pant leg," as Col. Charles Askins, Jr. described a personal experience that awakened him to the dangers of Mexican Carry. But it won't keep body parts from pushing the gun up and out of the waistband during vigorous activity.

Unless there's an emergency need, don't take short cuts. Invest in a moderately priced, thin-body inside the waistband holster with the kind of attachment clip that bites like a pit bull. The Ted Blocker DA-3 and Alessi Talon come to mind, but there are several other good ones. It only takes another few seconds to put on or take off, but will he much more secure, and the very slight added thickness of the holster is more than balanced comfort-wise by the reduction in gun shifting.

Mexican Carry is an interesting artifact of defensive handgun history, and can sometimes be the lesser of two evils when a pistol needs to be carried unexpectedly. But it usually causes more problems than it solves, and is left to history rather than practice by most competent handgunners.

For more information, contact Barami Hip Grip, (248) 738-0462, www.baramihipgrip.com; Clip Draw, Skyline Toolworks, (610) 296-7501, www.elipdraw.com; Ted Blocker Holsters, (503)670-7972, www.tedblocker.com; Alessi Holster Inc., (716) 691-5615, www.alessileather.com.