A concealed carry holster on the ankle has many advantages, but its chief drawback is that retrieving your handgun from this location can take a couple of seconds. If you have a reason to draw your weapon, you know that seconds count — and if you're being threatened by an armed assailant, taking the time to reach for an ankle holster could prove to be costly. This doesn't mean that you should avoid this type of holster, however. It's highly valuable as a primary or secondary holster, and as long as you know some discreet ways to retrieve your handgun, you can keep safe. Here are some methods that you can use.
Sit Cross-Legged
The type of dangerous situation in which you find yourself can influence how you attempt to retrieve your handgun. If you're in a hostage situation — perhaps having found yourself in a store while someone is robbing it — try to set on the floor with your legs crossed. Sometimes, hostage takers will have their hostages sit in a row, so this can work out well for you. Otherwise, you might state that you're feeling dizzy and ask if you can sit. With your legs crossed, your handgun is in a convenient location to retrieve when the time is right.
Drop Something
Sitting down doesn't always work in a dangerous situation. For example, if someone were attempting to rob you in a dark parking lot, you couldn't just take a seat. You can, however, make it easy to grab your handgun from its ankle holster by dropping something. In a street robbery, purposely dropping your purse or wallet, preferably so that the contents spill everywhere, can give you a clear reason to bend down. Likely, the assailant will also be bending to retrieve your possessions, and this means that you should be able to retrieve your handgun.
Feign Tying Your Shoe
In other situations, you may be able to kneel under the guise of tying your shoe. This is difficult if the assailant's full attention is on you, but if someone is harassing multiple people and you don't want to make an obviously furtive movement, casually ducking and keeping your hands around your shoe can be an effective ploy. From your lowered position, you can then draw your handgun and stand up to engage the assailant. When you mount an ankle holster, you want to position it so that you can easily retrieve your gun with your dominant hand.
