There are lots of ways to carry a handgun. Hell, just on the hip is OWB, IWB, AIWB, cross-draw, and even small of the back. We have shoulder, ankle, and thigh rigs, and then we have chest carry.
Chest carry might be one of the most misunderstood carry methods ever. Every time GunFighters Inc. has an ad for its Kenai Chest Holster, the comments are a dumpster fire. It’s always “high information” gun owners sharing the ad to meme pages to try and clown on something they don’t understand.
Today, their excuses about understanding go out the window. If you’re unfamiliar with a chest carry position, I don’t blame you. It’s an obscure way to carry a gun and certainly wouldn’t be something people often use outside of niche use cases. However, by the time we’re done here, the reasons might be a little more clear.
Chest Carry and The Great Outdoors
Holsters like the Kenai Chest Holster are typically intended for outdoor use. Hunters, hikers, and fishermen use them, and they are open-carry designs. Most of the time, when you carry a weapon in the great outdoors, it’s to deal with four-legged threats. Four-legged threats and medium game are dispatched by powerful calibers.
Powerful calibers tend to occupy larger guns and chest carry makes it easy to carry larger guns. Chest carry is also very comfortable in the great outdoors. It’s comfier than shoulder rigs and easier to access in most cases. You can still easily use your arms without rubbing yourself to death with a shoulder holster.
Putting the gun on your chest prevents it from getting snagged on branches and vines and from being exposed to morning dew. Due to the gun’s positioning, crossing creeks and rivers is also easy. Chest carry and the outdoors go together well.
Chest Carry and Tactical Applications
Mounting a modern holster to a plate carrier isn’t all that rare. Safariland offers you a MOLLE adapter aimed at chest carry, as does Blackhawk, and even the old Bianchi M12 can be converted to MOLLE-mounted carry positions. It’s not the standard, and like hunting and outdoor use, it has a niche purpose.
If you’re always mounted, it makes sense to keep a chest holster. Military vehicles are like reverse Tardis: huge on the outside but uber small on the inside. A big-duty rig hanging off your thigh gets in the way a lot. So, chest carry makes a lot of sense when working in vehicles, especially armored units.
I mounted my SERPA (I know, but we didn’t have a choice) to my chest on my plate carrier because I was a machine gunner. If I was engaging, I was likely in the prone, which meant shoving my M9 into the dirt, debris, mud, etc. I got sick of it and moved the gun to my chest, and it worked.
An EOD Marine I worked with mounted his M9 to his chest because he had tons of other tools and gear around his waist. A JTAC assigned to us did the same due to his tools and gear on the waist. There is always a reason why it looks odd, but it can be a workable option.
What About Concealed Carry?
Chest carry and concealed carry? Do they go together? Mostly, no. If you packed a traditional chest holster and concealed it it would be tough and slow to access. There is an equivalent to chest carry for concealed carry, and it’s typically a pack.
Hill People Gear and 5.11 make chest packs designed for concealed carry. They are typically used for exercise, hiking, running, etc. They carry more than a gun in most cases. When I run or ruck, I use a 5.11 Skyweight rig and a small gun for concealed carry.
It’s the easiest way to carry a gun while working out, as far as I’m concerned. It doesn’t prevent mobility, it’s not flapping around, it’s shielded from sweat, and it’s retained properly. It’s slower to draw, but it’s always better than harsh language. You might argue this isn’t chest carry, but what else do we call it?
It Just Works
Chest carry seems odd, and it’s certainly niche, but it’s not all that out there. It is just another solution looking to solve a problem. If you aren’t familiar with the concept, it might be worth giving a try. I still use chest carry for running because I can’t run fast or far enough to escape a threat. It’s certainly not a joke or meme, and it’s worth being educated on.
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