Bear Creek Holsters' Concealed Caddy

I have a new Concealed Caddy gun carrier made by Doug Childers of Bear Creek Holsters in Texas. This is an item that I might never have thought of, even though it is such a useful part of any carry system.

Concealed Caddy with a Model 1911

With a S&W 686 4" Barrel

The fit.

As many of you do, I spend a lot of time in my car. Probably too much, but in this day, it can't be helped. For me,  living at a minimum of fifteen to twenty minutes away from major stores and service facilities, being in the car often is just part of life. A good example is the prohibition of carrying concealed within a post office.

This requires that I remove my carry gun either in it's carry holster (easier with a clip type, which I don't particularly like) or from the holster and place it in an inconspicuous place in the car while I visit the post office. If I were leaving it for more than a minute or two, I would lock it in the car safe, but, for a two minute in-and-out, in a small town, that's a little too much for me. Then, back in the car, retrieve my gun and/or holster and put it back on. Now, with this new Concealed Caddy, I can house my gun in the Caddy, take it from the house to the car, slip the Caddy between the seat and console and off I go. When I leave the car for my quick post office visit, the Caddy and gun stay where they are (in a locked car, of course) - nothing to tip off someone glancing inside that there is a holstered gun in the car - and I can just come back and drive away. The gun is always readily accessible but out of sight. And, instead of switching holsters, or having it rattle around inside the door pocket, my handgun sits protected inside a nice, lined leather case. Here are some photos from the Bear Creek Holster site demonstrating how the Caddy works:

The Concealed Caddy tucked between the seat and console.

Both snaps open. If you weren't looking almost straight down, you would not see the handgun inside. Also, if you were in the passenger seat, you also would not be able to see the gun.

Slide your hand down, using the inner surface of the flap as a guide, and it falls naturally on the pistol's grips, ready to be drawn if need be.

Like many simple ideas, this one is basic and effective. The Caddy is made from premium leather - your choice of color, within reason I imagine, and is lined with soft leather to protect your precious handgun. It closes with two sturdy snaps and, when closed, completely covers and protects the gun inside. The neat triangular shape allows you to wedge it practically anywhere and the characteristics of the leather outside surfaces help it stay where you put it.

I began my testing and evaluation of the Caddy with a trip from southern Colorado to that weird La-La Land of Colorado, also known as Aspen. It's a long drive almost completely through the state south to north and back again over various mountain passes and valleys with around numerous elevations gains that go from around 4000' to over 11,000' feet. Twists and turns. Frequent stops. In and out of the car. So, I took my handy Ruger SR9c along in the Caddy and a Remora in the door pocket for those times I needed to make the transfer from Caddy to holster and back again. Like, I pull into a quick stop gas station for something to drink, I'm not leaving the pistol in the car, for obvious reasons. The drill was simple. I kept the Caddy between my seat and center console with the rear snap open on the Caddy. It was easy to wedge down sufficiently low to not interfere with anything, yet, when I needed to get to the gun inside, I merely swiveled the Caddy forward, which positioned the flap in the open, unobstructed by the console and easily accessible, popped the front snap and slid my hand inside to a ready grasp of the grips. I would have my Remora out, slide the Ruger into it and that into my waistband and, shazam!, ready to exit. Reverse the process and you are ready to hit the road again.

I could have as easily just slipped the Caddy from its position between the seat and console, got out, tucked it under my arm and gone about my business. Nothing there to indicate what I am carrying. The Caddy is shaped to accommodate a range of gun sizes, but since it isn't shaped like a handgun or molded to shape, it is just a nice leather triangular envelope which could house almost anything. A nice touch.

I will be posting again as me and my Concealed Caddy get more mileage together, so check in again now and then. At this point, after hundreds of miles and days of a hectic road trip, we are getting along fine and I wonder why I didn't think of this before. But, Doug did. Thanks, Doug.