I own one pistol and one revolver. 2 shotguns and 3 rifles.
I’ve been shooting for over 30 years.
With that said, how does a person with a CCW carry the firearm? Where I live it would be pretty easy because you can were a coat year round. But isn’t it a real pain in the ass?
I carry a cell phone now and it’s a pain. I can’t imagine how much extra thought it must take to carry a weapon.
The need to keep it concealed, the weight of the weapon and the weight of the responsibility.
I’ve often wondered about this. I’m a big guy. And I live in an area where wearing a coat in summer is not a big deal. But to carry a 9mm or a .38sp around concealed must be a pain.
I could carry concealed here in the mountains pretty much all of the time, but it would be a great big pain in the ass.
I recently started carrying a 9 mm compact. I’ve been using an IWB (inside the waistband) holster. As the name implies, it’s a holster than hangs on the belt (using a clip) inside the waistband. Concealment is simple… wear a shirt that’s not tucked in. But it’s not very comfortable, to be honest. I’m going to look into a Belly Band or SmartCarry setup.
I’ve been carrying one of two handguns using the inside waistband holster for .380 or 10mm, and ankle holster for the .380. It’s uncomfortable at first, but you become accustomed.
how, exactly, does one wear the ankle holster? I can’t imagine without extensive practice or poor concealment that the gun would be very easy access, or at least not the kind of quick access I’d want in carrying.
I use IWB holsters as well, and it’s easy for me to conceal because I still wear the super baggy teenager clothes, a habit that I’ve never grown out of. If I ever start wearing a suit or more formal clothes regularly after I graduate and get a professional job it will be harder to conceal.
It’s not a problem-you are a larger man than I, and I carried the 10mm or the .44 in an armpit holster under a suit coat or sport jacket when I worked west Philly.
The Kel-Tec .32 Auto is small enough to stick in your pocket without a holster at all. The gun also has a clip attached right to the frame, if you want to clp inside your belt as others here have described. I’ve checked these guns out, and for the purpose of concealed carry I can’t see how one could do better. I’m no expert, but the 9mm is just too big for truly concealed carry, IMHO. If you seriously need that much firepower, you need something other than a concealed weapon.
I am also not a fan of ankle holsters, for the same reason. Who says you’ll have time to bend down and get the gun, or that it would be say to take your eyes off whatever is in front of you?
Yeah, it can be a pain in the heat, but an loose polo shirt can work just fine. I wear a Dillon 5JR and not a IWB so I have to take care to buy long shirts if I want to carry my 1911.
Summer usually sees me tucking a small stainless revolver somewhere.
With a sturdy belt the weight is distributed fairly well and I don’t hardly notice anymore.
So with a IWB, where does it go? In the back? It sure does sound uncomfortable. Same with the ankle holster. One foot is going to be heavier. And doesn’t the gun show when you sit down?
Do you (the general you) have different rigs for different dress? Say a shoulder holster for when you get dressed up?
I have a CCW permit here in PA, on occasion I have carried a S&W 9mm Sigma, IWB holster in the middle of my back. Yeah, it takes some getting use to but even a full sized pistol like this is concealable with a long loose shirt. Many times my wife didn’t know I had been carrying all day until we got home and we hugged or I removed the pistol.
Additionally, you are right about the ankle holster. Though I never used one due to the size of most of my pistols, the extra weight will cause a slight limp and the bulge might be noticeable too. But most people aren’t that observant, when was the last time you heard,“Nice shoes!”? I have used a shoulder holster with the same SW 9mm and also a Glock 17 in 9mm. Both are comfortable in a shoulder holster with a loose button down shirt or light jacket or coat.
The space between your side and your back. If you’re facing North, then SW or SE on your person is the best place to carry with IWB. It’s the most natural feeling, doesn’t need adjusting when sitting or driving a car and is actually not uncomfortable at all. I never notice I’m even wearing it.
An IWB has got to be the best overall carry method. Especially for larger pistols.
Otherwise, clothes and weapon would dictate what type of holster or carry method to go with.
It helps to buy pants with a slightly larger waist. Most of my pants will not fit unless I am wearing a pistol.
Inside the waistband carry needn’t be uncomfortable. There are two keys:
Get a good holster made for exactly your model of gun and expect to pay a few bucks for it. None of those cheap-ass nylon jobbies that department stores and gunstores sell are worth a shit. Buy from a Galco or Bianchi or other quality company.
Get a good, stiff leather belt to support the gun and holster. You’ll be able to get one from the same company that sells you your holster.
With the combination of a good holster and belt, most of the complaints people have about IWB carry disappear. The gun won’t flop around, won’t drag your pants down, and won’t shift from where you initially positioned it for ease of draw. You’ll also want to buy your pants slightly larger in the waist to make room for the gun and holster, which brings me to another advantage of a well made holster: They are made from materials like horsehide or kydex that allow them to be rigid, retain their shape and retain the gun without excess thickness.
Even if you opt for ankle carry or a shoulder holster or something else entirely, please don’t skimp on what you pay for your holster package. Cheap holsters are never worth even the couple bucks you pay for them.
I don’t doubt that. I have a cheap holster for my .357. I sometimes use it when I’m on my property shooting off a few rounds. Basically, I just use it to keep the gun with me.
And I’m not looking to get a CCW myself, I was just curious.
Just speaking for myself (and skipping the SP101 which just drops into a pocket), I have two 1911’s - a commander and a full size, both with nearly identical holsters (only difference is length to accommodate the different barrels). One is better for outside/daytime use, the other is better for inside and darkness. If I’m in a suit or long coat or otherwise dressed up, I’m more inclined to carry the gvt mdl, but my rig is the same.
What was my point, you may ask. Excellent question, and if you give me a minute I might remember
Oh! All of my training and most of my practice has been with a 1911 in a Dillon holster, and while consistency may be the mark of a weak mind the moves that I was drilled on and have practiced over and over will, I know without doubt or hesitation, result in my pistol in position without requiring conscious thought. If I was to switch to a shoulder, SOB, or IWB, I’d have to reprogram my muscle memory for that draw.
But that’s just me, and someone who fiddles with their stuff more may have no problem switching to match their dress.
But it’s not very comfortable, to be honest. I’m going to look into a Belly Band or