Metal Frame Pistols For Concealed Carry?

[SUPER X]

Speaking of which, I just ordered a belly-band holster as an alternative to my Alien Gear IWB. I wanna see if I like that method better. That'll make about six different holsters in my drawer so far, but I've only been shooting three years, so…

Ive been considering a belly band for summer. I need a good one i prefer a large cal .heavy pistol . any Idea what brand is good ?

 

[titsonritz]

Thank you for the link.

Absolutely, you are welcome. I try to put the word out anytime SOB is brought up.

On top of the danger to the spine, the method itself is not as concealable as many people believe, every time one bends over, say to tie a shoe or get something off the bottom shelf at the supermarket, the piece sticks out like a sore thumb and if the cover garment isn't long enough it can get caught on the butt and completely expose the weapon.

Now picture, surprise...it's hands-on and some a-hole is on top of you or has you pinned against a wall, ever try drawing from SOB when laying on it? To say nothing it about being nearly impossible to defend against a snatch.

SOB is bad juju all the way around. I sincerely hope you and anyone carrying or considering carrying SOB will take a hard look and re-evaluate the method and throw those holsters away, not sell them throw them away. Speaking for myself, I will not buy ANY product from a manufacturer that even offers SOB holsters in their line-up.

 

[titsonritz]

Ive been considering a belly band for summer. I need a good one i prefer a large cal .heavy pistol . any Idea what brand is good ?

I prefer a SmartCarry for this type of concealment

 

[Vendor Hidden]

Ive been considering a belly band for summer. I need a good one i prefer a large cal .heavy pistol . any Idea what brand is good ?

I have no idea. It's just a shot in the dark for me.

I'm trying out the Brave Response Holster . It's my first foray into this type of holster, so I'll let you know what I think of it.

 

[Pete F]

I've only carried steel framed, and don't notice the weight at all. The only thing I do notice is the size when I'm not wearing it right.

Daily : Kimber CDP in OWB, SOB, or Shoulder. OWB prints most often, Shoulder in winter, requires coats, SOB is most comfortable. Have an IWB but I haven't found a comfortable wear spot yet. Probably that I'm too fat to pull it off.
On Compact Steel frame - it's an instant litmus test : camping in the Mt Hood Wilderness last week, I didn't bother with concealment. When you see that look, big, deer-in-the-headlights look, you know they've noticed your sidearm. When they scuffle away from you, they are declaring their state of "snowflake."
Hunting : Tanfoglio Compact in 10mm or CZ75B in 40, both OWB.

[edit to add] Correction, I note the CDP is an aluminum framed 45.

Get the replacement, keep the old one. Win-Win.

How do you like the Tanfoglio Compact 10mm? Is it the steel compact with the wonder finish? I have one in 9mm, but would really like to try the 10mm for hiking and hunting.

 

[Vendor Hidden]

Ive been considering a belly band for summer. I need a good one i prefer a large cal .heavy pistol . any Idea what brand is good ?

Just picked up my new Brave Response holster.

It's a universal holster for just about any semi-auto pistol. The material is canvas-like, but the inner side that makes contact with the body is a softer material that is supposed to breathe better than neoprene and leather. It is soft.

There is no extended pad to protect your body from rubbing against the pistol grip. I'm not sure about that as I like having that extra padding in the summer when I don't wear an undershirt.

There are three extra pockets next to the holster (two in front, one in back) for extra magazines, knife, flashlight or whatever else fits. I really like that feature, though it means a cross-body reach to swap magazines.

It features an adjustable retaining strap that works well, and there is no molded Kydex or plastic, which can make re-holstering a bit tricky (I need to practice to create the muscle memory). Also, being collapsible, I was worried that the mag-release button could be pushed, but it seems to be rigid enough to prevent it.

Wearing it right now, there are two positives that immediately come to mind:

1. Because it straps around the belly, there is no drag on my belt, no visible clips, and going to the can in public restrooms will be much easier because there's no removal involved.
2. It can easily hold my S&W e-Series 1911, fully loaded with extra mags without problems. I don't feel the weight at all. I don't have a full-size 1911 yet (soon… real soon), but I expect it to handle the weight of that metal beast just fine as well.

So overall this seems like a good belly holster if I can get used to the re-holstering issue and the lack of a pad for the grip.

It comes with a 60-day full refund and a 2-year workmanship warranty. $70, which is a bit steep for a belly holster, but I don't mind the price if it works as advertised, and for the moment it seems like a good holster.

 

[P7M13]

How do you like the Tanfoglio Compact 10mm? Is it the steel compact with the wonder finish? I have one in 9mm, but would really like to try the 10mm for hiking and hunting.

Me, I love it. It has a stout recoil, and I'm not sure how much softer it would be if it were the full sized version. I plan on getting the Ruger 1911 in 10mm someday, will see then....

 

[Flopsweat]

Just checked and my favorite carry belt is a Bladetech. Not very expensive either, as I recall. It has a plastic strip down the middle that keeps it very rigid. It looks like an ordinary belt. I wore it every day for probably 5 years. I still wear it a lot.

 

[mkwerx]

Finding a good holster for a CZ can be a pain unless you go custom. Great guns. I would not get the P01 for concealed carry, instead I would opt for the 75C D - same gun without the rail, and the rail is why I don't recomment it for a ccw. The thinness of the cz frame at the dust cover and trigger guard means the added rail flairs out a lot in front of the trigger guard. If you are intending to carry with a light on the gun all the time then great, but if not it causes molding issues when making a holster, and in my own experience it chewed the inside of the holsters I used with mine pretty badly. The 75 compact with a decocker keeps the slim cz profile, and is way easier to get a good fit holster made for.

The PCR alloy frame is an interesting gun, but the frame shape at the dust cover is different, so it may or may not fit holsters for the 75 or 75C well.

 

[pogi]

Had a Kahr MK9. Great sidearm, way too heavy for carry.

 

[Vendor Hidden]

After one day using the Brave Response belly holster.

Me no likey.

The elastic and Velcro waist band makes me feel like I'm wearing a dang girdle, and I don't like the lack of a pistol grip pad. I can gut it out (pun intended) for a day or two, but why? I can tell right now that a belly band is not for me. The extra pockets filled with mags made my pants waaay too tight. I don't want to have to buy all new pants just to wear this holster. True, it's easier to use public restrooms, but I've largely solved that problem already with my existing gear.

Extra-special badness: Just from basic everyday motions, the retaining strap pushed the safety off on my S&W e-series 1911. I could easily reposition it below the hammer, but I prefer the retaining strap between the hammer and the firing pin as an extra safety measure when carrying. Granted, the safety on my S&W is not very tight, like on my Colt Defender (I carried that today with the retaining strap in the same position with no problem).

I'm sticking with Alien Gear, which feels so much better after removing the girdle, and I've never had a problem with it switching the safety off.

 

[Flopsweat]

Finding a good holster for a CZ can be a pain unless you go custom. Great guns. I would not get the P01 for concealed carry, instead I would opt for the 75C D - same gun without the rail, and the rail is why I don't recomment it for a ccw. The thinness of the cz frame at the dust cover and trigger guard means the added rail flairs out a lot in front of the trigger guard. If you are intending to carry with a light on the gun all the time then great, but if not it causes molding issues when making a holster, and in my own experience it chewed the inside of the holsters I used with mine pretty badly. The 75 compact with a decocker keeps the slim cz profile, and is way easier to get a good fit holster made for.

The PCR alloy frame is an interesting gun, but the frame shape at the dust cover is different, so it may or may not fit holsters for the 75 or 75C well.

Ory-Gun Holster Co. made a great holster for my P-01. Fits perfectly, very comfortable and it has polymer belt clips that don't cut up my couch and car seats like the metal ones on some other brands do.

They are a member here. Ory-Gun Holster Company