What Adjustments to Cary Concealed

[Newbie941]

I gave up on carrying a wallet in my back pocket years ago just because it was uncomfortable and always ended up with a 3"thick wallet as I jammed every receipt or bussiness card or wad of cash, safeway, costco, visa, cards and any random piece of junk I thought I might need. A double sided money clip in my front pocket was the ideal solution for a long time but it was kind of an s shape and eventually the clip started digging into me as again the stack of cards on one side and cash on the other grew too fat and barely fit in the money clip. So I bought a "slim" style wallet and it has been very comfortable, I flip it open and my cpl is in a window right there for display, I got rid of all my cards except my visa, costco and safest card because if you want to talk about getting robbed-try making a sizeable purchase at safeway without a club card!
I have my Dl up front and handy, my florida cwp tucked in the sleeve behind the cards and a laminated picture of my daughter for emergencies. This has been very comfortable with no sharp edges like the clip and doesn't get tangled with car keys. I routinely purge my wallet of anything unneeded and keep it right front pocket. For carry I keep a strong side fanny pack with a .22 auto with a pocket holster inside the fanny pack, then I also have a weak side fanny pack full of bullets in case I need to reload my 5 round magazine. To keep things balanced I wear an sob fanny pack with a cleaning kit, some cpl, a rem cleaning cloth and safety glasses so if I need to go for the .22 I always put on my safety glasses first. Also some ear plugs so I don't hurt my ears so some times I just keep those in my ears to cut down on prep time should I need to open my right side fanny pack. No one seems to notice I'm packing and I get alot of compliments on my nifty fanny packs.

 

[Newbie941]

Ok, I was serious about the wallet solution but joking about the fanny packs.
I'm a pretty skinny guy and appendix IWB has always been the easiest way for me to conceal. I usually carry a compact auto in the 4"barrel range as compacts trend to be my favorite pistols these days anyways. I carry a soft black hawk neoprene holster which doesn't add girth and reholstering is usually not that high on my list of needs when it comes to concealed carry. Currently I have CZ P01 which I love the size, weight and function of that pistol I have ctc laser grips and meprolight night sights. It is currently my go to gun for hd and carry.
I don't need to buy clothes extra large or anything, I fasten my 1.5" dickies belt (2 years strong with no sign of letting up) as tight as I would want to wear it and then clip in my holster, my pants don't drop to my ankles when I draw and remain comfortable with the gun removed. There are times I have the holster on but my gun in the console if I'm driving alot and holstering in this type of holster is admittedly not that fast or discreet in some cases but I can usually manage even in a busy parking lot. I'll put my gun in my seat, get out and lean back in (it's a truck not a little car) like I'm grabbing something and can slip it in pretty fast and grab my cell phone or something as I lean back out and lock up. No funny looks yet. I find 5 o'clock pretty comfortable too but on my frame I need a cover garment to really pull it off, a jacket at night in Seattle is a pretty easy.
For the holster as functional and easy I find it I think I'm ready to try something new but for everyday carry I need something soft. I have a blade tech nano for a different compact and while I love the holster and do make use of it sometimes during the winter but as I mentioned earlier I'm skinny and it prints pretty much anywhere but appendix and even then it gets me. I usually ride my grips right above my belt line and find this and most holsters ride too high for me, putting the grips like 3 or 4 inches up above my belt line and printing without a jacket. I don't need them that high and would rather sacrifice a little speed in favor of discretion. I also set aside the stock mags for range use in favor of the flush fit metal base plate, cz compact and pcr mags which substantially reduced my printing and grip length as the P01 now ships with those darn rubber base plates on the mags which add about an inch with no added capacity and the rubber sticks to everything. I guess if you have larger hands they comer in handy, I also removed the lanyard loop and replaced it with the flat mainspring plug so there is no added length to my grips at all. Everything is flush on that end. So this is a set up that works for me but I feel like I'm ready to try a new holster in my set up. Any suggestions here would be appreciated, I prefer something softer or at least capable of collapsing, I don't need/want the reinforced opening for faster reholstering, I prefer something that rides close to my belt line rather than the high ride holsters, would like to have the option of retention but it's not a deal breaker. When I wear the gun at 5 oclock it's nice to have a cant and appendix carry is usually straight up and down. I'm skinny so I put alot of concern on how much fatter the gun will be when it's riding in a holster. So I've offered a couple solutions that work for me and am also interested in some advice for a possible change up. Especially with winter setting in my options should be a little wider.
I have a couple other comments-one regarding brandishing your pistol while driving/sitting in a car and this is a true story so I will post it after this one.
The other comment is regarding carrying your spare mags. I favor IWB carry but I have found an awesome owb solution for my backup magazine. I have an old cell phone pouch that is black canvas with a solid velcro closure. I pulled this off an old backpack that had the optional cell phone pocket for the strap. This is from when cell phones were long and skinny and it fits my 14 round magazine perfectly, not too tight, nothing exposed, but when I open the velcro top it's right there where I need it, no digging or reaching, it sits perfectly and my favorite part is that it slips onto my belt horizontally and is completely covered by my shirt and should it be seen it's just a black canvas pouch, my first thought would be"that guy has a pretty crappy cell phone in there, why is he trying to show it off?" I'll save my story for another day. It involves me having to draw from appendix carry while strapped in with a seat belt, being unable to drive away because the traffic from my position, a reminder to not roll your windows down all the way and how I managed to not shoot this junky who didn't even bat an eye when I racked my pistol and put a red dot on his chest. That was scary, his glassy eyes did not even acknowledge or seem to care that I drew on him and was barking orders at him and he was completely unphased, and didn't show any intention of changing his course of action. Not the reaction you hope for when brandishing in a defensive situation...

 

[Woody]

I love the fanny pack!!

warm weather I sometimes use a belly band. works great with shorts and a T-shirt. as of the button up shirts they make great vented models that are actually good for concealment, with certain patterns. columbia makes a great one. 5.11 has alot of models for warm days. oh and yes the northwest is kind for options on garmets with our weather.

 

[FLYPNW]

Nothing better than a good ole' Columbia or Mountain Hardware fleece vest with a holster at the 3 o'clock. Never have to take off the vest, long enough that the barrel won't "peak" and just plain comfy!

I got funny looks in Florida when I would wear my ankle holster with shorts.

 

[tenringguns]

I haven't made any. I carry in my right front pocket, you would not know it was there.

Smith and Wesson 442 with pocket holster btw...

 

[deen_ad]

I carry IWB and have for over 20 years. I get the pants about 1" bigger in the waist and always wear a long shirt untucked. Also have a 5.11 vest that I wear everywhere to carry the flashlight, my emergency allergy syringes, spare batteries, reading glasses, sweet and low, WAC and ACSWW badges and, oh yes, two magazines. Actually there's more than that.

BTW, try the pants and long tail shirts that Duluth Trading sells. Men's Workwear, Women's Work Wear, Work Clothing - Duluth Trading Company Some of the shirts are extra long and the pants are very comfortable with the "ballroom" gusset in them. They even have some jeans made in the US, but you pay about $80 a pair for them.

 

[linflas]

Nothing better than a good ole' Columbia or Mountain Hardware fleece vest with a holster at the 3 o'clock. Never have to take off the vest, long enough that the barrel won't "peak" and just plain comfy!

I have tried a few of OWB holsters, a Serpa retention, a cheap nylon, and a simple kydex, and I cannot seem to get rid of painting. 6'2" 210lbs, so not a small guy, just can't seem to get a clean silhouette from an OWB holster. I have a Crossbreed Supertuck for a PX4 subcompact that I carry all season without issue. A Ruger LC9 I carry with a pocket holster occasionally.

I choose to carry as concealed as possible, so I do not want to show unless I am pulling the gun. I also moved wallet to L rear, no other real changes, wear basically the same clothing, got some "fat" pants for the IWB holster. A couple sizes too big, and a nice beefy belt for the rig.

 

[bruzer]

The Duluth Trading website looks very interesting. With back issues I switched my wallet to the front pocket many, many years ago.
Mike

 

[FLYPNW]

I have almost mastered the art of carrying concealed while wearing jeans and an Eddie Bauer wrinkle free dress shirt TUCKED IN with either a Beretta 92FS, 8045 or 84FS at the 5 o'clock thanks to my N82 Tactical Tuckable holster. It's a very comfortable holster, but almost impossible to wear unless you obtain "fat pants" as linflas stated. Even if you can button your trousers, it will not be comfortable. If its cool enough to get away with a sweater or fleece I prefer my favorite holsters that are from Vega. With an outer layer (sport coat or vest) I can do a Vega H1 or under a sweater or otherwise I like my Vega IA2 holsters.

I am of the philosophy that my clothes should feel the same whether I am carrying or not, and I have had much success with that. The trade-off is the investment I make in the appropriate holster based on my attire. Additionally, I dress how I have always dressed, even before I carried. Yes, more thought goes into it now, but with the right holster I can dress in corporate/business casual, jeans or khakis, dress or polo shirt, tucked in or untucked, Columbia vest, sport coat, sweater or no outer layer and still comfortably carry concealed.

 

[VW_Factor]

In the times I CC, I simply don't worry about it peeking out from underneath my shirt or coat. Why would one worry when its perfectly legal to OC (which I do as well).

 

[mortre]

I changed over to my wallet in my left rear pocket. Actually, I changed it because I shattered 2 bones and dislocated part of the wrist in my right hand. But, prior to that I changed my carry gun to a 4" barreled 1911. The barrel on a 5 inch got in the way of my wallet, but a 4 inch was fine and didn't really show while reaching for the wallet. I carry with a Kramer scabbard at about 3:00/3:30.

 

[CJM]

In the times I CC, I simply don't worry about it peeking out from underneath my shirt or coat. Why would one worry when its perfectly legal to OC (which I do as well).

Because it isn't a matter of whether or not open carry is legal or not. A gun either needs to be carried 100% concealed or 100% out in the open, not half way between the two. I personally don't want to give up the fact I'm carrying a gun. My objection to open carry isn't a moral one, but a practical one. Having the gun out of sight gives you the advantage of the other people not knowing you're armed. I support other people and their decision to open carry through the mall or whatever, it just isn't for me. I do lots of open carry when fishing, hunting, or other outdoors stuff, just not around the general public. It's strictly for my advantage, and not what their feelings about guns might be either.

As far as changes I've had to make to conceal carry, none really. I carry strongside OWB so bigger pants weren't needed, I didn't wear fitted Justin Bieber/Jersey Shore tshirts and pants so that wasn't an issue, I just started carrying with the same clothes and carrying my wallet in the same place as always.

I guess I did make one change, I never wore a belt before unless I was in slacks and a dress shirt tucked in, so I started wearing a reinforced gun belt to support the extra weight.

 

[VW_Factor]

Because it isn't a matter of whether or not open carry is legal or not. A gun either needs to be carried 100% concealed or 100% out in the open, not half way between the two.

Why does it matter to you if the weapon is not 100% concealed? Why the "need"?

 

[Allfat]

I agree with VW_Factor. I carry concealed day to day, and carry open when out in the woods. I prefer my gun to be concealed when in public, but if it happens to peak out or print a little, I am not really worried about it.

The only concern I have is if I have a slip and my piece shows while in a private establishment, then they ask me to either take off my gun or leave, it would be a small inconvenience to me to put my gun in the car, find another place to shop, etc... But only an inconvenience, hardly worth worrying about at all.

Carry as much as you can and don't sweat the little stuff.

 

[CJM]

Why does it matter to you if the weapon is not 100% concealed? Why the "need"?

Why do something half way? Isn't the purpose of concealed carry to be concealed? Isn't the purpose of open carry for it to be in plain view. My point is why bother to kinda conceal when concealing all the way is quite easy.

 

[CJM]

I agree with VW_Factor. I carry concealed day to day, and carry open when out in the woods. I prefer my gun to be concealed when in public, but if it happens to peak out or print a little, I am not really worried about it.

I'm talking about walking around with the bottom third of your holster sticking out from the bottom of your shirt, not printing. Occasional printing is a fact of life in carrying unless you pocket carry a .380 or something.

 

[VW_Factor]

Why do something half way? Isn't the purpose of concealed carry to be concealed? Isn't the purpose of open carry for it to be in plain view. My point is why bother to kinda conceal when concealing all the way is quite easy.

This doesn't answer my question as to why you think a gun needs to be 100% Open or Concealed.

I don't know about you, but I've started to carry as how it is comfortable. I don't go out of my way to cover every bit of my holster/weapon and make sure it stays covered through-out my outing.

I have the freedom to carry however I wish and anything in between. Why would you care how someone else chooses to carry? Do you consider it "tacky" the barrel of my weapon is shown poking out from underneath my coat, however the butt of the weapon covered? Do you consider it wrong for my weapon to be in plain view when I reach for my Frosted Flakes on the top shelf at the grocery store, however be once again covered by my shirt after placing the cereal into my cart?

I just don't get why it should matter.

 

[CJM]

This doesn't answer my question as to why you think a gun needs to be 100% Open or Concealed.

I don't know about you, but I've started to carry as how it is comfortable. I don't go out of my way to cover every bit of my holster/weapon and make sure it stays covered through-out my outing.

I have the freedom to carry however I wish and anything in between. Why would you care how someone else chooses to carry? Do you consider it "tacky" the barrel of my weapon is shown poking out from underneath my coat, however the butt of the weapon covered? Do you consider it wrong for my weapon to be in plain view when I reach for my Frosted Flakes on the top shelf at the grocery store, however be once again covered by my shirt after placing the cereal into my cart?

I just don't get why it should matter.

We'll just have to agree to disagree on the level of importance of proper concealment. Like a caliber debate, arguing it is futile.

CJM

 

[evltwn]

I use a Tennessee Leather IWB for my XDm, with an untucked polo shirt most of the time. I am retired, so social occasions are rather casual. If need be, my J frame in a pocket holster works well also. I make sure it stays concealed, and it doesn't print, as far as I can tell. Never been pointed out to me, at least.

 

[VW_Factor]

importance of proper concealment.

Perhaps you can start with what your definition of proper concealment is?

Beyond that, perhaps you can tell us why it is important?