.45 ACP concealed carrry - what and how?

F

FScott

New member
I have noted a distinct preference (carry poll confirms) for the .45ACP caliber as a primary carry firearm. Curiosity is getting the better of me as a practical matter, what are most of you 45 fans actually carrying, and how are you managing to conceal it?

I can't quite figure out how I'd manage to tote around a 1911 all day long (especially in the summer) or that I'd want to try to push a round of .45 through a smaller polymer frame pistol with any reqularity (aka avoiding the orthopedic surgeon pension fund contribution).

Granted, I'm not a really big guy (5'11" and about 195, medium hand size), and the only 45 I've shot is a 1911 which wasn't that bad to fire, but I can't imagine carrying it.

Am I missing something?
 
It took some getting used to, but now I often forget it's there. An inside-the-waistband (IWB) holster covered by a longer than normal leather motorcycle vest. Of course, having a motorcycle nearby helps explain the vest. ;) There's the problem, as outlined in another topic by Don't Shoot It's Me, of being confused with a Los Angeles gay person, but I don't travel to L.A.

As for the issue of pushing a round through a lightweight gun regularly, I practice with a full-size regularly and shoot my carry pistol less often.

Try doing a seach on "concealed carry holsters." This has been an often-discussed topic.
 
You can probably get away with a commander-sized (4" barrel) single stack. They're a lot thinner than you may think, especially if you put on thin grips. I can carry my Paraordnance P-13 with doublestack mags.

I also have a Kimber Ultra CDP(3" barrel) with carbon-fiber thin grips. It's as small & thin as my H&K P7 and dissapears in my IWB holster. I did have to downsize to 185gr bullets though because of the size & weight.
 
After carrying a Glock 23 or Glock 30 for the last seven years, I've recently switched to a full size all steel Gov't. model 1911. It is much more comfortable for me than the Glocks, primarily because it's so thin. Of course, a quality carry rig is essential for such a heavy gun; I use a Milt Sparks Versamax 2 IWB with a Milt Sparks belt. The VM2 has widely spaced belt loops for stability and enhanced concealment. Comfortable and sturdy.

IMO, the shorter barrel (commander) length 1911's are not siginificantly easier to conceal, because it's the grip that prints, and these guns have the same grep length as the gov't. models. The compacts are another story...shortened grip and barrel.
 
I have carried my (all steel) 1991A1 Commander in a Pager Pal. It's not too bad, just a little heavy. I'm 6'00" and a svelte 230 lbs :D . Yes, I carry cocked and and locked.
 
Throughout my law enforcement career and for a number of years after retirement I carried (off duty and concealed) Commanders, the original with the alloy frame, or a Light Weight Officer's ACP. Both of these were toted in Milt Sparks Executive Companion IWB holsters.
After cracking my third Commander frame I switched to 45 ACP Glocks. I sometimes carry the G21 but mostly I am wearing the G30 in a Sidearmor IWB holster.
One of the keys to all of this is a stiff, high quality belt.
 
I like a good IWB holster, either a Sparks Watch 6 or an Alessi CQC/I for my 1911. I have a real good pants/pistol belt and wear a size larger polo or golf shirt untucked. The shirts are thicker material than tee shirts and the texture and dark colors help hide the pistol. If I can't wear the polo shirts, I wear a leather vest I got at the local tall 'n' tubby shop. After carrying a 1911 for a goodly number of years, I don't notice that its there.
 
I've carried Glocks and Sigs in the past and now carry a full size Kimber stainless 1911. The 1911 is heavier but it sure is thin. I carry mine in an Alessi Talon Plus with an untucked golf shirt over it.
 
Full-sized 1911s are actually easier to carry than you'd expect. They have two desirable properties for IWB carry: they're flat (at least for a gun of that caliber and size), and they are long and skinny (thus staying put in an IWB holster very nicely.) I was pleasantly surprised when I started carrying a full-sized 1911 for the first time...they really do carry better than many smaller guns. The key is a quality IWB rig.
 
I live even further south than you, in central FL, and I manage to carry a full size 1911 concealed year round. When it gets hottest, I tuck in a tank top, then wear an untucked polo shirt as my covering garment.
The key is a good belt...you HAVE to have a good, stiff belt or carrying a full size gun will be torture. With a good CCW belt and a good IWB strongside holster, you can carry a heavy gun concealed with no problem.
When it gets a bit cooler (say in the low 80s, high 70s) I make due with a tucked in T shirt and either an untucked, unbuttoned short-sleeved button shirt or a light athletic-style vest. I am 5'10" and 200 lbs, so it can be done.
 
.45 carry

Try the Glock model 30.I know this is anathema to some but Mexican carry(tucked inside the waist band)works well for me.As long as you aren't doing a lot of running and you have trained to place your index finger along the frame when you draw,you should have no problem.Recoil is not at all punishing,no worse and even maybe lighter than a full sized 1911.I am an orthopaedic surgeon and can guarantee that the Glock 30 will not lead to contributions to the pension fund.:)
 
I'm about your height and considerably more scrawney. (6' 165#) As the others have said - good belt, good holster.

In hot weather, on those occassions when everything must be tucked and neat, I opt for an S&W Model 38 in a belly band.

Otherwise in hot weather I mostly default to one of the lightweight 1911 pattern LW snubbies. (Kimber Ultra CDP or Compact CDP)

That extra .4 of an inch off the butt does make a difference for us old scrawney folk.

I actually don't mind shooting the LW alloy jobs. I'm not especially sensitive to recoil and a good beaver-tail type grip safety gets rid of the hammer bite.

Summer time - good belt, good IWB holster. Cinch that sucker up, and tight. (A little time and sweat will have that belt/holster combination molded to you like a second skin.) Loose shirt with reasonable thickness in the fabric - preferably patterned or dark. Go on about your bid'ness.

Cooler weather - same recipe. Except, when heavier cover garments are acceptable, I prefer a standard Series 70 Government Model.

Three things to keep in mind.

One, use a fairly heavy fabric cover garment. A V-Neck undershirt is not enough. The fabric should be neither too thin nor translucent.

Two, a good belt holster combination which keeps the butt tucked in and fairly high (and in line with your torso if you're weight challenged).

Three, don't act like you're carrying a gun. The best way to do this (if you can) is to carry 24/7 until wearing a gun is like carrying your car keys. Walking stiff, constantly hiking your britches or adjusting your holstered weapon are all unusual actions. People notice the unusual. Watch your posture to some extent. (If you carry IWB behing the strong side hip, then neal or squat at the low shelf in the grocery store, keeping your spine relatively straight. Don't bend - much.)

If you follow the above three rules you can carry most anything (short of an 8 3/8s Model 29 on a neck chain) without most folks noticing a thing.
 
Good belt and holster, its been said. I carried my Colt GVT MDL for a little over ten years in a Ted Blocker IWB rig. The LFI rig I think they called it. The belt was lined with velcro and the holster had a velcro tab to slip under the belt so no one will see the holster retaining clip. Cince it up tight and away we go. The best part was that the belt stretched out where it went over the gun, so I had to wear the gun if I wanted my pants to stay up tight!

The holsters still in great shape but now I need more velcro to line my third belt with. Is it too heavy to carry? Lets put it this way...More and more lately I've been carrying a second full size 45, G21 in a Galco SOB and a Galco crossdraw for the Colt. Proper holster selection is critical but I must say its comforting, I mean comfortable.:D
 
During the 6 months of the year when I wear a jacket most all the time, I carry an Officer's Model-sized 1911 or a G30 (or the identically-sized 10mm G29) outside the waistband in a snug-fitting belt scabbard.
 
Colt .45 Semi Auto, Full Size, 230 grain hardball FMJ

Fobus Holster on right hip

Houston, Texas summer style - Jean shorts with sturdy belt, tucked in tee shirt with Hawaiian shirt as over garment.

I have never had a problem concealing my full size Colt and enjoy it more than my Glocks.
 
Lately, I have been carrying a 1911 style 45ACP in an IWB holster. I drape an untucked denim shirt over it and it is gone. :)

Sometimes, I put it in a Fobus paddle holster instead of the IWB and it still disappears under the shirt.
 
Taurus PT 145 in a Desantis pocket holster. Fits nice!, disappears well. Pro-Load ammo for the buisness part of the deterrent;)
 
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