Hiding firearms in your underwear area

C

CaptainObvious

Moderator
I saw this Youtube video on Thunderwear and Smartcarry. This seems like a good idea for a deeply concealed backup firearm or even a primary firearm. I would probably carry something a little bit smaller then what is carried in the video.

The good thing is that no one usually looks at the bulges in your pants for reasons I need not mention. If you have to make an adjustment, then if someone catches you making the adjustment they will just think you may not have manners instead of thinking you have a firearm.

In any event, just a tidbit of information on whats out there. Hiding firearms in the underwear isnt a new thing, but this setup makes it much easier then the older methods which I need not go into.

http://youtu.be/VjhiheFmVO0
 
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Well, I guess you could put the Smartcarry inside the underwear but most people seem to wear the outside the underwear, if the comments I've read are any indication.
 
Definitely a better idea to use it on the outside then the inside. I dont think I would use a Glock with this type of setup or any other pistol which does not have a safety.

Now that I think of it, this setup has plenty of safety issues and I would only use it in deep cover situations.
 
I bought a Smart Carry and tried it with a P3AT and PM40. I disagree completely. People do notice an L shaped object. And if you wear it off to the side it look just like if you pocket carried the exact same gun.

In conclusion...NO ONE is going to think your Smart Carry/Thunderwear'ed gun is your penis. Sorry. Not going to happen. If the barrel is visible as a bump, what in the world explains the grip? The grip does not magically disappear in this set up like every pretends it does.
 
I have a Smartcarry kicking around somewhere. I found that with some adjustments I can usually eliminate obvious printing, but I just can't stand wearing it for any length of time.
 
I have a SmartCarry for my LCP. Worn directly in front and over my tucked-in shirt but below the top edge of my jeans, it is relatively comfortable and absolutely does not print. Sitting straight up at a dinner table is a little less comfortable than sitting in the driver's seat or on a sofa. For terrific concealment of a small, very safe semi-auto such as the LCP, I think the SmartCarry is excellent. I would be a little reluctant to use it with a semi-auto with a shorter, lighter trigger pull and no safety, e.g., my Kahr P40 or P45. (Of course the LCP has no external safety but it does have a very l o n g trigger pull.) As I am smaller than average, a SmartCarry provides significantly better concealment than any pocket holster (including my neat little DeSantis). One more thing - I am not endorsing SmartCarry as a brand - I simply have not yet tried any other brand.
 
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It can be a good choice while wearing light, thin, summer-weight clothing but not wanting to carry IWB or OWB yet still wanting absolute concealment of the firearm. I have seen many posts on TFL and other forums stating the person carries only a very small .380 (or something slighlty smaller or larger) daily. While an IWB holster would be fine, it would require a little more attention to clothing to maintain concealment. OWB for an LCP-size pistol makes very little sense to me; if OWB, then an LC9 or something similar makes sense. Finally, as we know, some jurisdictions permit concealed carry but not open carry, and even accidental showing of a holstered handgun can be problematic. And REALLY finally, ankle carry, IMHO, is awkward, uncomfortable, and slow, although, if done properly, ankle carry does provide concealment.
 
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Definitely NOT a new idea. Hy Hunter advertised, in his catalogue from the 50s, an "inside the fly" holster for deep concealment
 
Ive worn a Smart Carry, every day for the past 6 or 7 years now. Mostly I carry my Seecamp in it, but I have carried a P230, and even a P239 in one. With the right pants and gun choice, it is pretty amazing what you can get away with. I also wouldnt have a problem carrying my Glock 26 in one. The trigger thing isnt an issue.

I normally wear Carhartt carpenter type jeans, and with them, the Seecamp works the best and is the most comfortable. With larger guns, baggier trousers, like pleated Dockers, or loose, full cut jeans, etc, work better. Ive never had any problems with printing, or an overly obvious buldge. I have had issues with wear on my jeans in one specific spot though. Nothing like the TPH "Skoal" ring my buddy gets in his front pocket, just a small spot where an edge on the slide rubs. An iron on patch in the appropriate place takes care of that problem for the most part. Other than that, even with constant wear with the same pants, I dont get any indication in the material that theres a gun under it.

If youre wearing one and have printing issues, youre not wearing the right pants/gun combo, and/or, youre not wearing it properly. Like anything else, you have to be willing to adapt to things a little if you want to make them work. Its not hard, but you do have to be willing.

Comfort wise, its never been a problem for me. Ive found it to be very comfortable. When worn properly, you really forget its there. I have a pretty active lifestyle, and the gun stays put and doesnt move around. Its also the cleanest holster Ive ever used, and the gun itself picks up literally no dirt and lint, even in a dust and dirt filled environment. The holster is also pretty much water/sweat proof.

As far as access, Ive never had any troubles getting to the gun, and I find its actually easier than it is if it were in my pocket. It can be done one handed, and can be done while sitting but you do have to lift your butt up a little.

Having used one as much as I have, I wont be without one and have a couple of spares. Its really the most versatile holster I have. You can wear it with pretty much anything, including shorts with no shirt, or sweatpants and other pants with no belt or other support.
 
You can wear it with pretty much anything, including shorts with no shirt, or sweatpants and other pants with no belt or other support.
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Wearing a SmartCarry with a larger weapon under Speedos at the beach may attract attention. ;)
 
I've never used the SmartCary system, but somehow I just seems weird to me. When I wanted fairly deep Concealment I've used a Belly Band with decent results.
 
I used belly bands for a number of years, and never really liked them. At the time, they were really all that was available, so I made do, and I dont miss them at all. I find the Smart Carry is much more comfortable/concealable, and the gun is more secure too.
 
After wearing my larger SmartCarry with my LC9 in it for about the last six hours, I am convinced it won't work for me. I'm just too short for the LC9 in a SmartCarry. As I wrote previously, the LCP works fine in my smaller SmartCarry. And I think that guys of average height or taller could carry an LC9 (or similar size pistol) comfortably in the properly sized SmartCarry.
 
I bought one of the "rip off names" thunder bolt carry or something like that, just the same as those in the videos. Works just as well. I like it and plan on using it. It doesn't work well with my jeans, because the jeans I buy are very short, and hurts sometimes to sit down... So I have to pull on them.
 
If you're carrying a gun legally, why would you need to hide it in your crotch?
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If you want to wear shorts and a t-shirt, and still want to carry something approximating a "real" gun, this is a viable alternative.

I just got back from an out of state visit with a friend. When I ride down, I carry my own gun. When I fly in (as I did last week) I borrow his (formerly my) 3" .44 Spl blue M431.
The weight of the gun is supported by the Smart Carry, not your pants, so it doesn't pull your pants down.

A revolver, even a decent sized one, does not show at all. A double-stack like a Glock will show a bit up by the belt line, but given dark colored pants/shorts, in reality is more noticeable to the wearer (looking straight down at the minor bump) than it is to an observer who is looking at it from the front or side.

In order to have access, pants or shorts should be comfortably loose, or perhaps elastic (you need to reach inside the waistband to access the gun). But since the gun isn't pulling your pants down, that is not a problem. It is not as fast as a good IWB or OWB. But it is as fast as pocket carry, and you can comfortably and effectively conceal and carry a larger gun than you could ever pocket carry.

FWIW, I am 55 y.o., 5'9" and 155 lbs. I carry a 4" 1911 IWB every day. I can do it with the Smart Carry, but most of my pants were bought when I was 10 lbs slimmer, so that access isn't what it should be. I'm working on that, though... :)

A word on knockoffs like "Thunderwear'...I owned one several years back, and the quality of the materials (elastic, velcro, etc) was not up the level of the SmartCarry. My two SmartCarrys are at least 7-8 years old and although I no longer wear them daily, they have a fair number or cycles on them.

Given where they are worn (ahem) they require frequent cleaning. I would ideally own seven and have a weeks' worth. I throw mine in the laundry and they do not deteriorate noticeably from frequent laundering.

Not the ultimate solution, but a valuable and viable alternative under certain circumstances....
 
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I have carried a J-frame and a P3AT in that position, both guns unlikely to ND, long heavy pulls. I think the holsters made for such are pretty dumb. Yeah, I want to carry a C&L micro 1911 or a 3lb trigger Glock pointing at my femoral artery. Also, I find it amazing that everyone thinks of shooting their junk, not hooting an artery that can bleed them out in 30 seconds.
 
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