How to Carry concealed?

S

stonewall50

New member
Ok so I am new to concealed carry(got my license a couple weeks ago) and I have been experimenting with many different ways to carry my XDSC 9mm. I have VERY little trouble drawing and firing from IWB carry in the small of my back. My problem is that I have trouble with printing when I do that (hence why I have not carried yet, well that and the fact that I am in one of those lovely gun free zones that all the criminals keep hearing about called a University). I also have an under the shoulder carry that conceals well undera button up(like my columbia or a suit). Drawing from there takes considerably more time for me even though I have practiced. So I am asking for options on carry or maybe ways of reducing printing?

My IWB attire is usually a golf/polo shirt that is slightly longer and a pair of cargo shorts that are a little baggy. I live in Florida, so there is a lot of different attire that really isn't an option (the shoot me vest or the look shoot me I have something valuable in my fanny pack). I understand that carry requires dressing around the weapon and I guess I seem to be having some difficulty because it would just make me stand out like a sore thumb in most clothes that I wear(not during the winter but more during the spring summer and fall...Florida). I have heard of carrying in the front IWB, slightly on the left...but the idea of a loaded pistol pointing at me groin area makes me feel a little...uncomfortable. I have at least tried the carry there and it disappears with no printing(even with a t-shirt), but drawing from that position is awkward with a belt on.

I left out that I have an uncle mike's holster for the pistol and I also have one of those new 5.11 tactical underarmor type shirts with the holster weaved under the shoulder(which works quite well and distrubtes the weight VERY well...just awkward on the draw when wearing a button up).
 
There are lots of ways to carry, but I think most people when they start to conceal carry feel everyone can tell that they have a firearms...

The truth for me in my experience is people are generally unobservant of even the most obvious. I dont know what your state law says, here where I live if my gun was showing, open carried (intentionally or otherwise) or well hidden in CCW mode I am covered legally by my permit. (Standard exclusions for government property and 2 counties in MN)

People think vest are obvious but really given our cultures complete lack of standards in dress, I wouldnt let this be a deterrent. If yo homes and the crew can sag the pants, you can wear a vest.

For myself in cooler months I much prefer the shoulder holster.

In hotter months the vest is a winner and two light but colorful shirts arent too bad. On rare occasion I will IWB with my 380 but my primary carry Sig P220 takes more cloth to cover.

EOTAC is the only vest I own and its a ccw machine.... So many pockets to carry things in. I prefer the interior pockets for my weapon and I carry my mags in the mag pockets and they dont print.

I unzip the front and let the vest open and wave around a little so everyone can assume I have nothing in there, my how wrong they are so long as its legal for me to carry where Im at.
 
I recommend carrying strong side just a tiny bit around the outside curve of the hip toward my back, hip holster, on the belt. Wear loose fitting shirts, light jackets, or a tee shirt with a button down shirt over it that is neither buttoned or tucked in. As far as the ever so intolerable 'printing' concern goes - so what if it appears as if there is a lump, bump, or something else under your shirt? How many cell phones, and other things do people carry on their belts that 'print'? The great majority of people will never notice and the pistol will be in one of the most accesible for you), yet secure places it can be kept while wearing it.

All the best,
Glenn B
 
What kind of belt/holster are you using? You need a holster designed for concealment and a quality gun belt, both are essential to proper concealment. I've seen people conceal full-sized 1911s in a T-shirt and jeans.
 
Thanks yall. I am still experimenting and I like these ideas. For clarification about Florida laws, I cannot show my weapon at all. Open carry is not legal here(unless you were hunting). It sucks, but bill 234 tried to get through and the good guys were not very smart in how they tried to get it through(why try to legalize open carry on campus before you legalize open carry for general population? Or legalize concealed carry first for campus?). So basically if I show I am a felon depending on the cop.

My holster is this...http://www.unclemikes.com/products/inside_the_pant_holsters.html I am note sure how to post just an image. My belt is just a standard belt with a shotgun shell brass tops imbedded into the leather. It is what I wear every day. I do like the 2 shirt style, and I guess I just am concerned about making myself obvious. Is there a specific belt I should be looking at? Wide? Loose? Tight? I am still new and I do talk to a guy I train Kali with who is on the gang unit about concealed, but I don't get much range time here because the only range is an NRA range and I am not a member and there are so many anti-gun nuts on my campus(and one is in my apartment so rather than bring out conflict by telling him I have my gun I just keep it locked in my nightstand).
 
First things first, buy a gunbelt. I like the Galco Carry lite belts, as they are well up to the job of holding your gun securely while not being too expensive. It's $29.95 from galco.

Also I would ditch the $12 holster, and get something better.

Galco makes several good IWB holsters for you gun and should have something in the $40-$60 range that will serve you well for several years. And if you buy one from them when you buy one of their belts, it'll save ya shipping charges.

High Noon Holsters is another excellent holster maker that should have a holster that will fit your needs, however they are a semi-custom shop, and if you order one they don't keep in stock it can take several weeks to get you holster. Still well worth the wait to me, and I have about 5-6 of their holsters for various guns.
 
What kind of gun do you have? That image shown of the glock seems to be riding awful high IMO. No wonder it prints with that holster. I carry strong side just behind the hip bone kind of over right cheek, but as forward as possible without being in front of hip bone. I find it the most comfortable. I carry an officer sized 1911 in a IWB Tucker Gunleather Silent Thunder.
 
I am using the XD-9 sub-compact. Location for carry is also about the same. I reckon I do need a new belt though. I mean the one I wear is nothin special. If I am looking to buy a good gunbelt I need something leather(which I guess is obvious). But what are the specifics of a good gun belt? This is what I really need to know. I mean width is a factor. How should it be constructed? I will be researching all of this now that yall have put this bug in my head about the belt, but I am curious what makes a difference between a galco 2 inch belt and a 2 inch leather belt from a walmart? I mean obviously quality lol...but I guess what I am saying is what makes these brands special?
 
Majority of my peer group are ivory tower liberal (predominantly anti-gun) so when in their company discretion (invisible carry) is important.

My smallest 9mm is a Sig P239 and though it is only about 6.5" long it prints badly (in summer clothing). In the cooler weather I can get away with shoulder carry and IWB, but in warmer weather this is much more difficult.
Since deep cover is the only option here, this means ankle carry, which in my case is either a PPK or a Sig P238. Kahr is another option, but I don't do DAO very well, tho I suppose the new Kimber Solo might be alright, time will tell. It is possible to carry bigger handguns on the ankle, but awkward and difficult, so for the time being I am pretty much stuck with mousegun ankle carry.

My belt is 1.5" wide, strong, sturdy heavy black leather, hand made bought at a gunshow. Cost about $30. You can hang a 10 lb sack of potatoes on it, it won't flex.

Have too many holsters to list, all are leather except for the Wolverine ankle holster. Visit a large outfitters store, buy the best that works for you, regardless of cost (within reason), you need something more robust and retentive than what you are carrying.

Good luck.
 
I have been in Florida for 50 of my 54 years, and I spent 8 of them in Gainesville, although those 8 were before concealed carry was shall-issue.

First, please reconsider SOB carry. Too easy to sweep yourself and others on the draw, and way too easy for your cover garments to ride up and expose your firearm without you realizing it. Those who recommend strong side carry just behind your midline have wisdom born of experience. Easy draw, comfortable, minimizes printing, maximizes retention.

Next: Casual dress in Florida makes it very easy to carry IWB. With any kind of T or tank-style undershirt, there are lots of styles of shirts that can be worn with the tail out. If you like the shirt tails to be square to be worn out, as I do, it is an easy job to cut the tail off square and run a little hem around the bottom. (It is particularly easy for me, because my wife does it for me.) Keep your eyes peeled and you will be able to pick up a couple of very light, cool sport coats for times when it is more appropriate to have your shirt tail in. Wardrobe complete.

Except for your belt and holster. A good belt for a gun is stiff and keeps its shape. You might get lucky buying a belt in a department store, but you are more likely to watch it sag and deteriorate with the weight of a gun on one side. Several holster manufacturers make decent gun belts, and lots of us like beltman.com for our belts. Like a good belt, a good leather or Kydex holster costs a few bucks but pays off in comfort and longevity. Galco and Desantis are just a couple of the several companies that make holsters of reasonable quality and price.

I have never heard of minor printing becoming a legal issue for anyone in Florida, but I would not press my luck on campus. When I come up for games I discretely lock my firearm in a lock box secured in a locked car.

Go Gators.
 
Thank you guys so much. And yes go Gators! I actually will never carry onto campus just in case I do have that one bad luck incident where a cop spots my firearm and I get that license revoked.

I reckon I will be looking around for belts first, and then on to some shirts. I looked at some stuff at old navy, casual short sleeve shirts and stuff. They look acceptable for concealed carry. Of course I can simply adjust the placement of my pistol to midline. From what everyone is saying, my holster sucks? I will experiment with it and a few other holsters. I have no question that I can clear the holster though. It holds in place very well when worn with a tight belt.

Oh and just a final note: minor printing shouldn't be an issue, but we all know that it only takes one cop having a bad day to notice.
 
I'm a big fan of Appendix-IWB (what you call "front IWB"). It is fast, secure and conceals very well. I carry a Glock 19 there pretty much year round dressed very similar to youself.

With that said, it isn't for everyone. It is best done with a dedicated holster designed for AIWB carry. Not a soft Uncle Mike's design.
 
Another vote for strong-side, either 3:30-4:00 position for right handers or 8:00-8:30 for left-handers. 86 the small-of-back carry. TailGator has enumerated the most pressing shortcomings of this style. Another is possible injury to your spine if you fall or are thrown down upon the gun in that position. Finally, accessing your weapon while seated in a motor vehicle is going to be a problem; this could become a real deal-breaking problem in the event of, say, an attempted car-jacking.

As for printing, this is far less of a concern than we make it out to be. I carry openly on a routine basis and go about my business unnoticed. It's truly bizarre. I tend to carry full-size pistols, too.

Finally, by all means, get a decent belt and holster. You don't have to go broke, but you really need a good belt. No standard belt purchased at Wal*Mart or Macy's is designed to hold the weight of a pistol. Having the support of a good gun belt makes a night-and-day difference as to stability of the weapon and your overall comfort.

Best of luck, and God bless.

Bob James
 
If you wear cargo shorts that are a little baggy, think about a pocket holster in your strong side front pocket. It's one of my favorite ways to carry, either with a 3" Kimber CDPII or even my 3" Ruger SP101. A Mika pocket holster is very inexpensive, but will do the job well and will stay put when you draw your XD. You can walk around wih your hand on the grip of your XD and no one will know the difference.
 
Winter is easy, most jackets will do. Summer requires more effort. I wear sports coats alot and sometimes use ankle holsters.
 
I'd like to suggest a good site for buying belts, if you can't find any locally.

www.OldSchoolLeather.com

They make nice thick belts out of full grain leather (the good stuff). I've ordered a few from them, and they're great quality. But it may take a couple of weeks for you to get it, as it's a mom-and-pop operation. I think they're in central Florida somewhere, so you'd also be supporting a local business.
 
It is important to figure out what fits for your body shape and attire. 6 o'clock is comfy for me, but prints like crazy when I sit down. My love handles pre-empt 4 o'clock carry. So I carry iwb at 2 o'clock (invisible, but uncomfortable when seated for me), or in a pocket, or at 6 with a jacket or similar cover garment.

Having a gun intended for ccw helps a lot too.
 
Thanks guys this is really helping out. I needed the wealth of information I guess to help me get the fundamentals. I know plenty of leather dealers(my father is a veternarian so I know places lol).

Question: I saw someone say that were having trouble with the 330-4 position because of love handles. I am no petite beauty queen, but I am not the grape ape either. I am a big guy, bout 6'1 230. I have love handles of a pretty good size(reducing because I do BJJ and Kali), so will they get in the way?
 
I'm relatively new at carrying and I'm using a belly band at the moment. I can tell it may not last more than a couple of years, however, that remains to be seen. The nice thing is, it isn't hooked to my belt which I like a great deal.

So far, carrying at three o'clock makes the most sense and conceals under a Hawaiian style shirt very very easily. Completely undetectable unless someone gives me a hug or something. Also, the belly band lets me carry a pretty large pistol which is good. Or a small one.

It's the flexibility I like.

Best of luck finding what you need!

--Wag--
 
I am very similar to you in body shape and carried an XD sub compact, 4 o'clock position, for a few years. Get a good belt and good holster, it makes all the difference.

For IWB my favorite holster was a comp-tac minotaur. It's like a crossbreed supertuck, but less expensive and you can buy the kydex shells for different guns without buying another holster. Very, very good holster and the customer service has been excellent when I had questions.
 
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