How to Carry concealed?

I carry a Sig P250c or a XD40sc or a xd9c in a kholster at 3 oclock. I can wear almost any polo shirt and they disappear. Kholster is having a 3 day sale starting April 2 for $30, April 3 for $42, and April 4 for $45. Check at kholster.com. Can not beat the price. Saves getting a drawer full of holsters like everyone else has, including me.
 
and lots of us like beltman.com for our belts

ditto times 10

The products put out by Jim The Beltman will last a lifetime, so that makes the pain of spending that kind of money for a belt disappear.

The reason most people excess about printing and the lack of comfort of a particular gun/holster combination is because the flimsy belt sags off the waist line and/or rotates/twists letting the gun flop around and hang crookedly off the belt. Once I invested in a super stiff belt, I mysteriously quit buying holsters. They all started to feel OK, even the cheap ones.

And as carrying becomes more routine over time, you, like most of us, will realize nobody is really looking at you as closely as you think they are.

In short, invest in a good stiff horsehide double layer belt first.
 
I'd opt for the belly band. Actually I have a holster identical to the one you have and I have a web belt that I use with it. I wear a dress shirt- tuck in the pants- so the type of holster with a clip- to be used with an un-tucked type shirt doesn't work. I put of my under pants and under shirt, put on the gun and belt/holster- then shirt and pants. To get at the gun takes more time because you have to unbutton the dress shirt- a button or two. I can live with that- I will unbutton the dress shirt if I feel I'm in a dangerous situation.
 
THANKS

You may have saved my life, or at least my foot!

I have been shooting for a long time, and am comfortable with things.
Just ordered a small pistol and will be carrying it in a holster.

I know I need to learn how. So I did a search............ And found this series.

GREAT INFORMATION, and well presented.

I will take the tips and etc to heart.

Keep up the good work everyone!!!!
 
As a few others have stated, a good belt is your first decision. I've got a couple but the one that I almost always wear is the 5.11 Tactical Trainer. It expands and contracts with my ever evolving waistline. This is an excellent belt.

5.11 Tactical Trainer

I'm still looking for an IWB holster and will probably go the appendix carry route. For OWB carry, I have an excellent Bladetech Sting Ray Belt Holster that I carry at about 3:00. Can't recommend this Bladetech holster enough ... great holster.

Bladetech Sting ray Belt Holster

Good luck in your decisions.
 
I currently carry a Ruger 380 LCP in a wallet holster that allows the trigger to be pulled through the holster. This holster feels just like an actual wallet and is very comfortable to carry, draw, and shoot. But I am still uncomfortable carrying a round in the chamber with an exposed trigger.
Has anyone had or heard of an accidental discharge carrying in this manner or any other thoughts?
 
Buttons? We don't got no stinking BUTTONS

Apologies to the bandito from The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

bighead46 said:
(edited for brevity and focus)To get at the gun takes more time because you have to unbutton the dress shirt- a button or two. I can live with that- I will unbutton the dress shirt if I feel I'm in a dangerous situation.
If you want to avoid all that, you can sew your buttons onto the placket (right word) of your shirt and replace their function with snaps sewn behind the button. Then you can just rip your shirt open (like Superman used to do). Or strippers (breakaway clothes, you know).

Of course, in case of extreme need, you could just rip your shirt open, buttons be damned. When you got to shoot, you got to shoot.

The snaps do make closing up your shirt a lot more convenient, though. Your main squeeze might appreciate the convenience, too.

Lost Sheep
 
Well salmon I would say (this coming from 15 years of firearms experience[no not handgun draw and fire and I know most of yall probably got me beat]) that if it has an exposed trigger that there is a chance. I mean I know a man who shot himself in the leg with a shotgun while walking through a swamp. Accidents happen. I would say that it is up to you though. One thing I am getting from this entire thread though has been to take what YOU like and what YOU feel comfortable with. One thing I might say...and PLEASE someone with more experience weigh in, but don't put anything in the pocket with the gun(like a pencil) lol. Oh and I reckon practice your draw with it unloaded.

Oh and I see alot of talk about kydex. I just want to post this link real quick that I recently saw...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDeKtgkZKmQ. I dont know if anyone else has seen this, but that concerns me? Am I missing something? But I can't walk around with my gun exposed like that anyway(no open carry in the state of Florida...unless you are hunting...in which case I am always hunting for a good lookin woman :D)

But I will be headed to a couple of places around me looking for a good solid belt tomorrow I reckon. I will be carrying in my under shoulder rig though.
 
In cool weather, I carry my .38 revolver crossdraw, under a vest. Simple Uncle Mike's nylon holster on a leather belt. The little that I've open carried, I do the same way. With OC it is less noticeable to those not facing me & always somewhat in my vision if someone tried to snatch it. I occasionally carry in a front pocket; that works OK in some pants. I want to try a Smart Carry in pants holster I've seen advertised. I had a shop order me a belly band holster but I did not accept it. It had no way to secure the weapon; it was just a pocket in a band. I don't think even a mouse gun would be secure in it, & certainly not a .38 snubby. It would have bounced out the 1st time I sprinted across a busy street. That would be quite a scene. Some liberal bedwetter would start screaming the moment it hit the pavement.

My brother in law carries his .380 auto in a pocket holster in his jeans. Totally hidden, easily pulled. He carries in left pocket, pulls holster with left hand then pistol from it with right hand. That would be a good option with a lot of shorts & other casual clothes, I think.
 
Regarding shirt buttons, more likely than not, if I have to draw, there will most likely be buttons everywhere, all over the ground! :D

Just sayin.'

--Wag--
 
Be careful what holsters you use and TRAIN TRAIN TRAIN with whatever you use!

This was posted on my dept.'s web site the other day for officer saftey and it applies here also!! If the links do not work, I have posted 3 of the pictures.

Don't buy cheap leather holsters....

Don’t play it cheap…re-invest where it counts!

“What the hell was that?!?” she said. It took me a half a second to realize that my gun had just gone off…on my hip…in its holster. My wife and I had just finished breakfast at our favorite café and got into the car.

Me being the passenger, I rotated my torso to the left to fasten my seatbelt like I always do. When I straightened again, my Glock 19 discharged, blowing a 9mm hole through my pants, underwear, the leather seat and bottom of the car’s door frame.

The bullet nicked my hip, but the wound is nothing a bandage couldn’t cover. So what went wrong? Guns never go “Bang” all by themselves.

After ensuring I wasn’t hemorrhaging profus <<image001.jpg>> ely and didn’t have to make a dash for the hospital, I stayed seated in the car as my wife came around to my door and opened it. I undid my belt and slid the Galco JAK202 Slide Belt Holster <http://www.usgalco.com/HolsterPT3.asp?ProductID=643&CatalogID=4> , with the gun still in it, off my belt. Why it went off was immediately apparent.

Accidental Discharge

Leather Holster AD 05 <http://www.flickr.com/photos/itstactical/5547242760/> The trusty, comfortable, leather holster I had been using for a year and two weeks had done what a baseball glove does after lots of use; It got soft. This particular holster carries the pistol outside the w <<image002.jpg>> aistband, but inside the belt. The belt slides through slots in the outer side of the holster.

The problem stemmed from the leather on the inner side of the holster getting soft. A crease formed, which eventually was large enough to extend beyond the trigger. Manipulate the gun in just the wrong manner and this crease is no different than a finger on the trigger. Boom!

Leather Holster AD 01 <http://www.flickr.com/photos/itstactical/5547242668/> I can’t say I didn’t know the crease had been formed in the holster. I traine <<image003.jpg>> d myself to be sure that when holstering, to make sure the gun was fully in the holster, with the trigger protected. On this day, did I forget to do that when I holstered up? Did the leather finally get so soft that a combination of body movements and interference by the cushy leather seat move the Glock enough to create a situation where the trigger was engaged by the holster?

Leather Holster AD 02 <http://www.flickr.com/photos/itstactical/5547242684/> I don’t think we’ll ever know for sure, but I’ll humbly admit to the former as the likely culprit. However, if it was the latter, then those of you who use this type of holster need to be aware of its limitations and the possibility of experiencing what I did.

I <<image004.jpg>> t might have been a very different story had the incident happened while we were dining. That bullet ricocheting off the concrete floor could have done untold damage and just as easily killed somebody. Fortunately nobody got hurt and damage to the car was minimal. It will be an interesting conversation with the insurance company to see if they’ll cover the repairs.

Lessons Learned

Leather Holster AD 08 <http://www.flickr.com/photos/itstactical/5546662701/> Holstering your gun can be just as important as drawing it. Make sure you pay attention when doing so. If your leather is getting soft and worn, be sure that it won’t interfere with your trigger or just replace it.

The back of the slide and/or grip was being pushed downward into the leather holster…or the holster was being pushed upward with some force. My guess is the firearm was being pushed and the fold in the holster acted as a finger and depressed the Glock trigger safety.

This truly brings home the importance of taking care of your equipment and ensuring it’s in proper working order. Hopefully you can learn from my situation and prevent an accident like this from happening to you.
 

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the 4th picture.

And I prefer using a Fobus holster (with a Glock 19, 26, or XD 40) either just forward my strong side hip or just aft, depending on the situation. I just wear a t-shirt tucked in to prevent rubbing on my side and wear a little bit bigger t-shirt, button up, sweat shirt, etc. over that to conceal the weapon. I can open carry but prefer not to advertise POLICE everywhere I go.

Like earlier posted, don't worry about a little printing (unless completely banned in your state). Most people don't notice it. You will because you should be training yourself to notice printing of weapons on other people.

Whatever you decide, please train constantly on drawing from the position that you carry from. Be leary of changing your carry method often. When stressed, possible shoot situation, you will revert to whatever you train with the most which may not be your current carry method. This could and can result in you not being able to react in time.

Find what is comortable, safe and legal and stick with it. Train as much as you can and then some.
 

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For right now I only have 2 methods that I would consider carrying. The 330 position(which I got the belt guys...it is a thicky sturdy leather that will hold up too...cant remember the brand though) and the under shoulder. My primary method is IWB 330 because that is the type of clothing I usually wear and my fastest/best form. When I actually use my standard holster I prefer it in that spot anyway. The only reason I would change to under shoulder is because I am tucked in and wearing a button up/suit. I practice from this position with an open shirt(because I determined that ripping buttons off is an easy enough task. If my ex girlfriend could manage it then I think I can too :p ).

Anyway guys thank you so much. Today was my first official concealed carry day too. Was a little odd at first because I was thinking about the gun being there. It was totally invisible and when I forced myself to stop thinking about it I was totally fine. I did develope a little trick though when I started passing out hugs to family that I ran into...I put a pair of sunglasses in my shirt pocket so that when someone went to hug me they avoided trying to crush the sunglasses and side hugged me. :D
 
A lot of good advice in the previous comments.

I particularly liked the comment that most people are not observant. I would like to expand on that.

I had an experience, while in civilian clothes,Badge and 45 1911 in plain site and accompanied by two uniformed Deputies, I entered an eatery. The casheir asked if I should recieve my discount. She did not see either the Badge on my breast or the Browning.

Later we responded to this same location, when a young merchant entered with a concealed weapon. It was the same clerk who had not seen my weapon.

The point is I did not carry myself as if I was armed. The Merchant, drug dealer, did.

You must carry yourself so as not to attract attention. If you do not appear to be armed people will not see the weapon. Many new CCW permitees walk like a movie gun fighter.

Good equipment, training and the proper attitude will conceal your weapon. Attitude I think is the most important.

One other tip, when you find the right position, adjust your belt loops to ensure that the holster stays in the same position. It is intresting when you are required to draw and your weapon is not in the place you expect it to be.
 
Just want to say thank you for ALL of the advice guys. It has REALLY helped. I finally got a chance to really try out the belt with my Uncle Mike's holster. I know alot of people were not fans of the plush holster, but it works just fine with a good solid belt. I also received some brand new T-shirts from my mommy that ride a little low(bout 2 inches lower than the waistband or maybe a little lower). The gun disappers. If it prints at all it looks like a cell phone or some other SMALL object. I actually won't have to change attire at all thanks to the advice here. I am very careful about the way I walk as well. I make sure that I never touch the area where the gun is unless I am standing up or sitting down(the check to make sure I am not exposed and I have yet to have a problem even when entering my very SMALL cab of my truck). I haven't changed my walking pattern really at all. I noticed at first I kept my back a little straighter than maybe a should have(because it just didn't feel natural). I am now after a few days of carry walking normal lol.

Now if you gentlemen will indulge me in a funny story. I left the dojo today and went back to my apartment. I was called and found out that someone had left their wallet in my truck. I told them ok and met them at a local restaraunt. We decided to eat there so we order and sit down. I picked the spot against the wall facing the register and right next to and out of the line of sight of the door. It is my favorite spot for 2 reasons. The first and most important is that I don't have to leave my seat to refill my drink hehe. The second is obvious. Well as we are chatting he asked me about my concealed license. He knows I have the license because he heard me talking to the cop at the gym. WELL he asked me what I would do if someone robbed the place we were in right then. I gave him the with what answer? He actually asked me what I would do right then "since I did not have my gun." Just a little proving story because I in fact did have the gun. My confidence in the concealment is now at its best. So again I thank you gentlemen.
 
Unusual (?) story about carrying concealed...

'Hope you guys find this amusing and perhaps educational!

Do you know what a Tilley hat is? They're made in Canada, although there's another brand called "Ultimate Hats" that are made in USA. They're soft fabric hats with a brim all around, a bit like a boonie hat but heavier fabric and a little broader brim; they usually have ventilating grommets in the crown and snaps so you can snap up one side (Aussie-style) or both. And there are two cords that can go under your chin and behind your head and hold it on in a hurricane.

There's also a pocket inside the crown which holds a removable flat piece of foam that helps make the hat float.

OK so far? Well, 30 or more years ago (during my hippie days) I lived in the NW and I frequented a nude beach along the river. It was a pretty civilized place; even families went there, and everybody was very well-behaved, although naked, and there was never any trouble among the folks on the beach. But it was pretty remote (you had to drive a ways and then hike a ways) and there were no cellphones back then, of course, and even if there had been, if there were trouble you'd have to handle it, because calling the cops would be out of the question.

Well, occasionally there were some young guys who would come up in boats and harass the women (figuring "Hey, they're naked, they're fair game"). And sometimes they got pretty vulgar and aggressive, and a cautionary word from us (naked) guys on the beach was met with an "Oh Yeah, what are you gonna do about it?"

My favorite personal arm at the time was a stainless .380 BackUp (a dandy little hand-cannon, except that it didn't have an exposed hammer and so there was no way to de-cock it except to drop the mag, eject the round in the chamber and then dry-fire it; also you had to drive a pin out in order to strip it for cleaning; I eventually traded it for a Colt Mustang -- same size package but a superior design, like a mini-1911).

I guess some of you probably already see where this is going. I stashed that BackUp in the pocket inside my hat. And when I had to admonish 3 or 4 guys who had come up in a boat and were being jerks, I just looked to them like a naked guy in a hat, but I knew something they didn't know, which is that, with my hat off and my hand inside it, I already had them covered. I was prepared to flash some steel if I had to, but never had to take it out of the hat. Somehow I managed to project to them, by my voice, attitude and posture, that they were at a tactical disadvantage. Sort of like Josey Wales talking to Ten Bears, there was iron in my words.

As they made their retreat, I looked around on the beach and noticed a couple of my fellow naked beach-goers with their hands inside beachbags or knapsacks. I surmised that they, too, were armed and ready, but no iron was ever displayed. I'm sure that, like me, nobody had a permit. But it sure seemed to prove that "an armed society is a polite society"!

Footnote: That's about the only circumstance where concealing a gun in your hat would work. Any other time, somebody could come up behind you and snatch your hat right off your head! But it also goes to show that you can be naked and still have something "up your sleeve"!
 
I have a Tilly hat. I'll have to consider that!

The carry method, not the nude beach. LMAO

--Wag--
 
Nice to know I am not the only student in gainesville that carries off-campus lol.

Oh and I like to carry with a pair of jeans and one of the columbia fishing shirts. They tend to hide the gun well enough. I also use a uncle mike's holster. Works well for my purposes.

But if you are looking for other holsters, the military surplus store on 13th or beckwith in micanopy are good places to find some.

-Gatorgun
 
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This change as I age

I carried since I was in my 20s with a permit. It seemed so much easier back then. I was thinner and more limber. I may have a smaller of back, but not so small. My pants fits snugly and inside waste band (IWB) can work, but is only goo if I stand and walk. Sitting or getting into my truck is very very difficult with IWB on my right side, I look like I will not make it in. I even have a nice Galco horsehide holster that will let me tuck my shirt in, but my shirts are always pulling out as I move. The 30 pounds I have put on makes in a challenge to conceal effectively.

I am reluctant to buy larger clothes and resign myself to the weight, so things are very snug. If I knock off the weight, it would get easier again.

I agree that many carry options such as the vest or fanny pack is no longer truly concealed. When the weather gets hot, the options go to very little. I am often left with only being able to carry my Kahr P380, and I am not a mousegun fan.

I can actually carry my Glock 27 in my jeans (with pocket holster) if I wear an oversize t-shirt untucked.

Basically, I have learned that tight clothes with small pockets does not work. Also, good belts help and I have to keep it tight or constantly adjust the pants as they creep downward.
 
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