IWB dilemma?

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nanney1

New member
I bought a Shield because of it's size and concealability. I picked up a cheap, nylon holster (soft armor) to try out how I would like to carry.

With Carhartt canvas pants, I can pocket the Shield within the holster. 7 round works better than 8, but both work. Drawing from the pocket is not good at all. The pants I wear to work are lighter, and thinner and have a deeper pocket. But the lightness of the material causes the weight of the gun to pull outward away from the body.

I tried IWB at 3 o'clock, 4 o'clock and appendix. None were comfortable at all. Perhaps a different holster would result in a better feel. Maybe my body type is bad for any of those.

At this point, only OWB seems like a workable option. If that is the case, then I could have gotten a larger capacity pistol. This is all new to me, and I'm sure I'll figure it out in time.
 
A better holster will surely help, but I have found that any time.I change gun, holster, or position it is very uncomfortable for a few weeks until my body adjusts.

I also recall it being quite uncomfotable to get started IWB, now (7 years later) I actually dislike carrying OWB cause the pokey bits poke in new places.

FWIW I carry between 2 and 3 oclock with a aliengear cloak tuk 3.0 (right over my pocket) and carry a 5" 1911 without discomfort.

Since I switched to a hi capacity 1911 I find my off side spare mag both harder to conceal and more uncomfortable.

I'm 5'8" 200 lbs, husky but not too fat (or so I tell myself)
 
Now that I have a gun (shield), I think the issue is that I won't be able to acclimate to IWB because I won't have the opportunity. I can't carry at work, so there is no need to carry on the way to work or on the way home. I would have to clip/unclip or belt/unbelt... not feasible. I have to keep the weapon in my vehicle, or pocket if I get out of my vehicle.

IWB would only be after hours or on the weekend. So holster wise, I'm thinking OWB or pocket. So, I'm thinking J frame for pocket and something higher capacity than the Shield for OWB carry. Doubt I'll get rid of the Shield as it's just too good to give up on. It could always be a truck gun, back up or home defense. Or, I might find the right holster for after hours and weekends.
 
After many more carry guns and five time as many holsters, you will likely be closer to your answer.
 
nanney1 said:
I bought a Shield because of it's size and concealability. I picked up a cheap, nylon holster (soft armor) to try out how I would like to carry.

With Carhartt canvas pants, I can pocket the Shield within the holster. 7 round works better than 8, but both work. Drawing from the pocket is not good at all. The pants I wear to work are lighter, and thinner and have a deeper pocket. But the lightness of the material causes the weight of the gun to pull outward away from the body.
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Did you use a pocket holster?

nanney1 said:
I tried IWB at 3 o'clock, 4 o'clock and appendix. None were comfortable at all. Perhaps a different holster would result in a better feel. Maybe my body type is bad for any of those.

At this point, only OWB seems like a workable option. If that is the case, then I could have gotten a larger capacity pistol. This is all new to me, and I'm sure I'll figure it out in time.
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What kind of belt are you using? I've said this before, and I'll say it again: The belt is the foundation of your carry system. A good belt goes a long way to making carry more comfortable.

nanney1 said:
Now that I have a gun (shield), I think the issue is that I won't be able to acclimate to IWB because I won't have the opportunity. I can't carry at work, so there is no need to carry on the way to work or on the way home. I would have to clip/unclip or belt/unbelt... not feasible. I have to keep the weapon in my vehicle, or pocket if I get out of my vehicle.
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It's more feasible than you might think. I haven't been able to carry at work for ~7.5 years. I put a safe in my car. When I get to work, the gun & mags go in the safe. The holster and mag pouch come off when I get into my office. If you'll be a little more specific as to what your work attire is like, I'll give you what pointers I can.

nanney1 said:
IWB would only be after hours or on the weekend. So holster wise, I'm thinking OWB or pocket. So, I'm thinking J frame for pocket and something higher capacity than the Shield for OWB carry. Doubt I'll get rid of the Shield as it's just too good to give up on. It could always be a truck gun, back up or home defense. Or, I might find the right holster for after hours and weekends.
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Without a doubt, the most comfortable IWB hybrid I've found is the Stealthgear Revolution: https://stealthgearusa.com/
 
I just started using a IWB holster this year..I was surprised how comfortable it is,, and I am 6' 240lbs.. Crossbreed holsters ....But I have some stretch in the waist band on my Jeans that helps..View attachment 106509
 
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Spats, the holster was a soft armor reversible IWB or OWB, just switch the clip from one side to the other, or remove the clip for pocket. It's not great at any of those things. Probably ok as a range holster OWB.

Wore a braided belt with the canvas pants when I tried on the holster. I wear a heavier, thicker belt at work.

Work attire includes very lightweight, pleated khakis with deep and wide pockets, golf shirt or polo style shirt always tucked in. The pants would look odd with the polo untucked. Lightweight jacket during the winter.
 
My thinking right now is to buy a couple of lightweight golf pullover jackets for concealment and leave them in my vehicle. Then carry in a clip on OWB holster. With my khakis and golf shirts, and wing tips, a golf pullover would look appropriate with my normal work attire. Get some of the short sleeve versions for summer. I would have to buy some since I don't play golf.
 
The holster is very important for IWB carry. I'm not saying that no good nylon IWB holster exists; but I've never seen one and I probably spent $200 buying cheap nylon holsters before I finally splurged on some nice leather. As it turned out, that holster let me conceal a full-size Hi-Power with greater comfort and concealability than a smaller pistol (Glock 26) in a cheaper holster.

Even then, you'll probably acquire a few holsters. If you look at the Milt Sparks Summer Special or their Versa Max 2, those are two time-tested, very popular IWB styles that are made in one form or another by dozens of holster companies. Then you have the hybrid holsters like the Stealthgear and Crossbreed, which tend to mimic some of the desirable qualities of the VM2.

Right after the holster in importance is a quality gunbelt to distribute the weight and secure the holster. Stuff from the department store won't cut it. While you can get by with quality, solid leather belts, many of the dedicated gun belts have an insert to add to stiffness and are cut on a contour.
 
I would caution you about reaching any conclusions given what you said about your holster and your belt. In my opinion, a good belt makes even pocket carry more comfortable, and a good holster makes all the difference in how stable the pistol is against your body. You really haven't given it a good try yet, to be honest.

Personally, I use an IWB holster the most, with occasional use of a pocket holster for a smaller pistol. With good equipment you will likely find yourself getting more and more comfortable with IWB carry.
 
Cheap and especially universal holsters and flimsy belts will cause you to never carry, comfortably or otherwise.
 
nanney1 said:
Spats, the holster was a soft armor reversible IWB or OWB, just switch the clip from one side to the other, or remove the clip for pocket. It's not great at any of those things. Probably ok as a range holster OWB.

Wore a braided belt with the canvas pants when I tried on the holster. I wear a heavier, thicker belt at work.

Work attire includes very lightweight, pleated khakis with deep and wide pockets, golf shirt or polo style shirt always tucked in. The pants would look odd with the polo untucked. Lightweight jacket during the winter.
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The old saying about retail is: "You can have good, fast, or cheap. Pick any two." In this case, it sounds like you chose fast and cheap. I don't mean for that to be snarky, I promise. But I looked at the soft armor website, and that's not something I would have recommended for CC. It sounds like budget is an issue. I've been there and done that, so I'm not knocking you for it. With that said, if you need a brown belt on a budget, I'm going to suggest the Aker B21 (https://akerleather.com/off-duty-belts/off-duty-belts/B21/concealed-carry-gun-belt-1-12.html). I carried on one of those for over 5 years. I've upgraded, so my B21 has just been retired to "yard & work duty." It's not as nice as a Beltman or some of the other higher-dollar belts, but it looks decent and will support a 1911 all day long. (I know that from experience). For a black belt, I'll suggest a DeSantis Econobelt (https://www.desantisholster.com/ECONOBELT-1-12). I've been using one for somewhere around 5 years now. Considerably cheaper than most belts, and perfectly serviceable. And for the record, I wore both of those belts with suits for years. I've since moved up to a Beltman and if you have the budget for one of those, I highly recommend it. If you don't like any of those suggestions, search around on this forum for a while. There are plenty of discussions of belt makers, and there are lots of good belts out there. A braided leather Wal-Mart belt is not among them, though.

As for the holster, CrossBreed Supertucks, the Stealthgear Revolution line (that I linked earlier) and all of their ilk are tuckable. That means that if you're willing to put up with some hassle, you can tuck your shirt in over the pistol so that the only thing sticking out are the belt clips. I don't know if that works for you, though. I'm a lawyer, so I have to have a jacket pretty much everywhere I go for work. That means I don't bother with tucking my shirt over my pistol. I just put a jacket on.

My suggestion is that you start by getting a good belt and holster, and try IWB for a few weeks. I think you'll get used to it pretty quickly. If it's just not for you, and you decide to go with pocket carry: (1) please use a pocket holster, as it helps keep things from getting in the trigger guard; and (2) never ever, ever carry anything but the pistol in that pocket, just to ensure that there's nothing to get inside the trigger guard.
 
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The reason I bought the cheap nylon holster was that when I bought the Shield, I had just applied for my CCP. Sheriff's department told me to expect 8-12 weeks for my conceal permit to be approved.

The local range does not permit CC and recommends open carrying in a holster. So, I bought the holster for $13 just to have something at the range. I got the universal model so I could try pocket or IWB, but it just doesn't fit. Since I have to open carry until the permit arrives, the Shield will sit on my passenger seat in this holster and openly visible as I drive.

Going to a gun show this weekend and will look at a variety of holsters. Still looking at 4-8 weeks for the permit to arrive.
 
Take a serious look at the hybrid IWB holsters like Crossbreed. There are several makers, and some are much more affordable than the original CB. I have been very happy with several holsters I have from Tommy Theis https://www.theisholsters.com
My first one was bought more because of the quick delivery time promised over the six to eight weeks that CB said it would be at the time. But the twenty bucks price difference was nice as well. BTW, delivery was several days sooner that the two weeks that Theis Holsters said.
My son uses a similar holster from AleinGear. http://aliengearholsters.com/holsters/alien-gear-products.html
I think their basic holster might be even a little lower priced than the Theis.
When I first saw this type of holster I couldn't see how it would not be uncomfortable. Way over sized for the gun, and having two belt clips so far apart. I could not have been more wrong. Those spread out clips distribute the weight of the rig so that it is practically unnoticeable.
 
The first rule is don't skimp on holsters, don't buy bargain/cheap holsters.

Other than pocket carry, front or back, IWB is the most comfortable carry for me. My favorite is a S&W Model 60 snub in a Relentless Tactical IWB.
 
iwb that feels good for you

I have bought five or six holsters and the one that I use is a cheep one the uncle mike's #12 cross draw. all others were not a good fit, uncomfortable! I have two of the uncle mike's.
I have two shields one in my truck and one in my car. I got them because they are right for me and fit well for cc. Just my two cents.:)
 
nanney1 said:
. . . . The local range does not permit CC and recommends open carrying in a holster. So, I bought the holster for $13 just to have something at the range. I got the universal model so I could try pocket or IWB, but it just doesn't fit. Since I have to open carry until the permit arrives, the Shield will sit on my passenger seat in this holster and openly visible as I drive.

Going to a gun show this weekend and will look at a variety of holsters. Still looking at 4-8 weeks for the permit to arrive.
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I'm near one range that does allow CC, and two that don't. For the ones that don't, I just case up the guns I'm going to shoot and carry them that way. What I do is really neither here nor there, though. Good luck at the gun show. I would expect for there to be plenty of different holster styles for you to look at, and it's not like there's any shortage of companies making holsters that fit the Shield. I will also suggest that your next holster purchase be one that is made for the Shield. To my mind, "universal" is kind of like "one size fits nobody."
 
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