Skinny guy - CC options?

S

speedfreeq

New member
I'm actually fairly average - 5'10", 165lbs, and new to CCW. I had intended to carry my 9mm PX4 - had heard of folks carrying much larger guns, but no matter where I put it, it prints pretty heavily. OWB or tucked inside. I've tried it at 3-, 4-, as well as 6 o'clock.
I'm fairly certain I'll get the same outcome attempting to carry my 686 :D

I am also planning on collecting a compact 1911 (Para LDA), but with my average-width shoulders and good posture, I'm thinking the butt of that one will also print pretty substantially. It's always the butt projecting up my midriff.

So it would appear I may need a subcompact to really conceal, and I'm not sure how I feel about those (I have large hands, too)...or perhaps a J-frame, like the Model 36 or M&P 360?

I'm sure a few of you guys have some good suggestions for either

a) adequately concealing a larger-framed pistol such as my PX4 - again, it's not the frame or topstrap/slide, so much as the handgrip;

or b) choosing a weapon that's lower in profile but still with adequate power?

I'm aware that the firearm you're carrying is always superior to the one left at home, but I'm not sure how comfortable I'd feel with a smaller caliber than 9mm for defense. Thinking of sticking to the calibers I already own - 9mm, .38spl/.357mag...
 
Just carry it and don't worry about it. 99% of people who don't carry will never notice that you are carrying. If anyone other than a Cop asked what it is, tell'm it's your insulin pump.
 
suggestion

First off "Happy Thanksgiving" to a neighbor. I personally carry a commander size 1911 IWB. To keep the gun or holster from rubbing skin get yourself some white sleeveless T shirts "AKA wife beater". Get a good gun belt to support the weight. I just got a Tommy Theis IWB holster. To me an excellent choice. You will be surprised how well this combo can work. Just wear your shirts on the outside, be it a t shirt or what ever. What impressed me about the Theis holster is its adjustability and comfort. YMMV........Joe
 
Kahr P9 or PM9 would be my suggestions....they are about as concealable a gun as you can find that's reasonably affordable. I would also think long and hard about looking for (or having made) an IWB holster that buries a lot of the gun below your belt line. Maybe the cheap way is to get one of those clip-on holsters that's one size too big for your gun, allowing it sink very low for minimum exposure.

I wish I had the problem of being too skinny to conceal a gun: unfortunately I can conceal a full-sized 10mm S&W under a sweatshirt.:(
 
I have the answer to your problem. Happy Thanksgiving.
thanksgiving.jpg
 
A small sub compact like a Glock 26, or a Sig P250 sub compact are decent choiices for waist band carry either inside or outside pants.

A Polish P-64 in a pocket holster will work for pocket carry in reasoanable fitting pants, or slacks. Can also be carried IWB, and when it is it prety much disappears. It is slim and heavy due to it being all metal.


A Ruger LCP in a wallet holster offers lots of conviences, and seems to be one of those you can carry it just about anywhere you wear clothes.
 
Along the lines of what Elkins was saying, I just swapped into a Kahr CW9, parking the 1911 unless I know I can keep it covered. I'm 6'2" but only 185#, so if I sit or reach over or something, unless I'm wearing a baggy gangsta shirt... out it comes. :(

The CW9 is a single stack DAO-type pistol, the bigger version (the CM9 is the small one, but I have problems with small grips...) but it still packs very easily at 4 O'Clock, even in shorts and a T-shirt.

I'm not a big fan of the 9mm, but it offers more power than the .380, which is what I was carrying when I couldn't hide the .45... a .380 on the hip beats a .45 in the truck anyday.

Kahrfirsttarget004.jpg


...and compared to my Kimber 4"...

KahrCW9007.jpg
 
Fat guys say skinny guys have all the luck. Skinny guys say fat guys have all the luck. Don't make no nevermind. You just have to learn to dress around the gun. Darker shirts help a lot, longer the better. IWB is how I carry most,but with jacket weather I carry OWB as much as possible. Takes time and patience but will soon become second nature to you. Good luck.
 
I'm your same weight, but three inches taller. I routinely carry anything from a 4" S&W 66 to a Government model 1911. I carry OWB on the right hip, just behind the point of the hip, under an untucked shirt. A decent belt makes all the difference in keeping the gun close to the body.

Even if there is a slight bulge, nobody ever notices.
 
Charlie's suggestuion on the Kahr CW9 is good. I am very uncomfortable when I can't get 3 fingers on the grip, but the CW let's me do that. While it is not a "pocket pistol" it will carry more comfortable than your Beretta.
 
I’ve lived in Florida (Brevard County) since 1985 and have been carrying every day since 1988. One thing I’ve found out is that you can carry anything you want to and no one will notice.
I started off carrying a LW .45 Commander and have carried a BHP, a couple of full-size Witnesses, various full-size 1911s, Glock 19 and 17, a 4” XD .45, a CZ75 and some wheelguns. These days I carry an XDm 3.8 9mm with the full-size (19 round mag) grip.

I carried a 4” M-29 in an OWB holster along with 2 speedloaders for a month just for fun. At 5’9” and 145 lbs, it was obvious as hell. It stuck out a mile. No one noticed a thing.

When I first started carrying a gun in 1988, I was paranoid about “printing” and always careful to be sure my gun was covered. When the wind blew my shirt or jacket open I was quick to get it closed again.

I’ve quit doing that. Now, when I’m walking through a parking lot and my shirt blows back, revealing my gun, I let it go. If people are close by, I’ll cover the gun, but normally it’s not worth the trouble. People are far too wrapped up in their own lives to spend their time examining you.

“Printing” is a non-issue. No one’s looking for guns. No one will notice any bulges under your clothes. Don’t let the fear that you’ll be “made” keep you from carrying a major-caliber handgun. If you want to carry a .380, do so, but only as a backup to your main gun.
 
I'm 6'3" and 185lb. I find with the right holster I can carry a full sized pistol OWB under an untucked flannel shirt. For my Beretta 92A1 I use a DeSantis Speed Scabbard.
http://www.desantisholster.com/stor...RY/BELT-HOLSTERS/Speed-Scabbard/Beretta/92-A1

I normally carry IWB with a Comp-Tac Infidel
http://www.comp-tac.com/product_info.php?products_id=68

With that I carry either a S&W M&P 9c or a Glock 26. Despite the fact that I have very large hands, I find that the grips on these sub compacts fit really well in my palm. Giving me a really good grip that comes to sight really quickly.

Dave
 
You can carry your Beretta fine. I am I am 6'5" 200lbs and can conceal my PX4 .45 with no issues. I generally take my SR9c instead though. You're right; its the length of the grip that makes the biggest difference. Long, loose clothing is key.

Holster matters too. You didn't mention what you're using, but I had bad luck with the traditional thick leather holsters; the holster added too much thickness and printed itself. I use a Crossbreed Supertuck now, and have also had great success with Remora.
 
Patterned shirts help a lot as well. The patterns serve as a sort of camo that hides the bulge. Light, solid color shirts are the worst possible clothing to conceal a gun.
 
Id venture to guess I am a tad skinnier then average by todays standards with growing obesity. I am 5'9 and around 140-145lbs, depending on time of year with a 29" waist. I can comfortably carry either a browning hi-power or a full size 1911, either are the same as far as covering up. I carry using an IWB holster as well, but a big difference I have noticed, I wear my pants up on or slightly above my waist, so the slight curve of the hip bone the clothing keeps the but of the gun laid against my skin. I can cover it up wearing a sweatshirt, or a polo shirt with no problems.

I have seen others carrying a pistol with their pants below their waist and the curve of the hip bone and clothing tends to cause the but of the pistol sticking out noticably.

Also, keep in mind if you carry your pistol slightly behind your hip, or more rear, when you bend over it can cause the but of the gun to stick out noticably.

At least these have been my experiences and observations, your situation, etc may be different.
 
carry

dont need a permit

for someone who assaults you work on the ankle wrists and knees till the leos ask you to stop
 

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In many cases, cc is all about wardrobe. A very small friend of mine(roughly 130lbs) can cc a full size 1911 without a problem.

dont need a permit

for someone who assaults you work on the ankle wrist and knees till the leos ask you to stop
Click to expand...

A word of advise.

In many states, your pictured weapons would be in the same category as a slap-jack, baton or the like and are illegal to carry without a permit. Know your state laws before carrying such. ;)
 
With a good leather gun belt and a good leather holster, you should just about be able to carry any gun if you keep this in mind. Virtually no matter what gun you carry, you will have to dress around it.

For IWB, some people buy pants one size larger. An untucked shirt with a pattern will cover up a lot of "printing" as well.
 
5' 6" ~140lb... My 'summer carry' is a J-frame. It hides so well I've worn it and people who know I carry don't realize it's there. Wear shirts one size larger and nobody is ever going to know the difference with a subcompact or small frame revolver.

If I throw on a cover garment I can hide just about anything I own- the largest two being a S&W 3906 and a Colt Commander. It comes down to positioning and thickness- skinny guys (and gals, I'd imagine) have a tough time not printing with big, thick guns. As long as you're about 7-8" thick from back to front, you're going to be able to hide almost anything provided it doesn't stick out too far sideways. Most guns don't exceed 6" from the base of the magazine to the top of the rear sight. You may need a jacket or a vest for some full size guns, but it is very doable.

Others in here gave good advice: wear it high on your waist so it fits around your body rather than merely being strapped onto you. As a side benefit it'll also be more comfortable to carry that way, so you'll carry more and worry less. ;)
 
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