Trouble with holsters

J

JSalcedo

New member
I just received my CHL but I'm still having a
great deal of trouble finding the right concealment holster for my full size 1911

I bought a fobus molded inside the pants holster
it works ok but the butt of the gun jabs my love handles and after a couple of hours it feels
like I've been been kicked in the kidneys a few times.

I bought a Galco MOB (middle of back) it seems ok except for the fact that it tends to pull my pants
down somewhat and when I sit down the gun flops
out almost 45 degrees away from my back and yes I have a very thick heavy duty belt.

I bought a world war II surplus shoulder holster
and believe it or not it is the most secure and comfortable but living in south Texas its not really an option since it will require a jacket.

I am 6ft 5 inches tall 290lbs my gut isn't huge but its there.

Anyone out there have any suggestions on what to try next? I've already spent $200 plus

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

J Salcedo
 
Didnt they tell you you have to sacrifice to carry a gun? Its true, you will suffer, your clothes will suffer, your car seats will suffer. I know what your going through. When I first started carrying, it was hell. Nothing seemed to fit, and I was sure EVERYONE knew I had a gun under my coat! After spending about $2,000,000 on every different holster known to man, I've settled on Blade-Tech's kydex IWB holster. If your going to use this type of holster, your need to break your body in like a pair of boots. Try wearing it a couple of hours at a time each day till it starts to break you in. After a little while, you wont know its there. I think this style of holster is the most concealable, although not the most comfortable. The big advantage to the kydex is it wont sweat through. As for belts, I'm sold on the Wilderness "Instructor" belts. They are infinitely adjustable (no holes) allowing for switches in holsters, inside or out, and "dinner" changes :) Good luck and dont give up, it takes a little while and effort.
 
STOP!

First, get a real good belt; Milt Sparks, Hellweg, Rosen, Galco, Bianchi.

Then try your holsters again..........
 
What he said.

Spend the loot on a good gunbelt. It has to be stiff enough support the holster and associated crap without bending. I used to wear a plain dress belt, and I was unimpressed. Then one day I lost track of it when in a hurry, and I had to wear the inner belt of my duty gear (a Safariland leather velcro job)...what a difference! Now, its wasn't exactly stylish, but my run-of-the-mill holster wore a lot better. That clued me in that the belt was the problem, not the holster.


Mike
 
Thanks a bunch for all of the replies.
They are certainly helpful.

Time to dust off the credit card

Best Regards,
J Salcedo
 
holster

Welcome to the "I have a whole box of holsters I can't use" club. You will find many members here. My observations: The Fobus may be cheap, but I don't think it was designed with casual concealment in mind, it was designed with cheap in mind. Not cheap any more since you paid for it and it doesn't work, right? I'm glad the MOB carry works...sorta...for you. The above advice on buying a good, real, gunbelt may bail you out there. Ditto on Blade-tech as far as a brand, but I can't abide ISP holsters. I use one of their "normal" holsters regulary. Since you are in Texas, you should know about www.comp-tac.com or www.comptac.com. These kydex rigs are in the 50-60 dollar range, and you can get an excellent belt slide/paddle rig or whatever pleases you QUICKLY. And you will be done buying holsters. Money spent on GOOD holsters saves so much in the long run, because you don't spend so much on experiments trying to save money.
 
It has to be stiff enough support the holster and associated crap without bending.
Click to expand...

My all time best "support" belt was a double thick 8/9 oz (16/18 oz) reinforced with a 1/2" by 24" spring steel band centered along its length.

The thing is almost 3/8" thick! Needless to say it never bent while carrying.
 
Yep, lotsa holsters I don't use much.

However, the double thick gunbelt will give you a better chance at finding the right one for yourself. (Oldfart-hood and a few extra pounds around my middle make IWB carry torture!) Mark Waldon makes an interesting belt. Looks good. I think I'll try him out the next time I buy a belt. Most of the time, your holster will never work correctly with a regular belt.

KR
 
Lou Alessi makes a belt-slide (pancake) holster that is a joy to wear, slightly behind the hip for me. I'm not 6'-5" tall, but have roughly your height to weight ratio. Alessi's belt-slide is marginally more than a mass-produced rig, and has those wonderful pull-through snaps that should please both those in favor of a thumb-break and those against...
 
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