comfortable carry, large pistols

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  • Last Post 14 May 2018
Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 13 June 2017

for the last five years i have been carrying my big beretta 92 concealed in a rig so comfortable .... even while sitting, working, driving ... that i often have to touch it to see if i remembered to strap it on that morning .  so comfortable, in fact that now i just wear it  no matter the plans for the day .  previously i had favored small of the back rigs .... but they are useless when driving .. painful. clumsy, and too slow in case of a car jacking .

it is just a simple elastic belly band ... but WORN HIGH AROUND MY CHEST  ...  gun is in a pouch under my left armpit ... no "" imprint " , no pain, no clatter .... mine is from ACE in Missouri  ( $ 25 ) with industrial velcro fastening ... , but there are many on the market .  some have mag pouches, wallet pouches, etc .  i have converted several friends with full size 1911, even a llama hi cap 1911 fat gripper ..  oh, if you work upside down it would be good to buy or add a little safety retainer strap around the grip .  

for me this is light years ahead of about 8 other rigs i have tried .  major advantages are that the gun is invisible to prying eyes and even the wearer .  so unobtrusive that you might even have a gun when you need it ... there is that comparison to parachutes, you know. ( g ) . ...the same pouch works fine with my beretta 92, my ruger single six revolver, and my medium makarov .

oh, the down side ... about 1.6 seconds slower to draw over open carry ... you have to not button your throat button on your shirt .. also if you are wearing only tank top t shirts you might be better off with a THUNDERWEAR  rig ....  and opposed to leather, there is probably a life span to the elastic ... mine is losing stretch after 5 years of constant daily wear ... oh, the high ride use is not suitable for gals , but the original belly band position should be considered .

 

hoping this helps , just another option .........  ken

 

 

 

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M3 Mitch posted this 15 June 2017

I have always thought that a shoulder holster is the answer for carrying a "full size" gat like a 1911 concealed and in reasonable comfort.  That belly band riding high is an interesting idea. 

The thing that gets me is how much easier it is to conceal in winter.  A 1911 in a regular belt holster can be worn under an Army fatigue jacket, you do have to throw the jacket open to draw, but otherwise it's perfectly practical. 

In summer around here, frequently in t-shirt and shorts, I'm not aware of anything better than a fanny pack, have one that has a snap-open compartment for the gat. 

You can get "photographer's" vests with CCW features, but, you might as well be carrying openly for all but legalistic purposes.  Anybody you might have to shoot knows you are armed with that vest, particularly in hot weather.

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bullethead posted this 16 June 2017

Like the rest of you folks who carry, I have a drawer full of holsters of different types, but few of them worked well in the summer. I have used fanny packs but never liked them. While convienent for carrying gun, cell, wallet, keys, etc, they always scream 'gun' when I see someone wearing one. I finally bought a Kangaroo brand elastic band holster and I really like it. I can use it during the summer under a tee shirt and can carry most size of guns without anyone noticing. Worn high on the chest like Ken describes, it is the best solution I have found for summer carry. 

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Ed Harris posted this 17 June 2017

I have gotten away from shoulder holsters, because most require that you sweep some part of your body in drawing from them, which I will not do.  

My everyday carry holster for all handguns is the El Paso Saddlery C-Force,  for which I have several made for 5-1/2" Ruger single-action, 5" S&W N-frame, 4" Colt D-frame, Walther PP, which also works for Beretta M1934/35, etc.

 

 

 

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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Eutectic posted this 18 June 2017

My Dad liked shoulder holsters and I wore one for years, but they really require a coat.

Fanny packs are SLOOOOO. Been there.

Nothing beats a pocket holster in condition yellow, you have your hand in your pocket, feels real good.

I have owned a plethora of pocket guns. The Walther TPH was a friend for many years but it was a 22 and now there are 32's and 380's about the same size. A 5 shot 38 is only a bit larger and an easy fit in jeans.Pocket guns are always carried in a Pocket Holster, these hold the gun in the correct orientation, hide the outline and keep the gun cleaner. Andrews Custom Leather makes excellent pocket holsters for any small auto or revolver.

The hot summer is upon us and it is pocket holster time.

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Pepe Ray posted this 18 June 2017

As Clint Smith says," It's supposed to be 'comforting not comfortable".

I worked for 3 years as a town manager. and carried every day a comercial Colt M 1911 .45 ACP, Mexican style.

Never lost it, never needed it, never got groped or felt the need for more security. Condition 'Yellow' can be tireing.

Pepe Ray  Rubber grips help.

Only in His name.

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SierraHunter posted this 25 June 2017

I carry my full size 1911 in a Bladetech Eclipse holster set for FBI can't OWB. I wear it just like that, on my left hip all day every day, driving, equipment operating, climbing in and out of the rock crushers. The trick I've learned is to use a heavy reinforced belt. The one I use is steel lined and made by....hmm. I can't even read the label anymore. Anyway. I used to carry this way with a standard leather belt, but always ended up taking the gun out when ever I was working of driving. Not anymore. And I always wear long button up shirts untucked. Easy to conceal, easy to get to.

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David Reiss posted this 25 June 2017

Having carried a handgun for 40 years on the job & off, I have tried many guns and just as many holsters. But I have always come back to and now settled on a "slab side" in a belt slide holster, carried "cocked & locked". I ended up settling on a Star PD .45 acp about 35 years ago. This is a stock model, unmodified except for a hard chrome matte finish put on by Accurate Plating about that same time and some Pachmayr's. 

David Reiss - NRA Life Member & PSC Range Member Retired Police Firearms Instructor/Armorer
-Services: Wars Fought, Uprisings Quelled, Bars Emptied, Revolutions Started, Tigers Tamed, Assassinations Plotted, Women Seduced, Governments Run, Gun Appraisals, Lost Treasure Found.
- Also deal in: Land, Banjos, Nails, Firearms, Manure, Fly Swatters, Used Cars, Whisky, Racing Forms, Rare Antiquities, Lead, Used Keyboard Keys, Good Dogs, Pith Helmets & Zulu Headdresses. .

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pathology101 posted this 13 May 2018

I just started carrying a pistol, now I would feel naked without it. I carry a kimber micro 9 in the pocket with a holster. Its ideal for summer but would be slow and impossible to draw in the winter with lots of clothing. I just won a gun certificate at a gun club for $400 dollars so I am going to use it with some on my own money and buy a bigger size gun for the winter months. I still have a few months to make a choice on what to get. A S and W 640 or 649 has given me some thought and I can shoot cast bullets through them.

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David Reiss posted this 13 May 2018

I would stick with the same platform so there is some familiarity of operation. That way you could train with either one and know when the SHTF it will be training that will get you through. So go with one of the many 1911 .45 acps out there. 

Spoken from many years of carry, practice and training of thousands of officers. 

David Reiss - NRA Life Member & PSC Range Member Retired Police Firearms Instructor/Armorer
-Services: Wars Fought, Uprisings Quelled, Bars Emptied, Revolutions Started, Tigers Tamed, Assassinations Plotted, Women Seduced, Governments Run, Gun Appraisals, Lost Treasure Found.
- Also deal in: Land, Banjos, Nails, Firearms, Manure, Fly Swatters, Used Cars, Whisky, Racing Forms, Rare Antiquities, Lead, Used Keyboard Keys, Good Dogs, Pith Helmets & Zulu Headdresses. .

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Pentz posted this 14 May 2018

My summer carry varies; a HKP30 AIWB, a J frame in my shorts pocket, or a Springer XDS in an Alessi Guardian.  Always something on me, somewheres.....Don't worry about sweeping with the Alessi, my hand is in a guard position atop my head.

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