Concealed carry on the hip

[Col. Plink]

In researching how I'd like to CC, I was thinking a shoulder holster would be the only viable option with 'regular' clothes. Even still, some kind of outerwear would seem necessary as a shirt just wouldn't cut it.

But now I have read and heard that shoulder carry cross-draw is inadvisable, and it seems so to me after considering the movement is more awkward, and one must sweep everything on one side (including parts of one's own body) to aim.

So the question becomes how does one conceal on the hip with 'normal' clothes? Seems you'd either have to carry something very small width-wise (like a 9mm) or resort to some kind of long shirt. Maybe this is my chance to invest in a fleet of guayabera's?... I have a double-stack 45 I'd like to carry and I have the size for it, but not sure how that helps carrying on the hip.

 

[GodGuns&Guitars]

You can buy straight cut shirt tailed shirts, Hawaiin style and they work real good. I carry a full sized 1911 like that almost every day. I use an HBE iwb com 3 holster. If you go to HBE Leather Goods and click through the gallerys that have been sent in from owners you'll see how easy they hide your pistol. You'll find pictures of me with one one towards the end of the gallery's. Just look for Kimber45. You're probably going to need to change your wardrobe some.

 

[JustinL]

I carry on my hip without difficulty. At first I carried a p229 but then had to switch to a p239. Why? Not because of any discomfort or difficulty concealing on my part, but b/c I bought a different car and the seats were totally different, thus making the wide 229 uncomfortable to wear whilst driving.

So I guess the moral of the story is that if you are going to carry a pistol on your hip then be sure it is also comfortable in the car.

 

[ezenbrowntown]

Something you might look into (as I did) is a tuckable IWB holster. There are several options (Crossbreed Supertuck, Comptac, FIST, etc.) that make a holster like this. A tuckable option allows you the ability to have a concealed gun and still wear a shirt tucked if necessary.

Everyone's body is different, so looking at what position on the hip works for you is important too. I have a FIST Tuckable/Cant Adjustable holster. I can wear at the 2, 3 or 4 o'clock position comfortably. I've the 3 o'clock works best if I'm going to be sitting a lot, but the 2 o'clock lays the grip most flush to my body.

 

[James T Thomas]

liking carrying the double stack

I carry on the hip, and a large mechanism, at that.
Normal clothes could be one of those sport jackets; the old ones that do not fit so well any more. You may risk appearing like some Parvenue person, but some may think you are well dressed. Light weight one for warm weather, and when the cold weather arrives, no need for concern as to what normal is.
Underneath a good quality, long length placket; pull over shirt.

The "snug" holsters, as "pancake" style, seem to smooth the lump under the clothing somewhat.

Do not position your holster directly; plumb with the hip bone, but either around to the hip pocket some, or a little over the abdomen if you trust your safety mechanism.
A holster that has rearward cant; that is, the belt slot at the pistol handle lies beneath the level of the opposite slot, the one at the barrel side, will make it all more fitting. Your barrel will point to the rear some what.

However. With any holster.

You are going to have a bulge. Most people will go on about the business of their day and ignore you.

You should try to ignore you too.

 

[harrygunner]

Depends on what normal clothes are, but I've carried a .357 Mag snub, a Sig 229 and a full sized 1911 in IWB holsters covered by Polo shirts.

A loose fitting, short tailed dark colored Polo-like shirt gives quick access to the gun with completely adequate concealment.

I've limited my holsters to Comp-TAC CTAC and Milt Sparks VM2. These keep guns stable and are thin enough to offset the width of a gun like a Sig 229.

I live in a state that, based on its voting history, is filled with sheep and I've yet to spook one in a decade and a half.

 

[QUICK_DRAW_McGRAW]

i carry a S&W Sigma in .40, its a full size but i use a grandfather oak kydex IWB holster and i use it every day from our 85degree weather we have now to winter. its conferrable, quick to draw from, and easy.

i do work on cars for a living so i do notice my t-shirt gets pulled up over the grip at times but oh well, and with it at 4 o clockit does poke out a little but not really noticeable and i forget its there and have never had been made.

 

[357mag.]

IWB carry will hide it even more.My wife has said MANY times how even tho she knows I carry and where I carry,she still can't tell.If it was'nt for the fact that she knows that I go nowhere without my pistol,she would never know that I was armed

 

[wrs840]

If I'm dressed, I'm carrying. I wear dress-slacks and starched button-down shirts tucked-in to work (no jacket or suit-coat), and a S&W 442 in a pocket-holster is in my right-front pocket and has become very comfortable for me in those duds. No one notices... barely even me now.

When I get home, the 442 goes in my right back pocket ('cause I'm wearing jeans or Carhartt shorts, more vigorously active, and I don't want the "sweaty spot" on my thigh). In both scenarios, even for pocket-carry, a good proper-fitting belt makes a big difference in the comfort you'll feel, IMO.

If I'm carrying a larger handgun, It's almost always open-carry (but the 442 is still there, in one of my pockets too). I can't assume what stage of concealed-carry you're at, and not even necessarily making a suggestion, I'm just sharing what works well for me.

Les

 

[jeffmoline]

Check out Crossbreed holsters. FANTASTIC. IWB carry strong side hip holster. I carry a heavy(ish) Ruger P95 with either shorts/t shirt, or jeans/t shirt. If you feel like "everyone knows i'm carrying" just add a vest or short sleeve button up.

 

[MCgunner]

I pocket carry in carpenter's jeans most days. I'm a blue collar guy. Works for me. Everyone has different jobs/needs, though.

 

[jad0110]

Drop some dough on a quality IWB holster and a good gunbelt and your most of the way there. Wearing shirts that don't cling too much and that are either dark, solid colors or patterned helps too. It may require some experimentation, but you'll find that carrying a fairly good sized gun is more doable than you realize.

With a good setup, I can make a 4" S&W Model 15 or a 5" 1911 disappear. Heck, even a 6" Model 14 is doable.

 

[Mags]

IWB right behind the hip is my first choice for carry. I always wear an undershirt or tank top along with an over shirt long enought to meet the top seam of my pant pockets. Noone has ever noticed as far as I can tell. I have carried everything from my S&W M&Pc to a full size 1911 this way.

 

[chuckusaret]

I carry a XD40 sub compact in a IWB holster and dress accordingly, Docker pants, with a Tommy Bahama shirt not tucked in over a tucked in T-shirt.

 

[smithmax]

I carry a USP .40 IWB with a cheap holster from cheaperthandirt, and a loose fitting t-shirt covers it up just fine. You can also use a shoulder rig if you wear a hawaiian style (loose untucked over shirt) or a loose jacket. A lot of people complain about how "dangerous" shoulder rigs are because you muzzle sweep people around you. This complaint doesn't carry much weight to me because I keep my finger off the trigger until it's time to shoot, and so should everyone else.

 

[Wyo_F-A]

IMHO- Tucker Gunleather. You have to wait a while for the holster if it's not on the pre-made list, but damn worth it. I carry just behind the point of my hip (texas heritage-allows for a tucked shirt), as carry in front tends to become uncomfortable on my belly when sitting. In any case, you will need to become comfortable with whatever method you decide to carry. If you carry IWB and continue to fiddle with the position of your shirt/pants you will be made. However, if you act normal and buy a GOOD gun belt, then I doubt anyone can make you unless you are blatantly 'printing'

 

[QUICK_DRAW_McGRAW]

oh ya and im in jeans or dickies since i work in a wrecking yard, but when i used to work in a food delivery i had my snubbie in a front pocket, even when i dress up in slacks i have my .357 Rossi M461 snub in my right front pocket.

basically with a good quality holster you can carry almost anything no matter what you wear or do for a living.

 

[TheWarhammer]

For a covering garment, patterns work better than solids, and larger patterns are better than small, tight patterns. Forgo the guayabera shirts in favor of Hawaiian shirts. The more random the pattern the better. It's the same principal as camouflage clothing. The pattern will break up the lines of any "printing" that you rig does, making it much harder to notice.

 

[devildog66]

Basically (IMO) there is IWB and everything else when it comes to private citizen CCW. Much good advise in prior posts as to how to dress/carry. Barrel length, within reason, is largely irrelevant with IWB except when sitting. The grip shape and length is key to concealment whether OWB or IWB. I stick with 1.5 inch belts and Thee Wilderness Tactical belt is great for shorts and outdoor wear.

 

[MedWheeler]

I carry IWB (Bersa Thunder, or CA Undercover) most of the time, with shirt out. The gun/holster combo is not, however, inside my pants, but between the belt and pants. This allows me to wear pants that actually are in my size, rather than having to buy pants a size or two larger.
When attire doesn't allow IWB carry (shirt tucked, etc.) I pocket-carry the Undercover, or a smaller gun (.22LR auto.. the only other "pocketable", reliable gun I have) if the Undercover doesn't fit.

 

[myg30]

Same as most of the other guys. IWB behind hip is best for me. Loose fitting
dress shirt,unbuttoned over a tee or tank top. Hawiian shirt ?
SOB inside waste band was ok for a while. Got it caught once between the slats on a chair getting up and that was an imbarrasment big time !!
When guys say they got a box full of holsters they dont use.....well guess why ? Even a one gun owner !

Be careful,be safe,

Mike

 

[NG VI]

That's funny, when I first started carrying the idea of shoulder holsters was attractive, but I quickly realized the added expense of replacing all of my clothing with button up or zip up shirts and the neccessity of wearing a jacket all year round, every second out of the house, made shoulder carry less of a great way to carry and more of a major PITA.

2:45-4:00 strongside IWB carry works the best for me, it can work with nearly any clothing style and doesn't take much adjustment from pre-carry days. Also it is one of the absolute fastest ways to draw a concealed carry gun, if you can't or don't want to carry it openly (and I certainly don't like doing that, Maine is a woodsy state but full of very liberal people, many of whom look down on others for owning or carrying a gun at all), is secure and easy to protect if for some reason you end up in a scuffle, unlike shoulder carry which can orient the grip in such a way that people standing directly in front of you have a simpler draw than you do.

If you REALLY want to shoulder carry, go for it, but unless you wear a suit 24/7/12/365 I can't imagine it being the most satisfactory way to carry. Or if you are a paraplegic, it would probably be one of the better options. I'm just trying to wrap my head around what your location is like in summertime if shoulder carry would be the best way to maintain your normal clothing style.

 

[NG VI]

When guys say they got a box full of holsters they dont use.....well guess why ?

Oh yes, we've all got them. I've been using a Comp-Tac 1.5" belt and an MTAC holster from the same company for about a year now (got my permit Feb. '08 to give you an idea how long it took to get it right) and I have tons of holsters I basically wasted money trying to save some immediate cash on. Had I just sucked it up and plunked down the $80 for an excellent, good looking, durable belt made to order in my size and color preference (love Comp-Tac) and another $80 for a great holster that can be tucked if needed and has five adjustments for each belt strut, plus new Kydex half shells only cost $35, letting you keep your exact same carry rig if you get a different gun later, I would have saved probably three hundred dollars. If you can, try to learn from everyone else's mistakes and just put the money into a proven setup the first time.

And buying a good gunbelt isn't really negotiable, if you don't then any holster you use isn't going to feel right, you will be uncomfortable from cinching the belt tighter, and it will probably wear itself out far faster than you would expect.

 

[azhunter122]

I'm currently working on my carry choices and it's hard! I am using an LCP and have found that every way of carry has problems.



Pocket Carry - You can see the guns outline and draw is somewhat slow.

IWB- Is fast but can be a pain to keep concealed.

OWB - Same problem as IWB but worse.

Ankle Carry - Slow draw.

Shoulder Carry - Isn't practical for how I dress.


I haven't tried anything else but any of these carry methods can work but it takes a lot of work to get right if you want to have a perfect carry system. If you want to carry on the hip you'll probably want to wear cover shirts like colared shirts or large t-shirts not tucked in of course but then does the concealment really matter when someone bumps into you and feels the gun? For that reason and becuase of convenience I generally tend to pocket carry and take the risk of someone seeing my guns outline but maybe there's some better methods out there but that's just what I know. Play around a bit and you'll find a good way to carry.

Best of luck to you!

 

[NG VI]

someone bumps into you and feels the gun?

Has that happened to you before? It has never happened to me, including during family gatherings where I am one of the only ones who enjoys shooting and I'm definitely the only one carrying. Lots of short older lady hugs going on. A couple of short older ladies despise firearms or don't care so long as they never have to realize they are in the same world as them.