IWB holsters for dummies

Captain Quack said:

I really do like the look of that Crossbreed Super tuck.

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I own 3 of them and use them on my full 1911 guns , they work very well. Check out Kore Essentials website they have some great belts and a lot cheaper than some of the leather belts you may consider.

I own several Crossbreeds and though they feel great when I first belt them on, after a short while my nagging back pain is out of hand. The minimalist leather and hybrids are better - for reasons I can't explain - but still hurt. OWB is relatively painless, though at the end of the day when I remove everything I can feel the pressure lift off my spine. Pocket carry is about the only method that doesn't make me whimper. I find pocket carry to be the quickest draw from a standing position. Sitting - I'm a dead duck.

I carry a 1911, mostly in a desantis dual carry II. It's adjustable for angle. I removed the thumb snap to make it open top.

A quick search shows it's not listed for the exact gun you have. That said, it may be close enough in a similar model that it would fit. It's not a fitted leather and molds itself as you wear it.

It's real reasonable priced, I've been wearing mine for about 3 years.

The adjustable angle is the ticket. See, you need to figure out where you are going to carry and at what angle. Once you figure it out, then you can more confidently buy a 100+ dollar holster. Until you figure out what does and doesn't work for you, it's likely you'll waste the money.

Captain Quack said:

. I bought a "inexpensive" IWB holster and yesterday while shopping the whole darn thing came right off my belt when I bent over to pick something up in the parking lot.

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Bending with your knees helps in a few ways in my experience.

I found that the more I bent with my legs the less it shifted in general.

Also, if your carrying past the 3 o'clock position and you bend over, your shirt may get hung up on the holster causing greater chance of exposing it.

I've seen it happen twice at a grocery store years ago.

The 1st was a guy wearing a Hawaiian shirt (unofficial retired guy concealed carrier uniform) who bent over to get some oatmeal. I just happen to be going down that isle and could see 1/2 of the holster while he was bending over and his shirt didn't drape back over it when he stood up. I quietly said 'fix your shirt' and motioned my hand behind my back as I passed by.

The other time was in line at a grocery store. I came up behind him in line. Practically the whole gun was exposed.

Pay extra attention when getting out of a booth at a restaurant, too.

Don't buy cheap nylon. Other than that everything about concealed carry is personal/ individual/ body type dependent. When I first started carrying 20 years ago I bought cheap nylon. Then a fobus I wore a bit but it was a bit more secure than I liked.....Shortly after that I got a crossbreed super tuck deluxe. I wore that with a cheap dikies braided leather dress belt and it worked. But the internet assured me that I needed more.

Since then I've filled two drawers with holsters and have some gunbelts that cost as much as some guns. I still carry in a crossbreed with a cheap dikies leather braided belt.

For owb or for hunting I use the gunbelts. They do make a huge difference for heavier hunting semi-auto and revolvers. For carrying my Glock 27 I prefer the thin leather dress belt. It bends and conforms and I can do anything without the gun or my jeans falling off. I've rode atv all day and I have even played pick up basketball this way.

I believe it's body type mostly. I'm tall and lean. My dad is short and...... well, not lean. Lol. I carry in jeans and a tank top 99% of the time. My body type allows that. Dad couldn't. My dad carries in his pocket. My body type doesn't allow that with anything bigger than a Beretta 21/950 etc. And even when I did that at the coast, it wasn't ideal.

danez71 said:

Bending with your knees helps in a few ways in my experience.

I found that the more I bent with my legs the less it shifted in general.

Also, if your carrying past the 3 o'clock position and you bend over, your shirt may get hung up on the holster causing greater chance of exposing it.

I've seen it happen twice at a grocery store years ago.

The 1st was a guy wearing a Hawaiian shirt (unofficial retired guy concealed carrier uniform) who bent over to get some oatmeal. I just happen to be going down that isle and could see 1/2 of the holster while he was bending over and his shirt didn't drape back over it when he stood up. I quietly said 'fix your shirt' and motioned my hand behind my back as I passed by.

The other time was in line at a grocery store. I came up behind him in line. Practically the whole gun was exposed.

Pay extra attention when getting out of a booth at a restaurant, too.

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I carry on my right side, so when reaching for something on a high shelf I use my left hand to keep from exposing.

Captain Quack said:

after that guy pulled a knife on me at my own front door I'm getting pretty anxious to be able to have something right handy if he comes back

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Once his knife is out it's probably too late for a pistol.

I'm interested in this situation. Have you posted about it elsewhere? Did you see him as you approached your door?

Problem is that it's highly individual. People say "have to have a super stiff belt" but I have the beltman/Safariland etc belts and I prefer a dress belt for ccw. I don't think they lied to me, we are all just fitted different. They prefer something else. Same for guns. Many people say xxxx guns feel terrible. I may prefer them. While anything slim as a 1911 or slimmer im not crazy about. I have big hands.

As far as printing or showing, open carry is legal in my state I don't open carry and I prefer mine stay concealed... but I'm also not getting locked up if it doesn't. That could play a huge role i suppose. Around here I'm the oddball if I go to Walmart because I don't have a cheap gun in a nylon holster open carried. Lol

Captain Quack said:

I bought a fobus years ago for my Ruger P95 DC. Even now it takes 2 hands to get it out of the holster.

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That was my experience. Even after heating it and all that. Plus the cant wasn't adjustable.

As far as carrying around the home id probably just open carry. If im around here i have my 329pd or 5.7 or a 22 most likely. But I live in the middle of nowhere. Coyote or varmint are my most likely invaders

Somehow the idea of leather holding well enough just seems counter intuitive to me but the fact that at least half the holsters out there are leather tells me I'm wrong. Any sold plus/minus between the two? I have learned that I do need something that is open top to reholster.

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In the Paul Gomez video, he comments "the advantage of kydex is it is fast, the disadvantage of kydex is it is fast."

He's talking about regular concealment holsters and not retention holsters like Safariland. There is only about a 1/4 inch of retention with kydex, and once the gun goes past that, the gun practically jumps out of the holster. There is a lot more range of drag with a leather holster, and the gun never really gives the feeling like the gun is jumping out of the holster.

If you do some internet searching on "holster break in" or " the holster plastic bag trick", you'll find out most folks have too much retention with their leather open top holsters and are giving themselves a "wedgie" trying to unholster their guns. This all assumes a quality holster.

Here's a thread from a guy on another forum, that crashed his motorcycle into an F-250 at 45MPH, while carrying a SIG P220 in a Mitch Rosen open top IWB holster. He got beat up, as did the holster, but the gun didn't come out of the holster.

https://forum.m1911.org/showthread.php?72074-carrying-on-your-scoot

TarDevil said:

Captain Quack,
You've been given excellent guidance and I can only add some seemingly small but crucial advice:

1. Find one underused but capacious drawer.
2. Designate and label "Holster Drawer."
3. Fill to capacity
4. Rinse and repeat.

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Probably true for the majority of us.

I wonder how many of those holsters were "bargains" that turned out to be a waste of money. Quite a few of them, in my case anyway. I'd gladly trade away most of them for one or two high quality items, and wish I'd been smart enough to listen to that advice at the time.

I still get the urge on occasion, though. I'll see some thing on Etsy or Ebay and think it might be worth a flyer. Every time that happens I should put the money in a jar instead, and every year or two use it on an order from Milt Sparks.

.38 Special said:

I wonder how many of those holsters were "bargains" that turned out to be a waste of money.

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I think I have one bargain nylon holster, oddly it isn't in the drawer but does nightstand duty for a revolver I never carry.

Spats McGee said:

Stealthgear Revolution

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Having a memorial day sale at the moment as well.

A Milt Sparks VM-2 is the most comfortable IWB I own, but you’ll wait several weeks for it. DeSantis and Galco make similar products, but not as high quality. They are shooting for a different price point, though. I recently purchased a 1791 OWB for a Kimber Micro 9 that works well and doesn’t print in an average loose shirt. Quality product.

I've been using a Crossbreed SuperTuck for several months, but wanted to try a pure kydex instead of a hybrid. I bought the SuperTuck because it has options for optics and for tall (suppressor height) front sight. Really a challenge finding a simple kydex holster with both of those options.
Finally, while it took some detective work, I discovered that Henry Holsters are all cut for optics and for tall sights!
I recently got a Flint from them. Buried in one place on the web site is the note that all their holsters are cut for optics. It took an email with the owner, Andrew Henry, to learn that they also are all sized for "normal" tall sights. He noted that there are a few extra tall sights that may not fit.