IWB Middle of Back

I carry IWB at 4 o'clock with no issues at all. Even sitting. Check out http://www.crossbreedholsters.com/ the Super tuck is VERY comfortable.

Small of back is in my opinion the most uncomfortable IWB position of all. It does nothing but dig.

Try 3 or 4 o'clock, I think you will be very surprised at how comfortable it can be with the right holster.

If it's behind your back, try to keep it away from your spine. I imagine some back problems could be in your future if you ever fall on your back with the gun over your spine...

I second Big Boy's recommendation of 4 o'clock with the Super tuck. I'm actually wearing one right now and it completely conceals my Sig under an untucked button down shirt. (It also allows you to tuck your shirt if you want.) It is very comfortable.

Wouldn't recommend small of the back carry. I tried a couple of SOB holsters back when I first bought a handgun and it really doesn't offer any advantages. It prints really bad if bend over, access is slow at the best of times and it's an absolutely horrible position for retention. 1 o'clock (or appendix carry) is a pretty solid choice if you have the physique to make it work. It's fast, is more accessible when sitting (especially in a car with a seat belt on) than hip carry, and if you're skinny it also conceals better than hip carry. However, if you have a spare tire or pants that are too small, it will punish you. Several reputable holster makers provide holsters specifically for this kind of carry, including Raven Concealment, Blade Tech, and Dale Fricke. I personally wear a Raven Concealment ACR and I find it way more comfortable than hip carry.

I also tried small of the back IWB holsters. Not only was it uncomfortable sitting down, it wanted to pull the back of my pants down. I would have to cinch my belt up extremely tight just to keep the back of my pants from sagging down.

I have tried SOB holsters as well as IWB at 4 and 3. Nothing seemed to work for me. Switched to front (Appendix) carry and have no trouble with either 1911 or M&P. Can even carry 4" GP-100. Though that is slower to draw. I am 6' and 210 though. If I am just standing without bending at the waist, I could do the 4 o'clock position. I am in and out of a vehicle all day, so that is not an option. Good luck.

LNK

Small of back is in my opinion the most uncomfortable IWB position of all.

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I couldn't agree more. I tried various positions and just couldn't get it to work for me. Also, consider driving with a firearm pressed into your back. Besides the obvious discomfort, how about access?

Some good recommendations so far on possible alternatives. I carry at 4 o'clock frequently.

Just my $.02!

Take care,
DFW1911

Doesn't 4 o'clock print pretty bad when bending over? It does with me.

Doesn't 4 o'clock print pretty bad when bending over? It does with me.

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Not 1/10th as bad as SOB does.

The strong-side hip carry position (3-5 o'clock) is the best compromise of comfort, speed, and concealment for most people, but it doesn't eliminate printing.

The good thing is, most printing is much worse in your head than in real life. Most folks seem completely incapable of even noticing the "bump", let alone associating it with a gun on your belt.

I feel like IWB anywhere else would be uncomfortable, besides maybe 1 o'clock, but then painful when I sit.

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In all honesty, you really need to get some experience carrying a sidearm and then you'll be in a better position to understand the compromises of each position.

Until you've tried SOB, it may be difficult to understand how significant the drawbacks will be. (But, hopefully we can give you enough warning to keep you from sinking a lot of money into trying it out.)

Unless you've gone about your daily business with your weapon in an IWB in the usual location, it may be hard to visualize how that method makes the most of the possibilities. How your gun fits with your clothes and with your body type, shape, and composition makes all the difference, and that's not something you'll be able to assess just from reading.

Get a Kholster or Crossbreed Supertuck IWB. I carry a full size XDM 9 in a Kholster at 4:00 all day everyday and it is by far the most comfortable and easy to conceal holster I've ever used.

Don't forget the belt. Most feel it's even more important than the holster. You need a stiff belt that is made with ccw in mind. Just picking a thick one from a regular store probably won't be enough.

with MOB holsters you have to be careful, if you are knocked to the ground, and land the right or "wrong" way depending on how you are looking at it, you can really mess up your back. Which will not only put you in a bad way for the fight that you are currently in, and it could also cause permanent damage. Even if you do not get hurt in the fall, and the fight goes to the ground, if you are on your back it is going to be very very hard to access your gun. just some things to think about.

I carry in the mornings and evenings as well as the afternoons.

If you want to carry MOB (which I don't recommend, but I think Galco makes holsters for this kind of carry), you need a left-handed holster, so the butt points to your strong side. (This is for a right-handed shooter.)

9mmepiphany said:

TLH - I'm confused, do you have a picture to show what you mean?

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I think he means just using a left handed IWB holster, for a right handed shooter, and carrying it at 6:00 or so so that you don't have to twist your hand so radically to grip the gun. In this manner, your hand will go in between the gun and your back when you grip it.

I used this rig for the "Let me just get my wallet for you" approach...yes, that is weak hand/left hand draw for me, a BUG placement.



Conceals very well under a vest, no issues at all. That's the Hazel Cross Draw rig. He is on sabbatical for a while though...

That's a great pic! I think it should help people visualize several of the more serious drawbacks to SOB type carry. E.g: potentially very dangerous muzzle position on the draw, (especially with the inverted butt style like this), uncomfortable/dangerous position of the bulk of the metal gun against the kidneys and/or spine, and so forth.

If only there was a corresponding set showing a view of the wearer from the rear, sitting, squatting, bending, to illustrate the tendency to print or even have the cover garment ride over the gun butt.

^ Also, think how little leverage your arm has in that position if someone grabs your wrist or forearm. Very bad for retention.