Handgun width and CC Comfort

Hunter2011 said:

I have a good quality leather belt. The holster I bought is cheap. I did not buy it because it is cheap, but because it is so small and I thought it will conceal better because it is so small. I think this is the exact one I have: http://store.samsguns.com/Black-Hawk-Nylon-RIGHT-Inside-the-Pants-3-4-Barrel-19994.htm

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Those holsters suck. Seriously.

Go check out the holsters, etc, section and pick out one of the good ones to try.

I like the Comp-Tac CTAC and MTAC for very quick-shipping, quality, comfortable, adjustable IWB concealment holsters.

Warp said:

Those holsters suck. Seriously.

Go check out the holsters, etc, section and pick out one of the good ones to try.

I like the Comp-Tac CTAC and MTAC for very quick-shipping, quality, comfortable, adjustable IWB concealment holsters.

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It does show lots of wear so I will anyway have to buy a new holster soon.
I don't care much for how comfort a holster is as I can't carry to work. I just care about conceal ability.
I will look around and make a good buy later. I just don't know which one will be the best for my needs

[QUOTEIs it the width of a gun and is there a big difference between .9" and 1.2"?][/QUOTE]

YES.

Carrying a full size gun, year round, really isnt a problem, but you do have to want to do it. The real issue here isnt "cant", its "want".

Ive carried a full size pistol (1911 GM's/Commanders's, SIG P229's/226's, Glock 17's, etc), a double reload, and a BUG, most of my life, and never had any troubles doing so. I carry all day, every day, and I dont have a sedentary, environment controlled lifestyle. Its easily done, if you "want" to do it.

Ive always found IWB to be the best way to carry most things. Its very comfortable (once you get used to it), nothing shows below the belt, the grip is usually held in tight with a proper belt and holster, the pants help keep the gun in place, with very little extra movement. You wear your normal size pants, and a simple, light, loose over garment is all thats needed in the spring/summer (I normally just wear an untucked, unbuttoned Oxford type shirt). Sweatshirt or a fleece take care of the winter.

If youre active, and summers are warm, a kydex holster (full kydex, not one of the hybrids) is your, and your guns best friend. Its impervious to sweat, for the most part, and while you do get specific wear points on the gun, the rest of the gun is unmolested. Rust is pretty much eliminated.

Leather basically, and literally sucks. It sucks up sweat like a sponge, and then wont dry out until you take it off, and give it a number of days in a dry environment to dry out. Your gun suffers, and if your tee shirt rides up, or you dont wear one, you get to suffer to, as it will rub you raw, in short order (kydex just slides across wet/damp skin). Leather tends to wear a guns finish more quickly and more over all too, as it contacts more of the surface.


Where on your body are you planning on carrying the gun? Different places usually means different holsters. Some will do double duty, most wont. Best to settle on one spot, but you have to experiment to figure that out.

Blade Tech has a couple of reasonably priced holsters that will allow you to experiment. They also make good stuff, and even thought its priced reasonably, its good kit.

If you want to change your entire wardrobe and wear a Hawaiian shirt all day every day, more power to you. Some of us don't "want" to do that. I suppose that comes down to how much you value a full size gun with two spare mags and a BUG vs "only" having a mid size gun and one spare mag.

Do you carry both spare magazines IWB? How/where is most comfortable?

What BUG/where?

Ill wait until you get youre thoughts together, you keep changing what I quote.

I end up editing for brevity a lot..and often don't edit until after I hit submit and see what the post actually looks like. Final version


If you want to change your entire wardrobe and wear a Hawaiian shirt all day every day, more power to you. Some of us don't "want" to do that. I suppose that comes down to how much you value a full size gun with two spare mags and a BUG vs "only" having a mid size gun and one spare mag.

Do you carry both spare magazines IWB? How/where is most comfortable?

What BUG/where?

If you want to change your entire wardrobe and wear a Hawaiian shirt all day every day, more power to you. Some of us don't "want" to do that.

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I dont wear Hawaiian shirts, on any day.

I wear what I normally wear. Even on days I might be going out, and need to change up a little, I almost always find a solution, and it doesnt take much effort. Then again, Ive been at this 35+ years or so, so I have some things down.

I suppose that comes down to how much you value a full size gun with two spare mags and a BUG vs "only" having a mid size gun and one spare mag.

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I value the full size gun because its what I shoot the best with, and it offers what Im looking for capacity wise. I dont feel the need to compromise that.

The BUG and spare mags, simply complement that.

Do you carry both spare magazines IWB? How/where is most comfortable?

What BUG/where?

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I normally carry my spare mags on my belt, in a double carrier that rides high on the belt. Nothing shows below the belt.

I normally carry a Glock 26 as a BUG, normally in a Smart Carry, sometimes in an ankle holster, depending on need.

Hawaiian shirt in this context intended to mean:

AK103K said:

and a simple, light, loose over garment

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Call it a Hawaiian style shirt perhaps.

It's a happy coincidence that you like wearing an overshirt that also happens to help conceal your OWB spare magazines and your full size gun. That works out well.

AK103K said:

I normally carry a Glock 26 as a BUG, normally in a Smart Carry, sometimes in an ankle holster, depending on need.

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Two shirts and full length pants. Not something I "want" to wear most of the year. YMMV

I haven't had to modify my wardrobe at all. A good solid belt with in IWB tuckable like the Milt Sparks Versa Max II, DeSantis Mad Max or Galco V-Hawk. I prefer the higher carry of these three for concealability and comfort, particularly in all day situations. And the pieces carried range from that thick old p228 to the outrageously long 1911 5" govt.

It's not the width or length. It's grip size and weight that really matter. For weight, a good holster and solid belt will carry the day. I carried my full size 1911 for over 18 hours straight two days ago, no biggie with the right gear.

YMMV. Below are my preferences. And I swear by leather, and can't stand Kydex. The Milt Sparks is superb, and I have worn it with cargo shorts and T shirt, casual dress, and suits. The DeSantis Mad Max was a surprise - pretty well constructed and at a third of the price of the VM-II.

The Galco is good too, but priced too high IMHO, compared to the real-deal VM-II.

Again, YMMV dwpending on your carry style, body type, budget and other personal preferences.

I use both kydex and leather as well as hybrids that use both. Each has their own set of pros/cons.

Generally I find leather (I have 2-3 VMII's) more comfortable but kydex is thinner and draws more quickly. The hybrids are a good combination of those two but they seem to lack a secure hold on the gun when it's not being worn.

A thinner gun is easier to carry IWB or in a pocket than a thicker gun. A longer grip will be harder to conceal than a shorter one. A longer barrel will also be harder to conceal than a shorter one.

IWB carry is made much more easy and comfortable with a high quality holster. Hybrid holsters work best for me.

Finding the right balance of gun size, capacity, ballistics performance given the short barrels, cartridge, fit to your hand, and also deciding how you need to modify your wardrobe is a combination of interwoven decisions that only you can figure out for you.

I think many people go through a few iterations and tries befor getting it right.

I carry an XDs in a hybrid holster. It is very comfortable for me.

It's a happy coincidence that you like wearing an overshirt that also happens to help conceal your OWB spare magazines and your full size gun. That works out well.

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Its what I wear, and it does work out well.

Two shirts and full length pants. Not something I "want" to wear most of the year. YMMV

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You get used to it, and learn to appreciate it as well.

I work outdoors year round, and much of that in the woods/brush, and wear long pants/long sleeve shirts all year.

If you think you want to always wear shorts and short sleeve shirts, come work with me for a week in the summer, and I can cure you of that. (I grew up on the southern coast of NC, its a lot like that here in PA in the summer too, so thats not an out. ) .

As I said, this is all about "want", not "cant". If you dont want to change your dress, by all means, dont. Figure out what works for you and run with it. Im just pointing out, contrary to what many these days will tell you, its not at all difficult to carry a full size gun and accessories, if you really "want" to. Thats all.

The hybrids are a good combination of those two but they seem to lack a secure hold on the gun when it's not being worn.

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I always thought the hybrids were built backwards, and the kydex should be on the body side, for comfort and its waterproof. Theres no advantage to having it on the outside.

Of course it's about want and not cant.

I can carry a rifle with 6 mags over hard armour if I really want to.

AK103K said:

I always thought the hybrids were built backwards, and the kydex should be on the body side, for comfort and its waterproof. Theres no advantage to having it on the outside.

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Most people find leather more comfortable against their skin.

The advantage to the kydex on the outside is that it is thinner than leather. There are also hybrid holsters with swap-able kydex outers that allow you to carry different pistols by swapping the outer kydex only which saves money vs having to buy a separate holster for each gun.

Most people find leather more comfortable against their skin.

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I have to assume they have never had to wear wet leather against bare skin, for any length of time, especially if they were moving around.

I put up with it up until kydex showed up, and never looked back. That was also the last time I had rub and/or chemical burns on my hip from my holster.

Ive always found kydex to be much more pleasant, if and when it ends up against your bare skin. It just slips across the skin when wet, and doesnt bear in. The other big advantage is, it repels moisture, and goes a long way at keeping rust at bay.

The only real advantage I can see at all to the hybrids, would be if the outer part of the holster was leather, it would tend to be "softer" in its shape, and maybe not be as prone to printing. Not that the kydex really does.

AK103K said:

I have to assume they have never had to wear wet leather against bare skin, for any length of time, especially if they were moving around.

I put up with it up until kydex showed up, and never looked back. That was also the last time I had rub and/or chemical burns on my hip from my holster.

Ive always found kydex to be much more pleasant, if and when it ends up against your bare skin. It just slips across the skin when wet, and doesnt bear in. The other big advantage is, it repels moisture, and goes a long way at keeping rust at bay.

The only real advantage I can see at all to the hybrids, would be if the outer part of the holster was leather, it would tend to be "softer" in its shape, and maybe not be as prone to printing. Not that the kydex really does.

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I'll wager kydex for the outer conceals better because it is thinner. It's not like a leather holster with a pistol inside is going to bend and conform to a shirt or pants anything.

Duluth Trading sell a t-shirt that is 3" longer and with it I have no trouble carrying a 41/4" 1911. I am not a fan of the smaller caliber sub compacts available today but some in my family do carry them so each to their own. I find the longer t-shirt gives me more options.

Warp said:

I'll wager kydex for the outer conceals better because it is thinner. It's not like a leather holster with a pistol inside is going to bend and conform to a shirt or pants anything.

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Little to no appreciable difference in an IWB, tobny experience. I did feel that Kydex really requires an undershirt between skin and holster, as it really irritated my skin. Particularly in warmer weather. But no great difference in concealability, even in a t-shirt.

wojownik said:

Little to no appreciable difference in an IWB, tobny experience. I did feel that Kydex really requires an undershirt between skin and holster, as it really irritated my skin. Particularly in warmer weather. But no great difference in concealability, even in a t-shirt.

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If the kydex bothers your skin a one-time application of moleskin to the outside of the holster at the offending area should take care of it.

To me I never really had problems carrying any firearm regardless of width. But for some it makes a huge difference. Which is why you see some very thin firearms like the XDs, LC9/LCP, and Walther PPS. It also explains why 1911s are very comfortable for carry regardless of their weight.

Personally I noticed how the slide is cut matters much more than width. My P99 carries very well. But carrying a G22 which has almost the same width and weight was uncomfortable in the same holster. The difference between the two is the Walther has a more angled slide towards the top.

I carried my SIG-P227 (railed), which is a pretty doggone thick pistol, in a Kramer Belt Scabbard (OWB) all day yesterday under a Carhartt vest while finishing up the Christmas shopping ... Got home last night ... realized I hadn't noticed any appreciable difference in how it felt nor had been worried about printing. It's all in the belt/holster combination.

Carrying a full size gun, year round, really isnt a problem, but you do have to want to do it. The real issue here isnt "cant", its "want".

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If you are 21, or 31, and in great health, that may very well be the case.

You forget that this does not apply to everyone reading or posting to this thread.

Ten years ago (at 48) I carried a full sized 1911 or a 4" N-frame year round without much difficulty.

Ten years and three back surgeries later, it is very much an issue of "can't" versus "want". Those days (for me) are gone. Probably gone for many others as well.

One day you too will be old...if you live long enough.

For the record, even when I could carry an N-frame, I never did find carrying a Glock comfortable, regardless if belt, holster, etc. Cylinder width versus grip width, round versus square...

Different people find different things do-able or objectionable. If we all thought the same, we'd all be riding the same motorcycle (LOL, none of us would be riding...we'd all be driving the same car), wearing the same clothes, carrying the same gun and lusting after the same woman.

Vive la difference.

One day you too will be old...if you live long enough.

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I probably dont have too much longer. But I am thirty five years past where I ever thought Id get, and two years older than you.

As beat up as Ive been over the years, I actually believe thats whats kept me young(ish), and still able to do what I did when I was younger. Not saying that some of that still doesnt hurt.

I have an XD Subcompact .40, and a couple M&P Shields. The Shield is the same overall size as the XD Sub - but almost 1/4" thinner. Therefore I carry a Shield. Easier to hide and just feels better. I have a Crossbreed for the XD and it is just too bulky for my liking. I have the AlienGear Pro on the way for Shield, hope it is as good as people say. Using a DeSantis now and that is about the most uncomfortable s.o.b. ever. Rubs me raw in a hurry. And no I don't and won't wear undershirts. I have a Crossbreed belt so good there...

Thinner has always been important to me, but I prefer pocket carry most of the time. That being said, I do IWB a 229 (no light - mine is pre-rails) in a Galco Summer Comfort without problems as long as I keep it right behind my hip at 4:00 or so. For that type of carry in that position it doesn't seem to make much difference to me. Same with OWB at 4:00. You are probably built different than I am, so it may make a difference to you.