Talk A Noob Through Concealed Carry 380s

...And only because you chose to play the "full of themselves" card...

...look at the wear on our gear and tell me who's been carrying longer.

Good Ol' Boy said:

And I think most who talk about carrying a full size gun IWB comfortably are simply full of themselves. But hey, everyone's got opinions.

The most comfortable way to carry a duty sized gun is OWB, which I have done on occasion when I'm wearing a meaty jacket for the duration. My full size gun is a 4.5" 18 +1 double stack which I have a single clip IWB holster that conceals better than anything out there. But it is not really comfortable unless you're mostly on your feet. There's not a IWB holster in the world that would make that gun completely comfortable. I had a CB holster and sent it back for a refund. It was way bulky and even more uncomfortable, and less concealable.

Smaller guns are without a doubt more comfortable to carry and easier to conceal. And for the yahoo that's going to mention it's not supposed to be comfortable but comforting, that's what extra mags are for.

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I disagree. A proper IWB on a proper belt in a proper set of pants or shorts will carry comfortably a firearm capable of stopping a threat. I hope that plenty of range time goes with the op's carry routine. I suggest some non-aimed quick fire to center mass to replicate a panic situation. In an event, you won't be aiming and squeezing the gagillion lb trigger of your 11 oz .380. Am I advocating a 2.5lb gun? Some carry them and do quite well with them. My PPS is about 20oz and less than an inch thick along with many of those lightweight single-stacks I named above. The G19/PPQ/P99/VP9 "compacts" find themselves in that 24oz range and about 1.5" in thickness. With the contact points spread over several inches of belt and a nice sweat shield the Crossbreed style or even the Milt Sparks Versa Max style do an outstanding job of keeping things thin and comfortable.

I drive 6 hours at a time when I work in TN a few weeks each month. I don't even feel it anymore. Here's my Supertuck after a few years of hard use. Don't judge CB by the condition....that's a sweaty borderline fat guy with a few leather modifications of my own.

Get a P3AT or Ruger LCP and don't look back. They are accurate and reliable, but most of all tiny and light, which means whatever you pick be there when you need it. I carry a P32 with the slide clip and it literally fits anywhere, but you can get a little pocket holster and it will sit upright in your suit jacket or shirt pocket without being a nuisance. I have run 10 miles with my P32 clipped to my UnderArmor.

And yes, I carry a 9mm (Shield in a Uni) if I feel the need, but .32 or .380 is not to be underestimated with modern ammo. There is no comparison, btw, to a IWB holstered firearm - those are fine, but you are still carrying something fairly substantial, and if you sit in your car, accessibility and comfort become issues. My P32 is thinner than an Altoids tin and with just a bit larger outline.

I disagree that comfort is an issue sitting in an automobile with an IWB full-frame. Put it at about 4 o'clock and there is no problem. Easy to get comfortable, easy to pull.

I found that a pants-pocket carried LCP is almost impossible to access quickly while sitting in a car-seat.

The sharp grip-texture on a P3AT makes it almost impossible to practice adequately with.

I don't have a lot to add...
In the past I've carried a sig p238, IWB in a Galco stow-n-go style holster, with a spare mag carried OWB on my weak side.
I was extremely happy with how well it was concealed, and how comfortable it was. Once, I literally forgot I was carrying it. Even in a car with high bolstered buckets, it was still comfortable.
And that little sig has nice sights, and also points fairly naturally. It's a great little pistol!
Well made and reliable, it's the softest shooting 380acp I have.

I've since made changes, and have decided that I can cope with a little less comfort and concealability, in order to gain more rounds of a more potent caliber. But that's just me...

Out of your list of possibilities, I'd run with the mustang in a Galco stow-n-go, and get a mag pouch that can fit (2) magazines.
Good luck!

I almost exclusively pocket carry these days. My lifestyle is more conducive to that than wearing a gun on a belt as I did before retirement. Recently I went looking to replace my long time CCW and looked at all of the current offerings including the Kel Tec, Ruger, S&W, Glocks, Kahr, Remmington, etc. The one I landed on was the Beretta Pico. The features that attracted me were the fact that it's DAO hammer fired, is the thinnest .380, it's overall size, has adequate sights, is lightweight and has a trigger that I liked. It operates as simply as can be... take down is incredibly easy. A few of the other brands are attractive choices but the Beretta had all of the attributes of a good pocket gun.

Like the S&W Bodyguard, the Beretta can come with a frame containing an integrated laser, or not... your choice. I have both and have found the laser on the Beretta is a great asset. Very easy to use and fast to shoot accurately. The frames are easily changeable on the Beretta as the trigger and hammer are in a module that can be removed.

IMHO the Beretta is well worth looking at when in the market for a quality .380.

dranrab

I'm pretty much in the Colt Mustang/SIG P238 group when it comes to a .380 for CCW. I like the SAO trigger, decent sights, and the overall ergonomics of both guns, probably because I have carried various 1911 type guns for so many years. I have both pocket holsters and IWB holster for my guns (DeSantis Nemesis and SOF-TUCK, respectively), and feel comfortable carrying with either mode of carrying.

I only have one 380. A Bersa Thunder CC. I carry it in low risk situations when I need to wear a sports jacket, but it works in a T shirt as well. It will never replace my 1911`s but has a place in the CC mindset.
At 5'6" and 140 lbs. It dissapears in a IWB holser. Or can be pocketed.

I carry a Commander sized 1911 IWB most of the time. I find it very comfortable. I've got several holsters that I use. Mainly I use a Alien Gear IWB since it protects the gun from my sweat during the 10 months a year here where I sweat.

My first carry gun was a .38 snub nose revolver tried IWB. Due to me being required to wear tucked in shirts for work, and needing to purchase all new sizes in pants, I gave up on IWB carry pretty quickly.

So, I pocket carry. My pocket carry selection is the .38 snubby (Taurus 85UL), NAA Guardian .32ACP, Taurus TCP, and a Remington RM380. If it is cold out, I can carry my Glock 36 in a shoulder holster under a jacket. I also have much range time with my shootin' buddy's pair of Ruger LCPs. All of these guns have long trigger pulls and no manual safety lever, which is my preference for concealed carry.

Out of those, the 85UL has the most felt recoil and the Guardian is the hardest to shoot well due to limited grip size. I consider all the pocket guns one-handed shooting guns and I practice shooting them that way.

Back to pocket carry, the pocket size of the pants I wear that day dictates which gun I can carry. Today, I can get away with drawing the 85UL successfully. Most days I wear pants that allow me to draw the RM380 successfully. If the pockets shrink further, I can go down to the TCP or Guardian as needed.

Of course, that's me and IWB carry works for a lot of people out there. My preference would honestly be OWB carry for gun size and draw reasons, but I prefer to carry concealed even though I sometimes have the option to carry openly.

I have carried a Beretta Cougar 8040, Walther PPK, Smith Md# 36 and 37 a Colt Vest Pocket .25 when nothing else fit.
The most easiest gun that I carry today is my Ruger LCP, I never leave home without it.
Carry it in the pants pocket, OWB,IWB and just in my coat pocket. I like it, no muss,no fuss!
But one thing, you have to carry what works and fits for you!

dranrab said:

How does that feel against your hip bone? One of the reasons I am thing about smaller pistols is that they will be less burdensome over the course of the day.

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The whole rig is pretty thin and the comfort for me is fine.

I understand wanting some type of "padding" whether leather, neoprene, whatever between the holster and your body, but a simple single clip Kydex is what I prefer and I do not find it uncomfortable. I find too that a big padded area like certain types that have been mentioned/shown makes the whole rig less concealable.

I also prefer to not have anything additional between the grip of the gun and my body. For me it's just one more thing to work around if you have to grab the gun.

You need to do what works for you and what you're comfortable with. However, as I mentioned it would be worthwhile to get your hands on any gear that you're interested in to try before you buy.

I haven't shot the Mustang, but I have several .380s and the most comfortable to shoot (and most likely to get picked up for practice) is the Sig P238. I have a back-pocket holster for it that works well and an extra mag fits easily in a pocket. It's as accurate as such a gun needs to be and easy to strip and clean. I also have a CZ 83 and a Sig P232 that are snappier and not as comfortable to shoot as the 238, although both cost less. Find the tradeoff you're comfortable with. Good luck.

dranrab said:

Y'all got me to researching holsters and I found a pretty good link in Personal Defense World.

http://www.personaldefenseworld.com...l-glock-42/#blackhawk-size-1-iwb-and-glock-42

Specifically, I liked this one.

http://www.personaldefenseworld.com/2014/10/8-holsters-conceal-glock-42/#glock-42-n82-professional

I like that none of the gun would be in contact with my skin.

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Just make sure you grab gun and not holster when you need to reach for it. I prefer combat cuts or make my own as seen on my holster pic.

You can research holsters and get good advice but there is no substitute for buying one and wearing it to know if it will work for you or not. Even something that works at first may well turn into a nightmare after living with it for awhile. I've carried the same gun since I started carrying, I've probably tried a dozed holsters for it. I think I'm finally satisfied with the one I have, an Alien gear Tuck 3.0. May or may not work for you though.

wrs840 said:

I found that a pants-pocket carried (anything) is almost impossible to access quickly while sitting in a car-seat.

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That's for sure.

I have an LCP. With practice, it's fairly accurate. The trigger is long but smooth. However, I bought it before the Glock 42 was released. After shooting my friend's 42 at the range over the summer, I would say that I would have bought one over the LCP. It's more controllable.

Since you've carried a duty weapon and are at least familiar with general safety, the biggest hurtle is crossed. As for selection of the pistol, the ones you listed are all great guns. My two cents are going to be go for the slightly larger gun with real sights, could be handy should the precision of a snake shot be needed. Of your choices, I would be a proponent of the Glock. Absolute go bang all the time if you do your part and feed it decent ammo and keep it clean. As for the carry method, with your described manner of dress, I would side with the many posts about a inside the waste band holster. Try to go to a local store where you can try a few on and see what feels okay.

Pro-tip: if you're not used to wearing a belt, any waist carry is going to get awkward.

WVMountainBoy said:

Pro-tip: if you're not used to wearing a belt, any waist carry is going to get awkward.

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This is correct. A sturdy belt is a must. It does not necessarily need to be a high-dollar "gun belt" however. Any fat / thick/ stiff belt from Walmart is a good start.

As far as IWB holsters, Crossbreed Supertuck is kind of an Industry-Standard baseline. I'm sure there are probably better ones, but it's what I find to be more than satisfactory, and you can go on their website and buy them used at a decent discount.