1911 alternative carry options?

Shoulder holster or Dillon Safe Packer or Day Planner.

Suspenders, and verify you actually have a gunbelt.

touro1979

Are you talking about an OWB or an IWB holster and where on your waistline are you trying to carry it? I have a somewhat similar build as you describe for yourself and can carry a 1911 in an OWB holster at the 4:00/4:30 position on my strong side. I can also use an IWB holster on my strong side at the 2:00/2:30 position. A lot depends on how the holster is designed and constructed, the amount of support an actual gun belt gives you, and how well it lends itself to your particular body dimensions. I have had great success with older Bianchi holsters and current DeSantis products. If you can't get any relief in terms of a belt holster set-up you might want to look into some sort of shoulder holster as stoky suggested.

Buy good quality work suspenders. Big wide ones. And a comfortable belt. Adjust carefully. Put half of the weight on the spenders. All us old guys do it.

I carry a .45 Colt Defender in an Alien Gear IWB at 4:30. I am 285 lbs. and wear suspenders because I don't have hips either. The Colt disappears under a t-shirt and you almost forget it's there.

Perry suspenders and a good gunbelt. A lot of us suffer from the 'noassatall' syndrome.

I'm 5'8" and right around 125 lbs. I, like you have no hips or arse to speak of, but can carry a 1911 with relative ease IWB at roughly the 4:30 position. I use a High Noon Tail Gunner (IWB slightly forward canted with a little foot off the bottom of the holster for additional stability). I use a Wilson Combat gun belt and it's perfectly fine. As another plug for them, I would also recommend trying a Blackpoint Tactical Mini Wing IWB holster. I've been using that for my Sig P229 and it's a dream to carry with.

Check out Sticky Holsters.

I feel your pain, touro. I just got some Perry suspenders on the advice of a guy at work, (and he doesn't even carry) and they help a lot. I wore my 1911 to church the other day, sans suspenders, and was fine until the potluck.

Have a look at the "Trumpcard" holster from Pistolwear. http://www.pistolwear.com/holsters/
It is a kind of belly band that works as a shoulder holster. It is not fast to draw from, and it is slow to re-holster, but it is concealed in a loose tee shirt or a dress shirt. I have been using one for a couple of years with a commander size.

Perry suspenders. Nothing better, nothing more discreet. No snaps, clasps, clamps or any metal parts. And you won't look like a fool wearing them.

I wear my suspenders under a t-shirt, and use an IWB holster with my shirt untucked. My Colt defender disappears.

I've found a paddle type holster to be a lot more comfortable to EDC my 1911 than a belt loop type holster.

The generally larger bearing area of the paddle definitely seems to support the weight of the pistol better and more comfortably than the belt holster, which puts all the load on a smaller area on the belt alone.

Ramone said:

I've found a paddle type holster to be a lot more comfortable to EDC my 1911 than a belt loop type holster.

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The downside to paddle holsters is most don't have a trailing loop. A trailing loop is one of the key features of most concealment holsters from the pancake to the Nelson Professional/Avenger style holsters. Without a trailing loop, the grip of the gun generally does not get pulled close to the body.

You don't specify concealed carry or not, but I assume you do. As long as you have a closed jacket, the military M3 holster works great. It can be worn as a strong-side or cross draw, but if your outer garment is open in front, the shoulder strap will show.

The weight of a 1911 killed it for me. A Shield 45 is my solution.

Ramone said:

I've found a paddle type holster to be a lot more comfortable to EDC my 1911 than a belt loop type holster.

The generally larger bearing area of the paddle definitely seems to support the weight of the pistol better and more comfortably than the belt holster, which puts all the load on a smaller area on the belt alone.

Click to expand...

Ditto. +1

Ares instructors belt.
Crossbreed Supertuck.

Sorry, but I had to lose weight, alot of weight to get my hips back enough to carry a 1911 again. Weird motivation. But there it is. Being a fat guy on a little bike ain't much fun either.

A Glock 23 is a fine option. Half the weight of a 1911, more powerful and shootable than a G42.