How Inconvenient Is It For You To Carry Everyday?

I’m fat. My belly hangs over the top of a gun if I appendix carry and I only like hammer fired guns. That means a hammer digs into my belly by the end of the day and gets really uncomfortable. Carrying small of back is much better but then it’s hard to sit comfortably. Shoulder rigs don’t work well in the summer because it’s essentially open carry. All of that added into the fact that my current employer is strictly no guns on property. I only drive basically work/home with the occasional gas station or grocery store stop. The 38 lives in a hidden compartment in my car and goes into my pocket if I get out of the car between work and home. A Taurus PT99 lives in the nightstand at home with 4 17rd mags ready to go. If 68 rounds of 9mm won’t get the job done I’m screwed from the start, and if I can’t drive away in my v6 Honda go-cart then again, I’m pretty well screwed from the start.

WestKentucky said:

I’m fat. My belly hangs over the top of a gun if I appendix carry and I only like hammer fired guns. That means a hammer digs into my belly by the end of the day and gets really uncomfortable. Carrying small of back is much better but then it’s hard to sit comfortably. Shoulder rigs don’t work well in the summer because it’s essentially open carry. All of that added into the fact that my current employer is strictly no guns on property. I only drive basically work/home with the occasional gas station or grocery store stop. The 38 lives in a hidden compartment in my car and goes into my pocket if I get out of the car between work and home. A Taurus PT99 lives in the nightstand at home with 4 17rd mags ready to go. If 68 rounds of 9mm won’t get the job done I’m screwed from the start, and if I can’t drive away in my v6 Honda go-cart then again, I’m pretty well screwed from the start.

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Have you tried carrying at the 1:30-2:00 position? It might move the gun just enough off the the side that a hammer doesn't dig into you and it shouldn't bother you at all sitting unless the barrel is long.

Also, I'd recommend just going to a DAO revolver. When I carried DA/SA revolvers it was so easy to spend most of my time at the range practicing single action because I'd get better groups. Now that I have a DAO revolver I have no choice, and I've found with enough dry firing and live practice my groups are just as small now as with a SA revolver.

No reason to carry DAO. S&W 638, 438, and 38 for me but I would like to have a 649. Smooth, no snag-on-something draw, but with option of precise, single-action let off. Came in handy one night when had to finish off a car-hit animal from my car window and no way to get a proper sight picture. CTC laser grip for targeting, single-action let off for precision. No more suffering animal.

Do not find it inconvenient or painful to carry IWB 12 hours a day with a Glock 19 sized gun, and I do daily.

Sure there are occasions, especially when it's hot that the gun rubs oddly or is uncomfortable, but it's not too hard to power through

Father Goose said:

No reason to carry DAO. S&W 638, 438, and 38 for me but I would like to have a 649. Smooth, no snag-on-something draw, but with option of precise, single-action let off. Came in handy one night when had to finish off a car-hit animal from my car window and no way to get a proper sight picture. CTC laser grip for targeting, single-action let off for precision. No more suffering animal.

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As a side comment DAO does make me think a bit while pulling the trigger. Its unlike a cocked semi auto and more like a "flat" easy to carry revolver. It also gives me confidence that i might not shoot myself in the a-s due to its mechanical function resulting in no need for a safety on a RM380. Yes and i know the ryhme "the west was not won with a DAO gun" Altho i understand Billy the Kid tried?

The West wasn't won with revolvers anyway but with Winchester rifles. I know, I know, Matt Dillon would disagree......

I mostly (well back before the scamdemic made ammo too valuable to train with) practiced shooting my revolvers double action and only the occasional single action shot. I only plan to use the single action option if a precise hit is required........say a head shot is needed.

Carrying "everyday" (as in, 'ordinary') is no problem.

Carrying "every day" (as in, 'every diurnal period') is no problem either.

vintovka writes:

Strangely ( or intentionally) the areas off limits to CC are the places they may be needed the most.

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My wife, raised in the Russian Soviet Socialist Republic (you seem to have an interest in Russian arms) said the same thing once when I was headed to a nearby bar not long after I started carrying. She asked if I had my gun and I told her that carry in a bar here was prohibited. Still, I told her that bar fights and attacks were more Hollywood than real-life, especially here in this city, and at that particular bar.

I carry hot Eurocop 7,65s and nobody wants stitched up the middle with 8 of them.
And yes, just the presentation of the gun is enough to cease most activities with no shots fired.
When traveling to dangerous areas or the Mojave, I carry my Glock 19 Gen 4 with Streamlight TLR-1 in a Safariland rig with two magazines.

CDW4ME said:

Good thing "bad people" in "dangerous areas" and/or Mojave are immobile, they are predicted to require 9mm to stop vs 32 for attackers near home.

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JCooperfan1911 said:

I’m not understanding your last paragraph?
Let me guess, another 9mm fan who thinks he wields mjolnir?

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Its in response to what you said.
You carry a 32 ... except when travelling to an area of perceived greater threat "dangerous areas", then you carry a Glock 19.
As you perceive / anticipate greater odds of having to defend yourself, you carry a 9mm.
Apparently, occupants of "dangerous areas" are perceived immobile, you have to go to them.

Going to update mine, got the new holster for my P07 yesterday and wore it while making some alterations to my chicken coop and working in the garden. Still tolerable but definitely not cozy and I can see how a full day wearing something this size could be painful for some. Guess I have another reason to loose a few more pounds.

Kleanbore said:

DO NOT fall on your back!

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I have, and it didn't cause any issues. Like I said, my body shape is a little different and that's where they ride best. Did a full on flat of my back fall two years ago and didn't even feel it.

The single best thing I ever did to make carry more comfortable was to buy a real gun belt. Even if my holster isn't actually attached to the belt it makes carry less noticeable as it helps to distribute the load.

Putting some thought into my holster type was the second best thing. It has to be both comfortable and not print too much.

I just actually re-read through this thread, must've missed a few posts (such as this one below -- things you just don't see on gun forums every day):

JCooperfan1911 said:

I am thinking about upgrading to a .380 in the near future.

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[No disrespect intended to this member]

Anyway, I can't believe we've gone whole 3 pages already and no one's yet quoted the immortal words of the legendary Clint Smith? WTH? Isn't this the premier firearms forum in the world?

"A concealed carry handgun isn't meant to be comfortable. It's meant to be comforting." (Or words to that effect)

Sciatic issues and bad knees have caused me to carry smaller guns than in years past. Aside from those physical issues, I do not recall carrying actually causing pain.

Maybe some discomfort with hard/sharp edges on some plastic/poly/kydex holsters. Those would have soon been trashed or sanded down though.

Old Dog said:

I just actually re-read through this thread, must've missed a few posts (such as this one below -- things you just don't see on gun forums every day):



[No disrespect intended to this member]

Anyway, I can't believe we've gone whole 3 pages already and no one's yet quoted the immortal words of the legendary Clint Smith? WTH? Isn't this the premier firearms forum in the world?

"A concealed carry handgun isn't meant to be comfortable. It's meant to be comforting." (Or words to that effect)

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Times, they are a changing.

And so have handguns

No physical issues whatsoever; generally I carry an XD 4" 45 ACP strong side OWB with a spare mag. Sometimes a G17.

And because I telecommute, the "office" is EXTREMELY 2A friendly.....

All four of the above can apply, at times. Getting old will do that. An Irritable Bowel will do that. Living in an often-very-hot, and almost-always-humid climate is a significant factor. (SE Texas, Coastal Prairie.) Clothing that wicks moisture is helpful, but that moisture, that exits the body as perspiration, has to be replaced. Cumulatively, the necessary hydration can become inconvenient.

I considered the necessary training to be a part of the overall equation. Smaller handguns can be painful to shoot, or, shooting them can cause follow-up pain or discomfort. Larger, duty-sized handguns are more comfortable to shoot, but can be less convenient to carry. I can carry a 3” or 4” GP100 quite comfortably, for an indefinite period of time, OWB, on or somewhat forward of the hip, but I have to wear a more-full-cut cover garment, if concealment is desirable or required. Depending upon the weather, and my level of physical activity, that cover garment can be quite uncomfortable and/or inconvenient.

In the mid part of my seventh decade I'm not inconvenienced at all with concealed carry of my EDC which happens to be a S&W Shield 9X19mm. Yes there are those with physical aliments but you just have to work your way thru that. Life is not for the faint of heart.

No pain, no inconvenience, and I ignore worthless signs meant to try and provide some type of civil protection from the poster.

Too many people complain about a handgun being "too heavy", especially the 1911. Apparently none of them ever had to exert themselves earlier in-life. If this wasn't too heavy for little me, then no handgun can be "too heavy" or too inconvenient for carry.

Very inconvenient. I’m a lawyer, and a trail lawyer at that, so if I’m not in my office or at home, I’m at the courthouse.

At home or at the office a jframe is in my pocket. On the way to the courthouse or the office the same Jframe goes into the center console of my F150. The wife and I use Shipt for groceries 90% of the time now thanks to COVID, and Waitr if we mix it up. About the only place I go is the gas station (jframe in reach while I pay at the pump), or bank or pharmacy (both drive thrus) or post office.

In summary, Covid has changed my life, and I’ve not even been infected. Daily carry is just not something I need to do. Wasn’t a big concern before, definitely not now as I just don’t come into daily contact with people anymore, and I kinda like that.

I've carried IWB and ankle carried for 16 to 18 hours with no problem.
Sometimes, I've forgotten I had it on.
Worked in a VA hospital and hadn't secured my gun in my car lockbox. Realized it was on me and took it back to the car.
I worked in the VA police chiefs office for a while ( plumbing above his ceiling) and asked what they do if they find a guy with a gun. He said usually just ask the person to take it to their car.

We BSd a bit about guns. I told him I was getting fingerprinted for a Utah non resident permit. He said to bring the card in and he'd do.it. Cool guy.

Lines. Signs. Everywhere a line; everywhere a sign. It can surely become inconvenient to keep up with all of the laws and rules, regarding all of the lines and signs.

Spoken as a lament, not a rant, in “tone.” (Moreover, this lament is about inconvenience, not politics. Let’s not go into politics, in this thread, please.)

Normally when I am in the truck, the gun is in the center console, covered with a rag because of Texas laws and avoiding trouble with some overanxious rookie. When home or in the office, the gun is right next to me and I rather carry it around in my hand that IWB all day.

Sitting with the gun in an IWB holster is not really something I consider comfy.

It isn't.