5.11 Holster compression shirt

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

I ordered a 5.11 compression shirt with built in holsters, and just got it yesterday. I gotta say, it works GREAT. Anyone out there who is looking for a method of carry when dressed up or wearing a button down shirt, consider one of these. I can fit my Taurus PT140 MilPro and with a button down shirt over it, it is totally invisible. The pistol fits right underneath my armpit, vertically. No bulk or printing like a shoulder holster, and since it's part of a compression shirt, it doesn't shift around at all. I even went running with it, and it didn't move. If you leave your second to top button undone, you can reach right in and grab the pistol. It's not a super quick draw though. It takes about 1 whole second from start to finish. But it makes up for it in terms of deep concealment, ease of wear, and comfort. It has holster on both sides, so you can draw southpaw, and/or keep mags or a Surefire in the other side. It is a compression shirt, and those take some getting used to no matter what, but I wear them a lot for sports and National Guard, so I'm used to it.

If you want to carry at a wedding, or a job where you gotta wear a shirt and tie, consider the 5.11 holster compression shirt.

 

[another okie]

I don't have one of those, but I do have a couple of the Kramer undershirt models that have been around a few years. For that holster I recommend not having a round chambered if you have a light trigger at all. It is hard to draw without covering yourself, and you have to move the hand around a little - just feels unsafe. So I either use a revolver with a heavy trigger or leave a Glock 26 with an empty chamber.

 

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

Well I carry a DAO with a safety

 

[Vonderek]

How comfortable is it? I'm thinking it might be intolerable on a hot summer day down here in North Havana. Does the fabric breathe well?

 

[wally]

Totally out of the question 8-10 months down here. But with a "western" snap front shirt its almost as fast as a sport coat and shoulder rig.

--wally.

 

[AK103K]

I have both the 5.11 and the Kramer. I prefer the Kramer. I can carry a full size pistol, like a Combat Commander and a double reload under a full cut dress shirt with the Kramer, the 5.11 tends to like them small and they still move around to much for my liking.

The other issue is color. The 5.11 comes either white, or blue/black, I cant remember which. I have the white,(more like BRIGHT white) and it looks like I just got out of boot camp when I wear it. The Kramer allows you to wear your normal tee shirts without the holster being visible.

 

[cpileri]

some good info

Some good comments from this thread:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=201816

below. Hope these help?
C-

Looks like there are pockets under each arm with openings at each breast

pros and cons:

Pro:
concealement: very tight to body profile
Pocket; well padded and large enough to hold a glock 17
access: pretty quick IF an open shirt is worn over it

Cons:
itchy: you need a shirt underneath it because the padded/.holster area itches, which leads to...
HOT: it gets pretty warm with an undershirt, then the holstershirt, then a button down shirt over it (esp here in Central TX)- in a cooler climate, it would be a bonus

Velcro: velcro IS strong, but only covers about the middle thirt of the lenght of the pocket opening. So the glock 17 handle sticks out a little and if you lean WAAAYYY over, the weight of the loaded mag will drag it and it will fall out. I put some extra velcro on the pocket (reduced quick access by a tiny amount) and it works just fine now.
A smaller, lighter firearm would not have eithe rof these issues.

Also, the pocket is big enough that a spare mag will wiggle its way down under toward your shoulder blade which is quite a contortionist act to draw. So the off-side pocket is not good for spare mag carry without a spacer in the bottom.

Since i bought it for concealment purposes, which it does EXTREMELY well; I still like it and recommend it fo rthat purpose.

With a little stitching, you could make that mag stay right where you want it to

 

[hhb]

I have both the 5.11 compression and the Kramer, and I perfer the 5.11. The handgun in the Kramer tends to flop around. The 5.11 is great for "J" frames and small autos like the MK-9, P232, and PPK's.

 

[AK103K]

If you buy the Kramer one size smaller, as they suggest, things dont really move around much at all, even with full size pistols. Two P230's, on on each side are actually my favorite guns for it though, flat, light, and well balanced.

I find the "holster" of the Kramer keeps the gun in the same position, which is more vertical. The "pocket" on the 5.11 lets the gun move around.