CCC IWB- cant, position, what works for you?

[HankR]

Hey all,

Using a tuckable hybrid IWB holster, what position and angle of cant work best for concealing a full sized 1911? If I go smaller, does the answer change? With my Milt Sparks "summer special", a 5 o'clock carry with the gun tilted way forward (so the grip was almost vertical, tucked in behind what the anatomy chart seems to call my lats) seemed to work for awhile, but the cant kept shifting.

This new holster is more comfortable, and the cant stays where I put it, but I'm wondering how extreme to go with it. The gun hides pretty well with a sweatshirt on in the factory settings, and I'm wondering what else to try?

With a smaller gun would I want the grip horizontal right above my belt?

Thanks,

 

[burrhead]

You'll have to figure out what works for you. Telling you how I wear mine won't help. I'm 5'8", a pretty solid 190# and carried a 5" Government for decades in a Summer Special. It's the best rig for me but your mileage WILL vary.

Good luck.

 

[9mmepiphany]

With my Milt Sparks "summer special", a 5 o'clock carry with the gun tilted way forward (so the grip was almost vertical, tucked in behind what the anatomy chart seems to call my lats) seemed to work for awhile, but the cant kept shifting.

The original Summer Special was designed to shift as you moved, so it won't hold a position as radical as the one you're describing.

I used to carry my Colt Commander in a Summer Special at about 3:30-4:30, just behind the point of my hip. It was very comfortable for me and conceal well. It was my go-to IWB holster until I switched to a OWB one

 

[JTQ]

The hybrids are typically designed for carry in the 3:30 - 5:30 range. The wide footprint necessitates those positions as you need to find a large relative flat area to place the holster. Placed at 3:00 usually causes problems with draw stroke or kydex durability as you are wrapping the holster around your hip. The leather part wants to wrap, but they kydex is too rigid to wrap. Most can't wear the hybrids forward of the hip since there is just not enough space to place them.

From your similar thread in the holster sub-forum referencing your Summer Special,

They work OK, even with the full size grip, if I get the cant just right (4 o'clock, maybe 30-40 degree cant so the grip tucks in behind my hip bone).

I don't know how you get your Summer Special to cant 30-40 degrees, but thy are made with, I believe, 15-18 degrees of cant. I can see how they won't stay at 30-40 degrees as you'd have the loops really torqued to get it to that degree of cant.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I carry a SA XDs in a Hidden Hybrid Holster in the 4:00 position. I keep the forward facing belt clip as low as possible and the rear one as high as possible to maximize the cant, and keep the grip as vertical as I can make it. It prints very little that way. I'm 6'3" and 195 lbs.

Depending on your body shape, that may or may not work with a 1911.

 

[HankR]

Thanks burrhead. I realize it'll be different, just looking for possibilities to try.

JTQ: I'm probably way off on the angles, but when I forced it to that position it wouldn't stay, so obviously I was doing it wrong. It's a SS II if that makes a difference (probably not)

Nobody seems to notice the grip when I'm wearing the hybrid under a sweatshirt. The front clip is at 3, so gun is between 4 and 5, with the clips in level holes. It just seems it could tuck in better if I could keep the end of the grip tucked between the ridge of muscle (ok, fat covered muscle) along the edges of my back. Right now the grip rotates out, instead of tucking flat against my back. It seems like with the longer barrel my butt cheek would push out a little on the barrel and push the grip back into that dent. The Government model actually works better from that aspect as the end of the barrel is below a pocket seam, whereas an officer's model isn't pushed back as far (farther up the butt) and the end of the barrel is above the pocket seam. The officers grip is still less obtrusive, even then.

This is all kind of an experiment, trying to see what works and if I would be better off with a smaller gun and different holster. I've got some thinner 9s (and a fatter .45). Just trying to establish a base point and re-evaluate. I carried a bit when I first moved out here to America, but the novelty kind of wore off. I'm just wanting to get back in the habit and establish safe and concealed practices for now.

Thanks,

 

[Doc7]

I am still on my first carry setup almost with two full years. It took me all of about 6 hours total the first week to figure out what I liked - I ended up combat-cutting some leather away from my Crossbreed Supertuck so I could achieve a firing grip (couldn't squeeze my thumb behind the leather initially) and also gave it a hefty cant forward. I wear it just ahead of 3:00. I haven't taken a course yet with the setup but I plan on Gunsite soon and will probably end up with some changes.

I also heated my kydex and made the lockup a little more positive where the kydex slips in behind the front side of the trigger guard. I found the pistol would slide forward out of my holster if I was laying on the floor on my stomach playing with my son or in a napping position on the couch. It now holds the pistol much more securely during these activities. I tightened it until I could do a semi hand-stand with it (unloaded).

I am very happy with the Crossbreed and Glock 19!

 

[9mmepiphany]

It's a SS II if that makes a difference (probably not)

It actually makes a pretty large difference as the philosophy of concealment is very different between the two.

The original SS is designed to move on the belt as the body shifts, the SS II is designed to maintain position in relation to the belt

 

[HankR]

Today I'm trying something that JTQ mentioned. I slid the holster around more so that the barrel is maybe at 5, the end of the grip is almost lined up w/ my spine. This seems flatter, and I can still reach to draw. This seems flatter and more concealed. I read a lot on dangers of "small of back" carry. Am I getting too close to that? The end of the grip is about centered on my spine. I could maybe cheat a little more back towards the 4:30 position. Right now the leather is curving right were the kydex attaches.

 

[JTQ]

I always link to forum member tmoore912's pictures when questions come up about position of carry and concealing large handguns, simply because they are so well done.

See his pictures at post #29 in this thread. http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=567867&highlight=tmoore912

 

[HankR]

Thanks, that's exactly what I was looking for.