Concealed carry thoughts?

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ezenbrowntown

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I'm planning on getting my Concealed Carry License here in Texas, hopefully before the year is out. Here's my dilema I'm posing for your consideration.

Most of my day is spent sitting, so can't decide what would be the best method of concealed carry. I also have to my shirt tucked in. Should I just leave the gun in my desk? Ankle carry? IWB?

I'm waiting to make my next handgun purchase mainly because I plan on it being my CCW. I'm leaning toward a Kahr MK9, a sub-compact Glock or a Ruger SP101. I'm a good sized guy (6-4, 240). Any thoughts?
 
You can look around for tuckable IWB holsters. The most comfortable option for carry if you are sitting all day with a full size gun (Without a jacket or coat) is probably going to be IWB. 2:00 - 4:00 position for a righty, 8:00 - 10:00 for a lefty.
 
if your right handed. and your pants cuffs are long and loose--a ankle rig with a calf strap on the inside of your left leg would work well sitting at the desk or in your kahr.
 
You might want to look at the thread, "Concealing in Business Casual" in the General Discussion area for ideas. My DH, who can normally use a cover shirt, had a "tucked shirt, no jacket" situation a bit ago and I got some good advice for him in that one.
 
The MK9 can be pocket carried, which wasn't listed in your list of carry methods. I pocket carried a PM9 and in slacks, sitting is no problems (no disconfort or printing/showing the outline). Another carry method that you didn't list is fanny pack carry. Both types of carry works with shirt tucked in, which is how I like to wear my shirts.
 
I just (Saturday) got my Ohio CHL.

I've been trying out a variety of carry methods since then.

Right now I'm carrying a Glock 19 (I don't like any Glock smaller than that) in a relatively inexpensive Bianchi IWB. I wear a tucked polo shirt (I ABSOLUTELY will not wear an untucked shirt, at work or most anywhere else). The shirt is tucked over the gun and holster and conceals more than well enough to prevent the general public from noticing. There's no such thing as "printing" in Ohio (open carry is legal), so it doesn't matter if somebody gets a brief (or long term, for that matter) glimpse of my gun. Aside from the fact that the place where I bought the holster was out of a lot of their better Glock 19 IWB holsters, I didn't want to drop a lot of money before I was sure the gun would be comfortable IWB at all. It is, so I will eventually get a better holster for the Glock.

I have a DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster for my S&W Model 36. It's very comfortable to carry. The less looseness in the pocket lining, the better.

Sunday I carried my 3" Model 65 in a Don Hume IWB. No problems there either.

Yesterday, I carried my BHP in a cheap (Uncle Mike's) IWB for an M1911. It was rather uncomfortable with the cocked and locked hammer digging into my ribs.

If you can, try before you buy. It'll save you a bunch of money and help you focus in on how you really want to carry.
 
If you sit behind the desk most of the time, ankle carry sounds like a plan, one of the few times I recommend it for a primary - or only - weapon. This has the additional "tactical advantage" of being surreptitious - you can draw from an ankle holster without making excessive upper body movements that might "telegraph" your intention. Something else to consider might be a bracket, Velcro-backed holster, etc. that can affix the handgun to the underside of your desk. Again, this requires minimal body movements, and would be faster than opening a desk drawer. Pocket carry - which I might recommend for other situations - is dreadfully slow when sitting.

Other recommendations for "business casual": small pistol or revolver in a pocket holster; shoulder holster built into an undershirt (e.g., Kramer Confidant); "tuckable" IWB; belly band under shirt.
 
I would go PM9 instead of the MK9 and ankle carry in your situation. The MK9 on your ankle is gonna be heavy and discomforting over time. The PM9 is lighter, looks like a Glock if you like Glocks and will lighten up that load on your ankle.
 
Pocket carry, thunderwear/smart carry, tuckable IWB, ankle holster. Those ought to work with no extra concealment garments.
If you wear a jacket, you can carry most any way you like. OWB holster, regular IWB, shoulder rig - vertical or horizontal, etc.
I prefer vertical shoulder rigs and a jacket. Concealment is good, trips to the bathroom are simplified, comfort is good.
 
You have lots of good choices for concealed carry while in business dress.

I wear a suit most every work day and frequently for social or family obligations on weekends. I frequently sit in my office with my suit jacket off. And I sit a lot. And I drive a lot.

My EDC primary carry is a M&P45fs with a Crimson Trace LaserGrip in a SmartCarry holster. I also carry a 14-round spare magazine in the SmartCarry.

My EDC BUG is an LCP with Crimson Trace LaserGuard in a DeSantis Super Fly holster without the flap. The picture below was taken before the LaserGuard was added.

MP45FS-Procyon-SmartCarry.jpg

EDCBUG-Light.jpg
 
Not Just the Desk.

Well, as much as I hate ankle holsters and I understand the difficulty in concealing with a tucked shirt, I'd be leery of just putting a handgun at the desk somewhere, though there are some nice rigs to fasten a holster under your desk.

Murphy's Law would dictate that if it ever hits the fan, you'll be 10 feet away from your desk and the BG will be between you and your hardware. :eek:

I guess I'd carry 'small' wherever I could conceal it and leave a full sized "real handgun" at the desk. That way you're covered when you're headed to your car, out to lunch, in the men's room, all that, but still have a piece at the desk.

Yes, it's "belt and suspenders." But that's what I'd want to do.
 
Smartcarry at smartcarry.com

I'm ordering one this month to use with a 4 or 5 inch 1911. Checkout the video links and comments from the users.
 
I do not think it would be wise to every leave your gun in your desk unless you are always within arm's reach of it.

You have no idea who may sit down at your desk and rummage through your drawers -- perhaps with the complete legitimacy of a boss looking for the papers on an important project he need NOW or the complete innocence of a co-worker who needs to leave a message digging for a notepad and a pen.

Not to mention the janitor, the supervisor's badly-behaved kids who are at the office with her because the baby-sitter didn't show up and its a school holiday, your nosy rival for a promotion, and the shady guy in the next cubicle who isn't above snitching spare change and small items of value.

Women in large offices have stuff taken from their purses every day.
 
are your tucked in shirts going to have buttons? You could get a ruger lcp or a glock 26/27 in a 5.11 holster undershirt. The lcp would be easy; depending on your shoulder build you could pull off the glock. Just draw through the front of your shirt.
 
I'm a good sized guy (6-4, 240).
Click to expand...
Jeeze... do you even need a gun? ;)

On a serious note, I have the same issues on "formal" work days. I normally carry a Glock 26 IWB at 4 oclock, but on "formal" days when I have to tuck, I just toss my Kel-Tec P32 in my front pocket and away I go.
I know its not the best gunfighting gun in the world, but its good enough for me to defend my hide. Therefore, I would recommend a good pocket pistol... P32, P3AT, LCP, NAA, Seecamp, or a small revolver.
 
If I had to be dressed up and tucked in I would carry my Bobbed mdl. 37 in some kind of Tuckable Holster and my 642 in a Pocket Holster
 
The absolute safest "office carry" gun is one of the Kel-Tec P32s or P3AT, pocket carried. They're so small they literally disappear in your pocket. You'll forget that it's even there.
 
I've carried various sized 1911's under a tucked-in polo shirt, using IWB "Tuckable" type holsters. Unnoticed by thousands of my fellow citizens/co-workers, including LEO professionals.
I'm 5'8''/170-ish.
I won't use the Smart Carry (I see no reason to point a firearm at my "Parts") or an ankle rig. The holsters from Milt Sparks and Tucker are well designed and very popular for IWB/Tuckable carry.
A J frame in a pocket holster or belly band is better than nothing, but I prefer the 1911/.45.
 
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