Concealing a 4" GP100

[Warp]

How do you do it?

I've had a 4" GP100 in .357 mag for a few years now. I have a Simply Rugged OWB holster and a Milt Sparks Versa Max II IWB holster. Mostly I have carried openly in the OWB or concealed, also in the OWB, but under winter clothing.

I've tried carrying it concealed the way I conceal my carry guns all day every day...which is IWB under a T-shirt...but it doesn't work. Sure, if I'm standing upright, not moving, with no wind, it's probably concealed. But as soon as I reach forward, sit down in a chair, or God forbid, try to squat down or bend over to reach something lower than 4 feet off the ground, it gets downright ridiculous.

I had come to the conclusion that it simply wasn't actually concealable, or at least not concealable except under heavy clothing...figured that was the realm of a SP101 or similar.

BUT I've been people in other threads saying they can conceal a 4" .357 (specifically as an ONLY gun, which implies that it isn't concealable only 3 months out of the year, or something). So, I have to ask...HOW?

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I use a Tex Shoemaker pancake hugger with my shirt tail hanging over it. I can use the same holster for a Python, King Cobra, or Anaconda. I sometimes carry one of the aforementioned for a change of pace, but won't try to kid anyone into thinking they are as comfortable as a smaller/lighter gun.

 

[Warp]

I use a Tex Shoemaker pancake hugger with my shirt tail hanging over it. I can use the same holster for a Python, King Cobra, or Anaconda. I sometimes carry one of the aforementioned for a change of pace, but won't try to kid anyone into thinking they are as comfortable as a smaller/lighter gun.

I'm not looking for a comfort level matching my Glock 26 or anything like that...just actual legitimate concealment.

What kind of clothing?

Would it be possible to get a (highly cropped if you like so as not to really show any personal type info) photo from the back or gun side as you, say, tie your strong side shoe? Or even just, say, sitting in a chair at a table with your elbows or forearms on the table (slight forward lean)?

I am very interested in being able to actually conceal this thing.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I always have my shirt hanging out when carrying. Usually a t-shirt. No matter, what gun I carry I am sure you can tell something is under the my shirttail. The person looking just doesn't know if its a gun, cellphone, or insulin pump. I don't worry about it. I don't care if my shirttail rides up and someone sees my gun.

 

[Warp]

I always have my shirt hanging out when carrying. Usually a t-shirt. No matter, what gun I carry I am sure you can tell something is under the my shirttail. The person looking just doesn't know if its a gun, cellphone, or insulin pump. I don't worry about it. I don't care if my shirttail rides up and someone sees my gun.

So it doesn't really conceal.

Sounds like my situation (which is why I sometimes open carry, I can carry a larger firearm than I can conceal, also, I personally believe other people are going to be more comfortable with OC vs a failed attempt at hiding the gun).

I'd like the additional option of effective concealment if it is possible though. Just another tool in the box, if I can pull it off

 

[ColtPythonElite]

If an observer can't say 100% that it's a gun, it's concealed enough for me....I never carry wide out in the open. If my gun plays peekaboo with the public, I don't care. I am legal either way.

 

[RustyShackelford]

Lessons learned....

In the mid 2000s, I got a NIB Ruger GPNY(a 4" barrel .38spl designed for the NYPD). It was a surplus revolver made in 1991. I'm left handed & toted the 6 gun in a Blade-tech Kydex paddle rig. The Kydex holster worked well but I would have purchased the belt loop style or adj type(1.5" to 2.25" width).
If you buy a polymer or Kydex holster, open it up or loosen the rig first.

Sometimes, gun factory engineers tweek frame designs or make minor changes. A holster designed to fit a brand may not fit straight away w/o a few adjustments. Blade-techs & SERPAs are easy to modify.
If you slide your GP revolver directly into a new Kydex holster you may scuff or mar the steel surface.
Blade-tech has good QC. When my holster lost a small screw, they quickly mailed me a free replacement packet.

 

[Legionnaire]

Although not my primary carry, I replaced the stock grip with a compact grip like the one that comes on the three-inch version. That helps a bit. I generally wear a sport coat, and that makes things easier. Summer carry would be under an un-tucked un-buttoned sport shirt over a t-shirt.

 

[R.W.Dale]

I can ccw THIS monstrosity just fine with a tee shirt long enough to not show a bunch of plumber crack if I bend over.

The trick is all in the cant. I carry at 1:30-2:00 in a tagua pancake holster. And have been known to poke the muzzle into my pants pocket.

I'm sure being a tall slim guy helps me out in this. The biggest obstacle to ccw with a steel ruger DA is their weight.


The gun conceals amazingly well and a big factor is that the longer barrel pushing against my hip tends to push the grip in very close to my body. I don't carry it often in summer simply cause I have no need to. The exception being a yearly July trip we take to a campout in the delta swamps in SE Arkansas.

 

[Warp]

I can ccw THIS monstrosity just fine with a tee shirt long enough to not show a bunch of plumber crack if I bend over.

The trick is all in the cant. I carry at 1:30-2:00 in a tagua pancake holster. And have been known to poke the muzzle into my pants pocket.

I'm sure being a tall slim guy helps me out in this. The biggest obstacle to ccw with a steel ruger DA is their weight.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/krochus/2012-11-24102559.jpg/IMG][/URL]

The gun conceals amazingly well and a big factor is that the longer barrel pushing against my hip tends to push the grip in very close to my body. I don't carry it often in summer simply cause I have no need to. The exception being a yearly July trip we take to a campout in the delta swamps in SE Arkansas.[/QUOTE]

Does that not severely limit your range of motion? Like, sitting down, leaning forward, squatting, bending over, etc?

 

[R.W.Dale]

No not really. I try to avoid the "painted on" look in pants

 

[Trad Archer]

The secret is to have the compact Lett grips. The problem is they are no longer made and when found, fetch a $100.

Blame Ruger for those Hogue grips. The grips are the reason you can't hide your gun.

Someone at Ruger needs to be slapped.

 

[Old Fuff]

They're three things you can do.

1. The stocks on your revolver are (I presume) great for shooting, but a dead giveaway when it comes to concealment. Ditch them for something shorter, thinner, and more rounded on the bottom.

2. Your holster is too bulky, but it will likely work better if you buy pants one size larger. You'll be more confortable too.

3. Be more selective when you buy a covering garment. Again, consider one size larger.

 

[Warp]

They're three things you can do.

1. The stocks on your revolver are (I presume) great for shooting, but a dead giveaway when it comes to concealment. Ditch them for something shorter, thinner, and more rounded on the bottom.

2. Your holster is too bulky, but it will likely work better if you buy pants one size larger. You'll be more confortable too.

3. Be more selective when you buy a covering garment. Again, consider one size larger.

1. Yeah...but what I like most about that gun is that I can shoot the hottest of the hot ammo comfortably. Can't have your cake and eat it too, I guess.

2. It's a great holster...not too bulky really due to the offset mounts. Could be thinner.

3. I don't buy cover garments. I wear T-shirts just like I always have and they conceal other guns.


I guess I wasn't missing anything...there just isn't a way to easily conceal this gun. The same is true of my G21. Oh well. Open carry/car/range/HD guns they shall be.

 

[mdauben]

I guess I wasn't missing anything...there just isn't a way to easily conceal this gun. The same is true of my G21. Oh well. Open carry/car/range/HD guns they shall be.

Not if you refuse to dress for your gun, no.

I can carry both my Glock 21 and my 4 inch S&W 686 in the summer, but I have a good gun belt, a good holster, and a long, loose fitting cover garment (Hawaiian shirt/camp shirt / gueaberra shirt). The only reason I carry my Glock 36 or S&W 2.5 inch 386 most of the time is more due to weight than size.

Even so, the gun will occasionally cause a bulge in the shirt. Anything larger than a pocket pistol will. It's not noticeably a gun, though, and 99.9% of the people around you won't notice or if they do won't realize it's a gun, anyway.

 

[tuna]

Another vote for the Hawaiian shirt. The "unique" patterns make it difficult to make out a bulge, and the tail should hit your pocket tops.

I also wear a "shoot me first" vest a lot. Only on the interwebs do people think it is for a gun - most think I'm a photographer, tourist or going fishing. A (clean) diaper haning out of one pocket, and a small child add to the "manly diaper bag" look.

 

[Old Fuff]

Back in the day…

A lot of plainclothes lawmen carried S&W, N-frame .357 Magnums concealed well enough so that a casual glance from someone wouldn’t be enough to cause notice. Later they did the same with L-frame magnums. The first trick was a holster that positioned the cylinder at the same height as a (hopefully) wide belt. This pulls the gun in tight to the body. A second was to use stocks that didn’t extend below their little finger and were rounded on the bottom. Last but not least, they picked a covering garment that was more then a T-shirt.

Personally, unless it’s a special occasion with more then the usual perceived risk, I’ll have a .38 snubby in a side pocket holster, and a covering garment is a moot point. That said, I leave it up to folks to make their own choices.

 

[Warp]

Yeah...I'm not doing the hawaiian shirt thing.

One of these days I'll fill the hole in my collection with a nice mid size .357. I have the 4" GP100, and a 642...just need a nice mid size 2-3" .357.

It never ends.

Speaking of which...suggestions to check out? My mom has an SP101 and I don't really care for it. I don't know why, and it's probably just me, but it just doesn't hit where I want it to. I'm more accurate with my 642 and way more accurate with the GP100. Maybe time could fix it (me)...but it just doesn't fit me I guess.

 

[wheelyfun66]

Change the grips to wooden boot grips.

Get a dedicated gun belt from Beltman Belts (it matters)

get an IWB holster with some aggressive forward cant angle (TT Gunleather "Mike's Special"

Wear the gun juuuust barely behind the "point" of your hip, so it's not at 3o'clock, but more like 3:30ish....

I carry single action revolvers this way, and they DO not print for me.

 

[CWL]

Something not mentioned is that people come in all sizes and shapes, somebody weighing over 200lbs or who is 6'2" is going to be able to cc a lot easier than someone who may be 5'6" and 145lbs. People who post how easily they carry really need to also post their height & weight, etc.

Besides holster, belt and choice of clothing, sometimes, you will need to choose a cc gun based on your physical build.

 

[Panzerschwein]

I can ccw THIS monstrosity just fine with a tee shirt long enough to not show a bunch of plumber crack if I bend over.

The trick is all in the cant. I carry at 1:30-2:00 in a tagua pancake holster. And have been known to poke the muzzle into my pants pocket.

I'm sure being a tall slim guy helps me out in this. The biggest obstacle to ccw with a steel ruger DA is their weight.


The gun conceals amazingly well and a big factor is that the longer barrel pushing against my hip tends to push the grip in very close to my body. I don't carry it often in summer simply cause I have no need to. The exception being a yearly July trip we take to a campout in the delta swamps in SE Arkansas.

Love the zombie grips!

As to the OP, I'd carry in an IWB holster. Pick your poison.

 

[Warp]

Change the grips to wooden boot grips.

Get a dedicated gun belt from Beltman Belts (it matters)

get an IWB holster with some aggressive forward cant angle (TT Gunleather "Mike's Special"

Wear the gun juuuust barely behind the "point" of your hip, so it's not at 3o'clock, but more like 3:30ish....

I carry single action revolvers this way, and they DO not print for me.

My EDC belt is from beltman. I know how important the belt is, thankfully. Loose belts sucks.

The trade-off with wood grips, although I'm sure they wouldn't catch on my shirt nearly as much as the rubber, is that the hot-hot-hot loads aren't going to be as cushioned. No free lunch.

Something not mentioned is that people come in all sizes and shapes, somebody weighing over 200lbs or who is 6'2" is going to be able to cc a lot easier than someone who may be 5'6" and 145lbs. People who post how easily they carry really need to also post their height & weight, etc.

Besides holster, belt and choice of clothing, sometimes, you will need to choose a cc gun based on your physical build.

I'm 6'00" and have, since I started carrying, weighed everything from 170 to 230 lbs. I'm currently 215 with a healthy amount of that as muscle. Overall I should be a decent candidate to conceal a relatively large firearm.

 

[stubbicatt]

I carry a 4" Smith and Wesson 22-4 AIWB. It works fine for me. I bought an inexpensive Uncle Mike's number 2 holster. I'll bet it would work for you too.

I have found that it is easier to carry in or out of an automobile this way. You just pivot the muzzle down if you are standing or walking, and as you sit, the muzzle pivots on your inner thigh just fine.

If you wear your pants really saggy like a lot of kids, I don't think this method will work all that well for you.

 

[rayban]

Warp...ever try cross-draw carry? I find it more comfy for a bulky gun like the GP100....especially while driving.

Also.....this is why Hawaiian shirts will never go out of style round my house....loose fitting, hangs well over the piece, and the printed material helps camouflage things...and down-right handsome too

 

[hariph creek]

Don't let your expectations be entirely shaped by "internet claims."
I suspect that a lot of people who say they "conceal a 6in N-Frame or Desert Eagle in a Speedo and a tube top" every day, all day. Might not be.