Concealing a gun in a fitted suit

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I carry a Taurus 5 shoot & speed loader in my pant pocket. I have it in a soft felt holster that makes it more comfortable & it bulges up to break up the shape with the speed loader beside it it doesn't look like a gun. It is still a big bulge but the jacket covers it when buttoned & when I set down I just make sure to drape my jacket tail over it. The holster I chose also has a clip for waist carry & allows the revolver to slip out without snag. I think hammerless would be a must.

I am looking into Springfield Sub-Compact for the job though. I don't shoot as good with a revolver as a auto. It's also a big plus to have more rounds & faster reloads with a mag.
 
CCW with suit?

I have in my collection several fitted suits and find that with most of them CCW is not a problem. However more to my point for almost all occasions that require a suit I like to sport my Zoot Suit and it will conceal almost anything. More to the point when you are sporting the Zoot people expect to see the Tommy gun if they do not they do not look any further.

Places to which I have sported the Zoot (not an all inclusive list)

My wedding
Other peoples weddings
Pimps and Ho's ball
Various upscale performances
Holloween parties
Graduations
Formal family functions
Work
 
Another issue with CCW under a suit is eventual wear of expensive cloth caused by abrasion from the weapon.

I once met an older tailor who matter of factly mentioned this and told me to "come on in sometime" and that he would retrofit some abrasion resistant patches to the inside of the coat lining. He also suggested the sewn in hem-line weights already mentioned.

He himself was not a shooter, just a man who had done work for plain clothes LEOs and other CCWers.
 
eventual wear of expensive cloth caused by abrasion from the weapon.
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a good point, sharp grips aren't very friendly to silk linnings. any synthetic material will reduce wear.

bear in mind that hem line weights will have their own inertia that needs to be overcome when sweeping the coat backwards during a draw
 
Another issue with CCW under a suit is eventual wear of expensive cloth caused by abrasion from the weapon.

I once met an older tailor who matter of factly mentioned this and told me to "come on in sometime" and that he would retrofit some abrasion resistant patches to the inside of the coat lining. He also suggested the sewn in hem-line weights already mentioned.
Click to expand...

That's a good point about CCW. I went from an exposed hammer .38 to a shrouded hammer revolver due to the wear and tear on the pocket (from the hammer). The shrouded hammer gun does draw a bit easier, but that was icing on the cake.
For IWB or OWB under a jacket, it's important the gun be totally dehorned. That, of course, depends if the carrier is concerned about the clothing.
A good gun to carry is a Glock. They're about as smooth as a gun can get. The worst, IMHO, is the 1911 that hasn't been dehorned.
 
I carry the same Glock 19 in everything from shorts and a T-shirt to a suit. It is not at all a big deal to have the suit altered.

Besides, contrary to what the folk at GQ will try to tell you, a man's suit should not be snug fitting anyway, nor should it taper in at the waist. It should hang more or less straight. Think "Brooks Brothers," not "latest fashion."
 
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Shoulder holsters are perfect for this, assuming you will be leaving the jacket on.

I've carried a full size 1911 in shoulder holsters in suits many times.

Even though the 1911 is long, the very thin profile works very well in a shoulder rig.

The weight distribution is nice too, and with rigs that connect to the belt it's a very stable way to carry.

In before the "you are pointing a gun at someone when using a shoulder holster" crowd :)
 
In before the "you are pointing a gun at someone when using a shoulder holster" crowd.
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If anyone ever brings that up to you, ask them if they've ever gone into a two-story building wearing a belt holster.
 
It was mentioned in passing before, but if you have nothing against suspenders they are really handy for this.

I started by having a reinforcing web sewn into the waist band to act as the support a gun belt would provide. I then use a JBP 035 or 036 holster (clip on IWB) and toss on my suspenders.

I've carried a S&W 36, an SP101, and a 5" 1911 with this setup, works great. you get the "belt and suspenders" support, without having to wear a belt and suspenders.

As for weighting jackets, don't get carried away. too much will make printing the grip easier and if it isn't evenly distributed (or not secure and shifts in the hem), the jacket will hang unevenly. A tailor that knows what he is doing will also put a relief "pocket" on your strong side where the grip can shift to and not print, or cut your strong side a little looser <- This is why you should always take your gun(s) with you.

To have a jacket tailored after purchase runs me about $60. $20 to have the sleeves adjusted, and $40 to have the jacket fitted. Waist reinforcing runs about $25, but that's not always a must.
 
I carried my KT P11 (and a spare mag) in the front pockets of my Brooks Brother's suit at a LEO function last Friday. Totally undetected. :D
 
A little late but......

I stumbled across this thread while doing my own research into carrying while wearing a suit. I've read a ton of forums on this site in the past but never joined since I had nothing to contribute then. I just read this article and it made ten logical points. I haven't put this in to practice but it seemed like it was worth sharing for others.

http://www.atailoredsuit.com/conceal-carry-tips.html
 
I wore a tailored suit just the other day. Under the jacket, I had a Colt Cobra in a small leather pancake. I was wearing it just slightly behind the the center of my hip. I could button my jacket without it printing.
 
Sartorially speaking...

Pistol-packin' clothes-horses like G. Gordon Liddy, Bo Dietl and the late Albert Seedman (NYPD Chief of Detectives, on whom "Kojak" was based) notwithstanding, I go along with what Byron Dickens said:
[...] Contrary to what the folk at GQ will try to tell you, a man's suit should not be snug fitting anyway, nor should it taper in at the waist. It should hang more or less straight. Think "Brooks Brothers," not "latest fashion."
Click to expand...

Forget Valentino, Armani, D&G, Versace et al, and go for the boxy, baggy "sack suit" typified by Brooks Bros. or J. Press. Think of what the Secret Service wears, and the kind of hardware they conceal.

Such a suit will offer freedom of movement as well as ease of concealment.

P.S. This isn't a business suit (at least not in this part of the world), but while we're on the topic of concealment garments, check out one of my favorites, here: http://www.zahal.org//products/bodyguard-jacket-shabak
 
The crappy thing about fitted suits is that they're actually restrictive as hell in terms of movement. Try raising your arms in a fashion like you would do for a 2-handed pistol grip. If the sleeves don't slide up your arms, you're going to split the back of the jacket. Just try raising your elbows laterally.

But when it comes to fitted suits, the maximum amount of "movement" they expect from you is no more than a handshake. Personally I think that's a load of crap. Clearly the fashion police have never had to draw a weapon!
 
I carry my 642 IWB at my kidney all the time while wearing a fitted suit. Challenge is when the jacket comes off. So don't take it off.
 
Also depends on the type jacket. The classic pinstripe zoot suit with a vest should be slightly tailored inward, and that can be a problem.
While for instance a nice sport jacket should not infringe your movement at all and can even be worn openly.

But yeah, best advice out there. Get a tailor who is like ... A professional. Not some guy who tailors clothing at the local retailer, and as someone already said, they most likely have already fitted a holster or three.
 
I only wear Double Breasted suits, and shoulder holsters have worked quite well for over 30 years. Just have your tailor leave room, most know how to do this easily. If it's a little oversized you can reach right in over the top, if you leave the top button open. Then a second iwb, in the car in case it gets too warm, like a super tuck.
 
Texas Heritage from Tucker Gun Leather - Tell him Cumminshunter sent you. I carry either my 1911 5" or my Glock 36 with slacks and a tucked in button up shirt. No one knows... :neener: Which is the point. :)

Oh, and yes, I've worn both with a suit jacket covering as well - it just wasn't needed.
 
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