Do you carry on your waist and have to sit a lot? How?

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mini14jac

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Is it possible to carry IWB or on the waist, if you sit or drive a car all day?
What is the secret?

For me, the 3 to 6 o'clock positions are not comfortable while sitting.
I carry cross-draw if I'm going to be driving all day.
Shoulder holster works if it's jacket weather.

What does it take to carry on the belt and sit?
 
Belt slide holster w/some space between the slots, and a little bit wider than the belt. Slide it forward to 2 o'clock for driving...slide it back to 4 for walking.

YMMV
 
Ditto on the Milt Sparks suggestion. The widely-spaced loops of the VM2 or the Watch-Six make it more comfortable. A 1911 or BHP at the 3-4 o'clock is not uncomfortable in the car or sitting.

-z
 
WIth anything from a full size single stack 1911 down, I haven't had any problems (My 5" double stack can get a little big for sitting)

WHat exactly is giving you trouble? Muzzle hitting the seat? Butt digging into your side? etc?
 
I don't have a problem carrying my full size 1911 IWB at 4 o' clock while sitting/driving. The best solution is to get a good holster, good belt, and if you're overweight, lose it.
 
When I am in the car, the gun is on the passenger seat, otherwise it is in my fobus paddle holster. The gun is a Glock 26, and I have no problems with it being uncomfortable.
 
my new high noon holster just came in for my kimber tle ii, a full size 1911. it has no cant, but its a tuckable and i can maneuver the holster if i want to. i find that carrying at 3 oclock is most comfortable and provides the easiest access when drawing from the holster. i think that slightly more than 15 degrees cant is suitable for sitting, at least for me. 20-25 degrees is much better, and as long as i have an undershirt between my skin and the exposed butt of the gun i can wear it there all day long.

i even tried tucking it the other day and it worked just fine. just a slight bulge on the hip, but it wasnt printing the outline.

for my steyr m series i have another high noon holster that works best between 5 oclock and 7 oclock.
 
With all due respect GlocksRock, I wouldn't ever carry on the seat beside me. If you stop suddenly, turn sharply, or you are in an accident, your gun is gone. Check out the Miami shootout for more details.
 
I live my life with a gun on my hip and easily forget that it is there. My Para C7.45 (Officers Model) is carried daily, even at work.

I switch between a Kirkpatrick Compact Undercover (OWB) and a Galco Deep Cover (IWB) but wear both of them at about the 4 o'clock position. Maybe 4:30. The pistol sits behind my right hip and tucked behind me but just barely touches the seatback while seated or driving.

I never notice it's there.
 
I do and its a pain in the ass , literally. I cant wear shirt tails out at work and I have tried the sport coat route and in the middle of summer getting in and out of the truck all day and half of the time your in an unairconditioned place and youll be miserable. For me if I am off work and tee shirt or shirt tail out for IWB a long barrel auto is more comfortable as it doesnt dig into my ass. I generally go with pocket carry of a small handgun. If I wear at 3 oclock it gets hung up in the seat belt release, 4 oclock and it hits the seat back/console, no where to put the barrel at the 2 oclock postion. A lot depends on what size vehicle you drive (what size you are compared to the seat) If you drive a sporty ride and are a big guy the seats dont leave any side to side room, if your a small guy and drive a bench seated F 250 you can probably carry at 3, 4, 5 and 6 oclock all at the same time.
 
the bigger the gun, the more uncomfortable right? if all else fails a kel tec in the pocket is unbeatable
 
Oh man David, while I agree with you, your setting yourself up for a terrible flamin. For me a long thin HP works better than a shorter Glock, but like you said a P 32 certainly carrys easy. Tho I have read in the past that only lazy people carry little guns.
 
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For me being overweight and spending 80% of my job time in a chair or car seat....big guns are out of the question. p-32 in a hadely pocket will probaly do for me....in a few weeks when i get the license....
 
Thanks for the good replies.
I do carry a P32 in the pocket a lot, but I realize that in a carjack type situation, getting to the gun would be out of the question.

Smoke wrote:
WHat exactly is giving you trouble? Muzzle hitting the seat? Butt digging into your side? etc?
Click to expand...
I guess the most discomfort is the butt digging into my side.
(But, at times, this was caused by the barrel hitting the seat. :confused: )
I don't have a trim waist, but I'm not exactly overweight either.

I mainly drive a Toyota truck with bucket, semi-bench seats.
I've tried a DonHume IWB with my PM9, and that may work better with practice.

I have a new S&W 457 that I'm looking for a comfortable holster for.
I've only started reading lately about holsters with widely spaced belt loops.
That may be worth looking into.

I'm thinking that, with the right holster/belt/gun combo, the gun should lay so flat against my side that it won't be an issue.

Right?
 
I've noticed that the butt sometimes digs into my side a little bit when I'm sitting in my car. This is because the bucket seats actually push the gun into my ribs. Solution? I just ignore it. But then again, I'm not in a car for hours each day.
 
If you are spending huge amounts of time in a car, your best bet is to slip your IWB off....that's why for trips, I use an IWB with a clip for easy on and off....if you are at a desk or 8 hours you can do the same...no need to sit on a piece all day....
 
I'm thinking that, with the right holster/belt/gun combo, the gun should lay so flat against my side that it won't be an issue.
Click to expand...

This is correct and how I carry my fullsize 1911.
For those occasions of duration in a vehicle or rides in vehicles which haven't been work softened in the 4 to 4:30 area of the seat...

I just ignore it.
Click to expand...
;)
 
I also have PM9 and spend lots of time in vehicles. I've been getting acclimated to the new Kahr in a Bianchi Pro 100 holster (clip-on IWB). I took the holster to a local leather shop twice to get the clip raised and angle changed for the gun to ride where I wanted it to with minimal discomfort.

Raising the clip and canting forward about 30 degrees made the rig ride a littler deeper and got it to where it does not dig into "love handle". Typically positioned around 4:30, so I do have to lean forward (like retrieving a wallet) a little to reach grip just behind where seat belt attaches in my pickup. Because of the platstic base plate on 7-round magazine, I often find it more "carrier friendly" than the 6-rounder with sharper edges.

I have found the set-up above works on my skinny butt with the PM9 because it is fairly compact and flat. I've not been able to get identical set-up to be as tolerable with j-frames and therefore sometimes go with butt-forward arrangment (with left-hander IWB holster) mentioned above - which works for me even with guns as large as Glock 36. In my vehicles, the butt-forward set-up facilitates (last resort only) access with either hand. YMMV.
 
I've toted...

...my 1911 IWB in a DeSantis Inner Piece at the 4 o'clock position on 2+ hour roadtrips before. I usually don't even feel the need to shift in my seat until about an hour and a half into the drive, and my car seats have pretty snug side bolsters.
 
i agree with Dan and El Tejon:
IWH Milt Sparks SS-2 full size 1911

I never have any trouble driving with the gun at 4 o'clock

Are you using a good quality holster?
Do you have the 'average built' or El Tejon's skinny-hummingbird-butt?
 
I usually carry a G30 in a SideArmor IWB holster. They have a new belt hook attachment that allows one to remove the holster without removing the belt. It works very well in winter weather with a sweater or sweatshirt. Sumertime requires that I wear my shirt untucked.

fc94b11b.jpg


fc94b118.jpg


Obviously, I can't go "untucked" at work, so I usually carry a S&W 642 Airweight in a Desantis Nemesis pocket holster.
 
Doc said:
Are you using a good quality holster?
Do you have the 'average built' or El Tejon's skinny-hummingbird-butt?
Click to expand...

I have a good holster for my PM9, I just have to get used to the shirt tail out thing.
The PM9 works so well for front pocket carry, I may have wasted my money on a holster.
Don't have a good holster yet for the S&W .45.
I'm thinking of getting a Watch Six.
Wearing that gun IWB will be the challenge.
As for the build question, I'm a combination of "skinny-hummingbird-butt" and "average southern male round belly".
Now there's a mental picture you didn't want. :p
 
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