easiest holster to conceal?

easiest to conceal?

  • small of back

    Votes: 5 5.5%

  • inside waistband

    Votes: 77 84.6%

  • outside waistband

    Votes: 4 4.4%

  • shoulder holster

    Votes: 5 5.5%
  • Total voters
    91
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oklahoma caveman

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i know that this has an infinite number of variables but just everybodys opinion is what i want.

im 6'3" 210lbs. usually wear tight wranglers and teeshirt. i am willing to change my dress slightly as needed. i am planing on carrying a full size 1911.

what is the easiest to conceal? shoulder holster, inside waistband, outside waistband, small of back?
 
IWB, either appendix carry or strong-side seems to be the easiest to conceal for me. I'm a little shorter and wider than you, and when I need deep concealment, it's IWB. I've carried small of back, and it's great concealment as long as you're standing. Probably better than strong-side or appendix, but you can't bend over, and you will have trouble sitting down. My shirt tends to ride up real bad when I use small of back carry.
All that said, by far my preference is to carry strong side OWB in a leather pancake holster with a good cant to it. If you're willing to just wear a loose fitting over garment, this conceals very well, and it's the most easily drawn from, and one of the better positions for your movement. It also helps position the gun where you can protect it. I highly recommend adapting your wardrobe a little to conceal the gun, rather than tucking it too far around you, where it's hard to reach.
 
IWB.

The Small of Back holsters are easy to conceal if you are physically incapable of bending over. Lean a few degrees forward and you can literally trace the outline of the firearm with your finger. They are also very uncomfortable to sit with.

The outside waistband holsters are pretty tough to conceal unless you are wearing a jacket and they don't tuck the gun in as tight to your body like an IWB will.

A shoulder holster is good to conceal but once again only if you are wearing a jacket. Also, some find the shoulder holsters to be quite unfomcortable unless your rig is either weighted the same on both sides or if it is cinched uncomfortably tight.

Comfort has a lot to do with concealment. Wearing an uncomfortable rig will cause you to constantly readjust and shift the weight around.

A good quality IWB placed in the right spot and matched with a good gun belt will give you the best of concealment while still offering plenty of comfort (Both physical and mental comfort) IMO.

The full size 1911 is extremely simple to conceal comfortably. I carry my Kimber Custom II daily in the 2:30-3:00 position in a Galco Royal Guard II and a 5.11 basket weave belt with the internal stiffener. Was a bit uncomfortable while the holster and belt were taking shape but now the holster has a slight curve to it and the belt is nearly round when taken off. It is very easy to carry all day long.

I paid 65 for my Galco Royal Guard II and 30 or so for the belt. So for under a hundred bucks I have a rig that works for me. You don't have to spend a fortune to find a good setup so don't just jump into a two hundred dollar holster off of the bat.

I will tell you that the most comfortable holsters I have ever carried in are the Comptac M-Tac and the Milt Sparks Versa Max II. Those are THE top of the line holsters for 1911's in my opinion and I am waiting to get some extra cash on hand to purchase either a new C-Tac or M-Tac for myself (Thinking of getting away from leather due to the moisture problems here in the gulf of mexico... I mean... South Louisiana.
 
All of the above depending on your sex and your build.

DH is finding IWB at about the 4 o'clock position best but occasionally uses the shoulder holster.

I don't have my gun yet but in the process of deciding what gun I should get I discovered that my only chance of concealing anything larger than a Browning Baby or an NAA mini-revolver is a dropped IWB or smartcarry-type rig with 45 degrees of barrel-forward cant at 2:30. I'm short, heavy, and abnormally proportioned.
 
I've tried about everything over the years and have carried IWB for several years. Its the best and most comfortable for me.
 
IWB is the way to go for a full sized gun.

Small of the back carry is great, but only if you consider breaking your spine around a steel fulcrum great.
 
iwb, it is the easiest for me to conceal anyway. check out raven concealment holsters, blade tech, grand father oak etc.
 
wow! i am amazed at the overwelming majority that favor the iwb. that was the way i was leaning but had heard that it can be very uncomfortable. and i already know il hafta buy a whole new wardrobe. but so be it.
 
The IWB will conceal more of the gun under more conditions simply because all but the butt is below your belt line.

One of the biggest problems with IWB comfort - or lack thereof - is having one's pants fit too tightly. If they are snug with nothing inside the waistband, they will be very uncomfortable with a holstered gun added in. If you still wish to wear jeans I would go up an inch in the waist as well as look for a "relaxed-fit." I also suggest a tucked in undershirt - even if you wish to wear a T-shirt as an outer garment - to interpose between the gun butt and your skin, of a moisture-wicking material if possible. There is also the matter of the retention method for your holster. The fore and aft loops as shown in Mr. armoredman's photo give the flattest profile.
 
IWB here.

I'm 6ft tall and weigh in at 155, and I happen to know that 29x32 jeans are nearly impossible to find. I used to cuss about it, but when I started carrying I realized that it worked out pretty well to have a closet full of jeans that were 1" to big in the waist...

I use a Milt Sparks SS-II to carry my 5" 1911. I want a VM-II but something always seems to happen a few days from payday and I need more money than I have, so a credit card gets used. They've both pretty much turned into a "**** happens when I'm broke" insurance policy.
 
IWB is far and away the easiest to conceal and still have access. However I personally find IWB to be very uncomfortable so I go with OWB and good cover garments.
 
I carry around 80 hours a week and have carried a Ruger P90 and currently carry a Sig P229 or Springfield XD 45 Service.

I have used OWB, SOB and IWB holsters.

I prefer an OWB belt slide or pancake type (such as the Galco Concealable) holster. It is VERY comfortable with very good concealment. I conceal with an untucked polo shirt. The key is a good belt and a good holster, on the custom side I very much like Haugen Handgun Leather. Out of box holsters the Galco Concealable is very good.

I also have IWB holsters but only use them when I run, the pants pressing the firearm against the body keeps it from flopping. I find they offer very little in terms of concealment over a good OWB holster and are far less comfortable. They also complicate drawing and holstering. It is not fun to get my Sig back into even a rigid top IWB holster and can be slower to draw from than an OWB holster.

The SOB holster has very good concealment, better than the OWB but has some issues with drawing with sweeping, it flops somewhat. Some people say it could be a problem if you fall on your back, which while potentially true is unlikely and often overstated.
 
You forgot one: pocket holster. I find that to be by far the easiest carry method for me. Admittedly it limits the gun you can carry a bit, but I can still pack 5 rounds of .357 Mag in a controllable weapon pretty easily.
 
You forgot one: pocket holster.
Click to expand...
+1 ..with the little ones :)

Otherwise IWB

SmartCarry type holsters should prolly be listed also (even though I don't have one) :)
 
Shoulder rig is easiest. All you need is the rig and a hawaiian shirt or similar to go over it. You don't need a belt... you don't even need pants. :p
 
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