For the guys who carry full size steel guns

[mes228]

Steel

I wear Perry Suspenders that "clip" to the belt. They are priceless in helping distribute the weight partially to the shoulders. I cover these & the pistol with a Filson Moleskin vest. Perry suspenders are one of the simple, brilliant ideas that I love. The pistol is an all steel Springfield Professional FBI 1911. And it is HEAVY.

 

[Deputy25]

I can carry a 1911 comfortably concealed under an XL t-shirt in a Sparks VM2 on a Wilderness 5-stitch belt. That said, most of the time there is a Glock (or two) residing under my shirt.

 

[Smoovbiscuit]

I don't carry anymore, but when I did I carried a Beretta tomcat 32 I'm a small guy and couldn't conceal any of the other guns I had at the time (glock 22 and S&W 629 6") but now I have a S&W model 60 .357 3" that I can conceal nicely, but I don't have my permit so I can only conceal in my house legally

 

[hey_poolboy]

I live in the communist republic of Illinois, so I can't carry. I do carry around the house, and when hunting though. Matter of fact I just packed my Govt. 1911 out on a hunt for 2 hours in the 14" of snow, and couldn't even tell it was there.

Buy a good holster. I use a crossbreed super-tuck deluxe.

Buy a good GUN belt.

Of course being 6'2", 235, and pretty "well built" doesn't hurt.

 

[haslethandgunner]

We do it by buying and wearing a real gun belt. A real gun belt makes even a heavy steel gun feel pretty light. A regular belt does not.

Belt is #1 for carrying a steel gun.
Holster is #2.

A 120lb woman could comfortably carry a full size 1911 with a proper belt. It's not about strength.

Very true statement. I'm not a big guy-6' 190lbs and a 1911 is very easy to carry. Beltman belt, and a Lonewolf holster, and I forget it's back there.

 

[DasFriek]

How did you know i was 6'4" tall? Must have happened when i took a shower and took my tin foil hat off and used a shower cap.

Not only do i carry a full sized 5" 1911 for OWB duty, My IWB gun is a 3.5" all steel 1911 also. BUT did i mention i carry a Kahr all steel MK9 in my back pocket as a bug? Oh its true.

My true reason for doing so is no Alien ship can use a tractor beam to pull me up on board when i have so much steel on my body.

 

[Bigchessie]

I'm a petite 6'2" 275 lbs
Carry a Full size 1911 and from time to time a glock20c. All comes down to the belt and the holster.

 

[DeepSouth]

If you dont want to pay out for leather then you should stick with a Kel Tec.

No truer words have ever been stated.

 

[haslethandgunner]

How did you know i was 6'4" tall? Must have happened when i took a shower and took my tin foil hat off and used a shower cap.

Not only do i carry a full sized 5" 1911 for OWB duty, My IWB gun is a 3.5" all steel 1911 also. BUT did i mention i carry a Kahr all steel MK9 in my back pocket as a bug? Oh its true.

My true reason for doing so is no Alien ship can use a tractor beam to pull me up on board when i have so much steel on my body.

That's funny, I don't care who ya are!

 

[maddy345]

As everyone else is saying......get a good holster and belt. I can highly recommend a Gould and Goodrich belt and the Milt Sparks VMII. My P229 rides in it like it isn't even there.

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

A good belt and a pair of heavy duty suspenders. Perry's in Chicago (imagine that) makes some very good ones.

 

[Mr.454]

That is it I'm 6 foot 8 and 250 lbs that is how I hide a Sig P226 in a shoulder holster. That and a loose jacket. But seriously it's not all that easy to conceal a full size, I just don't like compacts and so my choices are limited.

 

[Wags]

Daily I'm either carrying a Browning Hi-Power or Colt Combat Commander. The key is quality leather and belt. You don't have to be Charles Atlas if you have the right gear. I'm only showing pics of IWB holsters since were talking comfort.

 

[fmcdave]

I have carried a Colt Series 70 LW Combat Commander for years...but the frame cracked. So one of my carry pistols is a full size Kimber Custom. I have an IWB Kramer holster and I can carry it under a polo shirt. An IWB holster slows the draw a bit, but the weight of the pistol is supported by your belt and body. I don't have a problem with it.

I agree with the good belt and holster argument.
Dave

 

[QUICK_DRAW_McGRAW]

6ft, 190lbs, donhume pcch with a taurus PT1911. no problem what so ever even with any belt. i honestly don't own a "gun" belt and have no problem with it or with my S&W Sigma .40

 

[Ken451]

A full-sized 1911 is a joy to carry. I also carry a 4" 629 .44 Mag from time to time instead, and have no problems with it.

The 629 goes 42 oz. unloaded, which isn't really all that much, when you think about it.

Interesting comparison, the 629 is only 2 oz. more than a 5" 1911.

My 629 has the square butt and wide target grips so it wouldn't conceal as easily.

Ken

 

[Rexster]

As already said many times before me here in this thread, with a good belt and good holster, this is quite easy to do. I don't currently carry all-steel full-sized pistols, because I generally carry the same thing off the clock I carry at work, and my present duty pistols are SIGs. My most recent all-steel carry autopistols were 5" 1911s, up to the year 2002. I used a Galco Avenger or a G. Wm. Davis Security IWB (much like a Sparks Summer Special II) on a Davis belt.

The 5" 1911s were easier to tote than the 4" N-frame Model 58 I carried concealed in lesser holsters in the 1980's.

I settled on the Bulman FDS to tote a P229 in amazing comfort, and then acquired an FDS made for the 1911, in anticipation of reverting to a 1911 in the future. I kept my favorite one, a Les Baer Thunder Ranch Special.

 

[Ken451]

Besides the "good holster and good belt", I also find that properly sized pants help a lot. If they fit right, the waist supports the weight of the gun and spreads it to a wider area than the belt alone. When I wear jeans that are too big, I feel the gun hanging down a lot more than when the waistline is slightly snug.

 

[hemiram]

I've never had a problem carrying a large revolver or semiauto in a decent holster. I don't see how (assuming you are about 200 pounds) 1% or less more weight than a plastic or small gun can make all that much difference. A good belt and holster do make all the difference carrying any gun, except the tiny ones.

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

6'3 at 160 lbs and I comfortably carry a Hi Power in a Cross Breed Super Tuck.