Smartcarry rocks!

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dave3006

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I just received my CCW two weeks ago. I have tried the following to carry my Glock 27 at work and on the weekends:

1. Galco pocket holster - it's okay. But, it looks like I have a brick in my front pocket. People know something is there. They just do not know what.

2. Blade-Tech IWB - The holster is perfect if you want to go around with an untucked shirt. Not an option for work.

3. Blade-Tech tuckable UCH - My kids giggled at the sight of it. It looks like a tumor is growing on my waistline. This is the worst method.

4. Tommypack gun fannypack - Works well if the manner of dress is appropriate for a fannypack. Can't wear to work or certain social functions. Best for when I am dressed in sweats or shorts.

5. Smartcarry - THE BEST METHOD HANDS DOWN! The gun disappears regardless of dress. It is fast to access. There is a tiny bump where the butt of the gun is by my front pocket. But, people do not look there. And, you can just slip your right hand in your pocket and the bump goes away. It is kind of uncomfortable at first when you sit. But, you get used to it.

I will probably be selling my the UCH and Galco pocket holster soon.
 
One important thing many overlook when getting their first carry rig: Can you do your unarmed fighting with it on?
 
I just received my CCW two weeks ago.
Click to expand...
5. Smartcarry - THE BEST METHOD HANDS DOWN!
Click to expand...

Dave, with all due respect, two weeks of part time carry experience just may not be enough time to fully evaluate carry options and find "THE BEST METHOD, HANDS DOWN".

There has been some recent discussion of what action to take when armed robbers enter the restaurant to rob the business and the patrons. Please tell me how you will draw your pistol while seated and waiting for your meal to arrive.

OK, that was a bad choice. Let's say you leave the restaurant and have just sat down behind the wheel of your car when a BG approaches with the intent to hijack you. Please describe how you would quickly and safely present your weapon.

No, that wasn't a fair scenario either. OK, you just parked your car and are headed to the mall when a BG steps out in front of you and demands your wallet. Can you explain how you will quickly draw your weapon to counter this threat?

Dave, I confess to having a bad attitude. I really think that if Thunderwear was as good as some folks have said it is, we'd all be using it. Life is a great teacher. What I believe now is not what I believed only a few years ago. I'd like to, respectfully, suggest that further carry experience may lead you to different conclusions.

Take care, be safe.
 
Nemesis, you sound like you are much more experienced than me. I was looking at the problem from a convenience and lifestyle standpoint. I admit that I am green in this area. To me, the smartcarry option makes carry possible when an IWB would not be an option. So, I would rather have a gun that is 1-2 seconds away than no gun at all.

Here is where I think smartcarry will work:

1. You are sitting at your desk. You hear gunshots down the hall. Bob brought a rifle to work and is shooting people.

2. You are sitting at McDonalds towards the back. A crazed gunman is methodically shooting everyone in sight. He has not got to you yet.

3. You are walking up to your house. You hear screams. You see a stranger strangling your wife.

Nothing works in all scenarios. Even IWB. I think alot of people make unrealistic assumptions about their ability to bring a firearm into action if the attack has already started and they are way behind the curve.

Just my opinions. I am not an expert at CCW at all.
 
Dave, I respect your openminded attitude.

How's this? The scenarios which I proposed were direct contact and required direct action. The scenarios which you describe are all where you are, essentially, an observer. I agree that "nothing works in all scenarios" but I am of the opinion that we must prepare "for any scenario".

My concern is that the underwear style of carry does not position the firearm consistently in the same place and the access is restricted by the design. We must acknowledge that concealed carry is, in itself, a compromise but we must endeavor to eliminate uncertainty and unnecessary compromise. Additionally, I'm not at all comfortable with the presence of a loaded handgun with the muzzle caressing my cojones. If I blast my butt off due to an ND, I can probably live with that.

I carry a firearm everywhere I go. I carry full time at work and none of my associates is aware of it. One fellow employee took the time to lecture me on the value of obtaining a CCW all the while that I was wearing a gun. Of course, I told him that I didn't think I needed to go to the extreme of carrying a gun. I carry at Church and frequently have dinner with my Pastor and his family but none know that I carry. I carry everywhere except the Post Office. Period.

My normal carry is a compact .45 ACP pistol and I wear it in a tuckable IWB holster. I can draw my weapon with one hand or two but it is faster to use two hands and do a "Hackathorn Rip" to clear my shirt. I can draw, one handed, while driving.

What possible reason could I have for carrying a gun in my underwear? Is it faster to draw? No. Does it conceal better? No (it's already fully concealed). Is it more comfortable? I don't know but I'm not uncomfortable now.

The moral of the story is this, a defensive weapon must be ready and accessable at all times. I don't think Thunderwear achieves this.

Be safe.
 
Many good points made here - both pro and con.

I have had a Smart carry for a while ... and am still practicing at times. For me it is the gear for use when deep concealment is a must - and that ain't often (fortunately).

I will always wish for max accessibility ... and usually have that but ... when it comes to ''some gun better than no gun'' ... even Smart carry has its place IMO. It works extremely well .. even if some potential for discomfort. Sure, draw is not so easy but ... still ''better to have''.

I doubt I would ever choose to use mine 16/7 tho .... when my own circumstances usually permit my fave hi-ride pancake at around 3.30 or so .... with snub.

Main thing I think is what any one individual can get on with ..... and use well .... and opinion will always vary on this.
 
I've carried at work for almost two years now, exclusively in Smartcarry. While I'll agree Smartcarry isn't ideal (I carry IWB 99% of the rest of the time), it does have it's place when concealment is paramount. I'm reasonably sure no one at work would notice my PM9 if I used the tuckable IWB I have instead of the Smartcarry, but the fact is, the Smartcarry does conceal it better. Normally the fact that I may print once in a blue moon doesn't really concern me, but if I printed at work that could mean a reprimand in the least or even my job. (Even though there's no weapons policy that I could find, from the general attitude I get I can guess what would happen.)

If someone could find me a better method of on-body carry that would keep the same level of concealment in business casual clothes, I'd try it in a heartbeat. But as it stands right now, Smartcarry is the best thing in my case.
 
Nemesis, you hit the nail on the head on the direct attack vs. observer scenario. I will give what you say some thought.

There is one thing that bothers me about some of our assumptions about the usefulness of a gun when a person has been taken by surprize and is under direct attack. If I am sitting in my car and someone walks up to me and puts his Lorcin .25 caliber pistol in my ear, I think it would be suicide to attempt to draw (IWB) on him if I am this far behind the curve. I would imagine a similar situation with a knife carrying mugger wanting my wallet.

Bottom line, if the attack has already started, I am not sure the gun will do me much good. Either I will be dead or it will be suicide to attempt to bring it into action because I have been out positioned. It seems a more prudent thing, if I had to fight back, would be to nuetralize his weapon via hand to hand combat (very questionable, but better than attempting to draw on someone who has you in their sites)

So, could IWB / condition one be slightly overated?

Any comments?

(just brainstorming. I don't claim this is absolute truth)
 
Nice discussion so far.

I don't have much to add. I do think it is better to have a gun, even if it is a little less accessible, than not have one. But, I would add that I would carry a holster of some kind if the situation at all permitted it. Some people have a build that will allow a tuckable IWB and some don't. We just have to adapt and overcome.
 
Nemesis:

I believe it is illegal to carry in church in Texas. I was dissappointed to learn this a couple of months ago. I've been carrying since about June.

Marco
 
I would like to offer my thoughts on concealed carry for everyone's consideration. I bought a very similar product to the smart carry and really didn't think it was all that accessible if an emergency should arise. I now have two methods of concealed carry, pocket carry with my NAA Guardian .32 and an IWB holster positioned between my pants and clipped on to my belt at about 3 o'clock with my S&W 640 .357 when I am wearing an outer garment. My thinking is that having a gun in my right front pocket makes it very easy to access without drawing attention to myself. When I am in a parking lot I can have my hand on my gun and be ready where having my hand down my pants might look a bit odd. I know that the .32 isn't considered much of a defensive caliber but having it so close at hand is very comforting to me. I believe that most assaults on non LEO civilians happen very quickly and attempted with the element of surprise on the BG's side. Being able to pull my gun from my pocket without having to accomplish any other maneuver just seems that it would be a little more advantageous. Best to all, Mike
 
Thanks! Do you know when it was amended? I took the course last spring and the instructor made no mention of these places being required to give notice under 30.06. I didn't know it was o.k. at all to go into a hospital.

Thanks a bunch.
 
Good law. One of the last things Jesus told his disciples, before he went to the cross, was to sell their cloaks if they had to and buy a sword. He gave me my body, the least I can do is treasure and protect it as my gratitude. That includes at Church.

Good points Mikej. I like the idea of being able to have my hand on the weapon prior to the event in a disguised fashion.
 
Is this Smart Carry the same thing as the Thunderwear I have seen advertised? I always thought the depiction of a SIG P228 being carried in the Thunderwear, supposedly undetectable, was a bit fanciful. Something like a mini-Glock or a small-frame two-inch revolver would be about the upper limit, I would think.
 
Dave

Nemesis, you sound like you are much more experienced than me. I was looking at the problem from a convenience and lifestyle standpoint. I admit that I am green in this area. To me, the smartcarry option makes carry possible when an IWB would not be an option. So, I would rather have a gun that is 1-2 seconds away than no gun at all.

Here is where I think smartcarry will work:

1. You are sitting at your desk. You hear gunshots down the hall. Bob brought a rifle to work and is shooting people.

2. You are sitting at McDonalds towards the back. A crazed gunman is methodically shooting everyone in sight. He has not got to you yet.

3. You are walking up to your house. You hear screams. You see a stranger strangling your wife.

Nothing works in all scenarios. Even IWB. I think alot of people make unrealistic assumptions about their ability to bring a firearm into action if the attack has already started and they are way behind the curve.

Just my opinions. I am not an expert at CCW at all.
Click to expand...

Are you a Doctor? Does the man strangling your wife have only one arm? If so, you're screwed. I know. I saw the movie.
:D

Seriously, I think both sides in this discussion have valid points. Smartcarry beats being unarmed hands down.
 
Skunky --- it's what all the kids are wearing to the Christmas parties this year. I've been wearing mine all day, and we're headed back out for more. It's not unconfortable but I think it's help keep me from (seriously) over eating today.
 
for the fullsize 1911 carrier's club

which I plan on joining at the begining of January.

http://www.smartcarry.com/scinvi.htm

Let's just say that the material and workmanship of the smartcarry product is approximately 100 times greater than the look and feel of the product's website.
 
You don't like them pointed at the ground? I don't know about you but I believe that I have normal male anatomy and my piece isn't pointed at genitalia when it's in my smartcarry. It lays on top of my package and points in the same direction it does, generally.

Around Thanksgiving I was having lunch at a little pub that is frequented by off-duty police officers. There was a table of six of them were in the center of the room. It was hot in there (always is the ovens are practically in the dining room), and one of the fellows took of his jacket. His shoulder-holstered colt commander was pointed directly at me, about four feet away.

My buddy asked me if wanted to move. I told him no.

I mean, I assumed they were police, right? Because they had guns and they obviously weren't ashamed of it. Actually this was the second time in about as many years that one of these guys had covered me with a muzzle in the same circumstances.
 
I have been carrying concealed for over five years now. After many different rigs and pistols I have arrived at two solutions.

The pistol I finally arrived at is the Paraordnance C6.45LDA. That's another thread though. It's a small 1911 style DAO pistol.

If everything is right, my prefered carry rig is a Don Hume JIT holster. Right means cool enough outside in Louisiana to wear a jacket. That occurs about 5 months of the year if I'm lucky. I also must be able to wear a belt too. I often work in surgical scrubs. They don't even have a pocket, much less belt loops.

SmartCarry is my alternative carry rig. It works for me. My wife can hug me and not even realize I'm packing. Kids can sit mon my lap. I have my car seat leaned back a notch to allow a draw. It is possible, but probably not necessary. I'd use the car as a weapon instead, or gain space if I'm halfway in it. A standing draw can be accomplished almost as quickly as with the JIT.

In a direct attack, where the BG has his hands on you, the first thing you need (IMHO) is space. The 1:00 position of the SmartCarry is ideal if you are on your back and cannot gain space. In any other scenerio, I think I would go for space before I went for my gun. In my car, the car itself is a more effective weapon, no need for the pistol. In a restaurant robbery, I would give up the cash, as was discussed months ago in a thread. I would, however have the pistol out under the table by the time they got to me. I would only use it to defend lives though, not money.

FWIW, I have tried IWB type holsters with other pistols, but have found them to be to limiting. The short 1911 really doesn't need one under a jacket. I tried Galco's USA holster, but it was just to darned slow to get the pistol out, and it was not comfortable for all day wear.

The Cushmax backing and the craftsmanship of the SmartCarry makes it superior to the Thunderwear IMHO.

Each person must find his own solutions to concealed carry, and each solution is a compromise in some scenerio. None will beat a pistol already in the hand. All will beat a pistol at home. SmartCarry is a valuable alternative. If you haven't tried it, you should at least consider it if you are having trouble packing.

http://www.smartcarry.com/
 
Smart carry wouldn't be my first choice for all situations, but if i were working and needed it to be very discreet it certainly would. I was talking to a guy doing a thunderwear display at a gun show. I asked him about drawing while seated and he said some nonsence to the effect of, "You'll never have to do that because the natural reaction when threatened is to stand up." I guess that's as close as i'm going to get for an admission of it's one weakness. It would be problematic, but when i'm in my car i usually have the seat reclined (low riding). I figure the pelvic thrust and my hand shooting down my pants would be enough to distract the carjacker until i got my piece out...no, not that one.

Think of all the blazing saddles references you could make. 'scuse me while i whip this out.
 
There is one thing that bothers me about some of our assumptions about the usefulness of a gun when a person has been taken by surprize and is under direct attack. If I am sitting in my car and someone walks up to me and puts his Lorcin .25 caliber pistol in my ear, I think it would be suicide to attempt to draw (IWB) on him if I am this far behind the curve. I would imagine a similar situation with a knife carrying mugger wanting my wallet.
Click to expand...

No, I wouldn't consider attempting to draw when I'm already covered but I do have a real bad attitude about people who intend to deprive me of my property. You have a .25 stuck in my ear and want my car? Take it! I'll get out and you can get in but I'll draw while you're getting into my car and Texas law allows me to use deadly force to retain my property. I'll worry about the blood on the upholstery later.

Walk up to me in the mall parking lot with a drawn pistol and demand my wallet. I'll quiver and beg for mercy as I carefully reach for my wallet but I'm so stricken with fear that I'll probably drop it as I hand it to you. "Sorry, I'm just nervous". You can bend over to pick it up but you'll be looking at a dark .45 caliber hole when you get to your feet.

I'm not here for the scum of the earth to use as their personal ATM. If you intend to invade my privacy and deprive me of my security and my property; you'd better be ready to pay the price. I'll lie and I'll cheat and I'll do everything I can to make you feel safe and I'll make you confident and I will extract a price for your stupidity.

I will not walk quietly to the gas chamber!
 
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