Thin people: what carry method works best for you??

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gbelleh

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With Ohio's new CCW laws, I'm going to have to find a serious holster for everyday carry. I'd like to find out what has worked best for others.

I'm not a real big guy, and I'm thin. I've experimented a little bit with IWB holsters and they usually seem to make a very obvious bulge wherever they are and print badly when wearing only a t-shirt.

Smart Carry / Thunderwear works well, but is not ideal for a primary gun because of the relatively slow and awkward draw.

Pocket carry works but only for a fairly small gun (Kahr PM9 with certain pants, or KT P-32 or P-3AT.)


What do you fellow thin people find works best for you to carry a compact or subcompact pistol (like a Glock 19 or 26 or a 3 or 4 inch 1911)comfortably and with fast access?

Thanks.
 
I'm thin. I'm about 6' tall and I was 140 when I first started carrying but I'm now up to 165 (got married and all). Still pretty thin though. IWB does and always has worked for me. You have to work with it some to find the best position though. For me the position that works best and still allows me to sit comfortably is about 3:30. I was carrying a gun that's about the size of a Glock 19 and the butt of the gun would sometimes make just a bit of a bulge but no one ever made me as far as I know and my wife usually didn't even realize I was carrying. That little bulge bothered me some though so I switched to a subcompact (XD-9) and now there is no more bulge. For the record, I had a Smartcarry and it did NOT work for me with my old gun. I haven't tried my new one with smartcarry but the old one left too big of a bulge in my pants and was very noticeable after trying in all positions. I think it has worked for more people than it hasn't worked for though...I was the exception from what I understand.

brad cook
 
IWB. Make sure your pants have a couple of extra inches in the waist to accomodate the gun and any IWB magazine holders. You need a stiff belt and a well-made holster to keep the gun high and tight. 3:30 or so works well for me as well, kind of in the hollow of the kidney. You need to watch your posture, keep your shoulders and back erect, and watch how you bend over. If you carry under a shirt, you may need to upsize the shirt a bit. I wear a medium t-shirt but there isn't much I could conceal under it.
 
I'm somewhere just under 6'0" and about 150 pounds. I've never had trouble carrying my Glock 23 in a Fobus paddle holster. I do have to wear loose T-shirt. Some of my snug fitting T-shirts just won't cut it. But under a looser one my Glock disappears.
 
>>Thin people: what carry method works best for you??<<

Don't know, as I don't believe I've been described that way for some years now! :p
 
Like you, I've mainly gone with a P3AT and PM9, front pocket.
An Uncle Mike's Belt Pak also works well with the Kahr.
I've started carrying IWB lately, with a Colt Defender.

Ditto everything that JNewell said.
You need a little room in the pants, and a quality holster.
You will have to experiment with placement, to see what works best for you.
Cover garments probably need to be a size larger than normal.
Sweaters, sweat shirts, "Polo"-type shirts, work well for me.

Absolute must is a good, lined belt.
You can get a Don Hume belt for under $50.
The gun lays so much flatter with a good belt, compared to the single layer belt I normally wear, it's hard to describe.
 
I keep my MK9 in an IWB, but clipped in the front at about 1:00. I like this arrangement except when I am driving because that's were the seatbelt hits. I usually put it in the console then.

Also, If I get worried that it's showing I can just look down and check without being obvious.
 
Every thin person is built differently.........play with stuff until you find what works for you.
IWB works well for me............12 deg cant at 3.30-4.00....even with a 1911, it conceals very well. Yould be hard pressed to pick me out of a crowd for carrying.................
Shoot well.
 
Dear gbelleh !!

I'm not a thin person. Never have been and never will be. But a word of generalized advice about concealed carry for anybody. To achieve a comfortable and functional concealed carry mode that fits for you be ready to compromise to get there. Someone in this post already suuggested wearing trousers one or two sizes too large. Good suggestion. Select a good, stiff belt made for firearm carry - might be a belt you would not ordinarily choose for day-to-day wear. Wear the gun where it fits best on you - not necessarily where you might want to carry it. If you are willing to experiment a bit you can find a combination that will best fit you. In my experience this kind of experimentation will allow you to carry just about any size gun. Good luck and Good shooting;)
 
Although I do not consider myself really thin, I do find that IWB carry works well for me. Works really well if your belt and trousers are a little bigger than your waist.
 
Thanks for the replies. It seems many of you have found an IWB that works for you.

I used to have a Rafter S belt that was great, except the double thickness made the buckle area stick out way too far causing a huge bulge right in the front of my pants. :scrutiny:

I'm looking forward to experimenting with holsters and belts again.

The Milt Sparks Watch Six is high on the list. I'll check out some of the holsters listed here too.
 
Canted, at 4:00 IWB.

I'm 6ft tall, and weigh about 155lbs. Single-stack GM 1911s conceal pretty easily.
 
I am about 5'10" and weigh about 170. My shoulders are not wide at all, and due to health problems, I have a smallish frame. I carry IWB in an Uncle Mike's cheapo nylon holster right about my left front pants pocket. (I am left-handed.) Most shirts cover with little problem. I carry either a Taurus 85, S&W 10 or a Ruger P95. The Ruger is, of course less comfortable and harder to hide.
 
I noticed that a couple of people have mentioned canted holsters.
I started trying IWB with a Don Hume that was not canted.
It was uncomfortable, and I felt like it bulged too much.

I've got a Watch Six on order, but I found a discounted Inner Piece and thought I would try it in the mean time.
It has a forward cant, and it really makes a difference in comfort and concealability to me.

IWB only works when I can wear a cover garment, or untucked shirt.
I've yet to see how it will work in the summer.
I won't be wearing untucked all of the time.
It does give a nice option for carrying a larger gun though.
 
I'm about 5'10" and 145lbs. I wear either a 31 or 32 waist and carry a 3" sp101 and an all steel 4" 1911 in versa max 2's with no problems except for bending over. Pretty comfortable even when seating.
 
I'm 6'5" and about 200 lbs. My full size 1911 disappears IWB at 4:00 for me, as does my Browing Hi Power. I use a Wilson Combat Featherweight IWB holster, and I honestly don't think a commander-size 1911 would conceal that much easier - the full size 1911 is a snap to conceal as it is.

Comfort-wise, the 1911 is better than the BHP. For me, the extra thickness of the BHP's grip (double-stack magazines) is very noticable when I am sitting. I could (and have) sat all day with the 1911 w/o any discomfort.

-Brad
 
I'm 6'3", 185 lbs

I carry IWB no cant, 3:30. My SIG 226 covers up fine, but I have wide shoulders so my shirts hang over the gun nicely. I also realize most people aren't aware of their surroundings and aren't looking for people carrying. I carry in church all the time in the summer and nobody has said anything and people are 2 feet behind me.
 
Get ready to make "some" adjustments to your wardrobe. My pants are an "honest" 32x34, and have been that size for over 30 yrs. I only wear that size using certain clothing that allows me to wear owb. For iwb any pants I buy are 34x34. I can't stress the importance of a "good" gunbelt to conceal and carry with comfort. Practice ccw around the house until some "combination" seems natural for you. By this I mean concealment, comfort, and the ability to go "long" periods of time "without" TOUCHING your gun or holster. Most common rookie mistake.......no we aren't watching you, but "we" all see a newbie constantly touching his holster, esp if a "poor" gun to holster to belt fit. I pocket ccw Kahr PM9 in Dockers with the pleats in front. In a pair of Royal Robins I can fit a Kahr P9 in my right front pocket. For iwb I ccw a HK P7M8 and carry a KT P-32 in an offside pocket. In fall or spring with a light jacket a .38spl in a City Slicker shoulder holster for driving long periods of time works, in winter, transfer to coat pocket. Just some ideas, remember what works for some does not work for everyone, with the "exception" of a good belt.:)
 
I'm not underweight; I'm constructed of a lightweight space-age carbon-fiber reinforced technopolymer....

tuckable.jpg
 
I'm 6'2" about 170. I carry a Walther P99 at 4:00 with a cant. I have a Rafter S gunbelt and use either a Blade-Tech IWB or a Graham Custom Leather "Falcon". Never had any problems.
 
At 5'8" 145, I like IWB the best so far. Takes the right shirt to pull it off though.:)
 
I'm pretty thin. 4:30-5:00 works well for me and all I need is a tshirt to cover it up. I use an IWB with offset loops (like a Watch Six). SOB would work just as well, but I don't like wearing something right on my spine like that.
 
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