I didn't understand the difference until I got one. Here are my observations:propellerhead wrote:What would make a holster comfortable? From my experience, I would say a lot of it depends on what is up against your body. I would think an OWB holster would be very comfortable since it would feel like a large pad is pressing against you. However, I don't think I could conceal an OWB in the summer. Next to that would be an IWB that has a large backing pad like the Crossbreed Supertuck. It spreads out the pressure over a large surface area. With that same logic, I would have to place Kydex IWB holsters on the uncomfortable end of the spectrum.
An IWB feels quite different than OWB because it still presses up against you with the belt tension. Regardless of what kind of IWB holster you use, you're still going to feel it against you to some extent. With an OWB and a good belt, all you're going to feel is the belt (like you normally would) and a little bit of the top of the gun (usually backed by some leather, so what you feel is slight). This is because the belt is dealing with keeping it there, rather than the gun being sandwiched between yourself and the belt. Clothing considerations aside, I'd go OWB every time.
As far as summer carry goes, it really all depends on how you dress and what you're doing. I wore my Hi-Power in an OWB holster all summer long. With a few exceptions (going to the laundromat or to the store in shorts), I carry this way almost exclusively. At all other times, I carry my PA-63 in a Bianchi Professional IWB holster. I wear jeans or Dickies with a t-shirt and unbuttoned work shirt nearly all of the time, so my OWB rig is just fine for summer wear. Here's some pictures:
