Opinions on OWB or IWB

[C-dub]

I usually carry IWB with a CompTac Minotaur. I love it. (It's basically the same as the Crossbreed).
I can tuck over it fairly well. I'm 6'0" and 175 lbs and in good shape (mostly fit). I can tuck in a nice polo style shirt or a button down dress shirt over it if needed.
I usually don't have a tucked shirt on, but I've done it at times.

As for people noticing... trust me... over time, you will be shocked at what people do NOT notice. I am not convinced that I could carry an AR around and not have anyone notice. They're clueless. I've gone as far as carrying a big, giant 1911 (6" barrel) OWB with a somewhat tightly fitting polo style shirt on over it, and nobody noticed. In my mind, it was sooooo visible, but nobody noticed. I've also accidentally exposed my gun over the years, and nobody noticed. Just the other day at Randalls, I pulled my wallet out of my front pocket, and my shirt ended up resting on the grip of my Glock 32, and sat there. The person in front of me was talking to me at the time and didn't notice. So, the lesson is... be careful and discreet, but not paranoid about people noticing. They won't. I think it needs to be in their face before they notice, and sometimes I wonder if they will notice even then!

Someone may have noticed, but if you, like me, look like you know what you're doing (i.e. possible LEO) they probably just shrugged it off. Thankfully, no one called the real LEOs.

I am also 6'0", but around 200 lbs. I think if I ever got down to 175 I might be in the hospital. I just can't imagine being that skinny again. Right now, I'm trying to get back down to between 190-195. With the amount of muscle I have that's a good weight for me. All my extra weight is around my waist. Too many carbs!

[WildBill]

I was reading the recent post about the wedding carry and started to think about a tuckable when I need a dressier look without wearing a coat. I am a little shorter, but about the same build as C-Dub.

I carried IWB [High Noon] for a few years until I finally realized that if my shirt is not tucked in I might as well carry OWB. So for the last few years I am carrying OWB [Kramer MSP] and find it very comfortable and don't have any problems concealing. It really isn't a problem after work, in the evenings or weekends when I can dress a bit sloppy and not tuck in my shirt.

When I am carrying with the shirt tucked in I am wearing a sport coat. That is really my preferred method, but it gets too hot in the Houston summers. That is why I was asking about tuckables.

Thanks for your comments.

[Scott in Houston]

I've lost 15 pounds this year! It feels great. I am very fit and almost no fat. Cycling, major pushups (300/day every other day), and now tennis again (first time in 20 years), have really helped too. I gained weight last year and now that I'm forty, I worried that my metabolism is slowing, so I'm trying to head that off at the pass.
I'll tell ya, it's helped IWB carry a lot! It sounds like you're in shape, so congrats. It's a tough a thing to do in our society.

I usually carry IWB with a CompTac Minotaur. I love it. (It's basically the same as the Crossbreed).
I can tuck over it fairly well. I'm 6'0" and 175 lbs and in good shape (mostly fit). I can tuck in a nice polo style shirt or a button down dress shirt over it if needed.
I usually don't have a tucked shirt on, but I've done it at times.

As for people noticing... trust me... over time, you will be shocked at what people do NOT notice. I am not convinced that I could carry an AR around and not have anyone notice. They're clueless. I've gone as far as carrying a big, giant 1911 (6" barrel) OWB with a somewhat tightly fitting polo style shirt on over it, and nobody noticed. In my mind, it was sooooo visible, but nobody noticed. I've also accidentally exposed my gun over the years, and nobody noticed. Just the other day at Randalls, I pulled my wallet out of my front pocket, and my shirt ended up resting on the grip of my Glock 32, and sat there. The person in front of me was talking to me at the time and didn't notice. So, the lesson is... be careful and discreet, but not paranoid about people noticing. They won't. I think it needs to be in their face before they notice, and sometimes I wonder if they will notice even then!

Someone may have noticed, but if you, like me, look like you know what you're doing (i.e. possible LEO) they probably just shrugged it off. Thankfully, no one called the real LEOs.

I am also 6'0", but around 200 lbs. I think if I ever got down to 175 I might be in the hospital. I just can't imagine being that skinny again. Right now, I'm trying to get back down to between 190-195. With the amount of muscle I have that's a good weight for me. All my extra weight is around my waist. Too many carbs!

[C-dub]

I've lost 15 pounds this year! It feels great. I am very fit and almost no fat. Cycling, major pushups (300/day every other day), and now tennis again (first time in 20 years), have really helped too. I gained weight last year and now that I'm forty, I worried that my metabolism is slowing, so I'm trying to head that off at the pass.
I'll tell ya, it's helped IWB carry a lot! It sounds like you're in shape, so congrats. It's a tough a thing to do in our society.

I'm doing okay for someone rapidly closing in on 50y. I cannot carry IWB comfortably if I'm over 200lbs. When I'm between my goal weight of 190-195 my waist is about 34" and I wear a 46R sport coat. The way a 46R jacket hangs on me makes concealing fairly easy even OWB, which I like better. I'm still pretty active, but am slowing down a little. I mostly just do cardio and weights with some MTB bicycling now. I do run, but most of that is on the treadmills in the gym. Outdoor running is more difficult for some reason.

Anyway, outside of work, I carry so much that most people have no idea what kind of shape I am in because I wear such loose clothing all the time. Except for work (can't carry inside), I'm done with fitted tops and the correct size bottoms. I like my jeans comfy and for the option of IWB I usually get 36" waist with relaxed fit cut.

[WildBill]

I've lost 15 pounds this year! It feels great. I am very fit and almost no fat. Cycling, major pushups (300/day every other day), and now tennis again (first time in 20 years), have really helped too. I gained weight last year and now that I'm forty, I worried that my metabolism is slowing, so I'm trying to head that off at the pass.
I'll tell ya, it's helped IWB carry a lot! It sounds like you're in shape, so congrats. It's a tough a thing to do in our society.

I'm doing okay for someone rapidly closing in on 50y. I cannot carry IWB comfortably if I'm over 200lbs. When I'm between my goal weight of 190-195 my waist is about 34" and I wear a 46R sport coat. The way a 46R jacket hangs on me makes concealing fairly easy even OWB, which I like better. I'm still pretty active, but am slowing down a little. I mostly just do cardio and weights with some MTB bicycling now. I do run, but most of that is on the treadmills in the gym. Outdoor running is more difficult for some reason.

Anyway, outside of work, I carry so much that most people have no idea what kind of shape I am in because I wear such loose clothing all the time. Except for work (can't carry inside), I'm done with fitted tops and the correct size bottoms. I like my jeans comfy and for the option of IWB I usually get 36" waist with relaxed fit cut.

I also wear a 46R jacket and conceal OWB with no problem. It's been too long since I weighed 175lbs. If lost that much weight and saw myself in the mirror, I would probably draw and shoot my own reflection because I didn't recognize myself.

[RPBrown]

Welcome to the forum Stumpjumper.

I have carried both IWB and OWB and I like OWB better. I'll also second the gun belt and a decent holster. Gun belts have a fairly wide range in price, but look at it like this. The money you pay for good equipment can keep you from being outed and will be more comfortable for you and safer.

IWB vs. OWB is a personal choice much like what gun you want to carry. Try them both and even if you like one method better you may still use the other depending on your attire.

I carry both ways when needed. Now that I am losing some weight, I don't have to buy bigger pants lol.

However, my preffered is OWB. But either way, you must have a good belt.

[Stumpjumper]

Welcome to the forum Stumpjumper.

I have carried both IWB and OWB and I like OWB better. I'll also second the gun belt and a decent holster. Gun belts have a fairly wide range in price, but look at it like this. The money you pay for good equipment can keep you from being outed and will be more comfortable for you and safer.

IWB vs. OWB is a personal choice much like what gun you want to carry. Try them both and even if you like one method better you may still use the other depending on your attire.

I carry both ways when needed. Now that I am losing some weight, I don't have to buy bigger pants lol.

However, my preffered is OWB. But either way, you must have a good belt.

I ordered a Crossbreed Supertuck for my IWB and bought a 5.11 Operator belt with the reinforcement so hopefully I have a good combination to start with. Problem is finding an inexpensive holster until the Crossbreed comes in. I will probably try to find a cheap IWB and use my Fobus for OWB unless I can find a cheap OWB that will work with my gun (FNX 9mm). Thanks for the information.

[rev210]

I have carried both O and IWB, during the colder months or at least colder for here I would carry in a Blackhawk Serpa CQC and had no problems concealing, now I have been carrying with a crossbreed supertuck, it surprised me how comfortable that is, I had tried some cheaper IWB holster and could not stand them.

[cbunt1]

Bill:

Speaking of the tuckable holsters with extra long shirt tails...I use a Comp-Tac MTAC with a Commander-sized 1911...and I tend to prefer long shirt tails myself. When I tuck it, I've learned to "roll" the section right over the holster. In short, I fold it over about 3-4 times, so that I'm only tucking a couple of inches right over the holster area. By doing so, the draw from tuck is much better--otherwise you wind up pulling and pulling at the shirttail before you get to a firing grip--not a good situation.

And, of course, this goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway...be SURE to practice the draw from tucked. It's a pain in the neck, but you need to do it so that you (a) how long it takes and (b) exactly what contortions you will have to make.

IME those stretchy polo shirts do well with the conceal part, especially if you blouse them out just a bit, and they don't seem "sloppy" when you do...but when you go to "rip" one from over your gun, it's like yanking a rubber-band! LOL

Like any carry method, it takes some getting used to, but it's well worth it. I tuck mine about 50% of the time, just depending on how I'm dressed, and the MTAC and Crossbreeds are a really nice option because they serve as plain-old good IWB holsters, and are tuckable to boot. It really helps keep with my personal rule of "no more than one layer between me and the gun" as the day moves along. I can start with a sport coat, and just the IWB, and if I decide to remove the coat, I can tuck my shirt around the holster, and go on about my day.