This was never going to happen to me.....

[shh83]

....but I have to admit that I am acquiring quite a worthless drawer of holsters that I am never going to use. I have had my plastic for about 2 months and I simply can not find a comfortable, CONCEALABLE, way to carry my non pro pt111. I am an athletic guy with very little body fat...6'1'' 210lbs.

For example...I recently purchased a fobus roto paddle. I am trying to spend less on holsters now until I find the way I would like to carry on a very regular basis. I feel that I must wear a shirt that that resembles a bed sheet to not have obvious printing. I HATE this look.

Can someone PLEASE give me any advise......I love the pistol and I am very comfortable/proficient with it. I have a 1911 that I love, but would rather carry the 300 dollar pistol around that I may have to leave in my truck if needed. I know this is all opinion and personal preference but I am hoping someone will tell me something that I have not tried.

Thank you in advance!

Scott

[BrianSW99]

Paddle holsters generally aren't going to be the best for concealment due to how far the come out from the waist, as you have found out. Of all the paddles, the roto paddle has got to be one of the worst in this regard.

Have you tried a Crossbreed Supertuck? That's the one I'm looking at due to the tremendous praise they get from those who have them.

[USA1]

theres always the trusty "fanny pack" there are some made just for gun carry. they are slim and have a holster built in.

just a thought

[flb_78]

If you're gonna wear skin tight shirts, then you may need a new firearm and start pocket carrying.

[Charles L. Cotton]

As flb_78 said, anything approaching a tailored shirt isn't going to work for concealing a holster of any type. I too have been searching for the "holy grail" of holsters and it's as elusive as the real one. My dead holster drawer grew to 2 1/2 drawers. I love leather holsters and I have a lot of Milt Sparks holsters and Mitch Rosen or two. But I wear nothing but Comp-Tac holsters now. They are just too much faster and easier to conceal than the others. My daily wear now is the Comp-Tac Infidel with the Gurka strut. My son uses the same holster without the Gurka strut, but I like the extra stability. I'm carrying a 1911 and the Infidel/1911 combination is about as concealable as it gets.

Best of luck in your search!
Chas.

[jamullinstx]

+1 for Comp-Tac. They have good products and great customer service.

However, I tried the Infidel and found it to cut into my skin with the all-Kydex design. I've found their leather/Kydex hybrid products from their partnership with Minotaur to be ideal. The leather against the skin reduces the skin cutting and also protects the pistol from sweat. The Kydex body provides smooth holstering for me in an IWB rig. With the appropriate choice of clips it is tuckable, too, if you want to wear it that way.

I've also had good luck with all-leather products from a little-known holster maker in Arizona, Mernickle Holsters. Look at their performance series on their website.

[garcia946]

I haven`t found the perfect holster as of yet also , but I found a good one ( Don Hume IWB for my Glock 27).
But , still looking for the perfect one.

[apostate]

Before you buy any additional holsters, my advice to take your handgun(s) and your clothing and, in the privacy of your own home, figure out where on your body you can conceal a firearm. IWB holsters are popular but one size does not fit all. Be creative. Use medical/athletic tape if necessary. Then make certain you can access the firearm in that location. Once you know where on your body you wish to have the firearm, you can move on to the task of selecting a holster that does the job.

If you can't find such a location, you can consider different clothes or a different handgun. Another option is a safepacker, or off-body in a briefcase, shoulder bag, Dillon Plan B, etc.

[TexasComputerDude]

+1 for Comp-Tac. They have good products and great customer service.

I just had to call to get my ghurka strut replaced and comp-tac made me extremely happy. I was out of warranty by about 3 or 4 months but had e-mailed about the problem while it was in warranty then forgot about it for about 6 months. They had me forward the e-mail and then said they would ship me a new strut asap. I pretty much buy only comp-tac holsters now and recommend them to everyone. In fact the only other holster I've considered is one like longtooths for my 1911, but I still love comp-tac kydex.

[wheelgun1958]

You can always try a Smartcarry.

http://www.smartcarry.com/

[WillieD]

I am 6'3 200lbs and carry a Glock 27 in one of these: http://www.themalabarfront.com/index.php?cPath=82_85_92" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; with the IWB J-Hooks.

I don't wear baggy clothes (most of my shirts are larges) and have zero problem carrying my gun comfortably at the ~4:30 position.

[subsonic]

....but I have to admit that I am acquiring quite a worthless drawer of holsters that I am never going to use. I have had my plastic for about 2 months and I simply can not find a comfortable, CONCEALABLE, way to carry my non pro pt111. I am an athletic guy with very little body fat...6'1'' 210lbs.

That's interesting. Muscular guys seem to have an easier time concealing IWB because of the larger drop from shoulders to waist. The gun just disappears under a shirt with good drape. Everyone I know who hits the gym has an easier time concealing when they got in shape. I also hear complaints from people who put on weight during the holidays having a tougher time until they lose the weight.

[joe817]

This is a great thread. Thanks everyone. I'm learning a lot, and getting some great ideas for a difficult situation in trying to find an appropriate conceal holster.

[troglodyte]

You are rarely, if ever, going to find a comfortable holster. The trick is finding a holster you can tolerate all day...and somedays it is hard.

I have a Tucker Texas Heritage for my 1911 and a Comp-tac Minotar for my XD. I like them both enough that I don't have a holster drawer. They are tolerable enough to wear all day but I did have to get used to them, but I'm also a guy that can buy shoes off the rack by the size on the box without trying them on. Things either just fit me or I just don't know any better than to live with it.

For deep concealment I use the 5.11 tactical undershirt. I do wear another underarmor type shirt under it because the seams can chafe a little. It does get a little hot but you just deal with it.

I have found, as many here have also, that you have to dress around the gun. I used to wear tucked in t-shirts or polos most days. After I got my plastic that had to change. Now I wear a camp shirt or an untucked t-shirt that is loose enough to conceal a S&W 500 if I wanted to. Dressier times see me in Khakis and a polo or button shirt I have on the 5.11. Coat and tie means I don't have to worry. The Smartcarry was useful when I still had the j-frame.

While you may not have to resort to the "bed sheet", you may have to move up a size in shirts.

[CompVest]

shh83,

Another idea is to post in what general area you live and what holster(s) you find of interest. You could then see if anyone has the holster(s) for you to try. So long as the gun is of a similar size to your carry choice you should get an idea of whether you like the holster enough to want to invest in it. (I am suggesting that you try someone's holster with their gun in it. I am aware that you most likely won't find an exact combo like yours.)