Concealed Carry Full Size Pistol

[lws380]

Unfortunately, what I would have said (again, based solely on my own limited experience, others here may disagree) is that you'd be very hard-pressed to make a full-size pistol work in ANY kind of WB carry (inside or outside) without a belt of some kind. ... as I suspect, ends up being "no", then neither IWB nor OWB is likely to work at all, and it's time to be practical & realistic and consider something else (either carry location or the gun itself).

That's exactly the conclusion I am coming to right now.

Next step for me is most likely a different gun, which is where I started

thanks JT..

mr.72,

Where are you located? I make holsters and would be glad to make some different holsters for you to try if you happen to be in my area. I don't have a dummy gun for your gun so would need your gun to mold a holster. Or if you buy the dummy gun and let me use it, then I can let you try some various options. You could try it out and if it does not work, give it back. Just keep and buy the one you like.

I've made some clip on IWB for my XD 9mm (about the size of your gun) and it works ok for me. I could probably make you something that might work. However, I must say a good belt with just about any kind of IWB or OWB is preferable.

[Wildscar]

You can stop eating I'm done.

[mr.72]

I'm in NW Austin suburbs

[lws380]

I'm in NW Austin suburbs

PM sent!

[fm2]

Part of your frustration is your sliding requirements.

Starting here:

I don't wear a stiff belt routinely.

I don't routinely wear a belt. When I do, it's absolutely not a stiff gun belt.

....then I have to wear a belt to keep them from falling off. Of course my wife hassles me about my choice of clothes when I do this.

So I guess since I am unlikely to adjust my wardrobe to include a gun belt...

If wearing a belt is too much of a hassle and an unreasonable change, you should have just said so up front.

There is literally no way for me to try any of these holsters.

What have you tried so far? You can also come to the forum day @ PSC and try holsters there.

I am not going to change my wardrobe....

You should think about a small fixed blade knife for IWB carry.

[rant]
You know this is the single most irritating thing about many gun-carrying folks. It's the overt opinion that once you decide to carry concealed, then every other part of your life needs to be re-oriented around it, otherwise you are being unreasonable. I asked specifically for information about making something with within my totally normal and reasonable situation.
This is one of the key things that keeps "outsiders" on the "outside".
[/rant]

Carrying a handgun is a change to most peoples lives. They make that change after the realization that they are responsible for their safety, and consider the handgun a benefit to to their personal safety plan. Some people don't think it's worth the bother.


What are some other key things that make people feel like outsiders?

[mr.72]

Part of your frustration is your sliding requirements.

I have been very consistent in pointing out that I don't often wear a belt, and when I do wear a belt, it is not one sufficient for a gun belt. When pressed about changing my wardrobe to include a gun belt, I thought I was pretty clear, I am not going to do that.

If wearing a belt is too much of a hassle and an unreasonable change, you should have just said so up front.

I thought I expressed, four times at least by your quotation, that I was not planning to routinely wear a gun belt.

Next time, I'll just post right up. Hear ye! Hear ye! No matter how many times you recommend it, I am not going to wear a gun belt!

What have you tried so far? You can also come to the forum day @ PSC and try holsters there.

I am having enough of a hard time finding ANY holster that doesn't require a belt. Then on top of that, it's not like I can just walk into Sportsman's Warehouse, unpackage their holsters, whip out my Sigma and start trying stuff on.

So I concede. I have tried my Smartcarry. I have evaluated (using pictures, descriptions, and holding them in my hand inside a package) a number of those which are available but I have not tried any of them with my own gun and my own clothing.

I don't know what PSC is BTW.

You should think about a small fixed blade knife for IWB carry.

wow.

Carrying a handgun is a change to most peoples lives. They make that change after the realization that they are responsible for their safety, and consider the handgun a benefit to to their personal safety plan. Some people don't think it's worth the bother.

What are some other key things that make people feel like outsiders?

The attitude you just expressed is the main one. The suggestion that I should carry a knife instead is another good example.

The whole idea that CCW is sort of like a clique you have to join along with learning new language, changing your clothing, changing your ideas about other unrelated things etc. It's the whole package. I don't expect most people who have been around guns all of their lives to understand this point. You have already been conditioned to believe that your outlook is normal. However I can tell you that as an adult who only in the past six months has been serious about owning or carrying a gun, the impact of the way this changes my lifestyle is just way too much. The vibe I get in general (and not just this forum, but others and other face to face contact with gun people) is that is truly "us" and "them"... and frankly I like "them" better.

I don't like that my mother all of the sudden thinks I have become a "gun nut". I don't want to show up for Thanksgiving dinner wearing clothes that are obviously out of character for me and have my mom suddenly giving me the third degree about whether I am carrying. I absolutely cannot tolerate this kind of questioning in one of my jobs. It's not just some kind of personal preference thing. Not everybody thinks it's normal to carry a gun every day. I don't care to get into that debate with people. I don't want anyone to notice anything different about me, and I don't want to actually have to be any different just in order to be prepared.

You suggest I some people don't think it's "worth the bother". You know, it's a much bigger bother to those people. It's a huge bother to me to find a way to carry a useful weapon without advertising to thousands of people that something is different. This is not just small deal. I have two very important, apparently incompatible needs. It doesn't help when, rather than give useful advice, knowledgeable persons dismiss these people as lacking commitment to the safety of themselves or their family simply because they have other things in their life that have to work together and not just CCW.

So like I say, I'll plan to sometimes carrying with my Smartcarry and saving some gig money for a more concealable gun.

Makes me wonder if there isn't a market for products to work with someone with my restrictions on wardrobe who want to CCW.

[KC5AV]

I don't know what PSC is BTW.

TexasCHLforum Day at PSC 2008
This is what he was referring to.

[Disturbed]

I've been doing a little research on your situation. I've come across alot of deep cover holsters, but most look very iffy. I would suggest looking into a shoulder holster that is tighter fitting, and meant for deep cover.

Example: http://www.copsplus.com/prodnum6437.php

Now this holster would work if you wore a undershirt, and for quick draws you would have to figure out a way or find a holster that mounts at a slight angle, but unless you are wearing a really tight shirt, this should be able to conceal a g19 or sigma. Notice the front cross strap, that will keep the gun tight to your side, allowing for better concealment. And the price isnt bad either.

I looked at ankle holsters as well, but found none that would be comfortable with the weight of a g19 or sigma. not to mention u said u like shorts..

Of course just about any waist holster is out of question if you dont wear a belt. But they do make deep cover waist bands that can carry sigma or g19, so if you feel comfortable witht that than you can, but the things look to much like a girdle to me.
I've heard a few good reviews on this holster, for use with beltless shorts: http://www.kahrshop.com/cgi-bin/itemdet ... ?itmid=786

Pocket holsters are good to, but not for sigma.

From what i'm finding out there, you can conceal a sigma without a belt, BUT! you loose the quick draw aspect in most deep cover holsters. So u must strike a balance. Which only u can decide.

Google search:
Deep Cover Holsters
Shoulder Holsters
waistband holsters

Hope this helps bro.

[M9FAN]

I'm gonna' need more popcorn...

[zeroskillz]

'Disturbed' a few posts up offers some great options...

No offense, but it sounds like the gun you bought simply wont work well for the purpose you intended.

Start over, define how you're willing to carry and find a gun that fits you and those requirements.
I did the same thing with my first pistol, and ended up trading it one a few months after I bought it.

I'll say it again, it sounds like the only practical option for you given what you've said is pocket carry.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

If you want to talk options, I'd be happy to give you some--I'm a gun dealer.

Call, email or PM--you don't need to buy from me either--in fact I can recommend some good guys out-of-state so you can avoid sales tax.

HTH, and good luck.
-Ted
ted@tnghardware.com
877-362-8720 toll free

[mr.72]

Thanks, Ted.

The gun I bought works for the purpose for which I bought it, which is home defense. It is high capacity, comfortable to shoot and I enjoy practicing with it. But it looks like it probably won't work as a carry weapon.

When I bought it I didn't intend to carry. The more I considered what is the point of owning a gun that's locked in a safe at home, the more I realized I needed to carry. Now I fully intend to get another gun at some point but the question is always, do I get another HD gun, or do I get a dedicated carry gun? I was planning on getting a dedicated carry gun but right now, I don't have one, and if I could find a way to carry this one for a while, it'd be fab.

Thanks for the offer of info. I may contact you.

[agbullet2k1]

Just an afterthought, but after I posted earlier, a lightbulb went off in my head. I've carried IWB before without a belt, although not often. What worked for me was a "belt clip" attached to the gun itself. It's big enough that a decent pair of shorts, even with an elastic waistband, kept it in place rather well for hours at a time. As for printing, the shirt makes the difference there.

But after seeing that "belt or no belt" seems to be your primary concern, just thought I'd throw my .02 in. The gun was/is a Glock 27, with a clipdraw. I'm sure you'll find opponents of this method on here, but c'mon, the picture on the front page of their site is it being used with a nylon belt, which from your example photos, seems to be your style. They make models for Glocks and S&W revolvers which are easily installed/removed, as well as "stick ons" for everything else. Very cheap to experiment with as well. "Reholstering" is a pain, but I'm sure if you ever have to draw, that will be the least of your worries.

Hope that helps. Hang in there, it took me almost 2 years to find something on my own. You're getting a big advantage being on here.

[NcongruNt]

I'm in NW Austin suburbs

We're probably going to have an Austin-area forum get-together here in the near future, so something that may help is to see what everyone has there.

I have a Ruger LCP, which I either pocket carry or use in a holster shirt, that would certainly be small enough for any kind of carry you want. I'll probably be at the range on Saturday if you want to meet up there and check it out. I've got a smaller PA-63, which is the same size and shape as the Bersa Thunder .380, as well as an IWB setup for it so you can get a feel for that size of gun. It's compact, but not tiny.

[lws380]

on the Ruger LCP.
Kind of hard to find one now though.

[bdickens]

Sorry to break this to you, but you're going to have to make some sort of adjustments, either to your wardrobe or to your sidearm. Or both. There's just no way around it.