In vs. Out - How do you carry?

[FJ540]

IWB 1911 all the time @ 4 o'clock. Other than when putting it on, I rarely notice its there anymore.

Do you guys who don't like IWB have pants that fit with the weapon? I had to bump up waist sizes to get room for the piece, and can't wear my pants without it and no belt - they'll fall clear off.

[cigartim]

OWB for comfort when I am wearing a larger cover garment, or when I don't really care if my gun shows a bit. IWB the rest of the time. Generally, this equates to IWB in the summer, and OWB in the winter. I, too, make my own holsters, and make both styles for all of the guns I carry.

[jdege]

How I carry

[peckerhead]

OWB. I'm slim, and IWB holsters are freaking painful.

I've got SOB, shoulder, and ankle holsters that see occasional use.

[rugersol]

OWB/pocket ... I forget I'm wearin' 'em!

I'm not usually concerned about anyone noticing my OWB ... I usually wear long shirts untucked!

If I'm goin' somewhere my shirt's gotta be tucked in, or around neighbors or other parents and I simply don't wanna risk anyone catchin' a peek, it's usually a purdy low-risk venue!

Ya ... I know ... I ALWAYS need to be ready fer a squad of well-armed terrorists!

I even carry a 1911 ... jest so I might get the chance to practice a clearance drill, under stress! ... and of course, a speed-reload!

[MasonK]

I use both methods depending on time and place

I carry IWB in a Versacarry rig with my M&P 9 Compact. My challenge is that I'm a corporate Suit with a very slim athletic build so I needed a zero-bulk system to conceal to the point it was as completely undetecatble but still accessible as possible. I've tried other systems, but the Versacarry is, for me at least, the best system out there.

When I'm in my car, though, or out after work, I usually switch to a Blackhawk Serpa CQC with a full reverse cant set up for cross draw. I know that cross drawn isn't favored as a full-time method, but I once tried to fish my gun out of the Versacarry in deep concealment, under my seatbelt latch, while a crazy guy outside my window started physically attacking anything in arms reach. I was boxed in by traffic and had my kids in the car; after that I bought my Blackhawk and drive OC cross-draw ever since. Since I don't like unholstering/re-holstering in my car in public, I just leave it in the Serpa.

I like options and don't prefer one over the other. Both have their respective place in my full-time carry life.

[sgruenhagen44]

IWB exclusively. Easier to conceal, and to be honest with OWB I bang into and get it caught up on too many things too frequently.

I have carried many guns up to and including a full sized 1911 and find that if you can't conceal conveniently and comfortably, in most cases it's the fault of the holster not the firearm. Unless of course you're rail thin....... Then you're just SOL.

Agreed. Holster is key. I upgraded my carry gun from an Lc9 to an SR9. I first bought an outside the waist band holster thinking it wold be too big to put IWB. It worked but not very comfortable in my opinion and I wanted more concealment. I do open carry from time to time but only in places that I know I can get away with it. FLeet farm, Wally world, parks, gun range, archery range... etc etc. AnywaY, I bought a crossbreed holster recently. I found that it was more comfotable than my OWB galco. I can draw faster and it doesn't hang up stuff. I also noticed that it has less downward drag because the holster is more supported by your body. With an OWB holster I feel like it has more leverage to pull downward sitting farther out on your belt. I can see how heavier set men would want an OWB holster, I'm only 140 pounds so a gun hugging right up against me feels fine. I don't have a problem with open carry but I do with people who go places where they know it is frowned upon. The huge disadvantage in my mind is this with open carry. Lets say its 90 degrees out, it hard to keep just a light tee shirt always over your gun in an owb holster. I tried this summer. Then you end up going somewhere posted. You basically have to disarm yourself. At least for me I always did, because I didn't think it was worth being made in a social setting with friends.

[ex-LT]

Sig P239 9mm in a Srigs IWB double-snap. Was it a little uncomfortable at first - Yes. However, now that the holster is broken in I hardly even notice it. If it weren't for the weight of the gun, I probably wouldn't notice it at all.

PS: to add to what Strad said - you can have the best holster in the world, but if your belt sucks it's going to be uncomfortable. Get a good belt.
Here's where I got mine - Hank's Clothing. They've gone up in price a couple bucks since I got mine, but it's still one of the best deals around.

[Thunder71]

I 'was' a firm believe in those Hank's amish belts, but a recent even quickly changed my mind - at least with high ride holsters. I thought it was a great belt, until I started wearing my Galco I never knew how bad it was.

I switched back to my Hank's amish belt the other weekend because it's more casual than my Galco, and we headed to the town's festivities... I kept noticing my gun felt wobbly, so I cinched it one hole tighter... never really thought much about it, and chalked it up to the holster I had just got, which rides a little higher than I'm used to.

Well, the next day I put on my Galco and the wobbly-ness went away, even without my belt being overly tight like I had to have the Hanks belt.

That said, that's the only time I've ever encountered a problem with the Hank's amish belts... I have one in brown and one in black and outside of the high rise belt holster I have, it's been great.

In case you can't tell from my post, I'm an OWB kinda guy. When deep concealment is 'required' I either pocket carry my Taurus TCP or put the XD-S in a Smartcarry. If uber concealment is 'required' then I put my TCP in the Smartcarry.

[snlit3]

crossbreed belt, theis iwb holster

[tazdevil]

I use both methods depending on time and place

I carry IWB in a Versacarry rig with my M&P 9 Compact. My challenge is that I'm a corporate Suit with a very slim athletic build so I needed a zero-bulk system to conceal to the point it was as completely undetecatble but still accessible as possible. I've tried other systems, but the Versacarry is, for me at least, the best system out there.

When I'm in my car, though, or out after work, I usually switch to a Blackhawk Serpa CQC with a full reverse cant set up for cross draw. I know that cross drawn isn't favored as a full-time method, but I once tried to fish my gun out of the Versacarry in deep concealment, under my seatbelt latch, while a crazy guy outside my window started physically attacking anything in arms reach. I was boxed in by traffic and had my kids in the car; after that I bought my Blackhawk and drive OC cross-draw ever since. Since I don't like unholstering/re-holstering in my car in public, I just leave it in the Serpa.

I like options and don't prefer one over the other. Both have their respective place in my full-time carry life.

Since your a "corporate suit" would a shoulder rig then be a option? Under a standard suit jacket, I would think it would dissappear nicely?

[MasonK]

I use both methods depending on time and place

I carry IWB in a Versacarry rig with my M&P 9 Compact. My challenge is that I'm a corporate Suit with a very slim athletic build so I needed a zero-bulk system to conceal to the point it was as completely undetecatble but still accessible as possible. I've tried other systems, but the Versacarry is, for me at least, the best system out there.

When I'm in my car, though, or out after work, I usually switch to a Blackhawk Serpa CQC with a full reverse cant set up for cross draw. I know that cross drawn isn't favored as a full-time method, but I once tried to fish my gun out of the Versacarry in deep concealment, under my seatbelt latch, while a crazy guy outside my window started physically attacking anything in arms reach. I was boxed in by traffic and had my kids in the car; after that I bought my Blackhawk and drive OC cross-draw ever since. Since I don't like unholstering/re-holstering in my car in public, I just leave it in the Serpa.

I like options and don't prefer one over the other. Both have their respective place in my full-time carry life.

Since your a "corporate suit" would a shoulder rig then be a option? Under a standard suit jacket, I would think it would dissappear nicely?

With the jacket off and a white shirt you could see the gun and rig- not exactly the image I like to convey when meeting with clients over lunch (especially when I'm traveling to another state where I'm legally able to carry). While I'm sure that opaque shirts would work much better, I tested it with an Oxford-style shirt and it didn't to my satisfaction. Also, I've never had a problem with the Versacarry so I didn't need to change a winning formula.

On a side note, though, I wish the shoulder rig would have worked out. I think they are about the coolest way to carry a gun if you wear a suit. If I could OC in the office, I'd do it in a Miami Classic II in a heartbeat.

[XDM45]

Pretty diverse group and reasoning, I like it.

[yukonjasper]

Also a "suit" during the day and do not carry at work-I know, I know - its complicated. I may look at the Versacarry and have considered thunderwear or similar, just not sure I'm that paranoid and I'm not willing to risk my job or severely limit my career.

Pocket carry a J-frame most of the time - IWB glock 36 at 5:00 in cooler weather/winter time.

[goett047]

I don't and will not carry at work. I do have a nice knife or 5 available should I need them