New to Concealed Carry, Holsters???

[nettereo16]

Appendix carry works well with a tshirt.

A holster with a claw is a big plus. A gun belt is also going to be a big help in keeping things supported and comfortable. You’ll end up buying a few holsters as they are a lot of personal preference and there are plenty of quality ones on the market.

 

[Zak1215]

I carry either 3 o’clock or appendix and prefer an all kydex holster because of durability and secure carry. I find it comfortable to carry and fine against my skin, but may not be for everyone. I like tier 1 concealed. This is the holster I carry. Nice and simple, easily concealed, well built and can move positions as needed.

Tier 1 Concealed

You're looking at the T1-M Holster! The T1-M (which stands for Tier 1 Minimalist) features adjustable retention and a slim-lined design to keep it nice and close to your body. A simple, quick, 1 clip design allows you to slide it in and out of your waistline effortlessly. You'll also notice that...

www.tier1concealed.com

 

[Trial153]

After going though about 6 different IWB holsters for every day CC I settled on stealth gear. Worth the extra coin especially for warm weather. I have three of them for all my EDC guns.

 

[ElectricJellyfish]

Whichever holster you choose, it won't be your last. I have a graveyard of old holsters I went through trying to find the end game. I carry appendix using an LLOD Associate V2 which I love. I think holsters that have a mag carrier attached provide balance to the system. Most tuckable clips will hook over your belt and will be visible although 99% of people won't notice/care. I use an Ulti-clip when carrying my G43 with gym shorts. It's essentially a strong clamp that attaches to the waistband of your pants. That's also an option if you don't want anything visible when carrying with a tucked shirt. Whatever you do, invest in a dedicated gun belt. A good belt is just as important as the holster when it comes to comfort and concealment. For the rare times I use leather, I have a a few Magpul Tejas belts. But I mostly wear either my Blue Alpha Gear Low Profile EDC or Ares Gear Aegis Enhanced. I like the ability to finely adjust the belt as opposed to having traditional holes. Good luck with your search!

 

[FlyGuy]

Where do you want to carry? Appendix? 4-5 o'clock?

Honestly, I have no idea. That’s how green I am. I really don’t even know the trade offs between them. Comfort vs accessibility? Standing or sitting? Clueless.





You can’t cheat the mountain

 

[Trevor73402]

Honestly, I have no idea. That’s how green I am. I really don’t even know the trade offs between them. Comfort vs accessibility? Standing or sitting? Clueless.





You can’t cheat the mountain

This is something that is almost "Ford vs Chevy" to some people. For comfort and accessibility, appendix carry wins for me, except for riding in a vehicle. You'll see a lot of people that don't like appendix carry because they are scared of it. I mean it is a loaded pistol aimed at your manhood. A trade off for some is to carry a pistol with an external manual safety. It gives them a little more comfort in the pistol not discharging into their junk.

Carrying in the 4-5-6 o'clock position is certainly more comfortable in a vehicle. Still though, I find that it begins to dig into me or dig into my seat. As for the 6'oclock position, you better really practice drawing with that one. If it comes down to you drawing from the 6 and me drawing from appendix, Im going to have one in your melon before you ever clear your holster. The 6 is the furtherst point of carry from your line of sight and not a natural movement for most people. As I said, practice is key.

You just need to ask yourself what fits into your daily life/routine the best? Do you drive a lot? Do you wear casual clothing a lot where wearing a belt (especially a heavy stiff belt) isn't your norm? I rarely wear a belt in daily life. Im a gym rat so I have on gym shorts and tanks or t shirts on a lot of the time. Do you want to wear it non stop or take it off/on when getting in and out of a vehicle? Just go thru and ask yourself these things and you will start to zero in on what "could" be better options for you.

One tip I will offer you is to find the smallest/minimalist holster you can that works for you. The bigger/bulkier the holster, the less likely you are to carry it everyday. Some of those "tuckable" holsters are huge.

 

[Coldtrail]

I prefer appendix carry or 3 o clock depending on what I'm wearing, use a high ride holster and you can feel or protect your gun by covering the grip with your elbow, potentially breaking somebody's grip who might grab it. Don't just think about quick draw BS, weapon retention is more important so get something with some sort of retention strap or lock. The number of people, including cops, shot with their own gun is pretty staggering. If you live or plan to carry in freezing temps and snow I'd stay away from anything plastic with spring retention.

For comfort, durability, and retention it is hard to beat the plain old leather Pancake style IMO.

 

[T28w]

[QUOTE="Trevor73402, post: 1776902, member: 37803

One tip I will offer you is to find the smallest/minimalist holster you can that works for you. The bigger/bulkier the holster, the less likely you are to carry it everyday. Some of those "tuckable" holsters are huge.
[/QUOTE]
I have a crossbreed minituck. They are big but they are also very comfortable.

Put it on in the morning and forget about it.

There are only 2 drawbacks to mine that I have found. 1. You need a belt
2. It will take you a longer in the being getting it in place where you want it and tucked in.

I’m also surprised no one has mentioned a belly band. That is about the only way I could see carry with “gym” shorts as the waist band will struggle to support the hostler/firearm.

 

[lyle_destroys]

PLEASE, PLEASE, Don't get Alien gear......they are complete garbage. I am fairly certain that 80% of their customers are first time gun owners....and 80% of them never buy another holster from them. Get a real holster like a TRex Arms or other comparable custom maker.

I agree 100%. Lucas over at trex has a bunch of videos on holster choice and use. They have their own line which are expensive but top of the line.

 

[Gearqueer]

After saying I was going to do this for 15 years, I finally did it. TX LTC card arrived in the mail last week. I’ve got a sweet little sig P365 I plan to carry. I also purchased the TLR-6 laser/light to go on it.

But man, when it comes to holsters I quickly get overwhelmed. I really have no idea where to start or how to even make a good choice. I’m also realizing that the laser light is further limiting my holster options.

I live in the Houston area, so it’s HOT most of the year. Would need something that works with golf shirt and slacks/golf shirt and shorts for 90% of the time. Usually tucked in.

I know this isn’t a hunting question, but I’m hoping there are some guys on hear that have been through this already and might save me some time.






You can’t cheat the mountain

FlyGuy,

There is some decent advice mentioned so far, but I have some general rules. Overall, you will probably want an inside the waistband (IWB) of some sort. I used to carry deep concealed for a living so I’ve seen tons of co-workers who had their gun laying around on desks or left in cars because they were lazy about holster selection and/or had uncomfortable holsters. Here goes:

-if you’re serious about concealed carry you should treat your gun like your wallet; don’t let it leave your person very long (preferably never if you’re outside of the home) because it will get you or someone else in trouble eventually. Because of this, you will need a comfortable and truly concealable holster.

-if someone jumped on you and was trying to stick a knife in your chest where would you want that pistol? Don’t think that this isn’t a realistic scenario. The answer is appendix or about 3 o’clock. Small of back, pocket, or ankle carry really limits the chances you will be able to access your gun if you get jumped or if you’re in a car.

-you will end up with multiple holsters. No holster is perfect for every season or lifestyle. If you buy cheap you will spend even more in the long run. PM me for recommendations if you want my .02 cents on makes and models. Example: Do you have to wear a tucked shirt sometimes without a jacket?

Check out Pistol-forum.com for good advice on makes and models.


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[Chipz]

After saying I was going to do this for 15 years, I finally did it. TX LTC card arrived in the mail last week. I’ve got a sweet little sig P365 I plan to carry. I also purchased the TLR-6 laser/light to go on it.

But man, when it comes to holsters I quickly get overwhelmed. I really have no idea where to start or how to even make a good choice. I’m also realizing that the laser light is further limiting my holster options.

I live in the Houston area, so it’s HOT most of the year. Would need something that works with golf shirt and slacks/golf shirt and shorts for 90% of the time. Usually tucked in.

I know this isn’t a hunting question, but I’m hoping there are some guys on hear that have been through this already and might save me some time.






You can’t cheat the mountain

Look at Clinger holsters if you want a barebones, effective and cheap kydex holster to get you started. Not sure if they have provisions for a light but you can check out T-Rex Arms for an IWB holster with light.

 

[BlackSheep]

I think it is important to add this to the conversation (which is a very helpful and insightful discussion with tons of great input, btw)...should you conceal carry with a round in the chamber or not? I decided long,ago to NOT carry with a round in the chamber. There is zero chance of accidental discharge this way. Many will argue it is stupid to do so. But vigilance about situational awareness can and will be your buffer here. Nobody is going to jump in my locked car at an intersection and surprise me, is what I'm saying because I will already have scoped a suspicious person out. If he gets squirrely, I prepare accordingly. So situational awareness is the effort I am willing to put in to guarantee zero chance of accidental discharge, if that makes any sense. It's a trade off, a risk management strategy I have settled on for my personal edc solution.

 

[DINforlife]

I stumbled across a Crossbreed Supertuck review a few weeks before my CCWP arrived. I liked what a saw and ordered one and have never looked back. That was over ten years ago. It’s a super comfortable holster and once it breaks in, it almost disappears from your mind (even in the summer here in SC and GA). I can’t tell you how many times I’ve panicked, thinking that I managed to get out of the house without my pistol only to put my hand on my side and feel it there. I also wear my shirt tucked in 90% of the time and as these holsters are designed for that, you can’t even tell that it’s there. They also have a great warranty where they will replace it for free if it breaks. I’ve managed to break two over the course of ten years in very stupid, couldn’t-do-it-on-purpose-if-I-tried ways, and they sent me a new one, no questions asked.

With that being said, holsters are a very personal thing so if you get a chance to try multiple styles and brands out, definitely do that. The best holster is the comfortable one that allows you to carry daily without thought.

 

[Gearqueer]

I totally forgot the most important thing; that a belt is more important than the holster. A stiff gunbelt is a total game changer. I like https://www.thebeltman.net.

The quick-ship belts are what I recommend.


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[OXN939]

Honestly, I have no idea. That’s how green I am. I really don’t even know the trade offs between them. Comfort vs accessibility? Standing or sitting? Clueless.





You can’t cheat the mountain

The only time I would ever carry appendix is if I thought it was likely I'd have to draw from inside a vehicle. Considering that most people aren't running personal protection convoys, 4 oclock conceals more effectively and is generally more natural. Get a Crossbreed Supertuck for your 365 and it's very likely that you'll eliminate all the guesswork and trial-and-error mentioned above in this thread.

 

[h2so4]

Check out the weapon outfitters website. They have ONLY quality gear. With that said- I’ve gotten raven concealment holster, specifically vanguard, from
Them and love it. I’ve hard crossbreed before and they were OK. The vanguard is extremely comfortable and minimalist. I don’t hesitate to carry because it works so well. The best gun is the one that’s with you...

 

[FlyGuy]

Thanks for all this! Lots for me to research but helps so much to hear what people like and why vs just guessing.

Today was the first time I left the house carrying concealed. I ordered a vanguard holster (with claw) a while back but I had never used it until today. I’ll definitely need practice drawing it but it was very intuitive. Idk the difference between appendix and 3 o’clock, but it felt best for me in the front, just right of center (right handed). Shorts and untucked T-shirt. Worked great. My wife didn’t even notice! Wore it on several errands and to the archery range (best one around is in a sketchy area). Overall it was more comfortable than I expected, but with the heat here I can already see that I’ll need one that reduces skin contact better. The skin facing side of the gun was soaked with sweat, which can’t be a good thing. (I am carrying chambered btw.).

Not sure this set up would still work with a tucked in dry-fit golf shirt but will check tomorrow.





You can’t cheat the mountain

 

[Trevor73402]

Thanks for all this! Lots for me to research but helps so much to hear what people like and why vs just guessing.

Today was the first time I left the house carrying concealed. I ordered a vanguard holster (with claw) a while back but I had never used it until today. I’ll definitely need practice drawing it but it was very intuitive. Idk the difference between appendix and 3 o’clock, but it felt best for me in the front, just right of center (right handed). Shorts and untucked T-shirt. Worked great. My wife didn’t even notice! Wore it on several errands and to the archery range (best one around is in a sketchy area). Overall it was more comfortable than I expected, but with the heat here I can already see that I’ll need one that reduces skin contact better. The skin facing side of the gun was soaked with sweat, which can’t be a good thing. (I am carrying chambered btw.).

Not sure this set up would still work with a tucked in dry-fit golf shirt but will check tomorrow.





You can’t cheat the mountain

That is appendix carry.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Try a Sticky.

 

[Hondo]

I live in Texas and have tried pretty much every carry method over the years and find that carrying a sub-compact in my front pocket to be the most comfortable EDC for me. I had never seriously considered it until I was talking to a firearms instructor who encouraged me to try it.