5.11 Carry holster shirts and the like

Cal44

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I'm talking about their line of white holster undershirts that have padded pockets on each side for a firearm.

I believe the idea is to wear a cover shirt over them.

I have a shirt that was intended to as a cover shirt and looks like a dress shirt but has snaps rather than buttons.

Does anyone use them? Are they any good? What are the pluses and minuses?

Can you carry a fairly large gun like a 4" GP100, or even an N frame with these holster shirts?
 
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I assume you mead 5.11 shirt like here:
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/5-11-40011-010-66-Tactical-Holster-Shirt/dp/B003Z0EVFM"]Amazon.com : 5.11 Tactical S/S Holster Shirt : Undershirts : Sports & Outdoors@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41PUttj%2B7wL.@@AMEPARAM@@41PUttj%2B7wL[/ame]

I am not familiar with 4.11. I can tell you about the 5.11 shirts. I have two. They are meant to be tight, form fitting. If properly fitted, they work well for their designed purpose. But I quit wearing mine fairly quickly. Here is why, accessibility issues aside. These shirts are made of a nylon based material which allows them to stretch and fit snugly. The problem for me is the stitching of the seams. The thread used is a stiff nylon thread (think fishing line). Everywhere the threads are cut, which is a lot, there is a tiny, stiff, sharp pointed end that pokes you. It was a constant itch to me, was very uncomfortable. I never got used to it. Perhaps they were meant to be worn over another layer of clothing, I don't know. In the TX heat, you can only wear so many layers. I won't be buying any more.
 
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I'm talking about their line of white holster undershirts that have padded pockets on each side for a firearm.

I believe the idea is to wear a cover shirt over them.

I have a shirt that was intended to as a cover shirt and looks like a dress shirt but has snaps rather than buttons.

Does anyone use them? Are they any good? What are the pluses and minuses?

Can you carry a fairly large gun like a 4" GP100, or even an N frame with these holster shirts?

I have seen some reviews where they were liked and others who had trouble with the thread coming lose around the hidden pocket because of the weight of the weapon ..

Know a female LEO that wears them almost always off duty .. and swears by them .. she says they need to be tight on the body to really do the hiding .. if the're loose they tend to move a bit when active ..
 
I have two of them and I like them a lot, but they are not perfect.

Positives:
Unless your outer shirt is skin tight, no one can tell you are carrying.
They hold the gun securely.
They are great for driving trips because your gun is far more accessible when you are behind the wheel than it is in belt or pocket holster.
They seem to be well-made.
If you have a snap-button shirt, you can reach your gun fairly easily whether you are sitting or standing.
You can wear a gun on either side, or both.

Negatives:
So that the gun is held securely, it must go all the way in to the fairly deep pocket/holster, thus slowing retrieval. There are a couple of velcro tabs to secure the opening. I once tried to position my M&P 40c so that the grip was held more accessibly between the tabs, but the first time I leaned over, the 40c slid out.
From a standing position, pocket and belt holsters will provide quicker access.
They are expensive, around $60.

Positive or negative, depending on your preferences:
In the most secure position, the gun is almost directly under your arm. Thus you feel it frequently when you move your arm. Some people may not like that. I do.
They can be hot. On cold days, they will definitely supply an extra layer of warmth. On hot days, they will ratchet up the perspiration factor. I always wear a cotton undershirt under mine, as it helps with air circulation over my skin. I wore mine on a one hour walk in 85 degree temperatures last summer, and I was not uncomfortable. However, I would never wear one directly against my skin.
They are tight. To hold the gun securely against your body, they are made out of a tight-fitting lycra-spandex material. Some may not like the feeling, but others will find it supportive. Personally, I think it enhances my already manly physique. :rolleyes:

Hope that helps.
 
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As stated above, they're expensive, they are snug and can be warm in the summer, they do work when nothing else will and hides the gun very well with any cover shirt.
I got a black crew neck and a white V-neck. The V-neck is a little cooler.
I will say it feels good to peel it off at the end of the day. Best worn in cooler temps.
The extra pocket is a good place to stash cash or wallets, also.
 
What gun do you guys carry with these shirts?

It seems like a small pocket gun might get lost on those deep pockets and be hard to retrieve quickly.

Do you think a gun like my 4" GP-100 would work (40 oz), or would it be too heavy?
 
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I don't have the 5.11 shirt, but my wife has been experimenting with similar products. The problems she discovered are similar to the negatives listed, but she found a couple of different options that are ok (the Under Tech "pants"). She was trying to conceal a Walther PPS, and even it was too heavy for anything that wasn't secured around the waist. The Under Tech pants are reinforced when you put your normal pants on. This is different than the shirt, but equally as concealable and slightly more comfortable. Just a thought.
 
I wear slacks and a button up dress shirt 4 days a week. I have been using one of these shirts 4 days a week for about 7 months (I need to get a second as it gets tiring washing it so much). I carry a glock 23 on one side and a spare mag on the other.

After a couple months of wearing and washing the Velcro loses strength and the gun can slide out when bent over. I fixed that by sewing the opening smaller.

My other complaint is that on smaller guns the pocket is way to large
 
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