Concealed Carry Comfort

Each of us has our own definition of comfort. For some comfort is a high capacity semi auto. For others it's a J frame or mouse gun stuffed in a pocket.

Some believe comfort is a fine leather holster worn on the belt. And others a kydex holster worn IWB.

And to some comfort is a gun on the belt and a long gun in the trunk.

For me comfort is the complete and total package. The gun I can carry concealed and shoot well in an all leather custom made IWB leather holster. But it is also comforting to know that I have the ability, the situational awareness, attitude and mindset, and the willingness to protect myself and loved ones.
 
Handgun bullets don't have stopping power, unless they hit certain small to fairly small parts of the central nervous sysytem. Anywhere else, including "center mass" and all the organs therein, is a crapshoot. People vary in their reactions to being shot there, from instantaneous unconsciousness to no effect at all (at least for several minutes). See Patrick Urey's writings, and others.

Methods of carry and resulting comfort vary greatly from person to person. Certainly pocket carry can often be comfortable, if you're OK with what you can carry in your pocket. In better guns, I have found a 1911 to be one the most comfortable to carry, especially IWB in a Summer Special, even more comfortable than a LW Commander. I do not particularly expect this to be true for others, but it is for me. It is also more comfortable to carry than most revolvers.

What I learn from this is that because body shapes and other factors vary, I can not tell others what they should carry. Rather, they need to investigate for themselves. People who carry usually have a large box or two of holsters that they don't use.
 
crazyphil said:
Many of our Sheriffs and Police opposed it. They thought it will
be a problem. I'm all for the 2nd Amendment, but this might be
a little extreme. I guess we will know starting this coming Friday.
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Before Idaho, there are 9 other states who have had constitutional carry. So far, no problems in those states. Vermont has had it for many decades, without any problems.

rest assured, I'd wager that Idaho will be just fine like the other 9 states :)
 
I heard the "comforting vs comfortable" statement used my Clint Smith in at least one of his articles. Haven't ever been to Thunder Ranch, but I'm pretty sure he's an advocate of larger frames firearms with relatively proven track records in defensive encounters (he's been a 1911 advocate since I can remember, and S&W made an N-frame .44 Special named after his institution.).

My opinion on the C vs C debate, is that with QUALITY gun leather, you can have both. I carried a full sized M&P 45 in a Milt Sparks Summer Special II for several years, including some 36-hour stints on the job and still maintain it was the most comfortable rig I've ever worn. I've been using some stiuff by Crossbreed lately, and when broken in, it works great. On the other hand, I've had the less expensive stuff, including Blackhawk SERPA, both paddle and belt loop attachments dig into my hip and grind on nerves something awful in a relatively short period of time. Anyone who is serious about carrying a firearm regularly really needs to invest in good gun leather. The good stuff, especially that made by craftsmen who have been around for a long time (i.e. Milt Sparks) is very well designed with both comfort and concealment in mind. To me, it is more comforting to carry a decent sized, reliable handgun that you can shoot in a good holster that keeps it concealed than it is to carry the smallest, lightest pistol you can find that is either not reliable or you cannot manage to handle proficiently.
 
Something (a ultra concealed .22) is better than nothing (a cell phone), as I suspect the people that were murdered in Orlando when hiding in the bathroom stalls would agree with (and the people in France hiding under tables/behind counters as well). I, for the life of me, cannot believe that if you are truly concerned about CCWing and defending your right to life, that you wouldn't want the most effective tool and be trained in how to use it. With modern pistol design, cartridge design, holster design, and "fashion", there is ZERO argument that a person can't effectively conceal and deploy, at the minimum, a single stack 8 round 9mm at 25 yards. Most people, who WANT TO make the choice to, can carry a double stack, semi-auto, and comfortably conceal it.

One of my friends is currently embarking down the CCW road, and he asks me all of the time about "how do you do that?" (small groups, consistent patterns, conceal/draw/reload, etc.) and I have to keep telling him that I train, practice, and compete regularly and have for the past 20 years. He's only been doing that for two (hey, at least he realized the importance of it, if only 20 years late), but he isn't giving up. It's important enough for him to take classes, join a range, try various pistols, holsters, gear, etc. to find what works for him.

There are plenty of options available to carry an accurate semi-auto comfortably, with spare ammo that is equally as concealable and carryable. This is definitely comfortable AND comforting to me ...
 
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I basically agree with everything that walkin' trails said in post #26, with the caveat that there ARE differences in body shape and you will probably still end up with a few holsters in the large holster box. What is good for one is not necessarily good for another.

Bianchi and Galco both made a LARGE selection of holsters. I find it hard to believe that every holster worked out well for every buyer, although, in fact, both of those makers made ME happy with every one I bought. Mitch Rosen came close. I only own one Kramer, marketed by Dillon, but it is a gem. I have a lot of Summer Specials by Milt Sparks. The service by him and Tony Kanaley have been terrific. That design is THE best for me, when applied to a 1911. For revolvers, I do not get along with it - give me a Galco or DeSantis belt holster. O'Rourkes are just as good, and probably cost less. When nobody was making a holster yet for the oddball 325PD sights, O'Rourke came through. The last holster I bought was for a 1917 reproduction (5.5" 22-4). Lobo came through on that one, which didn't surprise me. I knew that he had holster-making experience, and that he had been a cop. His pancake fit me just great (I already knew it would fit the pistol), and it actually allows that fairly large gun to be carried concealed. Experience counts.

There IS a connection between, on the one hand, the smarts of the designer and the quality level he operates at, and, on the other hand, the likelihood that the holster will work out in practice. Just don't expect it to be 100%, and do the very best you can to pick the right place to bet.

Good luck.
 
The quote is definitely attributable to Clint Smith.

My take on it is that a J-frame 38 or J-Magnum frame .357 is hard to beat for comfort with either a 2.125" or 3" barrel.
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That might very well be true and I carried a smaller gun, a Beretta 950-BS in .25 ACP for years and years before I switched to a J-frame and OH YES, you can be very comfortable - until you have to shoot it. Not the .25 - that's just a mousegun that goes anywhere and everywhere but I got over it and moved to .38s but J-frames essentially are one shot guns for most people because getting them back on target ain't easy. YMMV. I have this argument routinely.

A 2" K-frame is hardly bigger than a J-frame; some cargo-type pants will even allow for pocket carry of such a gun and I've done it. But you get 20% more fire power than a J-frame, easy second and third shots (accurate ones, for that matter!), and IWB is not very uncomfortable and OWB is definitely not uncomfortable with a snubby K frame.

Sadly, I don't think S&W makes a snubby K frame any longer.
 
Motorsporting said:
Something (a ultra concealed .22) is better than nothing (a cell phone), as I suspect the people that were murdered in Orlando when hiding in the bathroom stalls would agree with (and the people in France hiding under tables/behind counters as well). I, for the life of me, cannot believe that if you are truly concerned about CCWing and defending your right to life, that you wouldn't want the most effective tool and be trained in how to use it. With modern pistol design, cartridge design, holster design, and "fashion", there is ZERO argument that a person can't effectively conceal and deploy, at the minimum, a single stack 8 round 9mm at 25 yards. Most people, who WANT TO make the choice to, can carry a double stack, semi-auto, and comfortably conceal it.

One of my friends is currently embarking down the CCW road, and he asks me all of the time about "how do you do that?" (small groups, consistent patterns, conceal/draw/reload, etc.) and I have to keep telling him that I train, practice, and compete regularly and have for the past 20 years. He's only been doing that for two (hey, at least he realized the importance of it, if only 20 years late), but he isn't giving up. It's important enough for him to take classes, join a range, try various pistols, holsters, gear, etc. to find what works for him.

There are plenty of options available to carry an accurate semi-auto comfortably, with spare ammo that is equally as concealable and carryable. This is definitely comfortable AND comforting to me ...
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How would you conceal a double stack 9mm in South Fl during the summer. Avg. temp is 90+ with high humidity. I can just manage to pocket carry a Shield in cargo shorts but a double stack is too thick and heavy. G42 works for dockers.
 
Please don't use Orlando for this - the club had metal detectors as far as I know - it was a "gun free zone"......sure it was.....

As for this:

How would you conceal a double stack 9mm in South Fl during the summer. Avg. temp is 90+ with high humidity. I can just manage to pocket carry a Shield in cargo shorts but a double stack is too thick and heavy. G42 works for dockers.
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I conceal a 6906 IWB wearing slacks and a light vest routinely - and it's 95 degrees in the shade here in North Texas. The issue is not how do you do it in Florida's heat, it's what are you wearing and where are you going - if you're headed anywhere that you would be expected to be dressed at least "business casual" you can hide a smallish double stacked 9mm.

However, if you're outside all day, business casual is simply not going to work in any kind of high heat and humidity, so you lose the larger gun option. Still, with a shirt out I could probably do it but in lightweight clothes I'll stick to my K frame snubbies or maybe even something smaller.
 
Florida J Frame said:
How would you conceal a double stack 9mm in South Fl during the summer. Avg. temp is 90+ with high humidity. I can just manage to pocket carry a Shield in cargo shorts but a double stack is too thick and heavy. G42 works for dockers.
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My point is you have to want to. You won't believe me that we have temperatures like that in Seattle, but we do (it's just only for a few days). Regardless of that, the difference between 85 and humid is not much more than 90 and humid - they're both hot and sticky. Plus, I am ALWAYS hot, so figuring out how to comfortably carry a double-stack 9mm has been a priority for me for a long time.

I can, and do, regularly carry my M&Pc in a Keeper's Concealment AIWB with just a light "Hawaiian" (button down) shirt. The Keeper's does an excellent job of concealing M&P FS too - honestly, it's somewhat amazing - but since I have the FS mag as a back up, I have justified I don't "have" to carry the FS pistol too (admittedly, I waver on this and usually opt for the smaller/lighter compact even though the FS is concealed perfectly well). This will work for most casual circumstances (a day at the office, or a night out). I often, because I choose to, make myself hotter by wearing a white t-shirt/tank top under to help reduce holster abrasion. My N82 tactical doesn't require the extra t-shirt, but it will be "hot" against the skin in anything north of 75deg. If you need to dress up (suit and tie), I've used tuckable holsters from Crossbreed, Comp-Tac, and Foxx with great success. Although I don't have one, the Smart Carry would also be an option. If you are wearing pants (hopefully you don't have to in Florida summer) I also have an ankle holster (not the quickest draw but also not horrible) that conceals the M&Pc fine.

If you get to wear shorts all day, then you should be fine with a button up/polo shirt on top. You could buy some "purposeful" concealed carry shirts (they are often a little thicker/sturdier around the waste, have "rip" open snaps/velcro, and colors/designs built in to obscure the shape of a pistol) to aid in concealment, but most button-up shirts and polos are fine for me. With different holster options/angles/designs, a good belt, and the right concealment garment, I can carry a double stack easily.

Again, there are PLENTY of options if you want to make it happen. A slight change in wardrobe with a few holster options is all that is needed. I simply think the "it's hot" or "it's uncomfortable" is a weak excuse if you are truly concerned about your and your family's safety. YMMV.
 
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The more comfortable a holstered weapon is, the more likely one is to carry it constantly. On the same tactical level, the more comfortable a holstered weapon is, the less often you will touch, pull, reposition and telegraph your "concealed weapon". Comfortable carry aides effective concealment and I've spent more than I can remember testing a huge number of popular holsters before finding what I needed. Thankfully, eBay helped dispose of the rejects.
 
I think OWB is the only comfort for me. I take comfort in knowing I am concealed with IWB, but I cannot stand the intrusion into my hip area. Looks like I'll be buying yet another holster soon, as the IWB is just not working out.
 
It can and does get to 100+ here in Texas... cargo shorts and a Hawaiian shirt will conceal even the largest double stack 9mm in an outside the waist band holster. This discussion all depends on need and desire. I have carried full size 1911's, Sig 229 and Glock 17 in comfort as well as comfortably. I currently carry a 19 or 66 snub OWB every day without issues.
As far as if we are confronted with BG's with rifles... well what choice do we have if not fight it out? They will try to kill you anyway. I will fight and not go down without all my brass around my feet... I refuse to live in a state where I am afraid to engage an Orlando type attacker because my 19/66 will not be good enough. I committed myself to use force when I decided to carry a sidearm if and when the need arose.
All the above said, I am really considering returning to my 1911 Commander.... or something else. I sold all but my 1911 to feed my addiction to S&W revolvers. I think a 9mm is marginal at best, my opinion only, but it gives capacity which over comes lethality in a terrorist engagement. You want the BG out of the fight and a 9mm will do that. In this case just stopping the threat is... good enough.

"... the only thing needed for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing"
 
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My (5) shot .38 special 337PD S&W weighs 13.75 oz. loaded and my Kimber Pro Carry .45acp (commander size 4") loaded weighs 34.25 oz. Big difference in weight and comfort.
 
firearmsunlimited said:
My (5) shot .38 special 337PD S&W weighs 13.75 oz. loaded and my Kimber Pro Carry .45acp (commander size 4") loaded weighs 34.25 oz. Big difference in weight and comfort.
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There is. But the other half of comfort is actually shooting it. I have a 1911 and a 642. The 642 is too small for my hands and I feel I need to palm the whole gun to get a good grip. It's grip is way way to small and thin. Shoot .... readjust ..... shoot ..... readjust. A 1911 fits my hand and it's just shoot .... shoot .... shoot ... shoot. Both are good guns bit I would most likely leave the 642 at home because the only reason I'm carrying it is because I may need to depend on it and depending on something that shoots at the speed equivalent of a musket isn't my idea of SD.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
 
American1776 said:
Very respectfully:

while it's an exceedingly rare occurrence, we are more likely now than we were 30-40 years ago, to HAVE to engage multiple armed attackers armed with long guns. A concert in a local park, a parade, a movie theater, even the mall: if a terrorist or two starts with the jihad thing with the clack clack of the AK's, and me and my two year old and wife are stuck in that mess, deciding whether this fight is worth it or not will come down to whether I want to watch my family die or have a chance at fighting back.

If that dark day ever comes, I want my Beretta 92 with my 20 round magazine over my Stainless J-frame and a speed strip.

It's not about 'leaving this to the LEO' type of fight, because they are bringing that fight to us, the citizens. I can't lug a long gun around, so that's not an option. But of the options we have, we can choose 9-20 rounds with a fast reload, or 5 rounds with a slow reload. I know which one I'd like. Granted, all handguns have limitations. But some handguns are more limited than others.

And there are fights we can't be prepared for; but this is no reason not to reasonably prepare for a larger set of fights by having a pistol with better capacity. Carrying a 5-shot J-frame is better than nothing. A Commander 1911 is better than a revolver, and a hi-cap wondernine is still better than that. Know the limitations of all these choices, because there are real limitations to the 5-shooter. That's all I'm saying here.

Just my two cents, with all respect due.
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What I take objection to is saying that, "You need to have X, or you're not prepared," where X is a type of gun or a number of rounds.

I think what it really comes down to is awareness, mindset, and proficiency. But that's a whole 'nother thing.

I would also suggest that you're not looking at the upsides of a revolver compared to a semiautomatic. For one thing, the manual of arms is a lot simpler. There's no slide to manipulate, and no safety to leave on. If you suffer a misfire, it's not the end of the world--just keep squeezing the trigger. It's hard--but not impossible--to jam up, and there's no magazine to damage or wear.

Is a semiautomatic faster to reload? Maybe. It still requires two working hands, and it's still easy to fumble. I would submit that it--and this is in no way a jab at pistol fellows--requires less skill and practice to reload effectively.

But even there, the humble J-frame has advantages. For the same bulk and weight of a semiautomatic pistol and two magazines, one can carry two pocket revolvers.

Not that I ever would. If I thought I seriously needed two revolvers to go someplace, I'd have to seriously reconsider going there! Which is a luxury I have, being responsible only to and for myself.

The other thing is--not all of us have access to high-capacity magazines. In my state, for instance, we're limited to 10 officially, and anything over 7 exists in a legal gray area. So there's really not much of a gap between a 7+1 and a 5 or a 6.

DevilDog72 said:
As far as if we are confronted with BG's with rifles... well what choice do we have if not fight it out? They will try to kill you anyway.
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There is such a thing as fighting your way out of a bad situation.

Now, you may be in a place where there are no alternative exits, but I never much cared for a tactical poo sandwich like that.
 
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